Next up: the famous narrow-panel Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3-circuit from the late '50s. (And remember to replace strings regularly if you want extra clarity from your guitar's bass end.) Now-thanks to some adventurous dial settings-I know how big a treat a humbucker-equipped Gibson through a black-panel Fender amp with JBL speakers can be for soul, blues, and funk guitarists. Playing those low strings for Stevie Wonder's “Superstition" had never been more fun. When my pick hit the bass strings, there was a metallic snap and sizzle, which I liked a lot. The treble strings were clear, but not harsh. The smooth humbucker sound had clarity and transparency. The amp and speaker delivered clean, thumping bass notes with big air and that good, chunky feeling provided by tube rectifier sag. The massive solidbody and Tune-o-matic bridge on the Les Paul provided great attack and sustain. Suddenly, I discovered a clean, cool, and funky rhythm tone that I immediately fell in love with.ĭon't give up too quickly on what might seem like a clunker. I pulled out all the stops with a clean volume setting, a high bass setting, low mids, high treble, and the bright switch enabled.
Even with an overdrive pedal, the amp had a dominating and edgy attack.įrustrated, I eventually tried a Gibson Les Paul through that amp, having no hope or expectations. Plugging a single-coil guitar into that amp was brutal. I have a similar story about a 1964 JBL-loaded Vibroverb that I bought in 2012 for $2,800 from a father who needed money to buy his son a car. In my November 2020 column, “ The Saga of the Linda Ronstadt Deluxe," I talked about curing that poor-sounding amp with a JBL D120F speaker. And the Twin Reverb and Vibroverb are the most difficult to tame, I think. The 10" D110F, the 12" D120F, and the 15" D130F all have aluminum dust caps, which makes them quite bright. Guitarists either love or hate the JBLs, because of their punch, attack, and treble. When an amp is dialed-in just right, paired with the right guitar, or equipped with the right speakers, you can find new lead and rhythm tones that you didn't even know you were looking for.Ĭonsider the relatively rare black-panel amps with JBL speakers: Twin Reverbs, Super Reverbs, and Vibroverbs. So my advice is, don't give up too quickly on what might seem like a clunker. An interesting fact is that several of my best tone discoveries have happened with such amps.
Some really require struggle to find a balanced, sweet sound. Few amps are love at first sight-or listen-affairs, where you immediately and effortlessly nail great tone.
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