SmileySmile
Joined: May 05, 2012
Posts: 34
Private residence, man.
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 03:53 PM
I may be showing my lack of knowledge on the subject but I'm very curious. What is the difference between blonde and brown face Fender amps? And what is the difference between them and black face amps? My main curiosity is what makes the blonde/brown face amps so desirable for surf? And what is it about them that makes them, seemingly more desirable than a black face amp? Is it the on board reverb and vib/trem? Are they cleaner, brighter or do they have a fuller sound to them?
Educate me guys, muchos thank yous.
— You can put humbuckers in it, but why?
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killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 04:25 PM
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so1om
Joined: May 10, 2012
Posts: 492
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 04:35 PM
oh boy... well... I think someone else can make a short list of the nuances.
Some models, there were mostly cosmetic changes, then some had actual circuit changes.
http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/19861/
I have a silver face early 70s Vibro Champ... virtually identical to the black face version of the 60s.. and it is. but the look is different.
My ears can't tell the subtle differences that others may hear in the various amps. but one thing i CAN hear is the tone of say..a fender compared to a vox.
Last edited: Nov 07, 2012 16:36:52
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 04:42 PM
killbabykill34 wrote:
Can of worms...OPEN!
Well, yeah. But I did a search and either got nothing or too many hits to quickly read through to find what he's looking for. I'm sure some folks here have owned or even still own examples of them and can provide at least a basic answer. I've wondered about it too, especially in light of this. http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/19861/?page=1#p260029 For example, how much can this be generalized to the other lines of Fender amps?
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
Last edited: Nov 07, 2012 16:44:24
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 05:25 PM
They are "period correct".
Danelectro, Ampeg,Gibson, were also amps of the time, but not of the SoCal region.
Fender amps and guitars were built locally to the surf scene and the company made sure popular artist in the region were set up with Fender stuff. Check out Lawrence Welk on PBS some time and check all the Fender guitars they used. Hollywood was local for Fender.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4053
Nashville, TN.
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 05:28 PM
I'll take a stab at it and I'll keep it simple, related to tone not the science behind the circuits. There are many here that may enjoy going into things like bias tremolo vs. optical circuit, tone stacks etc. but that tends to confuse folks that are looking for comparison in sound.
First off be careful when talking about Fender amps regarding the tolex color. Brownface amps came in Brown tolex and Blonde. Some blonde amps have blackface circuits.......you get the idea.
Fender amps, in short, went from Tweed to Brownface to Blackface to Silverface.
The further back you go, Tweed and Brownface, the more mids the amps have, less clean (although some are still quite loud) and "bolder", "thicker" sound. The Brownface amps have a Deeper more throbbing Tremolo than later Blackface amps, perhaps one reason Surf Guitarists dig them.
Blackface amps are generally able to stay cleaner at louder volumes than Brownface amps but do not have as dramatic Tremolo (this can be altered)
Due to changes in the tone circuit from Brownface to Black, the Blackface amps are generally not as "thick" sounding as Brownface, have more highs and built in Reverb comes along with the Blackface era amps.
Silverface in some cases are very similar and sometimes identical to Blackface circuits and thus sound similar or the same.
There are other reasons for these generations to sound different, phase inverter changes, tube bias etc. but these are some working generalizations that I have experienced through owning all of these various production models.
Hope that helps.
— http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2384
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 07:33 PM
I agree with Crazy Aces explanation. For the best detailed information check out the following excellent books:
"The Soul of Tone" by tom Wheeler;
"Fender Amps: the First 50 Years" by Teagle and Sprung;
"The Fender Amp Book", by John Morrish; and
"The Guitar Amp Handbook" by Dave Hunter.
— Bob
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SmileySmile
Joined: May 05, 2012
Posts: 34
Private residence, man.
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Posted on Nov 07 2012 07:55 PM
CrazyAces really answered my question. And I'm gonna check out those books. Thannks for the responses guys.
— You can put humbuckers in it, but why?
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SmileySmile
Joined: May 05, 2012
Posts: 34
Private residence, man.
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Posted on Nov 08 2012 02:22 PM
caddady wrote:
They are "period correct".
Danelectro, Ampeg,Gibson, were also amps of the time, but not of the SoCal region.
Fender amps and guitars were built locally to the surf scene and the company made sure popular artist in the region were set up with Fender stuff. Check out Lawrence Welk on PBS some time and check all the Fender guitars they used. Hollywood was local for Fender.
I forgot to add that this makes perfect sense. I forget sometimes that there was no MF or Sweetwater to order things from lol.
— You can put humbuckers in it, but why?
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da-ron
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
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Posted on Nov 08 2012 05:44 PM
The Soul of Tone by Tom Wheeler has a CD that has soundclips of the various Fender amps in an attempt to demonstrate the different tones. May be helpful.
— http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Nov 08 2012 05:53 PM
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da-ron
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
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Posted on Nov 08 2012 05:59 PM
 It's good. A beautiful book to own.
— http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/
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SmileySmile
Joined: May 05, 2012
Posts: 34
Private residence, man.
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Posted on Nov 08 2012 08:09 PM
I ordered it today lol.
— You can put humbuckers in it, but why?
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