Friedman Jose Arredondo Tribute Amp Head

Dave Friedman knows a thing or two about modding amps. He’s earned a reputation as one of the most passionate guitar amp designers in recent years. Yet Friedman, like many of his peers, owes a thing or two to the late amp legend José Arredondo, an elusive yet prolific technician responsible for some of the greatest gain & amp mods in amplification lore.

To commemorate Arredondo’s profound impact, Friedman teamed up with his family to distil the essence of his most popular mods into a single 100w amp head!

José Arredondo: The ‘Amp Wiz’ Responsible for Rock & Metal’s Greatest Tones

Widely considered an amp modification OG, José Arredondo made a name for himself working on amps for the rock & metal elite in the 80s and beyond. James Hetfield, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen – a real who’s who.

As an amp technician, he earned his stripes working for everyone from Vox to Ampeg, eventually starting up his own amp repair & modification workshop. Dave Friedman considers Arredondo’s subsequent mods to be precursors to many modern Marshall-inspired amps – including Friedman themselves.

For Dave, Arredondo was more than a mysterious figure tweaking amps for A-list guitarists – he was a personal acquaintance. He recalls getting his own amp modded at Arredondo’s workshop: “I had the pleasure of having an amplifier modified when I was about 18 years at his house, here in Sherman Oaks at the time. His shop was there, all the amps everywhere, a striped Eddie Van Halen on the wall – you had to move sideways through all the rubble! He was awesome.”

Authentic “Jose Mod”

The JOSE is a 100-watt, EL34-powered head designed to faithfully deliver the iconic high-gain tone and feel associated with Jose Arredondo’s groundbreaking amp mods. A three-way Gain Style switch offers access to three distinct Jose-style gain structures, taking this powerhouse into the tonal realms once dreamed of by the guitar heroes of the high-gain rock era.

Combined with a Fat switch and dual Presence controls, the JOSE offers deep tonal sculpting and unmistakable “Jose mod” character—harmonically rich, saturated, and fiercely articulate.

Enhanced Tonal Versatility

While rooted in Jose Arredondo’s original design ethos, the JOSE brings those classic tones into the modern era. An internally jumped input stage simplifies gain staging, while a bypassable effects loop allows seamless integration of modern pedals and processors. The unique dual Presence controls further tailor the amp’s character—shifting its voice between vintage and modern tones with precision.

The Friedman Jose Amp

Dave has worked on over 100 Jose-modded amps over the years, so he knows them inside out. Who better then to build an amp to commemorate the legend, complete with the blessing of his family?

Specifications

• 100-Watt All-Tube Head
• Inspired by the amplifier mods of Jose Arredondo
• Gain control
• Channel 1 Volume (Lead spec channel)
• Channel 2 Volume (Normal spec channel)
• Internal Channel Jumpering
• 2 styles of M.V.C. controls (master volume)
• Plexi, Fat and Gain style switches
• Bass, Middle, Treble eq controls
• 2 different switchable Global Presence controls
• Bypassable transparent Effects Loop
• 4 X EL34 Power Tubes
• 4 X 12AX7 Preamp Tubes
• 4, 8, And 16-Ohm Impedance Jacks
• Custom, USA-Made Transformers
• Dimensions: 29” x 8.5” x 11.5”
• Weight: 47 lbs.
• Assembled in the USA