Fender Amps

[smitty302]

I've had amps from Orange, Marshall, Vox, Peavey and everything in between. But I've never had a Fender and don't know much about them. So that's next on my list to try. My question is I'll be playing blues, classic rock and a little bit of 80s metal and I'm wondering which would be the best. I'm just wanting to know the difference between the bassbreaker, deluxe reverb, twin reverb, etc.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Fender Amps

I’m running a POD XT Live into an old Super Reverb. The clean patches sound as sparkly or dark as I want, and the heavy patches are brutal.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Fender Amps

The 1950's and 1960's were the golden age of Fender amps. 1950's Fender amps are known as Tweeds. In 1960 Fender changed the circuit designs to give more features, more headroom, and less distortion. The cosmetics also changed, with no more tweed covering. First there were the brown face control panels and then the black face control panels. The black faced versions are the Fender Clean sound when we think Fender's signature sound. It's not 100% clean. It has just enough dirt to give it some character while being perceived as pretty clean. In 1964 Leo Fender sold the company to CBS. After a few years the control panels were changed to silver. This lasted through out the 70's. The first couple years of silver faces were actually the same or close circuitry as the BF era but by the late 60's the engineers had succeeded in getting rid of that distortion that made the 50's and 60's Fenders sound so good.

Tweeds were the raunchy and down and dirty Fenders. Marshalls were based on Tweed circuits. The first Marshall combo amps are called Bluesbreakers because EC used a JTM45 combo when he was the guitarist for the Bluesbreakers. The Bassbreakers are meant to be modern tweed designs.

Most Deluxe Reverb reissues and also most Twin Reverbs are based on the Black Face versions.

Eric Clapton has been playing amps based on Tweed Twins for quite awhile now.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Fender Amps

Classic Fenders tend to be very clean unless you really crank them. (The Princeton Reverb is an exception.) Point being, only venture there if you have the space to open them up, or if you rely on pedals for your gain.

The more modern ones like the Blues series (Junior, Deluxe, DeVille) can have more distortion dialed in at more "reasonable" volumes.

 

[LowBudgetViking]

Re: Fender Amps

My question is I'll be playing blues, classic rock and a little bit of 80s metal and I'm wondering which would be the best.

Fender's an odd little company when it comes to amps. The reissue series are very true to the original so if you need something modern or metal then unless you're using pedals for that specific sound then the amp won't have a whole lot to offer you.

An often overlooked gem is the Supersonic series which will give you a pretty wide range of sounds. They're generally underpriced for what they are and players that I know that use them won't give them up for anything.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Fender Amps

Tons of people complain about the sound of the reissues sounding nothing like the amps they were modeled on. I don't know- I never compared them side by side. But there is a lot of talk about that if you do some research.

 

[LLL]

Re: Fender Amps

This is an original '66 (blackface) Deluxe with original NOS tubes cranked to the max; using a Strat with Callaham H/SRV single coils (bridge only):

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fender Amps

Basically the 22W 1x 12 Blackface Deluxe Reverb is the super versatile Fender, it's known as the "desert island amp"-meaning if you only had one amp for the rest of time, it's the Fender to have. However the Silver 1968 Fender Deluxe -doesn't have as much vintage honky vibe but is even more versatile with more headroom for modern players with pedals. Then the 1968 Silverface reissue is even more versatile in that it has the Deluxe cleaner and the Bassman/Tweed tone stack channel also (although it's not exact and it's not through a 10" -so it's different) -so it's even more versatile. Blackface usually have a Jensen speaker for that classic vintage some, Silvers are I think a rebadged Eminence for a more full range versatile sound.

Basically -you can't go wrong with any 22W 1x12 Deluxe, -any of them -all of them have Vibrato and Reverb -they are slightly scooped -but can be tone shaped for most any task, really the best amp if you only have one to record with. -around Christmas time -the Deluxe dip down to 800-900 dollars too -if you buy them IN STORE -normally they run 1100-1300

The Twin is a 85 watt 2x12 Deluxe but is typically much cleaner and louder -extremely heavy too. The Twin and the Super Reverb are the cleanest of the Fender amps typically, but the Twin is good with pedals. My 85 watt Twin is louder than my 100w 2203 Marshall -go figure. I think personally that a Twin is too much amp for almost everybody, but it's a fantastic amp -they all have Vibrato and Reverb -they are really similar to a Fender Showman -which was fenders attempt at keeping high volume players like Dick Dale from blowing up amps in the 1960s. Twins usually have Jensens, Oxford, or Eminence speakers.

