It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!
I asked about Fender Hot Rod Deluxe on behalf of a relative.
And I got to realising - as if I didn't already realise - how ignorant I am in my knowledge of the wonderful world of Fender amplification.
So, I await whatever wisdom this way comes.
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
Are there any stand out models in your opinion? I've heard of a few, but... That's loads!
I'm always lusting after a princeton reverb though. They are simply beautiful amps.
Brownface amps are incredibly cool too (the harmonic tremolo is awesome) but they are as rare as rocking horse sh*t in the UK!
http://www.ampmaker.com/store/WF-55-4w-tweed-style-amp.html
£155.00 for the kit including valves (JJ's shipped with mine). They are based in the UK as well. What more could you want
As long as you are incredibly careful (the voltages residing in valve amps can kill) and follow the instructions to a tee you should have no problems.
The champ is about as simple as valve amp circuits get. It is also about pure as valve tone gets (mine sounds absolutely fab through my 2x12).
Here is my champ head (mods include princeton tone control, switchable cathode bypass caps, and switchable feedback):
"Tweed" Fenders, are generally voiced to be a tad darker, and less sparkly on the cleans than the "Blackface" and Silverface" models. ( which, if I understand it correctly are the same models, but different versions)
If you want a bright, sparkly clean- go for a BF or SF model, like a twin reverb, a Deluxe Reverb, or a Princeton Reverb, or a Pro Reverb. These amps also come with a real tremolo effect, that sounds wonderful.
If you like a warmer clean, that can be fairly easily pushed into a sweet drive, look into a Tweed type amp. Bassman, Deluxe, Champ, Twin amp, Bandmaster, or Blues Deluxe. Many of these do not have tremolo.
There are some oddballs worth looking into, as well. The Supersonic series is their higher gain line. They're two channel amps, but both channels also have a voicing switch, and the lead channel has 2 gain controls, to help you dial in whichever sort of gain you like.
Interestingly enough, the clean channel is different for each model. SS22 has a vintage/ modern switch. SS60 has vibroluxe/ Bassman, and I forget what the 100 watt version has. On the SS60, the Vibroluxe setting is your "Fender Clean"- that bright sparkly clean Brand F is rightly famous for. The bassman setting is warmer- (as well as louder!), and can be driven to a nice bluesy, classic rock crunch as well. The Drive channel will give you anything from light crunch, to a balls out distortion, depending on how you set it. Needless to say, the SS60 is stupid loud, but dear God, it sounds good.
As noted by others, MOST Fenders are based around 6v6 or 6L6 power valves.
I used to be all about the bright, glassy single coils into a Blackface sound, but have gradually migrated to the warmer, darker Tweed style clean. Both with and without single coils. And, for the record, there's nothing like the sound of a Gibson (style) guitar into a tweed amp!
The best way to school yourself is to find a good Fender dealer, and try out as wide a selection as possible.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein