The late Jose Arredondo was an icon of pimping tube amps. After Friedman paid tribute to him with the Jose 100 last year, the firm is continuing to honor his tone-tweaking legacy by unveiling two smaller versions.
The Jose 20 delivers 20-watt head and 1×12 combo versions of the amp for those who want the same magic without triple-figure wattage. Arredondo’s amp modifications have long fascinated Dave Friedman, an esteemed amp builder in his own right, and for these, he’s teamed up with his daughter, Marisol.
Straight off the bat, it’s clear to see that they’re very well spec’d. Beneath their hoods are twin EL84 power tubes, a quartet of 12AX7 preamp tubes, and in the combo, a Celestion G12M-65 Creamback speaker.
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But the real showstopper is the internally bridged Volume I and Volume II configuration. It channels the spirit of Arredondo builds, with “dynamics, sustain, harmonic complexity, tight low end, and highly responsive feel” on tap. That means, in classic Plexi style, players can make the most of the classic channel-jumping technique.
Other features to get excited about include a Plexi/Gain switch between traditional Plexi and Jose-styled saturation, and a Fat switch for extra body and punch. It’s like instantly feeding it 10,000 donuts.
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There’s also a three-position Gain Style switch that offers a trio of gain-stage structures, from hot-rodded Plexi to “crushing” rhythm tones and a harmonically rich lead tone. A transparent series effects loop makes it ideal for pedalboards.
Each amp is hand-built in Los Angeles, with custom-made transformers a key part of the recipe.
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“The Friedman Jose 20 Series is a faithful interpretation of one of rock’s most influential amplifier voices,” says Friedman, who adds that these builds are crafted “for today’s player,” and thus are not straight-up nostalgia pieces.
The 20-watt Jose 20 head comes in at $1,799, with the combo costing $2,099.
See Friedman Amplification for more.
Elsewhere, Dave Friedman built a pedalboard for Steve Stevens, and it taught him a lot about tone.