The 40W Hot Rod deluxe, is Fender's 3 channel switching (with a pedal) gained up version of a Deluxe -it's Fender's attempt to stay relevant in the high gain world in the 1980s -and they did a great job -Hot Rods have Celestion speakers -so they sound a bit different than their older brother the deluxe. Hot Rods dont' typically have the classic Fender Vibrato, but they do have the reverb and they have an Effects loop -which allows for better placement of modulation pedals. It's a great amp -especially if you are diming all the time -however not as versatile as the Deluxe with tones.

The Bassbreaker I have little experience with, but it's their offering for a modern tweed era tone. -so think much dirtier than a deluxe or twin, but less frenetically gainier than Hot Rod.



What kind of music or application do you do?

If do it all Recording Studio amp or small medium venue -Go Deluxe
If playing Big Venues and Clean stuff or Alternative, Surf, Indy Rock -Go Twin
If playing Rockabilly, Surf, Punk etc -Go Hot Rod
If playing Blues and vintage dirty Rock -probably go Bassbreaker

Also Op, there are variations and exceptions on every one of these amps -I gave you a general overview, -also everyone of these amps CAN deliver what you are looking for especially with the right guitar and pedals mixed in.

 

[smitty302]

Re: Fender Amps

Thanks for the descriptions NegativeEase. I live 150 miles from a guitar center, so it's not like I can just go try them out. I'm thinking the Bassbreaker might be the one for me. I'll be buying new so it will be a current model Fender. Also a gain pedal is important, so that's another reason I might be leaning towards the Bassbreaker 30r.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fender Amps

Thanks for the descriptions NegativeEase. I live 150 miles from a guitar center, so it's not like I can just go try them out. I'm thinking the Bassbreaker might be the one for me. I'll be buying new so it will be a current model Fender. Also a gain pedal is important, so that's another reason I might be leaning towards the Bassbreaker 30r.

Just to be clear -every amp no matter the year is available new

blackface twins and deluxes are 1965 reissues and Silvers are generally 1968 resissues

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Fender Amps

I have a supersonic 22 and Princeton 68 custom "reissue".
The first is capable of metal out of the box but a boost pedal helps... The clean channel is very clean and the dirt channel is very versatile. I love the sounds of deluxe reverb with strat... It accentuates the strat sounds
The second is my go to for warmer clean tones and lush reverb and is fun to crank, it gets dirty and is loud. I like it with my tele, the ten inch speaker keeps the ice pick out of the bridge position

Fender have some cool options these days and the blackface type stuff I think was their golden age
I like the modern improvements of the amps I have even though there are some sacrifices in things like components, build quality, and materials. They were a good price for what I got I think.

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fender Amps

Also TS

The magic six setting on any Blackface/Silverface 1965 and 1968 or similar reissues is real -and magical . -try it in a store if you travel sometime and if you don't buy one -I dare you

most players don't drive a non master Fender at 6 -more often 3 or 4 -but they are missing out -especially for recording

I played a giant venue in Nashville this year -and even I couldn't get my Deluxe to 6 without the other players being pissed...

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Fender Amps

Unfortunately most of the best Fender amps are no longer being made by Fender anymore so you either have to look for something vintage or a clone. Not that there’s anything wrong with they’re reissued models, they sound great! However if I’m going to drop a $1000+ on a new Fender style amplifier I’d much rather buy a really nice point to point hand wired 5E3 Tweed Deluxe clone & a good reverb pedal over a new 65 D.R.R.I. or 68 Custom...

Cathode biased, easily worked on, great tube breakup as well as being great pedal platforms, & tone for days!!!

Actually I got my J. Chester 5F6 4X10 Bassman clone built to my specks, with no expense spared, for about the same price as a new 68 Deluxe or Tremolux. No reverb but another well spent $80-$150 will get you a reverb pedal that’ll basically sound just as good as anything you’d get from the amplifier itself...

 

[smitty302]

Re: Fender Amps



Would I be better buying something like this used for blues, classic rock or buying a something new like the bassbreaker 30r?

