Fender Super Sonic 22 owners (past or present)?

imalrightjack

Hi all,

I've just got a brand new Super Sonic 22 from Peach Guitars and found that the reverb introduces a horrible hum and buzz.  I'd read about this prior to purchase but it seemed to be an old remedied issued or one that affected some amps and not others.

The other problem was within a few minutes of playing around with the burn channel.  I've put my T-Rex Soulmate into the loop and thought, while adjusting the bass, that I must have disengaged either the overdrive or distortion on the T-Rex, as the volume dropped suddenly.  Now, when switching between channels on the same volume, the volume drop on the 'Burn' channel is massive and it sounds very weedy.

I've also noticed that one of the valves (nearest the input) looks very badly seated.  Somebody had jammed the footswitch into the amp before shipping (in this area), which didn't seem too bright an idea.

This is the ones which look okay:



This is the odd looking one:





Any experience with this amp and these issues?

I know my house and its proximity to overhead wires contributes to noise issues but I don't think this reverb issue is connected (I"ve now learned to tune our the mains hum or whatever it is).  

I think I have the reverse Midas touch when it comes to amplifiers...the Helix (or equivalent) is becoming more and more likely...

Thanks!

uncledick

The reverb is noisier than most at bedroom levels.  If you keep it below about 3 it's ok.

A couple of things to consider with the burn channel.  Firstly, the master volume has a much different response curve to the vintage channel - you may well have it on 3 or 4 even at home.  Secondly, remember that with a Fender amp, if you turn the tone controls all the way down, the volume drops as well.  Don't know if this helps...?

imalrightjack

Thanks, @uncledick - do you mean keeping the reverb at about 3 or the volume?  When the reverb is cranked (for playing with a sound a bit like Jeff Buckley's reverb-drenched Hallelujah intro), it's unbearable, whatever the level.

With everything at 12 o'clock on the Burn channel and the volumes matched between channels, it drops massively.  Is that normal?

See additional info above!

monquixote

I had one.

They are nice sounding amps, but they have a lot of issues. Personally I'd send it back and get something else.

uncledick

imalrightjack said:

Thanks, @uncledick - do you mean keeping the reverb at about 3 or the volume?  When the reverb is cranked (for playing with a sound a bit like Jeff Buckley's reverb-drenched Hallelujah intro), it's unbearable, whatever the level.

With everything at 12 o'clock on the Burn channel and the volumes matched between channels, it drops massively.  Is that normal?

See additional info above!

For home use, I don't reckon I can put the reverb control above 3.  Once in a practice / gig setting it's never an issue.  Difficult to judge but, again at home, if the vintage channel volume is set to 2, I'd have the burn gain controls on 4 and the master would have to be on 4 to equalise the volume.

I've said on here before, the SS22 doesn't work well at low/home volumes. Take it to a band situation and they're great.

Looking at your pictures, the metal screening cans are incredibly flimsy on any amp but easy to take off and check that the valve is seated ok.  I'd be surprised if it fixed anything but happy to be proved wrong.

imalrightjack

That dodgy one doesn't look fully seated. Will see if i can adjust it. 

Suspect it's going back. I didn't buy it for bedroom use but would like the option. It just seems to be a very shoddy design flaw that I understood to be historic and resolved. 

Mickeyji

monquixote said:

I had one.

They are nice sounding amps, but they have a lot of issues. Personally I'd send it back and get something else.

I had one too and like you I really liked the sounds ranging from blackface to great overdrive.I couldn't deal with the howling reverb and all the gremlins living inside it though, so back to the shop it went.

imalrightjack

@Mickeyji What did you end up with?

dindude

Had one, great sounds, lots of issues at bedroom volumes, actually unacceptable for a company such as Fender to have this product in the market still not fixed IMO.

tone1

I've seriously GAS'd for one of these in blonde but everyone I've tried has hissed like a bag of snakes. 

imalrightjack

tone1 said:

I've seriously GAS'd for one of these in blonde but everyone I've tried has hissed like a bag of snakes. 

dindude said:

Had one, great sounds, lots of issues at bedroom volumes, actually unacceptable for a company such as Fender to have this product in the market still not fixed IMO.

Yes, unacceptable is the precise word. And I've also wanted one for a long time. I once tried one, several years back, in one of Manchester's bigger music stores. It died in a literal flash when i flicked it from standby. 

Teetonetal

Had one. Great sound. Awful amp.

Mickeyji

imalrightjack said:

@Mickeyji What did you end up with?

Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 Plus. A really great allrounder amp.

imalrightjack

@Mickeyji I hated the V:25. Much difference?

Mickeyji

What didn't you like about the V:25? It does sound a bit more modern than the Express and it's got more gain on tap too. I'd guess if you really disliked the V:25 you probably wouldn't like the Express either. Still worth giving it a try if you can, though. As with all Mesas, one needs to fiddle around a bit with the controls to get the most out of it. I also had a really good Deluxe Reverb clone at the time, which I sold because I could get the Mesa to sound quite like it.

imalrightjack

I found it sounded a bit...sterile?  Didn't have the warmth I really want, or at least I couldn't find it.

phase3

Had a 22 and a couple of 60's.  Gigged with them all but now just have a 60 head - that i still use regularly. As someone else said - these are not great bedroom amps. They don't work particularly well at low volumes and usually have 'some' hiss and a bit of hum ( audible at home levels).  At gig level, none of this is a problem ... and they are "really" good live amps. The reverb hum is often a bad tube (even on new amps).. sounds like you may have a "friday afternoon" amp. ... so i'd send it back anyway ..but don't give up on them....they can be very very good amps for the money.  None of my 3 exhibited any of the many problems that folk say they 'ALL' have! ...My 60watt 1x12 did develop a bit of reverb noise and it was the reverb driver tube. The others were rock solid and i still use the 60 head a lot  (the heads don't have onboard reverb!).  One thing to watch out for in the loop is this:  Keep the send level high ( max if poss) and the return level close minimum if you can.  This avoids a bleed issue and loss of top end in the loop. FWIW .... i reckon the 60 is the better amp for gigging.  I've even tried ( for fun) running JJ6v6's in my 60 watt just to see what it sounded like. Err... not as good as with the 6L6's...  I like em ...but they do have idiosyncrasies ...don't all fenders?