Should i get this amp????

iplayfenders14 · Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 6

Should i get this amp????

Fender FM 100H head
Fender FM 412 Cab

$500 for those ($250 each)

anyone heard anything about this amp, i cant find reviews anywhere

lee_UK · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:33 pm Post subject:

Is FM Frontman? dont know, ive not heard of this model either, is it valve? solid state? or a mix? i suppose the best thing is to plug in and play it, if your asking is $500 worth it? i guess any Fender 100watt head and 4x12 cab is worth $500 but can you get a Marshall Head and 4x12 cab in your part of the world for that? if you can i know which one i'd go for.

iplayfenders14 · Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 6

Yeah, but the only marshall half stack i can get for $500 is the MG series which sounds like shit in my opinion

lee_UK · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:43 pm Post subject:

MG series isnt that bad, but i agree it wont match up to an all valve amp, if i were you id wait til i had the cash for a Marshall, consider the resale value too, if 5 yrs down the road you want to sell your rig, which will be the easiest to sell? the fender or marshall.
Sell your Grandmother, get that Marshall DSL, you know it makes sense.

rparker · Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Posts: 2

For what its worth, I have and play with various fender amps. MY twin is the best hands down all valve amp. I have a Marshall MG half stack and its a good amp but not even comparable with a valve amp sound. The effects are cool but my sons Fender Hot Rod 40w valve amp (groove tubes) in my opinion sounds better and equally loud for gigs.

100 watts of valve power is only a little louder than a 50w valve amp. 100w solid state amps such as the MG Marshall have the look of the big Marshall equipment but rest assured, its only a well dressed participant and by no means equal to a 50w valve amp if you like to play ZZtop, skynyrd, SRV etc.

My fender twin amp just got reworked by fender to replace some scrath pots and all tubes (what a chunk of change that was) but I've had it since 1964 and it aint leaving my side. I've asked my wife to bury it with me.

lee_UK · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 5:11 pm Post subject:

You make some good points, i played an MG series amp, i think it was the 30watter and i thought it was quite good, obviously at a gig it might not sound too clever, but i still think they are quite good amps.

1bassleft · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 1:31 am Post subject:

Worth bearing in mind that a 100W amp is nowhere near twice as loud as a 50W amp. The ear doesn't work like that. Somebody did put forward a reason once why a 100W valve amp sounds louder than a 100W SS amp. I'm not sure if it's gospel, but thewre may be something in it. On request, I'll bore everyone with Watts and Decibels and invite other anorak-scratchers to chime in Laughing

lee_UK · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:22 am Post subject:

sounds like a cue for YoungWasp !! now theres a person that could bore for Britain, and has done so on here on many occasions, who remembers his 1200 word self styled monologues?, you just find your self reaching for the razors and gritting your teeth praying for him to stop.... oops, hope he doesnt look in here anymore, but he is an olympic gold medalist at 'Anorakism' .

vitaminE · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:57 am Post subject:

Just a few points based on personal experience:

First, I spent several nights playing my strat through that very amp at medium to high volume (some guy had it set up in our practice space) and for a SS amp it didn’t sound too bad. I think maybe the EQ and 4 / 12 cabinet gave it some artificial warmth if that makes any sense.

Second, I’ll assume that rparker is referring to his Fender Twin as the best sounding Fender tube amp and not the best sounding of all tube amps. That being said, a friend recently picked up a slightly used Fender Hot Rod DeVille (60 watt 2/12) on ebay for around $500 that sounds great - I want one.

Third, I play lead guitar with a Marshall JCM 900 (a 100 watt half stack) that’s been nicely retubed and tweaked. Although a great amp, it can be all but buried in the mix by our rhythm player’s 150 watt Mesa half stack (we have the exact same celestion-loaded cabinets). It takes Duncan Hotrails and a Bos s GE-7 to cut through. Wattage can be an issue.

Fourth, NOTHING is better the sound of warm tubes in a smokey bar. The satisfaction of playing through a great amp far outweighs the extra $$$. The “cheap and loud” route of equipment buying is a dead end in more ways than one.

Do the right thing!

1bassleft · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:00 am Post subject:

Enter the anorak...

"I may be a weak and feeble bass player, but I have the stomach of a guitar player, and an English one, to boot"

OK, that's the worst paraphrase of Elizabeth 1st ever put on a guitar forum, but bear with me. I have my ops.

Nothing beats a competent guitarist through a good, valve amp. A good guitar valve amp is not a hybrid. A couple of 12AX7s in the preamp section might be OK for bass, but it just doesn't do the deal for a good guitar sound, IMHO. For some reason, I've always liked bass through pre and power glassware but that's nothing compared with lead/rhythm guitar.

It gets more anoraky... an 800 is better than a 900. Barking mad lesser-known names are a better deal than a "name brand". A re-tube could be the worst thing you ever let your tech talk you into... I can feel my kagoul rustling Laughing

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