Friedman are an amplifier brand for serious tone hounds. Bringing the best ‘British’ tube amp designs into the 21st century, Dave Friedman and his team are delivering the sort of tones that instantly have us mentally making room in our rehearsal spaces. Friedman are rock amps done right, basically, but which is the correct one for you?
That’s today’s question, and I hope to offer you some guidance on that. I’ve been lucky enough to connect with a large number of Friedman amps, and feel like my perspective might be useful for you today. Please check out what I have to say, take onboard the parts that resonate with you and ditch the rest! Your own opinion is what counts the most, but I can steer the ship a little for you. For more background on the brand, please have a read of my Friedman guide and I'll get you back here.
Are you ready to rock like it’s 1987? Okay then!
The Amps at a Glance
Best for Classic Plexi Tones: Friedman Vintage Series Plex
Best Hot-Rodded Amp for Rock: Friedman Jake E Lee JEL 50
Best Portable Rock Machine: Friedman Pink Taco V2 Combo
Best Friedman Amp-in-a-box: Friedman IR-X
One Amp to Rule Them All: Friedman BE 100 Deluxe
Best for Classic Plexi Tones: Friedman Vintage Series Plex
Some players want an authentic ‘Plexi’ experience and I can totally get behind that. There’s a huge amount of classic rock music that just requires that sound, and nothing else will do.
For my money, this IS that sound. It’s not ‘as close as you can get’ or whatever, it’s the real deal.
The Friedman Vintage Series Plex is Dave Friedman’s painstaking recreation of his own favourite vintage Plexi head, and I reckon he hit the jackpot with this.
You’ll know yourself whether you need extra features, more channels, more ins & outs etc. In that case, Friedman have you covered with other amps (see below). But if you seek the pure, timeless thrill of that awesome Plexi roar, then get your favourite Gibson guitar (use the right tool for the job, folks) and connect with this thing. You will not forget the experience.
Best Hot-Rodded Amp for Rock: Friedman Jake E Lee JEL 50
It’s true to say that most Friedman stuff is ace at getting you a fantastic 80s hard rock tone. The ‘modded British’ sound (I know, I’m avoiding a certain word…) is a cornerstone of basically all post-1978 rock guitar music, and it’s the main thing Friedman are known for.
So why did I pick the Friedman Jake E Lee JEL 50 amp for this when they can kind of all do it? Well, I think this amp not only excels at the higher gain stuff, but also dials back particularly well. Again, all Friedman amps are good at this, but the JEL offers some airy headroom in its tone that, to my ears at least, is relatively unique. I’d be tempted to pair this with something like an ES-335 as much as with a Charvel, because there’s potential to both nail the ‘Sunset Strip sound’ and then move away from it, with equally convincing results.
Maybe ‘articulation’ is a better term here? Personally, I hear it more in the 50 watt model than the 20: the 20 watt model is great for hitting ‘full crunch’ at reasonable volume levels though!
Best Portable Rock Machine: Friedman Pink Taco V2 Combo
If you play hard rock and find the idea of ‘clean tones’ to be a job for somebody else, then may I recommend the Friedman Pink Taco V2 combo? It’s a portable, single channel monster that spits out some of the most excellent, most filthy tones you can get.
It’s all about diming the controls and letting rip here. With 20 watts, you’ll be able to punctuate any reasonable room with glorious gain that is fat and saturated. You won’t believe you’re playing through a combo until it's time to pack up and carry your gear back to the car.
Click through to check the spec in full (EL84 valves, FX loop etc) but if you are a gain fiend from any genre of rock, this is an amp you’ll definitely gravitate towards. Hearing is believing!
Best Friedman Amp-in-a-box: Friedman IR-X
Lots of us go ‘ampless’ these days, thanks to digital technology. Some use amp modelers such as the Neural DSP Quad Cortex; others opt for keeping their existing pedalboards alongside an ‘amp pedal’.
This is such a device. The Friedman IR-X is basically a genuine tube preamp that sits on the floor with your other pedals, and uses IRs (impulse responses, digital tech that simulates an amp’s sonic performance) to create the sound. We are at a point in technology where such things actually sound as they’re supposed to, and Friedman’s are a treat. I’ve tried a few of theirs, and whilst this is my favourite (it has that amazing ‘Brown Eye’ gargantuan crunch tone), I recommend you seek out the IR-D and Jake E Lee models too.
One Amp to Rule Them All: Friedman BE 100 Deluxe
If you are playing in situations where you can have a full valve half stack - and if you want everything that makes Friedman amplifiers amazing - then I say you MUST check out the Friedman BE 100 Deluxe.
Why? Because you can have it all. This is 3 channels of the most beautiful tube tone money can buy, with independent boosts, a built in Variac control (look up your Eddie Van Halen lore if this isn’t a familiar term) and a range of useful features that make it a versatile, professional choice.
Mainly though, it’s because this amp sounds exceptional. Plug any reasonable guitar into it, set the dials at noon and wave goodbye to the outside world for the entire weekend. Gain, bloom, sustain, girth, rumble, saturation, detail…the adjectives could continue, but let me make this simple: connecting with this amp makes you sound like a rock god. If that’s NOT what you want then maybe Friedman isn’t the amp maker for you, but if you appreciate the sound of a distorted guitar in any way, then I predict great things from your experience with this amp.
If you have acquired one or two lovely guitars, then please consider what you are plugging into. If you’ve been playing for decades and have your technique nailed down, then treat everybody - you, your audience, maybe your neighbours (!) - to the best ‘you’ that exists. Great tube amps like this one will do that.
Don’t take my word for it though, come for a visit to your nearest guitarguitar store and try out some Friedman gear in one of our isolation demo booths. Great tone can elevate great guitar playing into magical art. Friedman could be the amps that get you there. Why not find out?
Click to View our Current Selection of Friedman Amplifiers
