MistaGuitah
Well-known member
I don't like prefixing a disclaimer so that my opinions don't offend hypersensitive fanbois, but since I love Friedman products and hold Dave Friedman in high regards, I don't mind saying so. Now that my love for Friedman amps and respect for Dave Friedman is clear, let me ask a question that I think many people have pondered: Was the BE-100 really necessary?
The new features are great. It looks kind of cool. I concede to all of that. However, it wasn't too long ago when the 4 switch BE-100 hit the market which, in my opinion, was about as good as an amp could get. The BE-100 is a smokin hot amp as-is. It was really cool that a 50w BE-50 came out, but since the price wasn't much more accessible than the BE-100, I quickly lost interest. I have played the BE-50 and think it's great, but it doesn't make me think any less of the BE-100. In fact, I actually like the 4 switch BE-100 more.
Then the other day I saw a BE-100 Deluxe at Guitar Center and tried it out. Indeed, it was very cool and I loved how Dave designed the new features. However, priced $100 more, it just wasn't impressive enough to move my sentiments towards one, or away from my BE-100. For guys who want better control of the low end and the added versatility of the new knobs, I could see the usefulness or perhaps necessity. For average guitarists, it just seems like a shift away from the BE-100 and toward a newer, pricier model.
This is by no means a criticism, and I do not intend to project negativity in any way. It's just that in my opinion, I was thoroughly satisfied with the changes Dave had made on the 4 switch version and would hate to see that model get retired. I also like the cosmetics of the BE-100 more than the Deluxe a little more to be honest. If you have a reasonable and informed opinion, however, I'd like to know your thoughts on this subject.
The new features are great. It looks kind of cool. I concede to all of that. However, it wasn't too long ago when the 4 switch BE-100 hit the market which, in my opinion, was about as good as an amp could get. The BE-100 is a smokin hot amp as-is. It was really cool that a 50w BE-50 came out, but since the price wasn't much more accessible than the BE-100, I quickly lost interest. I have played the BE-50 and think it's great, but it doesn't make me think any less of the BE-100. In fact, I actually like the 4 switch BE-100 more.
Then the other day I saw a BE-100 Deluxe at Guitar Center and tried it out. Indeed, it was very cool and I loved how Dave designed the new features. However, priced $100 more, it just wasn't impressive enough to move my sentiments towards one, or away from my BE-100. For guys who want better control of the low end and the added versatility of the new knobs, I could see the usefulness or perhaps necessity. For average guitarists, it just seems like a shift away from the BE-100 and toward a newer, pricier model.
This is by no means a criticism, and I do not intend to project negativity in any way. It's just that in my opinion, I was thoroughly satisfied with the changes Dave had made on the 4 switch version and would hate to see that model get retired. I also like the cosmetics of the BE-100 more than the Deluxe a little more to be honest. If you have a reasonable and informed opinion, however, I'd like to know your thoughts on this subject.