How to choose the "right" Friedman

Q

QOTSA_Lover

New member
Hey,

I'm definitely going to buy a FRIEDMAN amp in the next days but I really really don't know which one is the perfect amp for my needs.
I'm a bluesrock to hardrock guy (from Bonamassa, John Mayer to max. Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry). No metal or beyond. I'am using a Telly (Fender Customshop) and a Les Paul with vintage output PUs. I do most of the stuff with one channel and my guitar's volume control. So I'm a sort of a purist and don't need a lot of channels necessarily.

So I played the SS100, BE100 and Dirty Shirley in the past weeks...
These are my impressions so far, hope you can confirm / complement:

BE100:
Very versatile amp. Great high-mid peak to cut easily through any bandmix. Likes pedals. Very strong and powerful tones. Modern and tight bassresponse. Not as "juicy" as the SS100.

SS100:
Darker, fatter and meanier sounding as the BE100. More low mids, less pronounced high mids (in comparison with the BE). But that's why the SS100 doesn't cut as well in a bandsituation as the BE (especially in a band with two guitarists). The clean channel ist great but doesn't take pedals as well as the clean on the BE.

Dirty Shirley:
Very fat and unique feeling. Sounds very spongy and percussive. No diode rectified amp sounds like this. Very very charming. Not heard sth. like that before in a modern amp package. Not as "big" and "powerful" sounding as the 100-watters (maybe because of the 40 Watts?!?). My problem with this amp is the extreme bass amount especially when played thru a 4x12 cab. Tons of bass though I dialed back to 4 or less.



So after all these impressions I really don't know how to choose the right amp. I've also the smallbox in mind but hadn't the chance to hear/play it so far. Do you have any advice or recommendations which amp could be the right one? I don't know how to choose the correct amp.


Thank you very much so far and sorry for my poor english...

Greets
Thomas
 
QOTSA_Lover":2gyzghvs said:
Hey,

I'm definitely going to buy a FRIEDMAN amp in the next days but I really really don't know which one is the perfect amp for my needs.
I'm a bluesrock to hardrock guy (from Bonamassa, John Mayer to max. Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry). No metal or beyond. I'am using a Telly (Fender Customshop) and a Les Paul with vintage output PUs. I do most of the stuff with one channel and my guitar's volume control. So I'm a sort of a purist and don't need a lot of channels necessarily.

So I played the SS100, BE100 and Dirty Shirley in the past weeks...
These are my impressions so far, hope you can confirm / complement:

BE100:
Very versatile amp. Great high-mid peak to cut easily through any bandmix. Likes pedals. Very strong and powerful tones. Modern and tight bassresponse. Not as "juicy" as the SS100.

SS100:
Darker, fatter and meanier sounding as the BE100. More low mids, less pronounced high mids (in comparison with the BE). But that's why the SS100 doesn't cut as well in a bandsituation as the BE (especially in a band with two guitarists). The clean channel ist great but doesn't take pedals as well as the clean on the BE.

Dirty Shirley:
Very fat and unique feeling. Sounds very spongy and percussive. No diode rectified amp sounds like this. Very very charming. Not heard sth. like that before in a modern amp package. Not as "big" and "powerful" sounding as the 100-watters (maybe because of the 40 Watts?!?). My problem with this amp is the extreme bass amount especially when played thru a 4x12 cab. Tons of bass though I dialed back to 4 or less.



So after all these impressions I really don't know how to choose the right amp. I've also the smallbox in mind but hadn't the chance to hear/play it so far. Do you have any advice or recommendations which amp could be the right one? I don't know how to choose the correct amp.


Thank you very much so far and sorry for my poor english...

Greets
Thomas
Click to expand...
Go for the Smallbox :rock:
 
I don't agree with your assessment of the SS100's clean nor about it cutting through the mix, but from your requirements I'd say Small Box or BE100. The Shirley won't have enough gain for AB. The SS100 certainly does with the boost but the SmallBox with a pedal boost on the BE channel for higher gain can probably get you all of those tones.
 
LP Freak":1nonxzin said:
QOTSA_Lover":1nonxzin said:
Hey,

I'm definitely going to buy a FRIEDMAN amp in the next days but I really really don't know which one is the perfect amp for my needs.
I'm a bluesrock to hardrock guy (from Bonamassa, John Mayer to max. Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry). No metal or beyond. I'am using a Telly (Fender Customshop) and a Les Paul with vintage output PUs. I do most of the stuff with one channel and my guitar's volume control. So I'm a sort of a purist and don't need a lot of channels necessarily.

So I played the SS100, BE100 and Dirty Shirley in the past weeks...
These are my impressions so far, hope you can confirm / complement:

BE100:
Very versatile amp. Great high-mid peak to cut easily through any bandmix. Likes pedals. Very strong and powerful tones. Modern and tight bassresponse. Not as "juicy" as the SS100.

