Jake E Lee Mini (New?)

[Achilles]

Having a presence control is awesome. Putting it on the back is not.

Looking at this again, How many folks do you figure will accidentally toggle the line out impedance rocker while trying to navigate the blind presence control? Really bad design choice imo.

 

[la szum]

I had the mini Jubilee for a few days. Just when it started to deliver the goods it was all out of headroom in the power section and thus rendering the effects loop useless. The PRS MT15 I had held up much better, but I didn't dig the dirt channel.

Yup. Running out of headroom is only fun if your Neil Young running into a Tweed Deluxe.

 

[ejecta]

I was considering getting one of these to be my Marshall Plexi / modded Marshall in my studio but every time I fire up my WDW rig with the PRS HDRX 20 as the center amp with some pedals for more dirt I just can’t see the reasons why but man I still want to try one at some point. GAS is weird thing.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Looking at this again, How many folks do you figure will accidentally toggle the line out impedance rocker while trying to navigate the blind presence control? Really bad design choice imo.

View attachment 9751

Yeah I get why they did it this way, but IMO it's fucking dumb.

 

[cragginshred]

I will do a direct comparison to my v2 Pink Taco by the end of the week and post here. I pulled the trigger to have a solo ch. Right now I'm getting a killer rock crunch on my Taco but boosting it for solos is a little tricky to not ruin the base tone. Owned a 100w Jake for a week and did not bond with ch2 at all but for the 20w head I plan to use ch1 for my core rhythm tone and ch2 for more gain a volume for solos.

 

[hemmelight]

Welcome to the forum! Your YouTube clips were very influential for my PTv2 purchase.

 

[Bruce]

Have we already discussed this?

Friedman JEL-20 Jake E. Lee 20-watt Tube Head - Red Bronco Tolex

20-watt, 2-channel Tube Head with EL84 Tubes, 3-band EQ, Push-pull Gain Boost, FX Loop, Cab Sim, and Record Out - Red Bronco Tolex

www.sweetwater.com

I need another amp I'll never play like a 3rd nipple but I want this thing.

 

[la szum]

Pretty sure that Dave said the Smallbox was the starting place for the JEL Amp. Is the JEL just a tweaked SB.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Pretty sure that Dave said the Smallbox was the starting place for the JEL Amp. Is the JEL just a tweaked SB.

JEL is basically Dave’s “Plexi” channel, and the OD is almost a stock JCM800 with some tweaks.

 

[la szum]

Is that what the Smallbox is, too? Pretty sure I saw an interview with Dave talking about how the
JEL came about from taking a Smallbox chassis and tweaking it a bit.

 

[headcrash]

Is that what the Smallbox is, too? Pretty sure I saw an interview with Dave talking about how the
JEL came about from taking a Smallbox chassis and tweaking it a bit.

The low gain channel on both is quite similar, if not nearly identical to the SB (speaking of the JEL 100).

The topology of the typical Friedman BE channel (which is the higain channel on the SB) roughly is:
gain stage -> gain stage -> gain knob -> gain stage -> cathode follower -> tone stack -> master volume
This is more or less a tweaked plexi circuit, with a traditional master volume and an additional gain stage up front.

Whereas the gain channel on the JEL is more like a tweaked JCM 800:
gain stage -> gain knob -> gain stage -> gain stage -> cathode follower -> tone stack -> master volume

Also the JEL should be more aggressive than Friedman's typical BE channel, because most often he filters out some of the harsh treble. That filtering in the JEL is rather mild, which lends to a more aggressive tone.

 

[cragginshred]

Is that what the Smallbox is, too? Pretty sure I saw an interview with Dave talking about how the
JEL came about from taking a Smallbox chassis and tweaking it a bit.

Had the SB (twice) and the JEl 20w plexi needs less pushing to get in the useable rock zone. Mainly the mids I found the SB was harder to coax those tones and needed an extra push from the Koko v1 mid boost to get where my ears wanted it to be

The low gain channel on both is quite similar, if not nearly identical to the SB (speaking of the JEL 100).

The topology of the typical Friedman BE channel (which is the higain channel on the SB) roughly is:
gain stage -> gain stage -> gain knob -> gain stage -> cathode follower -> tone stack -> master volume
This is more or less a tweaked plexi circuit, with a traditional master volume and an additional gain stage up front.

Whereas the gain channel on the JEL is more like a tweaked JCM 800:
gain stage -> gain knob -> gain stage -> gain stage -> cathode follower -> tone stack -> master volume

Also the JEL should be more aggressive than Friedman's typical BE channel, because most often he filters out some of the harsh treble. That filtering in the JEL is rather mild, which lends to a more aggressive tone.

Aside from the technical info:
The PT and JEL are more aggressive less compressed and open than the BE or the SB. Formerly the SB was known as the more raw but the PT is 5 x more raw and the JEL is 3 x more raw in perfect vintage way with no harshness. The PT can get harsh but is super easy to dial back the treb and if it's flubby I back the bass down below noon a skosh

Gig tomorrow night, hope to get some live vid!

 

[cragginshred]

I hope this sounds better than the JJ Jr. that one’s not much better than a DSL20HR, if at all, IMO. I liked the single channel ones better (PT, DSM).

Had the Jr 2 x and it is heavy and can crush but there is zero 'character' in a Marshall mid rich harmonic content way -to my ears for my style.

I'm sure the 'Chugga' crowd loves it for that!

 

[paisleywookiee]

Had the Jr 2 x and it is heavy and can crush but there is zero 'character' in a Marshall mid rich harmonic content way -to my ears for my style.

I'm sure the 'Chugga' crowd loves it for that!

I gave it back. I didn't even bother to capture it, because for me personally, it didn't offer anything over my BL50.

 

[tonedover]

Man how did discussion on THIS amp falter so much here? This IS the friedman amp ive been waiting for - smallbox but w cutting upper mids in the gain channel.

I have one on the way. (YOLO?) I also have a Fryette Powerstation to coax whatever level i want from it.

Anywho - im REALLY stoked for this one.

 

[Deadpan]

Man how did discussion on THIS amp falter so much here? This IS the friedman amp ive been waiting for - smallbox but w cutting upper mids in the gain channel.

I have one on the way. (YOLO?) I also have a Fryette Powerstation to coax whatever level i want from it.

Anywho - im REALLY stoked for this one.

Adding the Powerstation to this will make it even more awesome! Congrats!

 

[Bruce]

I’m sure one of this amp will be incoming. I don’t need it but JEL. I’m moving in 10 months. I have an entire house to move and a lifetime of music gear. What’s one more amp???
Or maybe I don’t need it. Hell I KNOW I don’t need it. I need a washer dryer set and a new fridge. And gutters. And screens for the patio. And probably this amp. Or not.
Kinda awful it’s in the cart…..