I like the JCM more, has just a touch more presence en 'edginess', Friedman is a little muffled to my ears (prolly can be tweaked with eq on the friedman though)
I detect the same thing with everything from Friedman vs any good Marshall, maybe Friedman's are more of a 'home practice' amp for teachers/students and UA-camrs, while Marshalls are more for high volume studio work and live performances.
I agree. I like the presence edge on the 800 better. The Friedman was just a little smoother. I prefer the chaos of the Marshall. That’s why I have a JCM 800 from 1983.
I am blown away every time I play through my JCM800 2203. The feel, the response, the tone, and the roar when pushed hard, are all just so perfect. And even though it sounds amazing here, and on the many recordings it has been used on, I think it really needs to be played through to be fully appreciated.
@@SuperJiggawhat but, I like free market, cause sometimes the amps really are worth more $, sometimes they aren't. But it works in our favor cause they try hard to make amazing sounding amps.
To me I can hear the core tone structure of the JCM800 in the Friedman. Sonically the main differences I heard (boosted and non boosted) were the marshall had more grit in the the gain, bit more treble, and almost a weird scoop in the upper mids area. Not a drastic scoop, just seemed like there was a frequency that was slightly missing. The Friedman sounded like it has a bit less top end, but that mid frequency was present making the Friedman sound more full and wider. The Friedman also sounded more smooth in the gain structure. The low end was very similar in both amps but I couldn't hear that much of a difference, I will need a 2nd or 3rd listen. But in general if I was blind folded or it was a live situation I wouldn't know if you had either one on stage.
Fired up my 2204 a few weeks ago. All original, never modded. Cranked it up to 7.5 on the Master ( the sweet spot for it) through my early 90’s 1960 Classic 4x12 loaded with the original reissue 25W Greenbacks ( not Chinese, made in England). Put the Pre-Amp up to 7.5 -8 ish just for the hell of it ( I normally keep it on 3- 4 then use an overdrive pedal in front of the amp for a boost) . Played straight through no pedals with my Les Paul Custom and man... the mean, nasty ROAR that came blasting through those Greenbacks was glorious. Made me proud . I own several Marshall’s, a Friedman, a Bogner, ( amazing amps) etc and No amp I have ever owned or played has that raw, killer roar that my JMP has when cranked.
The older I get, the more I found those classic marshall amps appealing, but friedman's sounds like a good compromise between classic temper and modern texture. I dig both. Good job as always Fluff.
@Riffs, Beards & Gear ~ I'm pretty sure these are virtually identical. And I'm a mastering engineer who designed a couple mastering software suites listening on PSI A21M monitors in my studio. If I'm being honest, if I was going to buy one now, I'd rather have the Butterslax, and get a few more channels. There was a slight boost in upper midrange on the JCM 800, and maybe a bit more basic midrange in the Friedman, but a touch of EQ, even in mixing would get your right there. If you never told anyone you used it, even enthusiasts wouldn't know it wasn't a real JCM800 in a mix. Plus all the old Marshalls were hand-built and sound a bit different unit to unit due to age/state of repair, tube bias, tube age, etc. I have a JTM 45 clone made by Jimmy Wyggle from years back, which is just about the best old 45 clone I've ever hear Vs. the real thing. This felt just about as impressive in the realms of 800 clones. I would set up your real one for cleaner tones in a sweet spot, and then use the Friedman for heavier gain sounds so you don't have to dial things in all the time when working on tracks. I don't think you need to hunt down an original to get in that ballpark anymore after this, that's for sure. What speakers are in your cab if you don't mind me asking? It sounded great.
I didn't know i wanted this video but it perfectly illustrates a conversation i was having a couple weeks ago when i was trying to explain what it is that i liked about the Friedman amps.
I definitely love how clinical and straight forward these videos are. The one issue I have is the really heavy noise gating. It seems to effect the attack of the notes after a rest in play, but that’s the first thing I listen for in an amp. I would love to hear the raw tracks with no gating. Keep up the good videos though!
I don’t think it’s a matter of which is better. I think people (myself included) just want to hear them side by side because most don’t have access to both of these amps. With that said they’re both sick. I kind of wish there was a two channel jcm800. I could tell some differences on their own through my phone speaker but I gotta listen though better speakers when I get home.
With how the eq’s now are I liked the marshall more it’s a bit brighter but more treble and fuller in the mids but the Friedman also sounded great just a bit too dark for my liking
I really dig that Marshall more than the Friedman. Both sound great in their own ways. The similarities in both is probably your playing shining through. Can’t go wrong with either amp!
