Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

[jcthejester13]

I am looking for another amp, and the quality doesn't have to be the greatest. Just good enough to produce a decent sound. One of these are for sale locally for a pretty decent price. But...

I have been having a hard time finding the specs for one. All I have heard is that it is loud as hell. I have heard both good and bad about the crispness and clarity of the sound it produces.

I am wondering if it has heating issues? Reliability? Clarity?

Anyone here have my answers?

Thanks!

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

I have a similar amp, the Ultimate Chorus --- the fullness and clarity are wonderful.

I gigged with that Ultimate Chorus 2x12 combo for ages, I was only playing clean, and it was awesome.

The distortion channel, although on an amp built for cleans, was brutal.

Trying to get crunch or light OD out of it was no good --- to grainy sounding, (the plight of solid state), but crank the gain and it was TIGHT and aggressive. I liked it for that.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

Build quality is very rugged, as well.

My amp LIVED in the back of my Jeep - I was gigging so much it didn't make sense to move it into the house sometimes --- that amp was getting loaded and unloaded and set up and gigged and warmed up and cooled down every single weekend!

I still have it, and i keep it around because nothing sounds like it.

It's punchier than my 2x12 Fender Hot Rod DeVille

 

[jcthejester13]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

Awesome.

You think $200 is a good price for one in good condition with the foot pedal included?

 

[ES350]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

Yes---you can always use it for bass or keyboards in a pinch. For SS amps, that series didn't sound half bad; clean, lots of power, decent 'verb.

 

[jcthejester13]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

Sweet!

Sounds like I am getting myself a new amp tonight.

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

it's punchier than my 2x12 fender hot rod deville

:33:

 

[jcthejester13]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

Man! I got this thing last night, still a little hesitant due to price, but holy hell! This thing screams after I set all my levels.

This thing destroys! Love it.

 

[Studio91]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

I sold on of those on ebay 6 years back for like $350, so that's a score.

If I remember correctly, that was the loudest amp I've ever had. I used it as a back line for a modeling amp. I never could get into the dirty channel, but that clean channel was clean all the way up the volume knob.

When I was in college, we would set it up on the roof and crank it.... drive across town and you could still hear it. Loud.

 

[Studio91]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

oh... and hopefully yours has the casters still on it. Those wheels save your back. Heavy beast.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

:33:

This is the Ladies' Man, what is your query?

 

[jcthejester13]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

Yeah casters are still in good shape on it. It is the red knob model. I think I read somewhere that that means that is the 1985-1990 model. It looks like it could take some heavy wear and still keep blasting.

 

[ES350]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

I knew some guys who used those for surf and they were loud and clean...good deal.

 

[Studio91]

Re: Anyone tried a Fender Pro 185?

The reason I kept this amp from 1985-2004 was the effects loop on it had in and out trims and was really useful in situations with amp modelers, rack effects, or good tube preamps. That period in the 80's was all about effects and this amp was a great loud clean platform. When I sold it I was running the line out of a Vox Valvetronix ad60vth head into the return of the Pro 185. I put this on one side of the stage and the Vox halfstack on the other. This was just a huge sound. I was informed it was too huge, so sadly sold the Pro 185. I kind of miss the sound reinforcement capabilities of the Pro 185.