NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
- Thread starter NT02
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Red_Label
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Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
Sounds great man! Have been very curious about the BEs since I first saw Phil X's video a year or two ago. What are the differences supposed to be between the Cantrell and the regular BE100? I'm a huge fan of Cantrell's songwriting, riffage, and tone. But I'm old school, so I want something that goes from clean to 80s rock/metal, with everything in between. I've owned Bogners, VHT, Engl, and other high-end boutique amps that all did the modern high-gain tight and dry thing well. I still like my amps pretty hard-hitting, but I'm more into crunch than gainy things anymore. The older I get the more I turn down the gain knob.
P.S. Every time I click on one of your sound clips I find myself yearning to hear "Man In The Box". Crank her up and let's hear it! :banana:
Sounds great man! Have been very curious about the BEs since I first saw Phil X's video a year or two ago. What are the differences supposed to be between the Cantrell and the regular BE100? I'm a huge fan of Cantrell's songwriting, riffage, and tone. But I'm old school, so I want something that goes from clean to 80s rock/metal, with everything in between. I've owned Bogners, VHT, Engl, and other high-end boutique amps that all did the modern high-gain tight and dry thing well. I still like my amps pretty hard-hitting, but I'm more into crunch than gainy things anymore. The older I get the more I turn down the gain knob.
P.S. Every time I click on one of your sound clips I find myself yearning to hear "Man In The Box". Crank her up and let's hear it! :banana:
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
I dig your playing man.
Say, can anyone compare this great sound of the Freidman Cantrell to a Bogner Ecstacy?
Also,Does this amp have some 'sag'-some of that tube feel thats not, as someone put it-so "dry and tight"?
Ive heard even Splawns are tight, and for sure other hot rod Marshalls like SLO.
I dig your playing man.
Say, can anyone compare this great sound of the Freidman Cantrell to a Bogner Ecstacy?
Also,Does this amp have some 'sag'-some of that tube feel thats not, as someone put it-so "dry and tight"?
Ive heard even Splawns are tight, and for sure other hot rod Marshalls like SLO.
NT02
New member
Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
Thanks! The Cantrell is more modern sounding with more gain. The BE sounds more like a Marshall, really nails the 80s hard rock sound, imo. The BE has plenty of gain, but backs off great for classic rock sounds. The Smallbox is cool as well, with a cleaner channel for crunch and a BE channel for the 80s rawk. One of my favorite amps for crunch to hard rock is the Fargen Olde 800 mkII. It's a fantastic amp for plexi to hotrodded JCM800 sounds.
I've played some AIC through the JJ, haven't hit the record button. Just might have to. It gets that sound and grind.
I had the 20th XTC EL34, which I sold right before getting the JJ. The XTC needs some volume to open up and not sound congested. I replaced the power tubes and changed speakers hoping to help open up the sound, but it simply needs loud volume to not be stiff and congested.
The JJ sounds great at bedroom volume. Great cranked too.
The cranked XTC red channel can sound close to the JJ. It has more woodiness, that Bogner thing, that no one else does.
The JJ captures that thick, growly sound, but retains the fast pick attack/response.
The Bogner feels like it dulls the attack.
The Bogner is very versatile, with a great clean channel, a blue channel that can do clean to JCM800 gain (excels at bluesy crunch), a plexi mode that is like an opened up and less gainy blue channel, and the red channel that is great for heavier stuff and singing leads. You have tons of options to get it to sound the way you want.
The JJ, you plug in, and it sounds the way you want. Done. I haven't been able to get a great bluesy crunch out of the JJ. I'd say that's where the Bogner gets it. Other than that, the JJ puts me where I was trying to get with the Bogner, wrestling with the eq and switches and tubes and speakers.
The attack on the JJ is not as tight as the Splawn Streetrod I had. It's not slinky at all, at least at the house volumes I've been playing it at. It's definitely tight with the JBE switch engaged. It's a lil softer in BE mode, and backs off well enough for classic rock stuff with the gain down, working the guitar volume. I dunno how to describe it, something like a DSL or Soldano Hot Rod. This amp really has it's own thing going on.
Thanks! The Cantrell is more modern sounding with more gain. The BE sounds more like a Marshall, really nails the 80s hard rock sound, imo. The BE has plenty of gain, but backs off great for classic rock sounds. The Smallbox is cool as well, with a cleaner channel for crunch and a BE channel for the 80s rawk. One of my favorite amps for crunch to hard rock is the Fargen Olde 800 mkII. It's a fantastic amp for plexi to hotrodded JCM800 sounds.
I've played some AIC through the JJ, haven't hit the record button. Just might have to. It gets that sound and grind.
I had the 20th XTC EL34, which I sold right before getting the JJ. The XTC needs some volume to open up and not sound congested. I replaced the power tubes and changed speakers hoping to help open up the sound, but it simply needs loud volume to not be stiff and congested.
The JJ sounds great at bedroom volume. Great cranked too.
The cranked XTC red channel can sound close to the JJ. It has more woodiness, that Bogner thing, that no one else does.
The JJ captures that thick, growly sound, but retains the fast pick attack/response.
The Bogner feels like it dulls the attack.
The Bogner is very versatile, with a great clean channel, a blue channel that can do clean to JCM800 gain (excels at bluesy crunch), a plexi mode that is like an opened up and less gainy blue channel, and the red channel that is great for heavier stuff and singing leads. You have tons of options to get it to sound the way you want.
