Fender Super 60 review (long)
OASYSCO
any pix, yet, but will post the URL later when I put up a page on the amp.
Until then...
I used my Epi Joe Pass to test the rock, blues, and jazz capabilities of this
amp. (Yes, I am restructuring the role my JP plays. I plan to string her with
rounds for rock and blues. I know she already works great for jazz, that's a
no-brainer. My Electra HR will stay string with flats for jazz. It's just that
the JP is so versatile and sounds good in any role that it just makes sense to
use it for rock and blues instead of buying another guitar that won't sound
half as good.)
I also swapped out the stock heavy duty speaker for my Jensen reissue that I
have been trying to use in my amps for the last month. I stored the stock
speaker away. I kinda like the Jensen better, but that's just a matter of
tastes, considering the stock speaker has as big a magnet as the Jensen and
even weighs a bit more (compare that to the micro-magnets found on newer Fender
amps).
Price: (varies)
* about $300 used
* about $500 when new
Features:
* Tubes:
2-6L6 power tubes
2-12AX7 preamp tubes
1-12AT7 reverb tube
* Tube reverb
* SS rectifier
* 12" heavy duty speaker (I saved it out and put in a Jensen reissue)
* mono effects loop
* line out
* external speaker out
* dual inputs
* dual channel (clean/overdrive)
* reverb intensity control
* small cabinet size equivalent to a SF Princeton Reverb amp
* very string tube connectors (tubes do not move aorund at all - you can even
jiggle them)
* power tube retainers
* metal jacks
* stand-by switch to save on tubes
* massive power and output transformers (undoubtedly contribute to excessive
weight, but they look like military issue!)
Downside:
* PCB mounted upside down in chassis (some techs complain that this makes the
amp a little harder to service because you have to take the nuts off the
input/output jacks and the nuts have a little rubber retainer on them to keep
them from coming loose)
* Fixed bias - must be re-biased with each new set of matched power tubes (or
simply use similar matched tubes that are marked)
* weight equivalent to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (you wouldn't believe it to see
how small it is!)
* undersized reverb tank
* shared EQ controls between clean and OD channels, meaning that you may have
to reset the EQ before switching channels (as compared to dual channel amps
that have separate EQ controls for each channel)
Tone:
* For jazz, the amp is excellent with extremely responsive 4 band EQ controls.
You can get bright, dark and anything in-between. Lots of nice jazz "whoosh"
when you slide down the neck. Very clean amp, but not squeaky, sterile tyupe of
clean - think "tube clean". While not as convenient as having the
dark/med/bright switch that Polys have in that you have to make small EQ
changes on the Super 60, the jazz tone is still in there (all controls flat -
not off - with the bass at 1-2pm).
* For blues - excellent also! You can do the clean blues thing very nicely with
just a touch of gain! Really excellent!
* For R&R - great! Push up the gain for all sorts of o/d tones. Cut the mids
for that classic hollowed out o/d tone; push the treble for an edgier o/d tone.
This thing convinced me that I don't need no stink' o/d pedal of any sort!
Reverb:
* For jazz, I like the Poly's SS 'verb better. For rock and blues, the Super
60's 'verb is better. The 'verb on the Super 60 is much better than the 'verb I
tried out on a Fender DR RI last week. On the DR, doing a muted rhythm thing
made the reverb sound boingy; not so on the Super 60. The Super 60's reverb
does not get as deep as the DR RI, though, probably due to the small tank used
on the Super 60, but at least the Super 60 isn't boingy. I swapped out the Made
In India 12AT7 for a US NOS 12AT7, but it didn't make much of a change - less
microphonic, though.
Volume:
* Now whattya think? 60 tube watts! Loud doesn't begin to describe it. The
really nice thing is that you can crank up to 3-4 easily without making the amp
go to 100% which is UNLIKE most newer Fender amps(a "feature" of the newer amps
I detest)! Believe me folks, volume is not a problem. Your archtop will howl at
the moon like a pack of wolves long before you tax this amps' volume capacity.
Overall Valuation:
* Honestly fellow RRMGJ'ers... if I had this amp prior to the other amps I've
purchased, I might have never bought those other amps. Of course, now that I
have my Poly it's not going anywhere. The Poly has better overall projection
with it's 3 speakers, but believe me, the Super 60 would be an adequate
replacement and when you tack on the fact that the Super 60 can do all sorts of
blues and rock as well, it becomes the "Epi Joe Pass" of amps!
I played both the Poly and Super 60 (at home) in stereo last night with my Dano
chorus pedal and they sounded great!
For $300, I don't think you can buy a better tube amp and I've had my share of
$300 tubies. The Super 60 absolutely kills the Fender HRD in tone, size,
reverb, and components. So, if you like the HRD, you'll absolutely love the
Super 60 (assuming you get one in as nice of shape as mine, that is). Even if
you hate the HRD (which I grew to with mine), you'll love the Super 60. If you
like the Fender Blues Junior, you'll love the Super 60 and so on...
This amp is truly a sleeper. It was made in a head style, 1-12 combo (mine) and
was also called the Super 112 at one time.
Again, when buying any used tube amp, make sure you know what you are getting.
3/4 of the tube amps I've gotten over the last few years have needed a new
speaker, new tubes, cap job, or all of the above. Similar things for SS amps,
too.
My example is pristine inside and out and was the previous owner's personal
favorite of the 2 he had. He sold the first one, but held on to this one; I
know because I tried buying the first one but missed out by a few bucks on a
private 'net sale. He contacted me much later to see if I was stilll interested
in buying the second one. I jumped on it and I'm glad I did!
Greg
kaetae
> * Fixed bias - must be re-biased with each new set of matched power tubes (or
> simply use similar matched tubes that are marked)
Fixed bias means that there is no bias pot installed in the circuit.
You should always have the amp biased when changing power tubes.
You can find tubes that are matched sets but you will never find tubes
that will accept the same bias as the tubes that you are replacing.
If your amp doesn't have the original power tubes in it,
it may have a bias pot installed.
Every good tech will install a bias pot when replacing power tubes.
If you don't have the original power tubes and there is no
bias pot installed you are probably running your amp way too cold
or way too hot.
If you do have the original tubes your amp is biased very cold (bright)
from the Factory.
They do this so they will last longer and they don't have to replace
them under warrantee. I think if you put a good set of NOS tubes in it
and have it biased properly you will find it to be most excellent.
Pt