some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

[deftgala]

Hey guys. I am most likely going to buy a Fender combo amp this summer and began checking what options are available, but there are so many. I haven't any clue where to even start. I play a Tele, Strat, and a Les Paul and am currently using a Marshall DSL 2000 stack but want a different sound than the Marshall. Hence looking for a real versatile Fender combo for hard rock/blues/funk/pop music. Here's some of the specs I am looking for:

1) vibrato (this is a must!)
2) overdrive/clean option
3) either 1 15"/12" speaker OR 2 10"/12" speakers
4) reverb
5) tubes (another must!)

I don't know much about Fender amps and I'd like to really pick up a 'blackface.' But I don't believe they have an overdrive option.

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

The hot rod deluxe (1x12) or deville 2x10 would be your best bet i thing; the LP won't be brill through it but I would reckon it would give you more options with your start and tele, esp. clean. Dunno if they have vibrato on them, but i'm sure they'll have everything else. Nick down to ur local shop and give one a try.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

1) vibrato (this is a must!)
2) overdrive/clean option
3) either 1 15"/12" speaker OR 2 10"/12" speakers
4) reverb
5) tubes (another must!)

There are very few Fenders with an overdrive channel AND rev/trem...in fact I can't think of one right now

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0213200000

not got a vibrato, but im sure there r vibrato pedals out there.

 

[deftgala]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

There are very few Fenders with an overdrive channel AND rev/trem...in fact I can't think of one right now

I was just thinking the same thing, I don't believe there are. This is where things get tricky with choosing an amp now because its deciding whats more important to me: overdrive or reverb/vibrato. The reverb/virato is definetely more important and I can always use an overdrive pedal to achieve the "muscle."

 

[Bludave]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

Hey guys. I am most likely going to buy a Fender combo amp this summer and began checking what options are available, but there are so many. I haven't any clue where to even start. I play a Tele, Strat, and a Les Paul and am currently using a Marshall DSL 2000 stack but want a different sound than the Marshall. Hence looking for a real versatile Fender combo for hard rock/blues/funk/pop music. Here's some of the specs I am looking for:

1) vibrato (this is a must!)
2) overdrive/clean option
3) either 1 15"/12" speaker OR 2 10"/12" speakers
4) reverb
5) tubes (another must!)

I don't know much about Fender amps and I'd like to really pick up a 'blackface.' But I don't believe they have an overdrive option.

The absolute best option you have is to buy a Fender and A/b it with your Marshall. Fender Amps that have OD are no where near as good as the ones that don't. Fenders use tube saturation to drive the Amps, and depending on the model amp you are considering you can get a lot of volume without getting to dirty. A Fender Twin which has all the options (except OD) that you want is 80 watts and will stay clean at ear splitting volume. A Fender Super Reverb is 40 watts and will stay very clean until about 5 on the volume. The twin has 2 12" speakers and the SR has 4 10" speakers. Another couple of choices would be a Vibrolux, Vobroverb, (35 watts) or a Deluxe Reverb(22 watts). ALL of these amps are excellent for clean to OD type of tones. If you want a very heavy type of gain with this type of Amp you will need a good distortion/OD pedal. IMO if you can keep the Marshall...... Buy the Fender that works best for you and A/b them. I use a 1968 SR A/B'd with a Marshall 900. I also use a tubescreamer in the Fender and I use it like a channel switch arrangement. It works great and it gives me the versalility of using the Clean on the Marshall or the Clean out of the SR, or the Tubescreamer thru the SR or the Drive channel on the Marshall. A good quality A/B box is all you will need to put this together. I use the Morely AB box. Its a good one, but slightly noisey when you switch from amp to amp. Give this some consideration The DSL is a really nice Amp and you won't find any Fender that will give you the Marshall sound. :yell:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

