Friedman Amplification launches the BE Mini head, promising huge tones with heaps of gain from a compact package

Friedman Amplification has made its name for some of the finest guitar amps on the market, exquisitely recreating classic British amp tones and making fans of players such as Jerry Cantrell, Foo Fighters and Mastodon.

That tone has proven to be eminently exportable, with Friedman's series of overdrive pedals a super-convenient way of injecting some British-style heart into your signal. But can it make the transition to a tiny solid-state amp head, that's 9.5" wide by 5.25" high?

Dave Friedman says yes, yes it can, and the BE-Mini is living proof. There's no mistaking the BE-Mini for anything other than a Friedman product. You've got the black Tolex, the gold control panel and badge. But the size and the price, makes this little head a travel-friendly option with a serious tone.

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Under the hood it has a 30-watt Class D power section and, crucially, Friedman's “BE” preamp circuit. It offers a wealth of gain on tap, and plenty of control over the tone, with knobs for Gain, Level, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence plus a Cut and Tight mini-toggle switch.

Furthermore, the BE-Mini is designed to accommodate your pedalboard, with an onboard series effects loop found on the back of the amp, plus two speaker outputs.

Not bad for £319 / $329. See Friedman Amplification for more details.