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* EDIT: Up-to-date information is available in Yek's Guide to the Fractal Audio Amplifier Models *
Car Roamer: based on Carr Rambler
The Rambler is a boutique high-end amp which is often compared to the Fender Deluxe (which we haven’t discussed yet). The original Deluxe has limited headroom, the Rambler has ample. As such it is primarily a clean amp. And a great platform for drive pedals.
On TGP and on similar boards the Rambler gets a lot of praise for its pristine clean tones. And it does sound great, as demonstrated in the clips below.
The Roamer model indeed sounds close to the Tweed Deluxe amp model, when the Tweed's Drive is set really low and its Treble really high. The Roamer model has more chime and presence, and sounds more "modern".
Carr:
Cliff:
The Rambler is a 28 watts / single channel / cathode bias combo with 6L6 power tubes. It's switchable between Pentode (28 watts) and half-power Triode (14 watts) mode.
It has these controls: Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, plus Reverb and Tremolo controls. No Master Volume. And a Pentode/Triode switch. According to the manual the Pentode setting yields a punchy, full sound, while Triode is mellow and thick.
Description of the Middle control in the manual:
Beware of the bass: the Roamer model has a lot of it.
Regarding Volume (Drive): you can get the Roamer model to distort. But overdrive isn’t the selling point of this amp / model: its clean tone is.
If you need recommended settings, check out the manual.
The Rambler is a combo amp in various configurations: 1x12, 2x12, 2x10 or 1x15 with Eminence speakers. We’ve got two UltraRes “Roamer” stock cabs: #120 and #136. Alternatively select a Fender stock cab.
Check out sound clips on this page (tab Sound Clips).
P.S. Pay special attention to the secret "teddy bear" recording trick in the 3rd video below.
Car Roamer: based on Carr Rambler
The Rambler is a boutique high-end amp which is often compared to the Fender Deluxe (which we haven’t discussed yet). The original Deluxe has limited headroom, the Rambler has ample. As such it is primarily a clean amp. And a great platform for drive pedals.
On TGP and on similar boards the Rambler gets a lot of praise for its pristine clean tones. And it does sound great, as demonstrated in the clips below.
The Roamer model indeed sounds close to the Tweed Deluxe amp model, when the Tweed's Drive is set really low and its Treble really high. The Roamer model has more chime and presence, and sounds more "modern".
Carr:
“The Rambler employs a pure and simple classic 60s American style preamp circuit combined with an output section owing more to the early 50s. This unique blending yields very open and rich clean tones with mild overdrive.”
“The Rambler was one of my earliest signature designs, and today it is still one of our most popular models. Why? It's no accident that the Rambler succeeds in delivering classic American 'deluxe' tone with dramatically expanded clean headroom, solid bass response and the option of 28 watt pentode or 14 watt triode operation. The Rambler simply reflects my desire to improve and refine the original concept of an appropriately powered 1x12 club amp with reverb and tremolo. Rambler owners describe their amps as being warm, full and round, with a surprisingly high threshold of clean tone, (which also makes the Rambler uniquely suited to virtually any overdrive pedal ever built). The Rambler is considered by many to be the quintessential club amp, voiced to meet the needs of virtually any player, and all types of music.”
(about comparing the Rambler to the Fender Deluxe) “Both amps more or less occupy the same place in the general range of amps out there, so it's easy to see why people compare them, but the Rambler and the Deluxe behave very differently in practical use. At 28 watts it makes more power and is cleaner than a Deluxe, and their pre-amp sections are similar. Having said that, the Rambler's power section is much more like a Tweed Pro and its phase inverter is based on a Princeton. So, the Rambler shares heritage with a few Fender classics."
Cliff:
"It's basically a Deluxe Reverb preamp with a cathode bias 6L6 power amp and no negative feedback. Sort of a Fender-meets-Vox thing."
The Rambler is a 28 watts / single channel / cathode bias combo with 6L6 power tubes. It's switchable between Pentode (28 watts) and half-power Triode (14 watts) mode.
It has these controls: Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, plus Reverb and Tremolo controls. No Master Volume. And a Pentode/Triode switch. According to the manual the Pentode setting yields a punchy, full sound, while Triode is mellow and thick.
Description of the Middle control in the manual:
“Varies the mid frequencies and is very influential in taking the tone from a 60’s blackface sound (minimum to 11 o’clock) to a pushed tweed mid sound (11 o’clock to full).”
Beware of the bass: the Roamer model has a lot of it.
Regarding Volume (Drive): you can get the Roamer model to distort. But overdrive isn’t the selling point of this amp / model: its clean tone is.
If you need recommended settings, check out the manual.
The Rambler is a combo amp in various configurations: 1x12, 2x12, 2x10 or 1x15 with Eminence speakers. We’ve got two UltraRes “Roamer” stock cabs: #120 and #136. Alternatively select a Fender stock cab.
Cab Pack 4 offers more choice in “Roamer” IRs.
Check out sound clips on this page (tab Sound Clips).
P.S. Pay special attention to the secret "teddy bear" recording trick in the 3rd video below.
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