Fender Amps?

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 10:36 am

I've owned a bunch of different amps. I don't know if there's much of a pattern but I guess they've all been 'British' (whatever that actually means? lol), I've had a couple of Oranges, a couple of Marshalls, a couple of Laneys, a Vox at one point.

Anyway to cut to the chase I've been doing some recording this week and ended up playing through some Fender amps which belonged to the studio. The eagle-eyed amongst you (or at least, those of you I'm connected with on social media) might have spotted a photo of me using a Fender Bassman through a Marshall 4x12. It sounded good but that photo is basically lies and slander because I actually ended up using a Silverface Twin for the whole album - a bunch of the songs are quite sparse and I was concerned about the amount of buzz/noise I was getting from the Bassman.

I've never really played through any Fender amps, at least not for an extended period of time, apart from a shite modelling monstrosity they had in one of our university practice rooms like six years ago. Anyway the Twin sounded GREAT; really brought out the clang from the aluminium picks I use, and got along very nicely with pedals (Boss DS-2, Mooer Pure Octave and Fredric Effects Harmonic Percolator, fact fans). So my question is, where would be a good/affordable place to start with Fender amps? I'm currently gigging with an Orange CR120 head and a WEM 2x12, so it would be nice to have something completely different to use sometimes. How about one of those Bassbreaker heads, for example?

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:35 pm

What are your needs from your amp? Cleans? Dirt? What is your budget?

I had a Silverface Twin and it sounded great, but as you probably realised, they are REALLY FUCKING LOUD and REALLY FUCKING HEAVY.

They don't cost that much for a vintage Fender amp, Â£3-400, but you won't get it to distort much if at all in the size of venues you are playing, but great for pedals. It can get expensive when they need tubes too.

The more modern Twins are an option, but they are complex and a nightmare when they go wrong.

Post by **Doog** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:44 pm

I gather the Bassbreakers are a bit closer to the older Bassmans, i.e. more Marshally?

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 1:35 pm

Doog wrote:I gather the Bassbreakers are a bit closer to the older Bassmans, i.e. more Marshally?

On my 007, it splits the difference between Marshall and Orange when it's dirty, and the cleans are quite Fendery.

Post by **Doog** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 1:48 pm

Niiiiice

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 2:02 pm

I have an old silverface bassman 10 with the master volume so allows you to get gains going. Worth trying to find. Loud as anything if needed. Sounds nice. Don't get to play it much now though

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 4:18 pm

Surely the deluxe reverb is the place to start? Pretty reasonably prices s/h I think.

Not quite as bell like as the Twin, but then again not as FUCKING HEAVY

Princetons get a fantastic name too. I have an old vibrolux reverb. You do need to be careful with them though, as it's easy end up in shrillsville.

aen · Post by **aen** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 5:01 pm

Doog wrote:I gather the Bassbreakers are a bit closer to the older Bassmans, i.e. more Marshally?

Yes. Always gonna get some crunch.
But a very pleasant crunch, IMO.

[youtube][/youtube]

In my experience there is nothing really like a twin. For lack of better terms it has a "throaty" sound. And the widest, cleanest frequency range I've ever played with.

Post by **Doog** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 5:08 pm

We rented one for work BAND NIGHT last year. I haaaaated it; a lifetime of using Marshall-voiced amps made me really miss the midrange, but maybe it was just a bad example of a Twin, have only ever used that one.

aen · Post by **aen** » Fri Feb 02, 2018 5:03 pm

They are many and varied, personally I only really like the ultra clean modern ones, apparently they are along the lines of the "blackface" twins, wheras the silverface guys seem to have lost most of the headroom that makes a twin such a powerful weapon.

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Mon Feb 05, 2018 6:04 am

gusman2x wrote:Surely the deluxe reverb is the place to start?

Yes, check out the Deluxe Reverb Reissue. Fantastic amp.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:57 am

DRRIs are very very expensive in the UK. like Â£1400.

I'm amazed noone has recommended a second hand Hot Rod Deluxe. They can be had for Â£250-Â£400 depending on teh model and age.

If you're using pedals they do that Fender clean sound nicely and at giggable volumes - just don't use the drive channel. I borrowed Stewart's at the shortscale gig ages back and was really impressed.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:18 am

Yup, the Hot Rod series is an ace pedal platform for sure

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:06 pm

Had no idea the DRRI was so expensive across the pond! Less than half that price here in the States.

My former bandmate has a Blues Deville and I used to have a Blues Deluxe. Those are both nice amps to check out as well (if they are available in your area).

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:34 am

Totally forgot to reply to this thread because I am daft.

NickD wrote:What are your needs from your amp? Cleans? Dirt?

Pretty much exclusively played through a clean amp for the past 5 years, although some breakup is nice. We had some sort of attenuator in the studio so the Twin was "cranked" without actually being that loud.

NickD wrote:What is your budget?

Probably not arsed about buying a whole new setup (i.e. a combo or a head/cab), but it would be nice to have a second head I could run through the same cab instead of my Orange for some different sonds.

NickD wrote:It can get expensive when they need tubes too.

This is why I've only really used solid state amps for the past 3 years, couldn't be bothered with the maintenance. Are any of the Fender solid states worth a punt?

Doog wrote:I gather the Bassbreakers are a bit closer to the older Bassmans, i.e. more Marshally?

My housemate actually has a Bassbreaker combo. Does anyone know if the heads are significantly different? I'm assuming not. I might have a mess about with Lewis' amp... could even see if it's possible to run it with an external cab to see how it sounds through my WEM!

Mike wrote:I'm amazed noone has recommended a second hand Hot Rod Deluxe.

This seems like a viable option for sure. Although like I said I'd be more inclined (due to space and cost) to just buy a head rather than a full combo...

Post by **Mike** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 7:43 pm

I'm not much of a buff on Fender heads, it's typically not really their deal. The bassman aside all their big hitters are combos:

Twin, Princeton, Deluxe Reverb, Hot Rod series etc.

The only new heads they seem to make are those new bassbreakers I don't know much about

Obviously they've done head versions of lots of their big amps in the past. For what it's worth you can also use a combo as a head if you want. You could always have a Hot Rod Deluxe and know you could use it with the cab or alone.

I put my Princeton through my Marshall 2x12" the other day, sounded MIIIIINNT

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Sun Feb 25, 2018 1:32 pm

aen wrote:
Doog wrote:I gather the Bassbreakers are a bit closer to the older Bassmans, i.e. more Marshally?

Yes. Always gonna get some crunch.
But a very pleasant crunch, IMO.

[youtube][/youtube]

In my experience there is nothing really like a twin. For lack of better terms it has a "throaty" sound. And the widest, cleanest frequency range I've ever played with.

i have to go back to this for a minute. I watched it a month ago at like 3 in the morning and aparently didn't realize the pure genius of Satan taking over Ben at 2:30 into this video.

i almost spit out my OJ shit morning with breakfast watching it. i love it