From patgtrfrknospa–(at)–otmail.com Mon Jan 12 09:45:50 CST 1998
Article: 79933 of alt.guitar.amps
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From: patgtrfr–(at)–otmail.com
Newsgroups: alt.guitar.amps
Subject: Re: How do Blackface Fenders sound different from Silverface?
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 00:10:36 -0500
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Simply Steve wrote:
>
> Jake122333 wrote:
>
> > Hi, thanks for reading this. It seems everyone wants a blackface
> > instead of a
> > silverface fender amp. Can anybody describe the difference in sound
> > between a
> > blackface and silverface Fender?
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> > Jake
>
> I think it really depends on what specific amp you’re talking about.
> Many of the smaller combo amps didn’t change much (if at all) in the
> early SF days. But I have been under the impression (not having access
> to the actual amps, but from reading here for a year or so) that the
> later (mid 70s) SFs tend to be brighter, a bit more “clean headroom” and
> slightly less “sweetness” possibly due to less distortion (lower B+,
> more/different filtering in both amp stages and power supply and even
> reverb circuits) – like CBS had some more “audiophile” oriented
> engineering and fewer actual rock/blues guitarists working there. I
> think they were going for less THD with the SF changes in the bigger
> amps and then later in the smaller combos – which is a subjective thing
> as far as desirability goes. Many players like the sweet crunch – others
excellent description
there is no one silverface MOD .. fender continued to “improve”
their product over the years as any manufacturer would
here is a brief list of things you might find in a silverface amp
that wouldn’t be in a blackface .. not all amps had all these mods
1) use of jensen speakers was over during the silver era
2) some amps twins supers 68 69 had a weird fixed+cathoed bias
output arrangement
3) generally voltages on silverface amps are up at the b+ =
more headroom less distortion
4) powersupply :filtercaps were boosted in value choking the compression
of the amp: voltage drop resistors were decreased in value running the
pre amp at higher voltages, same side effect
(no more sweet extended compression)
5) the really good sounding blue interstage caps disappear.. and are
replaced by several eras/types of coupling caps some of which sounded
awfull
6) the amps go from a really tight well done layout to a sloppier
wiring job using plastic wire that flexes and cant be laid out exactly
where you want it .. this wire was an “improvement” as some of it was
shielded.. the net result was fender started having problems with
parasitic oscilation and then killed it and tone by using suppresssion
caps here and there
7) almost all fender amps are done as matching bias balance as opposed
to the fixed bias method previosly used … bias is not adjustable but
balance is .. resulting in bad tone … fortunately the parts are the
same just hooked up differently..
8) fender started messing with the cabinets … dado ing a particle
board baffel into the box (different resonance) and
when the amp falls (and they do) the baffel is ruined and the
replacement job is ugly..the screw in particle baffel board don’t crack
as easily because of the give of the screw mounting
also later silver amp cabinets were doweled together rather than
fingerjointed (more of these amps fall ampart)
9) most silver faced amps convert nicely to the older specs .. but as
with all things the further you get away from the desirable years the
more annoying but important details are changed .. most silver amps
never sound exactly like blackface
because the power transformers put out a slightly higher B+..
and many techs neglect the powersupply (filters and resistors) in the
conversion
finally
two amps that sound different yet have the same circuit, or seem the
same
sound different because
the powersupply might be different
the materials may be very different
the speakers and box are a big part of tone
70 to 80% of ammature/ inexperienced techs think that powersupply
is not part of the sound of the amp
a decent silverfaced amp is stil a far far better value than any
circuit board amp currently available re issue or otherwise
the key is to find as old a silverface amp as possible and get it set up
properly
pat
