fender's best era

[tonefreak1527]

woody 1940's
tweed
brownface
blonde
blackface
early silver face (until 1970)
late silverface
or Modern (HRDx etc.)

opinions for tone and looks

 

[tonefreak1527]

Re: fender's best era

i think that the tweed sound best, but the blonde looks best

 

[ginormous]

Re: fender's best era

Blondies & blackies for me. There was a period when the components for these 2 lines overlapped, and those were some sweet, unusual combinations.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: fender's best era

Brownface and Blond are the same...the combos were brownface with brown tolex and the piggybacks amps were brownface with blond tolex.

If you are looking at a mid 60's piggy back with blond tolex and a black face plate they are blackface era guts in a transitional cab with blond tolex and are pretty commonbut sound nothing like the slightly earlier brownface amps.

Also, FWIW...you can't really just say tweed as a tone or era...the tweed amps changed a lot over the years...there are 3 different styles...TV Front, Wide panel and Narrow panel...all different in many ways.

Also, the earliest SF amps were THE SAME as the latest BF amps...no difference in parts, construction and tone in the oldest ones.

In answer to the question I prefer brownface amps for the most part but some of the tweeds are amazing as well...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: fender's best era

This is a cool clip that just barely scratches the surface of the differences between the various tweed amps...

 

[B Bent]

Re: fender's best era

Until recently I thought of Fender and visions and sounds of Blackface amps danced around in my head. (even BF'd SF amps like mine.)

Now that I have had hands-on experience and ownership of a 60' Tweed Princeton, 61' Brown Super, and a 63' Tremolux, my thoughts are rapidly changing.

The Super was an amazing amp, but just not exactly what I wanted. I sold it because I thought I had to have reverb. I waited around after selling it for a Princeton Reverb, but then got silly an bought the Tremolux and Princeton from my buddy that's selling stuff off. I almost immediately bonded w/ the Lux and the Princeton blew me away. I have since had them both serviced and operating at top level with the intention of keeping them.

I never knew two amps so old could crank so much. When i think Fender I think "clean and lush." While the Tremolux is nice and clean and lush it has fire waiting inside that is one twist of the volume knob away. You have never heard such awesome crunch tone as a 63 Tremolux and 60' Princeton!!!!

While it may seem like I keep touting these newly acquired old amps, it is more of a rediscovery and redefining of what I thought Fender amps were in my mind. These amps are nothing like their Black and Silverfaced cousins that I am so used to. While a solid clean tone can be found (in spades even) a gritty crunch machine lies under that Blonde and Tweed skin.

So basically after I didnt speak to the OP's question, I have to say that all Fender eras have gems. I'd say the late 60's dating back to the 50's is a golden age for Fender tone across all styles and platforms.

My question- is there a bad sounding/dud of a Fender amp from this era? I just cant imagine it.

Lastly, IMHO there aint nothing sexier than a piggy back blonde amp with white knobs an a wheat grill!

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: fender's best era

I would say Blackface, just shooting from the hip, but after hearing B Bent's ode to the brown / blonde, I am interested to learn more about them.

 

[B Bent]

Re: fender's best era

I would say Blackface, just shooting from the hip, but after hearing B Bent's ode to the brown / blonde, I am interested to learn more about them.

Dude, I swear.... That Tremolux blew me away the first time I ever tuned it up to about 7 or 8. I dont like BF amps cranked to 10, but the Tremolux BEGS to be cranked. You can play that amp easily with no overdrive pedal and just use your guitar's volume knob to clean up when needed. I'd really like to hear it cranked while hitting it with buckers. It is an OD tone to kill for!!!

 

[JeffB]

Re: fender's best era

My fave Fender amps have always been the "classic tweeds"- late 50s champs, Twins, Deluxes and Bassmans.

I had a sweet silverface champ though at one time, and on occasion I really enjoy the sound of a blackface twin.

That said, I'd take a killer old Tweed Deluxe over anything else Fender has made.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: fender's best era

My favorite clean tones have always been all about the BF series Fender combos...I still love my 40 watt 2x12 Pro Reverb...The tweed series is great also!

 

[ES350]

Re: fender's best era

Even within the tweed Deluxe, there are dozens of circuit variations that aren't really covered anywhere...not shown on any schematics. There are great sounding amps within any of these 'periods', with the exception of the last listed...sorry, but they're not even close.

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: fender's best era

don't forget the Rivera fender designs...Super Champs are awesome amps IMO.

Not saying they are the best, but they were ahead of their time.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: fender's best era

I've always been partial to the blackface deluxes and vibroluxes with reverb.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: fender's best era

The actual sonic differences between a lot of fender's amps from different eras is a cap value here or there. Not much really. Speakers can be swapped. Circuit values can be changed. Tube rectifiers can be replaced with solid state and vice versa.
It is also worth bearing in mind that the sounds guitarists were after in different eras, and what was considered "old school" in one year changed to the hip vintage rig in another. There is no best. There is only personal preference.
HAving said all that there are some obvious things things that don't change:
Solid cabinets or heavy ply sound better than particle board.
PTP construction is easier to repair than pcb.
Good quality caps make a difference.
So do good quality tubes.
And speakers.
Some fender amps have all of the above. Some have none.


but put a gun to my head and tell me to choose one.....Ill take a blackface deluxe reverb please.

 

[glassman]

Re: fender's best era

I'll have to go with the brown/blonde era amps...the presence control just gave them so much flexibility.