The Fender Super was a guitar amplifier made by Fender between 1947 and 1963 and, as the Super Reverb, until 1981. Though it was designed for a clean sound, its overdriven sound is praised by players and critics.
The Fender Super was a guitar amplifier made by Fender between 1947 and 1963 and, as the Super Reverb, until 1981. Though it was designed for a clean sound, its overdriven sound is praised by players and critics.
The Super evolved from the so-called Dual Professional, "often cited as the world's first twin-speaker amplifier," which was introduced in 1947. The Dual Professional had two slightly angled 10" Jensen speakers, and had two 6L6 tubes producing 18 watts. It was renamed the Super in the fall of 1947. [1]
The amplifier's circuit was changed in 1955 (until then it was identical to the Fender Pro, except for the speaker configuration) when the 6L6 tubes were exchanged for 6V6 tubes; the 1958 5F4 model was again equipped with 6L6 tubes, so its circuitry was again almost identical to that of the Pro (5E5-A model) and the Bandmaster (5E7 model). [1]
The 5F4 model had Presence, Bass, and Treble controls, and separate Volume controls for the microphone and instrument inputs. It used 12AY7 pre-amplifier tubes for "more clarity and headroom" than a 12AX7 would. A fixed-bias output stage and split-phase inverters helped the Super overdrive more quickly than the Fender Bassman and produce a sound that, according to Vintage Guitar's Dave Hunter, "in the estimation of many a vintage-amp fan, is among the sweetest and most delectable of any amp ever made."
In 1960, the Super Amp was redesigned along with the remainder of the Professional Series of Fender amplifiers. Accordingly, the 5G4 Super Amp was clad in light brown tolex and outfitted with a forward facing control panel. The chassis contained a larger circuit with 5 preamp tubes to support a new onboard vibrato circuit. The Super, however, was the only one of these updated Professional amps to retain its tube rectifier, giving it a unique sound more akin to the preceding tweed 5F4 design. By the end of 1960, the vibrato circuit was beefed up again resulting in the 6 preamp tube model 6G4 followed shortly after by the 6G4-A.
This latter model (6G4-A) is the most common design lasting from mid 1961 to 1963 until the Super-Reverb Amp was debuted. The 6G4-A however typically sports standard brown tolex with wheat colored grill cloth and delivers approximately 40 watts of power. During this time, the 2-10" speakers were either Jensen AlNiCo or Oxford AlNiCo models. The output transformer was an initial weak point in the design as they tended to short out and fail under the increased power after 1958 when the Super regained its 40 watts of muscle thanks to the return to 6L6/5881 power tubes. As a result, Fender began using Woodward-Schumacher 4-ohm transformers (stamped 125A6A). These transformers had thicker gauge wires than the previous Triad version (stamped 45216) and handled the higher power with less stress.
Vox is a British musical equipment manufacturer founded in 1957 by Thomas Walter Jennings in Dartford, Kent, England. The company is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, used by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Queen, Dire Straits, U2, and Radiohead; the Vox Continental electric organ, the Vox wah-wah pedal used by Jimi Hendrix, and a series of innovative electric guitars and bass guitars. Since 1992, Vox has been owned by the Japanese electronics firm Korg.
A guitar amplifier is an electronic device or system that strengthens the electrical signal from a pickup on an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar so that it can produce sound through one or more loudspeakers, which are typically housed in a wooden cabinet. A guitar amplifier may be a standalone wood or metal cabinet that contains only the power amplifier circuits, requiring the use of a separate speaker cabinet–or it may be a "combo" amplifier, which contains both the amplifier and one or more speakers in a wooden cabinet. There is a wide range of sizes and power ratings for guitar amplifiers, from small, lightweight "practice amplifiers" with a single 6-inch speaker and a 10-watt amp to heavy combo amps with four 10-inch or four 12-inch speakers and a 100-watt amplifier, which are loud enough to use in a nightclub or bar performance.
Fender amplifiers are a series of electric instrument amplifiers produced by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The first guitar amplifiers attributed to Leo Fender were manufactured by the K&F Manufacturing Corporation (K&F) between 1945 and 1946. Later, Fender began building its own line of electric guitars. Fender amplifiers would become favorite of many famous guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, also known in these cases for playing Fender guitars.
The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox. It was introduced in 1958 to meet the growing demand for louder amplifiers. Characterised by its "jangly" high-end sound it has become widely recognized by British musicians and others, such as George Harrison and John Lennon of the Beatles, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, Brian May of Queen, Dave Davies of the Kinks and Hank Marvin.
The Fender Twin and Twin Reverb are guitar amplifiers made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Twin was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characteristically clean tone.
The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is a guitar amplifier manufactured and sold by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. It was introduced in 1996 as part of the "Hot Rod" line of guitar amplifiers and has been in continuous production since. The Hot Rod Deluxe is a modified version of the Fender Blues Deluxe from the earlier Blues line of amplifiers, and has a higher level of gain in its preamplification signal. This model, along with the Hot Rod Deville, were originally designated as F.A.T. amplifiers but this moniker was dropped in 2002 when production of this series of amps was moved from Corona, CA to Fender's Baja-Ensenada, Mexico manufacturing facility.
