Fender FM-212R

This amp was made in January 2007 as mentioned on the bottom side of amp. I always believe in simple things as they are never gets outdated and helps you to add any kind of effects with it as per your liking. It is also very easy to set your sound in seconds no confusion atall.I like the features that it has storage places/straps at the back side of amp for power cable, foot switch plus conecting cable. It has a very high quality foot switch. I liked the power indication light very attractive and bright. It has a wonderful feature that as you switch off the amp the light starts to fade out gradually in a very cool manner, very interesting indeed. The front panel is very attractive/smart and highly finished with very smooth variable knobs/controls. I like the back pannel covered with a plastic sheet which is again very attractive and also provides protection against electric shock in case the unit is accidently gets wet. I like the extra large speakers cones which gives the amp an extra sound advantage. It is a mono output amp and a solid state one but construction wise it is very well made. I like that probably its front grill can be removed very easily so cleaning/washing has been made very simple and easy. I like the build quality (very solid) of the foot switch with very bright lights. The power cord is again made with very high quality material.

This amp produces all kind of basic sounds like very clean, overdrive and more overdrive. I found the overdrive very useful and nice. The more overdrive has a very high gain and very good for solo/metal type of playing and of course it has a brutal distortion with bundles of sustain. Though the more overdrive mode produces some hiss noise but it is common with almost every amp. The control knobs are very effective and the mid contour is a real treat to use. I use every kind of pickups with this amp and it responds all of them very well. I have heard people saying that it produces feedback problem and I must say that it mostly happens due to cheap pickups. So if you are using good quality guitar you would not face this problem. Yes there is some electrical background noise with this amp even using clean channel and I think that you can eliminate it by Grounding/Earthing the amp properly. The drive channel is very very loud but the clean channel is loud enough but not that much loud as that of drive channel so I recommed to use a graphic equalizer with this amp.

Yes certainly I can depend on it without any backup. No I have been using it for the last one month and it is working just fine.

The Fender company is quite cooperative. But I do not find the fender dealers so helpful as I myself experienced it that I live in Pakistan and here we do not have any Fender dealer so I contacted various fender dealers near our region and I only got the reply from half of them. So atlast I made the deal with Tom Lee Music Honk Kong and I found them very helpful and cooperative. They provided me every infomation regarding this amp on telephone and they never showed any kind of anger. Apart from this dealer other are quite slow in this regard and futhermore if any thing is not in stock and you ask them when it got to be available they do not reply, I do not know what happens to them. So this is surprising for me.

I have been playing for the last 27 years as a hoyybist. I have got two Yamaha guitar amps 50 watt each. Three Yamaha electric guitars SL 400S, AES 620, Pacifica 412V. One Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty 3PU. One Yamaha acoustic guitar FG470S. One Ovation CS257 electric acoustic. One Fender 12 string guitar DG6. Lot of Boss & Ibanez effect pedals. If this amp is being stolen I would buy it again execpt that I only have the budget for this price range amp otherwise I will probably go for Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

2 channels, 3 if you count " more drive".channel switching pedal also turns more drive on and off.

bought this amp because my marshall took a dump just before a gig. figured i needed a back-up amp anyway and didnt have time to try out a bunch of amps. 5 gigs later and im really likeing this amp. play a strat deluxe and a strat 50th anniversary standard. clean is very clean. boost it with an eq or a commpresser pedal and it breaks up nicely. more drive is very noisy but drive is a nice distortion and with the mid contour you can get variety of different distorted sounds. i have a noise gate in my pedal chain, sometimes i need it, sometimes not. its not a metal head amp but it could be with the right effects

so far so good. the thing has a 5 year warranty so its in fenders best interest to make sure that its built well. oh, i almost forgot, the footswitch went bad. took it back to the store, 3 days later fender sent a brand new one. no problems before or after.

like i said before, footswitch went bad (the button itself) fender sent a new one promptly.

been playing forever. was thinking about getting another one of these and have a stereo rig! paid less than $350 for it so why not! i play medium to small venues, some outdoor jobs. blues, classic rock, oldies. my band doesnt mike anything but vocals and kick drum,snare. plenty loud.

I got one of these beauties in 2005. It's a great solid-state amp, 2 channels (clean and drive, also a 'more drive' feature for the drive channel) both featuring 3-band eq's, reverb. 100W total through 2x12 inch speakers. It has served me well in several gigs.

