jaygl Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I've been a Gibson/Marshall guy my whole life...until recently that is. Maybe it's old age or some kind of "tonal awakening" but the clean meets dirty sound of Fender amps with the Gibson hum buckers sounds like heaven to my ears. I've always loved the Fender cleans, but now hear the complexity, and "character" of the gain like I never had before. Here are 2 Fender amps that I've bought in the last week. A Brown and Wheat 2002 Hot Rod Deville all original with Jensen P10R speakers, and a stock, somewhat beaten up Hot Rod Deluxe. Both have incredible cleans with the Deville ahead slightly in this category while the Deluxe has slightly more gain and a darker overall sound. Both sound ridiculously good with my LP Classic and SG Junior whether clean or dirty. Anyone else find the combination of Gibson guitars and Fender amps to be particularly pleasing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I'm very much into Fender amps, ALL Fender amps. Everyone talks of Fender cleans, but the thing is, to me, there are a LOT of Fender sounds...Blackfaced, tweed, etc. It's deep, man. If you are into these two particular amps, try the "clean" channel. These use a chip in the distortion. So it's a worthwhile thing. You might be amazed. They also have effects loops. Lot's of room to mess around with different distortion boxes and even reverb units. As for Marshall, like them too, but almost all the time, the ones I like the best and sound the best to me have been better at distortion sounds, and not so well voiced for cleans. Didn't want to change the amps or "re-voice: them when they did what they did so well. But back to these...you could just simply plug into the clean channel and use them for what they seem to do best: and listen to the guitar you have plugged in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I recently sold my Marshall and got a very nice (smaller) Fender Blues Jnr III. I love it. The clean tone is fantastic and crisp. That said it's gone for repair today... Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaygl Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 I recently sold my Marshall and got a very nice (smaller) Fender Blues Jnr III. I love it. The clean tone is fantastic and crisp. That said it's gone for repair today... Regards That's my one concern about the Fender amps...reliability.Both of mine were previously owned so they went straight to my local tech. The deluxe needed 2 new inputs, 3 pots, a screen resistor replaced and a good cleaning/service...$90.00 total and considering that I only paid $175 for it, I think I did good. The Deville had a bad output tube and the jewel light was burnt out...that and a cleaning/service, $48.00. I paid $550 for it, so, not too bad. I just hope they aren't in the shop all the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Not strictly a Fender but something designed by Leo after he 'returned to health' after the CBS sell-off. Music Man 2x12 Sixty Five. He intended it to be a sort-of 'Twin-Reverb-but-Better' after he set up the company. I was going to write stuff but someone who knows sheet-loads more than me has already done it; "In 1974, the company started producing its first product, an amplifier designed by Leo Fender and Tom Walker called the "Sixty Five". It was a hybrid of tube and solid state technology. The preamps used the then burgeoning solid state "op-amp" integrated circuits embodying traditional Fender preamp time constants and architecture, while the power amps typically featured a Cathode Driven Tube power amp stage, much as were used in the radio broadcast industry in AM Transmitters. There were a few models with a tube phase splitter in them, but for the most part Music Man amplifiers used the faster responding common Grid, Cathode Coupled drive from a solid state front end that players characterized as "loud as hell". Here's mine. As I've said elsewhere I bought it as ex-demo in 1980; Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Twin & Super since 66 & 68. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody78 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I was always a Marshall guy until about 10 years ago then discovered the amazingness of Gibson's through Fenders. Fender amps are the best for me...would love an old tweed Deluxe, currently have a Hot Rod Deluxe and it's a monster! Best Gibson through Fender sounds for me is Neil Young's tone (in the 70's particularly). I mainly play jazz though, so use the cleans more than anything now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 From the "wish they were still around" category of gibsons and fenders NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Tweed Deluxes, Blackfaced/Silverfaced stuff, and the Blues/Hot Hod/Deville stuff are 3 TOTALLY different animals. God I love amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-RAM Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 On the subject of 'Fender cleans', which some of you are mentioning - one of the players I really loved listening to in the 80s was Jamie West-Oram of The FIXX; I don't know what kind of outboard gear he used (besides some obvious compression), but he always delivered gorgeous, clean, bell-like tones. Never saw The FIXX live, but I recall hearing he used Marshalls - older, four-input Marshalls. Definitely not what you'd expect, but like the saying goes, "it's in the hands." Only Fender amp I own is a '71 Super Reverb - gotta be in the mood for it (dearth of midrange)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I do a HR Deville 4x10,.. I had some minor mods done to it to help fix that questionably sounding gain channel, (most of it was finding the right tubes,, turns out,, Mullard seemed to do it) I also front end it with a few boutique OD pedals, it's a LOT of amp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Take this to gig (not the pedals on top): Red-knob Super 60 + optional 12" cab. Still have a couple of Fender 2x12" combos but they're too big and heavy for most gigs now. You have to turn 'em up to 4 or more for it to start singing IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I do a HR Deville 4x10,.. I had some minor mods done to it to help fix that questionably sounding gain channel, (most of it was finding the right tubes,, turns out,, Mullard seemed to do it) I also front end it with a few boutique OD pedals, it's a LOT of amp! So I am assuming the new Mullard reissue 12ax7's? How do those sound? Haven't tried any of the new "reissues" since they came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 yea, I think those are the ones, I have the boxes some where in my studio. it is what it is with the way that amp is voiced, but these did seem to smooth out the gain channel, and at least make it quite a bit more usable than the stock grove tubes. I almost never use the "more drive" setting btw.