I really like the fact that you were up front about your friendship with Dave Friedman. That level of honesty and integrity earned you a subscriber right there.
Whether Dave’s a friend or not, you are one of thee Best techs and you’re work is impeccable. Thanks for doing these evals as I love the Marshall tones and Dave did a great job with this baby. Thanks❤👍🏼👊🏼
Thanks for showing the good, the bad and the ugly. It‘s so difficult to find real-world information about amps, and your videos have already saved me from bad buying decisions. I really appreciate you sharing your first hand experience and disclaiming your possible conflicts of interest. I really appreciate your work, here!
I have the Runt 50 combo and it’s a great amp! 3 years old and still going strong. The clean channel with a tele style guitar does country tones very well. Also, I have used it with my Gibson ES 355 for jazz and it works great. My friend even used it for a rockabilly gig while his amp was being repaired. The overdrive channel does 60’s - 80’s rock very well. IMO, this amp does everything and now it is the only amp I own. Thank you for the review and opinion of this amp. 👍
Dave does great work. Saying good things about those amps in regards to the well thought out layout is just stating facts, especially for the lower price.
I have a JJ Junior combo which is essentially the same amp with the additional "JJ switch" for more saturation and compression. Killer amp, I have used it many times in Austin out live in a club. I also have a Dirty Shirley 40, killer amp as well. The DS40 combo has a bigger cab and has more balls and bottom end and sounds bigger. But live, miced, or using the direct out the audience can't tell the difference. Great amps and Dave is super responsive, I have emailed him a few times over the years and he has always responded very quickly.
Great breakdown of the Runt Lyle... My kind of amp. I think Dave and yourself share a confidence that many consider 'abrupt'. I think it comes from years of competently fixing other peoples shit boxes. Oh... Thanks for the riff. RJ
You know you’re a fan of a amp guy when you want him to review and validate your latest amp purchase. Great content. Try to make it a habit of watching them all.
I wish more people would talk about using the right size screw driver. Took me years to learn this lesson in life. Previously I was blaming the screws. :(
I agree with everything you said in this video. Which is rare. I usually never agree with everything someone says. But you are speaking facts. Can't even argue with it if I wanted to. If you borrowed amps, and did reviews like THIS, your channel would really grow. Of course, a lot of people would be pissed off, because the truth hurts. But it would be fun! I would like you to review an ENGL Fireball 100, and a EVH Iconic head, but I know you typically only make a video for something that comes in for repair. You probably don't have a lot of free time to borrow a bunch of amps and review their build quality and circuit designs. But I think players need something like that, so they can know exactly what they are buying. Too much "snake oil" out there. So many channels on RUclips where people just demo an amp. But literally NOBODY actually takes the chassis out to show the circuits. People are scared to use a screwdriver.
Hey LYLE ... great review as always :) I just thought you might like to know . Tony McKensie - was the guy who did the review you were talking about & it was the JJ JUNIOR he reviewed ..
Thanks for doing this. I have a Runt 20 head and had also seen the video from the UK gentleman. I am not an electronics guy but found a lot of what he said somewhat perplexing given Friedman's reputation as a amp designer. I can't say I was buying much of what he was saying as it really came off as a hatchet piect but it is still nice having a professional verify that I don't have a time bomb for an amp.
I’m hoping to purchase a Runt 50 head one of these days so it’s nice to know these amps are Psionic approved. Looking forward to your future appearance on tone talk!
Would be great to see you on Tone Talk...one of my staples....I know a lot of people could garner new info/perspectives on amps & a variety of topics. Looking forward to it. Cheers from Vancouver Island
It’s good to uplift those who are doing things right and honestly. and I think we have plenty of footage of your reviews and opinions on other amps to know that you’re not gonna BS us on a product. I’m glad to here your opinion on Friedman, I like his amps ALOT!
I add washers under the other washer like this amp does to all of my own amps and to customers amps. Its a cheap and quick way to stop tearing up the tolex. Also i see a lot of amps with stripped screws and its from people not using the proper screw driver. I even see people in videos online who are taking apart their amp, use the wrong screw driver size when they have a kit of screw drivers right next to them in the video. Take your time folks and do it the right way. ;-) Always love the videos, thank you so much for continuing to educate us all on equipment :-)
Hey hey just saw this notification for the Friedman runt 20 indepth review/ walk through had my notifications ready for it and never clicked faster !! Haha I was really looking forward to this one, and in some ways preparing to hear the worst and watch you rip it apart and break down any woes under the hood. ^ I'll say I'm not blues guy hard rock is my wheel house and this Friedman runt 20 at $1400 ish used (Canadian dollars) is in my opinion the best recording , gigging, jamming and " marshall esque sounding amp " for the money. In the 2 years I've had it I've sold 50w and 100w heads some Friedman some others, one even an old marshall jcm800 2203 because the Friedman runt 20 with the hot mod v2 ( I have an original and an older one ) just added that magic special sauce ontop like the best Cameron modded , Naylor style marsha or just the meanest sounding 80s modded marshall tone in such a small 20 w head. Can do lynch steve stevens, guns, dokken, Michael schenker , John Sykes the list goes on. Hasn't done me wrong yet even sent it to Dave for a second Friedman BE channel voicing with its own dedicated master, presence and gain control for said extra channel making it a 3 channel runt. After this one the only real competition at the runt 20 price point that could actually surpass its sound and feel isn't anything marshall - it would be the ceriatone 2202, or son of yeti stuff IF that can be found used , if you have to order from ceriatone direct and wait a year and a half then I'd say going back to the runt 20 new or on the used market would make any hard rock player looking for a 2 channel amp that is solid as is no mods needed more than happy for quite a long time made over seas import or not. American friedmans are great but they really made a great introduction model to their line with this one ( won't say it's the most affordable Friedman because even used I don't think we'll over 1k should be considered affordable but alas welcome to the times we live in ) ^ Cheers from Niagara falls Canada and thanks for the wealth of knowledge and indepth walkthroughs in these videos. Please do more friedmans and more ceriatones in the future if able. Thanks in advance 🤟🤟🙏
Lyle great vid, from the first "gut shot" it was obvious you could have skipped the "disclaimers" Dave Friedman makes good stuff. Truthfully , I've noticed the good techs, builders and manufacturers all seem to know or know of each other and its pretty rare anyone "trash talks" without good cause. BTW I'd love to see you on tone talk that would be a real education for most of us neophytes .
