HawkeyeKane
1972 posts
Sep 06, 2013
10:53 AM
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In addition to Fender's reissuing three of their silverface combos and the DRRI head.....they've also come up with THIS little beauty of a BJ.
And for you guitar players....
That's right, the Coronado's coming back....
As is the semihollow Starcaster.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Kingley
3105 posts
Sep 06, 2013
11:14 AM
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Fender did the same wood thing with the Pro Junior a few years ago. They sold it for over twice the price of a normal tolex version of course.
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Stevelegh
828 posts
Sep 06, 2013
11:56 AM
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I've looked all over the Fender site. Where's the link to the Silverface amps??????
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HawkeyeKane
1973 posts
Sep 06, 2013
12:03 PM
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For whatever reason, they put them in Vintage Modified.
Fender Vintage Modified Amps
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Hawkeye Kane
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Rick Davis
2314 posts
Sep 06, 2013
12:55 PM
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Tim, are you working for Fender these days?
Fender sold the Pro Jr "Woody" which looked pretty much identical to the Blues Jr in your post. The only real change from the regular PJr was the look of the cab and the high price.
Same with the "NOS" Tweed Blues Jr. It comes with a Jensen speaker and a high price. What about the amp is New Old Stock?
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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Last Edited by Rick Davis on Sep 06, 2013 1:00 PM
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timeistight
1352 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:01 PM
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"Tim, are you working for Fender these days?"
Yeah, it's suspicious when someone repeatedly posts news from a single amp company, isn't it Rick? ;-)
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Rick Davis
2315 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:03 PM
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Hey, I helped design and develop the Mission Harp amps. I'm damn proud of that.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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6SN7
360 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:20 PM
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Silver reissues, who would have thought. I guess you then bring them to the shop to be "blackfaced.!"
I am glad that HK brings this to our attention the same way Rick brings us the monthly Delta update, the same way Gary did it in the past.
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Rick Davis
2316 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:22 PM
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:-)
Glad you appreciate the updates.
Hey, I never did fully explain how I got involved with Mission amps. Here is the short version: Right after I moved to Denver 6 years ago I bought a 5F2H harp amp on eBay and found out that local amp tech Bruce Collins had designed the circuit for Weber. I went to his shop for some tweaks, and I was so impressed I had him work on all my amps. He also become the drummer in my band. The idea of working together on a new harp amp just sort of evolved. We bounce design ideas around and I play the amps to sort them out during the development process. Other people play the amps as well, including Nic Clark. It's fun to be part of it.
I don't make a nickel from it. Bruce is a good guy and I believe in the product. That is the extent of my involvement.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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Last Edited by Rick Davis on Sep 06, 2013 1:38 PM
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HawkeyeKane
1974 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:30 PM
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Why no, Rick. I don't work for Fender. In fact I've never even owned a piece of merchandise that says Fender on it, save for a t-shirt that I got at Kohl's. Furthermore, I really have no desire to work for Fender since it's pretty obvious that they are profit driven over quality driven. I mean come on...a Vibro-Champ that costs a thousand bucks when one could get a kit build VC for $620?
I'm posting these primarily because I find it really interesting that Fender has all of a sudden decided to start reissuing products that no one ever expected them to, and putting out new cosmetics on other models that have an equally retro vibe to them.
And as for what's different.....probably nothing much. I, and a lot of other folks on here, appreciate the look and feel of nice wood tones.
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Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by HawkeyeKane on Sep 06, 2013 1:49 PM
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tmf714
1946 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:31 PM
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I like what Fender is doing it-keep it coming Tim!!
I checked out the tube lineup for the Custom Deluxe Reverb-
a 5AR4 Rectiifer to start with-that's fairly stout as they came with a 5U4 originally-Fender is going for power.
Last Edited by tmf714 on Sep 06, 2013 1:35 PM
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Rick Davis
2317 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:47 PM
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Fender has been all about re-issuing older themes for a long time. This is not "all of a sudden." They've been doing it since 1991.
I don't think the new Woody Blues Junior will be any better for harp than the original.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
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HawkeyeKane
1975 posts
Sep 06, 2013
1:54 PM
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Yes. But they were older themes that make sense when you think about them. The previous reissues were all best-sellers for Fender back in the day. The Bassman, the DR, the PR, the TR, the Champ, even the Pro for a short time. Silverfaces? By and large, even guitarists look upon a number of SF's with disdain in comparison to Tweeds or BF's. That's my point...I for one wouldn't have expected them to bring back any SF's but they have, which I find interesting. Because that's kinda like if Ford were to bring back the Pinto as a model name for a new compact.
The DRRI head is something entirely new since it was never made in a head to begin with. They've never even made the Hot Rod or Blues Deluxe in heads either to my knowledge.
