Friedman and Jerry Cantrell condense all the grunt of the JJ-100 into the 20-watt JJ Junior head and combo

Friedman has officially announced its smaller Jerry Cantrell signature model guitar amp, the JJ Junior.

The Friedman JJ Junior condenses all the goodness of the original JJ-100 into a more manageable 20-watt setting, perfect for both live and recording scenarios.

When we first saw the ‘Junior at the NAMM show, back in January, we were promised that this model was designed to emulate the tones of the full-sized amp. Well, with Dave Friedman’s tonal knowhow, we were inclined to believe him and judging by the demo video, he was right on the money.

It’s no secret that we love these smaller boutique-sized, versatile amps, with the PRS MT-15 being one of our favs from the past 12-months, and it looks like the JJ Junior is no different.

The JJ Junior is built around two EL34 power and three 12AX7 preamp tubes and features the all-important cab-simulated output. It’s a relatively simple 2-channel affair, with the clean channel featuring volume control and bright switch, while the dirty channel comes with gain, master, treble, middle, and bass controls, but also features the JBE voicing switch for extra gain. 

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Alongside the head, there’s also a matching 1x12 cab and 12” Celestion Creamback-loaded combo. There’s currently no word on price, but you can find more info on the Friedman website.

JJ Junior specs

• 20-Watt all tube Head
• Two channels
• 2 x EL84 power tubes
• 3 x 12AX7 preamp tubes
• JBE voicing switch for a higher gain more saturated sound
• Clean channel: single volume knob with bright switch
• Dirty channel: gain, master, treble, middle, and bass
• Global presence knob
• XLR Cab Simulated output with Ground Lift, Axis and Level switches 
• 8 and 16-ohm impedance selector
• Single button footswitch (included)
• Ultra-transparent series effects loop
• Dimensions 18" (W) x 8.5" (D) x 8.25" (H)
• Weight: 22 Lbs