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oli2811666 oli2811666

« Excellent! »

Published on 10/24/12 at 09:43
We are in the presence of a transistor amplifier with a power of 100W, decorated with two speakers Fender 12pouces. There are two entrances and the first is sensitive enough, the second is a little less, probably intended for active microwave instruments and / or pickups humbucker. The machine also has an effects loop and a footswitch input for connecting the supplied with two-way. Nothing more to report.

The beast has two channels and a half. Hell, what strange figure?! Let me explain:
* The first channel is the clean channel, with its own EQ and volume.
* The second channel, called "Drive", a channel is saturated with its own EQ, a setting of the drive (read: overdrive) and volume, plus a small button "Mid contour" to boost the midrange frequencies.
* The third channel, called "More Drive" is actually just a boost on channel saturated. He brings up the gain and volume, and also shares all the settings of the second channel, but I do not think you can really consider it as a separate channel.
However, this configuration is perfect for me: everything is at foot (cf. footswitch for switching from channel to channel saturated and clear, once the channel is saturated, to activate and deactivate the boost !) On many (poor to excellent) amps, there is a clear channel and a channel saturated, but for drilling during solos and lead others, you must attach a boost pedal (or overdrive, as I do with my another amp). Here, everything is there, you do not need anything other than the amp!

Finally, it should be noted reverb, which has the merit of being present.

UTILIZATION

Configuration is very simple, I would say it is greatly facilitated by the equalizer for each channel. No more chipotages to find a compromise between the perfect sound for the clean channel and its perfect for the saturated channel!
on the other hand, as it is spoken, it is not an amp that I would call "easy access". He may vomit sound absolutely rotten as it can play a sound as you wonder if there is not some small lights under the hood. And for the second I&#39;m talking to search. Depending on your patience and your experience, it can take time. In short, no, you do not get a good sound so easy, take the trouble to look, try. But once we give ourselves the time to look ... It opens eyes as round as balls and never stops playing for an hour!

However, do not expect to use the beast quietly in your room (for students), or even in your apartment in your house (for others). As mentioned in my review of the Gretsch G5222 Electromatic, it depends on the thickness of the walls, insulation and especially the patience of your parents / neighbors ... But as you say now that it will be very challenged by this amp. 100W, two speakers of 12pouces is huge ... But if in addition to the amp comes from Fender, do not try, damn it! The volume is too high a tenth of the power amp. Unplayable at home.
Instead of the beast is in your rehearsal room of your group and / or in your rack together. Certainly not at home (unless you have a good soundproof room to do this).
Now, it&#39;s not being asked, I really wonder what idiot would buy this monster to play quiet home ...

The manual is very short, one or two A4 pages and describes the function of each knob and each input of the amp. This is not particularly useful, but it is clear enough.

SOUNDS

I play really everything, mainly blues and rock (from the Rolling Stones to Airbourne through Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, The Subways, ...). This amp is really versatile and I am absolutely everywhere.

All functions are usable:
I use the clean channel, which is really clean, crystalline, "Fendérien" for all passages ... clear (ahem), and it does! A professional musician recently told me that we should not turn our backs on transistor amps evolving well and sound approach lamp, and he was right! Certainly, a tube amp will always be hotter, more lively ... But 1) not that much in the end and 2) that it is worth to € 1,000 more for a &#39;65 Twin Reverb? I stop here my litany: This amp has a clear sound extremely close to perfection.
Moving to LA big controversy about this amp, its canal saturated: exploitable frankly, brilliant even in the records where I use: blues, blues-rock, rock, punk, pop, pop rock, ... It is very close to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (through distribution channels and even the sound). Love it or do not, personally I love it. More and drive, used for lead solos and other parts, is really well done!
This amp is a very versatile

Finally, the reverb is present and doing his job, I did not complain.

My main guitar is a Fender Stratocaster Standard (with rosewood fingerboard), my back-up guitar is a Danelectro Dead On &#39;67 (reissue the Hornet). Both sound really good with this amp, special mention for Strat &#39;marriage could not be more successful!

The excellent clear sound of this amp makes it suitable to collect your pedals well. That said, unless you&#39;re trying to get sounds like high-gain (metal, extreme metal and others), I do not think it&#39;s necessary (I play preferably without any pedal, hence the fact that I&#39;m so happy with the boost on this amp).

OVERALL OPINION

I use it since June 2010.

Initially, I was playing with a multi-effects pedal and sought an amp that I could not serve me as the power. In short, I have not tried other, I took the amp the most powerful and the cheapest I found on the market. Shortly after buying it, I stopped using my pedals and I had the pleasant surprise to get a usable sound. By dint of patience and testing, I managed to sculpt a sound that I like and suits me perfectly.

I love his power as a group, it is ideal, it is far too much but this model compared to its little brother, the FM65R, the advantage of having two speakers, which gives a better sound diffusion.
I love her and her three channels each, very complementary and I said, everything is at your foot!
I love his look, on stage, hard to say that it is "that" a Frontman, it looks a lot like a Twin!

In my eyes this is the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe the poor. I&#39;m even wondering if it&#39;s worth it to € 600 more for HRD which present the disadvantages of a tube amp (maintenance and precautions, changing lamps required ...) ...

A success!