Fender 57 Custom Champ und Custom Deluxe
115
september 2016 Guitarist
review FENDER ’57 CUSTOM TWEED CHAMP & DELUXE
5
And that’s the key thing. Vintage amplifiers
don’t age gracefully. Capacitors dry out and
short-circuit, the insulation on old transformer
windings isn’t resistant to overheating, while
repeated hot/cold cycling can open up dry
solder joints and overheated resistors can drift
from their true value. And then there’s the
mains voltage – original tweeds are configured
for USA power, and in stock configuration
they’re not properly earthed.
Now, hunting down and owning vintage
amps is fun, but we’d never want to rely
on one that’s been around for six decades
when on stage. So, if you’re in the market for
a vintage tweed combo, owning one that’s
every bit as good as the original but built to
modern standards and set up for our mains
voltage is really a no-brainer.
Still, that Custom Shop seal of excellence
comes with a hefty price tag – and yet
it’s comparable to other top boutique
equivalents, so the prices are relatively
reasonable. We can’t wait to see if Fender
will do relic versions for the hardcore vintage
enthusiast. Meanwhile, if you want great
vintage USA tone, it doesn’t get much better
than this.
FENDER ’57
CUSTOM
TWEED CHAMP
PRICE: £939
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: All valve, with valve rectifier
OUTPUT: Approx. 5W RMS
VALVES: 1x 12AY7, 1x 6V6, 1x 5Y3
DIMENSIONS: 345mm (w) x
320mm (h) x 190mm (d)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 7/16
CABINET: Finger-jointed solid pine
CHANNELS: 1
CONTROLS: Volume
FOOTSWITCH: None
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Hi/Lo
gain input jacks
RANGE OPTIONS: The 57 Custom
Tweed Deluxe costs £1,639, the
Custom ’57 Tweed Pro is £1,999, and
the ’57 Custom Tweed Twin is £2,419
Fender Musical Instruments GBI
01342 331700
www.fender.com
FENDER ’57 CUSTOM
TWEED DELUXE
PRICE: £1,639
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: All valve, with valve rectifier
OUTPUT: Approx. 12W RMS
VALVES: 1x 12AY7, 1x 12AX7,
2x 6V6, 1x 5Y3
DIMENSIONS: 510mm (w) x
425mm (h) x 230mm (d)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 12/27
CABINET: Finger-jointed solid pine
CHANNELS: 2, non-switching
CONTROLS: Instrument volume,
microphone volume, tone
FOOTSWITCH: None
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Dual Hi/Lo
gain input jacks
RANGE OPTIONS: See ’57 Custom
Tweed Champ
PROS A wide range of tones from the
deceptively simple controls; perfect
volume level for small clubs and pubs
CONS Expensive
PROS Top-drawer tone; perfect
amp for recording
CONS It’s a one-trick pony, but a
great trick; shamelessly expensive
7
9
3. The Custom ’57
Champ uses a
special eight-inch
Weber Alnico
design that
captures all the
tone of the original
and more besides.
It’s an ideal
recording tool
4. Fender’s Pure
Vintage capacitors
replicate the
construction of
the yellow Astron
capacitors used
in the late 1950s,
for an even more
authentic tone
5. Expertly applied
fabric covering
on both amps is
what you’d expect
from Fender’s
Custom Shop
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT411.rev_fender.indd 115 04/08/2016 17:52