The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
- Thread starter Gearjoneser
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Hellion
New member
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I own a late 70's Fender 75 head and matching 212 cabinet. They don't really put out 75 watts (it's closer to about 60-65), but they were Fender's answer to the Mesa Boogie at that time. It's got a 3 stage cascading volume, 2 channels, effects loop, on-board spring reverb (which doesn't sound that great) and a MASSIVE transformer. Mike Soldano tells me that the transformer was that large to accommodate other voltage levels. All I know is that it's heavy as hell and uses 2 6L6's on the output and a 12AX7 for the pre. Of course, tubes being what they are, you could no doubt substitute 6V6's if you wanted a different tone or a 12AT7 for a little less pre gain. Anyway, they were a great all around amp.
I own a late 70's Fender 75 head and matching 212 cabinet. They don't really put out 75 watts (it's closer to about 60-65), but they were Fender's answer to the Mesa Boogie at that time. It's got a 3 stage cascading volume, 2 channels, effects loop, on-board spring reverb (which doesn't sound that great) and a MASSIVE transformer. Mike Soldano tells me that the transformer was that large to accommodate other voltage levels. All I know is that it's heavy as hell and uses 2 6L6's on the output and a 12AX7 for the pre. Of course, tubes being what they are, you could no doubt substitute 6V6's if you wanted a different tone or a 12AT7 for a little less pre gain. Anyway, they were a great all around amp.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I find it a little odd that the new Fender Pro Tube Series Concert, Twin, and Pro aren't becoming a lot more popular. They finally addressed the issue of having high gain in a traditional looking amp. Luckily, they also retain their great clean channels, which sound fuller to me than many older amps, since they decided to deepen the cabinet to push more lows. They have an OD channel, which dials up everything from midgain to tight focused highgain at lower levels. They also added a bypassable FX loop and bias points on the back to make biasing easy. My only complaint is the cheap footswitches Fender uses. I really don't need 4 button footswitches. I wish they'd always stick to a single button on/off switch, like Soldano.
The Custom Shop Bass Breaker is something I've always wanted to own. It's basically a great sounding Bassman with a more British sounding 2-12 Vin 30's, rather than the American sounding 4-10 Jensen.
I've had a bunch of the older amps go through my hands, and can't make up my mind which I like better, the vintage one's, or the best of the new Custom Shop stuff. Some of these new one's like the Diaz modded Vibroverb and CS Bassman and Super, are pretty astounding.
I find it a little odd that the new Fender Pro Tube Series Concert, Twin, and Pro aren't becoming a lot more popular. They finally addressed the issue of having high gain in a traditional looking amp. Luckily, they also retain their great clean channels, which sound fuller to me than many older amps, since they decided to deepen the cabinet to push more lows. They have an OD channel, which dials up everything from midgain to tight focused highgain at lower levels. They also added a bypassable FX loop and bias points on the back to make biasing easy. My only complaint is the cheap footswitches Fender uses. I really don't need 4 button footswitches. I wish they'd always stick to a single button on/off switch, like Soldano.
The Custom Shop Bass Breaker is something I've always wanted to own. It's basically a great sounding Bassman with a more British sounding 2-12 Vin 30's, rather than the American sounding 4-10 Jensen.
I've had a bunch of the older amps go through my hands, and can't make up my mind which I like better, the vintage one's, or the best of the new Custom Shop stuff. Some of these new one's like the Diaz modded Vibroverb and CS Bassman and Super, are pretty astounding.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I have a friend who has a bf Showmantop, sounds great big and fat.
He also has a Tremolux...old Carlton and Robben Ford sound in that one, great.
Then he has a Bandmaster from 57....wow awesome classic rockamp really, one of the better overdriven amps I have heard.
I have a friend who has a bf Showmantop, sounds great big and fat.
He also has a Tremolux...old Carlton and Robben Ford sound in that one, great.
Then he has a Bandmaster from 57....wow awesome classic rockamp really, one of the better overdriven amps I have heard.
