It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:35 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: which modern Fender amp is the most reliable
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:04 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:08 am
Posts: 32
so has anyone debated this?
whats the word on reliable modern Fender amps?
is there one?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:37 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
The Reissues are decent. I would still go with a used Silverface. They are easier to repair and have much higher quality components than the new crop of amps. I know the 59 Bassman RI is very reliable.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:54 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:25 am
Posts: 356
Quote:
which modern Fender amp is the most reliable


Since you didn't specify tube or solid state, I take it you are just looking for the most reliable amp of all Fender amps.

Also, if by reliable, you mean very low or no maintenance of the amp, this would affect choices also to exclude any amps that use tubes. Tubes are like light bulbs and need replacement ever so often. And since this often requires the amp to be "biased" for the new power tubes - that means for most of us a trip to some service center.

This leaves the choices to Solid State, or to the Cyber Twin SE - which is in a class all to itself. Some try to claim it is a modeling amp, but Fender went to great length to explain that it IS NOT a modeling amp, and they also explained what it is - if a person will go to the trouble of watching and listening to the video that Fender made about the amp. They should know since they are the manufacturer of that amp.

Up until I got my Cyber Twin SE, my answer for which amp was most reliable would have been a Fender solid state amp I still have called a Deluxe 112. The only thing that has ever stopped that amp was a blown speaker. I think that was caused from one too many wide open volume gigs. :) It's still going strong, after putting a replacement speaker in it.

On the other hand - my Cyber Twin SE has never let me down. And I have had it since a month or so after it was introduced at a NAMM show. (however many years that has been :) )

I also have in my collection a Twin Reverb reissue and a Deluxe Reverb reissue. Both are tube amps - and both are very nice, fine, amps. But my most reliable amp has to be the Cyber Twin SE. The Cyber Twin SE is also my best sounding amp. (to my ears) :)

I have no experience with the G-DEC amps, but have heard only good things about them.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:33 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the Cyber Twin sport a couple of tubes?
My 76 SF Twin never let me down even once in over 30 years. Tubes aren't really like light bulbs and can last for decades. Replacing power or preamp tubes is no big deal either. You only need to bias if you replace the power tubes.

The GDec. I sent one out for repair after about 2 months. Fender replace it after they kept me waiting almost 2 months. I upgraded to a GDec 30. The midi tracks get a little boring after a while, but backing tracks are pretty cool. If the 30 goes down I might look at a Line 6 Jam.
I had a Cyber Twin for a couple of weeks but it had some intermittent electronic issues and I returned it. I was never really happy with the tone of it, but I've heard musicians who get a great sound out of it. It just seemed like a lot of work and too many features for my tastes.

Solid state amps just don't do it for me, but you may like them.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:09 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:25 am
Posts: 356
:D

YES ... the CT SE DOES have two 12AX7 preamp tubes. But it still has been the most reliable for me, even with those two tubes. Another point - if (really "when") a tube goes, you still have the solid state preamp amps to fall back on. Nice in a pinch - but I've never needed it. In my experience, those little preamp tubes last longer than the bigger power amp tubes in an all tube amp do too.

I am old enough to remember the sound and feel of the original '65 Twin Reverbs. (also those roll and pleat amps - Kustom, if I remember right. My cousin used one ) I remember the first solid state amps to come in the area (we called them "transistor" amps - and thought of them as "junk" back then).

I also remember enough problems with tubes, that in those days replacement tubes could be found at many local places. One such place was a gasoline service station that was just down the road from our house. He carried mostly RCA tubes and also had a tube tester. We were a frequent customer - not just of the gas but the tubes too. The TV and radios back then used tubes too. And while maybe not as bad as a light bulb (but not by much) ours never lasted all that long. But then, no body I knew kept a log of how long a tube lasted. If you were smart (and could afford it) you kept a whole set of tubes as 'spares' - for 'when' the next ones went out. And then there was also the times when just replacing the tubes didn't get the amp going again. The times when a blown tube took out some other 'stuff' too. Ouch! Then that expensive repair man had to be called, and hang on to your wallet.

If a person wants a tube amp - then I'd say, buy a tube amp.(I did) But the poster asked for the most reliable. I just gave him an answer based on what has been my experience. :) (if you notice, I didn't say anything about a Hot Rod, one way or the other ;) - if I remember right, you had some real problems with one, so I'll leave anything about one of those to you people that have had them )

Incidentally - The reissues of the old amps that I have, have been more reliable than what I remember the originals being - for whatever that is worth. :) I suspect that this is at least partially due to closer tolerances in todays components, combined with pcb assembly. Again, just my view. :)

The ultimate Fender amp for "reliability" may well be something like the little Frontman amps. But that's just an unverified guess. I don't know anything at all about those amps. And that would apply to the G-DEC series too. It's just that low wattage output combined with solid state 'should' be reliable, wouldn't you think? (Just my opinion though)

As for recommending an old amp that is out of production? Those are usually a bit hard to find and very expensive (read over priced). Also, the poster did say "modern" amp. And (something to consider) I'm not so sure all those old amps could be called 'reliable' - if you strip away all the romance, hype and selective memories we have for the things we love, and get down to just facts. :) Some remember that super good one - and some remember the one that was always trouble from the first)

Bye for now - :D


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:46 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:57 pm
Posts: 210
Location: UK
Here you go then: Hot Rod Deville. I had one. Unreliable: it got stolen. The I got another. Reliable, 8 years or so I dunno, gigged without problem.

Now I've got a Blues Deluxe. Had it four days. No problem.

Maybe they're all good, unless you get really unlucky.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:01 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:02 am
Posts: 123
What often makes an amp unreliable is when the tube sockets are soldered directly on the circuit board. What the comments that we read on the net will not say is how folks have really screwed up by removing and popping back tubes in a not-so-gentle-way.

Therefore, if you plan on swapping tubes more often than actually playing the amp, I would look for an amp like those from the Pro Tube and Reissue series where the tube sockets are screwed directly on the chassis instead of the circuit board. However, if you are just looking for an amp to play and have fun, the amps from the Hot Rod series, which have the tube sockets screwed to the circuit board, will do just fine. I had my Blues Jr since 1996 and never had any heating or reliable issue with it, and the amp has gone through several 12 and 24 hour long jam !!!!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:15 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:25 am
Posts: 356
TweedDogSteve wrote:
What often makes an amp unreliable is when the tube sockets are soldered directly on the circuit board. What the comments that we read on the net will not say is how folks have really screwed up by removing and popping back tubes in a not-so-gentle-way.


Probably a lot of truth in that and the last sentence is worth repeating. ;)

TweedDogSteve wrote:
Therefore, if you plan on swapping tubes more often than actually playing the amp, I would look for an amp like those from the Pro Tube and Reissue series where the tube sockets are screwed directly on the chassis instead of the circuit board. ........


Wouldn't this also show that if the tubes were not there, most of the reliability problems would be gone?

i.e. -
No Tubes, No heat problems. (except from transformers)
No Tubes, No tube sockets to mount anywhere.
No Tubes, Nothing for users to pull out,
gentle or otherwise, and JAM back in.

Don't get me wrong - I also love my TRRI and DRRI, which are all tube amps. But we are talking reliability here. And your point about how gentle or rough people are with their equipment is very good.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: