Author Topic: Setting tone controls on Fender amps  (Read 712 times)

Offline abstamaria

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
    • View Profile
Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« on: June 25, 2012, 08:02:24 pm »
I have a new Fender Bassman TV15 bass amp. This has a tube (valve) preamplifier and a solid state power amp. I was reading up on the amp in the web and came across this:
 
"On a contemporary amp, tone controls are Cut/Boost, with a setting of straight-up noon representing the center point. But the TV Fifteen has the passive ’50s Fender tone stack, where Bass and Treble controls are boost-only and the midrange is cut-only. For a flat EQ, put the Bass and Treble chicken heads at about 3 and the Middle all the way up to the full 12."

That means, to get a flat frequency response, one must set the treble, mid, and bass tone controls on the amp at 0/15/0.

I'm assuming that's correct advice. My question is which other Fender amps work that way? The tweed '59 Twin Amp? The Twin Reverb?

Many thanks,

Andy

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter


Offline wstagner

  • Little Mister
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1279
  • Rarely a day go bi I'm not aggravate aboot sumtin.
  • Location: Illinois near Chicargo over by here.
    • View Profile
    • Classic Pumps
Re: Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2012, 09:00:15 pm »
I owned a twin in the 70's and the tone controls were all cut/boost.  I never pay much atttention to the position of the knobs as I always adjust to what sounds the best to me.  This, of course, changes with the guitar or bass I'm playing because the PUPs are different

Offline wstagner

  • Little Mister
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1279
  • Rarely a day go bi I'm not aggravate aboot sumtin.
  • Location: Illinois near Chicargo over by here.
    • View Profile
    • Classic Pumps
Re: Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2012, 09:04:52 pm »
When I'm playing guitar I adjust the controls so that the highs are not piercing for the audience yet they're clear enough to be hear.  For the bass, I adjust the tone to be solid/distinct and not muddy.  That's why I prefer 2x10 or 4x10 speakers rather than larger cones. 

The larger cones have too much mass to move to provide good transient response.  I played thru an 18" speekar once and it had unbeleefable bottom but was way 2 muddy for my taste.

Offline abstamaria

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
    • View Profile
Re: Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2012, 06:14:56 am »
Many thanks,  Walt.  I appreciate the advice.  I was just curious whether boost only on the treble and bass tone controls was universal on the 50s Fender amps.

Warm regards,

Andy

Offline wstagner

  • Little Mister
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1279
  • Rarely a day go bi I'm not aggravate aboot sumtin.
  • Location: Illinois near Chicargo over by here.
    • View Profile
    • Classic Pumps
Re: Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2012, 09:06:15 am »
Not sure about the 50's amps...but the 60's stuff and 4ward had "standard" tone controls.

Offline tabalt11

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 516
  • Location: Drexel Hill, Pa.
    • View Profile
Re: Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2012, 11:40:59 am »
Okay fellas maybe I'm lying a bit here when I state:

"Not to be a troublemaker in regards to 'the other forum' but Andy I noticed
you posted YOUR SAME QUESTION verbatim on UF2 & have yet to get a reply
or even acknowledgement in some form.   So with that being said, it's obvious why HERE is 'far & away' the better choice for any number of reasons."

Offline wstagner

  • Little Mister
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1279
  • Rarely a day go bi I'm not aggravate aboot sumtin.
  • Location: Illinois near Chicargo over by here.
    • View Profile
    • Classic Pumps
Re: Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2012, 11:49:57 am »
Andy, did you get a manwell with your amp?  Does the manwell say anything about settings?

Offline abstamaria

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
    • View Profile
Re: Setting tone controls on Fender amps
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2012, 10:46:12 pm »
Thanks, Tom.  My impression is that UF2 is tightly focused on Ventures discography, rather than on gear and playing, so it was probably the wrong place to raise the question. The members are otherwise very helful.  I did ask the same question in three Shadows forums and got very precise answers, including some of the leads I mentioned here.  I think that is because the members there tend to play and very engaged in capturing That Sound.  I am quite hopeful that the same type of discussion can take place at this forum.

The Fender amp did come with a manual, but it was thick only because it said the same two-page instruction in several languages!  On tone controls, all it said was that these knobs adjust the treble, mid, and bass.  Not helpful at all!

I wrote Frank Glionna, who runs Music Gallery, a guitar store in Chicago, is very knowledegeable, and has been very helpful on technical points, such as the availability of flat-wounds in the 50s and so forth.  I have no connection with his store, but he has supplied guitars to our musical company (The Madeleine Cookie Company) and, recently, a Victoria Victorilux amp.  I ordered the "Walk Don't Run" Jazzamaster and '56 Stratocaster that I mentioned elsewhere in this forum through him.

This is what Frank wrote:

"The Fender Re-issue amps, 59 Twin, 65 Twin  all have the same tone circuit.  This was standard among all Fender amps during that time frame & other amps such as Marshall, Vox etc. This is still quite common with guitar amps.  It wasn't until companies like Mesa Boogie & others that offered tone pots that started in the middle & would either boost or cut that frequency.

The Victoria is old school.  Just like the Fender amps.   The pot might be a little more sensitive on the Victoria making it easier to dial in the tone you like but it works the same way."

As suggested here, there is no substitute to experimenting with the dials, but it is good to know what the baseline is, as Walt says.

My best,

Andy