Friedman SS-100 Steve Stevens | VIDEO

What is your take on the difference in tone on the gain channel of the SS-100 and the BE DLX? I have the BE DLX and to me the SS-100 has more "snap" and "kerrang" to the tone, definitely more open and less compressed.
 
rm5153 said:
What is your take on the difference in tone on the gain channel of the SS-100 and the BE DLX? I have the BE DLX and to me the SS-100 has more "snap" and "kerrang" to the tone, definitely more open and less compressed.
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They're really similar. You can pretty much dial in the sound of the SS-100 with the BE-100 Deluxe since it's such a flexible amp with all of its voicing options. I don't know that I'd say the SS has anymore snap or kerrang vs the DLX. If you're at ear level with your speakers both amps are capable of a ton of snap/high end content, so that might just be a factor of hearing the amp mic'd up. If you have the BE-100 Deluxe on the high gain structure switch setting (the default BE Channel sound) and all other switch settings turned off to their default position, I'd say the BE has a tiny bit more top end presence and a bit more focused bottom end. The SS has a bit more low-mid content to my ears, almost like you turned on the FAT switch on the BE-100 deluxe, not the same, but in the ball park. Maybe slightly more vintage voiced? Hard to describe this level of tone nuance, and I don't want to speak for any manufacturer, this is just my interpretation.

It's funny, I love super nice amps & gear, but I'm not all that picky personally. As soon as I start playing with a bass player & drummer, or have ear plugs in at a show, all of those nuances fly right out the window, and am usually going, "damn, this amp sounds awesome." And then if I'm making a record, I'll probably EQ the track anyways to account for any lack or excess of any frequency. But, that's easy for me to say because every Friedman amp I've played so far sounds right to my ears and they're just subtly different flavors of great tones. It would be way more substantial if it were like, how does this compare to a Dual Rec, or an Orange Rockerverb or something where the differences are more drastic. I just don't want to claim, "this is much less compressed" or something like that because the differences are so subtle. I think it'd be easier to compare and really say confidently if I had an amp switcher like the Ampete or something like that where you can A/B instantly. But I'd say, couldn't go wrong with either. Hope that's helpful in some way. ?
 
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Great tones there. Nothing to be cowardice of. A smile lit on my face when I heard ya bust into "More Than Ever." Love that song.
 
Whats the difference in V1 and V2? Did V1 have the line out and effects loop level? If so, those are features I wish my BE100 Dlx had. Those would come in very handy.
 
Cap217 said:
Whats the difference in V1 and V2? Did V1 have the line out and effects loop level? If so, those are features I wish my BE100 Dlx had. Those would come in very handy.
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Yes, the original SS-100 has a Line Out and Effects Loop Return Volume. I think the System Volume on the BE-100 Deluxe is functioning in the same way as the Loop Return Volume.

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I asked Friedman and he said SS went from a rack setup that needed a line out to a 2 head stereo setup with pedals. That eliminated the need for line out. But I think this is a great feature. Id really like to have loop on/off, return level, and line out w/ level. That makes a lot of sense to me for many reasons.

As for system volume acting as return level, I dont think thats true but I never tried it either. You would have to constantly adjust the master and system if it did.
 
Cap217 said:
I asked Friedman and he said SS went from a rack setup that needed a line out to a 2 head stereo setup with pedals. That eliminated the need for line out. But I think this is a great feature. Id really like to have loop on/off, return level, and line out w/ level. That makes a lot of sense to me for many reasons.

As for system volume acting as return level, I dont think thats true but I never tried it either. You would have to constantly adjust the master and system if it did.
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Ah, I just meant in the sense that if you adjust the system volume on the BE-100 Deluxe it'll adjust the volume of all channels evenly which is also true of the Return Level control on the SS-100.
 
There are many great amps. I can’t imagine any of them sounding much better than the SS100. We all have preferences but that amp hangs with anything I’ve ever heard or tried. Total game changer when I got mine.
 
Sounds so good. The SS keeps my head spinning back every time.

I almost bought a PT-100 because of how Outshined sounded in your video, btw. Haha. So much clarity! I was afraid it wouldn't get heavy enough. Bought a Butterslax from a guy on here instead.
 
Once again...More than Ever by Evergrey is jammin. The fact you busted into that for the intro and the middle bridge part is killer. Kudos

Wish there was a SS 50 watter. or smaller. I'd probably buy it
 
played my friend's SS a few hours ago using a les paul and then a maple neck/mahogany body jem. mega wdw rig. channelled my 80s george lynch/scorpions licks. sounded perfect!
 
Id like to hear comparisons of a BE vs SS. Everyone I hear is they are the same with the SS more vintage. But what are you actually saying? More mids? More open? Is the SS the BE channel thats just tweaked or is it very different?
 
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