The Friedman JEL-50 Head

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Can you name all the riffs I played in the video?

[@Gorbyrev]

@@RobertBakerGuitar He Man Woman Hater was greatly appreciated.

[@ravecaster]

I named one of them Steve.

[@StuCrombie]

Im a mover (free) on the L.P nice 👍

[@phillippitts6294]

I wish! The red tolex kills

[@AREA_RC-51]

Robert - thank you for just playing the amp solo... it gives a great impression of the room sound and what tones the amp is capable of.

[@lending99]

NICE!!! Friedmans are DEFINITELY worth the price. I have a BE100 Deluxe and it is a crazy versatile amp, sounds KILLER!!!

[@wildwood20147]

awesome playing Robert!

[@TheCyberMantis]

Thanks for showing us the guts of this amp. How it's built is just as important as how it sounds. Especially considering the price. This one looks very nice on the inside. Looks like a high-quality product.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

I've been using the IRX for almost a year and I can declare that it's my tone. It sounds so good and feels incredible when playing. I've been doing both 80s glam and djent using that BE channel :) My dream is to eventually get the full fledged head, but it might take ages lol. Right now I'm so satisfied with the IRX I might aswell get the IRD for other sessions :)

[@SimpleManGuitars1973]

The last 10 or so Shorts on my channel are nothing but a Friedman Runt 20 plugged straight into a Morgan 2x12. They're GREAT amps! GREAT!

[@jacknorman6728]

Thanks!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Dude thank you so much

[@samright4661]

I wish I could afford that beast!That plexi side sounds amazing!!

[@wenzwenzel2529]

Nice production. Love how you fit all the guitars in the mix so well.

[@gravyblue]

Robert, consistently one of the best tones of the you tube guitarists.

[@communitykyle]

Will say I especially like your approach of using multiple guitars around the two channels. Shows versatility of the amp (and the player)!

[@Grindtone603]

I played the 20 watt Jake E. Lee with the matching cab and it sounded ok for not being able to push it hard. I was playing it in a store so I couldn't play it at its ideal settings. I would like to play a Friedman where I could push it.

[@freemanmt1]

From just three or four years ago you're playing has went x10! Killer job! Really dig the plethora of guitars for the demo.

[@dmac3316]

Solid vid. One of the best sounds I ever got was at a used gear shop and plugged into a Little Sister 20 head into some unknown speaker and it was awesome. The JEL 20 I tried was great too but there was just something about the Little Sister with that mismatched mystery speaker that sounded fantastic. I can’t justify the cost for a Friedman amp right now but I love my SmallBox and Dirty Shirley pedals. 🤘

[@RikJSmith]

That Intro Tune is So BadAss Rob !!!! Well done !

[@gilguisler2215]

As a weekend warrior gigging guitar player, I say yes. Easy to dial in a tone and a volume for the band you’re playing with and they’re reliable. I have the JEL 20 and the DIrty Shirley Mini. Dave’s 20 watt amps are awesome.

[@teebird8629]

Man I would love you do a rig rundown….lol of you own stuff. Thanks dude love the videos.

[@jeffreyjones3228]

As a current owner of a Friedman Runt 50. I want to add that if any issue should arise Dave & Botique Amp Distribution is all over any issue. That kind of personal customer service is invaluable.

[@BrettPapa]

Dude so many good riffs lol!!!

[@thomasjohnson7712]

I have the Friedman Wildwood Pink Taco (pt20), and it is awesome. Out of all the amps ive owned, the ONLY one that beats it was my original 1983 Marshall JCM800 2204 50 watt head, and it beats it just due to the little extra headroom....but the extras on the Pink Taco (2 channels with dedicated clean with 3 voicings and original single channel with 3 gain voicings, onboard D.I./cab sim/load box) makes up for the less headroom.

[@brownsfan7753]

Your touch on the guitar is always so good!!! You should keep that amp!!

[@landguitar]

Sounds great! A very good demo, thanks Robert! I have a Wildwood special WW-20 that is the best Marshall type amp I have played, and it's my main gig amp. The XLR cab sim DI works and sounds great as well, so I don't even need an attenuator. All in all I'm a big fan. I have considered one of these but have been on the fence as I play Zep and classic rock, some 80's, but no real high gain. The tone you were getting was very useable for all those, including church. Nice!

