I disagree with you. I've listened to Guitar World's Paul Riario for several years now and have always been impressed with his talent. He's a fine player. I have no criticism of his skill or his sound. He's better than good.
For the people who consider to buy this, build this amp yourself! You will not only saves some bucks, the amp will sound better and can be modded to whatever you want. The circuit (5F1) of the original Fender Champ (5W Single-Ended Class A) is one of the most famous ones. Check out 5F1 kits to build it yourself, you can either build the chassis in the standard Champ cab with an 8" speaker or you can put this thing in a modified Tweed Deluxe cab, run a 12" Jensen or Weber in it and you will have the best sounding 50s tweed sound coming out at bedroom levels! 5W not enough, even better! Build the Tweed Deluxe (5E3) THE most famous Tweed amp, 15W Class AB Push Pull!
You can build one yourself...but it will not have the things that protect you from electrocute yourself if you use this in outdoor environments...The custom wired one from Fender is superb...not that other builders can't make a good 5F1...it still comes down to the parts you use and the Transformer...you are paying for great parts in the Fender...if you are good at building have at it!
Brian, what the hell are you even talking about? Take a second and turn your brain on. What could Fender possibly have in their amps that would protect you from electrocution that a home-built amp would not have? Does Fender use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters in their amps? Also where are you using your amps for goodness sake, outside in a rainstorm, in your bathtub? Also, "The custom wired one from Fender is superb". Anyone can superbly wire theirs as well. Perhaps even better. In fact, most likely even better than the Mexican or Jap building the Fender for $5 an hour. The electrical components Fender uses can be found anywhere else, have a look at MojoTone.com. All of the parts (yes transformers too, Brian) can be bought from there. It will cost you half of what Fender sells it for and quality will be EXACTLY the same. www.mojotone.com/kits/TweedAmpKits_x/Test-Tweed-Champ-Amp-Kit
Well I do know what I am talking about...I hope to know the designer personally - He is a close family member - my brother...and you did not know that Fender by them having to export the amp to many countries have to put safety features into the amp that is compliance with many countries standards to prevent someone from getting electrocuted. Did you know an amp that is used in any situation that brings the player into contact with even a wet surface a damp floor and being barefoot in your home could set you up as "Perfect Ground " and shock you to the point you could die?" As a kid growing up and playing with amps with two prong plugs...and Microphones running to another amp you learn quickly what perfect ground is. I own two 57 Champs that are Fender and I have One that is not and is a home build...and the features that Fender puts in is to protect their players...so you should learn to read a schematic and understand electronics. I trust my brother he has been doing this for close to 55 years. Where I use my amps is irrelevant when you are a manufacturer...it comes to meeting safety standards on a global level...no disrespect intended but you have to realize that copying an amp is just not copying an amp..it is about making one that is close to the original but with added features that bring us to higher levels of knowledge and safety. If I wanted a cheap amp I would build one..but my safety is not worth Cheap.
Brian Kaplan If I had any doubt I can't be safe standing bare foot on a damp floor with an amp I won't even power it on. If the circuit is up to code it WILL be safe even on a damp floor. Many amps built back in say before the late 60s use a two prong plug. Even Fender used a two prong plug back then this does not have the earth safety ground as the three prong plug does and two prong plug may possibly have a hot chassis if something there is wrong then no way I would stand on that damp floor. Having a safty ground any stray voltage will travel through it instead of going to the chassis as possible with a two prong plug. It is very easy to install an earth safety ground and highly recommend. At the end you say if you want a cheep amp you would build one. If I understand you correctly.....This is how many amp companies even Leo built amps keeping in mind budget and profit margins so many diy er's such as me have built these beutful classics and go completely all out and use higher quality components yes the amp does cost more to build than any company will produce but we don't have overhead if the amp is for personal use. Last even vintage Fender amps use unsafe two prong plugs and the lower watt amps tie the ground point together these are easley updated and man do I love the tweed era
I own one of these. It sounds great. I've never heard any muddy tones out of it. I love the way it crunches. I don't like the modern day amps distortion too high end. I use fender, Vox and Orange for amplification.
This amp is probably next on my list to buy. Or at least something along these lines. So much tone for a 5 watt amp. It means I can jam with my drummer at a full on crunch tone without overpowering him, and it's easy to deal with in a recording environment. Also, for those of you complaining about the lack of a Tone control, use the ones on your guitar. They're a very similar principle. Don't pick an amp just because it has the most features. Pick the one that sounds best to you.
