Old Fender solid state Amps...

[danglybanger]

Nothing looks cooler than this...

Can anyone tell me anything about them? How awful could it possibly be... it's made in fender's worst era, and it's solid state. But in my eyes it outcools any blackface... Well, it will assuming that it doesn't sound... too bad.

I can't find any info on these... I've never played an old solid state amp, I know they've gone leaps and bounds since the technology was introduced but...

how bad could this be?

Slade

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

Funny how ya don't see too many amps nowadays gleefully advertising their own solid state-ness.

 

[larry_emder]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

they do look cool, in a very geeky kinda way. i'd love to see the looks one would get playin live with one.

So how do they sound?

ps. Bet you could snag one for next to nothing on ebay too.....gotta love liking 'uncool' stuff

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

Funny how ya don't see too many amps nowadays gleefully advertising their own solid state-ness.

exactly

There's one on ebay that I might get if the price stays right... I guess I can say it's that exact one without anyone wanting to steal it

Still no word on how it sounds?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

You'd be surprised how bad they really are!

If you think they look cool then thats on you...I had always wondered about them until a few years back when I ws in a recording studio and saw a Solid State Twin reverb. Just because I felt like I had to I grabbed it up out of the equipment room and gave it a try...what a horrible sounding amp. Really, it ranks right up there with some of the worst amps I have ever played though, ever!

The studio bought it thinking it would be like a BF Twin only ever cleaner...they now use it for a door stop, foot stool or as a stand for another amp that sounds good!

If you really want one I wish you the best finding one...for whatever reason (I think just the fact that they are old and hard to find) those damn things go for way too much money these days (the one the studio got that paid less than $100 for).

 

[ES350]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

Ummm, you don't want that amp. They sounded bad back then and I'm sure they don't sound any better now.

 

[esandes]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

that thing looks as bad as i'm guessing it would sound. haha.

down with solid state amps. revolt!

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

My uncle had some of those Fender SS from that era at onetime.... 5-6 years ago before he died i saw them in the basement of his house... he also had a small Fender PA.. My Uncles were in a Country Western duo on the 50's and 60's... my mom said they were well known locally at the time and were even on the radio...

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

how bad could this be?

Think of the worst amp you ever heard and then double it. Seriously, that amp isn't worth 25 dollars.

 

[B Bent]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

I think I may puke!!!

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

...yes, but I own an AD30VT and it isn't crappy at all, so I'm lacking something in that sector :laugh2: Not very interesting either, aside from the metal grill...

Hmm... if I can find one for the price of a doorstop I might have to do it. So what's the deal? Sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard? Icepicky highs? All the stereotypical stuff?

Slade

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

Even Pitch wouldn't play that thing! LOL

By the way, did you see him in the new GP magazine?

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

Pitch? Is he back? Oh god... I'm going to have to stop at Borders at some point today :laugh2: tell me. details.

slade

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

I've actually always thought those amps were kinda cool. I like the chassis design and the vertical speakers--and I'm a little surprised that more companies didn't adopt this kind of layout. It's certainly more convenient than trying to read the upside-down and backwards writting on a Tweed Fender.

Most of this series of amps had reliability problems, but I have played some that actually sounded decent--if you like loud and clean. (There was a later series of Fender SS amps with Astrological names--Libra, Capricorn, Gemini, et.al.--that never made it into full production.)

Pick a SUNN Concert, Kustom or Acoustic from this era--they sound pretty generic. Some of them can be very noisy. I think the trick with a lot of the old SS stuff is to play it loud enough that it sounds ballsy, without playing it so loud that it distorts. A preamp booster into the front-end of some of the old SS amps warms them up quite a bit.

Bottom line: Certainly a collectible novelty; but not really an amp you'd want to gig with.

Bill

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

Someone on another board bought a libra. Just for the knobs :laugh2: I tried to buy it from him, but no go.

Hmm... This would look so cool in my living room.

Slade

 

[Mephis]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

That amp looks proud to suck.
The kind of amp where you have a big smile on your face, then when you let lose you suddenly have a frown.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Old Fender solid state Amps...

ROFL

Best joke anyone has made on this forum.