Mesa Boogie JP-2C vs Friedman "Butterslax" (YT Find)

[shredi knight]

This was posted just today on YouTube and I thought you guys might be interested. Some of the best recorded tones I heard from the JP-2C, especially the lead tone (the great playing doesn't hurt either). I definitely prefer the JP-2C over the Friedman on all 3 channels - YMM(and will)V :

 

[gbsmusic]

Gotta go with the JP on this one. More open and just sounds better IMO.

 

[mniel8195]

I would have liked to hear the friedman with celestion v30s just to hear the differance.

 

[Jeff Hilligan]

Gotta go with the JP on this one. More open and just sounds better IMO.

 

[Racerxrated]

So hard to judge, have to be in the room to really know. But I like the Mesa more. Both sound killer though. Wish I was in or near a city that have these amps and many more available to A/B.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Like the mids on the slax best.

MESA has had the best clean tone for a long time.

Both great amps.

 

[psychodave]

No comparison. The boogie is $1,400 less and has more channels and options. You can get the JP2C, a Boogie 4x12 and still have $400 left over. Let that sink in for a moment.

 

[fusedbrain]

Butterslax!!
Better note separation to my ear. Both sound pretty good though, and that dude can play

On a side note, I thought the clean channel comparison was a textbook demo of the tone difference between EL34's & 6L6's.

 

[JackBootedThug]

mesa ftw
/thread.

 

[PBGas]

Like both amps! Really like the Butterslax on this video!

 

[jsp]

The Mesa sounds way livelier, the Friedman sounds muffled in comparison.

 

[SQUAREHEAD]

Butterslax Mids!

 

[Badronald]

Turn up the mids a bit on the Friedman and I like that one more.
The Mesa sounds boxy here. Could be eq'd a bit and it'd be killer.

As eq'd the Mesa would definitely cut in a band better. But like I said, just turn up the kids on the Friedman.

I prefer my MKIV!

It is a YT vid so..........

 

[jlb32]

Both sound great IMO. I love Mesa but have to give the Butterslax a slight advantage here for me.

 

[Green Pro Am]

Both sound great to me, but I prefer the Boogie. Friedman was a bit muffled and woofy sounding. The Boogie was livelier and more focused.

 

[Intronaut]

Great vid

Butterslax all day

The clean channel is ment to be a dirty clean if I remember correctly.

 

[psychodave]

No comparison. The boogie is $1,400 less and has more channels and options. You can get the JP2C, a Boogie 4x12 and still have $400 left over. Let that sink in for a moment.

yea. but then you have a JPC-2
its not like you have Friedman!

Nice. When are you taking delivery of a new one?

 

[milkchickenbomb]

Mesa clean has more headroom with all of the warmth of the Friedman. The Friedman has a chime on the cleans that the Mesa lacks. Tough call, but I think the Mesa is the winner in the clean channel.

Channels 2 & 3 on the Friedman sounded much better to me. It's the midrange. A ton of bite and not nasal sounding.

 

[VC4Ever]

 

[Racerxrated]

Mesa clean has more headroom with all of the warmth of the Friedman. The Friedman has a chime on the cleans that the Mesa lacks. Tough call, but I think the Mesa is the winner in the clean channel.

Channels 2 & 3 on the Friedman sounded much better to me. It's the midrange. A ton of bite and not nasal sounding.

the Mark series Mesa will always have a nasal honk to them. thats why they need 3 graphic eq's to help you.

Not sure which Mark you are talking about? My 2C+ has only one. And you're an audio engineer by trade right? Don't you know how to drop that Mid slider? I imagine you do..and when you do the mids are waay better than what I hear out of that Friedman. IMO. YMMV. Rock on.

That JP 2C sounds way more open. Friedman sounds compressed, as do most of the Friedman amps. The only one I've heard that doesn't have that compression is the Dirty Shirley. I imagine the Phil X would be more open sounding also.

Rez, you need to try a 2C+ for yourself. I'm a Marshall guy, and I love what an SLO (Ess El Oh lol) can do. The 2C+ gives me a lot of what an SLO does but with a thickness that you can't get with the SLO. Haven't tried a JP 2C but since I have an original(Ok a 2C upgraded to a +) I don't feel the need. But those clips to me sound great, and at that price point it's a no brainer. IMO. YMMV. Rock on.