Guess the Amp #1: Friedman Family — can you match BE100, JJ100, JOSE 100 and JEL-50?

[Mattfig]

Hi everyone, Mattfig here. I filmed the first episode of Guess the Amp with four real Friedmans: BE100, JJ100, JOSE 100 and JEL-50.

The same DI guitar performance by Ally Lee goes through each amp, with balanced levels. All four use a De Lisle switcher into the same Sunn 4×12 in another room, loaded with DV77s and Greenbacks in an X pattern. Shared effects come from a TC Electronic Plethora X5.



Can you match amps 1–4 before the reveal? Tell me your score and which tone you liked best—no spoilers for the answers!

For the next episode, would you prefer another family showdown or a battle between brands?

Disclosure: this is my own video, and I make commercial amp captures/profiles. This episode features the real amps.

 

[BABMusic]

I got them all wrong, but I did like the sound of the JJ the best, which was surprising to me.

 

[DanTravis62]

though it was tricky (especially the jj and the JEL) I got them all correct, and I by far liked the jose the best and by far disliked the BE the most

 

[BABMusic]

though it was tricky (especially the jj and the JEL) I got them all correct, and I by far liked the jose the best and by far disliked the BE the most

I listened again to the Jose and you can really hear the low end that circuit has. The BE sounded the tightest, but lacked fatness in this clip.

 

[DanTravis62]

I listened again to the Jose and you can really hear the low end that circuit has. The BE sounded the tightest, but lacked fatness in this clip.

Agreed, but it was actually the top end that led me to guess the BE correctly. Both in the room, and on recording, and in a profile or amp sim, the top end has this processed smoothness that I absolutely loathe - it has none of the ugly, rattiness and "imperfection" that all vintage marshalls have.

Now some people love that, and that's totally fair.

But as everyone who knows me on the page knows, I cannot stand it.

I do think friedman is a great amp designer though, and an even better marketer.

 

[BABMusic]

The nice thing about the Jose is that you can have those harsher highs, or you can dial them out if you want.

I had Dave add a JEL mode to my BE amp and I often wonder if it really sounds like JEL. It does add some of those harsher highs that you speak of, but it also adds some tubbiness to the tone. I wouldn't say muddy, but tubby is a good way to explain it. Not sure if the JEL50 has that tubbiness to it.