NAD - Friedman JEL-20

[LucSulla]

So the Friedman JEL-20 came in. 

Very cool looking amp. Some quick takes after 30 minutes -

It's fucking loud. If you want it to not be loud, the masters are great, but if you want it loud (and with all you Kiss fans around, I'm guessing that's the way you want it) it does that. It's at least as loud as any of the 20 watt Marshall stuff. 

It's definitely a lot more open than other Friedmans. Through an Avatar 1x12 with a neo Creamback in it, it feels like a much bigger amp. In some ways, it reminds me more of a Quickrod than the Splawn SS does. It's a big, glassy amp, even with the saturation on. I am looking forward to trying it through a 4x12. I think it's going to sound really good. 

Channels - Channel 1 goes from clean to a Plexi-like crunch. Some have reported a Vox-like chime, but I don't hear that. It sounds way more like my Marshall SV-20 than anything with a Vox flavor, but it does clean up great. Much more headroom than the SV-20. I personally like dialing in something close to a kind of "Lonely is the Night" level of grunt and then getting my cleans via the volume knob, but you could run it pretty bone clean and loud. 

Channel 2 does behave a lot like an 800 with a bit more gain. Same kind of open, balls kind of thing where the power isn't all just preamp distortion. There's a 3D heft to it that you get out of 50 and 100 watt heads. Also does not have the smoothed out, dark Booteek thing going on. It's a brash amp, which I like personally. There is a boost on Channel 2, but I like running the gain all the way up without the boost. There is a saturation switch that compresses the hell out of it, but once you hit about Noon on the channel volume, the volume is about the same with it switched on or off. I find I like the saturation switch on so far. The boosted Channel 2 sounds fine, but I have pedals that I like better than whatever is internal. I think what you gain in sustain for solos you lose in a nice, tight grunt. 

I played it for about 30 minutes before writing this, so some of this may change. So far though, I like it a lot. It was super easy to dial in. In fact, I think I just like all the EQ and presence at Noon. It's much more to my liking than the BE-50. I'd love to A/B it with a Small Box because it's been so long since I played one of those. I remember really loving that amp, but, with 30 minutes of playing again, I think I like this better. It's refined in the ways you want (like an EQ section that actually does stuff) but without losing a bit of the unruliness that makes older Marshalls so much fun. 

I'd say if you're a fan of Marshall-style circuits, it's worth checking one out. It's the most "Marshall" Friedman I've played so far. 

 

[LucSulla]

Yeah, running it through a 4x12 with Greenbacks it hit 115 dB on my apple watch. My 100 watt Jubilee is right around 117 dB for reference.  While it doesn't have the thump that a 100 watt amp has, that's still shockingly loud for a 20 watt amp. Clean channel also hangs in there until much louder than most anywhere is going to let you play. 

[RobB]

Great overview, Jason. Sounds like another winner from Friedman. I’ve viewed most of the YouTube demos. Seems like a lot of amp in a portable format.
 

i haven’t seen these eke out to any of the local GCs yet. I’d love to try one, but then I’d have to buy it. With three high gain heads (Competiton 22w, 50cal+, SLO-30), I’m covered pretty well. However. I AM planning on selling my VAC25 head soon, so never say never, right?

[LucSulla]

Got my board hooked into it tonight, and I really like this amp a lot. Running something fancy like a Lovepedal Eternity Burst, or something not fancy at all like a Boss SD-1, just sends this thing in all kinds of different directions. The cleans on the "plexi" channel are just fantastic as well. 

Given the prices, if you are looking at something like the SV-20 or SC-20, I would definitely give one of these a look. It's basically like having both of them in one head. It's not a "refined" Marshall circuit as much as it is what a really great version of a 20 watt Plexi or JCM 800 sounds like in your head. I can't imagine getting either one of those when this is $50 less at the moment unless you just really, really want a little Plexi or 800 that says "Marshall."  I've owned both and still have the SV-20. I love that little fella, but it's definitely got some competition now. 

