Jose Arredondo’s Legendary Mods in a 20-watt Head
Jose Arredondo was one of the pioneering forces behind the high-gain revolution, whose myth-making modded British amplifiers continue to inspire to this day. The culmination of Dave Friedman’s longstanding admiration for Jose’s craft, the Friedman Jose-20 Head flawlessly captures the sonic signature of these coveted amps, further supported by a modern, streamlined design. Distilling the unmistakable Arredondo voice into a 20-watt British-style platform, this EL84-fueled tube amp head brandishes multiple Jose-inspired mods, enabling it to achieve old-school Plexi-flavored crunch and searing metallic textures with equal confidence. The Jose-20 features a Gain Style switch, offering three distinct Jose-designed gain structures, and advanced Master Volume switching, which includes a Pre-EQ option hot-rodded with clipping diodes. You also get a transparent series effects loop for seamless pedalboard integration. Moreover, the Jose-20 features a Fat switch for bolstering the amp’s low-end response and a Plexi/Drive switch for authentic 4-input, British-style tones with zero added gain stages in the signal path. Dave has worked on myriad Jose-modded amps over the years, so he knows them inside out. As such, the Jose-20 offers a definitive take on the deep tonal versatility and unmistakable character of a Jose-modded amplifier. Players craving this elusive sound — harmonically rich, superlatively saturated, and immaculately articulate — will be fully satiated the first time they plug into the Friedman Jose-20 Head.
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Jose Arredondo: from repair bench to high-gain visionary
Jose Arredondo first came to prominence as a skilled electronics technician and amplifier repairman in Van Nuys, California, earning a reputation for expert workmanship long before his name became synonymous with high‑gain guitar tones. Working in an era when amp modification grew organically out of repair work, Jose developed a deep understanding of classic British amplifier circuits and their limitations. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, his innovations in gain staging, master volume design, and clipping techniques enabled him to transform the humble British-style amps of the day from classic crunch machines into fire-breathing high-gain goliaths, wielded on Sunset Strip stages and in Bay Area thrash pits with equal earthshaking amplitude. Though much of his life and work remains undocumented, Jose’s influence is undeniable — the Jose mod stands as one of the most revered and sought‑after voices in rock guitar history. Developed in loving tribute alongside Jose’s daughter, Marisol Arredondo, the Friedman Jose-20 Head encapsulates the spirit of innovation and the pursuit of heavenly high gain, to which both Dave Friedman and Jose Arredondo devoted their lives.
The mods that shaped hard rock history
Meticulously engineered to deliver the iconic high-gain tone and feel of a Jose-modded amplifier, the Friedman Jose-20 Head is, at heart, a 20-watt, EL84-fueled amplifier with classic British-style flourishes. That said, it features several Jose-inspired mods, enabling you to reach the tonal realms explored by the most celebrated guitar heroes of the high-gain rock era. For starters, the Jose-20 flaunts two Master Volume controls: Pre-EQ for quieter, higher-gain tones with more low end and Post-EQ for louder, lower-gain tones with less low end. Next, a 3-way Gain Style switch provides access to three specific Jose-modded gain structures: the basic Jose mod with an added tube stage and no clipping diodes, clipping diodes combined with the Pre-EQ Master Volume (the pulled-out state on an actual Jose-modded amp), and clipping diodes combined with the Post-EQ Master Volume (the pushed-in state on an actual Jose-modded amp). Furthermore, an internally jumpered input stage simplifies gain staging, while a transparent series effects loop enables seamless integration with your pedalboard and outboard gear.
Friedman Amplification: world-class tone, personally guaranteed
A bona fide modern amp guru, Dave Friedman is the brilliant architect behind the signature tones of rock icons such as Edward Van Halen, Steve Stevens, Jerry Cantrell, and myriad others. Born and raised in Detroit and later immersed in Los Angeles’s elite studio scene, Dave has spent more than 25 years building, modding, and repairing amplifiers for the world’s top players, earning a reputation for meticulously detailed craftsmanship and player‑tailored tonal refinement. His deep circuit knowledge and relentless pursuit of superior tone led to the creation of Friedman Amplification, bringing his once‑exclusive, custom‑level designs to players all around the world, including many of us here at Sweetwater. Today, every Friedman amplifier is handbuilt in the USA using hand-selected components, rigorously tested, and personally inspected and signed by Dave himself, ensuring that each amp meets the exacting standards that made the Friedman name synonymous with world-class tone.
Friedman Jose-20 Head Features:
- A modern tube head inspired by Jose Arredondo’s legendary modded British amps
- Developed in loving tribute alongside Jose’s daughter, Marisol Arredondo
- Houses multiple Jose-inspired mods in a single 20W, EL84-fueled amp
- 3-band EQ — Bass, Middle, and Treble — provides classic British-style tone-shaping
- Gain Style switch yields 3 distinct Jose-designed gain structures ranging from Plexi-flavored crunch to searing metallic textures
- Advanced Master Volume switching, including a Pre-EQ option hot-rodded with clipping diodes
- Internally jumpered input stage simplifies gain staging
- Transparent series FX loop for seamless pedalboard integration
- Fat switch bolsters the amp’s low-end response
- Plexi/Drive switch unleashes authentic 4-input, British-style tones with zero added gain stages in the signal path
- Includes 2 x EL84 power tubes and 4 x 12AX7 preamp tubes; custom, US-made transformers
- 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm impedance jacks accommodate the gamut of speaker cabs
