Guitar Center Product Review- Fender ’68 Custom Vintage Amp
by Jason Richards
Today, we get a closer look at one of Fender’s Vintage Modified line of amplifiers, the ’68 Custom series. Available in three different power levels; a 12w 1×10” Princeton model, a 22w 1×12” Deluxe model, and an 85w 2×12” Twin model, these amplifiers boast all your favorite aspects of the late 60’s Silverface, plus a handful of new, modern features that make this amp a perfect choice for anyone chasing that late 60’s Fender tone but would like the reliability of a new, road ready, factory-warrantied amplifier.
We would all love to find that perfect closet-classic that was stored in someone’s attic for 40 years, in its unstretched vinyl cover, under a blanket, and away from any windows. Aside from possibly needing a new cap job (due merely to its age), and maybe an updated 3-prong power cable for safety, it fires right up and sounds sweeter than a summer ham! Unfortunately, these show up once in a lifetime and when they do finally decide to peak their heads out on the market, it’s always your friend’s dad’s boss’ kid that’s telling you all about how he/she somehow got so lucky.
So you keep an eye out for an amp that scores a five or six on the mojo-scale. It may need various repairs, replacement speaker(s), a new set of tubes and/or an obscure part you know will take forever and a day to find. And even then, you never know just how reliable the rest of the components in that amp will be, so you decide what you are really after is a vintage amp that has already been overhauled by a reputable tech that isn’t going to cost you the same as the down-payment you made on your new car. Someone throw this dog a bone!
Luckily, our friends at Fender have put together this killer series that will give you vintage tube-tone, including that signature Fender reverb and vibrato we all know and love (that is now active on both the “Custom” and “Vintage” channels), transition-era appearance with the silver & turquoise faceplate and authentic “drip-edge” grillcloth trim, and a modified “Custom” channel that boasts a Bassman tonestack that compliments the “Vintage” channel quite well, and really opens up the amp’s versatility with pedals. To top it off, Fender has also modernized the circuit, allowing for more gain at lower volumes as well as increasing the overall touch sensitivity of the amp by reducing the negative feedback or “presence” level. Fitted with Celestion speakers designed to recreate our favorite rock tones of the late 60’s, Fender hits the nail on the head with this classic re-creation that has been revamped with modern appointments to offer guitar players golden-era tone without sacrificing time, money, and most importantly, reliability. If you have any questions regarding this series or any other Fender series of amplifiers or guitars, please feel free to contact me at the Guitar Center Denver location.
Online: stores.guitarcenter.com/denver
Category: Product Reviews
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