New Friedman Brit 50

[Solarflares]

 

[GuitarBilly74]

It’s silliness. Both cool brands in the flavor of M Types, but are really different things zoomed in, imo. I’m willing to bet most people that claim these things are just going off other’s opinions who got their opinions from other’s opinions, and have never really spend any real time with either.

I agree, it is mostly silliness. Yes, Friedman amps do have different/more modern filtering than old Marshalls. That's for sure. But even still, they don't sound that different from a Marshall, if you set them up to sound like a Marshall.

Now, obviously they have a ton more gain on tap, a resonance control, mod switches etc... so they CAN sound very different.

If you start cranking the resonance, turning every switch on and especially cranking the gain, then yeah that will be different, but that's what YOU'RE doing.
Keep the gain at a reasonable level, "Thump" on 0, master up and the mods off, it's pretty close to a classic Marshall. A bit more filtered and tighter, sure, but not it's really a night and day difference.

 

[Solarflares]

but not that it's really a night and day difference.

It could be if you lived in northern Sweden or Iceland.

What makes me laugh is I thought Friedman released the ‘ultimate’ Plexi model and the Jake E Lee not long ago.

Dave designed the very poor Budda Superdrive pre-amps. Never forget that. But hang around long enough, and smile at everyone, and people soon forget.

I only hope that Marshall bring out a 6L6 amp called “The Yank Invasion”.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

It could be if you lived in northern Sweden or Iceland.

yeah, ok, and if I lived in Congo, I'd be playing a tin can amp, and I'd probably be stoked about it. That's about as relevant to me as what you just said. Meanwhile, I will look at amps and prices based on what's available where I actually live. Now that's a wild idea, I know.

Marshall does have a "Yank invasion" amp with 5881s, it's actually the very first amp they ever made and they still make it (JTM45), which is a copy of the Fender Bassman, which is lifted from the RCA book. Also completely irrelevant to what Friedmans sound like.

 

[Solarflares]

Even then the entire history of rock and roll has been anything but prudish. Friedman amps are heavily inspired by the 80's Sunset Strip sound...those guys weren't choir boys by any stretch...

Next amp is a celebration of 80’s big-hair bands.
Presenting the Friedman “Crossdresser”.
It’s a tranny amp, featuring a loose top, and a tight, firm bottom.

 

[Jarick]

Why spend $3,000 on a Friedman when you can get all the tones you need with a $100 pedal?

 

[Solarflares]

yeah, ok, and if I lived in Congo, I'd be playing a tin can amp, and I'd probably be stoked about it. That's about as relevant to me as what you just said.

Marshall does have a "Yank invasion" amp with 5881s, it's actually the very first amp they ever made and they still make it (JTM45), which is a copy of the Fender Bassman, which is lifted from the RCA book. Also completely irrelevant to what Friedmans sound like.

The Congo. If you lived there - you’d be tonight’s dinner.
KT66’s, once in full 1964 production. I had one from 1964. And one from 1965. Coffin badged.
The 5881 was later fitted to export models due to concerns over shipping EL34’s. The earliest JTM’s were 5881 as you say, but I think the amp’s true impact was KT66-based.

If you visit Brett Papa’s YouTube channel, you’ll find that most of his Friedman clips are in fact JTM45 impersonations.
He actually demos the Friedmans very well, and his ‘brown sound’ clip is excellent. Worth watching.
Interesting that this particular clip is a Marshall reissue. Not a Friedman in sight. Nice one.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Forum narrative here: “Friedmans are too dark and bassy and lose the essence of what makes a great Marshall. I’ll go for a Bogner instead”.

There are tons of Marshall circuits that are flubbier/thicker than a Friedman, especially the newer Friedman circuits which tend to lean more bright+aggressive than the older ones.

I love a Bogner but they’re voiced right on the cusp of what is way too dark. Friedmans are bang in the middle with enough control to take it in any direction without going weird

I think at least whatever older BE was too dark, and the original PT was. But I dig the new PT, the Smallbox, the Dirty Shirley, and the Runt 50.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Why spend $3,000 on a Friedman when you can get all the tones you need with a $100 pedal?

Don’t be a peasant. Everyone knows you need the Wazacraft version to get sweet, sweet tones.

 

[paisleywookiee]

It could be if you lived in northern Sweden or Iceland.

What makes me laugh is I thought Friedman released the ‘ultimate’ Plexi model and the Jake E Lee not long ago.

Dave designed the very poor Budda Superdrive pre-amps. Never forget that. But hang around long enough, and smile at everyone, and people soon forget.

I only hope that Marshall bring out a 6L6 amp called “The Yank Invasion”.

The Budda SuperDrive was/is a cool amp.

 

[Solarflares]

The Budda SuperDrive was/is a cool amp.

Far from ‘cool’. You could fry an egg on the fucker.
A lot caught fire - my first SD45 exploded.
Definitely not roadworthy, and the SD45 will eat up Golden Lion KT66’s at a rate of knots.

I like the use of a Sovtek 12ax7WB in V1 though. Gives lovely lo-mids and a classic Paul Kossoff vibe with the KT66’s.
So not all bad.

Mine is for sale, purely because I’m really not a cathode-bias guy, and I don’t use it.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Far from ‘cool’.
A lot caught fire - my first SD45 exploded.
Definitely not roadworthy, and the SD45 will eat up Golden Lion KT66’s at a rate of knots.

I like the use of a Sovtek 12ax7WB in V1 though. Gives lovely lo-mids and a classic Paul Kossoff vibe with the KT66’s.
So not all bad.

Sorry yours caught fire, but the 18/30 were cool amps.

 

[Solarflares]

Sorry yours caught fire, but the 18/30 were cool amps.

I found the SD18 combo to be ultimately unresponsive and dark.
But it had JJ valves, so no help there. Mullards were no better.
I think with the correct Sovteks, it would have been much better.
Certainly a little blues-baby, with good volume from that Fat speaker.
Trick is to use a Sovtek WB in V1, with V2 being a WA. I found a Groove Tubes 12ax7-M Mullard copy to be the best splitter.
I have a pair of early 60’s NOS black-base 7581 GE’s to go in the SD45, and a Harma Cryo GZ34. I might fit them one day, and check them out.

I bet the SD30 is pretty good. I liked the idea of the mad SD80, but settled on the SD45 for it’s brightness and lo-mid swagger.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

The Budda SuperDrive was/is a cool amp.

I like that amp quite a bit too.

 

[Solarflares]

Sorry yours caught fire, but the 18/30 were cool amps.

It was returned for a full refund. But it took out a channel of my Classic 50/50 power amp, which was highly annoying.

 

[Solarflares]

I like that amp quite a bit too.

£650 it’s yours - with cab, footswitch, all cables, and new spare power valves with new spare rectifier.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Far from ‘cool’. You could fry an egg on the fucker.
A lot caught fire - my first SD45 exploded.
Definitely not roadworthy, and the SD45 will eat up Golden Lion KT66’s at a rate of knots.

The only thing Friedman designed on these amps was the preamp section, so absolutely nothing to do with "eating KT66s". The rest of the amp was designed by Jeff Bober, who is actually local to me here and a very good tech. I had him service my 77 Super Lead recently and he did a great job with it.
Sorry you had problems with yours but these amps don't really have the bad reputation you are trying to give them.