Friedman’s VX-30 adds in-phase channel blending to a boutique take on early-’60s British chime
The 30-watt EL84 head and combo preserve vintage Top Boost character while adding blendable channels, a master volume and modern output flexibility.
· Edited by Peter Luha
Credit: Friedman Amplification (via source)
Friedman Amplification has introduced the VX-30, a 30-watt all-tube platform aimed at the chiming, touch-sensitive side of early-1960s British amplification. The company offers it as a head or a 2x12 combo, with a matching VX-212 extension cabinet. The design starts from a rare 1963 copper-panel amplifier fitted with a Top Boost circuit, then applies the Los Angeles builder’s own changes rather than treating the original as an untouchable museum piece.
A quartet of EL84 power tubes works with three ECC83 preamp tubes and a 5AR4 rectifier. The Brilliant channel has volume, treble and bass controls, while the Normal channel pairs its volume control with a three-position voice switch for treble, normal and bass responses. The important departure is that both channels operate in phase, allowing players to blend them for intermediate textures that the vintage inspiration does not offer in the same straightforward way.
Friedman also fits a Cut control and its Master Volume Control, so players can shape the power-stage top end and drive the circuit without relying entirely on stage-level volume. The head provides high- and low-sensitivity inputs plus 16-ohm and paired 8-ohm speaker-output options. It is cathode-biased, runs without negative feedback and is built with custom transformers. Black and ivory versions are listed, while the matching cabinet uses two Celestion Alnico Blue speakers.
The VX-30 broadens Friedman’s familiar association with hot-rodded British crunch. Instead of chasing more gain, it puts dynamic clean-to-breakup response at the center and modernizes the practical parts around it. For players who love the feel of a vintage EL84 design but want channel blending and controllable output, that combination is the real proposition.
Credit: YouTube
Why it matters
The VX-30 moves a major boutique amp builder into a different British tradition and adds genuinely useful control over a sound normally tied to less flexible vintage circuits.
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