The Ugly Truth About The Fender Mustang GT Amp

If you've been living under a rock for the last week or so, then you may not have heard that Fender has finally released there entry into the current gen of digital modeling amps. Of course, we have all become familiar with the Marshal CODE, BOSS Katana, and Line6 Spider V, but Fender has thrown its hat into the ring with the new Mustang GT. So what is the story here? Do we need to run out and buy the latest addition to the Mustang line? Let's aggregate all the information we know about the GT and try to understand whats new, whats good, and what needs to change.

(Before we go anything further and we are on the same page, this is a "reactions" post. A hands-on review is in the works)

There Is A Lot Right

Many if not most of the features that are present in other current-gen modeling amps are present here. Most notably is the connectivity. The Marshal CODE and Line6 SpiderV both let you connect and control the amp via mobile app. What Fender did right, besides their iconic cleans, was to allow the mobile device connect via Bluetooth and the amp to connect via Wifi to your network. Finally a fully wireless amp (well, except for the power cable). The design is nice and clean, which puts it above the SpiderV right out of the gate. Other improvement: high quality interface, 60 second looper, Celestion speakers, more power (200 watts). Fender has put a lot of thought into the this amp. It is the last one to market with their modeling amp, so they'd better have learned from mistakes made by the other guys. So, does that mean that Fender got everything right? Well...

They Got A Lot Wrong Too

As you can imagine, this amps are popular with cover bands and session artist. Those that need to play many styles in the same set, and portability is important. So these amp tick a lot of boxes. Also high up on the list is reliability. You'd think that would be in the bag, what with it being solid state and all, but users have reported issues with one  of the key features: the bluetooth connection. First, the connection is lost when your phone goes to sleep, also, the app and amp have a few glitches to work out. Selections on the app have a slight chance to select the wrong option on the amp. Fortunately, there this is only a seldom annoyance, but reliability is paramount in every piece of a rig. Another misstep was to take away some functionality of the previous models. Everything is editable on the manual controls, but the on-the-fly on/off of effects is only available via the $100 footswitch that is only included on the flag ship $600 200 watt version. Not to mention, it is a four button switch with three different modes... I guess it need to do a lot since you aren't going to be running many effects into this amp.

Conclusion

I want to like this amp. I am, admittedly, a Fender fanboy. But I can't endorse this amp souly on the brand on the front of the amp. This amp delivers a multitude of options and effects. There are tons of presets and everything is customizability. There is a community build around the Mustang line that, no doubt, will provide endless possibilities for that looking to nail tones with little to no button mashing. There are some issue with this amp, just like there are with many others, The main feature of any amp though is what it sounds like. I've only really experience the presets and the fender cleans are legit. The dirtier (less-fender) the model, the weaker the sound. Will this be improved in the future? Can it be improved? I don't know. It is a solid, if not overdue, update to the Mustang line. Fans of the Mustang amps will enjoy the long awaited update to current spec. If you are on the fence about buying this amp, I'd suggest putting it next to the Marshal CODE and close your eyes. Pick the one that makes you feel the fuzziest.

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Vox AV Series: Update

I first reported about these amps when Vox announced them back at NAMM this year. They Stood out because of there styling and features. They are analog, solid powered combos that look rather striking. The looks alone were enough to make me interested. I've been able to see one in action and I have to say that I'm am impressed. I was almost dismissive of the new line. I wasn't the biggest fan of the little modeling amps that came out recently. I was afraid that these guys were still coming from that prospective. This does not seem to be the case. These are something akin to the Super Champs that Fender put out. They replicate the front ends of other various amps, sans digital modeling.

Starting at just over $200 these amps are poised to be an excelent first amp, or a great step into valve-ish amps. If you need or want a variety of amp sounds but don't have the funds to buy half a dozen or more amps to make those sounds, then this amp could be an excellent fit. I liked the Super Champ amps and these seem to be in the same ballpark. In fact, I'd pick up one of these on the looks alone. The fact that these amps can emulate so many others and even the biggest one in the lineup comes in under $500 doesn't hurt either. Vox has put a lot of work into making great little amps. Even the the cabinet design is made to make you forget that (unless you have the 60 watt version) you aren't playing though a 12" speaker.

All in all. these amps are stacking up to be a step above what I was predicting. Kind of a foot-in-mouth moment, but I'm glad it is. The world need more great amps. This quite possibly, could be one. At least, it might be a good choice for many musicians.