The Blues Junior is a tube guitar amplifier introduced in 1995 by the Fender Musical Instrument Corporation. It is aimed at achieving the warm, tube-driven tone common in many styles of American blues and blues rock dating back to the 1950s, while remaining both portable and affordable. A popular amp, Fender have released numerous versions since its initial release, the most recent being the version IV in 2018. Fender also frequently releases limited editions of the Blues Junior, such as the Lacquered Tweed and the "80 Proof".
The Fender Bassman is a series of bass amplifiers introduced by Fender during 1952. Initially intended to amplify bass guitars, musicians used the 5B6 Bassman to amplify other instruments, including electric guitars, harmonicas, and pedal steel guitars. Besides being a popular and important amplifier in its own right, the Bassman also became the foundation on which Marshall and other companies built their high-gain tube amplifiers.
The Fender Super Reverb is a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was originally introduced in 1963 and was discontinued in 1982. The Super Reverb was a Fender Super amplifier with built-in reverb and "vibrato". The original Super Reverb amplifiers were all-tube designs and featured spring reverb. There were two different designs, distinguishable by the color of the "face" or front control panel. Super Reverbs from 1963 through 1967 had "blackface" panels. From 1968 until its discontinuation in 1982, the Super Reverb had "silverface" cosmetics and circuitry. Early models in 1968, while cosmetically "silverface", did contain "blackface" circuitry. Fender introduced a reissue '65 Super Reverb in 2001 featuring a printed circuit board design rather than the hand-wired circuitry of the original '65 Super Reverb.
The Fender Concert was a guitar amplifier made by Fender Musical Instruments. Its production can be split over 2 phases. The first of these running from 1960 and until approximately 1965, at which time a typical Fender Concert was priced at $315. During the 1960s, the Concert was for all practical purposes the same amplifier as the Vibrasonic but with four 10" speakers. In a later phase, the Concert was updated by Paul Rivera in the early 1980s and a subsequent 1x12 variant of the Concert amp appeared briefly in the mid-1990s.
The Fender Champ was a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1948 and discontinued in 1982. An updated version was introduced in 2006 as part of the "Vintage Modified" line.
The Fender Vibrasonic was an amplifier made by Fender. It was debuted as the first of the new-model Fender amps of the 1960s, with new tolex-covered cabinets and front-mounted control panels that would replace the tweed-covered, top-panel cabinets that were prevalent during the 1950s, as well as new circuitry which would characterize most Fender amplifiers for two decades.
The Fender Bandmaster was a musical instrument amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1953 and discontinued in 1974. Some early models had both a microphone input and instrument inputs. Beginning in 1960, Bandmaster amps were equipped with a vibrato effect. In the 2000s, vintage Bandmaster amps remain in use by blues, Americana and rock and roll bands.
The Fender Bandmaster Reverb was a tube amplifier made by Fender. It was primarily a Silverface Bandmaster piggyback 'head' with the addition of reverb and vibrato and a modified circuit that shared more similarities with other Fender amplifiers. It was introduced in 1968 and was discontinued in 1980 .The Bandmaster Reverb was produced in both a 40 watt and 70 watt tube variant, before being reissued as a vintage modified amplifier.
The Fender Princeton Reverb is a guitar amplifier combo. It is based on the Princeton and includes built-in reverb and vibrato.
The Fender Showman was a guitar amplifier produced by the Fender company. It was introduced in 1960 and was discontinued in 1993. Blackface and Silverface models such as the Showman, Dual Showman, and Showman Reverb employed the same "piggyback head" design as the Bandmaster and the Bassman. Dual Showman Reverb used the Fender Twin Reverb chassis and came in non-master and master volume versions with "pull boost" circuitry, mid-1970s "tailless" amplifier decal and a slightly larger head. The Fender Showman is often associated with surf guitarist Dick Dale and was notably used in the 1960s by The Byrds, The Bobby Fuller Four, Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green, and in the 1970s by Steve Howe of Yes. Jimi Hendrix owned one early model, and later a Dual. Showmans and Dual Showmans are heavily sought by pedal steel guitar players.
The Fender Deluxe guitar amplifier is a range of non-reverb guitar amplifiers produced by Fender. The amplifiers were originally produced from early 1948 to 1966 and reissues are in current production. Its predecessor was the Fender Model 26 "Woodie" produced from 1946 to 1948.
The Fender Pro Reverb is a high-end guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was in production from 1965 and was discontinued in 1982. The Pro Reverb is a 40-watt tube amplifier and has a pair of 12-inch (30 cm) speakers; however, models later than 1976 were increased to 70 watts. Teagle and Sprung, authors of the definitive book on Fender amplifiers described the Blackface Pro Reverb as the best amplifier ever produced likely due to its combination of the two twelve inch speakers, its high quality reverb and tremolo, and just the right amount of power to get either classic Blackface Fender cleans or natural tube breakup at reasonable volumes. They wrote, "the author recommends these amps as the best all-around amp ever made—by anyone".
The Fender Vibroverb was a 40-watt combo guitar amplifier originally manufactured in 1963 and 1964. It was the first Fender amplifier to incorporate on-board reverb and tremolo/vibrato, which became a standard feature on many high-end Fender tube amps during the 1960s and 1970s.
The Fender Pro was an instrument amplifier manufactured by Fender Electric Instruments from 1946 to 1965. It was characterized by its dual 6L6-family power tubes and single 15" speaker, with output power increasing from 18 watts up to 40 watts over its production run. The Pro was replaced in the Fender lineup by its offspring the Pro Reverb.
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