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Fender creates solid state BF Deluxe and Twin

NotJeffBeck

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Mar 31, 2019
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Seems that anyone attempting to repair these at that time will be more in the computer/appliance repair camp. Replace the motherboard and call it a day. That is, if the parts are available.

The front end of the amp is analog solid state and was designed by the department that developed the reissue DR and TR. At least that portion of it is familiar enough to any amp tech.
As for the four DSP cores and associated circuitry -- that is definitely in the digital realm.
The power section is Class D which is quasi analog, the power supply for audio output is not rocket science even if it is still unfamiliar to most amp repair places, that will change.
When solidstate amps first came out, most amp repair shops wouldn't even take them in -- they didn't know where to begin on such a beast; now it is routine.

I think they will be repairable. Even the Vox Super Beatle that used a really hard to find P-channel FET can still be repaired but you have to dig deep to find that part. And eventually I think that the most common failures in a Class-D amp will boil down to just a few parts to replace which should bring them back to life in most cases.

Now the DSPs, yeah that's a weak point. Those may or may not be in production for any long period of time. But I bet that some clever OCD types will figure out a workaround...
As they say in finance "past performance is no guarantee of future results", but there is at least a track record of clever people rising to the occasion so far.
 

NotJeffBeck

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Mar 31, 2019
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Attenuation in a Ss amp?

Why?


There are no power tubes to push to saturation at full volume. And therefore no need to attenuate the volume.

Just turn down the amp.

I think this has already been answered but -- it's not really attenuation in the normal sense. I think they just use that word as a shortcut to understanding it. Everything they have done about this amp, right down to the red pilot light, has been to make it seem as much as possible like what you already know. No new words.
They modeled all the saturation characteristics in DSP so we'll be getting that sound regardless of volume. It uses power scaling to set how much the Class-D power amp can put out in the first place, that's a different method than producing lots of power then cutting it down, which is what a typical power soak does.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
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I hope they do sound good. I really don't have a need for one, so it's hard to get excited about it.

The price point also seems to be at a premium for the cosmetics.

How so? It is much more than cosmetics as you suggest. Every single person here who has A/B these is amazed. They are functional virtual blackface amps with useful features at half the weight and cost. The One Control BJF-S66 which is a blackface type 100wt @ 4ohms - 30wt @ 16ohms SS lunchbox head with reverb, and trem, no speakers but a pseudo Fenderish tone for $700 street. So how is this Fender overpriced or premium priced? $500 or more to buy the tube Twin Reverb and the Tone Master is premium priced? I don't think so.
 
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stilwel

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Feb 8, 2017
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126
If anyone has questions about these amps I'm happy to assist.

They really are a lot of fun to play. They take pedals well and they sound great.
 

grimlyflick

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Oct 27, 2005
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1,276
The amp sounds great, no doubt about that, especially in the Reverb demo.

As voiced by others my concern would be repairs. I had a Blues Junior that went wrong just out of warranty and Fender washed their hands of it, not interested at all.

If it goes wrong out of warranty what chance would a regular repair guy have of fixing these amps.
:hmm
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
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Repair isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of value. Will it be worth it?



As for tone, plugging in and thinking "this sounds good" is only part of the equation. The trick to any analog to DSP & vice versa modeling isn't in getting a good base tone, that's been possible for decades. DSP guitar & related suites for your computer can get there just as good as anything on the market but getting the thunk/reaction of a good old fashioned combo speaker box will be different than a set of monitors, at first.

Now, as for comparing the digital I/O stuff the real test isn't to plug one thing in. The big test is to give it multiple inputs and compare the differences between them and what you're modeling. So, say, take an ES-335 and Les Paul and a 6120. Plug them into a real DRRI, one at a time, and see how different each feel/sound and how different the amp reacts to each guitar. Then, do the same with your modeler. Are all the subtle little differences still there or do they sound more similar on the modeler? Usually that's the weak point with modelling is the math on the input end, something somewhere is almost always lost. But, good news is the possibility of infinite tweaking if you're on the programming end.

Aesthetically, I'm an all or nothing kinda cat. I have no issues running a laptop at a gig, did it many many times years back. If I'm doing digital I'll go all the way with the most possibilities on my fingertips. Same attitude with synths, there's a million great sounding analog synth modelers on the market so if you're going digital just do it....controller + computer = everything. However, if I want just a minimoog sound and that's it then I'm not bringing the computer or worse a digital vintage looking synth box like these modern Roland things, gross, I'm going to save $$ and buy the damn synth in all it's glory.

