From my limited (but undeniably accurate) perspective, when you look at the gear the professionals use on their CD's, it is invariably a Fender Amp.

But then they get in concert .......... and out come the Marshalls.

Two questions:

1) Why is Fender abandoning the niche that Marshall seems to occupy, when the forever-on-CD/mp3 tones, that everyone is buying and listening to, are set with their amps?

UNLESS

2)... the venue is a smaller/intimate setting. Then, back everyone goes to the Fender stuff. Don't believe me, check out Austin City Limits? Anyone on there NOT playing a Fender Amp?

I guess cause marshall amps give a better "loud" sound, like you said when artists are in small venues, there amps have to be set quieter so they use fender.

just my guess....

_________________
riley

I would agree with that assessment.

_________________
CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

Me too. Whenever I think of Marshall, I think of huge stacks.

Whenever I think of fender amps, I think of small cabnets loud enough for a small gig, or often mic'd through a PA system at larger shows.

_________________
Kid: "Hey Smokey! Where did you get your name?"
Smokey the Bear: "Well..."
(former user jimbo612)

This looks like a fairly large venue... what are they using here? Of course... they're mic'd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fojLReBKuSo

_________________
You're only as strong as
the drinks you pour,
the tables you dance on,
and the friends you roll with.

Yep!!!

Marshalls look cool and they may just have a Fender backstage or below stage that they actually are connected to.

Oh and a lot of them probably have Marshall Endorsements so they have toe have them sitting there.

_________________
Music's the only thing that makes sense anymore, man. Play it loud enough, it keeps the demons at bay.

i wouldn't class this as a small gig either and it looks like their using fender amps as well. look at about 1 min 10 secs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXcNQTa3zgs

Fender was never in the Marshall niche to begin with. They never really made any high gain amps that really took off. Fender is respected for what they do and are well respected for it. Way back it was the Showman, Super Showman etc, but as loud as they were, they were never in Marshall territory. Don't worry Fender does just fine with their amps. The Blackface reissues are great amps.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

This was the stage backline for the Clapton/Beck shows :




Jeff used the mic'd Pro Jr with the isolation filter and not his Marshalls. Eric and the bass players used the tweed Fenders.

In the Mike Eldred area, he said Jeff's tone was awesome too!

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Oh yeah. Right. "Small cabinets loud enough for a small gig". Uh-huh......



Let the record show that I've blown full-stack Super Plexi Leads so far into the next friggin' county they had to call the Sheriff Department's Search & Rescue squad to find hapless miscreant and his amp. SVTs and 5150s too.

'Small' MY AZZ!!!

Arjay

Lets not start pigeon-holing amps into genre's. In Guns N' Roses Slash is using Marshall and Izzy is using Fender Bassman heads. This is what you are hearing on Appetite for Destruction.

As 63supro said Fender are doing just fine. Go see The Rolling Stones, Clapton or Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band and you will see Fender amps all over the place.

Nearly every 'Indie' band broke out in the UK in the last 10 years uses either Fender HR's or Orange amps.

CC

_________________
Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5

To clarify I have NOTHING against Fender amps. I think they're freakin' amazing. I just see most of the combo's used by musicians that are often mic'd in large venues. When I'm down at the showroom are Blvd. Jazz club downtown, Usually the amp itself is just sufficiant enough to fill the room.

Love the Video VT BlackStrat. Clapton is one of my top favorite guitarist.

Sorry to offend you Retroverbial. I just never seen really large Fender amps before but I'm sure they are just as great as their smaller cousins.

_________________
Kid: "Hey Smokey! Where did you get your name?"
Smokey the Bear: "Well..."
(former user jimbo612)

Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood played to several million people on the beach in Rio with Fenders. Keith uses a pair of narrow panel tweed twins, and Wood plays through a pair of Vibro Kings.

Neil Young plays some of the most searing rock'n'roll ever heard on a 1959 tweed deluxe.

Eric Clapton has used Fender amps for years now.

Who hasn't used a Bassman at some point?

And seriously, have you ever dimed a 100-watt twin? It's scary, unholy loud.

It's all a matter of choice. I have played big rooms with nothing more than a Pro Jr. It doesn't look as cool as a wall of Marshall cabs, but it gets the job done and sounds great.

No offense taken, Jimbo.

Fender, like Marshall and many of the other sucessful companies, has always had a full product line -- combos, piggybacks, stacks, micros, the entire gamut. But it seems today the buzz word is "downsizing". Venues are often smaller these days thus amps have followed suit. But we players still demand certain features that are now regarded as mandatory for professional use. I seldom find occasion to deploy the rig pictured (one is a spare) but I'm prepared for any situation, whether the gig calls for a 12-watt Princeton Reverb or an all-out Dual Showman assault.

As they say:

"It ain't the size of the dog in the fight -- it's the size of the fight in the dog."



Arjay