Tube amp in your future?

**Bob Borzelleri** · Jan-08-2012, 9:07pm

Check these out:

http://shortscale.org/forum/viewtopi...747c69145372bc

Planned for release sometime this summer? My iPhone wants Greta.

Maybe Fender wants to try to make up for the Mustang Fizz.

**mando.player** · Jan-09-2012, 1:07pm

Both amps are a smart move by Fender. Neither look like a Fender, so the expectation shouldn't be that it sounds like a Fender. I'll have to keep an on out for these.

**CelticDude** · Jan-09-2012, 6:32pm

Maybe, but if so, it's because my Fender Blues Junior crapped out over the weekend. Not a big Fender fan at the moment...

Good news is it's still under warranty, so it'll get fixed soon. And I'll want to hear these in action, if only 'cuz they look so different. More like '50's radios.

**Ben Milne** · Jan-09-2012, 9:34pm

One Greta, and one champ head thx.

**mandopete** · Jan-11-2012, 10:31am

So what is the story on these amps? I couldn't find out much in the way of information on them. Are they something new for Fender?

**Lee** · Jan-11-2012, 12:59pm

I'd find them more interesting if they had tube rectifiers instead of solid state.
Also, the one with tremolo has only one speed control knob. A better tremolo effect would have a control knob for the tremelo intensity as well.

**mandroid** · Jan-11-2012, 6:54pm

Maybe, someone in town is lightening their load, has a Mesa Boogie.
in a travel case , with wheels , needs them because It's Heavy but not that big.

**Bob Borzelleri** · Jan-12-2012, 4:20am

Originally Posted by mandopete

So what is the story on these amps? I couldn't find out much in the way of information on them. Are they something new for Fender?

Yup. Totally new, although there is a British Jazz Guitar dealer frequenting jazzguitar.de who responded to my post saying that he was able to order one of each this week. Maybe they are available across the pond first.

**Charlieshafer** · Jan-12-2012, 7:26am

Great is indeed a cool-looking thing. Iphone/Ipod input, tubes, and a vu meter for $200? I want one, despite any shortcomings. That's almost a tank of gas in the pickup, and gas isn't fun.

**Bertram Henze** · Jan-12-2012, 7:49am

I would, but then my Vox gets angry...

**Charlieshafer** · Jan-12-2012, 6:39pm

And an angry vox is a pretty scary thing...

**P.D. Kirby** · Jan-12-2012, 7:39pm

With all of the tube amps hitting the market in the last 4 or 5 years I think Fender is banking on the retro look to sell these. No doubt there are plenty of 6L6 & EL84 powered amps and a few that have both but as pointed out by Lee without a tube rectifier it's just another low grade Asian built POS. One of my Breakfast Club buddies is a Fender Dealer (former Gibson Dealer) and has several vintage Champs, Princetons and 2 or 3 60s Twins as well as all the new Fender Asian tube knock offs. Point is the new Fender Blues series can't hold a candle to the tone of the classics however there are some good low budget Tube amps that seem to have found the secret to pulling that vintage sound out of an amp even with a solid state rectifier, Fender is not among them. I do like the retro look but I don't think they will be anything more than a novelty for the real tone tweakers. But if you own one of the new Fender Mexican built Pawn Shop Strat-Tele Frankentars I guess this is a must have. Don't get me wrong, I think it's long overdue for the younger generation to be able to understand that a 200 watt solid state amp is not even close to the tone and volume you can get out of a vintage 60 watt tube amp but the new Fender offerings are a far cry from the likes of an Egnater (USA) or even the Blackstar (Asian) amps. JMHO.