The Friedman Vintage 50W Head is a reincarnation of Dave Friedman’s favourite 1968 Plexi. Designed and built in the United States by Dave Friedman, this amplifier follows a true boutique philosophy, prioritising precision, dynamics and musicality over sheer gain. It delivers classic British tone in its purest form through a very specific circuit design. The traditional “jumping” of the two inputs is already built into the circuit, resulting in two inputs (H and L) that correspond to the two free inputs (1 and 2) on a jumped original. The manufacturer refers to two channels, but in practice these are two inputs feeding a single channel. The result is an organic, explosive and highly reliable wall of sound.
The power section delivers 50 watts via EL34 tubes, with generous headroom and a very direct response. Each of the two inputs (H and L) reproduces the distinct behaviour of inputs 1 and 2 on an original already jumped Plexi. The tone is wide and open, moving from a structured clean to a highly expressive light break-up as soon as the player digs in. Pushed harder, the crunch becomes dense and articulate, with strong mids and natural sustain that never collapses. The EQ and presence controls allow fine adjustment to suit the guitar, cabinet and playing context. A special post-phase master volume allows the amp to be played at sensible levels without the need for an attenuator.
Build quality fully reflects the brand’s reputation: custom transformers, clean wiring and a robust chassis. On stage, it stands out for its ability to remain clear in the mix, with firm lows, controlled highs and an organic grain that reacts instantly to touch and to changes in the guitar’s volume control. Designed for rock, blues and classic hard rock, this head delivers a reference tone that is alive, unprocessed and fully respectful of the dynamics of all pickup types.
2-year warranty from our workshop.
