what to do for fender cleans

[Red_Label]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

I had to vote DRRI. Never played one, but I'm ASSuming it's similar in tone to the blackface TRRI? I've owned and played many of the other ones listed and didn't care for their cleans. Had a 4X10 HRD that was pretty HARSH on all settings. Had a Champ. Etc, etc. The ONLY Fender I ever had that I really like the cleans on (spanky, chimey, etc) is my current TRRI. So if the DRRI is anything like it, I would say go for that...

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

For basement jamming celan to semi dirty, either the SF Champ, or the Pro Junior.

By the time you get to semi dirty with either of these, you'll probably be at the max volume you can get away with.

PS...don't scoop too much mids...while BF mids are a bit scooped in relation to the treble and bass, they're still nice and fat in the best Fenders.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

I voted DRRI, but after rereading your OP, it seems that the Blues Jr will do the trick for you, and at a budget friendly price. I don't know much about the Pro Jr, but I'd check those out also.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

I don't know much about the Pro Jr, but I'd check those out also.

Two controls, volume and tone.

You can't make it OD at a really low volume. It starts to crack up a bit around 4, and gets louder until 7 or so, then it's just more od.

By the time you get the preamp overdriving, the power tubes are in the mix as well.

Can get pretty sparkly with it's tone control.

 

[J Moose]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

Do you know what it is exactly that you're looking for?

The Pro Jr is really not at all close to the stereotypical "Fender" clean sound.

Its more like a tweed or brown then a blackface. Lots of midrange... kinda nasal. No sparkle at all. Gets real obnoxious real fast when it gets turned up. Think Neil Young.

Old Champs really aren't that much different. Great for practicing & recording but no where near giggable... unless you're playing acoustic jazz with a piano player and upright bass.

Frankly the clean channel on the DSL is IMO marshalls best clean channel ever. No reason you shouldn't be able to coax great sounds from that. No, its not a Twin... but it can certainly approximate one if 'ya got the knobbies set right.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

if I get an amp, it's gotta be a DRRI.
The HRDx's cleans have the same stuff I don't like about the DSL's. a lil too glassy and direct sounding. Both amps sound *good* for cleans but not deluxe reverb good. As far as everything I've ever played that thing's on another level.
I've been playing my DSL strictly clean for about a week now and it's not that I don't like it, but the cleans don't significantly "warm up" until my speaker cab rattles and that's at like 6 or 7 on the master which is too loud. It's a much cleaner preamp than I thought it'd be when I bought it. That's gonna come in handy at some point in my life, but for the basement and for my cab it's too much right now. Getting a bigger, stronger cab that can take it would suck cuz then it'd just be louder lol

The question is wether I need the amp or not. Well that's easy, I don't *need* it, but damn it is a much different sound than my marshall and it sounds freaking good. especially with a tele.
well, I'll decide to strictly not buy anything until I'm dead sure one way or another.

 

[eggman]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

Howdy,

Search around for a red knob "The Twin". Great clean tone and affordable..and heavy

 

[FuseG4]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

i hope it's not like the "twin II" I played! that thing was kinda a piece!

 

[FuseG4]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

I've been messing with my guitar volume knob lately and the clean on the DSL kicks more ass with the volume on the guitar rolled back and the clean channel gain up. It's pretty rockin.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

Really great clan sounds are not always achieved by headroom alone.

HRD - good bang for buck. Two useable channels. very loud very bright. Cheap cabinet. Crappy speaker.
Blues Deluxe - good bang for buck. Two useable channels but a little smoother on the dirty channel. very loud very bright. Cheap cabinet. Crappy speaker.
BJR - good bang for buck too. Good vintage warmth. not really built to play clean. Not a ton of bass. Cheap cab. Crappy speaker.
Pro jr - good bang for buck. Warm vintage sound. Less bass than BJ due to smaller speaker. Not much bass either. Cheap cab.
Deluxe reverb - 22 watts. Plenty of warmth and bass. Good cab. Good speaker.
Look - lets face it....you know all this. It sounds like what you really want is a Deluxe reverb. If cost is a big issue for you, then consider an old silverface - because it will hold its value better than a brand new amp. Be patient. Pro gear is expensive, but worth it.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

Or buy a GE-7 and dip the middle, and raise some top and bottom....much cheaper.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

yeah. a DR of some kind would be nice. I love the fact that it's headroom expires somewhat quickly but right before the real breakup point the amp is this perfect balance of bright and smooth... it's not insanely loud at that point.
I actually really, really like the HRDx's clean channel and I enjoy the drive channel just for something to whale on, but it's too loud and not the type of fender sound I think is the best. I want an HRDx at some point but the "dead clean" tone of the HRDx isn't at all better than my DSL... it's maybe different, but not better. The DSL's gain channel blows the HRDx the $#% outta the water, so really the HRDx just isn't worth the money compared to what I have.

Oh and I do use an EQ pedal but I find that the amp has the best clean sound without it, and just all the amp EQ's on 6. Then I just turn the guitar volume control down and the tone knob down a lil for clean rhythm and maybe up the tone knob a lil bit for a lead tone. It's pretty smooth that way.

 

[Sprinter]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

I voted for silver face Champ or Vibro Champ. Another and probably better option would be a silver face Princeton Reverb!


Sprinter

 

[JeffB]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

First you need to make the distinction- are you looking for "tweed" cleans? or Blackface Cleans? They are very different. Then of course there are the subtle blonde/brown/SF variations.

If you are gonna spend the $ to buy yourself a DRRI, and want tweed cleans, then scrap that idea and buy yourself either a handwired Champ for the same price, or see if you can get in touch with Scott here and have him build you a Celtic Tweed Deluxe clone.

That is unless you WANT that blackface clean, in which case I'd say just get the DRRI.

The BJ/PJ are very cool amps, but they are their own animal with the EL84s- not tweed, not Blackface.

At any rate- you are all over the map for Fender cleans (and I don't mean this in a derogatory manner, so please do not take it that way), you kind of need to narrow down what you are really looking for- and then go from there.

It's like saying- "I really need that EL84 sound"....you've got a bazillion amps with some extremely different voicings that use EL84s. Vox AC, Budda SD18, Mesa F30, Marshall 18W, Fender BJ, etc.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

The blackface tone is king but I'm not exactly married to it.

preferably blackface.
If I get another amp anytime soon it'll be a DRRI but I'm gonna put it off for as long as possible. I'm gonna try to get the most outta this DSL for awhile. It has a good clean channel. Not blackface good, but it's still fun to jam on so...

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

Some things you just shouldn't settle on. If you dig the DRRI, I say go for it, buy once and forget about the rest. If you settle for something cheaper you're going to be questioning it and then you'll inevitably want to sell that amp for the DRRI (probably losing money in the process as well). Save up and get the real deal

 

[FuseG4]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

Some things you just shouldn't settle on. If you dig the DRRI, I say go for it, buy once and forget about the rest. If you settle for something cheaper you're going to be questioning it and then you'll inevitably want to sell that amp for the DRRI (probably losing money in the process as well). Save up and get the real deal

yeah absolutely. I was thinking that too.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

Get a beat-up Silverface and have it serviced. The new stuff with pcb's are unreliable and probelmatic. They might sound good, and if you don't have any problems, you'll be a very lucky man.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

the good silverface stuff is still a lil expensive but at least it's not $2500 like a real '65 DR.
Worth a look, certainly

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: what to do for fender cleans

^ Expensive? Got my 68 Bassman with a 2x10 cab for about $400 out the door at Music-Go-Round in Salt Lake City.

Silverface Fenders are great bang-for-buck man...that's actually the best suggestion in this thread.