New Friedman Brown Eye literally had me playing all night.

[Adambomb]

There was no way around it. Ever since I plugged into one of these BE100's in Nashville I was blown away. It twas... How do u say... "The sound I hear in my head".... Yea that would be one of many things to say how I feel about this amp. One of the things I love about the amp is that you can dial in so many different tones and they are ALL superb. But the tone I like is that it gets this big fat rhythm tone, but then it just KILLS on leads and solos (yes there's a difference between a lead and a solo).

I haven't even really played much with the switches on the back, but I got my front on bright with the voice switched left. The tone knobs are VERY interactive with one another. Right now I have all tone knobs a little past noon and effects loop around 2:00 with master around 10:00. I'm running some pedals in the loop and out front, and even with all that hooked up I've never experienced an amp that has less tone loss in my life. Delays sound super warm and transparent. Anyway, I've never played an amp that long ever and usually I can find atleast one little thing that bothers me even with some of the best boutique amps, but so far not one thing as far as tone or build quality has disappointed me at all.

I'll post a video when I have time this week. Also would like to hear what speakers and cabs others are running with the BE. I like my Splawn 4x12 best with Creambacks and Small Blocks in x-pattern. Does the two Greenbacks and two V30s top and bottom sound good with this cab? Noticed that Dave likes that combo in his cabs. Was also wondering how much different is a Friedman cab compared to a standard "Marshall like" cab? I'm thinking about trying one out but afraid Ill like it even better and I need to simmer down now with any more gear. I'm digging the Creambacks and V30's the most through it right now. Sorry the post was so long but I could go on and on about how fun and versitle this amp it . Thanks.

 

[iggs]

Congrats d00d! I sold all my other amps after getting the BE-100 and love it.

As far as speakers go, it's V30s all the way for me. I have a Bogner straight loaded with them and cranked it's amazing. I don't play it at lower levels then stage volume so it may work differently at home ... but live, cranked with a full band, it's hard to beat V30s.

 

[flimz]

Congrats on the Friedman. Every time I plug into my Friedman Im floored by how awesome the thing sounds. With all my other amps Im always fiddling with the knobs, but this one is set it and forget it. Sounds amazing! Its THE tone.

Im still experimenting with different speakers and cabs. I have 2 4x12's that Im using. One is a V30 loaded Bogner, and the other is a WGS Vet30 loaded vintage Marshall type cab. Havent decided which I like better haha.

 

[Adambomb]

Congrats on the Friedman. Every time I plug into my Friedman Im floored by how awesome the thing sounds. With all my other amps Im always fiddling with the knobs, but this one is set it and forget it. Sounds amazing! Its THE tone.

Im still experimenting with different speakers and cabs. I have 2 4x12's that Im using. One is a V30 loaded Bogner, and the other is a WGS Vet30 loaded vintage Marshall type cab. Havent decided which I like better haha.

Ha, cool. Depending on when you got your Vet30's, I might have made them man. Worked at WGS for 2 1/2 years starting back in 07'. The main difference between Celestions V30 and WGS's Vet30 is that the Vet30 is a little more geared towards heavier rock tones. Most think it has less mids but it doesn't, they are just less open and more even, where as the V30 wins in the mids with a more 3D like character.

I had my V30's in my Mesa 4x12 reconed by Dean at WGS and man it's gotta be one of the best speakers I've ever heard. I thought about putting them in with my Creamback M65's but they would over power the Creams I think. Really interested in this 2 Greenback 25watters on top and V30's on bottom that Friedman likes so much.

So from a consensus point, many or most use V30's with the BE-100?

 

[flimz]

Congrats on the Friedman. Every time I plug into my Friedman Im floored by how awesome the thing sounds. With all my other amps Im always fiddling with the knobs, but this one is set it and forget it. Sounds amazing! Its THE tone.

Im still experimenting with different speakers and cabs. I have 2 4x12's that Im using. One is a V30 loaded Bogner, and the other is a WGS Vet30 loaded vintage Marshall type cab. Havent decided which I like better haha.

Ha, cool. Depending on when you got your Vet30's, I might have made them man. Worked at WGS for 2 1/2 years starting back in 07'. The main difference between Celestions V30 and WGS's Vet30 is that the Vet30 is a little more geared towards heavier rock tones. Most think it has less mids but it doesn't, they are just less open and more even, where as the V30 wins in the mids with a more 3D like character.