I just played through a '56 Fender Champ this weekend. Not a clone. Not a re-issue. An original. The tone was quite different than what I heard here. Might be the computer, etc. Point being, if you have the opportunity to play an original you may be pleasantly surprised by the warm tone, the clarity of the high, mids and lows, and the head room. They are sweet.
The amp is cool but it's insane to pay 1k for this. It was designed as a cheap and practice amp back in the 50's, even that "handcraft custom shop" quality doesn't make this value acceptable.
You can build your own clone for about $500.00 with an amp kit. Stewmac.com has them. They said it can be done in 6 hours. I took my time and don't have the exact time but no more than a couple days. It sounds super clear below 5.
It is everything BUT insane. This Amp sounds so beautiful. Worth every penny. I had a clone before and I appreciate the original. An amp for life, you won't give it away anymore, I promise
Blows my mind when folks assume a various $ amount is “insane” for particular people to spend. 1k for one individual is like buying bubble gum for some. And for me My time is worth way more than Nickel and dimeing around for hours trying to build one $500. That’s me, not necessarily anyone else.
james c : It’s good to understand how a tube amp works. What better way to do a simple build like a Champ. If you truly aren’t interested in that, then any copy using tag board construction will do; just get good parts.
@@SeeMick1 im not denying that the 50's Champ is cooler and would be worth way more, but youre in denial if u think the reissue would be inferior sounding
They're great and all that, but for less than $200 you can build one yourself...safely. With all the safety features. I plan on doing this myself. I'm putting it in a vintage stand up Philco radio cabinet from the 30's. In the meantime, Monoprice put out the same amp...5Y3, 6V6 and 12AX7 5 watt with a switch to drop it to 1 watt for lower volume practicing. The price...$89.99 on sale last week! I have one in my music room now! Check out the reviews. Everyone says it's as good or better than the original Champs...they hummed a little. This one doesn't. To me It's hard to justify $910 more! It sounds incredible. I love Fender products. Not their prices though. I'll still build my own and have a cool vintage looking amp for around $200...less if I scavange some vintage parts!
It's cool that you like the monoprice, but it's not the same amp. Hopefully you are ok with it being disposable when it dies in a couple years, champs are still running from the 1950's.
I got to play on an all original 57 Champ. Not the reissue. About 2 years ago. Beautiful tone. Owner would not part with it and I respect him for that. Nothing can match it.
I just bought my 2nd one. The first one I had was nothing special, however the one I have now is a perfect amp. My 56 Custom Shop Stratocaster sounds the best coming out of this great amp! The Blues Jr. mentioned earlier is a good amp, but it’s not even close. 5 stars.
@DanDeePee - agree with many doubting comments, but the size, wattage and # of knobs has little to do with the cost - it's still a lot of work to hand build any amp and Fender charge a premium for anything that takes more than five minutes to crank out. I think FMI was just proud to release some of these famous-design amps.
Just chanced on this and let's be honest a Fender Stratocaster played through a 5 watt fender Champ is about as close to heaven as you're going to get Leo knew what he was doing when he soldered this thing together long long ago
@drakonsangue clapton has recorded with a vintage champ. but he toured with a 1958 twin amp and a backup until fender made the 57 twin amps that are now for sale. prior to that the amps were custom made cornell's that looked like the original tweeds.
Even though I like Paul's videos, I think perhaps something was up with the mic'ing of this episode. I've played one of these amps with a Tele, and found it to be quite articulate up and down a broad sonic range. The low end does sound muddy to me on this video.
I think this is one of those amps that will have a core of die hard fans that won't suffer any criticism, but it's not for everyone. Nice clean tone with single coils like you can always rely on from fender amps - so that's a positive comment 😀
I owned a '63 champ. My mom got it for me at a yard sale in '75 for $10 bucks. Back then this amp was considered a student amp. Funny thing is this amp was the only amp poor folks could afford back then. Because of its low output, it was easy to overdrive and recording studios started using them in the 1960-70's. That made the amp popular and sought after which sequently drove the price up. I don't know what happened to my '63 champ, my mom must have tossed it out after I left to college. LOL!
Oh yeah well I found a 1987 gorilla tc35 recently at a yard sale for 20 bones. Seriously though it sounds pretty bad ass,and can you believe it still works? Josh homme said he bought something like 3 that didn't work right out of the box.
