Fender und Custom Deluxe

111
september 2016 Guitarist
review FENDER ’57 CUSTOM TWEED CHAMP & DELUXE
The cabinets are finger-jointed solid pine,
with expertly fitted cotton twill covering,
gold/brown grille cloth, period-correct
badges, leather strap handles and metal
glides. The chassis on both amps is chrome-
plated steel, with slotted side panels to
improve strength and assist in ventilation.
Chickenhead knobs that go up to 12 adorn
the control panels.
Inside, the electronics are fairly close to
the originals, using a black eyelet board to
support all the small components, with neat
hand wiring to the valve bases and front and
rear panel connections. Original Champs
incorporated the on/off switch in the
volume control; on the reissue, Fender has
wisely added a separate toggle switch and a
top-mounted fuse holder. Both combos use
Fender’s recently introduced Pure Vintage
yellow coupling capacitors – re-engineered
versions of the original paper, foil and resin
Astrons, which some tweed aficionados
consider to be crucial for the right tone.
Other ingredients to Fender’s updated
F
rom 1955 to 1957, Fender made
what would become some of the
last changes to its so-called ‘tweed’
amplifier range, to arrive at the coveted
narrow panel series that went on to become
the template for so many other designs. The
Bassman also changed from a 1x15 cabinet
to a 4x10 in 1955, serving as the inspiration
for another well-known amplification icon.
However, despite the temporary fashion
for big stacks and 100-watt tops, the small
tweed Fender has remained indispensable,
providing the tonal inspiration for countless
gold albums and hit singles. Over the years,
Fender has reissued both amps in various
guises, but this year the company has
chosen to push the boat out with a Summer
NAMM debut of not one, but four Custom
Shop tweed amps (also including the
Custom ’57 Pro and Twin), of which these
two, the Champ and the Deluxe, are likely to
be runaway hits.
Both combos are as close as can be faithful
replicas of their original 1957 counterparts.
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Fender presents the glory of vintage tweed revamped for today’s playing
life, with a new set of amps that transport us right back to Fullerton, 1957
FENDER ’57 CUSTOM TWEED CHAMP
& ’57 CUSTOM TWEED DELUXE
£939 & £1,639
What You Need To Know
What does ‘tweed’ refer to?
In general, it refers to amps produced
by Fender roughly between 1948
and 1959. These were covered in a
varnished yellow and black cotton
twill, known to all as tweed, although
most people particularly associate
it with the ‘Narrow Panel’ amps
made from around 1955. The circuit
designs created by Fender during
this era have served as the basis
for many other guitar amps, and
Fender tweeds are probably the
most recorded of all amplifiers.
Why use an Alnico speaker?
It’s a loudspeaker with a magnet
made from an alloy of aluminium,
nickel and cobalt. Although the
magnet is just one component,
Alnico loudspeakers are generally
regarded as having a more detailed
treble. They’re also more expensive
and less efficient; most Alnicos are
rated at 30 watts or less.
What’s special about the
vintage capacitors?
Fender has recently introduced
a whole range of Pure Vintage
capacitors. The yellow ones are
intended to be a replica of the paper,
foil and resin Astron caps used in
late-50s tweed amps. It’s debatable
as to how much of a difference these
make, but they certainly look the part!
Words Nick Guppy Photography Joby Sessions
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VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT411.rev_fender.indd 111 04/08/2016 17:51