AFAIK the transformers are Heyboer or Classic Tone; maybe others since the latter closed shop. I think that the fan boys in the comments section need to remember that Dave Friedman doesn't build these amps or most under his name. It seems like Boutique Amp Distribution went through a tough time following the pandemic and warehouse fire, and a couple amps that came through for repair locally had cold solder joints or mis-soldered parts. Hopefully they're back on their feet and more consistent again. It's nice seeing inside one of these. It looks like a Bogner level of PCB that you'd never have to worry about. It helps that the pots and tubes aren't board-mounted, too. Good design.
I’m warming up to pcb construction (if done smart) in order to keep costs reasonable. Fender and other big names have run amuck with this technology and put a black mark on “pcb” - but good to hear psionic discuss these better/smarter amps. Thanks.
I like it that they use cage nuts for the chassis screws, instead of cutting the thread directly into the chassis - if you bork the thread you can replace the nut - BRAVO
I could see right through that old guy who reviewed the JJ Jr. I could tell it wouldn't be his cup of tea right off the cut, and I also knew his complaints were pretty much unfounded. Thanks for actually exploring this one in depth and delivering a thoughtful and well-laid out explanation video rather than a "turn camera on and moan about how I didn't know what I was purchasing" one, haha..
My Runt 20 is solid! I love the versatility 3 cleans, dirty w boost, XLR easy recording. Option to play through my Vintage 30 cab. I tested it in store through a 6 speaker Marshall cab. Oof I felt it! Thanks for the in depth!
Thank you for this awesome video review. I own the Friedman Twin Sister Combo, love it. Your video helped me decide to pull the trigger on the this Runt 20 Combo. Running both amps with my Stereo board is tonal bliss, IMO. Really appreciate all your YT reviews.
Regarding the 'British' chap who has a video, I think you are referring to Tony Mckenzie? He has a review of the Friedman Jerry Cantrell version of this amp? I've just watched that video and want to clarify what he actually says... He was complimentary of the amps tone and general build quality, there were a few things he was unhappy with and the fact it wasn't hardwired was not one of them!. His grumbles were... A couple of the switches were held on with gel, rather than screwed to chassis e.g. power switch. The cement resistors were soldered directly onto the board apparently these get quite hot and in his view these should be off the board. There were a couple of poorly soldered resistors that looked like they were added after the main board production. However the main thing he disliked was the fact that the JBE switch (I think this is only on the JJ model) didn't appear to do anything to the tone. His optics will be different to yours as Marshall amps are a lot cheaper in the UK compared to Friedman and you can buy a handwired amp e.g. Cornell in UK for less than this amp. He also pays for all the amps he reviews with his own money. BTW, these are his views not mine :-) I don't claim to know anything about amps and what is good/bad build quality.
When seeing the thumbnail, my heart sank. Oh no...the Friedman is already on your bench...? Then thankfully the real reason is revealed😉 Innards look very nice. Don't know enough yet, but thanks to your videos, this amps components and placements look very nice. Parts are good quality too👍 Looking forward to more videos like this. Can't tell you how much its appreciated for future buyers decisions😎👍 It because of this look inside that takes the fear out of purchasing this manufacturers products😎👍 Thanks for a very important video 😃
The only thing I've decided is that it won't be long now before it's difficult to get an amp on the Psionic desk because everyone else is trying to do the same thing!
You are not being overly kind to Dave. You just treat people the way you would like to be treated. Dave treats his customers with the same respect(personal experience). I am more than likely going to buy a Runt in the next few months.
Personally, if you had said, "I like Dave, I like his amps, I am going to like this one.... deal with it." I would have been fine with it. I hate broccoli. No apologies for having biases. Really neat to see such care taken inside an 'affordable' amp. As someone who almost got a Hot Rod, if I were to shop, this kind of video helps a ton. Thanks for it. No need to respond.
Just this morning I was in a Runt 50 with tone controls that are acting up. There were four resistors that appeared to have "non-factory" soldering, but the amp was brand new in sealed manufacturer packaging and was purchased in person from a very well-known music dealer. One of the resistors' connections was pretty crusty and very questionable. There were also two tack-soldered connections; a piggybacked resistor, and a cap across the resistor like you found. No doubt in my mind these are tweaks done before the amps go to the dealers.
Much better than say a Marshall SV-20 for roughly the same price, even a bit better price. This is much needed information for us players/musicians and DYI'ers of limited extent.
Thanks for this review! I'm looking for a quality option for a versatile amp that's small/lightweight enough. I'm still lugging my Rivera TBR-1M (1990 made) 65 lb Tube Rack head with a separate 1 x 12 cab and would love to get an all in one combo for easier transport. I've loved Dave's BE amps but can't afford those at this point in my life. Have you ever seen or worked on a Rivera amp before? Curious as to what your opinion would be as Paul is a legend in the Amp engineering world. Not sure if his amps these days are as high quality as his first amps (like my TBR) as those he used the highest quality military grade components he could get at the time those days. Any way....I like your channel and love the tips you provide to everyone!!
A little extra thought in the design process makes for a superior piece of gear. Reminds me of old BMWs and Mercedes that were not only made of solid stuff, but designed to be serviced and making parts easily accessible as opposed to the modern ones that just fall apart and can't get to anything.
The pot arrangement is nice, no board mounted pots waiting to break a trace if the nut comes lose, if a new one needs soldering to the little connector cable it can be done outside of the amp, no risk of any bits of solder accidentally ending up under the board during desoldering/soldering.