[@kimlombardy3393]

Great video, I don’t think Dave Friedman knows how to make a bad sounding amp! I am lucky enough to own 2 and I absolutely luv them! Sweetwater was very helpful in deciding on the best models for my intended uses. BTW Dave personally signs all his amps after playing them😉

[@user-ql1pc7pi9x]

I've had my BE100 for 10 years now, and it was worth every cent.

[@chrisgmurray3622]

Good to hear some sweet playing Robert.

[@ryanguffy4739]

Loved the Plexi sound with the 335!

[@rikh78]

sounds unreal, and that Les Paul is by far my favourite of your guitars

[@stevelove597]

I thought about selling my mint '66 Fender Super Reverb and my mint '78 Marshall JMP 2104 to buy a BE100 Deluxe and 4x12. Yes the BE sounds great but I run both my Super and JMP together with an ABY pedal and a Friedman BE 100 distortion pedal. And I just can't for the life of me think the Deluxe will sound 10% better. Plus I think I would regret selling both these mint vintage amps.

[@jcburger733]

Sounds incredible!!

[@rinkydinky-ob9pe]

Robert's got some skillz !!!

[@johnblack9037]

Friedman’s are generally great,I have a Dirty Shirley 40 works well in all settings. I describe it as a “controlled” Marshall. I had a Marshall H/W Bluesbreaker which only sounded good at full tilt anything less and it was awe full. The Friedman has a massive wide range of use from clean to dirty. I run it in stereo with a Morgan AC20 or MVP and it’s fantastic. I’ve had Fenders, Vox, Marshall, Orange, Laney, Peavey but none come close. Morgan and Friedman are just fantastic!

[@raytorvalds3699]

Just out of curiosity, Which Laney(s) did you have?

[@Stereostupid]

My favorite Friedman! One of the best amps I've ever heard this is the real deal that plexi channel is beautiful

[@davidpggarrett]

Love my JJ JR 20w and slant 2x12 cab. Initially, I just used it on the heavy JBE switch for those Alice In Chains tones and the clean channel, but I'm now also enjoying the BE, Plexi-style chunk on the standard gain setting. The Friedman BE-OD pedal is an awesome replacement for my previous distortion pedals, too. In fact, everything I’ve bought from Boutique Amp Distribution has lived up to the hype, including my Wampler pedals (Tumnus V.2, Ratsbane, Mini Ego...)

[@bgrierofficial]

I know Mean Street - love that tune!

[@brandonbryson3317]

I’ve owned a few, and in my opinion, no. They are beautifully built and sound great for in the room and studio applications, but they are pretty simple circuits, at the end of the day. My main contention is they are over filtered and just don’t stand out or cut super well in a mix, when compared to other Marshall flavored amps. Maybe if both guitarists are using Friedman amps, but if you play next to a Marshall or peavey, you are going to have a tough time standing out compared to those other amps. I feel he dials back too much top end and upper mid content, and there is no way to get it back. Given that all the flagships are 3k+, I can’t justify it. My Splawn Quickrod 100 absolutely ate my Friedman JJ 100 and BE100 in a band setting. And I got the amp for $1200 used….the Friedman’s are cool for a certain customer, but they don’t do it for me.

[@SapperRJMorgan]

That’s very informative thank you.

[@christopheranderson2158]

You’ve hit on the problem with many modern amps and especially the modeling devices. They are being designed to sound like the iconic tones we hear on records….but that’s NOT what the amp actually sounded like in the room. The guiding bar people are using when comparing amps/tones is not reality. Consequently, it has created a homogenized similarity in guitar music where everyone is coping album tones and each other. A great recording tone will probably sound harsh or thin by itself, but you have to structure your guitar tone for the MIX of a live band or recording tracks. Bedroom players are driving the guitar market even into amp design and music is suffering……….

[@vecernicek2]

Yeah, not all things that sound good in a bedroom cut through the mix. You'll never know until you take it to the band stand. To me, P90s with a simple tube or even a good super clean SS amp cut like nothing else. On the bass, the best amps ever were old made in US Eden. You could play at half the volume of other amps and be clearly heard.

[@Kasper911band]

This was not true for me, and I own both the Spawn Quickrod, 2 of them, and 2 Friedman BE100s, one Deluxe and one regular 2015, even though my 2012 Splawn Quickrod is my favorite amp, my Friedman amps don’t have any problems cutting through keys, drums and a loud bass player, so, maybe user error,

[@BaronsDuju]

Exactly this

[@topsbottom2214]

Great amp, great playing.

