fender amps?

[drew_half_empty]

okay, i was gonna get a stage 160 or a fm212r, but then i remembered that one of the guitarists for my band uses a stage 100. I'm not sure whether it's that he has the good input jack broken, bad settings, or what, but whenever he turns it up loud he gets this really piercing sound, it makes me feel like my ears are gonna bleed when he plays high notes. If this is the case with all fender amps, i really want nothing to do with them, however, if it's just his amp, then I'm debating the fm and the 160. The 160 seems like the obvious choice, but the stage 100 has no problem whatsoever overpowering a marshall avt150 thru a 1960 cab, that's all the volume I really need. Also, i really don't care about the effects on the amp, because as soon as i get an amp I'm going to immediately start on a pedal board. Speaking of pedals, if all fender amps really are that ear wrenching, would an EQ pedal fix it? Anyways, so all i really want is a good loud clean channel, where my pearly gates can really shine, and, when mixed with rat distortion, my 59's can really tear it up. Any words of wisdom?

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: fender amps?

Try out different Fenders before you buy.

For what it's worth, my vintage Vibrolux Reverb, when cranked, does not have any piercing tone whatsoever. I've never heard of this problem at all with Fender before, maybe your bandmate just doesn't know how to turn down the treble, a common mistake with a lot of Fender players.

 

[beandip]

Re: fender amps?

the human ear "adds" more trebel to a sound than there actually is the louder it gets, so what may sound great at low volume, wont at high. And the fact that most Fender ss amps arnt that great. I would get a Hot Rod, since they have quite a bit of headroom, even when cranked.

 

[Davey]

Re: fender amps?

my friends roc-pro 750 has a really nice sound. the distortion chanel is quite nice. if you crank the gain up to 10 it can CRUNCH. what i found out that ALL fenders have the same clean sound, but it's kind of ok.

it's your choice in the end, but if you go for the FM212 i would like a review of it =) especially the gain channel

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: fender amps?

will do, if i do go for it I should have the cash in a few weeks. From what i've gathered from playing one at a low volume, the first drive is good for like...classic rock, and stuff like that, and the OD 2 is pretty crunchy sounding, i played some minor threat & misfits on it & it sounded dead on, but it feeds back a bit at high volume. Of course a noise supressor would fix this, and i plan on getting a proco rat 2 pedal shortly after, so i mean...it's better to get an amp with a decent loud clean channel & build a pedalboard around it than it is to get an expensive amp with a lot of built in effects IMO. And it also has a mid contour switch, which will help shape the distortion a lot. I dunno, full review in a month or so, i promise

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: fender amps?

The FM212 is a pretty decent amp, but I'd definitely go with tubes.

Check out eBay for some vintage Fender amps (bassman, for example) and you won't be disappointed...no ear-shredding highs, just nice smoothe tone.

-X

 

[jmv]

Re: fender amps?

I've got a stage 100...

When you take the time to dial in the settings, you can get a decent tone. However, i think it'd be better for you to try to get a tube amp, thats where the real tone is at. Fenders solidstate amps are just kinda average, but their tube amps (in general) are really nice.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: fender amps?

The problem with solid state amps like the fender range is that in order to push through a mix, you end up a very nasty collection of frequencies doing so.

Save up, and get a hot rod deville secondhand. You won't regret it.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: fender amps?

i can't afford a tube, if i waited awhile i could, but I'm playing thru a bass amp right now, it's kinda ridiculous

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: fender amps?

Bro, just rock the bass amp for a little while, and get some sweet sizzlin tubes. You won't regret it.

Save up and buy your quality gear first so you don't spend a wad NOW on an amp you're just gonna end up replacing.

-X

 

[NoHoper]

Re: fender amps?

the human ear "adds" more trebel to a sound than there actually is the louder it gets, so what may sound great at low volume, wont at high. And the fact that most Fender ss amps arnt that great. I would get a Hot Rod, since they have quite a bit of headroom, even when cranked.

I was considering the Hot Rod Deluxe but i dont think its powerful enuf at 40 watts

What do you guys think about the fender Cyber-Deluxe? i've been told its more of a blues amp rather than rock and metal. Any one agree with this statement? also would you say a tube amp is better for rocky/blues lead playing and some heavy metal?

Cheers!

-NH

 

[Bludave]

Re: fender amps?

If money is the issue, consider looking at the Peavy classics (30 or 50). They are tube powered and in some respects are as good as some old fenders. IF you save a little you can get a real good deal on a silver face Fender. Espicially if you can find one that is not all original. If the speakers have been changed etc. The price will come down quite a bit, but the Amp will still kick some serious but!!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: fender amps?

okay, i was gonna get a stage 160 or a fm212r, but then i remembered that one of the guitarists for my band uses a stage 100. I'm not sure whether it's that he has the good input jack broken, bad settings, or what, but whenever he turns it up loud he gets this really piercing sound, it makes me feel like my ears are gonna bleed when he plays high notes. If this is the case with all fender amps, i really want nothing to do with them, however, if it's just his amp, then I'm debating the fm and the 160. The 160 seems like the obvious choice, but the stage 100 has no problem whatsoever overpowering a marshall avt150 thru a 1960 cab, that's all the volume I really need. Also, i really don't care about the effects on the amp, because as soon as i get an amp I'm going to immediately start on a pedal board. Speaking of pedals, if all fender amps really are that ear wrenching, would an EQ pedal fix it? Anyways, so all i really want is a good loud clean channel, where my pearly gates can really shine, and, when mixed with rat distortion, my 59's can really tear it up. Any words of wisdom?