The dirty shirley mini/little sister, pink taco, etc are actually handwired for $1500. The JJ JR, Runt, etc with the included load/mic-no-mo are PCB loaded. So you can actually get handwired for that price from them, just not the multi-channel + load offerings. Also regarding "bad copies" from a circuit perspective I have no idea, but the 5150 amps sound amazing.
@PsionicAudio very nice review ! You've mentioned Blackstar amps aren't true tube amps and i agree in 99% but have u tried their handwired amps (Artisan 15/30/100)? They are completely different beasts, defo worth an in-depth loo too :)
I am a living room player mostly and looking for a new amp (never know when my 1 Watt Blackstar will crap out). Is it worth it to buy this with an attenuator, or should I better stick to another rather budget solution, like a Marshall DSL5CR? I tested that one in a store, liked its sounds. But this Friedman, oh man!
“Fiery death shit show“ has a nice ring to it. Definitely excited to hear you on tone talk if you guys can make that work. This video definitely got me looking at Friedman, and I’m really glad to know that even their budget stuff is quality. I would love to hear your take on Tone King amps
I love the concept of the 2o watt. They are ear bleeding loud for sure. I still love EL34 based amps because of their sound. They seem to have more "thump", with good bottom end. Im told thought that its pretty much due to the capping and the output transformer but I dont know. I do have a Budda Superdrive 18 watt combo. Does some neat ZZ sounds but again it sounds like an EL84 amp.
Thanks for this demo and review or should I say inside tips I guess maybe I’m a little late to the game. However I have been using a Marshall studio 2525C it’s the jubilee combo one by 12 for local gigs and I played one of these over at a buddies and fell in love with it, getting ready to make the trade and just wanted to take a double peek at this video again it just appears to be a better made amp and it certainly plays better the bottom and holds together better. It truly is just all around a better sounding amplifier than the jubilee and it gives me everything I need and even more Than the Marshall had to offer I’m not seeing the but I have to tell you the board did not look as good as this one not longshot nor did the soldering work so I don’t know I think the price on those in the UK was about $1000. Where is this for the combo is like 1699 and the USA the Marshall here is $2000 almost I certainly think 1699 is much more well spent on this amplifier. Thanks again great stuff here. 5:22
I have had direct communication with Friedman, I had a question about his amp compared to a Soldano. The fact that he would personally provide me an answer to a question tells me what kind of fella he is. I wish that my budget would accommodate both a Friedman and an SLO 100. But that wasn’t the case. Someday I will own a Friedman. Good honest review, Lyle!
Dave is a really good dude. I have a Runt 20 head that had a component failure (not Friedman's fault, just bad luck). He was in contact with me on a Sunday night troubleshooting and had a plan to get my amp fixed the following day. I'm a complete nobody and he was all over making sure I was taken care of, quickly. The amps aren't cheap but if you dig that sound I wouldn't go anywhere else.
Hi! I came across your channel recently while looking for information about different amplifiers :) I'm thinking about buying Friedman, although here in Europe they are very expensive. I see that you have a good opinion about their design and workmanship. Could you comment on Tony Mckenzie's review of Friedman JJ junior, supposedly "the worst amplifier he ever bought"? It's on YT. Some of the soldering joints look really bad. I don't know anything about this at all, so I will be grateful for your advice. Thanks!
Interesting power transformer to output transformer orientation on the chassis, most go with the irons perpendicular in one or both planes, I guess maybe the diagonal line between them might mean they sit in a null in their radiated flux or something though?
Thanks for this review. Pretty sure not Mercury making the transformers, based on listing to many Tone Talk episodes. Looking forward to your schedules to line up to be on there.
@@jasonweidner3274 That sounds right. When I made the above comment I couldn't remember what he said he likes, just that he doesn't love Mercury like many others do
Hi bud, I bought this very amp on your recommendation of Friedman amps being very good etc. It is a great amp and I like it a lot; the one thing about it that is not good is the send and return loop, which has a very noisy hissing sound, so I have stopped using this and go direct on the front panel. Also, I noticed you use the 8 impedance rather than the 16, is this because you had an external speaker attached and would you use the 16 with the original speaker? I ask about impedance because the shop that I purchased it from said to use the 16 impedance with the original speaker. Peach Guitars England. Love your channel, very useful and informative. 😉
You may have a level/mismatch with whatever you were running in the loop. I had it on 8 ohms on my bench (8 ohm shop cab) and 16 when testing the combo speaker.
Something I didn't hear mention which should be mentioned (or did I blink?), is it looks easy to pull the PCB to work on the underside. It seems to be the big issue with PCBs is when they're hard to remove. It add to much labor time for any kind of repair. It looks like the amp was built like he had to service it.
Thanks for the review! The Pink Taco 20 is on my short list, along with this one. I've been playing on-and-off for 35 years and this will be my first tube amp, having always been traditional solid state or electric/acoustic (remember the California Blondes? :)).
I got a pink Taco a week ago. Have to admit your opinion bout Friedman amps influenced me a bit in a good way. PT, being hardwired, does it make a difference in terms of sound really? Cool content!! 🤗
I don't think handwired vs PCB makes any difference in this context. But Dave can mod a handwired amp in ways that are difficult with PCBs. Terminals etc give the builder some flexibility.
Just picked one of these up used. Really liking this amp so far, the direct out silent tones sound really good to me. Thanks for the breakdown. Do you know the serial number range for the circuit revisions?
I have this very amp…it’s a fantastic sounding amp..I like everything about it…I also have an EVH 5150III Stealth 50 watt,which I like very much…I know,I know…it’s not built the same as the Friedman,but I love the way it sounds,and have never had a problem with it …
Thanks for this great informative content. Would you do an episode on what to look for in an FX Loop? I know they vary greatly from amp to amp. Some call theirs "transparent" others claim to be buffered, adjustable level, etc. To interoperate well with pedals and even external preamps, what should one look for?
Thanks Chris. That’s a difficult one to do unless I have multiple different amps here with fx loops of varying quality/features that I can compare and demonstrate with. But it would be good info to get out there. I’ll keep it in mind for a future video.