[@bryanhenderson8807]

Hey Robert, great sounding monster of an amp! Great demo as always. And you played some different guitars I haven't seen you play before. Ok, the next boutique amp you need to try is Magnatone.

[@MF-Alien]

I love Friedman amps and use my JJ Jr often but if i get another amp in that price range, it would be hard to spend the money on the JEL when the new ENGL steve Morse 20 watt recently hit the market and it has so many features!

[@Ottophil]

I don’t use amps anymore. But i didnt wanna go digital, so I’m rockin a friedman IRX preamp. Gets me the tone I need with much less weight

[@MRxr400]

sounds massive to me. great intro tones and riffs.

[@millman82]

I usually play Fractal. Silent stage and all. I do want one Amp. A BE-50 Deluxe! A single amp that can do anything and that Buxom Betty clean channel!

[@chrispicha]

Great vid! That EVH tone is right there! (and the JEL tone of course!)

[@alanwalker1698]

The P,90s sounded awesome through that was awesome!

[@GROCK619]

ROBERT THE ROCKER BAKER !! LET'S GO

[@Mitch.Engel84]

Affirmative. They certainly are.

[@SamBrockmann]

That "No More Tears" tone was so great.

[@cageliner]

I bought a Friedman BE Mini. It's just an overpriced high gain pedal/Class D amp in a Tolex cab. Not worth the money, but still useful by playing into any preamp pedal going directly to the effects return and bypassing the BE preamp.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Jake E. Lee is one of my favorite guitarists. I would love to get a 50 watt for my Grandson.

[@jacknorman6728]

Hi Robert, Maybe one day you could have a course where you cover all the licks in this video?

[@deuceii9498]

That Tele into the Plexi channel was a surprise! Everything sounded amazing as usual, but that tone was unexpected.

[@harveyhernandez6619]

Yes and their service tech line is awesome, sometimes you get to talk to the man himself

[@benpowersguitar]

That thing is smokin'! Great intro man.

[@natron1908]

It's worth it. Buy once, cry once. The combination of the "that's it, that's the sound" distortion, plus really great cleans, plus super duper effects loops, and don't forget quality and aesthetics, make these keepers.

[@sheatanner9935]

Can you do one of these with the Steve Stevens amp please!!!!!

[@rocktorrocks]

Deciding between this JEL-50 vs the JEL-20. Any thoughts of which one is better? I plan to use it for small to medium gigs. I like that the 50 is hand wired but the 20 can be turned up & pushed harder without pissing off the sound guy while also being smaller/more portable.

[@michaelmerrullo2043]

The intro sounded awesome ❤

[@chose-binne]

What is the 335 riff starting at 4:49 ? (F-C-G) I've heard this riff often and played faster and fully distorded but i have no idea what song that is :o(

[@tymanngruter1808]

Greenbacks makes or brakes your sound! Give me a cab with Celestion greenbacks 4 times 12 inch and i feel happy as a child! 🎯

[@CarsInDimension]

Motor City Guitars has the JEL-20 and JEL-50 in stock and ready to ship. Tell Marty the Harmonicaster guy told you.

[@pippydog28]

I had the jel .. the pink taco and runt and wasn't really happy with any of them . Was hard for me to find a sound I liked and when I did they were so noisy

[@bluecollarguitarist]

Of course it’s worth it, Bobby! If it’s in your budget. If not, no worries. There’s plenty of great sounding alternatives out there as well 🤙

[@nellayema2455]

I have the Little Sister. It sounds great. It's worth every penny that I spent on it.

[@devilslide01]

Nice Nuno riffage , Robert….Zakk too!

[@PhillipHolt-f9r]

I hope it's quicker on back ordered than the Spark.

[@todds5956]

I’m going with a Friedman Jake Pedal. Sounds killer and 600 is more manageable

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Going to see if I can borrow my buddies to compare them. Everything Ive heard those pedals sound amazing.

[@robertaugustine5350]

My JEL20 is the best amp I’ve ever owned for live gigging. Always get compliments on its tone , including last night

[@stevenmagliacane7407]

Great video dude......!!!! Your a Great player and Friedman amps should just give you that amp for making it sound THAT good and very well rounded. Very dynamic and cover a lot of ground. Keep making vids that feature your skills! Thanks Bro and God Bless. Psalm 91!

[@robertspreitzer8126]

LANEY did the push pull feature decades ago.