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
the Bassman LTD is the one I'm interested in, but it's hardly unsung
FWIW, there's probably a thread for each of the newer production amps over on the Fender forum ... it's a good resource for finding out the word on the street as far as users go, and such things as whether or not most people switch the stock speakers or not, or any other popular mods ..Gearjoneser said:
the Bassman LTD is the one I'm interested in, but it's hardly unsung
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
Here's a good tip: silverface non master volume '73 & 74 Super Reverbs (and probably other Fenders from those same two years) are excellant sounding amps that IMO can be modded to better than blackface tone. Better tone, better parts and better sounding transformers than those built before or after. The cabs are cheezy unfortunately...but the chassis's are excellant once they've been blackfaced and the bias balance adjustment reconfigured back to a blackface era bias adjustment. After blackfacing my '74 Super and doing a few mods, I compared it to my '66 Super and SOLD my '66 Super! The '74 just sounded better: ballsier and just "better".
Lew
Here's a good tip: silverface non master volume '73 & 74 Super Reverbs (and probably other Fenders from those same two years) are excellant sounding amps that IMO can be modded to better than blackface tone. Better tone, better parts and better sounding transformers than those built before or after. The cabs are cheezy unfortunately...but the chassis's are excellant once they've been blackfaced and the bias balance adjustment reconfigured back to a blackface era bias adjustment. After blackfacing my '74 Super and doing a few mods, I compared it to my '66 Super and SOLD my '66 Super! The '74 just sounded better: ballsier and just "better".
Lew
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Gamera
New member
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
Fender Stage 160. Loud as hell. Legendary Fender clean channel sound. The distortion channel leaves a little to be desired but the clean rocks and it'll take effects very nicely. My biggest gripe is it has no speaker line out. Not that you really need any extra volume with this thing, although additional speaker cabs would help distribute the sound more evenly.
Fender Stage 160. Loud as hell. Legendary Fender clean channel sound. The distortion channel leaves a little to be desired but the clean rocks and it'll take effects very nicely. My biggest gripe is it has no speaker line out. Not that you really need any extra volume with this thing, although additional speaker cabs would help distribute the sound more evenly.
Alvin Lee Fan
New member
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I'm interested also in the Pro Tube Pro Reverb. Sounds like a cool amp, I'd love to try one out.
And, I did recently try out one of the Custom Vibrolux Reverbs. I thought it sounded incredible, especially with a Gibson Historic SG Special. I've not had many guitar/amp combos that went so well together.
Nah, that's ben a known setup for a long time now, they're called Vibroclones and there's even a couple of websites dedicated to the conversion.Stratman said:
I'm interested also in the Pro Tube Pro Reverb. Sounds like a cool amp, I'd love to try one out.
And, I did recently try out one of the Custom Vibrolux Reverbs. I thought it sounded incredible, especially with a Gibson Historic SG Special. I've not had many guitar/amp combos that went so well together.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
Bear in mind that Bandmaster output transformers want to see a 4 ohm load...if you're going to use one with a single 15" speaker, you'll need a 4 ohm speaker. Not an 8 ohm speaker. Also, the output tranny in Bandmasters is smallish and almost identical to the smallish output tranny in Pro Reverbs. Super Reverbs and Bassmans use a bigger tranny...but it's a 2 ohm tranny in the Super and a 4 ohm tranny in the Bassman. Lew
Alvin Lee Fan said:
Bear in mind that Bandmaster output transformers want to see a 4 ohm load...if you're going to use one with a single 15" speaker, you'll need a 4 ohm speaker. Not an 8 ohm speaker. Also, the output tranny in Bandmasters is smallish and almost identical to the smallish output tranny in Pro Reverbs. Super Reverbs and Bassmans use a bigger tranny...but it's a 2 ohm tranny in the Super and a 4 ohm tranny in the Bassman. Lew
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I have a mid-70's silverface Princeton (nonreverb) that delivers a sweet clean tone all the way to 10. It's in the shop now to cure an intermittent hum, but I can barely wait to get it back. I would like to pick up another, earlier nonreverb Princeton, perhaps a brown. I also like the 6V6 tweeds, but unfortunately they are not a dime a dozen.
I have a mid-70's silverface Princeton (nonreverb) that delivers a sweet clean tone all the way to 10. It's in the shop now to cure an intermittent hum, but I can barely wait to get it back. I would like to pick up another, earlier nonreverb Princeton, perhaps a brown. I also like the 6V6 tweeds, but unfortunately they are not a dime a dozen.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I wonder how long it will be before P to P Fender heads and 2-12 cabs shoot through the roof in prices? The combos tend to appreciate in value, but you can still find piggyback halfstacks for $700. You'd think they'd go for well over a $1000, but they don't. I think it's because not everyone likes the sound of them....the way they do with Bassmans, Twins, Supers, and Deluxes, not to mention vintage Marshalls and Voxs.