The older guy video is a Northern Englishman called Tony McKenzie… he is not Scottish as far as I know . ( he may be Scottish by birth and the name McKenzie is Scottish but he has a strong English accent and he is slightly quirky to say the least).
What about the 50 W run head because it has EL 34s and if the tube sockets are mounted the same way, would that not create a problem then because it’s drawing more than the EL 84s in the 20 W 8:498:53
Hey Lloyd. Can you persuade Dave Friedman to make an amp with lots of clean headroom. I’d love to buy a Fender 64 deluxe but it seems Fender don’t make tube amps to Friedman’s kind of quality anymore. If he made something similar I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Awesome and informative video and always look forward to your insight. That Scottish guy you spoke about, I had a few unkind words for him way before I watched this video so I feel validated...lol. Nothing too bad but just let him know to leave it to the pros such as yourself and throwing Friedman under the a bus was not cool.
So a plebeian here trying to keep up with a expert lol. What are your thought is how to get a tube amp to work it’s ‘magic’ at bedroom volumes? Are you a fan of attenuators or volume pedals? If I had this amp for example and wanted to get it to overdrive at home volumes, what is the best way?
Found this channel a few weeks back and have learned so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the internet. Question: it seems like there is a pretty big delta in quality between different amps made by Boutique Amp Distribution. While you have great things to say about Friedman, it sounds like Morgan Amps are basically trash. Are these amps not made by the same people? Also curious about Tone King. I have an Imperial MKII that I love, but admittedly, I don’t know anything about it’s build and reliability. Have you come across any of those amps, and if so, what’s your verdict?
Thanks. From what I’ve heard, BAD makes exactly what they are told to make. You give them a sample amp, they replicate it. Beyond that I cannot speculate. And I haven’t had every model of Morgan come in. So maybe they have good ones too. Time will tell.
well, i have a mesa single rec, as pictured in my thumb nail. it has had a repair, though i feel it has served me well for many gigs over many years. in saying that, i don't dispute your opinion of build design, they are a tech's nightmare. unfortunately, i really love the tone and function of it. however, the most important thing after an amp needing great tone is reliability, and if i were to invest in an amp again, friedman would be at the top of the list. i just can't find fault, especially the twin sister, wow.
Any thoughts on the Laney CUB Super series. I think the super 12 is great sounding but I heard it from my tech that it is cheaply made. I have had two sets of power tubes ( I do gig it and researse with it so the hours of playing add up) and have had a few other cheap components replaced. No matter how cheap and shitty I'll keep using it cause I'm a gear masochist. Any who, add that to the under $1000 list cause I want a techs perspective
You were talking this older guy really cut down this amp i saw video that he did! and you are right he just cut down that amp! too me the inside looked very well build for a PCB amp! I have a blackstar HT 100 MK2 oh man if i new it was like that i would have ever got it. But this amp really nice! And it sounded to really good! I been thinking about getting the Runt 50 head to replace my blackstar. I really enjoy your video's you do! Thanks man!
Another advantage is the way the chassis is mounted, the tubes are less likely to cook the PCB. Mounting it on the bottom is best, but having the controls at the bottom is only practical if it's going to sit on top of a stack. Remote controls adds cost and problems.
Hey, long time fan. I hemmed and hawed when buying an amp. I gave careful consideration to your thoughts on $1,000 amps. And then I just bought something on emotion. I got a Princeton 2. It was made the same year I was, '81 and I couldn't help myself. I'd love to know your thoughts on these? The inside looks bougie as hell to me, but I don't know nothing. Reckon I did something dumb?
Thanks for being very clear about your relationship with Dave Friedman. Your objectivity and honesty is a breath of fresh air.
I think you mean honest subjectivity ;)
(But i agree with the rest of your statement )
I really like the fact that you were up front about your friendship with Dave Friedman. That level of honesty and integrity earned you a subscriber right there.
Whether Dave’s a friend or not, you are one of thee Best techs and you’re work is impeccable. Thanks for doing these evals as I love the Marshall tones and Dave did a great job with this baby. Thanks❤👍🏼👊🏼
Thanks for showing the good, the bad and the ugly.
It‘s so difficult to find real-world information about amps, and your videos have already saved me from bad buying decisions.
I really appreciate you sharing your first hand experience and disclaiming your possible conflicts of interest.
I really appreciate your work, here!
Aside from the interesting amp review, this guy must have the most calming voice on youtube! Love it.
Dave's no dummy man, he's the real deal. Fit and finish on dave's stuff is quality, you can feel. Great Episode man!
amp repair guy here, this is a very well thought-out amp...need not make any apologies re: the integrity of your review....enjoying your channel!
I have the Runt 50 combo and it’s a great amp! 3 years old and still going strong. The clean channel with a tele style guitar does country tones very well. Also, I have used it with my Gibson ES 355 for jazz and it works great. My friend even used it for a rockabilly gig while his amp was being repaired. The overdrive channel does 60’s - 80’s rock very well. IMO, this amp does everything and now it is the only amp I own. Thank you for the review and opinion of this amp. 👍
I sure hope after 3 years it's going strong if not there's a major problem
Dave does great work. Saying good things about those amps in regards to the well thought out layout is just stating facts, especially for the lower price.
I have a JJ Junior combo which is essentially the same amp with the additional "JJ switch" for more saturation and compression. Killer amp, I have used it many times in Austin out live in a club. I also have a Dirty Shirley 40, killer amp as well. The DS40 combo has a bigger cab and has more balls and bottom end and sounds bigger. But live, miced, or using the direct out the audience can't tell the difference. Great amps and Dave is super responsive, I have emailed him a few times over the years and he has always responded very quickly.
That is a beautifully done amp that sounds pretty damn amazing. Quality speaks for itself.
Great breakdown of the Runt Lyle... My kind of amp. I think Dave and yourself share a confidence that many consider 'abrupt'. I think it comes from years of competently fixing other peoples shit boxes. Oh... Thanks for the riff. RJ
I appreciate the complete honesty at the beggining, its a rare thing on youtube.