@DanDeePee There's plenty of companies selling 5watt amps for higher prices... and people buy them. I actually bought a used 57 Deluxe for something like 850 Euros, but if I had a lot of money I may buy this little thing. The number of knobs is unrelated to price, it depends on the type of circuit you like. I don't like master volume amps for instance, and for other people is a must.
Fantastic clean sound, but i would definatly hook up a distortion pedal on the strat. On the other hand, the humbucker sound is more suitable for this amps distortion
I just built a 5f1.... I put a choke in mine but still included the resistor used in the 5F1. Mine pretty much sounds like this, though I used a Celestion tube 10 for a speaker. Think I'd buy the Weber speaker if I was doing it over. I only went 10' because I built in a donor amp set up that way. I have found that of my many dirt boxes, the one that really likes this is a Frederick effects Zombie clone..A Klon clone..... With no volume control on the amp, the tone control of an OD or an EQ is really useful. These amps IMO when driven need an added mid hump.
The high volume driven with a single coil is a little too fuzzy for my liking but it looks great and sounds great clean. Too much preamp and not enough power tube maybe?
@DanDeePee Marshall too. They are charging $800 for a 1 watt, two knob "50th anniversary" amp. Gibson is just as bad charging $2,300 for a one pickup Les Paul Junior Reissue. Of all of the companies, Fender has done an overall good job of giving the customers what they want.
Tube amps you have to crank unlike solid state amps which can get loud past 2 or 3. I own a solid state and a Tube and run my delay and reverb out of the effects loop of my solid state and use my distortion and modulation through my Tube amp.
@DanDeePee You don't get it apparently, who cares about the power ? It's all about tone. So many people record with this amp and it sounds killer on the record.
this is a monster the father of great tona amps...... you can hear the tone of this using a hi fi tube amp in your computer, if you have........ well i have mine so get yours and be surprised how a tube low power amp sounds so good
I have this reissue from this year and although it was quite pricey (arguably overpriced) at almost 1k Canadian, I have to say it's pretty remarkable with my 92 SG.
There are some people here that know nothing about tone. Not every amp is designed for metal. For Jazz, Rock or Blues this amp is pretty tough to beat.
@KovieMatt Buy the Fender Champ 15watt tube amp. Made in Mexico, very cheap, all the features of this amp (i.e. a volume knob and an on off switch) at a fraction of the price. There's plenty of videos of it on youtube.
Who ever made mention about the expensive transformer no duh it's all copper inside and it's the main component aside from speakers and tubes but actually my dad got one for $15 used and it works fantastically
I have tried a few of them (the 1,000 with PTP wiring), but have either not gotten a good one, of they are doing the best given the design cost limitations of modern retail (need to mark up about 5-fold from component + build cost), meaning that these amps have to be built for between $100-200. It is impressive that they can do as well as they do, but the microphonics, limited power transformer (thin margin over rated power), and other component limitations make it hard. The original great amps from the 60-70's are a whole different animal, but the markup cost requirements and component costs in general were much different then. I tried a whole bunch of studio focused amps (roughly 5 watts or under), and finally settled for a Jackson Ampworks Mc Fly (1 watt with built-in attenuator and just the 6V6's on, and 75 watts with all 4 6V6 and 6L6's on. The 200+ watt transformer with integrated choke makes for a beautiful silent "blackdrop," and the pure single-ended Class-A amps just soars and is a work of art to play at any output level. It is like a raging little bull with good manners. No narrow sweet spots. I had wanted a The ValveAmplifier Company Bimbo (from Italy) or a 3100, but couldn't find any in America. Like nobody sells them once they get one. I have only evaluated about 150 studio amps over the past few years, and there are plenty of one-trick pony's which can give you a few good application sweetspots, but not many that almost make you cry when you play them. Know what I mean? Anyone found any of these newer Fender, Marshalls, or other mods that are designed and spec'd to give the soaring power and control of the great 60's - 70's amps? There must be some brands and models that are awesome, which I'd love to hear about. Don't want to pay the ridiculous prices for the old great ones (10K - 35K), and I expect there are viable options beyond these.
Ok 2 postings for me very unusual. You have to hear these baby's live. Stand right in front of 'em cranked. I personally like the Clapton version better. That tremolo add on really give it the vintage sound. Yes I own (read borrowed) a '56 Champ. Every guitar sounds great. Tele's I think sound the best. Strats' great and as an owner of 3 pre-1960 Les Pauls. The NEW Les Pauls(2000-2010) sound better! Just my ear, but, that's what I found to be true.
