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Fender or Marshall?

dudemandudeman Posts: 3,060
in Musicians and Gearheads
For guitar amplifiers, which do you prefer and why?

I used to be a huge fan of the Fender Deluxe Reverb but lately it's all about the Tweed Deluxe. 

Marshall makes some killer, classic amps too.

So?
If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV

Comments

  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    I will ALWAYS love the Hot Rod Deluxe but I've got a Roc-Pro 700 that I use. I've been using it since 2004 and it's always given me excellent sounds. The drive channel is reminiscent of TOOL or old Sabbath (depending on how you dial it)
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
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  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,012
    Oh what I would give to have my '65 Fender DeLuxe Reverb back.  Wouldn't mind a mid sixties Princeton either!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    Both...I've been leaning on my Princeton the last few months, but have a Dr Z Remedy(Plexi) that kicks copious amounts of ass. Run pretty much the same extensive pedalboard into both, but the way they react gets a lot of variety. If I got in a playing out situation I'd probably run an a/b/y setup.
  • dudemandudeman Posts: 3,060
    edited June 2017
    I'd like to build a Plexi clone someday. If I could have any Marshall, it would definitely be a Plexi but I want it in a combo with a 12" or two 10" speakers and a built-in attenuator. 

    Since I stopped playing electric to focus on bass years ago, I sold most of the guitar gear I had. Now, I have a Fender Super Champ XD that I modified a bit. It suits my needs for now. I have it configured to sound like a Tweed Deluxe and it's making me want to buy or build a clone of the real thing. 

    Edited to add: The SCXD is not the same as a Tweed Deluxe but the voicing, OD character and touch sensitivity are close on Voice 3. Properly biasing the 6v6s, installing quality tubes and adding a more sensitive speaker go a long way to improve the amps performance. 
    Post edited by dudeman on
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    i'm a marshall guy. no particular reason, but i have always used them and i have always loved them. i am looking to get into fender amps though. maybe a priceton or a nice tweed or twin. if i were playing more music that requires a cleaner amp i would probably have one by now. at this point i can't buy stuff that i am not going to use all the time, so the fender will have to wait until something changes with the projects i am working on.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

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  • dudemandudeman Posts: 3,060
    Good for you for reconciling what you want against what you'll use right now. Lots of people struggle with that. 

    I also really like Marshall amps, particularly the Plexi and the JTM-45. They break up like nobody's business and can get loud, loud, loud. If I owned a Plexi, I'm pretty sure I'd be deaf and the neighbors would be looking for places to disappear my body.

    I'm leaning toward the 5E3 Deluxe just because it covers so much ground tonewise. The SCXD comes pretty close but it's limited by the 10" speaker in a small enclosure. It's great at home but if I really crank it up, it can sound a little boxy.

    For now, I'm good with what I have but I've really been thinking of building a few amps. Fender and Marshall clones, most likely. Too much going on right now but one day....
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,012
    J likes Marshalls (with a Hiwatt thrown in for good measure).  Says he like to feel the wind behind his legs!


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • mfc2006mfc2006 Posts: 37,438
    Fender. More warmth, in my opinion.
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  • cottagesteezecottagesteeze Posts: 218
    Fender Princeton Reverb all the way. Love the clean tone, can make it sound like a Marshall with my pedals. Don't think i could get a Marshall to sound like a Princeton though.
  • dudemandudeman Posts: 3,060
    Love me some Princeton Reverb.  Great clean tone and nice overdrive too. Used to have a Deluxe Reverb RI. That was my gold standard for years. 
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,012
    Original Fender Princeton is my dream amp.  Not sure about the re-issues.  Nothing new is as good as the originals.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • dudemandudeman Posts: 3,060
    I generally agree with you but Fender did a terrific job on the Deluxe Reverb. I'm not sure about the Princeton but I wouldn't hesitate to give one a test drive. 
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    I sincerely doubt my PRRI sounds as good a nice vintage, but it's 95% of the way there and about 1/3 to 1/4 the price. Such a simple circuit that is pretty easily upgraded with mods or simple tube swaps.
  • cottagesteezecottagesteeze Posts: 218
    dudeman said:
    I generally agree with you but Fender did a terrific job on the Deluxe Reverb. I'm not sure about the Princeton but I wouldn't hesitate to give one a test drive. 
    I went with the blackface reissue as it supposedly sounds the closest to original. I guess the silverface PRRI and DRRI have a "modern" wiring setup and therefore don't sound "as good". When I purchased mine, I got to A/B a few old princetons along with both of the reissues.They all sounded awesome! But to each their own
  • dudemandudeman Posts: 3,060
    To my ears, the character of tone in the vintage DR and the DRRI is similar enough that EQ adjustments can cover whatever one feels is lacking in the reissue. The most obvious thing to consider is that the speaker in a new amp needs to be broken in before sounding its best.

    I'm no expert but I've serviced and played through probably 15 Deluxe Reverb amps from the mid-60s. They are celebrated for good reason......they are really great amps. For the same money as an original though, I would rather buy a couple reissues.

    YMMV, of course. 
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
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