Pete Thorn demos the Friedman Jose amp

[Kapo_Polenton]

Another demo where this amp sounds fantastic...Again, Dave should seriously consider injecting a little more of this raw aggression and bright attack into his other production amps.

Hell yeah, the synergy BE fell flat for me because of those damn rounded soft mids. Raw is what makes amps cut and chug. Really wish he'd have a "raw" switch.The DLX at least seems to have more bite when compared. I still like the 800 better but the DLX isn't far off .

 

[Geo]

I really didn't care for that demo. I am glad he brought the Tele out out but I would I would have liked to hear more of the dynamics of the amp.


And he's a gaywod.

 

[MusicIsLife]

This is generally the most common complaint about the Friedman signature sound...They tend to present at somewhat dark, and "produced" sounding and yes "too polite" is a term often used as well. That said, from the clips I have heard, the Jose model seems to be the most organic and "raw" sounding in the Friedman line.

I think the JEL also has a growl that seems to be lacking in most of the other Friedman's. I think there have been talks of another round of 100w JELs, perhaps a v2 version rather than identical to the original.

 

[SonVolt]

1) I though Pete's demo was great. The top-end didn't seem too "polished off" IMO, I thought it was quite strident, but usable.

2) I own Friedman and Marshalls, and I feel like forums are just regurgitating the mantra that Friedman's are too polished and "produced" sounding. Maybe I've got shit for ears, but that hasn't been my experience.

 

[LP Freak]

1) I though Pete's demo was great. The top-end didn't seem too "polished off" IMO, I thought it was quite strident, but usable.

2) I own Friedman and Marshalls, and I feel like forums are just regurgitating the mantra that Friedman's are too polished and "produced" sounding. Maybe I've got shit for ears, but that hasn't been my experience.

Couldn’t agree more

 

[BABMusic]

I had the chance to compare my BE50 to a JVM410 recently (while it lasted). Comparing them actually convinced me I do not need a bright cap added in my BE50. JVM was more aggressive and worked better for metal, but the BE was tighter and sounded better to me when playing any kind of leads. I found I could make the BE sound closer to the JVM by engaging the C45 switch. Both are good amps, but I think with Friedman a lot of the criticism comes from their price tag. Do you really get what you pay for (2 times the price of the JVM)? I can't answer that for anyone else but myself.

 

[SonVolt]

The JVM is so damn ugly tho.

 

[angelspade]

1) I though Pete's demo was great. The top-end didn't seem too "polished off" IMO, I thought it was quite strident, but usable.

2) I own Friedman and Marshalls, and I feel like forums are just regurgitating the mantra that Friedman's are too polished and "produced" sounding. Maybe I've got shit for ears, but that hasn't been my experience.

It really depends on what that terminology means to each individual and what your point of reference is. I find that some of the high-end boutiques have this kind of polished / produced quality to them....and it's not necessarily a bad thing. An example would be the Diezel Herbert, a great sounding "metal" amp; But if you're used to the bright, raw attack of say a Peavey 5150II or a Mesa Rectifier, then a Herbert may take some getting used to as it tends to present as a "produced" sounding high-gain tone. It seems that people who are used to a Marshall Plexi, JCM800 and even JVM series amps have a similar initial response to plugging into a Friedman. It's got plenty of Marshall DNA for certain, but in a refined sense. I liken it to the difference of a high horsepower American muscle car and a European sports car...Similar HP perhaps, but handles and feels smoother.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

It really depends on what that terminology means to each individual and what your point of reference is. I find that some of the high-end boutiques have this kind of polished / produced quality to them....and it's not necessarily a bad thing. An example would be the Diezel Herbert, a great sounding "metal" amp; But if you're used to the bright, raw attack of say a Peavey 5150II or a Mesa Rectifier, then a Herbert may take some getting used to as it tends to present as a "produced" sounding high-gain tone. It seems that people who are used to a Marshall Plexi, JCM800 and even JVM series amps have a similar initial response to plugging into a Friedman. It's got plenty of Marshall DNA for certain, but in a refined sense. I liken it to the difference of a high horsepower American muscle car and a European sports car...Similar HP perhaps, but handles and feels smoother.

Agree. I don't think anyone is saying it is a bad thing. just a preference thing. Good sounding amps for sure but you really notice it when going back to back with an 800 for example. For me, those mids just don't do it.

 

[Rev]

I liked the video and the tones he was getting.

 

[ChurchHill]

I think part of it is what speakers are being used. The Jose sounds quite different through Greenbacks vs V30s, for example. Keep in mind that the original Joses were usually Plexis that typically sound best through Greenbacks. The Jose isn't any different, and when the mods are turned off, does a pretty good Plexi complete with plenty of kerrang.

The Jose is the most raw Friedman I've played. I've also got a BE100DLX, and while I can understand why some say it's smoother or more polished, I don't buy into that, either. It can be plenty raw, depends on how it's dialed in. I've got a Herbert, too. If I treat it as a typical amp, I can see why people think it doesn't cut, but that's also wrong. I'm not afraid to set the knobs to whatever sounds best to me and my Herbert has plenty of top end and bite. Not to compare sounds, rather techniques, but think about a Mesa Mark. If you set everything to 5, it's gonna sound rough, but once you figure out how to dial it in, watch out. All of the above have their own sound. They may or may not be for everyone, but for me, I love them all for what they are.

