Larsongs Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 3 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Your right some are cheaper and give more wattage. This is 40 watts and it has vibrato and reverb and is only $1499. https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/vintage-pro-tube/68-custom-pro-reverb/2278000000.html Output Power / Output: 40 Watts Controls: Bright Switch, Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Reverb, Speed, Intensity Your right again this is 22 watts and it has vibrato and reverb and is only $1599. https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/vintage-pro-tube/65-deluxe-reverb/0217400000.html 22 watts Two channels (normal, vibrato) Four inputs (two normal, two vibrato) Tube-driven Fender reverb and tremolo ("vibrato") What research are you doing. Took me less than 5 mins to find these on Fenders site. While both offer luscious spring reverb and rich, pulsating tube-biased tremolo effects.. Neither are Hand Wired.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) 1 hour ago, Larsongs said: While both offer luscious spring reverb and rich, pulsating tube-biased tremolo effects.. Neither are Hand Wired.. Robots and Aliens all wired amps when I had them. Just Like Gibson's are hand made, except for the parts that are not, and probably the tuners from China, and then we get into the just about every guitar maker on the planet uses CNC machines. So keep the $1799 dream alive and and give us review when you pull the proverbial trigger on one. Is the PC board hand soldered too, do you know? Edited January 22 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 3 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Robots and Aliens all wired amps when I had them. Just Like Gibson's are hand made, except for the parts that are not, and probably the tuners from China, and then we get into the just about every guitar maker on the planet uses CNC machines. So keep the $1799 dream alive and and give us review when you pull the proverbial trigger on one. Is the PC board hand soldered too, do you know? Just saying, I’m not aware of any major brand name Hand Wired USA or UK Tube Amp with all the same features, Wood Cabinet, same Watts with Attenuator in this Price range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepdog1969 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 On 1/19/2024 at 7:33 AM, Murph said: You said it... Is just me, or does the term, "hammer test" seem like a misnomer based on the pictures Murph posted? Looks more like a, "Wooden Stick Test" to me. LOL Before I saw those pictures I cringed thinking about metal on glass contact, and hoped it referred to a light mallet, not a real hammer head. Never considered them using the hammer's handle. The first thing that came to mind when I saw how the hammer was being used in those pics was my grandfather's voice yelling, "That ain't how you use a hammer boy!". I'll shut up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I think those Gibson amps are going to be a success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 (edited) 2 hours ago, Murph said: I think those Gibson amps are going to be a success. Lots of groups are going to the dark side and using Fractal Amps. You want to Roadie an amp the size of a Blue Ray player or 10 Marshall full stacks? I'll bet lots of us have been to shows and groups or artists have been using them and we don't even know it. Edited January 23 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narwhal6 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 1 hour ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Lots of groups are going to the dark side and using Fractal Amps. You want to Roadie an amp the size of a Blue Ray player or 10 Marshall full stacks? I'll bet lots of us have been to shows and groups or artists have been using them and we don't even know it. This is true, during U2's residency at the Sphere in Vegas the Edge shared his gear as consisting of a pedal board with digital amp emulators. His sound generally has a lot of effects to begin with so it was probably an eventuality he would go all digital. I'm sure it's probable that other bands will make that leap. I do love the warmth of a tube amp though, but for a big live show and the artist is using emulators and you can't tell the difference, I can see the advantages of not having big heavy cabinets and heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 (edited) 4 hours ago, Narwhal6 said: This is true, during U2's residency at the Sphere in Vegas the Edge shared his gear as consisting of a pedal board with digital amp emulators. His sound generally has a lot of effects to begin with so it was probably an eventuality he would go all digital. I'm sure it's probable that other bands will make that leap. I do love the warmth of a tube amp though, but for a big live show and the artist is using emulators and you can't tell the difference, I can see the advantages of not having big heavy cabinets and heads. Here is the fractal audio site, and the guys who use them. Usually, it's people I've never heard of, but I recognize a lot of them. It shows Allan Holdworth, but I don't think he plays anymore since he passed away. https://www.fractalaudio.com/artists/ Edited January 23 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 (edited) 2 hours ago, ghost_of_fl said: Jeff Beck used a 15 watt Fender Pro Jr on stage (not exclusively, but he used it for some songs). Any amp can be loud enough when you put a mic in front