Fender combo amp as a tube-powered guitar cab?

Robboman

Fractal Fanatic
I posted about this on TGP in their amp tech forum, asking how to install an FX loop on a Fender amp. I didn't get a solid answer, mostly questions why I would even want such a thing, so I'll ask here.

One of my fave ways to run AX8 is with no cab block, output to the loop return jack on a tube amp head (to bypass the head's pre) and go straight to power amp input. It works and sounds great!

My thinking is, there are a zillion good old Fender combo amps out there, and several at my house. All of them have nice tube power amps built in, but NONE of them have a loop send\return. Because single-channel Fender preamps are pretty clean, while FX loops are only added to high gain amps, so you can use 4cm to place time-based FX after preamp gain.

Why not just run into the front of the Fender? Because it sounds weird through the Fender preamp! I tested extensively, Fender pre and tonestack may be pretty clean, and you can dial the tonestack pretty flat, but it still adds gain and compression and seems to be brighter and muddier at the same time. Maybe usable for some, but not me.

SO.. I want to mod my Fender Pro-Reverb with an effects loop. Actually, I don't even need the 'send'. I just want a properly buffered power amp input jack, to plug my AX8/FM3 in to. Preferably with it's own volume control.

Anybody else want this? How do we do it? I'm not really an amp tech...

If I knew how to do the circuit, I was thinking I could re-purpose one of the input jacks on the front panel, and one of the pots as it's dedicated volume control. That way I wouldn't have to drill any new holes in my vintage Pro Reverb, and the mod could be easily reversed.
 
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i like the George Benson 1-12 combo amp, that unit has an effects send/return.
I wonder what the axe would sound like thru a fender effects send/return too...
 
I have a Vibrolux that would be perfect if it had an FX return. I’m already planning on running my FM3 through the return of my Mesa California Tweed and would like to use the Vibrolux with it in stereo—but it doesn’t have an FX loop. I guess I could use my Nextone. Or get another California Tweed lol.

That’s the “little” rig. The big rig is using the returns on two 100 watt heads. Excited to try that.
 
I love the Pro Reverb, and if I owned (a decent-nice) one I wouldn't mess with it, I'd leave it original (but naturally that's just me).

There is a gazillion used Fender Blues or Hot Rod Deluxe / Devilles out there for cheap which have a loop - why not pick one of those up for cheap (not much more than modding the Pro Reverb would cost) and use that instead with your AX8 ?
 
Try using the normal input channel on a vintage style Fender combo with the bright switch off. Turn the the bass and treble just a hair above all the way down to flatten out the tone stack (if it has a mid knob, turn it all the way up). Keep your output level on the feeding device down low to keep from overdriving the input tube stage.
 
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Try using the normal input channel on a vintage style Fender combo with the bright switch off. Turn the the bass and treble just a hair above all the way down to flatten out the tone stack. Keep your output level on the feeding device down low to keep from overdriving the input tube stage.
This is essentially how I would run my AX8 through my Deluxe Reverb.
 
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