GearDump

Any guitarist worth his salt has at least one way of gaining access to those blackface tones. Even when you see Marshall stacks on stage it’s likely that in the studio there is a Fender on the record somewhere. It’s not uncommon for players to use a high gain combo for recording but to chill out while playing through a tiny Fender when they aren’t working.

Fender Amplifiers have always been roadworthy equipment but it seems quality has dropped recently and they just don’t make them like they used to in general. The use of PCB boards and different sized cabinets has really driven the vintage market for quite a few years since frankly if I’m going to drop 1000 on a DRRI why wouldn’t I seek out a blackface one for a reasonable price?

Fender’s amplifiers have always had a special magic and it’s no secret that the blackface amps are coveted by users all over the world. Several companies have cloned the famous circuits and sell them at boutique prices. A few more such as Allen Amplification have modified the circuit to provide tones slightly beyond the stock amplifiers. One such amp that prides itself on Blackface clones is Headstrong Amplifiers.

They make clones of some coveted amps include 60’s era Princetons, Deluxe Reverbs, and even a Brownface Vibroverb. The Deluxe Reverb sounds period correct with just the right amount of bass and that great sound mid range. The Princeton is frankly better then the recent Fender Reissue and lastly the Brownface Vibroverb simply has no equal–there really aren’t many clones of this thing around.

Ironically the prices for Headstrong Amps are only a few hundred more then for a reissue. The Headstrong amps are still cheaper then the vintage counterparts found on Ebay or in Boutique/Vintage dealers. Headstrong is really priding itself on it’s Princeton Clone and also it’s Fender Vibroverb. If there is a dealer in your area I suggest you go in and take a listen.

Related posts:

1. Forgotten Fender: Fender Superchamp