The JJ, you plug in, and it sounds the way you want. Done. I haven't been able to get a great bluesy crunch out of the JJ. I'd say that's where the Bogner gets it. Other than that, the JJ puts me where I was trying to get with the Bogner, wrestling with the eq and switches and tubes and speakers.
The attack on the JJ is not as tight as the Splawn Streetrod I had. It's not slinky at all, at least at the house volumes I've been playing it at. It's definitely tight with the JBE switch engaged. It's a lil softer in BE mode, and backs off well enough for classic rock stuff with the gain down, working the guitar volume. I dunno how to describe it, something like a DSL or Soldano Hot Rod. This amp really has it's own thing going on.
Red_Label
New member
Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
Thanks for the info man. I'm definitely still intrigued by the Freidman. Definitely sounds like the BE or Smallbox are the ones that would fit me most. Though I was diggin the YouTube vid of Steve Stevens demoing his SS100 sig model last night. I really like my two Ceriatone plexi clones (JTM and RP 18/36). But I'm looking for a holy grail amp to settle down with. Of course... I thought that I was going to settle down with my Bogner XTC and Shiva, Marshall 2203, Lickliter Rage, etc as well... LOL! But I really think that the BE is something that I could be happy with indefinitely. I'm all about 80s tones and my desire for experimentation has faded.
As I type this, my 6 year old akita struggles to get up off the floor. I think she's torn her right ACL. She tore her left ACL at 2 years old and it cost us $3K for her surgery. So I guess that any plans I may have been formulating for a Freidman are now out the window. Maybe my vet can buy a Freidman for himself with the pile of cash he's going to get from me???
Thanks for the info man. I'm definitely still intrigued by the Freidman. Definitely sounds like the BE or Smallbox are the ones that would fit me most. Though I was diggin the YouTube vid of Steve Stevens demoing his SS100 sig model last night. I really like my two Ceriatone plexi clones (JTM and RP 18/36). But I'm looking for a holy grail amp to settle down with. Of course... I thought that I was going to settle down with my Bogner XTC and Shiva, Marshall 2203, Lickliter Rage, etc as well... LOL! But I really think that the BE is something that I could be happy with indefinitely. I'm all about 80s tones and my desire for experimentation has faded.
As I type this, my 6 year old akita struggles to get up off the floor. I think she's torn her right ACL. She tore her left ACL at 2 years old and it cost us $3K for her surgery. So I guess that any plans I may have been formulating for a Freidman are now out the window. Maybe my vet can buy a Freidman for himself with the pile of cash he's going to get from me???
NT02
New member
Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
That sux about your dog! I hope she is ok, and has a fast recovery whatever the issue is.
I hear ya about the amp flipping. I've had plenty in the past 6 years. I'm happy with the dirt tones of the JJ. The only other amp I want now is maybe a nmv combo like a Germino or Vox. Something with great cleans and takes pedals well. That'll be something for next year.
That sux about your dog! I hope she is ok, and has a fast recovery whatever the issue is.
I hear ya about the amp flipping. I've had plenty in the past 6 years. I'm happy with the dirt tones of the JJ. The only other amp I want now is maybe a nmv combo like a Germino or Vox. Something with great cleans and takes pedals well. That'll be something for next year.
Red_Label
New member
Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
:laugh2:
That's awesome man! Dogs rule! (I like cats too.) My pup seems to be doing better, so no surgeries scheduled yet.
Wow... amp still sounds great backed-off for those blues leads. Very cool!
P.S. I sold my Ceri 36W RP yesterday and got a Ceri Chupacabra 50 coming, so from what I'm hearing, that might scratch my Friedman itch for less money.
:laugh2:
That's awesome man! Dogs rule! (I like cats too.) My pup seems to be doing better, so no surgeries scheduled yet.
Wow... amp still sounds great backed-off for those blues leads. Very cool!
P.S. I sold my Ceri 36W RP yesterday and got a Ceri Chupacabra 50 coming, so from what I'm hearing, that might scratch my Friedman itch for less money.
Red_Label
New member
Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
Will do. Comes in today.
I really enjoyed the Friedman Pink Taco that came in a couple of days ago. That roar is just so defined and articulate, yet sweet and smooth. The only thing that I found lacking was the same thing that all other 20-ish watt lunchboxes suffer from, and that's lack of grunt and headroom. I went in on it with a friend and he's buying me out. But I was definitely impressed and left even more curious about the bigger Friedman amps. I'm thinking that the smallbox might scratch my itch.
Will do. Comes in today.
I really enjoyed the Friedman Pink Taco that came in a couple of days ago. That roar is just so defined and articulate, yet sweet and smooth. The only thing that I found lacking was the same thing that all other 20-ish watt lunchboxes suffer from, and that's lack of grunt and headroom. I went in on it with a friend and he's buying me out. But I was definitely impressed and left even more curious about the bigger Friedman amps. I'm thinking that the smallbox might scratch my itch.
NT02
New member
Re: NAD: Friedman Cantrell JJ100
The Pink Taco didn't impress me that much. Could be because I played it through the matching 1x12 cab. The Fargen OE800 through the Fargen 1x12 sounded much better to me. The bigger Friedmans sound...bigger. lol With better volume control and response to the guitar volume. The one I played was on the floor at GC, so who knows what kind of working order it was in.
The Pink Taco didn't impress me that much. Could be because I played it through the matching 1x12 cab. The Fargen OE800 through the Fargen 1x12 sounded much better to me. The bigger Friedmans sound...bigger. lol With better volume control and response to the guitar volume. The one I played was on the floor at GC, so who knows what kind of working order it was in.