I would like to let people know if you add the Boss "Fender series pedals " they have three pedals to add extra sounds from three other classic fender amps in history !!! Peace .
Too true. My custom shop Clapton strat came with the nut broken in 3 different places. Discovered that changing strings on it for the first time. I couldn't stop gritting my teeth and swearing.
My dad made me one from our own parts chassis and time same idea with a few of my dad own tweaks and ideas and let me tell you that thing kicks ass I walked all over my friends vox in that thing one day he was pissed but hey don't mess with a fender design
@Gary1497 If it turns out that the reissue Fender is made in China then it's a double whammy.VHT sells the Chinese made Special 6 and the component and build quality are not behind and for 230 bucks! Cox amps offers basically the same amp ,made in the USA,for 600 bucks and the build quality/component selection is at least on par.There are similar other US made options all of which are cheaper. Fender,lol.
I read an article that stated that eric clapton used this on Layla and other assorted love songs, i dont know if it is true. But hearing this amp it could be
Just remember...so did Peter Green's '59 Les Paul come with the PU in reverse. It would be very difficult to buy that guitar today. Every mistake is a channel to something new. Not always good but, well you get what I'm saying right?
@zeLudoo why does everyone take what I said like they think I hate the thing? I never said anything against it, I just said if anyone else put out the same product, even if it did sound as good as this/was a reissue, probably nobody would buy it.
@Gary1497 Let's see..I have vintage 5e3,a 64 Vox AC30,a Matchless,a boutique Tele and vintage Les Paul,a Harley,a BMW and I can't decide which guitar,which guitar amp and which vehicle to take to my blues gig tonight(insert irony)... lol,nope!not me and not most people. Take care to you and to fender wake up.
@TUUK2006 Not really. But it is true that it doesn't cost that much for Fender to make one of these (sells for 1200$ +). I guess it is kind of like intellectual property. It's a very desirable tone that Fender chanced upon, and now they make money off it.
when he used the humbucker guitar i cried... that tone touched my heart
I disagree with you. I've listened to Guitar World's Paul Riario for several years now and have always been impressed with his talent. He's a fine player. I have no criticism of his skill or his sound. He's better than good.
agreed
Thank you. It only took watching 37 video's to see what it sounds like with a power chord.....glorious.
For the people who consider to buy this, build this amp yourself! You will not only saves some bucks, the amp will sound better and can be modded to whatever you want. The circuit (5F1) of the original Fender Champ (5W Single-Ended Class A) is one of the most famous ones. Check out 5F1 kits to build it yourself, you can either build the chassis in the standard Champ cab with an 8" speaker or you can put this thing in a modified Tweed Deluxe cab, run a 12" Jensen or Weber in it and you will have the best sounding 50s tweed sound coming out at bedroom levels! 5W not enough, even better! Build the Tweed Deluxe (5E3) THE most famous Tweed amp, 15W Class AB Push Pull!
You can build one yourself...but it will not have the things that protect you from electrocute yourself if you use this in outdoor environments...The custom wired one from Fender is superb...not that other builders can't make a good 5F1...it still comes down to the parts you use and the Transformer...you are paying for great parts in the Fender...if you are good at building have at it!
Brian, what the hell are you even talking about? Take a second and turn your brain on. What could Fender possibly have in their amps that would protect you from electrocution that a home-built amp would not have? Does Fender use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters in their amps? Also where are you using your amps for goodness sake, outside in a rainstorm, in your bathtub? Also, "The custom wired one from Fender is superb". Anyone can superbly wire theirs as well. Perhaps even better. In fact, most likely even better than the Mexican or Jap building the Fender for $5 an hour. The electrical components Fender uses can be found anywhere else, have a look at MojoTone.com. All of the parts (yes transformers too, Brian) can be bought from there. It will cost you half of what Fender sells it for and quality will be EXACTLY the same. www.mojotone.com/kits/TweedAmpKits_x/Test-Tweed-Champ-Amp-Kit
Well I do know what I am talking about...I hope to know the designer personally - He is a close family member - my brother...and you did not know that Fender by them having to export the amp to many countries have to put safety features into the amp that is compliance with many countries standards to prevent someone from getting electrocuted. Did you know an amp that is used in any situation that brings the player into contact with even a wet surface a damp floor and being barefoot in your home could set you up as "Perfect Ground " and shock you to the point you could die?" As a kid growing up and playing with amps with two prong plugs...and Microphones running to another amp you learn quickly what perfect ground is. I own two 57 Champs that are Fender and I have One that is not and is a home build...and the features that Fender puts in is to protect their players...so you should learn to read a schematic and understand electronics. I trust my brother he has been doing this for close to 55 years. Where I use my amps is irrelevant when you are a manufacturer...it comes to meeting safety standards on a global level...no disrespect intended but you have to realize that copying an amp is just not copying an amp..it is about making one that is close to the original but with added features that bring us to higher levels of knowledge and safety. If I wanted a cheap amp I would build one..but my safety is not worth Cheap.
