Fender "Steel King" amps

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 22 Apr 2004 3:57 pm

I was given the green to talk all I wanted to about these amps that will hit the market soon. See the post also here in Electronics about 'beta testing new amps'

Mike

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 22 Apr 2004 5:09 pm

...and Fender definitely picked the right man for the job. Schmooz as it comes off, nonetheless, the truth.
Ok, I'll jump on:
How are they different from the old Vibrosonic & the Vibrasonic (a reissue more or less of the Vibrosonic but black face & a "steel" channel)?
Is the Steel King similar to a Twin? Different?
Lighter or not?
Is it a tube amp?
Is it a single channel amp?
Wattage?
Is the EQ typical Fender layout, or closer to what Peavey, or even Evans or Webb are doing for that matter?
Is it one size for now or do they plan to do two, similar to Peavey?
(oops, left out a '?'):
Will this be considered a custom shop amp?
Ok, now I'm done.
Fire away...[This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 22 April 2004 at 06:11 PM.]

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 22 Apr 2004 5:18 pm

Oops again, I just caught this thread: http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum11/HTML/005188.html
Neeeever mind.

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 23 Apr 2004 3:56 am

Mike;

You did mean 'given the green light', as in 'given the go ahead' and not 'givin the green', as in 'they're paying me to say this', correct?

I just want a tad more clarification.

------------------
My best,
Ernie

www.buddyemmons.com

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 23 Apr 2004 7:54 am

Hey Ernie,

"Green" as in "light" and definately not the cash variety. I'm not officially an endorser either. I know Sam and he invited me to participate in a small part of the testing process. Immediately, I realized this was a quality product that made me sound really good. If I get any other benefit other than hopefully one day owning one of these products, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Rex, I know you read the other post, but I'd definately compare this to a custom shop amp in the quality of it's sound. I'm also thankful to say it doesn't compare to any of the former amps that they manufactured because they just didn't work for me.

Mike www.mikeandt.com

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 23 Apr 2004 8:08 am

I would really like to try one of these. Any estimates on when they will be released? When I made the basic steel preset on my CyberTwin, I named it SteelKing. Great minds think alike (smile).

------------------
Doug Earnest
The only Zum Keyless U12, Fender Cyber Twin

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 23 Apr 2004 8:28 am

Any idea where they will be built?

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 23 Apr 2004 2:04 pm

I've heard the first production models will be available in July. As to where they will be made, I don't know. I know they have a facility still in Fullerton, CA and then the one here in Scottsdale (where they do make a lot of the guitars).

Mike

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 23 Apr 2004 5:33 pm

Thanx, Mike. If you're liking it then it sounds like they've got 'em a real deal steel amp. (rhyming totally unintended)
I certainly don't have any problem with Fender now deciding to build a steel amp. Matter of fact I welcome the new kid on the block & hope dealers are paying attention.
Again, thanx Mike for sharing the info.

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 24 Apr 2004 2:15 am

Are they going to be out by the St. Louis convention? If so, maybe there'll be one there to check out. Sounds like a nice amp. I'm guessing they will be around the same price as a Twin. (?)

------------------
My best,
Ernie

www.buddyemmons.com

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 24 Apr 2004 11:13 am

There was mention of having them by St. Louis. If the July projection is a reality, then I'm sure they'd be there.

I have no clue about pricing as yet.

Mike[This message was edited by Miguel e Smith on 24 April 2004 at 12:14 PM.]

John Russell · Post by **John Russell** » 29 Apr 2004 7:14 pm

Are we talking about the Fender '65 Twin Custom 15?

I just got the new Musicians Friend catalog and on page 38 they list a (new?) Fender Twin. Rated at 85 watts with a 15" speaker "based on the JBL D130F." Weight is listed at 64 lbs. Price $1099. Hmmmmmm. Can I resist this?

Click here

JR[This message was edited by b0b on 30 April 2004 at 12:41 PM.]

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 29 Apr 2004 8:33 pm

While the amp you noticed in the mag may be a nice rig, no, not the same thing we're talking about in here. This new amp is literally named "Steel King" and is only in prototype production right now. Sam Marshall is the lead R&D tech for the project at Fender in Scottsdale and will have one or two of the Steel Kings at the SWSGA jam this coming weekend (along with one of those special twins you're probably talking about).

So far, I've been very impressed with the sound and ease of use in a live situation. I did use it briefly in the studio and went direct and was very happy with that sound as well.

Mike www.mikeandt.com

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 30 Apr 2004 4:55 am

Mike - What's your impression of the sound? Fenderish, Peavish or does it have any of the characteristics of the Webb/Evans high-end amps. Thanks - Tim[This message was edited by Tim Whitlock on 30 April 2004 at 06:02 AM.]

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 30 Apr 2004 8:04 am

I've never owned a Webb so I can't compare it to that, but Jim Evans is the guy who started me playing years ago and so the Evans line has been my experience by and large since (some Peaveys too). Right now I'm using one of the newer Evans pre's run through two powered speakers. The Fender rivals that sound for sure...not my typical experience with Fenders in the past. When I recently went back to my regular rig, I missed something from using the Fenders...kinda amazed me for sure but it was a nice surprise.

Mike www.mikeandt.com
[This message was edited by Miguel e Smith on 30 April 2004 at 09:07 AM.]

Keith Murrow · Post by **Keith Murrow** » 30 Apr 2004 11:19 am

..[This message was edited by Keith Murrow on 26 October 2004 at 04:18 PM.]