I doubt the BJ Woody will be any better for harp either, and it's grossly overpriced in my eyes, just like the EC signature amps. But one has to admit, they LOOK pretty damn good.
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Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by HawkeyeKane on Sep 06, 2013 2:05 PM
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Rick Davis
2319 posts
Sep 06, 2013
2:14 PM
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It is nostalgia marketing. When the SF amps were new they were pretty cool and a lot of our heroes played them at the time. Guitar players who came of age in the 70s probably have fond memories. Look at videos of Muddy Waters' band from those years.
I've owned a few SF Fenders and I don't agree at all that they should be likened to the Ford Pinto, a design that burst into flame and killed people.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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Last Edited by Rick Davis on Sep 06, 2013 2:15 PM
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HawkeyeKane
1977 posts
Sep 06, 2013
2:23 PM
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"I've owned a few SF Fenders and I don't agree at all that they should be likened to the Ford Pinto, a design that burst into flame and killed people."
I wasn't really referring to that aspect of them. Moreso of their reputation to make folks wince at hearing the name reminiscing at the ugliness factor. Maybe AMC Gremlin would've been a better analogy.
Don't get me wrong, I know that a lot of silverfaces were good amps for guitar and harp alike. I just helped refurbish a '72 Dual Showman Reverb, and it really is a killer amp. But a lot of silverface characteristics proved unpopular after CBS got their hands on them, which is why a good chunk of the time you'll find musician's who'd take a Tweed or Blackface over a Silver hands down.
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Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by HawkeyeKane on Sep 06, 2013 2:24 PM
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Rick Davis
2320 posts
Sep 06, 2013
2:53 PM
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I'm pretty sure the marketing guys at Fender know what they are doing. The purists who carp about BF and SF and CBS and Rivera aren't the target market for these amps. I think they are after the guitar players who saw their heroes playing the amps on stage in the late 70s and early 80s. If they were 17 then they are about 50 now, a stage in life where nostalgia mixes with disposable income to drive some purchases.
I won't be buying them, but I know many will. Same with the Woody BJR.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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Last Edited by Rick Davis on Sep 06, 2013 2:55 PM
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HawkeyeKane
1978 posts
Sep 06, 2013
4:35 PM
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Well....word in the ether is that all these new amps are supposedly limited editions and they have a finite production run. One guy on TGP said the Woody is limited to 125 units.....which might explain the hefty price tag. So I doubt there will be many people buying them, period. :-)
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Hawkeye Kane
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kudzurunner
4240 posts
Sep 06, 2013
5:12 PM
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Fender, Mission, HarpGear, any number of boutique amps: they're all nostalgia marketing, Rick. That's what's in. Get hip, brother. Old is the new New. It's been that way for at least the past 5-7 years.
The tweedization of blues amplification. It is what it is. Some whiskeys are brewed in smaller batches, of course. But they're all whiskeys.
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Rick Davis
2321 posts
Sep 06, 2013
5:15 PM
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Adam, that was my point. Thanks for making it so well.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
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Banyan3
18 posts
Sep 06, 2013
9:00 PM
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Yup, all fender is doing is trying to capitalize on the vintage craze. Doesn't really make sense to me to buy these new fenders when you can get the real deal for cheaper or same cost even after taking it to a tech. I don't even look at fender stuff vintage or new due to the way over pricing. Man I I got a 50s danelectro 272 centurion amp off eBay in killer condition for under what a new blues jr would cost and that's including shipping and what I factored in for a tech vist. I do how ever have a 410 hot rod deville that I got off Craig's list for $400 and the guy threw in a Yamaha pa head with the deal.:)
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kudzurunner
4242 posts
Sep 06, 2013
11:17 PM
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Rick, I thought you were calling the kettle black. My bad.
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orphan
295 posts
Sep 07, 2013
8:13 AM
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I agree with Banyan3. It seems Fender's biggest competitor is vintage Fenders. The point to point chassis is very serviceable, repairable, and can be modded to accommodate various personal tastes. We are fortunate Leo produced amps that seem to last as long or longer than his guitars. Fender just doesn't make 'em like they use to. They do a fair job of making you think they do, but they are selling a brand. Somewhere along the way, they lost the MOJO. But who knows, maybe 50 yrs. from now, we will be seeking that "Fender Sound" of the Millenial amp phase. Didn't Hohner try selling just the "Brand" for awhile? In Hohner's case, I'm glad they are not making them like the used to! I never had any Pre War harps, but the 80's & 90's harps forced me to other brands. JMHO
(Edited to add) Now, I'm 90% Hohner and happy,happy,happy.
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.JPG)
Last Edited by orphan on Sep 07, 2013 9:24 AM
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1847
1062 posts
Sep 12, 2013
1:39 PM
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hot rod hempster
this looks interesting under 500.00 bucks
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there's a new sheriff in town
i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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