Choosing a "Fender-ish" clean tone

yek

yek

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The Morgan has been my mainstay clean amp for a long time.

But for stuff I play now, I need a more "Fender-ish" tone.
Also, it has to sound great through my 1x12 and 2x12 cabs (with a KTS-70 which sounds like a G12H30).

I narrowed it down to these G3 models: Suhr Badger 30, Dr Z Maz 38, Fender Vibrolux, Fender Deluxe Reverb, Shiva Clean, Mesa Lonestar, Fender Band-Master.

Besides a clean tone, the amp model must also be capable of producing a great breakup tone.

That removed Shiva, Lonestar and Band-Master from the list.
The Fenders too, because I don't like them as much through my real cabs, as the others.

Remaining: Badger 30 and Maz 38.

It was a hard choice, but I've settled on the Maz 38. Drive at 5 for a clean tone with body, and around higher for a dirty tone. Bass at 2. The Maz 38 actually sounds a little like a Fender/Vox crossover to me.

Opinions?
 
I use the badger 30 for my cleans. It seems to just a really nice chime to it that I have a harder time getting out of. Other amps. I also like how well it responds to my volume and tone pots on my guitar. Rolling back to the tone a little tiny bit warms it a bit. Very reactive amp after G3
 
I have some "Real life" experience with both a Badger 30 and a Maz 38, and like both. To me the Badger is more Marshall than Fender, and the Maz 38 somewhat Fender-ish but with it's own thing going on and with hints of other things among those a bit of Vox like you said.
I really like the Maz 38 model and was a happy camper way back when it was included in the FW.

Having said that though, my favorite clean and mild break-up BF-ish Fender-ish amp of all time - both in the analog (Real tube) and digital (Axe Fx) domain is the Carr Rambler.
It's the real tube amp that I'll probably never sell and the real amp I've owned the longest and used the most.
It can be the best BF Fender you're ever heard, but it's also the bastard child that resulted from a threesome between a vintage BF Deluxe Reverb, a vintage BF Super Reverb and a vintage Tweed Deluxe.
You should at least give it a try if you haven't already.
The mid control is key to the character of the Rambler in how BF vs BF meets Tweed you want it to sound.
Not to long ago I was contemplating (or more correctly I had decided) to get a real /13 FTR 37, but when I tried my Rambler through the /13 212 cab with a Blue and a G12H, the Rambler to me and in my opinion completely destroyed the /13 and all my GAS for that amp went away. Based on that experience I think the Rambler will sound killer through your cabs.

Another favorite clean to break up Fender is naturally the Tweed Deluxe, if you lower both gain and input trim you can get great fullbodied cleans and of course a Tweed Deluxe does mild to full break up like nobodys bizzness.

If you don't want the spot on Fender clean sound, but something with a bit more beef, two of my other clean to break-up faves are the Comet 60 with 6L6 (or K66) tubes or the Dirty Shirley with 6L6's - both dialed down to get real clean naturally, but both magnificent sounding and importantly both matching really nicely with a G12H type of speaker.

Hope you find my suggestions usefull
Best
RB
 
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Real men play telecasters :)))))



Edit:
Anthony - I'm in part pulling your leg, as your avatar shows you playing a non-tele guitar, but also in part answering your question (which I know was probably for Yek) since both Yek and I love and play telecasters, though neither of us exclusively.
Now Yek is probably gonna chime in stateing that he uses something else than the tele for these tones, makeing me look like an idiot :)
 
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I wouldn't ignore the USA Clean amps either. They're very similar to the Lonestar. I've also played the Badger and Maz in real life and wouldn't say that they're Fenderish. I actually always thought those amps shined for single coil dirty sounds. It's kind of a small niche in a way. Badger is loose/smooth and Maz is a bit grittier in comparison.

But to answer your question: A Fender clean that sounds good when driven? Wasn't that Randall Smith's idea for Mesa Boogie? :) If only we had a Mark I sim. Your needs sound like you could use it. How about the Mark I mode in the Mark V that FAS has? :)
 
Rambler. Used for both clean and dirty. Very Fender-ish, great breakup via amp controls or OD (I run it both ways at times). Not G3'd yet, can't wait for an ever better version.
 
I'm surprised you ruled out the lonestar - it is one of the most beautiful cleans available, and breaks up smoothly when driven.
 
Rocket Brother said:
Real men play telecasters :)))))



Edit:
Anthony - I'm in part pulling your leg, as your avatar shows you playing a non-tele guitar, but also in part answering your question (which I know was probably for Yek) since both Yek and I love and play telecasters, though neither of us exclusively.
Now Yek is probably gonna chime in stateing that he uses something else than the tele for these tones, makeing me look like an idiot :)
Click to expand...

I love teles. I own one and should definitely be playing it more. I second the USA cleans. That's what I've been using for a mild breakup


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The Princeton is my favorite fender clean with just a little breakup. Kind of Frisell-ish. The Princeton URIRs are excellent.

Playing a Suhr strat or tele these days with the ML or classic T pups and the AXE loves these pickups.
 
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I've suprisingly found I really enjoy the Blues Jr Fat amp, slightly broken up and hit with a mild OD, create singing dirty blues tone that still has a touch of chime.

I sometimes feel its a bit of a pedestrian amp model to use, in light of some of the more desirable amps in the Axe, but hey, if it sounds good...what else really matters ?
 
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