Are Fender Tweed Amps Still Relevant? | Master Your Tone #3 | Thomann

What is the tweed sound? Are these old amps still relevant? How do they sound with pedals? So many questions about the Fender tweed amps... Grab a coffee and enjoy the video.
Gear used: tho.mn/e81kl
Recorded in Presonus Studio One: bit.ly/S1Pro6
Recorded and mixed with Universal Audio: tho.mn/uadx1
Monitors optimised through Sonarworks: tho.mn/sonar
Interesting bits and pieces:
0:00 Introduction
0:32 A little history - The Tweed amps
1:07 Playing | Tweed Custom Deluxe - slight crunch
1:48 Can a tweed amp sound CLEAN??
2:08 Playing | Clean
2:38 How do they sound with pedals?
2:56 Playing | w/ drive, delay and reverb pedals
4:03 WHAT IS the "tweed sound"?
4:41 Playing | Cranked drive tone
5:07 Are Fender tweed amps still relevant?
5:58 Outro playing
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[@neocampus9043]

I bought a 57 Custom Deluxe last year more out of curiosity, just to have that original sound at my disposal. It has soon become my workhorse as a clean(ish) platform for gigs. Best amp ever!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I agree. I think a lot of players don't try these because they think they're "just old amps for certain old sounds". But actually these are timeless and much more versatile than we think. //Kris

[@1000foxtrot]

I've had a Tweed Bassman '59 reissue since '92 and it sings like angels in an angelchoir...

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I can imagine! What an amp. 🙌 //Kris

[@island-hobo]

My ‘59 Tweed Harvard is the perfect bucket list amp. It just makes life worth living. 🎸🛸🛸🛸

[@rosssoutherland8118]

I agree! I have one of these too. I’ve had others. Early 50’s wide panels & a 60 VibroLux. Tweed is where it’s at!

[@cameronchristensen8652]

Big tweed fan. I own an original ’52 Super (5C4 circuit w/ 2x10 Jensens, alnico and ceramic). So, i disagree a bit about how to approach Tweeds with pedals. There’s no right answer bc tone is a personal thing, but I recommend cranking it almost all way so you get the Neil Young sound and just control gain via your guitar or a volume pedal. Tweeds have great sounds at every point on the dial, so why not just have them all at your fingertips?

[@chickenlickin3820]

I love my '57 custom deluxe it's such a beauty! got it from Thomann : )

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Much appreciated! 💛 And yeah, it has quickly become one of my faves too. Masterpiece. //Kris

[@USNVA-yn6cp]

at 57 years old and have been playing since 1983 and have owned and played more amps over the years then I care to remember, my quest for tone has stopped today! I picked up a like new tungsten Oxnard 12 amp off facebook for 1000 cash...and Im blown away,, the tones in this amp just do all I need, rockabilly, blues, jazz , british rock and surf with my reverb pedal! I knew sooner or later this would happen, and it has!

[@gbbruno596]

Playing @1.05 in slight crunch was so beautiful. You really highlighted the magic of tweed amps. And yes, no pedals with those amps, please!

[@electrickittylikestea9647]

Beautifully explained! I just got one! Dont have it yet. arrives tomorrow. Im nervous nd excited at the same time 😲

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I just got a clone of a tweed vibrolux, which is similar to the deluxe. I’m still learning to get good tones with it, as it behaves a lot differently than the Marshall amp I’ve been using for a few years. The fender clone sounds magical, in a very vintage way. Not sure if it will make modern sounds. Too new to have figured out how to use dirt pedals, but reverb and delay are great! Unless you’re into metal, I recommend a tweed style amp. A clone done right is not cheap, and neither are those Fender custom amps, but so far my new amp is living up to my expectations and may be my last amp

[@SomeKindOfMadman]

Sounds good to me, thanks for the demo Kris. I appreciate it.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks so much man! Such a good amp, I still can't get over it even though I recorded this video weeks ago, haha! //Kris

[@sch2412]

love the sound with the tele kris! i have an idea for a video. it's a quest that i've been on for at least a decade now 😁 how to get the best possible sound at a low/bedroom/apartment volume. for the poor souls that don't own a garage or a large house. the largest issue for me has always been the loss of harmonic content after a certain dB point. even with expensive pedals and attenuators.

