Fun weekend of amp testing

[paisleywookiee]

So, this weekend I played a Friedman JJ100, and compared that (yes I know, apples/oranges) to a vintage Silver Jubilee and of course a Badlander 100.

JJ100: this amp kills. Tight, focused, sounds amazing. Cleans are better than I expected, which is cool. Compared to the Silver Jubilee, it's maybe a bit darker, but more to my liking, and WAY more versatile. Compared to the Badlander, well, I prefer the BL100, but they're IMO on very much equal footing. The problem is that the JJ100 is WAY more expensive, for some reason. It is what it is, I guess. I'll also say that the JJ still isn't my favorite Friedman; that would still be the Smallbox.

Then yesterday, I played my buddy's Amp1 Mercury through his new Barefaced 1x12. Ho. Lee. Fuk. First of all, the BF cab is so light that I could whip it at someone's head, and they'd likely be annoyed with me at best. Okay, maybe that's exaggerated, but it is fucking light as hell. It's got a Creamback Neo in it. It sounds extraordinary. Enough thump that it's actually got a bass cut switch on the back, with the Amp1 you cannot believe you're only playing through a 1x12. It sounds phenomenal. The Amp1 itself is a really, really cool little amp. I'm surprised these aren't more popular. It's a Marshall in a tiny box, that's loud as hell.

Played a Badlander 25 through the BF cab, and honestly, if you have a mini head, you NEED one of these cabs. This amp sounded fucking massive through that cab. Really tempted to order one for my OR15. It's that good.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I'm also telling myself I do NOT need a JJ Jr into a Barefaced

 

[hemmelight]

My buddy's Amp1 Mercury through his new Barefaced 1x12. Creamback Neo in it. It sounds extraordinary.

I'm still in love with my Amp1 Mercury plus the same cab & speaker!
I use an SD-1 into the Vintage channel and it kills.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I'm still in love with my Amp1 Mercury plus the same cab & speaker!
I use an SD-1 into the Vintage channel and it kills.

I think I'm more inclined to go the Iridium, but yeah it's amazing indeed!

 

[hemmelight]

I've not tried the Iridium, but I've been tempted to grab one off and on just to have a backup to the ME because I like it so much.

Did you find the JJ sounds kinda woolly? I haven't played one IRL, but just listening to comparisons between it and the BE100 / some other Friedmans it sounds almost too thick. Maybe it's because most people just crank the gain in demos, though, so I fully admit I could be way off-base.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Iridium for me is a one trick pony whose trick I love

 

[paisleywookiee]

Iridium for me is a one trick pony whose trick I love

Out of four channels it's a one trick pony?

 

[paisleywookiee]

I've not tried the Iridium, but I've been tempted to grab one off and on just to have a backup to the ME because I like it so much.

Did you find the JJ sounds kinda woolly? I haven't played one IRL, but just listening to comparisons between it and the BE100 / some other Friedmans it sounds almost too thick. Maybe it's because most people just crank the gain in demos, though, so I fully admit I could be way off-base.

No I didn't, but I don't dial gain in too high either.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Out of four channels it's a one trick pony?

Remind me; can you save presets with specific eq/gain/volume settings? I didn't think you could and that was what my comment referred to.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Remind me; can you save presets with specific eq/gain/volume settings? I didn't think you could and that was what my comment referred to.

Oh gotcha. Hmmm, I don't know. I'd see it as a two trick pony, since one's clean, and then pick one gain. That's the way my friend runs his.

 

[Whizzinby]

These threads never help fight the urge to own a Friedman.

 

[paisleywookiee]

One of those cabs is one of the very (very) few things I got on my “maybe I want it list”…next to a new strap

 

[PBGas]

I find myself wanting to try the Neo Creambacks but I am still unsure. It would be great to drop my 212 by 12lbs as well as each of my cubes by 6lbs less.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I find myself wanting to try the Neo Creambacks but I am still unsure. It would be great to drop my 212 by 12lbs as well as each of my cubes by 6lbs less.

See if you can find a cab with Creamback 65’s. Not far off.

 

[FAKA!]

I find myself wanting to try the Neo Creambacks but I am still unsure. It would be great to drop my 212 by 12lbs as well as each of my cubes by 6lbs less.

I bought a Randall MTS 2x12 a few years back. I thought it didn't have speakers in it cause it was so light lol. It had Randall branded Celestion G12 Century Vintage neo speakers in it...man it sounded like pure ass. I still have the speakers somewhere. Loved the weight, but made me scared to even think about getting neo speakers ever again.

 

[metropolis_4]

I had a really bad first impression with the neo creambacks

Maybe it’s just something about the combination of “that” speaker with “that” amp, but I absolutely hated the neo creambacks in both the Tone Master Deluxe and Tone Master Twin.

They accentuated some mid range frequency that I could not dial out

 

[jellodog]

I had a really bad first impression with the neo creambacks

Maybe it’s just something about the combination of “that” speaker with “that” amp, but I absolutely hated the neo creambacks in both the Tone Master Deluxe and Tone Master Twin.

They accentuated some mid range frequency that I could not dial out

The Neo Creamback was way better in the Tone Master Deluxe than that horribly strident Jensen Neo (in the non-blonde), though!

Although it may have been a combined effect of the Jensen and the top end of the ICEPower power amp.

 

[metropolis_4]

The Neo Creamback was way better in the Tone Master Deluxe than that horribly strident Jensen Neo (in the non-blonde), though!

Although it may have been a combined effect of the Jensen and the top end of the ICEPower power amp.

I actually liked the Jensen better…

But I wasn’t crazy about either one. If I got another TM I’d probably go with the Super, or plan to swap the speakers on a Deluxe or Twin

 

[jellodog]

I actually liked the Jensen better…

But I wasn’t crazy about either one. If I got another TM I’d probably go with the Super, or plan to swap the speakers on a Deluxe or Twin

I've never heard the TM Super in real life, but most reports seem to say that it's the best sounding of all the Tone Masters.

I've often wondered if it's because the SR consists of more speakers than it does model

Then again, just put a FAS or L6 device through an ICEpower unit with a cab of your choice and make your own, with way more capabilities! That's ultimately why I sold my TMDR: I realised that my HX Stomp through my Quilter SuperBlock sounded better, more punchy and immediate

I have to admit that the TMDR did look really nice though, and the pine cabinet was pretty neat.

 

[KingsXJJ]

These threads never help fight the urge to own a Friedman.

Do it.