Is this Fender's best amp? - Page 2

imwjl · #16 02-13-2019, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paultergeist

Yup. Concur. Back when the wiring was done with — well — WIRE......before the cheap printed circuit boards made the amps very hard to modify, service, or repair.

I'll agree and disagree. I've had the privilege or luxury to repeat trying the original black face amps with the reissues and boutique clones. The reissues are tremendous products too.

Dru Edwards · #17 02-13-2019, 05:44 PM

A little off topic ... Just read yesterday that Fender has reissued a Brownface amp. We hear mostly about the tweeds, blackface, and silverface but Brownface came between tweed and blackface. It's a Chris Stapleton '62 Princeton. $1999 US.

There's a reason there's so many reissues.

Steve DeRosa · #18 02-13-2019, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostnote

I've always wanted to get my hands on a Super Reverb and crank it way up - that sound is almost a religious experience...

I have - both an original '67 blackface and my '65 RI - and you'd better be playing either outdoors or in a very large hall if you expect to come home with your fillings still in place...

As far as quasi-transcendental experiences are concerned, I've also had the good fortune to play through a 200W Marshall Major (think Ritchie Blackmore) - that one'll drive your navel through your backbone without even breaking a sweat...

Best part is that both amps do it with some real tone...

If we're talking about the Bassbreaker 18/30 here I've tried one of those too - sheer volume (or lack of same) aside, IME it's nowhere near the same league...

rockabilly69 · #19 02-13-2019, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonics

When folk start getting all dewy-eyed over these much coveted vintage Fender amps I have to laugh. I'm an advocate of technology and I put it to you that Fender amps built today are just as good as the ones built in the 60's, or even custom shop.

Can you hear the difference between a budget sold state modelling amp and a modded Tremolux. Which do you prefer A or B?

The answers:

The Bassbreaker is the first Fender amp I've heard with a great 'dirty' sound. And I presume someone has already programmed, and uploaded a preset for the Mustang amplifier.

Stand in the room with the same two amps and you'll get a much better idea of what the amps are doing. Recently me, and a great amp tech and friend of mine, brought two well maintained all original Blackface amps (1965 Princeton Reverb and 1964 Deluxe Reverb) to a store where they were selling reissue Fender amps, and we compared them to the reissues of the same models. It was no contest, the vintage amps slayed the reissues on both clean tones, dirty tones, and touch responsiveness, especially when the amps were wound up where they were really working. So I'll stay with this vintage 1964 thank you, and although I wanted to buy a backup reissue, I passed, they just didn't do it for me...

And in answer to the OP's question about Fender's best amp I would have to go with a well maintained original Tweed Deluxe, they are just magic!

Jaden · #20 02-13-2019, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

Stand in the room with the same two amps and you'll get a much better idea of what the amps are doing. Recently me, and a great amp tech and friend of mine, brought two well maintained all original Blackface amps (1965 Princeton Reverb and 1964 Deluxe Reverb) to a store where they were selling reissue Fender amps, and we compared them to the reissues of the same models. It was no contest, the vintage amps slayed the reissues on both clean tones, dirty tones, and touch responsiveness, especially when the amps were wound up where they were really working. So I'll stay with this vintage 1964 thank you, and although I wanted to buy a backup reissue, I passed, they just didn't do it for me...

And in answer to the OP's question about Fender's best amp I would have to go with a well maintained original Tweed Deluxe, they are just magic!

No doubt. Brand new amps with new, unbroken-in speakers are going to sound stiff by comparison. No contest.

numb fingertips · #21 02-13-2019, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaden

No doubt. Brand new amps with new, unbroken-in speakers are going to sound stiff by comparison. No contest.

Sorry for being a noob. Speakers need to be broken in?

rockabilly69 · #22 02-14-2019, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaden

No doubt. Brand new amps with new, unbroken-in speakers are going to sound stiff by comparison. No contest.

I totally agree with you, but, it's much more than the speakers. It's the circuit, the transformers, the original NOS tubes. We have friends with reissues they've been gigging with for a few years, but they don't hang with the originals.

perttime · #23 02-14-2019, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by numb fingertips

Sorry for being a noob. Speakers need to be broken in?

Apparently, brand new spekers tend to be ... a little bit stiff ... and the sound improves after some use. Not sure about what exactly happens but it is often mentioned on electric guitar forums.

clintj · #24 02-14-2019, 05:36 AM

The moving parts of the speaker, especially the surround that supports the cone, get more flexible with extended use. The Reissue Jensens are especially notorious for it; the C10Qs I have in a couple of my amps took almost a year of regular use to quit being so harsh in the treble response and start sounding good.

Jaden · #25 02-14-2019, 05:52 AM

Right. Even my former Blues Jr III took a whole year to go from brittle ice pick to smooth performer - very noticeable improvement.

There continues to be a market for pro quality amps by home consumers who expect instant gratification/ results, but the way I look at it is a quality speaker will of necessity be tight to start with.

51 Relic · #26 02-14-2019, 06:05 AM

I still get misty eyed after seeing Jerry Donahue play though a Fender Vibroverb together with a Fender JD Tele custom shop . Playing with the Backroom boys and girls and Doug Morter priceless

perttime · #27 02-14-2019, 06:29 AM

I believe some run in speakers by connecting them to a sound source, and leaving them to make noise. That requires a place where you can actually do that, of course.

KevWind · #28 02-14-2019, 07:44 AM

"Best" , "slays", "hands down", (insert adjective ad infinitum ) all totally subjective and based in the realm of personal concept...

Arguably much accurately described as "more like what I grew up hearing, which became my personal ideal "

Seems to me a better title would be "Nice alternative"

GHS · #29 02-14-2019, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaden

Right. Even my former Blues Jr III took a whole year to go from brittle ice pick to smooth performer - very noticeable improvement.

There continues to be a market for pro quality amps by home consumers who expect instant gratification/ results, but the way I look at it is a quality speaker will of necessity be tight to start with.

Isn't that kinda' like sayin.." I like going to Steves Steaks for dinner...his meat is real tough but after you have chewed it for a while its gets a lot more tender" Why dont the builders just go to "Dave's Steaks" to start with and get a more flexible speaker support to being with???

Steve DeRosa · #30 02-14-2019, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHS

...Why dont the builders just go to "Dave's Steaks" to start with and get a more flexible speaker support to being with???

FYI Eminence will sell you a "broken-in" version of any of their guitar/bass speakers factory-direct, for a $20 upcharge over MAP...