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Friedman Runt-20 - 20-watt Tube Head

20-watt 2-channel All-tube Guitar Amplifier Head with Boost, Bright Switch, Cab-simulated XLR Output, and Internal Load Box
$1,499.99

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Friedman Runt-20 - 20-watt Tube Head
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Great Amp for Smaller Gigs and Recording

If you're looking for no-compromise guitar tone in a lower-wattage amp, the Friedman Runt-20 is a diminutive 20-watt head with three 12AX7 preamp tubes and a pair of EL-84s in its output section. This amp's two channels will take you from chimey cleans to searing high gain, while staying impressively touch sensitive. The Runt-20 is spec'd with a speaker-load and cab-emulated XLR out meticulously designed to offer you silent performance that sounds as good as the best digital cab emulations out there. Add in a buffered series effects loop, and you've got an incredibly versatile guitar amp.

Friedman Runt-20 20-watt Tube Amp Head at a Glance:
  • Tonal range from jazz to metal
  • Analog cab-simulated XLR output
  • A session guitarist's best friend
Tonal range from jazz to metal

Even though the Runt-20 features two channels with minimal controls, it easily achieves tones along the whole gain spectrum, and does it very, very well. The clean channel is an intuitive affair with a single volume knob and a 3-way bright switch. You'll love the smoky jazz-type sounds and rich vintage crunch this channel can offer. Move over to the overdrive channel and the Runt-20 comes alive with a deep and rich gain that will nail '70s hard rock and be easily pushed into modern high-gain aggression.

Analog cab-simulated XLR output

The cabinet-emulated XLR output featured on the back of the Runt-20 is positively ground breaking. Dave Friedman poured over this all-analog design to ensure that its tone stands up to the best digital cab-sims and impulse responses on the market. And the Runt-20 features an internal speaker load. This means you can run the XLR output without a speaker attached to send a cranked-up tube amp tone direct to your recording device or the front of house sound engineer. And you can use it as a late-night practice device.

A session guitarist's best friend

Every aspect of the Runt-20 all-tube electric guitar amplifier head lends itself to being a powerful tool for session and performing guitarists. Not only is it capable of a huge array of tones, but its 20-watt rating is extremely popular for live performance. The amp's Baltic birch cabinetry is very durable, easily standing up to the rigors of the road. And both channels are specifically voiced to work wonderfully with all of your favorite pedals. You will definitely find these amps in the backline of many Sweetwater guitarists.

Friedman Runt-20 20-watt Tube Amp Head Features:
  • 20-watt all-tube amp head
  • Clean channel is clear and punchy with minimal controls
  • Dirty channel goes from classic rock to metal
  • Incredibly touch sensitive and cleans up great
  • Cabinet-emulated XLR output that sounds as good as the best digital emulations
  • Internal speaker load allows you to run direct without plugging into a speaker
  • Features Friedman's famed transparent series effects loop
The Runt-20 is a powerful amp for recording and performance.

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Tube
  • Number of Channels: 2
  • Total Power: 20W
  • Preamp Tubes: 3 x 12AX7
  • Power Tubes: 2 x EL84
  • EQ: 3-band EQ
  • Inputs: 1 x 1/4"
  • Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (speaker out), 1 x XLR (direct out)
  • Effects Loop: Yes
  • Footswitch I/O: 1 x 1/4" (channel)
  • Footswitch Included: Yes, 1-button footswitch
  • Bias Type: Cathode Biased
  • Construction Material: Birch Plywood with Black Tolex
  • Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable
  • Height: 8.25"
  • Width: 18"
  • Depth: 8.5"
  • Weight: 22 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: RUNT-20 HEAD

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Awesome amp!!

It has everything I needed:
- 2 channels;
- fx loop;
- KILLER tones even in bedroom lvl's;
- XLR Out;

Thind thing can be LOUD! And with a boost pedal in front, it will take you to heaven.

Thanks to my Rep Hayden. The best out there!!
Music background: Bedroom player ;)
Rated 5/5

OMG! Huge amazing tone in a small package!!!

I'm playing the head through the matching Friedman Runt 1x12 cab with the Celestion G-12M w/65 watt creamback and holy cow!! I'm simply blown away by this mini setup! I've used quality pedals in the effects loop with great success but am currently running a Boss GT-1000 in the 4CM for ease of channel switching and pre/post effects. I dialed-up early VH medium gain tones within minutes which can take forever on some amps but there's waaaaaay more gain on-tap, and the Runt can even do the metal chugga-chugga thing if that's your deal. The unlooked-for gift on this two-channel wonder is the seemingly low-tech clean channel that shines through like an old friend - just the right amount of sparkle and clarity. Who thought a bright switch could do so much?

I'm an older musician and have owned and played many amps over the years. Now on the darker side of 50 I've been searching for that perfect combination of big sound in a portable package, and the Runt 20 has nailed it! Honestly, this is the best amp purchase I've made in years, and it even sounds fantastic at bedroom levels!

Is it cheap? Not exactly but it's definitely worth every penny. I played it through a Mesa Boogie Rectifier 1x12 Slant Cab and it sounds really good through the V-30s but I prefer the creamback. YMMV.

Definitely has a permanent place in my stable!
Music background: Semi-pro rock/grunge/punk/metal back in the day, just about anything now.
Rated 4.5/5

Be mini Deluxe

I have a Be50 deluxe so comapre it to that first, the clean channel is the same vibe just without the tweaking knobs ect.
crunch channel is something like the be channel without the finnes tweaking.
with the boost on is like the the HBE channel on the big one, but i find to only use this one becouse you have to pick with or without the boost. i find it to be more smood sounding with the boost on and back off the gain.

the clean channel is a bit low in the volume compared to the gain channel with the boost on, if you going to gig with a rockband i have to dime the clean channel and half way the gain channel to match it.
but if you have a treble bleed on your guitar (gibson les paul) it cleans up nicley

for me its a Friedman`s take on the Marshall Silver Jubliee, with the same EQ/shared channel problem, you have to pick what channel you want to sound best, but it sound great on every volume, super dynamtisc with a cool roar.

it takes peadals great with the super fx loop and sounds killer lead with a Wah pedal (Full Tone Supa Wah)

so Blues to Hard rock at any volume if you have the right gear to use one channel or an eq pedal to help the other channels. its great for the price, the be50 deluxe is 3x times the price :)
Music background: Guitar hero
Rated 5/5

This is a very, very nice amplifier.

Multiple YT videos on this - my biggest question was "$ for a PCB 20-watt?" My answer is now: yes; yes, indeed.

Sound: Marshall-y. Very little low end; reviewers politely use the phrase "very tight." If your 'sound' depends on lower frequencies, look elsewhere. Other than that: glorious. Rich, accurate and just 'all there.' Tried through HBs, single coils, JM and P90's. Dialed in various flavors of gain and bright capping - all are attractive. Only had it a few months, but thinking that the '12 o'clock' break up on the clean channel is just ... so, so nice. This is one of the more harmonic-rich amps I've heard in this price range.

Features: Great layout, and the boost / bright cap are meaningful, and set to values that address the inevitability of the different types of signals this amp will receive. The direct-out is good, with -10 and -30db cuts; the cabinet sim (single) is vanilla enough. Sounds great through a 2x10 as well as a board.
Wishes: that the clean channel went through a/the master volume, so you can play the gain against volume. Also, would really prefer to have the capacity to turn the IR on/off on the direct out. These features don't make the amp less usable, but they do require more effort to tweak.

Durability: So far, excellent. I am not tough on amps, but this did replace a model from another manufacturer that was finicky and issue-laden; I want/need something that is issue free. I'm relying on the expertise of those who are far more knowledgeable than myself (see: YouTube, you likely know the channel to which I refer) when experts say this is solid. My initial encounters were mostly focused on things like zero play in any switches or controls, overall sense of it being 'solid,' the sense of "give" when you insert a plug into a jack, etc. This just seems built very solidly.
My only concern is that the enclosure *really* heats up, noticeably, and yes, it is in a good location.


Conclusion: this is the sort of amp that can make you stop playing other amps. And I'm a 'Fender guy,' usually. Takes pedals extremely well; all kinds of flavors of harmonics and distortion, from the subtle to the gangrenous; solid and simple. If (YouTube expert) is correct about the build quality / durability, I would actually consider this to be outstanding value.
Rated 5/5

Friedman Runt 20

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!,DAVE AND THE GUYS AT SWEEETWATER WALKED ME THEOUGH THIS DECISION,TOLD WHAT SOUND I WAS WANTING TO ACHIEVE AND WITH A BRAND NEW SLASH EDITION LES PAUL AFD THEY RECOMENDED THE RUNT 20 AND CABNET.
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