I haven't played Runts, Pink Tacos (well, not the amp), JJs, or some of the others, but between this amp, the Small Box, and the BE-50 Deluxe, this is my fav. It's got just a little "more" than the SB, but is more straightforward than the BE. I also just like it more than the BE-50. 

[Dave Scepter]

Cough, Cough... SPLAWN 

[tbonesullivan]

Hmm... I'm tempted. This I thought about the Runt previously but I really wanted to have a "clean" channel that could also get nasty. From the demos I'm seeing, the "clean" channel, which the manual calls the "plexi" channel, would be perfect for AC/DC level stuff.

[LucSulla]

1 hour ago, Dave Scepter said:

Cough, Cough... SPLAWN 

I already own two, lol. 

 

29 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

Hmm... I'm tempted. This I thought about the Runt previously but I really wanted to have a "clean" channel that could also get nasty. From the demos I'm seeing, the "clean" channel, which the manual calls the "plexi" channel, would be perfect for AC/DC level stuff.

The clean channel does 100% that. It will do really lovely cleans, but you can run the gain up and do 70s rock with absolutely no problem. Through a boost in front, and it even does 80s hard rock pretty well. 

[Travis]

I’ve played a Runt 20 head (thru my Budda 2x12 open back cab) and a Pink Taco 1x10 combo. Both were fantastic amps and I’ve been a fan of Friedman’s stuff for a while now. I was psyched when the JEL20 came out and watched all of the YouTube demos. Thru the limitations of YouTube compression and headphone quality, I thought it sounded fantastic. Don’t know if it’ll ever end up in my stable as I’ve come close to pulling the trigger on a lot of Marshall type/hot rodded Marshall amps but never followed thru. 

Congrats on the score, tho. Sounds like it fits you really well!

[tbonesullivan]

25 minutes ago, Travis said:

I’ve played a Runt 20 head (thru my Budda 2x12 open back cab) and a Pink Taco 1x10 combo. Both were fantastic amps and I’ve been a fan of Friedman’s stuff for a while now. I was psyched when the JEL20 came out and watched all of the YouTube demos. Thru the limitations of YouTube compression and headphone quality, I thought it sounded fantastic. Don’t know if it’ll ever end up in my stable as I’ve come close to pulling the trigger on a lot of Marshall type/hot rodded Marshall amps but never followed thru.

A "good marshall" has been something I've wanted for a long time. My TSL122 combo that needs like $600 of repairs was never really to my liking. I've got a DSL50 head too, but somehow it was a bit too harsh. So, this is why the JEL 20 appears to me: low wattage, great sound, better build quality than a Marshall by far.

The only other itch for amps that I really have.... an ODS type amp. I've almost pulled the trigger on a Fuchs ODS Classic 50 a few times.

[django49]

1 hour ago, tbonesullivan said:

A "good marshall" has been something I've wanted for a long time. My TSL122 combo that needs like $600 of repairs was never really to my liking. I've got a DSL50 head too, but somehow it was a bit too harsh. So, this is why the JEL 20 appears to me: low wattage, great sound, better build quality than a Marshall by far.

The only other itch for amps that I really have.... an ODS type amp. I've almost pulled the trigger on a Fuchs ODS Classic 50 a few times.

I love my Fuchs ODS! But one alternative you might consider is a preamp in a pedal to get very similar (IMO) results. I have had very good results, to the point where the Fuchs stays at home. I may be biased, but I think the latest variation of the Ethos pedal is all the more "tubelike". FWIW, their TWE pedal (emulating a Trainwreck or, arguably, a hot-rodded Marshall) is also on my board.

There is nothing like having a great tube amp, but you might find you are almost all the way there for a fraction of the cost you might expect. And they do work great in front of a nice tube amp too.

[murkat]

you need to try one of these.