Great video. Pretty good build quality. I use those ceramic resistors for my builds and I'm happy to see that he uses them as well.
You know you’re a fan of a amp guy when you want him to review and validate your latest amp purchase. Great content. Try to make it a habit of watching them all.
that’s actually pretty impressive design. nice to see a budget amp with that kind of thought and care
budget? the runt 20 head costs 1500 usd haha
Budget ?
I wish more people would talk about using the right size screw driver. Took me years to learn this lesson in life. Previously I was blaming the screws. :(
Good point. A lot of people just think a Phillips head is a Phillips head is a Phillips head.
Same here. I think would have saved me a few stripped screws.
Google says it is basically modified Marshall circuit, but I doubt I ever heard any Marshall sound that good...
I agree with everything you said in this video. Which is rare. I usually never agree with everything someone says. But you are speaking facts. Can't even argue with it if I wanted to. If you borrowed amps, and did reviews like THIS, your channel would really grow. Of course, a lot of people would be pissed off, because the truth hurts. But it would be fun! I would like you to review an ENGL Fireball 100, and a EVH Iconic head, but I know you typically only make a video for something that comes in for repair. You probably don't have a lot of free time to borrow a bunch of amps and review their build quality and circuit designs. But I think players need something like that, so they can know exactly what they are buying. Too much "snake oil" out there. So many channels on RUclips where people just demo an amp. But literally NOBODY actually takes the chassis out to show the circuits. People are scared to use a screwdriver.
Hey LYLE ... great review as always :) I just thought you might like to know .
Tony McKensie - was the guy who did the review you were talking about & it was the JJ JUNIOR he reviewed ..
Thanks for doing this. I have a Runt 20 head and had also seen the video from the UK gentleman. I am not an electronics guy but found a lot of what he said somewhat perplexing given Friedman's reputation as a amp designer. I can't say I was buying much of what he was saying as it really came off as a hatchet piect but it is still nice having a professional verify that I don't have a time bomb for an amp.
I’m hoping to purchase a Runt 50 head one of these days so it’s nice to know these amps are Psionic approved. Looking forward to your future appearance on tone talk!
Would be great to see you on Tone Talk...one of my staples....I know a lot of people could garner new info/perspectives on amps & a variety of topics. Looking forward to it. Cheers from Vancouver Island
A nicely designed amp. You had me at the washer within the dress washer...
It’s good to uplift those who are doing things right and honestly. and I think we have plenty of footage of your reviews and opinions on other amps to know that you’re not gonna BS us on a product. I’m glad to here your opinion on Friedman, I like his amps ALOT!
I wish I didn’t need to be told how to not strip screw heads, but I do, so I’m very grateful for your help with that (and other stuff).
The idea that it's modular is nice. Makes serviceability good.
Great video, watched this after the Suhr Hombre In-Depth Look. Great stuff man, immediate sub. Hope to see a Diezel on your channel some day
I add washers under the other washer like this amp does to all of my own amps and to customers amps. Its a cheap and quick way to stop tearing up the tolex. Also i see a lot of amps with stripped screws and its from people not using the proper screw driver. I even see people in videos online who are taking apart their amp, use the wrong screw driver size when they have a kit of screw drivers right next to them in the video. Take your time folks and do it the right way. ;-)
Always love the videos, thank you so much for continuing to educate us all on equipment :-)
Hey hey just saw this notification for the Friedman runt 20 indepth review/ walk through had my notifications ready for it and never clicked faster !! Haha I was really looking forward to this one, and in some ways preparing to hear the worst and watch you rip it apart and break down any woes under the hood.
^
I'll say I'm not blues guy hard rock is my wheel house and this Friedman runt 20 at $1400 ish used (Canadian dollars) is in my opinion the best recording , gigging, jamming and " marshall esque sounding amp " for the money. In the 2 years I've had it I've sold 50w and 100w heads some Friedman some others, one even an old marshall jcm800 2203 because the Friedman runt 20 with the hot mod v2 ( I have an original and an older one ) just added that magic special sauce ontop like the best Cameron modded , Naylor style marsha or just the meanest sounding 80s modded marshall tone in such a small 20 w head. Can do lynch steve stevens, guns, dokken, Michael schenker , John Sykes the list goes on. Hasn't done me wrong yet even sent it to Dave for a second Friedman BE channel voicing with its own dedicated master, presence and gain control for said extra channel making it a 3 channel runt.
After this one the only real competition at the runt 20 price point that could actually surpass its sound and feel isn't anything marshall - it would be the ceriatone 2202, or son of yeti stuff IF that can be found used , if you have to order from ceriatone direct and wait a year and a half then I'd say going back to the runt 20 new or on the used market would make any hard rock player looking for a 2 channel amp that is solid as is no mods needed more than happy for quite a long time made over seas import or not. American friedmans are great but they really made a great introduction model to their line with this one ( won't say it's the most affordable Friedman because even used I don't think we'll over 1k should be considered affordable but alas welcome to the times we live in )
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Cheers from Niagara falls Canada and thanks for the wealth of knowledge and indepth walkthroughs in these videos. Please do more friedmans and more ceriatones in the future if able.
Thanks in advance 🤟🤟🙏
I believe the Runts are made in California. Edit-nvm I think I misunderstood what you were saying about imports
Lyle great vid, from the first "gut shot" it was obvious you could have skipped the "disclaimers" Dave Friedman makes good stuff. Truthfully , I've noticed the good techs, builders and manufacturers all seem to know or know of each other and its pretty rare anyone "trash talks" without good cause. BTW I'd love to see you on tone talk that would be a real education for most of us neophytes .
AFAIK the transformers are Heyboer or Classic Tone; maybe others since the latter closed shop.
I think that the fan boys in the comments section need to remember that Dave Friedman doesn't build these amps or most under his name. It seems like Boutique Amp Distribution went through a tough time following the pandemic and warehouse fire, and a couple amps that came through for repair locally had cold solder joints or mis-soldered parts. Hopefully they're back on their feet and more consistent again.
