Dave Friedman’s Ultimate Plexiglass Powerhouse
From repairing and modding the amps of stars like Eddie Van Halen and Jerry Cantrell to crafting his world-class sonic inventions with Friedman, Dave Friedman reigns as one of the world’s foremost experts on the art of tube amplification. Countless amps have passed through his bench over the years, but his favorite has always remained a time-tested vintage British head from 1968 — the Friedman PLEX represents an exact sonic replication of that very amp. This 2-channel amplifier starts in traditional plexiglass fashion with a duo of EL34 power tubes and a trio of 12AX7 preamp tubes, unleashing the same captivating crunch that all but defined hard-rock tones in the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond. The control section largely remains the same as the PLEX’s vintage inspiration, with the subtle addition of two channel-specific bright switches and internal channel jumpering. And while even the PLEX’s enclosure mirrors the charming old-school looks of Dave’s #1 amp, it’s no mere mimic — the PLEX’s vintage foundation is finished off with several player-friendly modern enhancements, including a stunningly natural-sounding post-phase-inverter master volume control and a 3-position variac switch.
Related Videos: PLEX 50-Watt Tube Amplifier Head
The path of the PLEX
The PLEX is, in Dave Friedman’s own words, a “verbatim sonic twin” of his all-time favorite personal amplifier: a 50-watt vintage British head from 1968, revered for its superb lead tones and plexiglass punch. From its custom USA-made transformers to the tubes, each component of the PLEX was sourced by Friedman to exactly replicate the tone, response, and feel of Dave’s #1. The result? A screaming 2-channel amp that unabashedly replicates the iconic crunch tones and raw sonic power of what many consider to be one of the most foundational rock ’n’ roll amplifiers of all time.
Uncompromisingly uncolored master volume control
Although the PLEX wears its vintage hard-rock heritage on its sleeve, this amp comes equipped with a host of innovative enhancements to better suit modern guitarists. First and foremost is the PLEX’s master volume control, billed on the amp’s control panel as the M.V.C knob. This post-phase-inverter master volume tames the PLEX’s howling 50-watt roar with the twist of a dial, allowing you to capture harmonic-rich tube saturation and crunch volume levels more appropriate to the home studio than the arena. Whether you’re gunning the PLEX at full throttle or dialing it down for late-night jam sessions, the PLEX’s brilliantly engineered master volume delivers uncompromising tone at any volume level.
In addition to its much-welcomed master volume control, the PLEX also boasts a built-in 3-way variac switch to capture the coveted “brown sound” cherished by rock guitarists the world over. This switch offers both high-voltage and low-voltage settings, unleashing a veritable eruption of sounds to choose from, with a middle position offsetting to bypass the variac entirely. As any of Sweetwater’s hard-rock historians will tell you, this feature pays direct tribute to a trailblazing 6-string legend — a musician who just so happens to have a rich history of collaborating with Dave Friedman.
Upgraded tone-shaping tools
The PLEX sports all the standard tone-shaping controls of its vintage inspiration, including a 3-band EQ and Presence knob that provide you with a plethora of tones to explore. However, Dave Friedman took the opportunity to upgrade this amp’s decidedly old-school formula with a few choice control section enhancements, including two channel-specific bright switches. Each switch features a trio of different positions to sculpt your high end, dramatically enhancing the PLEX’s flexibility with pedals, guitars, and pickups.
Go ahead and jump
One of the oldest tricks in the tonal book is to place a jumper between the channels on a 4-input amp, thus blending both of your amplifier’s voices into a single super-powered sound. In fact, it’s such a ubiquitous mod that Dave Friedman decided to build it straight into the PLEX’s circuit! Not only does the PLEX’s internal channel jumpering negate the need for an extra cable, but it also cuts down the original vintage amplifier’s quartet of inputs into a simplified 2-input configuration consisting of a Hi and Lo instrument jack.
Friedman PLEX 50-watt Tube Amplifier Head Features:
- 50W tube amplifier head, designed as a “verbatim sonic twin” of a vintage British head that Dave Friedman describes as his all-time-favorite amplifier
- Dual EL34 power tubes and a trio of 12AX7 preamp tubes, along with custom USA-made transformers and a plethora of premium-grade parts
- 2-channel design offers a Lead and Normal channel, with internal jumpering to mix between the two sounds
- Global 3-band EQ and a Presence knob mirror the controls of Dave’s original amp for rock-ready tone shaping
- Channel-specific 3-way Bright switches allow you to shape your amp’s high-end response to excel with pickups and pedals of all kinds
- Post-phase-inverter master volume control (M.V.C.) tames the amp’s overall volume output while retaining the dynamics and saturation of a cranked tube amp
- 3-way variac switch modifies the amp’s available voltage with a high-voltage setting, a low-voltage setting, and a bypass
- 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm output jacks allow you to pair the head with cabs of all kinds