Really hard to tell the difference with drop tuned riffs...makes everything sound more “gainy” and similar in tone. I suggest standard tuning, simple power chords, and maybe some lead lines for the next amp war. LOVE the format though...no effects, boosted/unboosted, etc. 👍🏼
Both sounded great, I did have a preference to the 800 for its simplicity and the slight extra bit of biting edge it has, but I am would get neither since I already have a the sickest amp ever, the Peavey VTM 120.
Me too there both rad, when they came out with the sc I was jacked . for years I just knew that the 800 is an amp I would be totally happy with. I didn't get one because I know that getting the tone out of it meant kranking it to levels that wouldn't work in certain situations and I didn't want to deal with an attenuator and all that jazz. The 20 watt version is perfect I gig with it and everything what I can do with pedals is the best ever, it's straight tone without pedals is awesome I can't say enough good thing's. The only thing I need to figure out is how and when I'm Getting another one. Gotta have 2 there perfect might get a 2204 or the sc jubilee I'm just not apposed to either of them. but probably another sc is what I'll end up with
The Butterslax is basically a Brown Eye with some bass dialed back in, since the BE is Plexi based. I like the Friedman stuff, but I can save like 2800 bucks by buying a Riot or Pinnacle and tbh I think I like them better tonewise as well.
They’re incredibly similar. I wish you had some clips in standard tho! Marshall’s in standard give you that awesome midrange bark that you loose in lower tunings.
Came for the amps( own 78 JMP/ owned 86 JCM 800 but sold to finance vintage Gretsch purchase) but that shirt shook me! Not to sound like a poser but it was very cool! Brand?? Cheers!!
The reason Butterslax sounds better unboosted is because it has diodes in the circuit, so effectively it's "always boosted". To me all Friedman amps lack that insane kerrang and "ocean of harmonics" you get from a real vintage Marshall, which probably isn't quite what you want for this style/genre anyway though. That said, for lead work I've never tried an amp that felt better to play than the Friedman SS100, and they do sound good.
Isnt your JCM modded? The thing I like about the JCM is that its just a great base tone. You can pretty much do anything with it. add a proco rat, tube screamer, SD-1, etc and enjoy.
It's interesting, the Friedman is like a Marshall but only the frequencies that stand out in the mix and none that don't. In the boosted comparison the extra hair and presence of the Marshall simply died in the mix and what was left was very close to what the butterslax was all along.
Liked the Butterslax more, both boosted and unboosted - there's a certain lower mid range with is more dominant. However, the JCM also sounded absolutely stellar, it's just a bit different.
They both sounded sweet. To my ears the Friedman sounds a little darker, whereas the JCM sounds a little bit "thicker". I personally play a JCM, but I could very well live with the Friedman as well :D
the drop tunings on amp reviews make ALL amps sound more wickedly heavy...so its harder to tell the true colors of the amps with the one finger playing styles. Still fun guy and vids!
The Friedman has a bit more clarity and isn't as muddy i think. I'm sure either way the JCM800 is probably the better choice for most guitarists who can't afford the 2 and a half grand amp.
The JCM800 sounds better to my ears.
and way less expensive too!
Wow was closer than i thought it would be, I think the Friedman has more mid range but both sounded great!
The marshalls a bit brighter which makes me like it more, but im sure with a bit of eq the Friedman can sound pretty much exactly like the marshall
and the new JEL Friedman is closer to JCM 800
My 50 watt jcm800 with a yellow boss overdrive in front of it is still my favorite sound
That setup was good enough for zack wild too and I’m not going to argue with him.
There's very little that sounds betteri have to agree
That is a great tone for sure. I wish there was more clarity though. But it’s rock and roll after all.
I preferred the Marshall boosted but the Friedman 'unoosted' as you phrased it ;)
Blend those "unoosted" tones for mega awesome lended ones! lol
That's exacltly what I thought.
x2
The Friedman sounds awesome.
But I’m still a JCM 800 kinda guy.
I like the JCM more, has just a touch more presence en 'edginess', Friedman is a little muffled to my ears (prolly can be tweaked with eq on the friedman though)
I detect the same thing with everything from Friedman vs any good Marshall, maybe Friedman's are more of a 'home practice' amp for teachers/students and UA-camrs, while Marshalls are more for high volume studio work and live performances.
Sounds more like the gain on the Friedman is smoother. I doubt you can get the aggression of the JCM out of that.