I like my Jose best with higher output pickups, but again, this is what most people were using when Jose designed his mods. I think it still sounds great with PAFs, too, just not my preference for this amp. I have no problem getting pinch harmonics with either, but to be fair, I can get pinch harmonics on my acoustics, too.

 

[BABMusic]

The JVM is so damn ugly tho.

Is it? I thought it looked fine. In my opinion, Marshall does the black and gold thing better than anyone else. I kind of wish that more Marshall-inspired brands would go with other colors more often.

I think part of it is what speakers are being used. The Jose sounds quite different through Greenbacks vs V30s, for example. Keep in mind that the original Joses were usually Plexis that typically sound best through Greenbacks. The Jose isn't any different, and when the mods are turned off, does a pretty good Plexi complete with plenty of kerrang.

The Jose is the most raw Friedman I've played. I've also got a BE100DLX, and while I can understand why some say it's smoother or more polished, I don't buy into that, either. It can be plenty raw, depends on how it's dialed in. I've got a Herbert, too. If I treat it as a typical amp, I can see why people think it doesn't cut, but that's also wrong. I'm not afraid to set the knobs to whatever sounds best to me and my Herbert has plenty of top end and bite. Not to compare sounds, rather techniques, but think about a Mesa Mark. If you set everything to 5, it's gonna sound rough, but once you figure out how to dial it in, watch out. All of the above have their own sound. They may or may not be for everyone, but for me, I love them all for what they are.

I like my Jose best with higher output pickups, but again, this is what most people were using when Jose designed his mods. I think it still sounds great with PAFs, too, just not my preference for this amp. I have no problem getting pinch harmonics with either, but to be fair, I can get pinch harmonics on my acoustics, too.

Wait, is that you in that first top video? I've seen lots of your videos in th past and didn't know it was you. lol.

 

[ChurchHill]

Is it? I thought it looked fine. In my opinion, Marshall does the black and gold thing better than anyone else. I kind of wish that more Marshall-inspired brands would go with other colors more often.


Wait, is that you in that first top video? I've seen lots of your videos in th past and didn't know it was you. lol.

Nah, that's not me, but @cragginshred is a member here. I've enjoyed a number of his videos, too.

 

[dr_rbg]

Sounds great, much better than my former JJ jr

 

[BABMusic]

Sounds great, much better than my former JJ jr

That seems like the amp everyone owned and everyone later sold.

 

[dr_rbg]

I got that because according to the internet it sounded great at lower volumes. I am not quite sure about it, was not bad, but nothing too special either.

 

[angelspade]

The Jose is the most raw Friedman I've played. I've also got a BE100DLX, and while I can understand why some say it's smoother or more polished, I don't buy into that, either. It can be plenty raw, depends on how it's dialed in. I've got a Herbert, too. If I treat it as a typical amp, I can see why people think it doesn't cut, but that's also wrong. I'm not afraid to set the knobs to whatever sounds best to me and my Herbert has plenty of top end and bite. Not to compare sounds, rather techniques, but think about a Mesa Mark. If you set everything to 5, it's gonna sound rough, but once you figure out how to dial it in, watch out. All of the above have their own sound. They may or may not be for everyone, but for me, I love them all for what they are.

How you dial an amp in absolutely matters...But amps also have an inherent voice and definable characteristics. That's part of the reason one might own a JCM800 AND a Friedman BE....Or a Diezel Herbert AND a 5150. To my ears, Friedman amps definitely have a more polished and refined sound by comparison to most Marshalls. I think many would agree this. While I have not played the Jose, It seems (again, to my ears) that it has a bit more of the rawness and organic aggression some might associate with a great Marshall; And while this is a highly personal point of view, I believe that is one of the primary reasons the Friedman Jose seems to be getting wildly positive feedback from the market, perhaps more so than some of his other production amps.

 

[JonPearson1994]

Hell, I ended up trading off my Steve Stevens amp and keeping my SL-X because the Friedman was just too polished. It wasn't just the high end though, it was really though whole thing. Switching back and forth on a switcher, the SL-X was so forward and "interesting", even if it has things that I wanted to change about it (it has been modded since). The Friedman was perfectly acceptable but it just didn't feel as "alive" I guess.

 

[BABMusic]

Hell, I ended up trading off my Steve Stevens amp and keeping my SL-X because the Friedman was just too polished. It wasn't just the high end though, it was really though whole thing. Switching back and forth on a switcher, the SL-X was so forward and "interesting", even if it has things that I wanted to change about it (it has been modded since). The Friedman was perfectly acceptable but it just didn't feel as "alive" I guess.

That's an interesting comment. I've never played the SS100, but I've always been curious about them. But that amp has too few switches for what I prefer.

Just based on my limited experience with the BE50, I can say that if you want a super aggressive metal amp, there are better options out there. Probably the thing I appreciate most about the amp is when playing chords and letting them sustain. You hit chords like the D or even fretted chords like C-G-C-E and there's a very nice balanced or compressed thing going on. You seem to get a tone where you can hear all the notes in the chord very clearly. The harmonics / overtones are also very rich and detailed. Lead lines on the higher strings also retain a nice thickness without becoming piercing to the ear.

 

[GuitarBilly]

For Friedmans, to me, the "lowly" Runt 50 is where it's at. It's the most percussive and raw sounding of all the Friedmans I've tried. ( I haven't tried the Plex or Jose yet though). I think he pulled back on some of the filtering to make the amp more affordable and IMHO, it turned out to be the right move for my taste.