Brian Kaplan If I had any doubt I can't be safe standing bare foot on a damp floor with an amp I won't even power it on. If the circuit is up to code it WILL be safe even on a damp floor.
Many amps built back in say before the late 60s use a two prong plug. Even Fender used a two prong plug back then this does not have the earth safety ground as the three prong plug does and two prong plug may possibly have a hot chassis if something there is wrong then no way I would stand on that damp floor. Having a safty ground any stray voltage will travel through it instead of going to the chassis as possible with a two prong plug. It is very easy to install an earth safety ground and highly recommend.
At the end you say if you want a cheep amp you would build one.
If I understand you correctly.....This is how many amp companies even Leo built amps keeping in mind budget and profit margins so many diy er's such as me have built these beutful classics and go completely all out and use higher quality components yes the amp does cost more to build than any company will produce but we don't have overhead if the amp is for personal use.
Last even vintage Fender amps use unsafe two prong plugs and the lower watt amps tie the ground point together these are easley updated and man do I love the tweed era
Where’s the history in that?
I own one of these. It sounds great. I've never heard any muddy tones out of it. I love the way it crunches. I don't like the modern day amps distortion too high end. I use fender, Vox and Orange for amplification.
Clean sounds are where it’s at on this amp
This amp is probably next on my list to buy. Or at least something along these lines. So much tone for a 5 watt amp. It means I can jam with my drummer at a full on crunch tone without overpowering him, and it's easy to deal with in a recording environment. Also, for those of you complaining about the lack of a Tone control, use the ones on your guitar. They're a very similar principle.
Don't pick an amp just because it has the most features. Pick the one that sounds best to you.
I just played through a '56 Fender Champ this weekend. Not a clone. Not a re-issue. An original. The tone was quite different than what I heard here. Might be the computer, etc. Point being, if you have the opportunity to play an original you may be pleasantly surprised by the warm tone, the clarity of the high, mids and lows, and the head room. They are sweet.
Wonderfull Clear Sound, ther right amp for a good Strat!!
Thank you!
The amp is cool but it's insane to pay 1k for this. It was designed as a cheap and practice amp back in the 50's, even that "handcraft custom shop" quality doesn't make this value acceptable.
You can build your own clone for about $500.00 with an amp kit. Stewmac.com has them. They said it can be done in 6 hours. I took my time and don't have the exact time but no more than a couple days. It sounds super clear below 5.
It is everything BUT insane. This Amp sounds so beautiful. Worth every penny.
I had a clone before and I appreciate the original. An amp for life, you won't give it away anymore, I promise
@@valk67 - Looks like you are one of the few players who have more dollars than "sense." That's a joke son.
Blows my mind when folks assume a various $ amount is “insane” for particular people to spend. 1k for one individual is like buying bubble gum for some. And for me My time is worth way more than Nickel and dimeing around for hours trying to build one $500. That’s me, not necessarily anyone else.
james c :
It’s good to understand how a tube amp works.
What better way to do a simple build like a Champ.
If you truly aren’t interested in that, then any copy using tag board construction will do; just get good parts.
Everyone who's hating on it has never played through a vintage Champ. It's a spiritual experience
blablabla...
u dont need a vintage champ to get that sound.The reissue sounds just as good.
@@mragunathan1627 The '50s champ I've had for almost 10 years would disagree with you
@@SeeMick1 im not denying that the 50's Champ is cooler and would be worth way more, but youre in denial if u think the reissue would be inferior sounding
Sounds great with the humbuckers driving it....
Thanks for the demo..
Cheers!
