Product: Fender '53 5B3 Deluxe 112 Combo
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted
02/24/2006
at
06:55pm
by
Doug
Features
:
No Opinion
Looking for a great amp tech for that all original Fender or other vintage amp? Check out Skip's repair service. Just got my 5B3 Deluxe back from his shop - no orange drops in there, just a few 60's NOS Black Cats where necessary, new filter caps inside the original sleeves, old 2 prong cord installed looks original (old one was cut), and completely serviced to perfection. This is my 3rd 5B3, regretted selling the others but this is the best tone I've heard yet.
Sound Quality
:
10
My number one guitar is a Strat, Callaham parts, body and neck by Warmoth (one piece swamp ash, baseball bat total vintage maple neck like my retired '55). Through the Deluxe, I'm sorry, but this is the best tweed tone you'll find. Go ahead and buy that 5E3 or 5F3, you can have them and the prices too. Those lower gain 6SC7s sound better than the 12AX7s in my book. This amp was $900, all original before service. The speaker is still tight and wonderful, a big part of the sound.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Customer Support
:
10
Skip is a really nice guy, doesn't do anything unnecessary to your amp but what needs to be done to make it sound the best it can. He doesn't charge a lot either, and obviously loves his work. He's on a mission to restore vintage amps, not gut them and replace parts wholesale like some other well-known techs I won't mention. I've sent amps all over, to a few famous guys, and Skip is the only one I'll deal with now.
Overall Rating
:
10
It's been 30 years of guitar for me now, and it's always been Fender stuff. I seem to have accumulated a small collection of tweed, brown, and 2 blackface amps, and a brown reverb unit. A Clark Beaufort Reverb and a Clark reverb/trem unit too. Check Skip out. He's the guy if you've got the old stuff that needs work.