It's nice seeing inside one of these. It looks like a Bogner level of PCB that you'd never have to worry about. It helps that the pots and tubes aren't board-mounted, too. Good design.
I’m warming up to pcb construction (if done smart) in order to keep costs reasonable. Fender and other big names have run amuck with this technology and put a black mark on “pcb” - but good to hear psionic discuss these better/smarter amps. Thanks.
I like it that they use cage nuts for the chassis screws, instead of cutting the thread directly into the chassis - if you bork the thread you can replace the nut - BRAVO
I could see right through that old guy who reviewed the JJ Jr. I could tell it wouldn't be his cup of tea right off the cut, and I also knew his complaints were pretty much unfounded. Thanks for actually exploring this one in depth and delivering a thoughtful and well-laid out explanation video rather than a "turn camera on and moan about how I didn't know what I was purchasing" one, haha..
My Runt 20 is solid! I love the versatility 3 cleans, dirty w boost, XLR easy recording. Option to play through my Vintage 30 cab. I tested it in store through a 6 speaker Marshall cab. Oof I felt it! Thanks for the in depth!
Thank you for this awesome video review. I own the Friedman Twin Sister Combo, love it. Your video helped me decide to pull the trigger on the this Runt 20 Combo. Running both amps with my Stereo board is tonal bliss, IMO. Really appreciate all your YT reviews.
Regarding the 'British' chap who has a video, I think you are referring to Tony Mckenzie? He has a review of the Friedman Jerry Cantrell version of this amp? I've just watched that video and want to clarify what he actually says... He was complimentary of the amps tone and general build quality, there were a few things he was unhappy with and the fact it wasn't hardwired was not one of them!. His grumbles were... A couple of the switches were held on with gel, rather than screwed to chassis e.g. power switch. The cement resistors were soldered directly onto the board apparently these get quite hot and in his view these should be off the board. There were a couple of poorly soldered resistors that looked like they were added after the main board production. However the main thing he disliked was the fact that the JBE switch (I think this is only on the JJ model) didn't appear to do anything to the tone. His optics will be different to yours as Marshall amps are a lot cheaper in the UK compared to Friedman and you can buy a handwired amp e.g. Cornell in UK for less than this amp. He also pays for all the amps he reviews with his own money. BTW, these are his views not mine :-) I don't claim to know anything about amps and what is good/bad build quality.
This amp is very versatile. I play Blues , rock funk , country and this thing delivers!
When seeing the thumbnail, my heart sank. Oh no...the Friedman is already on your bench...?
Then thankfully the real reason is revealed😉
Innards look very nice. Don't know enough yet, but thanks to your videos, this amps components and placements look very nice.
Parts are good quality too👍
Looking forward to more videos like this. Can't tell you how much its appreciated for future buyers decisions😎👍
It because of this look inside that takes the fear out of purchasing this manufacturers products😎👍
Thanks for a very important video 😃
The only thing I've decided is that it won't be long now before it's difficult to get an amp on the Psionic desk because everyone else is trying to do the same thing!
All I can say is keep up the good work. Blunt and honest backed up with facts and experience will do any day as far as I'm concerned.
You are not being overly kind to Dave. You just treat people the way you would like to be treated. Dave treats his customers with the same respect(personal experience). I am more than likely going to buy a Runt in the next few months.
I have a JJ Jr which is a very similar amp to the Runt. AMAZING little amp and sounds killer!
Personally, if you had said, "I like Dave, I like his amps, I am going to like this one.... deal with it." I would have been fine with it. I hate broccoli. No apologies for having biases. Really neat to see such care taken inside an 'affordable' amp. As someone who almost got a Hot Rod, if I were to shop, this kind of video helps a ton. Thanks for it. No need to respond.
Just this morning I was in a Runt 50 with tone controls that are acting up. There were four resistors that appeared to have "non-factory" soldering, but the amp was brand new in sealed manufacturer packaging and was purchased in person from a very well-known music dealer. One of the resistors' connections was pretty crusty and very questionable. There were also two tack-soldered connections; a piggybacked resistor, and a cap across the resistor like you found. No doubt in my mind these are tweaks done before the amps go to the dealers.
Dave Friedman replied via text that these few changes in the amp are in fact factory changes.
Totally off topic, could you review a Amplified Nation amp in the future? I'd love to hear your take on their construction. Thanks.
When one comes in for repair.
"I'm perverse enough to do that" You got me good 😁!! I've never been comfortable with conventional either, but I'm improving 😉
Much better than say a Marshall SV-20 for roughly the same price, even a bit better price. This is much needed information for us players/musicians and DYI'ers of limited extent.
Thanks for this review! I'm looking for a quality option for a versatile amp that's small/lightweight enough. I'm still lugging my Rivera TBR-1M (1990 made) 65 lb Tube Rack head with a separate 1 x 12 cab and would love to get an all in one combo for easier transport. I've loved Dave's BE amps but can't afford those at this point in my life. Have you ever seen or worked on a Rivera amp before? Curious as to what your opinion would be as Paul is a legend in the Amp engineering world. Not sure if his amps these days are as high quality as his first amps (like my TBR) as those he used the highest quality military grade components he could get at the time those days. Any way....I like your channel and love the tips you provide to everyone!!
I’ve really been eyeing the runt but I’m wondering if I should save up a little more for something hardwired or a plex, twin sister etc.
A little extra thought in the design process makes for a superior piece of gear. Reminds me of old BMWs and Mercedes that were not only made of solid stuff, but designed to be serviced and making parts easily accessible as opposed to the modern ones that just fall apart and can't get to anything.
The pot arrangement is nice, no board mounted pots waiting to break a trace if the nut comes lose, if a new one needs soldering to the little connector cable it can be done outside of the amp, no risk of any bits of solder accidentally ending up under the board during desoldering/soldering.
