So - you’ve decided you want a Fender amp, but which one?
Fender are built on innovation. While who invented the solid body electric is hotly disputed, with original designs, sketches, ideas and formal production dates all varying, Fender were certainly amongst the first, but not before they’d pioneered the amplifier game.
Early Fender Amplifiers were sold as part of a matching set with Fender’s ‘Champion’ Hawaiian lap steel guitars, using vacuum tubes to power and amp and amplify the guitar’s sound.
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It made sense then, when the Broadcaster Esquire was brought to market in 1949 and 1950, that people would match them with the amps that Fender had already been producing. While these electric guitar designs sky-rocketed Fender into the mainstream, they were nothing without amplification, and with them began a long line of historically significant amplifiers from Fender – inspiring riffs, tones and modern music as we know it.
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This constant innovation inspires a lot of what Fender continue to do in the modern day: pulling from their history while looking to the future, harnessing tech as it becomes available.
Fender Tonemaster
The Tonemaster was a turning point for Fender Amplifiers. The Tonemaster range offers you some of the most famous Fender sounds in history, at a fraction of the cost (of both purchase and service costs), as well as a fraction of the weight of their hefty tube-powered counterparts.
Despite having only been around for a few years, the range has expanded exponentially. The Tonemaster range of Fender Amplifiers take their cue from some of the more famous Fender Amplifiers in history like the Princeton, Super Reverb and Deluxe and Twin Reverbs. Where they deviate, is in their digital modelling technology to model the original tube sounds without the upkeep required of tubes, or the weight associated with them.
Physical reverb tanks and complex wiring (filled with capacitors that also require upkeep, replacement and service) for tremolo and vibrato are also modelled, with Fender implementing digitally controlled algorithms and impulse responses to recreate the famous sounds. For the most experienced listeners among us, it can be really tough to discern the Tonemaster from the originals!
Fender Mustang
More experienced players know the sound they’re after more than a beginner, so they seem to find themselves using amps and pedals for very specific sounds. This makes the Mustang a great solution, accessible price aside, for a beginner, but that’s not to say the sounds aren’t for even the most discerning player.
While a bit further down the digital path, the Mustang has been Fender’s all-in-one style amp. Available in a few different sizes, with different speakers and configurations. The Mustang LT25 as an example, a combo amplifier with a single 8” speaker and offering 25-watts of power, has 60 presets onboard, 25 amp sounds and 25 effects. It’s all configurable on an easy-to read screen, and toggling through the amp settings, you have all bases covered. The Mustang LT25 does a great job of recreating classic tones from Fender, Vox, Marshall and HiWatt, as well as Mesa Boogie, Orange and EVH.
Fender Mustang Micro
While discussing the Mustang range, it’s difficult to go past the Mustang Micro, so this doesn’t count towards our top five! The Mustang Micro is a personal guitar amplifier, designed to be used with headphones, that offers a lot of tone presets, amps and effects that the larger format Mustangs offer. The Mustang Micro has 12 amp models, 12 effect combinations, EQ and Bluetooth!
Fender Chris Stapleton ’62 Princeton
I hope my tube-devotees are still reading, because the Fender ‘62 Princeton Chris Stapleton is a special one! About as simple as they come, The ‘62 Princeton is made more famous by Grammy-winning artist Chris Stapleton. Simple enough controls, Volume and Tone, with Speed and Intensity to control the tremolo, Stapleton’s ‘62 Princeton is powered by two 12AX7 preamp tubes, two 6V6 power tubes and single 5Y3 rectifier tube. A special designed 12” Eminence speaker rounds out the sound.
Fender Adam Clayton ACB50 Bass Amplifier
It’s difficult to skip over bass amp options, Fender having pioneered the electric bass. Announced recently, the Adam Clayton ACB50 is a bass amp built to spec for the U2’s, pardon the pun, bass-man. The ACB50 is a tube-powered, 50-watt amp with a 15” Eminence neodymium speaker. The tubes offer vintage sounds, while a transformer-coupled XLR out offer more modern routing options.
Fender Downtown Express
While on the subject of bass, an honourable mention has to go to Fender’ Downtown Express pedal. Yes, I know it’s not an amp – but maybe it could be a good replacement? The Downtown Express serves a bit like a channel strip, it’s a pre-amplifier with compression, drive and EQ on board, as well as an XLR out for sending direct to front-of-house. Imagine – you’ve got the same rumbling bass tone you’re used to, but your whole rig fits onto a pedalboard, easily packed up and moved off the stage. The thousands of people packed into the arena you’re headlining won’t hear a difference, Fender’s stellar design offering their classic sound in a pedal.
Read more about the Fender Chris Stapleton ’62 Princeton here. For more information on the entire range of Fender Amps head to Fender Music Australia.
