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Anybody know anything about these amps?

I have one, it is a monster!! It is picky with tubes though. 2 channel 100watt, seperate effects loop. nice fender clean tone, and Dirty as hell drive channel.

I love the clean channel, although reverb woulda been nice. I really don't like the gain channel at all. To my ears, it's just gritty, harsh, and has a strange character to it's tone. I remember when Richie Sambora was using them for a year or two......it was the worst tone he'd ever had. He sounded better when he switched back to Marshall.

Of course, this is all my opinion. The amps are well built and have that classic Fender clean, but it sounds like a $700 amp, not a $1400 amp.


Originally Posted by GearjoneserI love the clean channel, although reverb woulda been nice. I really don't like the gain channel at all. To my ears, it's just gritty, harsh, and has a strange character to it's tone. I remember when Richie Sambora was using them for a year or two......it was the worst tone he'd ever had. He sounded better when he switched back to Marshall.

Of course, this is all my opinion. The amps are well built and have that classic Fender clean, but it sounds like a $700 amp, not a $1400 amp.

I like the dirty channel on it, I tend to use more master and less pre. i think they are versatile for a 700 dollar amp. I actually got mine for a mexi strat and 200 dollars. Now what about pages tone on the live at the greek album.
I think he was using tone masters at that time. i will usually set the clean channel clean, the dirty channel mildly overdriven and then use a tube screamer or pedal of that type to give it additional gain.

i would like to get a fender tube reverb unit and run it through the loop on the clean channel.

I seem to remember that the Tonemaster was the fender CS' attempt to go after the early Van Halen tone. I also remember reading it was very finicky about speaker cabs.

define quot;very finicky about speaker cabsquot;...it was sold with vintage 30's or Classic 80's, is a PITA with other types of speakers?

I'm thinking back to Guitar Player's review. Very long time ago. Something like 'sounded terrible with a standard marshall cab, much better with fender cab designed to go with it'. But this is from distant memory...


Originally Posted by 54stratloverI like the dirty channel on it, I tend to use more master and less pre. i think they are versatile for a 700 dollar amp. I actually got mine for a mexi strat and 200 dollars. Now what about pages tone on the live at the greek album.
I think he was using tone masters at that time. i will usually set the clean channel clean, the dirty channel mildly overdriven and then use a tube screamer or pedal of that type to give it additional gain.

i would like to get a fender tube reverb unit and run it through the loop on the clean channel.

Yeah, I don't wanna knock the amp, because it is a good amp. You're right about setting the gain low and master high on the gain channel. If the gain is set higher, it reminds me of a Hotrod Deville tone.
I had a Tonemaster for a few months, which I actually bought for $700, and I liked it a lot for single coils, but with humbuckers, it just sounded too cold and harsh, so I let it go. I'm curious about what tubes you use in it?

well, i know tiger army uses them (along with duo jets) and has done so on their last 2 albums

basically its a fender amp that doesn't mud up in power chords or fast bar chords, but i do think it could benefit from a warmer set of tubes

never played one, and it works well for tiger army, the tone on, ahh crap, whatever cd has the song incorporeal on it, but the tone was pretty good on that, but i think its more of a gutsy single coil amp than anything

maybe it'd shine with some p-90's?

and theres something weird about the impedance, like the wattage of the amp changes when you change impedance

I'm sure you could find a lot more info on the fender forum www.fenderforum.com

i think the tubes I am using are a set of short barrel or thin wafer 5881s, or 6l6 of some sort. I know the amp did NOT like the new groove tube 6l6ge. I will have to ask my amp guy what the tubes exactly are that it likes. It is a non bias amp, and I put the groove tubes in it and it made a funky oscillating noise when turned up high. I gave it to my amp guy and said quot;make it so #1quot;. He thought it might be the tranny, but it tested out fine. He was perplexed, so he e-mailed Zinky about it. Zinky said it was designed to work with the 2 different tubes, so use them and to quot;Never E-mail him about fender amps againquot;. He said we could email him about zinky amps, or the new supros, but not to ask him about fender amps quot;ever againquot;. Sounds like fender and he had a less than amicable parting. My amp guy put in the tubes he said, and it worked fine. I am sure one could put in a bias and mod it a bit and it would run the different tubes, but i am sure it would be a bit of work.

If you could please find out which 2 tubes Bruce suggested, that might be a huge help. And, I have heard that Bruce and Fender had a quot;prety bad break upquot;

from the description, quot;short barrel or thin wafer 5881squot; sound like the TADs that Scott recommends ... that would be my guess, since the TADs are one of the better current production tubes that fit that description

I'd be a little concerned about an amp that's finicky about tubes or speakers though ... although most amps sound best set up a certain way, it's nice to have one that's versatile
when an amp is described as quot;finickyquot;, it sounds to me like there's a shortcoming in the circuit

Zinky's remark is both funny and scary at the same time

adding a bias pot is a pretty cheap mod

groove tubes has these new kit things...its like preamp tubes that they put together or something, and they got ones to warm up an amp, to get more gain out of your amp, all that

i think the kit to warm it up might be a good idea


Originally Posted by the guy who invented fireIf you could please find out which 2 tubes Bruce suggested, that might be a huge help. And, I have heard that Bruce and Fender had a quot;prety bad break upquot;

I will give my amp guy a call tonight. I am not sure if he will be at home now, being a holiday and all.


Originally Posted by Curlyfrom the description, quot;short barrel or thin wafer 5881squot; sound like the TADs that Scott recommends ... that would be my guess, since the TADs are one of the better current production tubes that fit that description

I'd be a little concerned about an amp that's finicky about tubes or speakers though ... although most amps sound best set up a certain way, it's nice to have one that's versatile
when an amp is described as quot;finickyquot;, it sounds to me like there's a shortcoming in the circuit

Zinky's remark is both funny and scary at the same time

It is a different monster for sure. the impedance/variac thing is different for sure. When I had the amp apart to check it out, it (the impedance-variac thing) is wired into the tranny. It really doesn't have an impedience, i just call it that 'cause it sits were a fender impedance switch normally would.

My amp guy is real good. he gave the circutry a real good look over. Some of the flaws he noted were quot;long grid lengthsquot; whatever that means. There were two things he said we could change in the futore if I wanted. I remember the grids being one of them and I don't remember the other. he said otherwise it is a pretty solid point to point amp.

I use vintage 30s with the amp. I have one marshall cab with 75's and 30's mixed in it that I have run it through. Works fine, but i prefer the 30's. Actually I don't know if is just my ear, but I think everything sounds better with vintage 30's.