Fender Stage 100

I've played multiple instruments since I was a kid ranging from drums and percussion to horns to guitars to piano/keyboards. I mostly play indie/experimental, guitar-based rock, but enjoy at least something from almost every style of music.

Guitar Center, about $500. I bought it because I wanted a good solid, reliable amp, with good tone that would pack a punch, but be portable for smaller gigs. Additionally, I wanted reverb options, which this amp undeniably has.

Though you don't get the sound you might from a tube amp, the electronic chip portion of this amp has its perks: all kinds of effects and reverb options ranging from 5 different delays, to tremolo's, vibrato's, chorus. It is a great amp for intermediate level guitarists who are thinking about building an effects rack, or getting more serious about their playing. It's plenty loud for small clubs, house shows, and sounds great in the studio. Great Celestion speaker backing it all up.

I've had my amp in the shop twice within a year of buying it. Fortunately the folks at Fender have a pretty decent repair warranty. As far as I know, this was just a fluke--I haven't heard of anyone else having this problem. Basically what happened was a bad solder leading to some melting inside. It sounds a lot worse than it ended up being, but as a result the volume level on the clean channel is a bit out of whack. no big deal, but an inconvenience.

Very easy to use. Enough knobs to handle the range of effects etc, but not too many to where it gets crowded. 4 switch footpedal is a godsend!

All-in-all a really solid amp. Sometimes it is nice to have your effects external--allows for more control, etc. but like i said, if you are interested in beginning a foray into multiple effects, this could be a cost-effective way to start and get great tone out of an amp. I plan on hanging on to this one for a while.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a solid-state amp from Fender. It has been replaced with the Stage 100 DSP but is still decent if you can find one.
There are two 1/4" connections. The first is high-impedance and the second is low, unless you use both simultaneously in which case they are the same. There are two channels, Normal and Drive. The Drive channel also has a boost channel, or "More Drive". The normal channel has a volume, 3-band EQ, and reverb control. The Drive channel has its own set of identical knobs except for the inclusion of a drive knob which controls gain. There is a switch to change channels and a switch to kick on the "More Drive" sound on the Drive channel. Both of those switches appear on a footswitch that is compatible with this amp as well. The amp also sports an effects loop and external speaker output as well as a balanced XLR line out.

UTILIZATION

Getting a good sound out of this map is not exactly that easy, because it doesn't really have that many good tones to begin with. It's not the hardest amp to use, though it certainly does have a lot of features for such a cheap amplifier. The manual will definitely come in handy for those who do not understand how to use effects loops, balanced XLRs, or any of the extra features, though honestly they shouldn't be too much for anybody. It's not the heaviest amp in the world for its size, which also is a nice plus.

SOUNDS

This amp simply doesn't sound that great. I can't really believe what bad tones I got out of it, considering it's a Fender product. The clean sound is uninspiring, it almost sounds like a slightly souped-up DI signal with an EQ. I actually use the Drive channel for a clean sound, just don't put too much on the "Drive" knob. If you're looking for actual dirty sounds, though, this isn't a great amp for those either. It has too much pure, clean sounds with no bite. I can get those sounds with a tube amp by playing lightly, however, I do need an amp to have some bite to it when I pick up the dynamics. This amp fails miserably on that front. I've tried it with Les Pauls, Teles, Strats, and Hollow bodies like the Guild Starfire, and I found that it didn't really work with any of them, at least not to my liking.

OVERALL OPINION

I think in all honesty that this amp was once again made for beginners who need it to play with a band. School bands, church ensembles, and places where tone is not a real priority could use this amp. Individual players who really are on a quest for great tone should avoid it. I really couldn't believe this amp when I tried it. I was very disappointed. I've recently discovered other fender solid-states that put it to shame, like the Deluxe 112 plus. There's definitely better stuff out there for more money, you're better off saving up for a longer period of time.

One of those simple amps from Fender. This is an amp that was onto the market for a while and then ultimately replaced by the Fender Stage 100 DSP. The DSP has multi effects based right into the amp that makes this an all in one amplifier.

This model is more stripped than the DSP. You get a three channel amp that has a clean, drive, channel, and then a boosted drive channel. You also get an effects loop to run you effects pedals and units. You can also run a wet/dry setup if you don't want the effects loop by using the line out function and run another speaker cabinet.

UTILIZATION

Fender Stage 100
Features: Three channel operation (Normal, Drive, More Drive), Normal channel- Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, Drive channel- gain, Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, EFX Loop, balanced line out, external speaker out, 2-bttn. 3-function footswitch included.

SOUNDS

The amp is functionally pretty easy to use and get a decent tone out of within a few minutes. The clean tone is just like any other clean channel from Fender. It is great with a nice chimy tone that sparkles on the high end.

The distortion channels are not that great. They are pretty bland and uninspiring. Just like most Fender amps the overdrive is just not that pleasing to the ears. The only amp from Fender where the distortion is nice is the Super-sonic and the new Hot Rod's. The second boost helps out a little more but still comes up short.

OVERALL OPINION

These amps have been discontinued now and only the used market can you find then. I have seen them for right around $300. Not a bad price for a three channel amp. NOt the best amp to come out of Fender but its average to pickup for that price.

I wouldn't recommend this amp to anyone. there are a lot better amps out there that can do the things this can do and much better. I would suggest getting a Supersonic if you can afford it. That amp is far more superior to this one.