FM3/FM9/AXE-FX III Patch based on Friedman HBE

FM3/FM9/AXE-FX III patch based on Friedman HBE (Heavy Brown Eye) amplifier

The Friedman BE-100 is a boutique, hand-wired, 100-watt tube amplifier head designed by amp guru Dave Friedman, originally released around 2011. Known for its refined, hot-rodded Marshall-style tones, it quickly became a modern classic — especially favored by players seeking the ultimate British-inspired high-gain tone.

The HBE (Heavy Brown Eye) is the amp's higher gain channel, a more aggressive version of the BE (Brown Eye) channel. It builds upon the legendary “Brown Sound” of Eddie Van Halen and pushes it into even more saturated and harmonically rich territory.

Among the great artists playing with this, we got to mention Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Dave Weiner (Steve Vai Band) and Phil X (Bon Jovi), in other words, countless session and touring players across rock and metal genres.

At Gymtar we believe this represents the perfect marriage of classic British tone and modern versatility. Whether you're chasing Van Halen and a modded Marshall taste, or your own high-gain flavor, the HBE delivers elite-level tone with unmatched touch sensitivity and detail. The Friedman BE-100 Deluxe, which includes the renowned HBE (Heavy Brown Eye) channel, is currently in production and available for purchase. 

In the meantime, have fun with our Gymtar patch as we did our best to get inspired by different versions:

SCENE 1 : HBE
SCENE 2 : HBE V1
SCENE 3 : HBE V2
SCENE 4 : HBE 2018

Effects : phaser, flanger, chorus, drive, delay, reverb