The absolute best option you have is to buy a Fender and A/b it with your Marshall. Fender Amps that have OD are no where near as good as the ones that don't. Fenders use tube saturation to drive the Amps, and depending on the model amp you are considering you can get a lot of volume without getting to dirty. A Fender Twin which has all the options (except OD) that you want is 80 watts and will stay clean at ear splitting volume. A Fender Super Reverb is 40 watts and will stay very clean until about 5 on the volume. The twin has 2 12" speakers and the SR has 4 10" speakers. Another couple of choices would be a Vibrolux, Vobroverb, (35 watts) or a Deluxe Reverb(22 watts). ALL of these amps are excellent for clean to OD type of tones. If you want a very heavy type of gain with this type of Amp you will need a good distortion/OD pedal. IMO if you can keep the Marshall...... Buy the Fender that works best for you and A/b them. I use a 1968 SR A/B'd with a Marshall 900. I also use a tubescreamer in the Fender and I use it like a channel switch arrangement. It works great and it gives me the versalility of using the Clean on the Marshall or the Clean out of the SR, or the Tubescreamer thru the SR or the Drive channel on the Marshall. A good quality A/B box is all you will need to put this together. I use the Morely AB box. Its a good one, but slightly noisey when you switch from amp to amp. Give this some consideration The DSL is a really nice Amp and you won't find any Fender that will give you the Marshall sound. :yell:

Great post from Dave and very informative! I use a 40 watt 66 Pro Reverb that wasn't mentioned and it's in a 2x12 format...Also a very pricey amp to buy today...Also look into the Pro Reverb reissue...It's not really a reissue but it does offer for options for the modern players...I think it has both the BF clean tone and a second drive channel...

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

actually, i gotta call out this a/b business

bottom line, you won't find a fender with a good drive channel, just won't happen, but, you will find that when you crank the hell out of them, well, you'll never wanna turn it down, the distortion is THAT good. Your best option is to find an old twin with a good gain stage or a vibroverb, and get a volume pedal & a tube screamer, an attenuator if you can't crank at home. With this combo, you can crank that mother to a nice comfy crunch, not too much but not at all light, use the volume pedal to control your pickup output & clean stuff up, and if you really wanna get nasty, kick on the TS

 

[Quencho092]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

fenders aint channel switchers, and the ones that are aren't that great IMO. You could get away with buying a bandmaster reverb head for cheap and running it through your stack for a good fender tone (except for the speakers that are obviously voiced to the contrary.) It has reverb, vibrato etc on it.

 

[MVI]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

If you want a more vintage Fender sound I like the Victoria, Clarck and Trainwreck amps. They have all the vibe of a 50s tweed. They don't do the blackface thing so well. Vickies get expensive, as do the others I believe. Victoria makes a 35 W 2x12 with reverb and tremolo, but no overdrive. Or get an amp modeler, and a tube screamer and call it a day.

For something with technology invented after 1955 I would highly recommend the Rivera's. Mine was a combo footswitchable that did blackface to tweed at the stomp of a pedal, reverb, distortion and much much more. It was all tube. Mine was an R30 2X12, but you might want something with more power from their recent line up.

 

[deftgala]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

The absolute best option you have is to buy a Fender and A/b it with your Marshall. Fender Amps that have OD are no where near as good as the ones that don't. A Fender Twin which has all the options (except OD) that you want is 80 watts and will stay clean at ear splitting volume. A Fender Super Reverb is 40 watts and will stay very clean until about 5 on the volume. Another couple of choices would be a Vibrolux, Vobroverb, (35 watts) or a Deluxe Reverb(22 watts)... If you want a very heavy type of gain with this type of Amp you will need a good distortion/OD pedal... I also use a tubescreamer in the Fender and I use it like a channel switch arrangement... The DSL is a really nice Amp and you won't find any Fender that will give you the Marshall sound. :yell:

This is what I was thinking re: "Fender Amps that have OD are no where near as good as the ones that don't." I was somewhat thinking the same thing because I notice that Fender makes Vib channels only with clean amps and I'd really like that option available to me through an amp. I would occasionally A/B my DSL with a Fender amp BUT I would like to find a combo that I can take to small gigs and STILL get kickass OD with a good OD pedal.

 

[deftgala]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

I've had my eye on the Twin Reverb for a while at the local music store but am still checking other Fender combo options. What OD pedal would you suggest?



I like the 2 x12" 8 ohm Jensen speakers and Vib/Reverb option. 85 watts is a loud sucker and may be louder than my 50 watt Marshall head through a cab

 

[deftgala]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

It seems the Super Reverb at 45 watts is similar to the Twin Reverb except for the wattage

 

[deftgala]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

I like the sound of the Vibrolux too. It doesn't seem to be all that different from the reissues at all, either. Just a modern version of one.

 

[MVI]

Re: some advice re: Fender Combo Amps

There is only one answer to the OD pedal question : an Ibanez "tube sreamer". The old ones from the '80's are collectable and go for $500-$700 and more. Get a new reissue for $75.