They're great and all that, but for less than $200 you can build one yourself...safely. With all the safety features. I plan on doing this myself. I'm putting it in a vintage stand up Philco radio cabinet from the 30's. In the meantime, Monoprice put out the same amp...5Y3, 6V6 and 12AX7 5 watt with a switch to drop it to 1 watt for lower volume practicing. The price...$89.99 on sale last week! I have one in my music room now! Check out the reviews. Everyone says it's as good or better than the original Champs...they hummed a little. This one doesn't. To me It's hard to justify $910 more! It sounds incredible. I love Fender products. Not their prices though. I'll still build my own and have a cool vintage looking amp for around $200...less if I scavange some vintage parts!
74dart man I’ll put my champ up against your 200 piece of shit amp any day!
I would. I just think I would electrocute myself and die
You're cute. 200 bucks, lol
PsycheGaming It definitely wasn’t a waste of money. It’s a great little amp worth every dollar. Which I’m sure your broke ass will never know.
It's cool that you like the monoprice, but it's not the same amp. Hopefully you are ok with it being disposable when it dies in a couple years, champs are still running from the 1950's.
I got to play on an all original 57 Champ. Not the reissue. About 2 years ago. Beautiful tone. Owner would not part with it and I respect him for that. Nothing can match it.
I just bought my 2nd one. The first one I had was nothing special, however the one I have now is a perfect amp. My 56 Custom Shop Stratocaster sounds the best coming out of this great amp! The Blues Jr. mentioned earlier is a good amp, but it’s not even close. 5 stars.
@DanDeePee - agree with many doubting comments, but the size, wattage and # of knobs has little to do with the cost - it's still a lot of work to hand build any amp and Fender charge a premium for anything that takes more than five minutes to crank out.
I think FMI was just proud to release some of these famous-design amps.
Just chanced on this and let's be honest a Fender Stratocaster played through a 5 watt fender Champ is about as close to heaven as you're going to get Leo knew what he was doing when he soldered this thing together long long ago
Thanks for this demo of what the amp really sounds like.
@drakonsangue clapton has recorded with a vintage champ. but he toured with a 1958 twin amp and a backup until fender made the 57 twin amps that are now for sale. prior to that the amps were custom made cornell's that looked like the original tweeds.
Paul plays beautiful music.
With Humbuckers it was incredible!
This amp's bottom end sounds a bit unfocused. However, I love the tone at lower volume with single coils.
Even though I like Paul's videos, I think perhaps something was up with the mic'ing of this episode. I've played one of these amps with a Tele, and found it to be quite articulate up and down a broad sonic range. The low end does sound muddy to me on this video.
I think this is one of those amps that will have a core of die hard fans that won't suffer any criticism, but it's not for everyone. Nice clean tone with single coils like you can always rely on from fender amps - so that's a positive comment 😀
You can always buy a do-it-yourself kit... There's some who sell the complete thing (combo cabinet + speaker + chassis and the necessary components).
I owned a '63 champ. My mom got it for me at a yard sale in '75 for $10 bucks. Back then this amp was considered a student amp. Funny thing is this amp was the only amp poor folks could afford back then. Because of its low output, it was easy to overdrive and recording studios started using them in the 1960-70's. That made the amp popular and sought after which sequently drove the price up. I don't know what happened to my '63 champ, my mom must have tossed it out after I left to college. LOL!
Oh yeah well I found a 1987 gorilla tc35 recently at a yard sale for 20 bones. Seriously though it sounds pretty bad ass,and can you believe it still works? Josh homme said he bought something like 3 that didn't work right out of the box.
Excellent review from Paul , thank you and Fender a Legendary Amp historic !!!
yeah, paul is back"
Where'd you get that foam bed for the amp? What's the spec of that foam?
It sounds great with that PRS - almost a Marshally crunchy growl... Done the *real* way too - without the aid of master volume and gain controls.
@DanDeePee There's plenty of companies selling 5watt amps for higher prices... and people buy them. I actually bought a used 57 Deluxe for something like 850 Euros, but if I had a lot of money I may buy this little thing. The number of knobs is unrelated to price, it depends on the type of circuit you like. I don't like master volume amps for instance, and for other people is a must.
Fantastic clean sound, but i would definatly hook up a distortion pedal on the strat. On the other hand, the humbucker sound is more suitable for this amps distortion
beautiful tone!
omg it sounds so good with a humbucker equiped guitar. but it sounds more like fuzz than overdrive with the strat
I totally agree.
Best Review on this Amp !
I just built a 5f1.... I put a choke in mine but still included the resistor used in the 5F1.