The Fender amps you have experienced are not exactly chopped liver but they're nothing special either. You need to check out some of the classics before you make up your mind about what you think of Fender amps. Check out some Deluxe Reverbs, Super Reverbs, '59 Bassmans, etc. Those are the real deal...the others you mentioned are for beginers.

Lew

 

[Gamera]

Re: fender amps?

I have a Fender Stage 160 and I've been pretty pleased with it. This is what I've learned from it with my experiences:

It's LOUD! Which is both good and bad. I have to compete with a guy who has a Marshal 100watt head and 4x12 cabinet. In addition to that he has two other 4x12 towers in the corners of the room that spread his sound. It can be difficult to be heard over all those 4x12s but not impossible. It'll get really loud but sometimes you need to back off on the bass so it doesn't rattle the room apart.

Fantastic clean channel. Like most Fender amps it delivers a great clean tone. I find the distorted channel almost worthless so, like you, I pile effects (Boss ME-50) on top of the clean channel. Works very well. As for the ear-splitting sounds from your friends amp, I'm inclined to say it's either his settings or a problem with the amp.

Beware! The Stage 160 actually cannot be hooked up to a 4x12 cabinet! If you want a 4x12 you might want the Stage 100 as it can hook up to a 4x12. I guess they figured the 160 gets loud enough all on its own, which it does, but the option would be nice. Because I have to compete with so many 4x12 cabinets, I've actually figured out a way to add some external speakers to spread the sound around a little. I use the effects loop to send the amp signal to another amp I have laying around, a 40W Crate. Then I run the Crate signal to a couple external Peavey speakers I have placed around the room. It's not an ideal setup but it works. And sometimes finances dictate the need to find innovative solutions to problems.

If you play a Strat like I do, I think you'll notice a very pleasing quality to the sound. Almost as if Fender does something special to their amps to really make their guitars stand out. I noticed this at a local Guitar Center too. When trying out Strats, they really seem to shine when paired up with a Fender amp. Dunno. Maybe it's just my ears but it sounds great.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Davey]

Re: fender amps?

I was considering the Hot Rod Deluxe but i dont think its powerful enuf at 40 watts

trust me, it is loud enough.

a 30W tube amp would pretty much equal a 100W solid state amp in terms of output i believe, but you have a smoother tone and more headroom with the tube amp.

i wish i had the money to get a tube amp =(

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: fender amps?

at my job, I'm only getting like 300 a month, i'd rather not wait & get a tube. I figured fender amps would make the guitars sound pretty good, and while i technically play a telecaster, the only thing tele about it is the body shape, it has SD pearly gate & 59 humbuckers, basswood body, rosewood fingerboard, not really tele at all. Tubes aren't necessarily louder, i've played thru an avt150 that didn't even seem like it was 150 watts, the stage 100 could easily play lead lines over it.

so i went to the store & played the fm thru this fat tele they had in stock, i think the humbucker was a dimarzio, looked like one atleast, and thru an american tele, i figured the pearly gates would have that nice clean sound like a regular tele, and the dimarzio was similar to a 59, and I've concluded a few things.

1- i love the clean channel, it's near perfect, with an EQ pedal (which i plan to get) i should be able to get it...exactly how i want it. Untill then, it sounds really nice, i was a fan of marshall clean channels, and i'd say this one is just as good IMO. With a little danelectro delay, oh man, it was hot

2- distortion is not TOTALLY useless. With the mid contour switch, you can get a NEAR metal sound, not a metal sound, but getting there, i hate metal anyways, and the OD2 like i said sounds really misfitsy. I wanted to get an amp that would be good for indie rock & **** like that, which it is, but I'm also in a punk band, and i know our guitarist with the stage 100 is gonna use it cuz it's not broken or bad sounding. Up untill now, when he switches from lead to rythm, he's always had to change cords back & forth between the AVT and his stage 100, but I'm sure that with this amp (his input 1 and od2 are broken) he won't really have to do that, it'll be a footswitch away from just a little OD for lead and full out distortion for rythm.

if i did save, i'd prolly end up getting a dyna touch anyways, i can't afford tubes, i'm still paying off my guitar, and it'd take FOREVER to save that much

 

[Davey]

Re: fender amps?

for the 1st point:
it's the fender(tm) clean .. it's pretty much the same on any fender amp. really enat but you can get tired of it if you use fender amps a lot

the 2nd point:
hmm, well, can you ry it again and crank it up and tell me if it comes somewhere near the early tallica sound (four horsemen or creeping death) not the best i know, but at least i know what to compare it to hehe

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: fender amps?

uhh i don't know i don't listen to metallica. Also, does any company make a stomp box that would simulate tube sounds, like...clean ones? I don't really care about tube distortion but tube clean would be nice

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: fender amps?

nevermind, I'll start a new thread for that

 

[texasguitarslinger]

Re: fender amps?

I was considering the Hot Rod Deluxe but i dont think its powerful enuf at 40 watts
-NH

Don't let 40 watts fool you... the Hot ROd Deluxe is LOUD

I can gig huge venues with it easily. It has plenty of bass response so it doesn't get that piercing shrill response you find in solid state amp[s when turned up to gig volume. Miked through a PA I could even play a stadium with my HRD.