"BUY YOUR LAST AMP FIRST! In the same price range as this amp, you'll find "beginner's" garbage. Do your homework, I'm sure you'l"
Sound:
This amp is a huge value for the buck. I was intending to buy the rumble 60 watt, but for the few extra bucks, I went for the 100 watt. It was money well spent. The amp is powerful enough to rattle windows, (and to rattle my family's nerves), but crisp enough to differentiate easily between notes. Even on slammin' playing, I don't hear any rattles...It's tight. When I say this amp sounds great, I don't qualify it with "for the price"...I mean this amp kicks butt! There's more than enough "clean" volume to overcome my heavy handed drummer.
Feature:
The cd input is kinda nice, when practicing alone...sorta like karaoke on a bass, playing along with your favorite artists. Low, mid, and high adjustments allow for different types of music styles. Music driven lighting effects is kind of disco, but a nice little extra... Downside? Would like to have seen a built in tuner.
Quality:
The construction of this amp is well thought out. There's the top mounted carry handle for gigs, and heavy duty corner protectors (not those crappy corner protecters I've seen on other amps that are paper thin, and fall off at your first gig.) The 60 lb. weight is a bit much, but I"d rather lug the extra weight, if it means better construction, and deeper more solid sound.When carried with the back of the amp facing my body, there are no protruding knobs to break, and no rear openings to allow for a punctured speaker. (Flying objects tend to scout out speaker cones, when transporting gig instruments.)Additionally, the heavy mesh cover over the 15 inch speaker front, spares the front, as well. (I'd like to see a custom "wheeled cradle" to set this amp into, for ease of moving...Just a thought, Fender:)
Manufacturer Support:
I have owned this amp for two months now, and play on it daily...I've got no complaints to this point, but having played on a few of Fender's instruments, and always liking the quality of those instruments, I can't imagine their quality of service being less than 100%. If you want a good car, you buy a Rolls...If you want a good guitar, you buy a Fender. That's just the way its always been.
Value:
Two words: Awesome est!
The Wow Factor:
It looks "masculine". What I mean is it looks and feels rugged. Kind of like the Eddie Bauer special edition trucks I've seen...all the usual and sometimes unusual functions, and the "beefiness" to go along with them. Like the Eddie Bauer trucks, the amp seems to have been well thought out; able to handle the "off road" bumps and crunches.
Overall:
I've seen the "great beginners amp" ads for other amps in this price range, and have been turned off to their "beginners" look and sound. This amp offers so much better quality than its competitors. I plan on playing it "into the ground", though by the looks of its construction, I've got my work cut out for me.The only reason I see myself moving on to another amp would be for playing larger venues, where more horsepower is needed.
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