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 2 May 2004 10:17 am

Well....all I can say is, they definitely did NOT do the proper testing and what-not on the new Custom 15", since the cabinet is not able to handle low bass frequencies without rattling like crazy, nor do the electonics like certain notes/frequencies being played (as there is a resulting harmonic/"tambourine"-sounding rattle from the tubes or somewhere).

I have found I am not the only one to have experienced this, though others have reported no problem. I am particularly picky, though...and unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) have one of those ears that can hear a TV being turned on in the basement while I am sitting on a different floor of the house....so any odd noises are definitely not acceptable to me.

Soooo.....Fender better not just slap something together and hope people buy it....because obviously there are strong Peavey loyalties and if Fender's quality cannot match what Peavey is putting out, they will lose. Big time.

Joe

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 2 May 2004 12:06 pm

I expect nothing good from Fender these days. If the amp works at all I'll be impressed. I just opened up one of their modern "Twin-Amp" amps to clean it up and try and fix a bad channel. That's not a fender in there. It's a bunch of crappy circuit boards and jumper cables. Nothing rugged or cool about it. I couldn't even access the pot's to clean them without removing the entire preamp board assembly. Stupid stupid stupid. The people who design these modern Fenders really don't care about what it means to be a good guitar amp. That mentality died years ago at that corporation. I don't think they've made a real amp in 25 years, except perhaps some of their real expensive custom shop stuff. Well, ok, the Hot Rod Deluxe is ok. I don't expect that they'll really put a dent in Peavey's market share with this steel amp. They just don't get it at Fender anymore. C'mon Fender, try and impress us! Quit making crappy disposable amps for a change.

Brad Sarno

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 2 May 2004 3:26 pm

Yeah, we've seen on here more than once nice prototype features that didn't seem to get into the production model.
I trust Mike's judgment fully and because of that I'm anxious to see how Fender did.
But the production model will tell the story, good, so so, or nothing's broke so I'll stick with my Peavey.

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 3 May 2004 5:28 am

Brad, C'mon, what do you really think? Just kidding, I would have to agree with your post. My CyberTwin (made in Mexico) is doing the job for me, but I certainly don't have any hopes of it living 30 years. If Fender does build this amp, I hope they at least put it in a decent cabinet instead of the really crappy particle board. I'm hoping we see a Sarno steel amp soon, I have a feeling it would be a good one!

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 3 May 2004 6:23 am

Yea Doug, I was a little harsh. I just get frustrated by the new amp quality and assembly techniques that so many use now because it's the cheapest way to make an amp. I'm offended by much of the Fender stuff because it looks like a Fender on the outside, but inside it just aint. To me a guitar amp needs to be a very solid, rugged, military grade piece of gear. The new stuff seems so delicate and wimpy, and I don't just mean Fender, lot's of companies have been forced down this road trying to compete in the larger market. I look at the inside of my old Princeton, Deluxe, Twin, or a Webb or my Peavey Session 400. Those amps are meant to take the rigors of loud amplification, road abuse, falling out of a truck, voltage fluctuations, earthquakes, etc. I once backed my car into my Nashville 1000 and it SLAMMED down on the driveway hard. It was fine, perfectly fine. The newer construction methods we see so often are just NOT that rugged. Pot's, switches, boards, connectors, chassis, soldering methods, mostly crap these days. I wonder if they expect their consumers to actually take the amps out of their bedrooms and use them professionally. The life of a real amp is a tough one. Especially for a pro musician, you can't take some of these newer brand-name amps on the road with any confidence, not without a backup.

Brad Sarno

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 3 May 2004 7:25 am

Anything "new" about this amp, or is it just another amp?

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 3 May 2004 2:27 pm

Got to hear a few others play through the prototype at the SWSGA on Sunday. One thing everyone is commenting on is the separation of notes and the clarity (even with mellower tone settings).

As far as Mike's question (Anything "new" about this amp, or is it just another amp?), I'd say everything on the market is just another amp depending on the way a person looks at it (i.e.; "one man's treasure..."). No matter how much quality, expense or R & D goes into something, there certainly isn't a guarantee that a majority will like the features or the sound.

Obviously, time will tell if this product will be competitive or not. My brief history with it brings me to believe it is a really solid sounding piece of gear.

Although my technical expertise is limited at best, I don't believe this unit is programable to drive itself to a gig, set itself up and then find it's own way home at the end of the night. I think that would certainly be cool. Speaking of cool, if it would also have a refrigeration unit in it that would dispense Starbuck's Mocha Frap for me about 2-hours into a live gig...yeah, I'd personally dig that too (I'm not kidding).

Nope...I think this is the basic featured, good sounding kinda amp. I'll let you know what I think on the next round of "real world" tests.

Mike

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 3 May 2004 2:40 pm

I had a chance to play through this amp briefly at the SWSGA jam in Apache Junction over the weekend. As Mike stated before, it appears about the size of a Peavey Session, but "thicker". I looked in the back, and there is this "humongous"(is that a word?) heat sink right at the top of the cabinet.
It was on casters, and Sammy Marshall said that it weighs in at about 65 lbs. It had one 15" Eminence speaker. To me it sounded very crisp with great tone separation. I have never personally owned an Evans amp, but to my ears, the sound of Fender's Steel King reminded me of the Evans. Only time will tell how these will fare in the market place. Personally, I liked it.

Daniel Gillett · Post by **Daniel Gillett** » 3 May 2004 4:38 pm

After hearing the STEEL KING, the past two days at SWSGA, I think Fender is back in the steel amp business in a big way. It sounded so clear and distinct, every note,,, from all different steel guitar makes that played through it. All you unbelievers will be suprised as we were when you hear "The King" .