I agree. I like the presence edge on the 800 better. The Friedman was just a little smoother. I prefer the chaos of the Marshall. That’s why I have a JCM 800 from 1983.
I definitely prefer the JCM800. Much fuller sounding to my ears and the Butterslax sounds more nasally.
I just heard one today in person. its def awesome
I am blown away every time I play through my JCM800 2203. The feel, the response, the tone, and the roar when pushed hard, are all just so perfect. And even though it sounds amazing here, and on the many recordings it has been used on, I think it really needs to be played through to be fully appreciated.
Marshall for the win, accept no substitute the most copied amp in history next to the Plexi.
Here is my question on a JCM 800. Vintage or new production????
@@benpotter4905 My vote is for the reissue 2203X.
@@davel_ggw that's what I think. A buddy of mine keeps saying vintage is better. He's also stuck in his stubborn ways
U could buy a whole jcm800 rig for the price of the butterslax head alone and prob still have change
Amps need to be cheeper, even if they are made in America. If not, it should atleast come with some authentic butter slacks to put on.
@@SuperJiggawhat but, I like free market, cause sometimes the amps really are worth more $, sometimes they aren't. But it works in our favor cause they try hard to make amazing sounding amps.
@@SuperJiggawhat go buy a Donner Morpher & a Quilter, since I see you, too, are a broke patrician.
Good luck playing the 800 on any reasonable volume levels lol
@@cardbored_ Could always buy an oxbox, a boss tubeamp expander or a THD hotplate. There is plenty options to keep it manageable
To me I can hear the core tone structure of the JCM800 in the Friedman. Sonically the main differences I heard (boosted and non boosted) were the marshall had more grit in the the gain, bit more treble, and almost a weird scoop in the upper mids area. Not a drastic scoop, just seemed like there was a frequency that was slightly missing. The Friedman sounded like it has a bit less top end, but that mid frequency was present making the Friedman sound more full and wider. The Friedman also sounded more smooth in the gain structure. The low end was very similar in both amps but I couldn't hear that much of a difference, I will need a 2nd or 3rd listen. But in general if I was blind folded or it was a live situation I wouldn't know if you had either one on stage.
I used to have that exact JCM 800. It crushed.
amazing how much the jcm cuts through
Another sick video with sick AF Marshall goodness!
Automatic translation begins with “Today on wrist piercing gear”. 😂
Butterslax = lower-mid, forward JCM800 = high end sizzle The two mixed together *chef's kiss*
Fired up my 2204 a few weeks ago. All original, never modded. Cranked it up to 7.5 on the Master ( the sweet spot for it) through my early 90’s 1960 Classic 4x12 loaded with the original reissue 25W Greenbacks ( not Chinese, made in England). Put the Pre-Amp up to 7.5 -8 ish just for the hell of it ( I normally keep it on 3- 4 then use an overdrive pedal in front of the amp for a boost) . Played straight through no pedals with my Les Paul Custom and man... the mean, nasty ROAR that came blasting through those Greenbacks was glorious. Made me proud . I own several Marshall’s, a Friedman, a Bogner, ( amazing amps) etc and No amp I have ever owned or played has that raw, killer roar that my JMP has when cranked.
They sound almost the same. No need to pay for a Friedman Marshall rules.
that 800 is fire af
The older I get, the more I found those classic marshall amps appealing, but friedman's sounds like a good compromise between classic temper and modern texture. I dig both. Good job as always Fluff.
So many questions. Fluff, what do these amps sound like when oosted? What's your favourite oost pedal? o ou refer oosted r n-oosted ones?
The Marshall surprised me!!! It really did!!
Its a fucking Marshall.. aint NO SURPRISE SON!!.. . GET 1.
Love coming to work just to sit back and listen to these comparisons thanks for the content
JCM 800 - flawless victory
Butterslax is the best sounding amp that’s been produced in many many years.
Blend those two together and that’s gonna be one sick tone.
Jcm 2203 with an od in front is so sick
@Riffs, Beards & Gear ~ I'm pretty sure these are virtually identical. And I'm a mastering engineer who designed a couple mastering software suites listening on PSI A21M monitors in my studio. If I'm being honest, if I was going to buy one now, I'd rather have the Butterslax, and get a few more channels. There was a slight boost in upper midrange on the JCM 800, and maybe a bit more basic midrange in the Friedman, but a touch of EQ, even in mixing would get your right there. If you never told anyone you used it, even enthusiasts wouldn't know it wasn't a real JCM800 in a mix. Plus all the old Marshalls were hand-built and sound a bit different unit to unit due to age/state of repair, tube bias, tube age, etc. I have a JTM 45 clone made by Jimmy Wyggle from years back, which is just about the best old 45 clone I've ever hear Vs. the real thing. This felt just about as impressive in the realms of 800 clones. I would set up your real one for cleaner tones in a sweet spot, and then use the Friedman for heavier gain sounds so you don't have to dial things in all the time when working on tracks. I don't think you need to hunt down an original to get in that ballpark anymore after this, that's for sure.