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fender Amps

View attachment 98105

Would I be better buying something like this used for blues, classic rock or buying a something new like the bassbreaker 30r?

Sweet. That amp will always be worth at least what you pay for it too.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fender Amps

Unfortunately most of the best Fender amps are no longer being made by Fender anymore so you either have to look for something vintage or a clone. Not that there’s anything wrong with they’re reissued models, they sound great! However if I’m going to drop a $1000+ on a new Fender style amplifier I’d much rather buy a really nice point to point hand wired 5E3 Tweed Deluxe clone & a good reverb pedal over a new 65 D.R.R.I. or 68 Custom...

Cathode biased, easily worked on, great tube breakup as well as being great pedal platforms, & tone for days!!!

Actually I got my J. Chester 5F6 4X10 Bassman clone built to my specks, with no expense spared, for about the same price as a new 68 Deluxe or Tremolux. No reverb but another well spent $80-$150 will get you a reverb pedal that’ll basically sound just as good as anything you’d get from the amplifier itself...

That's always cool route, but that's literally been the case since the 60s, there is ALWAYS a boutique manufacturer willing to source and build faithful versions of whatever Fender -that Fender can't because they are supplying 20,000 units in a year. I mean that was Mesa's whole business after the Bassman supply dried up on the West Coast.

I don't think that's a reason to not to buy a Fender if it falls in the right functional and price range -A quality Fender Deluxe Reissue is 850.00 at Christmas -Whereas a competing more boutique Deluxe starts at 1500.00 to 2000.00 (starting!), and a build your own parts only kit is 600 starting but with NO LABOR -so that's a cost as well -to you (but a super fun way to get into a higher end unit) Plus if you gig and tour heavily, a boutique amp is often not the best choice for a host of reasons.

Although, on principle I support your notion.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Fender Amps

One of the things about the reissues is the cab:
The old fenders were most often pine,
The reissues most often birch except some of the pricey hand wired reissues.
Especially with the small combos like the Princeton where the cab resonance is sort of part of the overdrive tone, it makes a difference in things like what the cab and baffle are made of and how they're mounted. Makes a difference in the amount of cab rattle too.
But still thanks fender for making affordable "90% the way there" reissue the stuff that's affordable and accessable. I like my 68 CPR more than a blues Jr and it wasn't much more money. The supersonic 22 is underrated.
Those custom 68 deluxe reverb are fun as well
I had a DRRI and it was good, especially after a new speaker and tubes. It blew a screen grid resistor and the tech commented that they should have used better stuff there. But with vintage stuff if you crank it you will probably also have to see a tech for maintenance a few times.
But that old point to point stuff is better in that case as well.
So really go vintage if you can afford...
If you can't it's not so bad

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[FuseG4]

Re: Fender Amps

View attachment 98105

Would I be better buying something like this used for blues, classic rock or buying a something new like the bassbreaker 30r?

You will need overdrive pedals with the deluxe reverb I bet
Not sure about the 30R but I would say most people would want some kinda pedal for classic rock
The deluxe is more my taste
Some people find the blackface stuff a little thin and mid scooped though
That is probably the biggest thing: what flavor of fender do you want?
The deluxe you can re sell all day for $700 if you don't like it
Not sure what the used market is like in bass breaker and if you'd take more of a hit if you didn't like it down the line

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[NegativeEase]

Re: Fender Amps

You will need overdrive pedals with the deluxe reverb I bet
Not sure about the 30R but I would say most people would want some kinda pedal for classic rock
The deluxe is more my taste
Some people find the blackface stuff a little thin and mid scooped though
That is probably the biggest thing: what flavor of fender do you want?
The deluxe you can re sell all day for $700 if you don't like it
Not sure what the used market is like in bass breaker and if you'd take more of a hit if you didn't like it down the line

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Agreed, you are going to want a overdrive/boost/distortion something on the front end for another gain stage. Nothin' fancy required but essential if you want to drive the amp and get aggro sounds.

 

[Artie]

Re: Fender Amps

View attachment 98105

Would I be better buying something like this used for blues, classic rock or buying a something new like the bassbreaker 30r?

Send me the money quick before someone else snags it. I can run over and snag it for you. Don't worry if you can't make it down here for, you know . . . a year or two.