Friedman Jose 20: New 20-watt Hot Rodded Plexi
New Jose Arredondo-inspired 20-watt model announced
Following the Jose Arredondo 100-watt head in 2025, Friedman is now releasing a 20-watt version of the Jose 20 Head, featuring the same British-modded amp tones.
Contents – Friedman Jose 20
Jose 20
The new Friedman Jose 20 follows its larger sibling, the Jose Arredondo 100-watt, with top-notch Plexi tones and also modern ease of use. The Jose 20 is powered by two EL84 power tubes and four 12AX7 preamp tubes, delivering a combined output of 20 watts. Custom-made transformers, manufactured in the USA, ensure the classic ’80s hot-rodded British amp tones.
20-watt Modded Plexi
The compact head, however, boasts a decent number of controls and options. A key feature of the Jose 20 is the 3-way Gain Style switch, which allows you to select from three authentic gain structures developed by Jose Arredondo. The range extends from classic, Plexi-like crunch to saturated, high-gain sound – a well-thought-out system that lets you explore a wide variety of playing styles in no time.
Dave Friedman is very good at designing these 20-watt amps to be more manageable and useful for guitarists who don’t need a 100-watt amp head. It also has the Friedman ultra-transparent, bypassable effects loop, which ensures seamless integration into the pedalboard, while a Fat switch provides more bass foundation at the touch of a button.
Channel Jumping
Volume I and Volume II are internally bridged, thus faithfully reproducing the classic “channel jumping” of traditional Plexi amplifiers. Additionally, a 3-band EQ, combined with a Plexi/Drive switch and pre/post EQ control, offers further tonal possibilities.
It is also available as a combo with a single Celestion G12M-65 Creamback speaker.
Price & Availability
The new Friedman Jose 20 is now available at Thomann and Sweetwater as Head or Combo.
More Information
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