What speakers are in your cab if you don't mind me asking? It sounded great.
I didn't know i wanted this video but it perfectly illustrates a conversation i was having a couple weeks ago when i was trying to explain what it is that i liked about the Friedman amps.
Butterslax is like an 800 with a Recto pre-blended in the mix to my ears.
I definitely love how clinical and straight forward these videos are. The one issue I have is the really heavy noise gating. It seems to effect the attack of the notes after a rest in play, but that’s the first thing I listen for in an amp. I would love to hear the raw tracks with no gating. Keep up the good videos though!
Fuck I love amp comparisons, people haven’t done these for ages! Go fluff!
Character is the same, but Marshall have a bit more presence
I don’t think it’s a matter of which is better. I think people (myself included) just want to hear them side by side because most don’t have access to both of these amps.
With that said they’re both sick. I kind of wish there was a two channel jcm800. I could tell some differences on their own through my phone speaker but I gotta listen though better speakers when I get home.
Marshall for life.
the marshall sounds wider and the friedman sounds more mid focused
Dude, PLEASE GIVE US MORE AMP WARS! That was riveting!
800 all the way!!!
Marshall for the brightness aNd CoZ iTs a cLAsSiC
The 800 is better..holy shit. well, they are both great. With a boost I dig the 800 more. no boost, butterslax. Thanks for the Vid fluff, soo guud!!
Love your channel man.
With how the eq’s now are I liked the marshall more it’s a bit brighter but more treble and fuller in the mids but the Friedman also sounded great just a bit too dark for my liking
I had never heard of a Friedman Butterslax? Interesting
GearGasms it’s the signature amp of Bill Kelliher from mastodon.
DeclanG oh cool! Thank you for that! Didn’t even know he had a sig amp
GearGasms if you want to see more of it in action watch Sound Like Mastodon By Busting the Bank. The sound they get in that video is incredible.
Wow they sound very close. I like the Jcm boosted and freedman unboosted. But they both kill.
I really dig that Marshall more than the Friedman. Both sound great in their own ways. The similarities in both is probably your playing shining through. Can’t go wrong with either amp!
Really hard to tell the difference with drop tuned riffs...makes everything sound more “gainy” and similar in tone. I suggest standard tuning, simple power chords, and maybe some lead lines for the next amp war. LOVE the format though...no effects, boosted/unboosted, etc. 👍🏼
Now we're talkin!
They are so similar. I think the best one is just the cheapest of the two.
I like the 'UNOOSTED' tone at 2:24 :)
Amp Wars, great idea.
Unboosted I preferred the Butterslax, but boosting brought out some fluffy, fuzzy woolly goodness in the JCM 800 that I really, really liked!
Friedman is definitely more “modern” where the Marshall seems to have a bit more “mud”. I guess it depends what you’re looking for.
Both sounded great, I did have a preference to the 800 for its simplicity and the slight extra bit of biting edge it has, but I am would get neither since I already have a the sickest amp ever, the Peavey VTM 120.
Vtm is nice
Abraham Watson shut the hell up
Now this is some quality stuff right here
This is the perfect video to wake up and watch
Just reminds me I choose right when got my jcm800 studio classic...both great just cant beat a jcm800...IMO
Me too there both rad, when they came out with the sc I was jacked . for years I just knew that the 800 is an amp I would be totally happy with. I didn't get one because I know that getting the tone out of it meant kranking it to levels that wouldn't work in certain situations and I didn't want to deal with an attenuator and all that jazz. The 20 watt version is perfect I gig with it and everything what I can do with pedals is the best ever, it's straight tone without pedals is awesome I can't say enough good thing's. The only thing I need to figure out is how and when I'm Getting another one. Gotta have 2 there perfect might get a 2204 or the sc jubilee I'm just not apposed to either of them. but probably another sc is what I'll end up with
Boosted - Marshall. Unboosted - Friedman. That Marshall sounds super dope.
The Butterslax is basically a Brown Eye with some bass dialed back in, since the BE is Plexi based.