SS100:
Darker, fatter and meanier sounding as the BE100. More low mids, less pronounced high mids (in comparison with the BE). But that's why the SS100 doesn't cut as well in a bandsituation as the BE (especially in a band with two guitarists). The clean channel ist great but doesn't take pedals as well as the clean on the BE.

Dirty Shirley:
Very fat and unique feeling. Sounds very spongy and percussive. No diode rectified amp sounds like this. Very very charming. Not heard sth. like that before in a modern amp package. Not as "big" and "powerful" sounding as the 100-watters (maybe because of the 40 Watts?!?). My problem with this amp is the extreme bass amount especially when played thru a 4x12 cab. Tons of bass though I dialed back to 4 or less.



So after all these impressions I really don't know how to choose the right amp. I've also the smallbox in mind but hadn't the chance to hear/play it so far. Do you have any advice or recommendations which amp could be the right one? I don't know how to choose the correct amp.


Thank you very much so far and sorry for my poor english...

Greets
Thomas
Click to expand...
Go for the Smallbox :rock:
Click to expand...

Eh, I think he's looking to get one some time soon. Maybe the Brown Eye is the best bet. If it weren't nearly $1000 more, I would have ordered the BE100 instead of the Smallbox.
 
If you only use single channel try the Pink Taco, it cleans up fantastically and covers all the ground you mentioned
 
Hi

I have the Pink Taco and absolutely love that amp ...cleans up so great ....works with Pedals and loves Single Coils and Humbuckers ... great elastic feel ...and at the same time tight .... i hope they will build a Pink Taco 40 in the future with 4 EL84 since the PT20 is so great but not enough for my use in a Rockband. (for other people perhaps it's enough since the 20Watts can be loud)

For this purpose i have now the SmallBox 50 ... the first channel gives the best Plexitones i've ever played ..this channel alone is better than a Handwired 1959 Marshall. .... the second channel is also great ...a typically Friedman pushed Plexi Sound ...tight and juicy .... but that channel and also the whole Smallbox i like more with Humbuckerguitars .... therefore i'm thinking about perhaps trying the Dirty Shirly40 instead. ..and Single Channel can be enough with a Friedman , because they clean up like no other Amp. But the Phil X feature with two switchable masters would be great for any amp .....

br,Tosch
 
Hey,

thanks for all the comments.
Well I tried a PINK TACO a few weeks ago and I don't like the way it cleans up. It's getting cleaner but also thinner. A few other guys here in RIGTALK noticed the same problem. No Idea...

So I'll choose between the BE100, SS100, DirtyShirley and the SmallBox.

Cannot decide... :cry:
 
For your styles, Dirty Shirley for sure. Killer, killer amp. Big fat classic rock and an amazing range in the gain pot. Cleans up like no other amp I've tried.

The others will be more modern sounding and a bit more sizzle in the upper mids. I don't think they will clean up as well.
 
i didn't even know that "smallbox" was an amp of his until this thread..i thought it referred to a 50 watt brown eye in a smaller chassis but I see it has it's own thing going on. Would be interesting to see how it stacks up to a helios in that same price range.
 
Kapo_Polenton":37rh0rti said:
i didn't even know that "smallbox" was an amp of his until this thread..i thought it referred to a 50 watt brown eye in a smaller chassis but I see it has it's own thing going on. Would be interesting to see how it stacks up to a helios in that same price range.
Click to expand...
No diode clipping on the Smallbox. It's the BE with a Plexi channel. It takes boost pedals really well on both channels and has a great loop and a direct out. The clean channel goes from pristine Plexi voiced clean to early classic rock. The other channel is the BE.
 
Smallbox or BE-100 if you want 100w and some extra options. When you say Alter Bridge the DS is not going to get you there but I loved the BE-100 for hard rock and played AB on it all the time with a clean boost on the BE channel.
 
bwgintegra":3mopwkye said:
When you say Alter Bridge the DS is not going to get you there......
Click to expand...

True, but with the right drive pedal it will. A Klone sounds killer with the DS!!

The Smallbox is probably another good option with the Plexi channel.
 
Thank's for your comments,

well, I played the DS in the past and Gain is no issue for me. It's gainy enough cause I usually dial in a solid rock rhythm kinda sound and do the rest with several boost pedals.

The only problem with the DS is the very high bass amount. It's so bass-heavy that my cab vibrates out of the rehearsal... Tons of bass that I really cannot dial out even with the pot on 4 or below.

I also like this natural compression from an EL34 Tube. That's what I'm missing on a DS.

But it's for sure a fantastic amp that I really like. But these two things are the "cons" about the DS (for me).
 
I'd say email Dave... The Wizard can point you in the right direction.

You're a lot luckier than me... I'm in Oklahoma and NO ONE has Friedman's to play... Much less 3 to compare.

I already know what I'm getting, without playing anything... Because I've already discussed it with Dave.
 
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