Build Your Own Clone Message Board

A while back (April I believe) I had posted a thread looking for info and sites on Blackface Fenders, because at the time I had won one on eBay. It didn't come to fruition for a while - I pretty much figured the deal was dead, and I hadn't paid any money yet, so didn't fret too much about it. The other day the guy finally got the amp back from it's 3rd shop (after lots of geting the runaround, and rouge techs, and a whole host of badness) and he contacted me to say I could still have it if I wanted it. Nice guy - Aaron Hutto (on the gear page, and DIY stompboxes, and probably somewhere else).

I picked it up yesterday, and had a chance to crank into it today. Good Lord, this is what I've been missing. It's a 1965 Tremolux head and a 1/12 Traynor cabinet with an alnico speaker of some sort. Faceplate says 'Fender Electric Instrument Co.", and the tube chart says "Fender Musical Instruments". It's the AB763 circuit, according to the tube chart.

Anyway, THIS is what I hoped a BF Fender would be. Yeah a Tremolux doesn't have the infamous Fender reverb, but it does have the Tremolo (so sweet) and the ability to jump channels, and just the great quality 6L6 sound. It's punchy, clear, breaks up smoothly while retaining definition, sensitive to touch, not overly compressed even at high volumes (at least to my ears)... The tone controls (treble and bass) are actually effective. The bright switch I don't quite get, but the two inputs (high and low) for each channel do make quite the difference. I'm not sure which I would choose at this point. It takes pedals rather well. My Rt 66 overdrive has never sounded so good! I've heard people play BF Fenders before, and know people search them out and pay big bucks for them (especially Deluxe Reverbs), but ya know - the people who I've heard play them are a lot better than me and could plug their guitar into a toaster and sound better. It's one thing to hear one, and another to play one. I've always blamed my Peavey Classic 30's weaknesses on my own playing. Turns out it's just the amp. I'm still going to mod the C30, and change the speaker out from the trash that's in it right now (not sure if it's even the blue marvel - it's unlabeled), and make it sound as good as I can before selling it. But it's going to have to get sold to make room for the Tremolux head and the cabinet - they're here forever.

I'm like a little kid at Christmas over here. And I haven't even played a Strat through it yet - just humbuckers!!

Anyway, if you like the Fender sound, and don't know how to get it - get your hands on a blackface. Tremoluxes can be had for a deal compared with the rest of the BF line (except Champs and maybe Princetons), and are so worth it. Though, maybe I shouldn't say that too loud so everyone doesn't go get one and run up the prices

Awesome TD! I'm happy for your sonic bliss! Congrats, and make some great music with it!
I'm assembling parts for 2 "GeekAmps" now. Half "Brownie" Deluxe (the 6G3 circuit, next one after 5E3, '61-'63. but worlds apart as far as sound), and the Marshall 18watt circuit (2 ch, ch switching, variable voltage regulation), but with 4 6v6's..for 36 watts....psych!

I love my '65 reissue Twin too. Even though it's a reissue built with a PCB, it still kills every clean amp on your typical sales floor. I just loves pedals too. It's a bit heavy, but way easier than carrying around a couple of 4X12 cabs and a head. My Marshall's been getting a bit neglected since I got the Twin - LOL. Congratulations of the acquisition of your amp. You'll probably be able to leave it to your grandchildren, with the proper care and feeding

Geek - those geek amps sound like the ultimate combination. Make sure to kep us posted on how the builds go and all that

Mantas - never thought I'd hear anyone actually HAPPY to be carrying a Twin around! Usually it's complaint city Nice thing about the Tremolux is how light weight the head and the 1x12 cab I've got are. You can put one in each hand and get around no problem.

Now I've got to do some research into tubes for this guy. The new JJs in there are quite nice (better than expected actually), but I'd love to hear what some 5 star 5751s and some NOS 6l6s could sound like.

Obviously you'll hear about the legendary RCA Black Plate power tubes and for good reason. Of course, you'll also hear about the price $$$$.

Good news is that if you aren't a label snob, those same tubes were made under a lot of other names by RCA for OEM use in things like organs and radios. Magnovox, Conn, Hammond, Silvertone and others used mostly RCA for their source and had their name stuck on the tubes. Same guts, glass & pins, same sound, much lower price. I have a pair of CONN organ tubes that KILL with some NOS GE preamps in front of them. They changed my HRDx from a pretty so-so amp into a real smoker. They also sound like sonic sex in my SFTR as well, but it's still ungodly loud & weighs over 100# so it doesn't see much bar work.

The fact that I paid only $18 for the pair of CONN tubes is even better.

I've been thinking very hard about making a Blackface clone, just haven't decided on which one yet. I'm leaning toward a Princeton, but something with a little more grunt would be nice.

Cheers,
- JJ

JJ - thanks for the tip man! I'll get on the lookout for some. I'm definitely not a label snob. Nor a 'vintage correct' snob, or anything like that. Really the most important thing to me is the sound and how things play.

SFTR=Silver Face Twin Reverb, yes? I've got a lot of Fender lingo to learn to get anything out of the Fender message boards... BTW - 'sonic sex' is an awesome term!!

Love the BF Princeton. I wanted one, but was seriously finding Tremoluxes for less, and they're higher wattage. The multiple channels is a bonus. I'm not sure how the HRDx compares with an actual BF Deluxe Reverb, but that's the next step 'up', in terms of grunt, from the Princeton.

(edit - that was my 1000th post. here's a tiny party for me - YEAH!!!!!! )

Allen rocks. What are the differences in sound, with the long tailed phase inverter?

my wife's grandfather has a '64 blackface deluxe that he's leaving to me in the will. this thing has been treated like it was made of porcelain since he got it in '66. for instance, he refuses to put it in the trunk, so instead it rides in the back seat of the car,...in a SEATBELT! her grandfather is tougher than a coffin nail though, so i'll probably have to wait another 10 years to get it, but that's okay cause he's a cool old man!

anyway, yes, Fender Blackfaces are the stuff of dreams.

HAHA! Wouldn't you know I did this with the Tremolux when I brought it home. I put the speaker cabinet in the trunk, and locked the head down to the seat. The seatbelt thing doesn't work as well with a head as with a combo, but it can be done

Sheeeeet, I did the same thing with my first amp, a freekin 90 dollar rogue I bought from MF online. I was always taught that if you have something you could barely afford in the first place (at that age, I couldnt) treat it right.
Actually, come to think of it, all my amps are buckled in from then on, too.

I was shopping for a champ recently (I think I posted a thread here about it) and bumped into a '69 bandmaster reverb head that followed its way home with me that someone had blackfaced (I think into something resembling a vibrolux). Now I say this every time I get something new, but this is one of the best sounding heads I've ever heard. Unbelievable warm cleans and fantastic distortion at an almost reasonable volume.

Definitely finding the same qualities with the t-lux. Great thing is that both amps (tremolux and your Bandmaster) do those things very well and still manage to sound different. Love it!

all this talk about black faces is getting me impatient,...either that old man better get after it, or i'm gonna have to just buy myself one.

the only reason i don't buckle my orange is because it doesn't fit in a seat belt,...its too dang big!! the scout fits nicely in the floor board, and with the passenger seat slid back its a nice, snug fit.