FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Vintage Fender Amps

Question:
I am interested in getting the slightly distorted, heavily sustained sound that I hear on Eric Johnson records. I know that he uses old Fender amps and some distortion pedals to get that sound. However, has anyone out there tried alot of the old Fender amps and can describe their sound qualities? I have been offered a '53 Fender Deluxe amp for $1000 and am wondering if this amp is worth the money. My present setup is based on Fender Strats (a SVR reissue, a Custom Shop '54 reissue, and a Strat Special) and have several amps, one of which is a Blues Deluxe, 40 watts, tubes, 12 speaker. The amp has an overdrive channel, but no combination of settings gives me the right kind of sound. If I get a good lead sound, then chords break up, etc. I'm wondering if the rumors of new Fender equipment being substandard to the vintage stuff is true. If so, what would be the hottest vintage Fender setup for blues playing at low to moderate volume levels? The sound I'm looking for is Stevie Ray Vaughn playing Little Wing on the Sky is Crying album. Anyone out there know about Fender vintage amps and how they compare to the newer Fender amps with overdrive channel?

Answer:
Old Fender amps are great...for blues, you just can't go wrong. But do learn more before you spring for fifties Deluxe at $1000. Not that it isn't a good amp, but you need to find out more about the many different vintage Fender amps. With regard to Eric Johnson: he uses blackface (think 1960s) Fender amps -- Twins for his clean sound...or at least he did. He maybe using something else now. He used Dumbles -- (modified black face Fenders) for another kind of lead/rhythm tone, and he uses vintage sixties Marshalls for lead tones. In short, Eric has a complicated live setup. Incidentally, there is some controversy about silverface Fender amps, but they are great bargains and most of them including master volumes to the mid-seventies can be modified by a good amp technician to conform to the original blackface sound. This will set you back somewhere from $50 to $200 depending on where you are, and how extensive the work. Some silverface amps like the Princeton Reverb and Deluxe Reverb need hardly anything done. If you want to hear what a silverface Deluxe Reverb can do in the hands of a great player check out Fleetwood Mac Live in Chicago with the young and able Peter Greene through a 68 silver and his Les Paul. If you want to hear what the greatest bluesman of the 1960s and 1970s could do with a silverface, check out any of the Freddie King Video tapes available from Stephan Grossmans mail order catalogue.