Thus, GTFOuttahere with some silly ass modeler faux tube amp looking box just so it feels cool/vintage to rock one on stage and "sounds killer bro." That's just the apex of lame, I'd rather go direct with the cardboard full stack behind me at that point. At least the full stack looks bigger than life and you can actually laugh yourself.
 

goldtop0

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8,931
With the weight of these amps being appreciably less than their tube counterparts..............I'd like to see Fender make a 2x12 Deluxe........
 

agogetr

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Jan 22, 2019
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My Dad insisted over 40 years ago he could do ANYTHING a tube does with solid state.
I told him he was nuts as you CAN'T get that warmth and fullness in solid state.
He stated that you could but at the time you just couldn't afford it.
We argued about it off and on for decades.
Now I am beginning to see what he was driving at.
As he had many patents on tubes I know he was smarter than I was.

Dad, you won. I wish I could tell you.
wow! flashback. my dad was an electrical enginer at nasa we used to argueabout tubes he said solid state was 'it' i still think he is wrong.he is in now in his eighties
 
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agogetr

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Jan 22, 2019
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How so? It is much more than cosmetics as you suggest. Every single person here who has A/B these is amazed. They are functional virtual blackface amps with useful features at half the weight and cost. The One Control BJF-S66 which is a blackface type 100wt @ 4ohms - 30wt @ 16ohms SS lunchbox head with reverb, and trem, no speakers but a pseudo Fenderish tone for $700 street. So how is this Fender overpriced or premium priced? $500 or more to buy the tube Twin Reverb and the Tone Master is premium priced? I don't think so.
not only that but if you puta tube pre amp on the front end of this thing it wil sound awesome!
 
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agogetr

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Jan 22, 2019
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I'm quite concerned about potential repairs on these amps. My old polytone had issues several times, and repairs were expensive and took ages.
Wherever I can, I try to buy things that, with proper service, will last a lifetime or longer. These amps don't seem to fall into that category, so I'll stay with the point to point wired tube originals....
dude the jazz cats used to swear buy the polytone. get it fixed
 

agogetr

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Jan 22, 2019
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How so? It is much more than cosmetics as you suggest. Every single person here who has A/B these is amazed. They are functional virtual blackface amps with useful features at half the weight and cost. The One Control BJF-S66 which is a blackface type 100wt @ 4ohms - 30wt @ 16ohms SS lunchbox head with reverb, and trem, no speakers but a pseudo Fenderish tone for $700 street. So how is this Fender overpriced or premium priced? $500 or more to buy the tube Twin Reverb and the Tone Master is premium priced? I don't think so.
i totally get it. its a solid state version of a tube amp. so when you record into a digital desk your are twice removed from what gets a chick aroused
 

J T

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Blondes have more fun?







fb7MKKZ.png
 

agogetr

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I hated lugging around my Twin and there was more than a few times (usually when I was loading in or out) where I wanted to punch out the sides and install a pair of Marshall recessed handles.

A favorite about my Tweed Deluxe Clone is how light that sucker is, even with an alnico speaker.
i learned long ago, when your in the band even a cute girl will help you roll your twin into the building. the only bad thing is if a fat girl is helping you roll it out that night. but shucks.. after 11 hienekens ....
 

agogetr

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Yeah, and to that end, I wonder if they will even be able to be repaired 10-15 years from now.
thats what was in the back of my mind. 7 years from,now they will tell you its cheaper to throw it away and buy a new one. walmart already has us trained for that anyway. my bro works on amps for a living and always tells me how many newer fender amps come in with problems. he is making a living off the waranty work he said they are junk
 

zacknorton

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Harmonic trem and Tweed.

I mean if you're gonna clone something clone the most interesting thing.
 

MikeSlub

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I've had problems with three modern Fender amps with printed circuit boards (two unfixable), let alone their new solid state models. Junk IMHO. Call me a dinosaur. :hank
 

J T

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I must admit I actually have been using the (non-hardware) UA Fender 5E3 Plug. That sounds good in tracks. It's very DSP heavy, though.

The other alternative that just floored me is the Tech 21 Blonde with my R4. Wow. THAT sounds great. It's all analog too. No digital hash in that signal.
 

goldtop0

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I've had problems with three modern Fender amps with printed circuit boards (two unfixable), let alone their new solid state models. Junk IMHO. Call me a dinosaur. :hank


I got a ri Deluxe LE(a 2017) second hand in October of 2019 and have had things happening with it on and off(two occasions) plus it's currently in again with my amp man so will see what the story is this time.
Was just thinking the other day that this amp might be jinxed.......we'll see.
 
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