Mine pretty much sounds like this, though I used a Celestion tube 10 for a speaker. Think I'd buy the Weber speaker if I was doing it over. I only went 10' because I built in a donor amp set up that way. I have found that of my many dirt boxes, the one that really likes this is a Frederick effects Zombie clone..A Klon clone..... With no volume control on the amp, the tone control of an OD or an EQ is really useful. These amps IMO when driven need an added mid hump.
The high volume driven with a single coil is a little too fuzzy for my liking but it looks great and sounds great clean. Too much preamp and not enough power tube maybe?
Great demo
Holy fuck this thing sounds amazing.
@DanDeePee Marshall too. They are charging $800 for a 1 watt, two knob "50th anniversary" amp. Gibson is just as bad charging $2,300 for a one pickup Les Paul Junior Reissue. Of all of the companies, Fender has done an overall good job of giving the customers what they want.
Tim Murphy I have this amp and it’s worth every penny to me. I guess when you can’t afford something you have to knock it.
Tube amps you have to crank unlike solid state amps which can get loud past 2 or 3. I own a solid state and a Tube and run my delay and reverb out of the effects loop of my solid state and use my distortion and modulation through my Tube amp.
Paul rules!
that PRS is pretty sweet!
@DanDeePee You don't get it apparently, who cares about the power ? It's all about tone. So many people record with this amp and it sounds killer on the record.
this is a monster the father of great tona amps...... you can hear the tone of this using a hi fi tube amp in your computer, if you have........ well i have mine so get yours and be surprised how a tube low power amp sounds so good
I have this reissue from this year and although it was quite pricey (arguably overpriced) at almost 1k Canadian, I have to say it's pretty remarkable with my 92 SG.
01-30-22 the amp is now $1539.99 CDN. Ouch!
@@fisherprice747 oh wow. I got mine I think 2010 it was 999 cdn plus tax
Way way overpriced . I'd look for used
There are some people here that know nothing about tone. Not every amp is designed for metal.
For Jazz, Rock or Blues this amp is pretty tough to beat.
It's wayyyy over priced though
@KovieMatt Buy the Fender Champ 15watt tube amp. Made in Mexico, very cheap, all the features of this amp (i.e. a volume knob and an on off switch) at a fraction of the price. There's plenty of videos of it on youtube.
Who ever made mention about the expensive transformer no duh it's all copper inside and it's the main component aside from speakers and tubes but actually my dad got one for $15 used and it works fantastically
What ever happened to Paul from Guitar World? :O
I have tried a few of them (the 1,000 with PTP wiring), but have either not gotten a good one, of they are doing the best given the design cost limitations of modern retail (need to mark up about 5-fold from component + build cost), meaning that these amps have to be built for between $100-200. It is impressive that they can do as well as they do, but the microphonics, limited power transformer (thin margin over rated power), and other component limitations make it hard. The original great amps from the 60-70's are a whole different animal, but the markup cost requirements and component costs in general were much different then.
I tried a whole bunch of studio focused amps (roughly 5 watts or under), and finally settled for a Jackson Ampworks Mc Fly (1 watt with built-in attenuator and just the 6V6's on, and 75 watts with all 4 6V6 and 6L6's on. The 200+ watt transformer with integrated choke makes for a beautiful silent "blackdrop," and the pure single-ended Class-A amps just soars and is a work of art to play at any output level. It is like a raging little bull with good manners. No narrow sweet spots. I had wanted a The ValveAmplifier Company Bimbo (from Italy) or a 3100, but couldn't find any in America. Like nobody sells them once they get one. I have only evaluated about 150 studio amps over the past few years, and there are plenty of one-trick pony's which can give you a few good application sweetspots, but not many that almost make you cry when you play them. Know what I mean?
Anyone found any of these newer Fender, Marshalls, or other mods that are designed and spec'd to give the soaring power and control of the great 60's - 70's amps? There must be some brands and models that are awesome, which I'd love to hear about. Don't want to pay the ridiculous prices for the old great ones (10K - 35K), and I expect there are viable options beyond these.
@ Darkdevil1584 Tube amps are significantly louder than solid state amps.
Turn the volume up on the guitar and back it off on the amp so it doesn't loose all the highs.