I like the Friedman stuff, but I can save like 2800 bucks by buying a Riot or Pinnacle and tbh I think I like them better tonewise as well.
That JCM just has such a chunkier tone, but that Friedman kicks ass. Both would sound so gnarly on a song
The FM sounds like a fat beef while the jcm sounds like a thin chicken steak
SUCH a chunkier tone? Hard no.
Y'all are both wrong. The low end on the JCM is thiccer and juicer, but the FM has a nice mid range
@@calebafile4306 This guy gets it!
i use the amped roots friedman of this and use in all my songs, i feel the bass scoop other amps have tale the job away from the bass guitar
Good ol' Marshall is a win for me.
They’re incredibly similar. I wish you had some clips in standard tho! Marshall’s in standard give you that awesome midrange bark that you loose in lower tunings.
Agreed!
without the high pass in the boost, you really see how much UMPH the butterslax has. they can sound incredibly similar. cool test
You’re an idiot
Hard to hear the difference between them but the Marshall sounded best to me and was smoother and less piercing.
closer than expected! But that marshall sounded so much sludgier in a really pleasing way
Virtually identical except for a bit more midrange in the Friedman.
Both are neck to neck. I would say Marshall still holds it's own! The winner-Marshall!
Both sounded great!
That Friedman Butterslax with a Friedman 412/15 CABINET CHECKERED(2x12" G12H30 / 2x15" 15G15G loaded in it). Will stomp on most any amp and cab.
I absolutely love your tone.
The Friedman was more of that wall of sound thiccness, but the JCM had some classic, lovely dirt and grind. Both extremely useable and great.
"kind of"?? The Friedman's are exactly modded Marshalls, Jose arendondos work to to tee
That Burny is awesome
Friedman sound better in a mix but the marshal sounds better alone IMO
JCM800 sounds brighter so more my taste. I think a BE100 would have been closer but not the point of this video. Good vid Fluff
I like the JCM800's kinda fuzzy sort of sound.
Haha I liked the Marshall. 1/3 of the price too
Came for the amps( own 78 JMP/ owned 86 JCM 800 but sold to finance vintage Gretsch purchase) but that shirt shook me! Not to sound like a poser but it was very cool! Brand?? Cheers!!
Still nothing compares to the rawness of a JCM800. It's not perfect but pretty unique.
The reason Butterslax sounds better unboosted is because it has diodes in the circuit, so effectively it's "always boosted". To me all Friedman amps lack that insane kerrang and "ocean of harmonics" you get from a real vintage Marshall, which probably isn't quite what you want for this style/genre anyway though. That said, for lead work I've never tried an amp that felt better to play than the Friedman SS100, and they do sound good.
Love the Friedman amps
JCM800
Funny... I liked the Friedman more unboosted, and the JCM more Boosted. Great tones all around though!
Both are awesome. I pick the JCM in this demo because it’s a bit less compressed.
the 800 had more fizz on the top end,where the butterslax was smoother in the highs but had a more forward mid range
JCM 800
Isnt your JCM modded? The thing I like about the JCM is that its just a great base tone. You can pretty much do anything with it. add a proco rat, tube screamer, SD-1, etc and enjoy.
It's interesting, the Friedman is like a Marshall but only the frequencies that stand out in the mix and none that don't. In the boosted comparison the extra hair and presence of the Marshall simply died in the mix and what was left was very close to what the butterslax was all along.
Liked the Butterslax more, both boosted and unboosted - there's a certain lower mid range with is more dominant. However, the JCM also sounded absolutely stellar, it's just a bit different.
Love this. Thanks for doing this for us poor people, fluff
If IR’s were used, Which one was it?
Love the sounds and video!
Both sound amazing but the Friedman has that SEXY mid bump
They both sounded sweet. To my ears the Friedman sounds a little darker, whereas the JCM sounds a little bit "thicker". I personally play a JCM, but I could very well live with the Friedman as well :D
Jcm 800 the best classic amp ever made, ammm... and the plexi of course
Definitely Marshall...
The ¨grain¨ of the Friedman is amazing
2203
the drop tunings on amp reviews make ALL amps sound more wickedly heavy...so its harder to tell the true colors of the amps with the one finger playing styles. Still fun guy and vids!
I really liked the "Unoosted" take ! :)
The Friedman has a bit more clarity and isn't as muddy i think. I'm sure either way the JCM800 is probably the better choice for most guitarists who can't afford the 2 and a half grand amp.