of it. Jeff could play through one of those amps that were part of a Silvertone guitar case and make it sound good. Edited January 24 by Sgt. Pepper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 (edited) 5 hours ago, ghost_of_fl said: Jeff Beck used a 15 watt Fender Pro Jr on stage (not exclusively, but he used it for some songs). Any amp can be loud enough when you put a mic in front of it. Mike Campbell, Lead Guitarist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreaker’s used a Princeton.. Edited January 24 by Larsongs 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 The problem with Fender reissues is that they're made to the same old marginal quality standards that all their amps are made. That's why they can stay competitive on the price. Mesa stuff is just way tougher. If the Gibson reissues are like Mesas as far as toughness goes, then there's really no comparison with Fender quality-wise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 13 hours ago, ghost_of_fl said: Yep. +1 They will sell. Imagine playing your Gibson guitar out of your Gibson amp. That alone is worth it. And I bet they sound better than anything Gibson put out in the past. That is because they are Mesa Amps with a Gibson sticker on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil OKeefe Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 9 hours ago, Larsongs said: Mike Campbell, Lead Guitarist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreaker’s used a Princeton.. Among other things, such as a tweed Deluxe and an Excelsior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil OKeefe Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 On 1/22/2024 at 8:57 AM, Murph said: And it works. My Blue Angel did hundreds of gigs all over the Heartland over many years without a single issue. And it still runs like a well-oiled machine. 👍 I've owned six different MESA amps over the years - two of which I still own. An SOB, a Mark I, a Mark IIB, a Studio 22, a Fillmore 25, and a Mark Five : 25. I gigged the first four a lot - I'm more studio oriented now, and in the decades I worked as a recording engineer, I recorded a ton of other MESA amps. The only one I ever had any issues with was the Studio 22, and that was only because someone knocked it off of the top of my (at the time) "clean" amp - a Fender Super Six. If you've never seen a Super Six, they're basically a Twin mounted in a vertical 6x10 cabinet. They weigh about 100 pounds and are pretty tall, so it's no wonder the amp took some damage when it fell. I sent it back to Petaluma, and they fixed it right up. I think there was one damaged power tube, and a couple of resistors that fried - that was the extent of the damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 20 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said: Exactly my thoughts. A great sounding Mesa amp in classic style with a Gibson logo slapped on there? I think it's a great idea marketing wise. And they'll still sell Mesa amps. Win/win. What will have the better resale value. Gibson amps back in the day certainly did not set the music world on fire. People love their Mesa's. I loved mine when I was an electric guy. Its like saying the Epi's built in the USA are Epi's, yeah but . . . who built them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 23 minutes ago, Phil OKeefe said: I've owned six different MESA amps over the years - two of which I still own. An SOB, a Mark I, a Mark IIB, a Studio 22, a Fillmore 25, and a Mark Five : 25. I gigged the first four a lot - I'm more studio oriented now, and in the decades I worked as a recording engineer, I recorded a ton of other MESA amps. The only one I ever had any issues with was the Studio 22, and that was only because someone knocked it off of the top of my (at the time) "clean" amp - a Fender Super Six. If you've never seen a Super Six, they're basically a Twin mounted in a vertical 6x10 cabinet. They weigh about 100 pounds and are pretty tall, so it's no wonder the amp took some damage when it fell. I sent it back to Petaluma, and they fixed it right up. I think there was one damaged power tube, and a couple of resistors that fried - that was the extent of the damage. I think Mesa need to better themselves, and make and amp that can pass the "Fall off the Fender Super Six Amp Test". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalu Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 They are showing up in my local shops just now. I plan to drop by soon to check them out. My concern with a "Gibson" amp would be the reliability and customer support afterward. My direct experience in dealing with Gibson customer support (always guitars for me, acoustic and electric) and particularly for Warranty issues has been pretty dismal. In my dealings, they have NEVER stepped up to make good on their Warranty, and other forum discussions really trend to a very poor track record on their part. In all cases for me, the local shop had to step in afterward to help me out with my claim. Their Warranty "Exclusion" fine print really just eliminates all claims, save for those at their discretion. Because of this, I don't think I would buy a Gibson amp regardless of how good it sounded. I have never had issues with my Fender or Mesa Boogie amp Warranty claims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 (edited) There were none in CG last week when I was there. I need to get some strings on the way home, as I broke one the other night. I'll see if one is there. I'll play it with a Mesa as a test if I can, and if one is there. Edited January 29 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 FWIW, I bought a Falcon 20 a little more than a week ago and have been playing it since every day. Short comment....IMO, it's a great amp. If anyone would like a more detailed review, ask away..