[@gitarowydominik]

Tube amp, OX, interface with SPDIF and good studio monitors or headphones.

[@vikingmike8139]

Great demonstration and information. Nice playing as well. Cheers! 😊

[@nekkon1989]

I was thinking of getting a blues deluxe just for the sake of tweed, but I ended up buying a Bassbreaker 30r, since it is still based on a Bassman circuit and the sound is like a modern version of it, plus I dig the extra features. Fingers crossed it doesn't break they say, but until then I'm going to enjoy it!

[@metalliholic]

I’ve had my bassbreaker 15 for about 5 years now and I love it.

[@pascalauzias5636]

Excellent video, thank you! Don't forget Pete Townshend recorded Won't Get Fooled Again with a 59 Gretsch 6120 and a 59 Fender Tweed Bandmaster !

[@aevoguitars2576]

Well it sounds great to me🔥🎸

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

Love the tweed sound... it is the sound of classic blues and there is no substitute for their blend of small small sounding fuzzy goodness. I like them more for their distinctive distortion than their clean sound.

[@fabioconsonni3232]

I built my 57 deluxe for my Neil Young cover band: it's a surprise every time I play it.

[@LARRYWAITE]

I also own a 57 Custom Deluxe as well as Tweed signature EC Champ (5 wt) - - like you state the sound is subjective but the one that defines the sound I prefer.

[@nulife022]

I taught guitar back in the 70s. All the instructors thought the vintage tweed amps in our studios sounded kind of distorted in a weird way. Never understood the fascination with that sound. The 60s and 70s Fender Princeton and Reverb amps sounded better.

[@tonebone69]

yeah, I have a custom deluxe and don't like it at all. Sounds broken, even when new. but the tweed bassman is pretty awesome.

[@joachimlindback]

I enjoyed that. A good sound will always be a good sound. Fender "modern" quality is not the same. Cheap components that fail fast.

[@horschy4856]

Best amp tone ever!

[@stringlocker]

The best thing is no clipping diodes. Who decided we needed those

[@johnnymossville]

That slight breakup tone is glorious

[@twlowe19]

They gave me headaches....some frequency going on that I can't quite place. I loved playing it, but headaches can't accompany that experience, I had to sell it. Sad, because it is no understatement that this amp does things that no other amp actually does. Sadly, for me, one of them was give me headaches.

[@nathanbottrell2529]

BEST AMP EVER

[@edgeofsanity9111]

Why do most multi effect pedals place harmonizers and pitch shifters along with the modulation effects after the distortion when they're best suited to be at the very beginning of the pedal chain with the octavers and auto or touch wah's

[@alphillips87]

The intro song clip at 0:15 is killer. Wonder which song it is?

[@holmes1978]

Sir you are Excellent ❤❤❤❤❤

[@holmes1978]

I have a Champ with pedals the sounds are amazing !

[@duckien5931]

I have a question so i got a new guitar and every time I plug it it I can feel electricity in the strings I've changed outlets and even tried different amps idk if its a ground issue on the guitar or not

[@frankhubner3019]

Du hast den Meister des Twins vergessen: Keith Richards! Ich habe Peavey Classics aus den 90ern und deutsche und italienische "Interpretationen" aus den 60ern. Der Unterschied: Die Peaveys sättigen viel früher, die Dynacords oder MEMs aus den 60ern sind Clean, kompromieren und sind extrem laut! Beides zusammen gibt mir den Sound, den Gibbons, Richards oder Bonamassa lieben, aber auch den extrem lauten Clean-Sound wie ihn Mark Knopfler hat. (der Vibrato-Kanal meines Rex ist echt magisch)

[@vintagetone22]

Best amp ever made .❤🙏👍👍👍🎸🎸🎸🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥and superb player my friend.

[@TheGorillafoot]

I think they still sound great.

[@robertahli3738]

I want that amp so bad

[@CaptainRon1913]

"Can you get a clean tone out of these"? I have a hard time getting a dirty sound out of 57 Cust Delux. With my Tele, 64 vintage pickups, exact same settings as you have, mine is clean as a whistle. No breakup at all.