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The Ugly Truth about Fender's new Rumble V3 Series

The other day I was in my local music store and I had some extra time. I wouldn't normally sit down with a bass when spending time at the music store (just too much other stuff to look at). But I did see something that caught my eye. It was the new look of the Rumble series amps. I was surprised by how much I liked it. Fender's bass amps have been somewhat of a eye sore. I love their classic line of their guitar amps. The tweeds and silver grills add something to the mojo of the tone that a modern looking amp just doesn't seem to have. I've played Fender's Rumble amps before. In fact, a band mate of mine use one of the larger combos for his bass rig. No only did I play through it pretty often, but when he snapped off a knob, I took it in and worked on it. I really spent some time playing with all the features and finding out what it was capable of. There is nothing that I can really rant about. It wasn't very standout. Everything have very simple and everything worked as advertised. All in all, I'd call it a "safe bet". It was relatively inexpensive and decent sounding. It was heavy. It was a combo with a 15 inch speaker. Fender also offered the same set up in a head/cab form. When moving this thing I wish my band mate would have decided to go that route.

The new Rumble:
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When you look at these amps you think "Fender Twin". Its hard not to. Black tolex, silver grill, but it has an odd shape so maybe its more "Vintage Bassman". Despite the throwback looks, the real beauty of these amps are the modern features. Forever the bass player has had little in the way of features. Sure there are "options" in bass amps, but most of those center around EQ. There may be a "Bass Boost" or "Ultra Bass" button, but often these features don't really add to the function of the amp. The V3 Rumble has added a real feature that has really been missing from the bass amp game for too long. The most notable addition to these amp is the overdrive. Finally something that most bass player can use the expand the range of sounds in a useful way. I'm not a huge fan of over saturated bass sounds. Many times a bass can loose the very nature of the bass sound when overdriven or distorted too much, It can start to sound hissy, or worse, like a guitar. The V3 Rumble has struck a good balance between adding a useful feature and making something novel. It is easy to add a little gain and get a little bit of grit while still sounding very much like a bass. I sat down with the 40 watt version of this amp and was surprised at what I could get out of it.

The Ugly side:

Pretty exterior, useful and modern features, lightweight make this amp sound like a dream boat, Well I wouldn't call it a ten out of ten just yet. Lets look at the small combos in this line. After all, these are priced to appeal to the beginner and hobbyist. The smallest model is the 15 watt with a 10 inch speaker. Sounds exactly like what a beginner would buy. With a street price below $100 it is a deal, but no one it their right mind should buy one of these. Why? Because for twenty dollars more you can get the 25 watt combo with the same speaker. That is 2 dollars per watt, not a bad deal for just under $100. What I can figure out is why the next step up in this line (another 15 watts up) is double the price! You still have the same 10 inch speaker with a little more power, but they tack on an extra 80 buck to let you control the overdrive and have a couple buttons to push (nothing special there). Really the price jump is more like due to the fact that this unit might appeal to someone who would actually play outside the house, meaning they might be willing to part with a little more money. So for a $20 upgrade you wind up paying $100. Not cool. Speaking of cool, The new compact, lightweight designs are nice. They are great selling points when considering the other options. Both of those things paint a positive picture when imagining owning a piece of equipment. Keep in mind why those other units are big and heavy. The old Rumbles were tanks, but these new one are untested. Thinner sides to the cab and less bracing might account for the weight loss. Also, amps make heat. That compact design is going to trap that heat. I don't remember seeing a fan on any of the units I tried. sorta scary when planning a purchase.

In closing, These amps are really a step forward. It meets all of my part-time bass playing needs. If there was a tuner on this thing, all I would need is a bass and a chord and I'd be ready to rock. However, when looking at amps in this price range its important to consider how they are able to offer these product for the price. Chinese manufacturing doesn't hurt. These are great little amps. I really enjoyed playing through them and for a bedroom combo these are a solid option. Are they perfect? No. But they are a step above most of what is out there at the price range. At a glance these are pretty little amps, but look hard enough and you'll see the ugly truth.

Bugera V22 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp

This is only a teaser. I don't own this amp, but I have given it a fairly good run through and so far I'm impressed. It has two channels running through an all-tube amp. These amps are cheap and china-made, but the sounds they produce don't lie. The sounds are good, but some what limited. The 22 watt version breaks up a little too early to play much outside the bedroom. It will get volume but at the cost of your clean tone. Serious musicians would be advised to get the heavier-watt model. As for a bedroom/recording amp aimed at getting nice vintage "brown" tones, this is a solid contender. (of corse you can add pedals, mod, and tweaks and a whole world of options opens up) Its not the greatest amp I've played through, but it has some serious bang of the buck. If you are interested then I would suggest finding one and playing through it. The quality control may be and issue since they do descend from behringer. I'd like a 2x10 or 2x12 model combo, but then again I'd end up replacing the speakers in the cab any way.

The sounds are nice and the potential is there, plus it looks cools...