Pete Thorn demos the Friedman Jose amp

[JonPearson1994]

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.

I would say the SS100 matched that description as well. It did sound beautiful in that way, it was lovely in the way that a Porsche is - it does what it is supposed to do elegantly and effectively.

I think I just prefer a hotrodded Impala with a little patina

 

[cobrahead1030]

Demo sounded cool, but seems like a rush job. That’s unfortunate because I’d love to hear him dive a bit deeper with some other guitars.

 

[mentoneman]

having played most of the friedman line i’d say the two i like the most are the SSv1 for VH crunch to metal tones and lead shred,

and the JEL 100 for rawer marshall vibes ala jake’s ozzy years-badlands tones and great complimentary clean tone. results highly dependent on the gtr/pickup entering and cab exiting.

Plex, Jose, Dirty Shirley and Smallbox all fall into the next tier of greatness.

in light of my own experiences with the friedman line, i’m getting extremely satisfying results running the synergy be-dlx module into my wdw rig with a mesa mark III FX return as the dry power into a halfback 4x12, and vht 2-90-2 stereo power into my 1x12 celestion wet cabs.

 

[BABMusic]

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.

Dave's often said it's one of his favorite amps and that it's often overlooked. I've never tried one, but I want to. I almost went with the Runt but ultimately decided on the BE50, because I wasn't sure how much low end the Runt 50 has.

 

[snoqualmie]

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.

Same here. Killer amp...