[tbonesullivan]

2 hours ago, django49 said:

I love my Fuchs ODS! But one alternative you might consider is a preamp in a pedal to get very similar (IMO) results. I have had very good results, to the point where the Fuchs stays at home. I may be biased, but I think the latest variation of the Ethos pedal is all the more "tubelike". FWIW, their TWE pedal (emulating a Trainwreck or, arguably, a hot-rodded Marshall) is also on my board.

There is nothing like having a great tube amp, but you might find you are almost all the way there for a fraction of the cost you might expect. And they do work great in front of a nice tube amp too.

True.. and there is that new Friedman tube preamp pedal out... It's times like this I wish I hadn't sold my Carvin Tube 100 power amp.

[JGale]

https://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/mpx-50-power-amp

[django49]

2 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

True.. and there is that new Friedman tube preamp pedal out... It's times like this I wish I hadn't sold my Carvin Tube 100 power amp.

Looks like a great option. Not the tones I am looking for personally, but the genuine tube preamp is a nice touch. Which reminded me.....There IS another great pedal that is effectively a 3 channel preamp (sort of a Fender Deluxe type and 2 "Dumble" settings) if you add a 2 button footswitch. AND it has a 3 tube preamp built in. I don't think it is as versatile as the Ethos, but I do like it a lot.

https://www.effectrode.com/products/effects-pedals/blackbird-vacuum-tube-preamp/

If a person used both the Friedman and one of the D-type pedals on a board into a good tube amp (lets say Fender type), it would cover pretty much all the clean to moderate to high gain tones most people would need.

[LucSulla]

20 hours ago, murkat said:

you need to try one of these.

My days of dropping $3k plus on a new amp are behind me, I think. I've made that jump more or less twice now, and for me it is just too much to tie up in an amplifier when all I am ultimately is just another gray-haired, weekend warrior.

[murkat]

6 hours ago, LucSulla said:

am ultimately is just another gray-haired, weekend warrior

man, if we had these toys  that they make now but 30 years ago! i can only wish and make due with what i got. i find tech is finally catching up, old school tones with modern appointments. its a great gear era, im almost too old to enjoy most of it. 

congrats again on that amp!

[crunchee]

1 hour ago, murkat said:

man, if we had these toys  that they make now but 30 years ago!

I feel the same way about 18 watt Marshall clones.  Where were those when I was just starting out years ago?

[Brooks]

On 10/12/2023 at 10:29 PM, LucSulla said:

I haven't played Pink Tacos (well, not the amp),   😄

 

 

[HoboMan]

On 10/11/2023 at 10:20 PM, LucSulla said:

So the Friedman JEL-20 came in. 

Very cool looking amp. Some quick takes after 30 minutes -

It's fucking loud. If you want it to not be loud, the masters are great, but if you want it loud (and with all you Kiss fans around, I'm guessing that's the way you want it) it does that. It's at least as loud as any of the 20 watt Marshall stuff. 

It's definitely a lot more open than other Friedmans. Through an Avatar 1x12 with a neo Creamback in it, it feels like a much bigger amp. In some ways, it reminds me more of a Quickrod than the Splawn SS does. It's a big, glassy amp, even with the saturation on. I am looking forward to trying it through a 4x12. I think it's going to sound really good. 

Channels - Channel 1 goes from clean to a Plexi-like crunch. Some have reported a Vox-like chime, but I don't hear that. It sounds way more like my Marshall SV-20 than anything with a Vox flavor, but it does clean up great. Much more headroom than the SV-20. I personally like dialing in something close to a kind of "Lonely is the Night" level of grunt and then getting my cleans via the volume knob, but you could run it pretty bone clean and loud. 

Channel 2 does behave a lot like an 800 with a bit more gain. Same kind of open, balls kind of thing where the power isn't all just preamp distortion. There's a 3D heft to it that you get out of 50 and 100 watt heads. Also does not have the smoothed out, dark Booteek thing going on. It's a brash amp, which I like personally. There is a boost on Channel 2, but I like running the gain all the way up without the boost. There is a saturation switch that compresses the hell out of it, but once you hit about Noon on the channel volume, the volume is about the same with it switched on or off. I find I like the saturation switch on so far. The boosted Channel 2 sounds fine, but I have pedals that I like better than whatever is internal. I think what you gain in sustain for solos you lose in a nice, tight grunt. 

