Friedman Runt 20H - need you guys

I happen to like the Synergy 20IR with the BE Dlx module a LOT more than the Runt 20 I owned. Having the ability to use 2 gain channels and the power amp structure/reactance makes a huge difference.
 
Desertdweller said:
Ask yourself if you like it enough to overcome the EL84 limitations. You will see increased midrange, lower headroom, and overall a bit more grit on your cleans at higher volumes with this amp than a 50w or 100w variant. Maybe you’re ok with that and maybe that’s what you want.

I’m primarily a metal guy, but I love a good Marshall tone from time to time, and I can’t see how I’d ever get a Marshall tone that I’d really want from an amp that runs boxy-sounding EL84s.
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The 20w Friedman amps sound very robust. Dave voiced the power amp section really well.
Headroom can be a concern if you are running delays/reverbs in the loop in a live situation. After a certain volume, you start to get distortion after the loop and the effects lose a bit of clarity. So that's something to keep in mind. But other than that, they're great sounding little amps.
 
KingsXJJ said:
Well then you should know… are they like Plexi’s?
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Sort of, but not really. Friedman amps are Marshall-based, but they sound a bit different. They are smoother and don't really have that percussive kerrang you get with a plexi or a 2203/4.

That said, I think the Runt is closer to a Marshall than the BE, since it's probably the most raw sounding amp in the Friedman line. But they're still smoother than an older Marshall. It's a great tone though and they sit in the mix really well.
 
I didn't like the Runt 20 much when I tried it, and the combo was especially very boxy sounding. I wanted to try the Runt 50 but the one the store had was busted.
 
Mikael Dez said:
That’s where you’ve been this whole time!!!
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Will Ferrell Dad GIF by filmeditor
 
I have a Runt 20. I would say the gain channel leans more towards plexi, but with an attenuator or load box/cab IR you can get more in 800 territory. Engaging the boost helps. The clean channel is definitely more in the vintage territory, sounds great. It is voiced a bit darker so could get tubby when cranked.
 
Jarick said:
I don't get the boxiness at all...here's a comparison video I made shooting the JJ Junior (through a reactive load) against an IR-X, Axe FX 3, and NDSP Plini. I think I used the JBE channel here but the BE channel should be pretty similar to the Runt 20.

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I liked the JJ Jr and IR-X best in this.
 
paisleywookiee said:
The Friedman EL84 amps are better than the Mesas, IMO. Not nearly as boxy.
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EL84s - the ‘angry duck caught in a bear trap’ of guitar amps. Perfect for those that love to play guitar but also love the tone produced by a 90s-era fax machine. Do you love the sound of amplifiers like the BE100 and Dual Rectifier? What if we made it more portable, only 10 pounds, still the price of the full size head on the used market, but when you crank it up it sounds like you’re trying to solo through a kazoo?
 
Desertdweller said:
EL84s - the ‘angry duck caught in a bear trap’ of guitar amps. Perfect for those that love to play guitar but also love the tone produced by a 90s-era fax machine. Do you love the sound of amplifiers like the BE100 and Dual Rectifier? What if we made it more portable, only 10 pounds, still the price of the full size head on the used market, but when you crank it up it sounds like you’re trying to solo through a kazoo?
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You're being negative. :rofl I know you don't hate those amps that much.

I actually think a great small amp that's lightweight and sounds good would be a play on the Blug Amp1.

  • Five 12AX7's in the preamp; like the Mark V:25 or Rectoverb
  • One 12BH7 in the power amp, loaded down with a reactive load
  • 200-300W class D power amp for actual amplification
 
I think it's really dumb to generalize all amps because of the power tubes.

Again, I have two EL84 amps, an Orange Rocker 15 and a Friedman JJ Junior. They sound nothing alike. The Orange is a lot more mid focused and with gain it sounds a lot more fizzy and buzzy and nasty. The Friedman has a much more balanced sound with fuller lows and more clarity and just sounds so much better.

Naturally if you run the amp into a small 1x12 cab it will sound boxy. If you run it into a big speaker cab then it's going to sound big. If you're going to play at higher volumes then you probably want to skip the 20 watt head and get something full sized. If you're playing at lower to medium volumes the 20 watter is probably fine.

For price, I got my JJ Junior for $850 used. If you get the Runt 20 for under $900 you can try it out and if it doesn't float your boat then sell it and not take much of a loss. The 50 watt heads are going to run about $2000 used, although there's a couple out there for a bit less. So a massive price difference.
 
I feel like Mesa Dyna-Watt EL84s were the only time I thought the amp sounded choked or small and it could be related to all of the pentode/triode mode circuits involved. Friedman 20W and Synergy 20W sound just fine to me for the volumes I need. Of course, playing in a larger space and higher volume could expose the "problems" where larger tubes and iron is required.
 
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