Friedman Arredondo Jose 20: Tribute to Legend Jose Arredondo

Dave Friedman has officially launched the Friedman Jose 20, a 20-watt, EL84-driven tribute capturing the legendary high-gain modifications of amplifier pioneer Jose Arredondo. Developed in direct collaboration with Arredondo’s daughter, Marisol, the amplifier distills the elusive, harmonically rich tones that defined Sunset Strip hard rock and Bay Area thrash into a streamlined modern chassis.

Jose Arredondo

Jose Arredondo evolved from a skilled Van Nuys repairman to the architect of the high-gain revolution by hot-rodding classic British amplifiers with innovative gain staging and clipping techniques. Having spent over 25 years building and repairing rigs for rock icons like Steve Stevens and Jerry Cantrell, Friedman intimately understands these circuits, bringing Arredondo's most sought-after mods to a wider audience through these hand-built, US-made amplifiers.

Friedman Jose 20 Model Comparison

Key Specifications and Tone Shaping

• Tubes & Power: 20 watts fueled by two EL84 power tubes and four 12AX7 preamp tubes, driven by custom US-made transformers.
• Advanced Gain Staging: A 3-way Gain Style switch offers three authentic Jose-designed structures, from classic Plexi-flavored crunch to saturated, metallic high gain.
• Dual Master Volumes: Features an advanced switching system with a Pre-EQ option (hot-rodded with clipping diodes) for low-end heavy, high-gain tones at lower volumes, and a Post-EQ option for louder, lower-gain output.
• British-Style Voicing: 3-band EQ paired with a Plexi/Drive switch delivers authentic 4-input British tones with zero added gain stages in the signal path.
• Modern Integration: Includes an ultra-transparent bypassable effects loop for seamless pedalboard routing and a Fat switch to instantly bolster low-end response.
• Simplified Input: Internally jumpered input stage effortlessly replicates classic patch-cable routing.

Bang for your Buck

These releases offer players an unprecedented opportunity to plug directly into a sound that shaped hard rock history, with Friedman’s signature quality guarantee backing every unit.

I've owned the original Friedman Pink Taco 20-watt amp head since it was first released and can vouch for its build quality and tone. This new 20-watt Jose model takes the modding journey to classic 1980s levels, and it doesn't cost much more than my Pink Taco did new, so a bargain for what it offers.

Potentially making it a fantastic tool for live and in-studio use. Plus, that Friedman effects loop is really nicely implemented, making it perfect for pedal users.

Let us know: are you looking to integrate this amp primarily into a studio recording environment, or will you be running it live with a specific pedalboard setup?

Friedman Amplification