[@christophervincent8420]

It depends on the style and tones you are wanting.

[@Stereostupid]

I would love to hear the Friedman jel IRJ plugged into and fx loop to see how close it is ! I want the preamp bad

[@schmargle]

That’s some very nice playing, dude.

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Thanks homie

[@vincent7160]

One of the best amps I ever owned!! Hate I lossed it!!

[@Gorbyrev]

Anything that keeps Dave Friedman's other worldly skills in play is worth it.

[@tippss3332]

Yes they are!!! Cheers

[@IamMusicNerd]

I like most Friedman amps better than most Marshall amps, but most are out of my price range.

[@CedricSatterfield]

Is that missing 1 tube in the preamp section? It looks like there is an empty tube socket.

[@matthewgonzales3970]

I have played a number of Friedmans and I can say that with the JEL 20, I had great tone in about 30 seconds! Dave has magic ears. His has absolutely nailed the harmonics and "secret" sauce of the mythical Plexi amps and turned them into something special. Believe it or not, his clean channels impress me most. Clean and shinmery, but greasy and compressed enough to make it feel easier to do clean lead runs. Most importantly, if you take the cost of a vintage or even reissue Marshall ($2500+ in the US), plus whatever mods you are going to need, you are still in the $3k price range anyway.

[@michaelmitchell5909]

Does the ir j pedal have the feel of this amp? No way I can afford one of these, but I can afford the ir pedals he come out with....which one do i get is the question. After seeing this, im leaning towards the red one!!!!

[@skipneumann1]

I would buy it in a heartbeat.. except I don’t have anywhere to play out with it. Gonna need bigger venues then I am playing

[@lrpops]

One hell of an opening track.

[@lukecoffey3724]

Playing Zakk Wylde riffs on Jake E Lee's signature amp is kinda like texting your wife from your ex girlfriend's phone

[@keithowensmusic37]

I just got one. Played it this weekend. Just got a text from the other guitarist saying I had great tone this weekend.

[@PhillipHolt-f9r]

I like the red one the best.

[@andrewbecker3700]

Flex'n all them cool guitars doesn't hurt the channel, thats for sure. They all sound killer to me. I have noticed you don't play anything with active pickups, or crazy high output. That amp probably doesn't need alot of help to get most any modern tones going. Way outta my price range, but a stoner can dream. Peace!

[@JWPGuitarPickups]

I know Dave, and yes, definitely worth it ! Those things ROCK !! Couldn't have a better person to deal with as well.

[@mikemckim845]

I don't care about the Amp. I am listening to your awesome playing! 😎🫶✌️🤟

[@linkhatchet]

I just stick to the heavy hitters; Fender, Marshall, Vox. You know, the main ones.

[@michaelweiss1531]

A long time ago I heard one of the first JCM 800 in Germany. The sound was smooth with low gain. Nowadays Marshalls sounds harsh to my ears. What happend?

[@BrianSGuitars]

Yes - so worth it! I have the JEL-20! Fantastic!

[@johngrasso1483]

Does the 20 watter use el34s?

[@dansomerville]

@@johngrasso1483no. EL84

[@raytorvalds3699]

@@johngrasso1483 No, it doesn't. It has EL84s.

[@Kazwell111]

I find it interesting that Friedman makes guitars. I know the amps are fantastic but are they really as good when comparing these guitars to other higher end guitars?

[@71shade]

Great Sweetwater ad as usual

[@Make_More_Music]

Yesssss! ❤

[@blacklion401]

I wanted to love them but I don’t. I don’t think they are bad by any means but I prefer my old VHT or my Metroplex.

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

I got a be od and can plug into anything.

[@louiscloutier7891]

fantastic amps

[@stringsandwich]

Anybody make quad cortex capture of this yet? Sorry…

[@jedisparky]

Do you think there's a big difference between the 50 and the 20 sound wise? (I can afford a 20 lol)

[@silvel2edge]

I would like to know as well

[@shredaintdead9323]

Check out the video tone wars did comparing both. Basically the 50w just has more headroom and a little more low end. They sound almost completely identical other then that. I have the 20w and love it!

[@DanCooz323]

The hand-wired aspect definitely makes it easier if it ever needs repairs. That board looks nice and open. Doesn't hurt that it sounds killer!! 🤘🎸

[@allendean9807]

When it comes to amp demos, i pretty much only enjoy you and Pete when it comes to the unfiltered truth.