Friedman SS100 V2

[Eazy-ESP]

Anyone got one? Anyone got gutshots?

Whether it is valid or not, I have real thing for quality SERVICABLE amps.I've got my amps down to a collection of things like Fryette D120. Marshall JMP 2203. So I am not anti PCB, I just want something that isn't a computer board.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Also... opinions on the amp. It seems really cool. Super expensive though. But I have no amps with an actual clean channel. Plus I like (from the few demos available) how it sounds kind of tight and modern and old school at the same time.

 

[thiscalltoarms]

I don’t have one but I played the v1 before, and if the new version of the Suhr PT amp doesn’t blow me away, I am thinking of hitting the new SS next!

Hope we get some reviews in here!

 

[jasonP]

I don’t have one but I played the v1 before, and if the new version of the Suhr PT amp doesn’t blow me away, I am thinking of hitting the new SS next!

Hope we get some reviews in here!

Do you know if the new PT amp will be 100 watter?

Dave's a Tech so the amp will be serviceable, and I have pictures of my BE deluxe and it's built very nice on PCB boards.

 

[thiscalltoarms]

Do you know if the new PT amp will be 100 watter?

Dave's a Tech so the amp will be serviceable, and I have pictures of my BE deluxe and it's built very nice on PCB boards.

Supposed to be a 50w with IR abilities built in.

 

[PBGas]

I had one a few years back. Really liked it! Great sounding amp!
Probably should have kept it.....but I wanted to try something else at the time.

 

[BABMusic]

Supposed to be a little more percussive than the BE100. I'm curious as to why they cost $300 more than the BE100. There's fewer options in them.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Supposed to be a little more percussive than the BE100. I'm curious as to why they cost $300 more than the BE100. There's fewer options in them.

Ray gun logo = $300.

 

[thiscalltoarms]

Ray gun logo = $300.

Do we know if it’s the same transformers? I thought my SSv1 had different trannys than the BE that a buddy had around the same time?

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Do we know if it’s the same transformers? I thought my SSv1 had different trannys than the BE that a buddy had around the same time?

No idea. The few demos I’ve watched surprise me because it sounds more modem and metal than I would have associated with Steve Stevens.

 

[VHTStark]

Had one. Cool amp: tight, lots of gain; I thought the SS channel was hotter and more aggressive than a typical BE channel.

Still too dark and on the compressed side for what I typically like. Ended up moving mine after a couple months and got a Wizard RS, which is more my thing.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Had one. Cool amp: tight, lots of gain; I thought the SS channel was hotter and more aggressive than a typical BE channel.

Still too dark and on the compressed side for what I typically like. Ended up moving mine after a couple months and got a Wizard RS, which is more my thing.

Is there anyone on this forum that doesn’t have a Wizard?

 

[romanianreaper]

Is there anyone on this forum that doesn’t have a Wizard?

Yes me. I'd have a better chance of being a wizard than owning a wizard.

It is nuts that most of us are always searching for tones and never ends. I guess it is a good thing though, lol.

 

[LPMojoGL]

Have a SS100, modded by @RedPlated to V2 specs, with other tasty mods.
Also have a Wiz MC50 6L6.

Can't speak to a stock SS V2, but my understanding is that its a bit more open, brighter tighter. Gotta get the treble pot up to 3/4s on V1 to equal about noonish on other amps, due to the pot used. Not sure if V2 is the same.

Gain channel is vintage & modern. With the mods, it's really hard to tell the SS and Wiz apart, unless youre playing em. Jeremy's mods on a Friedman allow for the stock sound, plus the less refined, more krangy sound many prefer.
Clean channel is amazingly close to my bf Fender Dual Showman. Splendid cleans. Not just for a dual channel amp, but period.

And the ray gun rox.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Have a SS100, modded by @RedPlated to V2 specs, with other tasty mods.
Also have a Wiz MC50 6L6.

Can't speak to a stock SS V2, but my understanding is that its a bit more open, brighter tighter. Gotta get the treble pot up to 3/4s on V1 to equal about noonish on other amps, due to the pot used. Not sure if V2 is the same.

Gain channel is vintage & modern. With the mods, it's really hard to tell the SS and Wiz apart, unless youre playing em. Jeremy's mods on a Friedman allow for the stock sound, plus the less refined, more krangy sound many prefer.
Clean channel is amazingly close to my bf Fender Dual Showman. Splendid cleans. Not just for a dual channel amp, but period.

And the ray gun rox.

The cleans are really great sounding in demos. I don't have a clean setting on any of my amps. That's actually a big appeal with the SSV2 for me.

 

[LPMojoGL]

The cleans are really great sounding in demos. I don't have a clean setting on any of my amps. That's actually a big appeal with the SSV2 for me.

It's a gorgeous clean channel. IMO, way better than the simple clean on a BE, or supposedly Vox voiced on a JJ100. It won't crunch up like the plexi channel on a Smallbox. It's more like a super clean, high wattage Fender. Takes pedals fantastic, pretty as you want with effects like compression, modulation, reverb, delay.

 

[RedPlated]

Have a SS100, modded by @RedPlated to V2 specs, with other tasty mods.
Also have a Wiz MC50 6L6.

Can't speak to a stock SS V2, but my understanding is that its a bit more open, brighter tighter. Gotta get the treble pot up to 3/4s on V1 to equal about noonish on other amps, due to the pot used. Not sure if V2 is the same.

Gain channel is vintage & modern. With the mods, it's really hard to tell the SS and Wiz apart, unless youre playing em. Jeremy's mods on a Friedman allow for the stock sound, plus the less refined, more krangy sound many prefer.
Clean channel is amazingly close to my bf Fender Dual Showman. Splendid cleans. Not just for a dual channel amp, but period.

And the ray gun rox.

A stock V1 SS uses an audio taper treble pot. So 5-6 on the stock pot is like 3 or so on a standard linear taper pot. It doesn’t even start hitting till around 6.5-7.

Your modded SS should have a linear pot. Pretty sure I changed it out.

 

[BABMusic]

It sounded killer in PassionforTone's recent video.

 

[LPMojoGL]

A stock V1 SS uses an audio taper treble pot. So 5-6 on the stock pot is like 3 or so on a standard linear taper pot. It doesn’t even start hitting till around 6.5-7.

Your modded SS should have a linear pot. Pretty sure I changed it out.

No lack of treble on mine! If anything, I sometimes tame the brightness. Thats saying something. Stays around 6 on the dial. Where the V1 I had was always 8+ on the dial.

 

[mentoneman]

a/b-ed V1 v V2

(sorry iphone audio didn’t really do justice)



broad strokes takeaway is V2 crunch is more modern and thicker low mids ala bogner.
i preferred V1 sounding less modern gain and more dry raw cranked plexi.
i’d have to have a V1 and JEL 100 in a room to A/B for an hour to really choose which i’d prefer, but i like those above small box, plex, jose and BEs.

and ultimately i’m very happy with the BE-DLX module checking my Friedman high gain box.