The late Jose Arredondo remains one of the most influential figures in tube amp modification, and Friedman is continuing its tribute to his work with two new, smaller entries in the lineup. After launching the triple-digit Jose 100 last year, the company has unveiled the Jose 20, offering the same Arredondo-inspired magic in a more manageable 20-watt package, available as both a head and a 1×12 combo.
Dave Friedman, who has long been fascinated by Arredondo’s amp modifications, developed the Jose 20 alongside his daughter, Marisol. Under the hood, both the head and combo run twin EL84 power tubes and four 12AX7 preamp tubes, with the combo adding a Celestion G12M-65 Creamback speaker.
The centerpiece of the design is an internally bridged Volume I and Volume II configuration, built to capture the dynamics, sustain, harmonic complexity, and responsive feel associated with genuine Arredondo builds. That setup allows players to use the classic Plexi-style channel-jumping technique. A Plexi/Gain switch toggles between traditional Plexi voicing and Jose-style saturation, while a Fat switch adds extra low-end body and punch.
Rounding out the controls is a three-position Gain Style switch, offering three distinct gain-stage structures — from a hot-rodded Plexi voice to a heavier rhythm tone and a harmonically rich lead tone. A transparent series effects loop is also included, making the Jose 20 series straightforward to integrate into a pedalboard-based rig.
Each amp is hand-built in Los Angeles, with custom-made transformers as part of the build. “The Friedman Jose 20 Series is a faithful interpretation of one of rock’s most influential amplifier voices,” Friedman said, noting that the amps are built for today’s players rather than serving purely as nostalgia pieces.
The Jose 20 head is priced at $1,799, with the combo version at $2,099. Both are available now here.
