Hey Dar...I've got a dumb question.
Never having been an electronics tech, what's your opinion of the old Fender amp circuits..ie.. 5E3, 5E7, 5C1, 5F6-A, etc...?
Also, when you talk to amp builder purists, why do they prefer NOT to put a reverb in it and how does that affect the signal?
Thanks again. :)
Randy
Hey Randy;
The question, honestly, yeilds a more subjective, than objective answer. Leo Fender had two basic goals in mind when he designed/developed amps: 1) Cost effectiveness and 2) Reliability. Ultimately, as guitar players became more demanding Fender, like everyone else, had to add more stuff in (Reverbs, Tremolo, 3 tone controls, etc). It really didn't affect reliability, but those things did affect tone.
Over the years, guitar players have "voted" on their favorite amps. Bassman 5F6A, Princeton AA1164 (if I remember correctly), JTM45, Marshall 2203 (JCM800), etc. Those "selections" were based on tones/components and build choices made at the time that just plain seemed to "gel" with the instrument, the player and the musical styles. You just need to find what you're going for, and then use that as your basis. Many of the revisions of circuits simply added a component, or two, or changed a component value in some part of the circuit.
With regards to reverbs and "purists"... these, again, are relatively subjective topics, IMO. The reason being, a well-designed reverb circuit should not take away from an already well-designed preamp / power amp combination. Poorly designed ones, however, will, dulling the sound, adding noise, sounding shrill, etc. Again, it's a matter of choice/preference.
With most effect loop designs, and I think this is where this thinking comes from, the reverb is blended INTO the effects loop, meaning that the amp reverb tank feeds the effects plugged into your effects loop. Reverb "washes" your sound out, quite a bit and, as a consequence, will tend to "wash out" the effects you've placed in the loop - if you're a reverb junkie, like me. So, adding reverb at the end of the loop (whether digital or Fender-style tube type) helps keep the effects "clean" and "clear" while allowing reverb to be in its "proper place" - at the end of the chain.
I hope that helps get you started... let me know if you have any more questions... or if I've missed something here... both could happen, usually the latter!
::)
Take care...
Dar
Makes sense to me.
Thanks for clearing that up. :)
I've been looking at an amp builder's products...ie...Tungsten Amps, Adam Palow in Florida.
http://www.tungstenamp.com/
Seems to have some really quality stuff at great prices.
Thanks again.
Randy
Hey Randy;
Had a quick look at the Tungston's... they look like they're nice amps, overall. With regards to those amps... Cortez, Mosaic and BluePoint... The Mosaic is based on the Fender Champ - single volume control, no tone controls. What you'll end up with is a sound like a Champ. :-) Basic, simple, clean and a single knob to twist to get your tone. Because of the "lack" of tone controls on those units you'll get a "smoother" midrange. A "normal" amp, like a Fender Twin, Bassman or Marshall combo has a mid-cut around 3-500Hz (depending on tone stack configuration). The Champ doesn't have that, so you'll get a more "Bluesy" tone from the flatter overall response of the tone stack. This is similar to taking a Bassman, for instance, setting the Bass control to a low value, the Treble control to a low value and the midrange running flat open.
The Cortez, based on the "original" Fender Deluxe has a "Tone" control which amounts to some Treble roll-off. As per the Mosaic, it too sports the "flat and smooth" midrange as it "lacks" the "Bass" and "Mid" controls. This is akin to the later Champs, and other amplifiers, and will do well with a range of musical styles and tastes. The nice thing, about these "flat" amplifiers is that you can shape the tone considerably just adding a quick EQ pedal in front (BOSS GE7, for instance).
The final amp, the BluePoint doesn't have much information about its topology. Seemingly, they're borrowing a bit from Matchless and, possibly, from Fender/VOX. The "mismatched" speakers in the unit (i.e. an AlNiCo and standard Celestion copy) is what Matchless used to do on the DC30. They don't say anything about topology and/or original circuits copied, so this one may be relatively unique in its design and its construction.
All-in-all, if these guys do half of what they say they do (and they probably do) when they build these amps, they'll be a darned ol' awesome amp, if you're after that initial Fender vintage tone. My personal favorite, of that era, is the Fender Deluxe (Cortez). But that's just me. I also LOVE the tone of the Bassman, but at listenable volumes... which also makes the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe a second personal favorite of mine.
Let us know how those amps sound. If they sound half as good as what they look, it'll be freakin' awesome! DROOL!!!!
Dar
Thank you very much Dar! :)
Yeah, I've been eye balling the Cortez 25 watt'er or the Blue Point.
The Blue Point description starts off by saying..."It's the best amp that Never was."
I'm almost thinking about getting a pair of Cortez 25's and running them in stereo.
If you ever call up the amp builder, Adam Palow, he'll sit there and tell you all about how he builds his amps.
A very personable guy.
Oh yeah, he builds these amps himself...no one else involved.
He does have a third party build the cabinets but that's it.
I'll have my funds to pull the trigger here in about a week.
I'll let you know how it goes and thanks again for the info.
Randy
Hey Dar,
Just got this from Adam at Tungsten Amplification about the Blue Point.
Maybe this will help.
Randy
From Adam
The Blue Point is not anything that Fender ever built, just a combination of a
few ideas I had regarding the tweed topology. The best description of the amp
is an American JTM45. Now of course the original JTM45 was a rip off of the
5F6-A Bassman, but this amp sounds much more like a JTM than a Bassman with a
distinctly vintage Fender vibe at the same time. IT really straddles the line
between the two.
You can get great Beano tones out of it and if you push it, the amp really does
the Duane Allman thing well. I've only built two or three of these so far, but
they seem to be universally liked by guys who need more defined bass and shimmer
than a 3x10" Bandmaster can hand out.
Adam Palow
352-250-3939
http://www.tungstenamp.com