Ok 2 postings for me very unusual. You have to hear these baby's live. Stand right in front of 'em cranked. I personally like the Clapton version better. That tremolo add on really give it the vintage sound. Yes I own (read borrowed) a '56 Champ. Every guitar sounds great. Tele's I think sound the best. Strats' great and as an owner of 3 pre-1960 Les Pauls. The NEW Les Pauls(2000-2010) sound better! Just my ear, but, that's what I found to be true.
I like the guitar
I would like to let people know if you add the Boss "Fender series pedals " they have three pedals to add extra sounds from three other classic fender amps in history !!! Peace .
Those pedals are terrible, don't suggest them to people.
Yes I get your Point But that does not excuse Gibsons Quality Control System ,you might expect that if it was Chineses Copy at $200
Too true. My custom shop Clapton strat came with the nut broken in 3 different places. Discovered that changing strings on it for the first time. I couldn't stop gritting my teeth and swearing.
Speaker is just too small for overdrive. I plugged this thing in 4x12. sounds great! And it's 2 times louder..
I hear reverb........where's that coming from? There is no reverb on this amp.
Excellent !!!
@Darkdevil1584 check out the peavey valveking series, it's versitile, affordable, and sounds decent, not GREAT but good
No max volume? Did you have to return the amp unscathed?
this one goes to 12!!! someone tell nigel, i think he'll want this lol
@garethhjones I hear that too. Is it natural room reverb maybe?
My dad made me one from our own parts chassis and time same idea with a few of my dad own tweaks and ideas and let me tell you that thing kicks ass I walked all over my friends vox in that thing one day he was pissed but hey don't mess with a fender design
@Gary1497
If it turns out that the reissue Fender is made in China then it's a double whammy.VHT sells the Chinese made Special 6 and the component and build quality are not behind and for 230 bucks!
Cox amps offers basically the same amp ,made in the USA,for 600 bucks and the build quality/component selection is at least on par.There are similar other US made options all of which are cheaper.
Fender,lol.
yes
That awkward moment when Paul meets Andy from PGS at a bar
nasheedmoiz :)
He said 12 o clock not 12. 12 o clock is another way of saying 5.
Maybe, but that amp actually goes from 1 to 12
@jokas96 yeah, 12 is more than 11! That rocks!
@superskwrl Yeah, I know. I remember hearing Clapton play "Layla" and thinking "Gosh! I hope I don't ever get MY guitar to sound like that!" NOT!!!!
Its pretty freaking loud for a small amp..I have the same amp Ive bought it in 92 for $200 now its worth $800 hell ya
I read an article that stated that eric clapton used this on Layla and other assorted love songs, i dont know if it is true. But hearing this amp it could be
Is the amp a home amp can he quietly good?
Fender tube amp, Fender Strat, can't go wrong.
Is this the one that Ritchey Valens used?
Can you do club gigs with this or is it too small?
Strat on position 4 for the demo? Why?
when is your next movie with Spielberg?
Just remember...so did Peter Green's '59 Les Paul come with the PU in reverse. It would be very difficult to buy that guitar today. Every mistake is a channel to something new. Not always good but, well you get what I'm saying right?
Nice.
It needs no knobs. Just hard wire the volume to MAX.
Holy fucking shit dude! Fucking amazing story! Write a book!
OOOOOOOOOOOH SO MANY SETTING!!!!
@guitarfreak9177 whose quote?
WHy does he stay on the neck pickup the whole time?
Are those amps made in USA ?
i want to hear p-90s
@zeLudoo why does everyone take what I said like they think I hate the thing? I never said anything against it, I just said if anyone else put out the same product, even if it did sound as good as this/was a reissue, probably nobody would buy it.
lush amp
simple but sound's awesome :)
@Gary1497
Let's see..I have vintage 5e3,a 64 Vox AC30,a Matchless,a boutique Tele and vintage Les Paul,a Harley,a BMW and I can't decide which guitar,which guitar amp and which vehicle to take to my blues gig tonight(insert irony)...
lol,nope!not me and not most people.
Take care to you and to fender wake up.
do they make it with a 1x12?
I know, I have a strict rule that, for $100 I spend, I want another knob added to the amp.
get a Les Paul Jr with the p90 into that and it will be the best sound in the world.
It looks just like my pro junior iv
@TUUK2006 Not really. But it is true that it doesn't cost that much for Fender to make one of these (sells for 1200$ +). I guess it is kind of like intellectual property. It's a very desirable tone that Fender chanced upon, and now they make money off it.
I would only buy this amp- if I had too many money and because of it’s history...cool little fellow tho
who were talking to?
check the prices