Yet another fender amplifier

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

I just went in my local music store and tried a bunch of amps. No Fender Steel King, but I did try the new Roland mini-cube (a lot of noise over in no-pedal land about this), plus a bunch of the new modeling amps, including the brand new fender line (Deluxe 900?), a Vox and a bunch more of the 'modeling' amps (you know the brands). Well the Roland sounded OK for a little battery amp, but nothing to write home about. The Deluxe 900 had a really nice fenderish clean sound and it was quite loud. But on all of those solid state/digital modeling amps, as soon as you moved over to the 'unclean' models or preamps, I got instant unpleasant grackiness and fuzz.

So I sighed and plugged into a Fender Blues Jr. Yeah, that's the sound, sweet, fat, slightly overdriven, tube heaven. Then I plugged into a Peavey Classic 30, yup that's the sound.

Then my buddy at the store said, you've got to try this thing. Which was a Fender '57 Twin custom shop amp, a reproduction of the 40 watt original Tweed twin. Wow! What a thing of beauty, amazing punch, warmth. Then I played the Fender Twin reissue with the 15", which was quite good for clean sounds, but didn't have that slightly overdriven mojo happening.

Anyway, most of you guys won't find this all that interesting, because I was testing with a lap steel, not pedal steel, and I love that slightly overdriven sound, rather than a squeeky clean steel sound. But I'm just posting this to report that yet again the digital amps just don't hold up to the simplest of tube designs, at least for mildly driven sounds....

(BTW that '57 Twin reissue is a good couple grand)

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Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Hi Dan:

I have a Blues Junior and I agree that it has a vibe. I use it for six string electric but I changed the speaker to an EV-12L. I don't care much for the reverb but I use an RV-5 anyway.

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

The Blues Junior and Classic 30 are the two amps I "test drive" gear on when I go into a music shop too...

At home I use rack gear made up of mostly ADA and Peavey. I also have some MB stuff that has migrated to my "unused equipment" shelf...Maybe time to trade up to a small combo unit!

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

A combination I really like is my Steel-King
along with latest version of the Fulltone
Fulldrive 2. It compares pretty darned close
to just plugging into my cranked up blackface
Deluxe reverb.

Kevin Mincke · From: Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA

Just picked up one of the Roland "Micro Cubes" (20 hrs on battery operated) and has a ton of things built in it like COSM (7 amp modeling) and delay/verb. For a very small amp with a 5" speaker it is extremely portable and versatile! Very easily fit in an overnight bag. http://www.rolandus.com/Multimedia/Flash/microcube/index.html

David Doggett · Posted 14 Nov 2004 10:33 am

The lead guitar player in one of my bands has one of the new Tweed '57 Twins. I have tried it for pedal steel during practices. It is a very loud 40 watts, with that ringing clear sound of the Tweeds and very little distortion even maxed out. It is suitable for pedal steel with gigs up to moderate volume, and would probably do for a lot of country pickers. I have also tried his original '50s Tweed Deluxe (15 watts). It has the same tone, but not enough clean volume for steel. The Peavey Classic 30 has similar tone, and is also not loud enough for anything but low volume steel work. The Peavey Delta Blues, also with 30 tube watts, but with a 15" speaker is good for steel up to moderate volumes. All these amps have that ringing bell-like Tweed sound, and only moderate and pleasant distortion even at maximum volume. They all have a bright responsive sound that cuts through well.

But I prefer the sound of 6L6 power tubes found in the black-face and silver-face Fender amps. I hear more musical harmonics, particularly in the low-mids and lows. They have a softer response but fuller low end, and highs that sizzle rather than ring. I have had two '90s Custom Vibrasonics, and even though they have 6L6 tubes and are better than solid state tone, they don't have the good tone of the BF and SF Fenders. I imagine the reissue Twin is similar, but haven't tried one. The new Tweed Twin is supposedly not a "reissue", whatever that means. The reissues seem to all have PC boards, so maybe the new Tweed Twin is hand wired and a faithful copy of the original? I haven't tried the smaller current Fender tube amps like the Blues Jr. and the Hot Rods. Do they have 6L6 power tubes?

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

The Hot Rod amps do use 6L6 tubes & are
great sounding amps, except the reverb is
"chip" driven so it's kinda harsh. The
"new" Tweed Twins are hand wired. No printed
circuit boards. It's the lower powered
model with 2 rectifier tubes.

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

The Blues Jr. is an EL 84 amp, and like the Classic 30 isn't great for clean pedal steel, but kills for lap steel.

The '57 twin reissue, on the other hand, I bet would sound great for clean pedal steel at reasonable volumes. I prefer the voicing of that amp to the BF fender sound. It sounds pretty similar to a BF showman I own that Andy Marshall modified to 'brownface' specs. It's not as sparkly as what we associate with the fender twin sound, but it has a warmer midrange.

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Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

As an aside, I don't think the fact that one amp has PC boards as opposed to being 'hand wired' is inherently bad. I have played 'hand wired' amps that sound great and some that sound bad, and the same for amps with PC boards. As a matter of fact, most of my favorite amps use PC boards....

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www.tyack.com

Mark Metdker · From: North Central Texas, USA

Hey Dan. I couldn't agree more about the tube amps. I use the Session when volume at a gig is a factor, but lately I have just been taking my little Hot Rod Deluxe. Since I do double duty, it sounds great with the steel and my strat. The best sounding guitar amp I have ever owned (and still own) is a first year re-issue '59 tweed Bassman. Those 4 - 10's break up just right at volume. Haven't ried steel on that amp yet. A lap would probably sound killer through it. I have been a Fender amp guy since the '70's, and I just can't seem to get away from them.

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James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

A lot of your amps that run either EL84's or 6V6's in the power section usually have a GREAT tone for overdriven lap steel ...
If not played too loud, they sound great clean also, but don't have a lot of clean headroom .... The smaller 2- EL84 amps just plain 'SMOKE" with lap steel !!...Not only do the preamp tubes get a work out , but the power amp tubes saturate also for a really nice compressed tone with plenty of sustain for lap work .....Jim

Brian Donegan · From: Red Bank, New Jersey, USA

Hello, I use a Custom Shop Vibro king for my six string, it is point to point hand wired with a 3 knob reverb it is an amazing amp. it sounds good for steel at low volumes. It has 3 10 inch speakers so not so good to gig with.But in the same family is a 100 watt Dual professional. 2 12's same reverb and LOUD, these are class A amps so 100 watts is plenty loud.There was a player with one in Norwalk, sounded great. I just ordered a custom twin 15 from Bobbe S. I cant wait to get it. His prices on Fender stuff are crazy, It was a couple hundred less then AMS or guitar center.Plus you are dealing with a great guy. Thanks,Brian

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