The dirty shirley mini/little sister, pink taco, etc are actually handwired for $1500. The JJ JR, Runt, etc with the included load/mic-no-mo are PCB loaded. So you can actually get handwired for that price from them, just not the multi-channel + load offerings. Also regarding "bad copies" from a circuit perspective I have no idea, but the 5150 amps sound amazing.
Dave said nice things about you on Tone-Talk , hope to see you there !
They sound amazing
@PsionicAudio very nice review ! You've mentioned Blackstar amps aren't true tube amps and i agree in 99% but have u tried their handwired amps (Artisan 15/30/100)? They are completely different beasts, defo worth an in-depth loo too :)
I am a living room player mostly and looking for a new amp (never know when my 1 Watt Blackstar will crap out). Is it worth it to buy this with an attenuator, or should I better stick to another rather budget solution, like a Marshall DSL5CR? I tested that one in a store, liked its sounds. But this Friedman, oh man!
Couple o beauties. Dave Friedman and Psionic. Well done. Want this amp.
“Fiery death shit show“ has a nice ring to it. Definitely excited to hear you on tone talk if you guys can make that work.
This video definitely got me looking at Friedman, and I’m really glad to know that even their budget stuff is quality. I would love to hear your take on Tone King amps
I was thinking that would be a great name for a band!
I'm kinda partial to "Cock-up Cascade."
I love the concept of the 2o watt. They are ear bleeding loud for sure. I still love EL34 based amps because of their sound. They seem to have more "thump", with good bottom end. Im told thought that its pretty much due to the capping and the output transformer but I dont know. I do have a Budda Superdrive 18 watt combo. Does some neat ZZ sounds but again it sounds like an EL84 amp.
Really appreciate the construction. Wish Marshall was so thoughtful.
Thanks for this demo and review or should I say inside tips I guess maybe I’m a little late to the game. However I have been using a Marshall studio 2525C it’s the jubilee combo one by 12 for local gigs and I played one of these over at a buddies and fell in love with it, getting ready to make the trade and just wanted to take a double peek at this video again it just appears to be a better made amp and it certainly plays better the bottom and holds together better. It truly is just all around a better sounding amplifier than the jubilee and it gives me everything I need and even more Than the Marshall had to offer I’m not seeing the but I have to tell you the board did not look as good as this one not longshot nor did the soldering work so I don’t know I think the price on those in the UK was about $1000. Where is this for the combo is like 1699 and the USA the Marshall here is $2000 almost I certainly think 1699 is much more well spent on this amplifier. Thanks again great stuff here. 5:22
I have had direct communication with Friedman, I had a question about his amp compared to a Soldano. The fact that he would personally provide me an answer to a question tells me what kind of fella he is. I wish that my budget would accommodate both a Friedman and an SLO 100. But that wasn’t the case. Someday I will own a Friedman. Good honest review, Lyle!
Dave is a really good dude. I have a Runt 20 head that had a component failure (not Friedman's fault, just bad luck). He was in contact with me on a Sunday night troubleshooting and had a plan to get my amp fixed the following day. I'm a complete nobody and he was all over making sure I was taken care of, quickly. The amps aren't cheap but if you dig that sound I wouldn't go anywhere else.
"Not point to point". Your channel edumacated me on this misunderstanding that I have had for... A long time.
Definitely can't wait for that Tone Talk, that should be good!!!
Hi!
I came across your channel recently while looking for information about different amplifiers :) I'm thinking about buying Friedman, although here in Europe they are very expensive. I see that you have a good opinion about their design and workmanship. Could you comment on Tony Mckenzie's review of Friedman JJ junior, supposedly "the worst amplifier he ever bought"? It's on YT. Some of the soldering joints look really bad. I don't know anything about this at all, so I will be grateful for your advice. Thanks!
That guy didn’t have a clue what he was seeing. They are really well built and designed with great support should any problem arise.
I've been hoping this one would come to your channel. Thanks.
cool , thanks for that, I have that value, I may do the mod anyway since Dave asked you to do so. thanks for your quick response.
Interesting power transformer to output transformer orientation on the chassis, most go with the irons perpendicular in one or both planes, I guess maybe the diagonal line between them might mean they sit in a null in their radiated flux or something though?
Thanks for this review. Pretty sure not Mercury making the transformers, based on listing to many Tone Talk episodes. Looking forward to your schedules to line up to be on there.
Yeah, pretty sure it's Heyboer
@@jasonweidner3274 That sounds right. When I made the above comment I couldn't remember what he said he likes, just that he doesn't love Mercury like many others do
Hi bud, I bought this very amp on your recommendation of Friedman amps being very good etc. It is a great amp and I like it a lot; the one thing about it that is not good is the send and return loop, which has a very noisy hissing sound, so I have stopped using this and go direct on the front panel. Also, I noticed you use the 8 impedance rather than the 16, is this because you had an external speaker attached and would you use the 16 with the original speaker? I ask about impedance because the shop that I purchased it from said to use the 16 impedance with the original speaker. Peach Guitars England. Love your channel, very useful and informative. 😉
You may have a level/mismatch with whatever you were running in the loop.
I had it on 8 ohms on my bench (8 ohm shop cab) and 16 when testing the combo speaker.
Something I didn't hear mention which should be mentioned (or did I blink?), is it looks easy to pull the PCB to work on the underside. It seems to be the big issue with PCBs is when they're hard to remove. It add to much labor time for any kind of repair. It looks like the amp was built like he had to service it.
I should have. Yes, absolutely, this amp would be very easy to service. Easy access to the main board. Kudos to Dave.
Thanks for the review! The Pink Taco 20 is on my short list, along with this one. I've been playing on-and-off for 35 years and this will be my first tube amp, having always been traditional solid state or electric/acoustic (remember the California Blondes? :)).
I got a pink Taco a week ago. Have to admit your opinion bout Friedman amps influenced me a bit in a good way.
PT, being hardwired, does it make a difference in terms of sound really? Cool content!! 🤗
I don't think handwired vs PCB makes any difference in this context. But Dave can mod a handwired amp in ways that are difficult with PCBs. Terminals etc give the builder some flexibility.
Thanks. Yeah, I bet they are way easier to maintain & mod. Cheers!
Very interesting line of amps he has. I think he understands the player too in terms of the sounds they are trying to achieve.
Just picked one of these up used. Really liking this amp so far, the direct out silent tones sound really good to me.
Thanks for the breakdown.
Do you know the serial number range for the circuit revisions?
Thank you for showing how to properly unscrew a screw
I have this very amp…it’s a fantastic sounding amp..I like everything about it…I also have an EVH 5150III Stealth 50 watt,which I like very much…I know,I know…it’s not built the same as the Friedman,but I love the way it sounds,and have never had a problem with it …
Brian Gerhard owns TopHat 🎩 Amps.. He and his wife are wondeful people and his amps are beautifully constructed. My favorite was the Emplexador 100..
Thanks for this great informative content. Would you do an episode on what to look for in an FX Loop? I know they vary greatly from amp to amp. Some call theirs "transparent" others claim to be buffered, adjustable level, etc. To interoperate well with pedals and even external preamps, what should one look for?
Thanks Chris.
That’s a difficult one to do unless I have multiple different amps here with fx loops of varying quality/features that I can compare and demonstrate with.
But it would be good info to get out there. I’ll keep it in mind for a future video.
The older guy video is a Northern Englishman called Tony McKenzie… he is not Scottish as far as I know . ( he may be Scottish by birth and the name McKenzie is Scottish but he has a strong English accent and he is slightly quirky to say the least).
I saw that video a long time ago. Must have remembered the Mac. But I can tell the difference between accents - just didn’t remember.
It's a Liverpool accent or "Scouser" as people from Liverpool are known. Same accent as the Beatles basically.
I seen that dudes videos. He likes Mezzabarba stuff. But he also had nothing but nice things to say about a 50w Fender EVH amp. LoL!
@@bugeyedmudafuka2 Sounds very cockney to me, my part of the world ;)
@@dazfarrell oh it's definitely Scouse. 😂
What about the 50 W run head because it has EL 34s and if the tube sockets are mounted the same way, would that not create a problem then because it’s drawing more than the EL 84s in the 20 W 8:49 8:53
Hey Lloyd. Can you persuade Dave Friedman to make an amp with lots of clean headroom. I’d love to buy a Fender 64 deluxe but it seems Fender don’t make tube amps to Friedman’s kind of quality anymore. If he made something similar I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Lloyd says try the Suhr Bella.
@@PsionicAudio Thanks Lloyd. I'll check that out. Appreciate your recommendation. loving your videos.
Awesome and informative video and always look forward to your insight.
That Scottish guy you spoke about, I had a few unkind words for him way before I watched this video so I feel validated...lol.
Nothing too bad but just let him know to leave it to the pros such as yourself and throwing Friedman under the a bus was not cool.
So a plebeian here trying to keep up with a expert lol. What are your thought is how to get a tube amp to work it’s ‘magic’ at bedroom volumes? Are you a fan of attenuators or volume pedals? If I had this amp for example and wanted to get it to overdrive at home volumes, what is the best way?
I have one. It absolutely rips
So Keeley suports Friedman amps. Cool.
Did you put the upgrade cap’s leads through the holes with the resistor’s leads?
Found this channel a few weeks back and have learned so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the internet.
Question: it seems like there is a pretty big delta in quality between different amps made by Boutique Amp Distribution. While you have great things to say about Friedman, it sounds like Morgan Amps are basically trash. Are these amps not made by the same people? Also curious about Tone King. I have an Imperial MKII that I love, but admittedly, I don’t know anything about it’s build and reliability. Have you come across any of those amps, and if so, what’s your verdict?
Thanks.
From what I’ve heard, BAD makes exactly what they are told to make. You give them a sample amp, they replicate it.
Beyond that I cannot speculate.
And I haven’t had every model of Morgan come in. So maybe they have good ones too. Time will tell.
well, i have a mesa single rec, as pictured in my thumb nail. it has had a repair, though i feel it has served me well for many gigs over many years. in saying that, i don't dispute your opinion of build design, they are a tech's nightmare. unfortunately, i really love the tone and function of it. however, the most important thing after an amp needing great tone is reliability, and if i were to invest in an amp again, friedman would be at the top of the list. i just can't find fault, especially the twin sister, wow.
I want a runt 50 now was gonna get a evh but I like that this is better built
Any thoughts on the Laney CUB Super series. I think the super 12 is great sounding but I heard it from my tech that it is cheaply made. I have had two sets of power tubes ( I do gig it and researse with it so the hours of playing add up) and have had a few other cheap components replaced. No matter how cheap and shitty I'll keep using it cause I'm a gear masochist. Any who, add that to the under $1000 list cause I want a techs perspective
You can tell Dave used to be a tech in that design. Apparently the PCB-amps are the ones that Dave says they have the least issues with!
You were talking this older guy really cut down this amp i saw video that he did! and you are right he just cut down that amp! too me the inside looked very well build for a PCB amp! I have a blackstar HT 100 MK2 oh man if i new it was like that i would have ever got it. But this amp really nice! And it sounded to really good! I been thinking about getting the Runt 50 head to replace my blackstar. I really enjoy your video's you do! Thanks man!
Another advantage is the way the chassis is mounted, the tubes are less likely to cook the PCB. Mounting it on the bottom is best, but having the controls at the bottom is only practical if it's going to sit on top of a stack. Remote controls adds cost and problems.
Always really cool videos, thanks!
Hey, long time fan. I hemmed and hawed when buying an amp. I gave careful consideration to your thoughts on $1,000 amps. And then I just bought something on emotion. I got a Princeton 2. It was made the same year I was, '81 and I couldn't help myself. I'd love to know your thoughts on these? The inside looks bougie as hell to me, but I don't know nothing. Reckon I did something dumb?
Are the Boost modes tube generated (gain stages) or is there some solid state clipping employed, such as diode clipping?
I didn’t draw out the circuit.
Thank you for the information. This sounds like a great Rock amp.