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 On the subject of 'Fender cleans', which some of you are mentioning - one of the players I really loved listening to in the 80s was Jamie West-Oram of The FIXX; I don't know what kind of outboard gear he used (besides some obvious compression), but he always delivered gorgeous, clean, bell-like tones. Never saw The FIXX live, but I recall hearing he used Marshalls - older, four-input Marshalls. Definitely not what you'd expect, but like the saying goes, "it's in the hands." Only Fender amp I own is a '71 Super Reverb - gotta be in the mood for it (dearth of midrange)... Oh good Lord. I haven't seem live either, but I DO remember that sound. Those were the days of the Roland JC-120, and the sound of a good, steeley, Marshall dripping with quality chorus effects. Kind of off the subject of Fender cleans, but THAT was a great sound popular back then. One of the best cleans I ever experienced was a JC-120 and a Fender Twin Reverb in "stereo". Talk about lush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 yea, I think those are the ones, I have the boxes some where in my studio. it is what it is with the way that amp is voiced, but these did seem to smooth out the gain channel, and at least make it quite a bit more usable than the stock grove tubes. I almost never use the "more drive" setting btw.. Don't quote me, but I am pretty sure the "more gain", or the gain button in general is where the chip comes in. I had a Blues Deluxe, and another thing I noticed is none of the pre-amp tubes seemed to affect the distortion sound, even extremes like a Mullard 12ax7. And usually, in an amp using a 12ax7 for distortion, you can definitely hear a difference with a Mullard or others. Mullards are great because they shave off a lot of treble, but at the same time are VERY clear sounding and open. The E! Sveltana tubes did the same thing (although, ironically, were copies of the smooth-plate Telefunkens, which are bright for sure). Don't remember what I ended up using, except to say the clean channel was the best, and various tube screamers sounded good, better than the OD channel. And I only used the amp at low volumes, as I had better amps for higher volumes. At low volumes for "screwing around", it was fine, and a good match for fun with pedals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darling67 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I do! It's THE perfect marriage of guitars and amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny V Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I have been a Fender amp guy for years. I presently own a Twin Reverb, Deluxe Reverb Reissue and a Band Master VM head that I run through a Fender cabinet, as well as a Fender Acoustasonic SFXII. I love the warmth of a Fender tube amp. Then about six months ago I picked up a Supro Royal Reverb. What a great sounding amp. It both a class A and Class AB amp. It has become my favorite amp. Only downside is the amps weight. The Supro is a lot smaller than my Twin Reverb, but only weighs one pound less. I can't report on the reliability of the Supro, it's still new, but no problems to date and I use it an average of 14+ hours a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldog86902 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I've loved fender and Marshall amps for years,,now I've went down the Blackstar route,lol,,for home yous my wee ht5r is in a league of its own,,only reason is you can crank it at home,,you can get Marshall and fender tones,,not quite exactly replicating those lovely sounds but very close,,a fenders Spring reverb is awsome!😊,I can't replicate that but the reverb on the wee ht5r is good,,just not a fender,lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnabulax Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I never was a Marshall guy. I like how other players make them sound, but I can't stand how they sound when I play through 'em. I've used Traynor (anybody here remember those?), various Randall, Roland and Fenders for my electrics. I'm too old to be lugging around Twins and other wonderful sounding tube amps these days, so I generally gig with a Fender Mustang III v.2 which us easy on the back, and I let the PA do the heavy lifting. I also use a Roland Blues cube for the right indoor gigs. It's got a real sweet clean channel with a dirty channel that can be nicely rolled off for just the right amount of growl. For a while I as opening for a bigger name band on the road and since space was at a premium in their rental truck I used their lead guitarists rig. He was (and probably still is ) an electronics geek and would craft his own amplifiers from the ground up. All solid state stuff. He had a sound (and possibly still does) that sort of resembled Godzilla with indigestion gobbling down Tokyo while enjoying Osaka for dessert. Incredible roaring waves of massively distorted sound. I became something of a feedback king for a while. Nowadays for practice I use a wee Laney Cub tube combo in the house which does me just fine. When I give lessons I tote around a tiny little 5 watt Vox. Darn things works with batteries, and I can even tote it along with a guitar strap into the woods to scare the wildlife. For acoustic work (and sometimes with hollow body and semi hollow electrics) I use a Fishman Loudbox Performer, or for a small room. Fishman Loudbox Mini. These are easily the best acoustic amps I've ever played through, and can't imagine the technology getting much better in my lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaygl Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 Wow! Looks like I'm just late to the Gibson/Fender party....better late than never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swampash Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I play these: Through these: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drog Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I love my Fender Amps with my LP's Fender Champion 600 Fender Blues Deluxe Fender Tweed 57 Deluxe Ri Fender EC Twinolux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Yep, I recently jumped the Marshall ship in favour of a fender sound too. Anyone wanna buy a TSL 60 half stack (1960a)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vangoghsear Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Sort of, but not really. The only actual Fender amp I own is a Rumble 15 practice bass amp. My two main home guitar rigs are what you might call "Fenderesque": a Traynor YCV40WR and a Vintage Sound Amp (VSA) Classic 22. The Traynor was created to be a direct competitor of the Fender 40 watt Hot Rod, and the VSA uses the Fender Deluxe Reverb wiring circuit. I wouldn't mind someday having a Princeton Reverb to play my Gibsons through (but even that might become another VSA based on a Princeton circuit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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