I had my V30's in my Mesa 4x12 reconed by Dean at WGS and man it's gotta be one of the best speakers I've ever heard. I thought about putting them in with my Creamback M65's but they would over power the Creams I think. Really interested in this 2 Greenback 25watters on top and V30's on bottom that Friedman likes so much.

So from a consensus point, many or most use V30's with the BE-100?

I got them back in 2010, so it might be possible haha. I think most people who play marshall type amps love both V30s and greenbacks. The cutting mids and power of the V30s, and the woody vintage tones of greenbacks. So combining them in one cab, as Friedman does, is the best of both worlds I guess! Id love to try one of their cabs.

 

[VegasMD]

Congrats on the new amp. I've had the same experience as you. I love playing the BE100. Every time I plug in, I am blown away with how good it sounds. This amp deserves all the praise it receives.

 

[flash6969]

Welcome to the club

 

[Webb]

I know how you feel. Mine just arrived yesterday.

 

[LP Freak]

Nice!

 

[Adambomb]

Man, just an update... I've been playing through a Splawn 4x12 with Creambacks and Small Blocks in x pattern and it's THE sound of rock!!!

But I'm sure the Friedman Greenback-V30 4x12 would be THE BEST rock sound. WIsh I could sell my Mesa 4x12 and get a Friedman 4x12. But so far it's sounded killer through any and all cabs I've tried.

 

[Phil M]

It's nice with the Splawn Smallblock loaded 4x12, but the BE100 comes alive with V30s. Scumback J75s kill with it too.

Congrats.

 

[dc43Tokyo]

Just got my Brown Eye two days ago. It's truly an amazing sounding amp. I have her plugged into a Marshall '59 cabinet with four greenbacks and am using my Fender '64 Strat reissue with hand wound pickups. The tone is just amazing. The manual says she can be played at bedroom levels but I am instead using a Rivera Rock Crusher that is an amazing piece of equipment as well and I highly recommend. Like many here, I haven't even ventured to the switches on the back yet...

 

[Adambomb]

Just got my Brown Eye two days ago. It's truly an amazing sounding amp. I have her plugged into a Marshall '59 cabinet with four greenbacks and am using my Fender '64 Strat reissue with hand wound pickups. The tone is just amazing. The manual says she can be played at bedroom levels but I am instead using a Rivera Rock Crusher that is an amazing piece of equipment as well and I highly recommend. Like many here, I haven't even ventured to the switches on the back yet...

C45 switch is pretty badass. Also if your playing a Strat then the Fat switch is kinda designed for single coils. But as of now I'm still playing it straigh cleans with bright switch full on and BE channel with gain around 8. That's my rhytm tone and then switching to the HBE channel for solos.

I'm going to sell my Mesa 4x12 to help fund a Friedman 4x12 w/Greenbacks & V30's. Was in Nashville today and played the Brown Eye through that cab and everybodys right, it's like they are married to each other and don't know how Dave made the GB's and V30's just melt together in that cab but MAN they do. The cabs more alive, brighter, but can thump better than any of my cabs. It's not harsh at all and I can tell it would cut better in a band mix with that cab. Just a wonderful balanced tone of pure sweet overtones and rockness.

 

[dc43Tokyo]

Awesome, I guess I have no choice now but to check out the Friedman cabinet...
Happy playing!

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

Just got my Brown Eye two days ago. It's truly an amazing sounding amp. I have her plugged into a Marshall '59 cabinet with four greenbacks and am using my Fender '64 Strat reissue with hand wound pickups. The tone is just amazing. The manual says she can be played at bedroom levels but I am instead using a Rivera Rock Crusher that is an amazing piece of equipment as well and I highly recommend. Like many here, I haven't even ventured to the switches on the back yet...

C45 switch is pretty badass. Also if your playing a Strat then the Fat switch is kinda designed for single coils. But as of now I'm still playing it straigh cleans with bright switch full on and BE channel with gain around 8. That's my rhytm tone and then switching to the HBE channel for solos.

