From amp builder to pedal maker
The pedal line itself grew quickly in the late 2010s:
Known for the BE-OD and Brown Sound gain pedals
Friedman's best-known pedal is the BE-OD, an overdrive built to reproduce the BE-100 amplifier's high-gain voice, the sound players call the Brown Sound1. The circuit's reach extends beyond Friedman's own enclosure: GuitarPCB sells a DIY board, the Best Ever O.D. v2, telling builders to "Compare to the Brown Sound tones found in the Friedman BE-OD pedal"3.
The gain-pedal family, as the maker and press describe it:
| Pedal | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| BE-OD | Overdrive | Captures the tone of the Friedman BE-100 amplifier1 |
| BE-OD Deluxe | Dual-channel overdrive | "Employs the exact same circuit as the original BE-OD," in two channels2 |
| Golden Pearl | Transparent lower-gain overdrive | Pushes an already overdriven amp into saturation7 |
| Small Box | Overdrive | "Harmonically rich overdrive," usable into a clean amp or to boost an already overdriven amp4 |
| Motor City Drive | Overdrive | A tube-driven overdrive pedal for electric guitar9 |
The BE-OD Deluxe answers a question players ask about the original: it is not a re-voicing but the same circuit twice, giving two footswitchable channels of the BE-100 sound2.
The Golden Pearl sits at the other end of the gain scale. Friedman describes it as "a transparent, lower gain overdrive pedal"7, and the technical blog Tagboard Effects, which traced its layout, found it "almost identical to Tone Freak Naked OD" and summed it up as:
"Really good pedal, from transparent clean boost to raw overdrive. Definitly a keeper."
The same analysis notes the pedal "can also be used into a clean amp to achieve that elusive semi-broken up tone," and that it is built in the USA5.
Beyond gain: boosts, wah and utilities
For pedalboards, the Buffer Bay is a buffer and patch bay that Friedman says "cleans up all of the connections on your pedal board"10. The range also extends to fuzz with the Fuzz Fiend and to compression with the Sir-Compre11.
The range (13)
News
Questions
Where are Friedman pedals made?
Friedman's Small Box overdrive is listed as Assembled in USA, and the Golden Pearl is described as built in the USA. A 2020 report on Wampler's manufacturing notes that Boutique Amps Distribution in California also manufactures for Friedman, alongside Tone King, Egnater, Morgan and Bogner Pedals.
What is the difference between the BE-OD and the BE-OD Deluxe?
The BE-OD Deluxe is a dual-channel overdrive pedal that, in Friedman's own words, employs the exact same circuit as the original BE-OD. Both capture the tone of the Friedman BE-100 amplifier, so the Deluxe gives you two footswitchable channels of that sound rather than one.
Does Friedman make a clean boost pedal?
Yes. The Friedman Buxom Boost is a clean boost pedal that Friedman says pushes a pure, clean signal to conjure the absolute most from your tone. It was announced in September 2017 and is derived from the Buxom Betty amp head.
What is the Friedman Golden Pearl?
The Golden Pearl is a transparent, lower gain overdrive pedal designed to push an already overdriven amp into saturation, though it can also be used into a clean amp for a semi-broken-up tone. It was released on 19 November 2018 at a list price of $169.
Does Friedman make a wah pedal?
Yes. The Friedman No More Tears Gold-72 Wah delivers classic wah tones with the ability to fine-tune the pedal, and a 2018 Sweetwater video review demonstrates its voicing switch, switchable buffer and adjustable treadle feel.
Sources (11)
- BE-OD | Friedman Amplification, Friedman Amplification, 2026-06-01
- BE-OD DELUXE, Friedman Amplification, 2026-06-01
- Best Ever O.D. v2, GuitarPCB
- SMALLBOX OVERDRIVE PEDAL, Friedman Amplification, 2026-06-01
- Guitar FX Layouts: Friedman Golden Pearl Overdrive, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com, 2019-11-19
- “Back in 2000 to 2005, what we would call a boutique pedal was different”: Pedal maker Brian Wampler on the ‘B-word’, guitar.com
- GOLDEN PEARL, Friedman Amplification, 2025-12-02
- BUXOM BOOST, Friedman Amplification, 2026-06-01
- Motor City Drive by Friedman, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- BUFFER BAY, Friedman Amplification, 2026-10-14
- Friedman Amplification Sir-Compre Pedal: A new squeeze in town, gearnews.com, 2016-10-19