I wonder how long it will be before P to P Fender heads and 2-12 cabs shoot through the roof in prices? The combos tend to appreciate in value, but you can still find piggyback halfstacks for $700. You'd think they'd go for well over a $1000, but they don't. I think it's because not everyone likes the sound of them....the way they do with Bassmans, Twins, Supers, and Deluxes, not to mention vintage Marshalls and Voxs.
Hot _Grits
Buttery Toneologist
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
You should try my setup:
PRS with 59s into Custom Vibrolux reverb into mesa recto 2x12 with v30s and the back taken off.
you'd probably like that.
I' love to get a new cabinet made for it to house the two v30s. I'd dub it the vibro-breaker...
Alvin Lee Fan said:
You should try my setup:
PRS with 59s into Custom Vibrolux reverb into mesa recto 2x12 with v30s and the back taken off.
you'd probably like that.
I' love to get a new cabinet made for it to house the two v30s. I'd dub it the vibro-breaker...
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adrian
New member
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I have a Blues Deville from the early -90s, and like it a lot. A blond tweed model with a sound with a fat and nasty attitude. I plan to change the tubes from Sovtek 5881, to Svetlanas or JJ 6L6s. There´s a problem to cahnge to different tubes; it has "fixed bias". Guess it´s not a big problem for a tech to install a bias circuit, and it´s not expensive either. And these amps are quite cheap on E-bay for the moment.
I have a Blues Deville from the early -90s, and like it a lot. A blond tweed model with a sound with a fat and nasty attitude. I plan to change the tubes from Sovtek 5881, to Svetlanas or JJ 6L6s. There´s a problem to cahnge to different tubes; it has "fixed bias". Guess it´s not a big problem for a tech to install a bias circuit, and it´s not expensive either. And these amps are quite cheap on E-bay for the moment.
F
Falstaff
Guest
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
That's a great question. It's only a matter of time. I think it's the lack of reverb that sort of takes away from their mojo a bit. The reverb is such a huge part of the sound of BF and SF amps that for some folks not having it is a deal breaker. I've seen some outrageous deals on heads around here.
Gearjoneser said:
That's a great question. It's only a matter of time. I think it's the lack of reverb that sort of takes away from their mojo a bit. The reverb is such a huge part of the sound of BF and SF amps that for some folks not having it is a deal breaker. I've seen some outrageous deals on heads around here.
jmv
New member
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
IMO, blackface concerts are super cool amps, because they're basically a super reverb w/o the reverb.... and they go alot cheaper than the super reverbs. I've played through several small tweed combos, like the princeton, harvard, and champs, that were all awesome. Champs rock, every one i've played has been awesome. My favorite clean sound comes from my mom's silverface vibrochamp.
As for the price of the piggy-back models... it is kinda suprising they're where they're at, but they have been slowly rising over the past year... I had been watching blackface bassman heads for quite a while, and they'll go for generally around $100 more than when i first started watching them, it seems like. Thats just the heads, mind you. Perhaps part of the reason they're cheaper is that so many of them got seperated, and people just want to buy the head, and mate it with whatever cab they want, so the demand for the full halfstacks is lower.
IMO, blackface concerts are super cool amps, because they're basically a super reverb w/o the reverb.... and they go alot cheaper than the super reverbs. I've played through several small tweed combos, like the princeton, harvard, and champs, that were all awesome. Champs rock, every one i've played has been awesome. My favorite clean sound comes from my mom's silverface vibrochamp.
As for the price of the piggy-back models... it is kinda suprising they're where they're at, but they have been slowly rising over the past year... I had been watching blackface bassman heads for quite a while, and they'll go for generally around $100 more than when i first started watching them, it seems like. Thats just the heads, mind you. Perhaps part of the reason they're cheaper is that so many of them got seperated, and people just want to buy the head, and mate it with whatever cab they want, so the demand for the full halfstacks is lower.
Alvin Lee Fan
New member
Re: The "Unsung" Fender Amps. Less popular models.
I posted a clip I made using the DRII in the clip section. Look for the "Hey Joe" clip. I got this amp for $100, best deal I've run across for quite some timeGearjoneser said:
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