I played it for about 30 minutes before writing this, so some of this may change. So far though, I like it a lot. It was super easy to dial in. In fact, I think I just like all the EQ and presence at Noon. It's much more to my liking than the BE-50. I'd love to A/B it with a Small Box because it's been so long since I played one of those. I remember really loving that amp, but, with 30 minutes of playing again, I think I like this better. It's refined in the ways you want (like an EQ section that actually does stuff) but without losing a bit of the unruliness that makes older Marshalls so much fun. 

I'd say if you're a fan of Marshall-style circuits, it's worth checking one out. It's the most "Marshall" Friedman I've played so far. 

 

This looks like a KILLER amp. I would love to try one. 

Would you say it's loud enough to play bars/clubs without being mic'd?

I wish there was a version with 4 EL84s. 
I currently have a Budda SD30 with 4 EL84s and it's louder than my EVH 5150 III 6L6 50 watt,

[LucSulla]

8 hours ago, HoboMan said:

This looks like a KILLER amp. I would love to try one. 

Would you say it's loud enough to play bars/clubs without being mic'd?

I wish there was a version with 4 EL84s. 
I currently have a Budda SD30 with 4 EL84s and it's louder than my EVH 5150 III 6L6 50 watt,

Yes. Like I posted above, through a 4x12, it hits 115 db, which is damn close to some of my 100 watt amps in overall volume. It's clearly not doing that across as wide a frequency range, i.e. it doesn't have the same thump, but it's the loudest 20 watt amp I've played. I also own a SV-20 "plexi" version of the Marshall studio series, which most people find too loud to run at a bar on 20 watt mode without an attenuator, and it doesn't get as loud as the JEL.

[HoboMan]

3 hours ago, LucSulla said:

Yes. Like I posted above, through a 4x12, it hits 115 db, which is damn close to some of my 100 watt amps in overall volume. It's clearly not doing that across as wide a frequency range, i.e. it doesn't have the same thump, but it's the loudest 20 watt amp I've played. I also own a SV-20 "plexi" version of the Marshall studio series, which most people find too loud to run at a bar on 20 watt mode without an attenuator, and it doesn't get as loud as the JEL.

I like the fact that it has a "plexi" channel and a "High Gain" channel. This is similar to my East Duality.
I don't really need a "clean" channel. The clean channel on my Budda and EVH are too clean. They never really get into breakup territory. 

I like how you mention dialing in a crunch slimilar to "Lonely is the Night" and using your guitar's volume to clean up. That's exactly what I do with my East Duality. I see there's a black version available on Reverb. I'll have to give this some serious thought.

[LucSulla]

Gigged it finally. Love it. Sounds awesome, loud without being harsh, and the XLR out works great.

I've got two or three amps that are about to be up for sale.

[Dave Scepter]

2 minutes ago, LucSulla said:

've got two or three amps that are about to be up for sale.

Splawn?🤔

[LucSulla]

2 minutes ago, Dave Scepter said:

Splawn?🤔

Probably not. I'll probably hang on to the QR and SS. I'm thinking the Silver Jube Marshall and possibly the VIntage Modern or Plexi. I'd like to keep one Marshall around, and it's a hard choice between the Studio Plexi and that Vintage Modern.  It may end up the Plexi because I just can't see ever gigging that amp again over the JEL, and that's saying something. I fucking LOVE that Plexi. 

[bubs_42]

The JEL rips and I have been avoiding my local shop because they have one in stock. IMHO the Studio PLexi is great, but it’s overpriced. I still baffles me that so many just get flushed in the face when they see my 50 watter like they can’t find one in the wild. Then I see so many buying new amps for more money than I paid for the real thing. If you going to gig with it the new studio series is more portable, but having the real thing is much more enjoying. 

I still need to find the right cab. 

3 years and counting if anyone is keeping track