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 18 hours ago, Joe M said: FWIW, I bought a Falcon 20 a little more than a week ago and have been playing it since every day. Short comment....IMO, it's a great amp. If anyone would like a more detailed review, ask away..... How does it compare to a Fender 65 DRRI or a Vox AC15 with a Celestion Alnico Blue Speaker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 Ok, after owning the amp for a little more than one week, here are my thoughts and observations.... First, let's talk about probably the two most controversial things about the amps; price and "hand wired". As far as price is concerned, unless I've missed it, I can't think of any amp, THAT HAS EXACTLY THE SAME FEATURES, for any less money. Please, if anyone knows of one, let me know. I know there are several that come close, but none, that I know of, that are the same. Fender's PRRI comes real close; reverb, trem, cover, fs, but it's made in Mexico, where wages are much cheaper than in the US. It also usually has a 10" speaker, even though you can buy one with a 12", but that's an upcharge. IMHO, that amp sounds best with a 10" anyway. How bout a Supro Amulet?? It does, literally, have exactly the same features as the Gibson, but wait....no cover, no footswitch, and, dang....made in China. You don't care if you have a cover or fs?? Many users do, and if you do want them, figure on another $100 or so to buy them; the Falcon has those two things included. Lastly, for those of you that build your own amps, which I have great respect for, please don't tell me you could build a better model of the Falcon for a lot less, unless you figure in the man-hours you need to make it, not just the price of the parts. Now, the real bugaboo, is it handwired? I guess, as many have said in another thread, that it technically is, it's all semantics anyway. Honestly, I personally don't care. If it sounds good, I really don't care how it's made; humans, robots, monkeys, whatever. I have never opened up an amp to see what the insides look like, and I never will. If it fails, that's what warranties are for. In all fairness, I may not be the type of user that would be hard on an amp anyway. I don't gig out anymore and the only movement that any of my amps have is to move a few feet one way or the other in my music room when I fire up a different amp. Perhaps reliability could be a factor if you were regularly gigging with the amp, no one can know for sure, I sure don't. Now what I really like about the amp....it sounds great for the purpose that I use an amp. The trem and reverb are excellent, different than a Fender, but still very usable. The speaker sounds great in this amp, I see no reason to swap it out for anything else. It's very light, around 30 pounds, so if I do ever have to move it, it's easy to do. And it looks cool. Should that be a factor in evaluating an amp? To me it is, along with a very nice cover and footswitch. Gets real gritty in the 1 watt mode, if that's your thing. I usually leave it in the full power mode since I play mostly clean. What I don't like about the amp...the control panel sucks; the highly polished chrome is very difficult to read unless you're in just the right position. I really don't like top-mounted controls either, hard to see and get to, especially if you have the amp on a stand, which I usually do. Oh, and sometimes there's a pop when you use the fs to turn on and off the reverb or trem.....horrors....don't know how I can live with that. Bottom line....I really like the amp, the way it looks, and, more importantly, the way it sounds. I don't regret one minute buying it and I'm sure it'll give me a lot of enjoyment. Is it expensive? Yes, but as I said in my first paragraph, if you can find an equivalent amp, with the same features, for less money, please let me know what it is, I'd like to check it out. EDIT TO ADD: I almost forgot two other things....the amp has a fan, and you can hear it if you listen real, real, real, real close....again, I don't know what I'm gonna do with that horrible noise??? And, last, like the fs, sometimes the standby switch pops when you turn it off; another terrible, terrible thing.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 My recent 65 PRRI & my 65 DRRI were built at the Fender factory in Corona, Ca. (Neither are Hand Wired) Still they are great Amps! Especially the 65 PRRI with the 10” Spkr. I agree the Falcon 20’s price is lower than any comparable major brand USA Amp with the same features I’ve been able to source.. I’m actually interested in trying one out.. Vox has just released their new line of HW Amps.. Their hype says they researched all the best vintage Amps & found out what made them tick.. Then they go on to tell you all the new changes they’ve made to make them better ????? Then they don’t say where they’re built.. But, sources are saying Vietnam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 They're not in my local GC yet.... Previous discussion of Falcons and the "tone suck circuit" here - the new ones almost certainly don't have the tone suck circuit - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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