I'm going to sell my Mesa 4x12 to help fund a Friedman 4x12 w/Greenbacks & V30's. Was in Nashville today and played the Brown Eye through that cab and everybodys right, it's like they are married to each other and don't know how Dave made the GB's and V30's just melt together in that cab but MAN they do. The cabs more alive, brighter, but can thump better than any of my cabs. It's not harsh at all and I can tell it would cut better in a band mix with that cab. Just a wonderful balanced tone of pure sweet overtones and rockness.

If you really want to make it sound good break it in. Put the cab face down on the floor and get some sort of looper pedal and put a chunky riff in it. Then hook up a head to the cab at turn up very loud and let it go for 3 hours at a clip for about 6 hours. And I mean loud. Then it will be broken in and sound much better. Not sure you can do this or not where you are but it really makes a difference.

 

[Adambomb]

Just got my Brown Eye two days ago. It's truly an amazing sounding amp. I have her plugged into a Marshall '59 cabinet with four greenbacks and am using my Fender '64 Strat reissue with hand wound pickups. The tone is just amazing. The manual says she can be played at bedroom levels but I am instead using a Rivera Rock Crusher that is an amazing piece of equipment as well and I highly recommend. Like many here, I haven't even ventured to the switches on the back yet...

C45 switch is pretty badass. Also if your playing a Strat then the Fat switch is kinda designed for single coils. But as of now I'm still playing it straigh cleans with bright switch full on and BE channel with gain around 8. That's my rhytm tone and then switching to the HBE channel for solos.

I'm going to sell my Mesa 4x12 to help fund a Friedman 4x12 w/Greenbacks & V30's. Was in Nashville today and played the Brown Eye through that cab and everybodys right, it's like they are married to each other and don't know how Dave made the GB's and V30's just melt together in that cab but MAN they do. The cabs more alive, brighter, but can thump better than any of my cabs. It's not harsh at all and I can tell it would cut better in a band mix with that cab. Just a wonderful balanced tone of pure sweet overtones and rockness.

If you really want to make it sound good break it in. Put the cab face down on the floor and get some sort of looper pedal and put a chunky riff in it. Then hook up a head to the cab at turn up very loud and let it go for 3 hours at a clip for about 6 hours. And I mean loud. Then it will be broken in and sound much better. Not sure you can do this or not where you are but it really makes a difference.

Hey yea I've heard of doin that before but I never have. Maybe I could use my Deluxe Reverb with OD pedal and play chunks and higher frequencies also. I'd rather use an amp I don't play much.

I've been lookin for a 4x12 used but there just isn't any. Gotta wait till I sell my Mesa 4x12. Buy yea the Friedman cab makes the amp shine man.

I do have a question.. My power tubes say ARS EL34's buy they look just like E34L's. Are they ARS EL34's really E34L's or am I just trippin? They sure look like some JJ E34L's I have but both power tubes look very similar. It's only 2 months birth date. But either way they sound good, just still think they are mislabeled E34l's that say EL34.

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

The jj el34 and e34l are the same tubes. Just have different test criteria.

 

[Adambomb]

The jj el34 and e34l are the same tubes. Just have different test criteria.

Well holy cow, didn't know that. Thanks. I experimented when I first got my BE100 with a couple NOS preamp tubes: Mullard, Amperex, Raytheon (was the best in V2 IMHO), but really just stuck with the stock tubes. Finding the right Shug 12ax7B's for any new production amp these days, those tubes are really hard to beat, along with the Tung-Sols.

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

Yeah the tongsols are good but sort of inconsistent. Hard to use in production.

 

[fretmaster]

Man, I get the finally finding "the tone in your head" thing with the Friedman's. I had the same experience when I got my first one and I now own three and have never in my life been happier with the tone and feel of my amps. Hoping to add the Dirty Shirley too in the not too distant future. In regard to speakers, I've found Greenback's and G12H30's to be my favorite two speakers. And well broken in, English Vintage 30's to be a close second with any of my Friedman's. I'm not a huge fan of new V30's but find they're one of the best sounding speakers out there after they've been pummeled hard for a few years. I also have an old circa 71' Marshall 4x12 that has original G12H30-55Hz Rola's and it sounds freaking amazing with the BE100. But those are hard to come by these days. That's my holy grail cab and it doesn't get played often.

Congrats on finally finding your tonal soul mate! I'm right there with you thanks to the genius that is Mr. Friedman.