[@boatingforbeginners7949]

This video should come with a SERIOUS WARNING!! 1) You will spend hours (not minutes) discovering ALL the various TOTALLY awesome tones available at your finger tips! 2) You will learn that the amp seriously reacts to how light or strong you hit the strings! 3) You will be in ORE of its VOLUMES & MINDBLOWING TONES with just 3 knobs! 4) You will ask yourself.. Why did'nt you get this sooner when Leo Fender got it right in 1949! 5) You will sell your other amp/s because NOW it does'nt sound so good OR so real ! 6) Possible DIVORCE proceedings ahead, Because.. now you've just plugged in your pedalboard and there's a whole NEW WORLD of PURE AMAZING TONE and you'll miss the dinner shes made for you because NOW you'll be in your practice room for weeks discovering the WHOLE NEW YOU ! 😛

[@darwinsaye]

Great demo. But please, let’s stop perpetuating the myth that if you use delay and overdrive in front of an amp, you should keep the amp mostly clean. Before effects loops came out in the late 70s, all those great songs were made with the delay and reverb put into the front of the amp and it was not an issue.

[@mtbmadman011]

Tele Tweed delicious!

[@plexitele]

Tweed is the truth

[@joeyjojo8200]

Is this amp also usuable as a amp to play at home?

[@ivan_emege]

No by itself, it’s very loud even at 3. You need an attenuator box to reach the sweet spot at home.

[@kevburke]

I had a tweed hot rod deluxe and it got stolen. I miss it every day

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

So sorry to hear that man. Stealing music gear is inacceptable. //Kris

[@snorrevonflake]

For me they are all thats relevant, and going back into the 1940s with earlier Amps. Unfortunately most reissues are useless, bright, harsh sounding.

[@t-bone3657]

Q: Why are Fender Tweed Amps so expensive?? The answer I found from life experience - it’s the same as why is divorce sooo expensive? BECAUSE ITS WORTH IT 😮 !!!

[@eatw9791]

xd

[@svbarr]

ALL tweed amps (even Gibsons) have this amazing thing even with their admitted low headroom breakup. If the volume is set before distortion, and particularly if the guitar volume is slightly rolled down tweeds have a sweetness no later blackface can do. And for distortion? Duh -- a Marshall is a tweed 59 Bassman circuit, with bigger speakers in a closed back cabinet.

[@MrTL666]

Modern amps are for children

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Are people still using digital amps? That's so 1990.

[@PooNinja]

Always room for a baby bumper. So loud for such a small amp.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I agree with cranking tweed amps to get that cool and unique drive tone. Unfortunately that's way too loud nowadays, even for stage use. That's where pedals make a lot of sense and as shown in the video one shouldn't worry about it. Tweed amps take drive pedals often better than blackface and silverface Fenders, since these don't have the smiley face EQ curve. Cheers //Kris

[@PooNinja]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses ahh the california smile EQ 🤣. As a mostly bedroom guitarist the deep v curve sounds great at low volume sneaking in and out of the mix but for playing with others my EQ flips radically to a mid boost mountain with just enough bass to get the point across. Ahh the subjective experience of tone. Have a great week Sir

[@magnushedqvist2245]

I have a 5e3. It is great but, really LOUD! Just look at the dB meter. 🎸😀

[@ferraridinoman]

Or we get out of our bedroom and find a girlfriend??

[@andrewjacobs3731]

Don't be ridiculous, that's just for drummers 😅

[@Mr.Nabil.Belhaj]

If you love drama and trouble in your life 😅

[@MarioTorre]

Can you even play a custom 57 in a bedroom? I mean, Chris has the volume at 2 and the unconnected channel at 10 (this lowers the volume!) and the db meter says 110 🤣

[@PooNinja]

My wife says I can’t have a girlfriend. So I’ll just keep buying gear 🤘🏽

[@douglaschristine8387]

And then back into the bedroom until it doesn't go well and your good ole guitar is still there waiting to be played.

[@terrydavidson4581]

A girlfriend is cheaper my friend

[@matzer8846]

These tweet amps just don't seem to work ... never ever met any on twitter