Monday, January 5, 2009

In Search: Part 2

Having tried an amplifier that had everything I wanted and more in the Two-Rock, it was time for me to return to Earth to find a more practical solution. I thought more about it, and reminded myself that what I was initially interested in was the sound of Fender's mid-60s amplifers, known as "blackface" models. So what better to do than to go back to the source, and again try to find a vintage piece that I liked and could afford.

Since I had exhausted my list of usual shops, I was left with one place that I thought might reasonably have something I would like. This store truly defines the hole-in-the-wall label: a narrow, cluttered space with gear stacked in ways that actually disguise pieces from view. Here, it really is a search. I had been to the shop numerous times before, where they often would have some intriguing guitars, or an amp or two of interest. On this day however, the stars seemed to have been aligned in my favor. I walked in and looked down, and there I saw a literal pile of Fender blackfaces. A Deluxe Reverb, a Princeton, and a Princeton Reverb sat among some later silverface amps and reissues. A happy surprise indeed.

I plugged in a few of these, but I still wasn't hearing what I wanted. I took another look around, and then I got more curious, and started looking behind amps that concealed others against the wall. It was then that I spotted the faceplate of a blackface Super Reverb. After pulling it out and playing through it for a while, I was convinced enough to place it on hold for a day and return with some pedals. The next day, I was still impressed, and to my good fortune, the store was having a small sale that put the amp within reach. It's been a joy to play since, and I can clearly see why these Fender amps have become the foundation upon which so many boutique makers have built. Just the right features doing just the right things and going strong 40 years on. I look forward to using it in the studio on a couple of projects this summer, and maybe getting the volume past 3 . Here's to the search.

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