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Post subject: Montreux
Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 1:37 pm
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What is the word on these amps? I know from looking them up that they are 100W and Solid State, have a single 12" loudspeaker and come with a ground switch, an external speaker jack and an effects loop.... as well as a Pre Amp Out and a Power Amp Input. I have also read that certain ribbon connectors fail on them and that the permanent repair is to hard wire these connections.

I have also found out, thanks to the internet, that quite a few people think these are great sounding amps. What I don't know, is if the only amps these people had ever played before were the types of amps that come bundled with a beginners guitar package.

So can anyone with an appreciation of what a "good" amp sounds like tell me......what do these Fender Montreux amps sound like?

I'm guessing they have a somewhat awful distortion tone. Is the clean sound a reason to have one? For example, while gigging (and with both amps mic'd to the FOH PA system)..... if I wanted to A/B between, one of these for a super clean solid state sound and....my Cesar Diaz mod Vibroberb for dirty tones.

I ask because a friend has one he wants to get rid of......along with his Aria Les Paul bolt on. He is not really a player....gets by with a few chords etc and bought these once but now just needs them gone.

If the price were right......and I have no idea what that is....$150-$200 perhaps....is it worth picking up? Less if it needs the wiring fixed? Which I hear is necessary in all of them.

Honestly, I had never even heard of this amp before....never even knew they existed.

Thanks folks.

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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 3:12 am
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Schematic here;
http://www.stratopastor.org.uk/strato/a ... ntreux.pdf

Owner manual and more here;

http://www.stratopastor.org.uk/strato/a ... l#montreux
_______________________________________________________________________
Some Montreux owners comments ; Buy it if you like it .

https://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?t=27253

https://www.harmonycentral.com/reviews/ ... r-montreux


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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:40 am
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The quality of the tone will be limited by the old, slow 4558 ics in the unit.
The interesting part is the unusual drive channel.
The bias control appears to adjust duty cycle of the distortion signal. The cd4007 is used in a novel way to adjust it.
But I wouldn't touch it if you want good tone.


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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 3:42 pm
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These "utility-grade" Fender models -- Montreux, London Reverb, Harvard II, Showman (!!!) -- were designed by Paul Rivera in the late '80s to give the impression that the then-new FMIC still had a full line of amplifiers. Corporately they may have served a purpose but sonically, they're nothing to write home about. For a "noodling" amp that never leaves your bedroom or garage they're probably adequate but if your livelihood is based on quality guitar tone, you'd be SOL dragging one of these to a gig. As for their reliability I'd opine that they have a better track record than Fender's contemporary products.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 5:08 pm
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Cool, thanks guys. I was kinda thinking same but needed my mind made up and I appreciate it. I was considering buying it to....
a) help a buddy out..... and.....
b) to perhaps try using it in a 'stereo' setup. Where I have my CS Vibroverb as my main amp.....and the Montreux as the 2nd or B amp......with both it and the VV on an A/B pedal. I'd also set it up when using the Electroharmonix B3 pedal, so the organ signal goes to the Montreux set to clean and the guitar signal passes as normal to the VV. I'd probably turn off the guitar signal jack using that signal's volume, on the pedal, so only the organ signal/effect goes through to the Montreux. We do a couple covers where I use said pedal in places....it actually sounds decent.........as in fun. But it needs a separate amp.....and a very clean one.

I also considered when running the Montreux in 'stereo', to at times use a tiny bit of delay between it and the VV......getting a nice sort of chorused sound on the clean tones. I used to do that in the 80's between a Peavey Bandit and my Fender Twin. But of course that was sort of the LA sound back then ....the delayed 'stereo' rig...super clean and the distortion tones with lots of mid's going on so they cut through the mix.

Of course, it was a long time ago. Tones/times have changed! :)

I'll see. If the price comes down significantly I might go for it, but without any expectations of it doing very well.

Truth be told.....I have my Twin Reverb too that I could do this with but it is a bit on the heavy side if I am carting 2 amps to gigs and rehearsals.

Grassyass.


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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 5:25 pm
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If you already have a second amp and it's a Twin Reverb (which reproduces keyboard tones marvelously, especially with JBL speakers) why would you ever consider trying to make that Montreux work? Compared to a TR it's a Tolex-clad hand job.

:shock:
Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 6:42 pm
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Fumbly wrote:
What is the word on these amps? I know from looking them up that they are 100W and Solid State, have a single 12" loudspeaker and come with a ground switch,

The ground switch does absolutely nothing.
Unless your house wiring is faulty.

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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 11:43 pm
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vinyl wrote:
Fumbly wrote:
What is the word on these amps? I know from looking them up that they are 100W and Solid State, have a single 12" loudspeaker and come with a ground switch,

The ground switch does absolutely nothing.


Yeah thanks Vinyl.....I was just listing what was on the back panel really. Back in the day when I was singing.....I used to touch my plugged in guitar strings to my mic.....if I saw sparks I flipped the Grd switch to see if it helped.

Retro......A "Tolex-clad hand job" huh? :lol: :lol: :shock: :lol: I like that.

You are right. But about my Silverface not so cool TR..........? I think I want to post a separate thread about that. Perhaps you can help with some info on it.

Thanks folks.


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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:21 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
If you already have a second amp and it's a Twin Reverb (which reproduces keyboard tones marvelously, especially with JBL speakers) why would you ever consider trying to make that Montreux work? Compared to a TR it's a Tolex-clad hand job.

:shock:
Arjay



After all these years, you got me good on that one. BTW, thanks for all the good you have done on here over the years.


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Post subject: Re: Montreux
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 11:40 pm
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I'm happy to help out whenever I can, GTG.

Hope you had a swell Thanksgiving.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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