I've noticed people giving this amp bad tone reviews on here (to which I can only pin down to personal preference), but the clean tone is great, drive is brilliant for classic/hard rock with a bit of mid and when you scoop the mid out and chuck on the 'more drive' button it gives a great distortion tone. I've found this after trying several different guitars through it, from the cheap Vintage guitars I own (I'm a student with little money) through to a proper Les Paul and all sounded pretty mighty through it. One critisism I had when I first got it was that the overall tone was far too bassy (as I'm a lead guitarist and prefer the treble!) but it really does have great highs and is pretty good sustain and the bassy tone I have since realised was my own disliking. I've since grown used to it and love it as it provides a really punchy low-end. Used it for metal, rock and blues and in all instances it has proven itself superb.

The amp itself is solid as a rock although the cable for the footswitch is very cheap and not particularly great (think of those rubbish sealed-plastic guitar leads that come with starter amps) and I've noticed others moaning about the sound cutting out half-way through gigs. I've had the same problem in practices (it's been perfect at gigs so far) and it all came down to that flimsy footswitch cable. Solution? Buy a descent guitar cable and replace it with that, its exactly the same cable. Problem solved! The thing has been bashed about down stairs, into cars, travelled for hundreds of miles under piles of heavy stuff and so far nothing other than a small bit of paint from a door frame on it. It still works perfectly.

Haven't had to deal with them, so I wouldn't know.

I've been playing for over 7 years now, mostly through cheap equipment (although have used other people's expensive stuff) and this amp has a great tone for its price. Won't be as versatile as most high-end amps but it has enough volume and durability for mid-sized gigs in clubs. If it was stolen I'd probably get another one (I've played through a LOT of similarly priced amps and none of them were as good, in my experience, for what I play through it). I played it side-by-side with a Laney TFX3 Twin that my rhythm guitarist owns and this thing thrashed it in every way (excluding digital effects, of course, because the FM212R has none), absolutely obliterating the Laney's inadequate digital distortion warbly, trebly tone that won't go away. Would I add anything to it? Probably not, for the price it's fantastic and until I get enough money to actually buy myself a Mesa Boogie, this amp with serve me well I will not replace it until then!

My amp was made like 2006 i believe, it looked pretty new. I play a variety of things, and i make the most out of this amp. It has clean, drive, and more drive channels, (and a mid contour button) and honestly all 3 serve their own purpose. it also has reverb but its pretty weak. not alot of features, no good effects, but for a 100watt solid state amp with that great range of tone, its a good buy

the clean sounds amazing right up to 10 volume, the drive channel gives u a nice range of rock sounds, and the more drive is awesome when coupled with its mid contour feature for metal sounds. the only thing is, it'll feedback painfully on high volumes/high gain levels. Then again...when your using that much gain, your probably playing metal, and feedback is a good thing when your playing metal.

Ive had it for about half a year now, and for a few days i stuck it next to my window (in the middle of winter) because im an idiot... but the coldness didnt do anything to it. I also kind of dropped it a little on my driveway once, and it still works perfectly fine.

If i were to lose it (or break it doing something stupid) i'd DEFINATLY attempt to get another one. i rented this thing out before i bought it (to see how it sounded when i cranked it n stuff, cuz i didnt wanna crank it too high in the store), which knocked down the cost of it a bit, it came to a little over 300 canadian when i bought it.

if your looking for something LOUD, that can do a small gig, that has good tone, and u DONT need ten zillion effects, and your budget is like mine...
GET IT!

Well i dont think this amp has too much to it, no on board effects which i love about it, most amp effects BLOW, exept on twin reverbs, tremelo and reverb are SUPERB, but this thing is more simple, and i always say simple is the best way to go with sound. Has reverb, but its pretty bad, but works.

Ok, first off i got this and thought that it was the biggest letdown ever. Mainly 100 watts for like 350buxx, couldnt be too bad, and after just smashing a bluescube while drunk one night... i know dumbass, i needed a new stage amp, and i thought why not. For 2 years i thought this thing was jsut a pain in the ass, but lately ive been playing it with a Twin Reverb, and for some reason one day the sound was just great, and ever since then just been playin' well. One thing it does get ALOT of feedback when drive is over 6, but as long as you stay away from the amp it dies down, and for 350 bux, ain't that big of a deal. You can def. get better sounds from other amps for the same price, but this one is just simple and easy, only thing is also the footswitch has a delay on the swithcing on it, if you play this amp get used to timing that differently.

Had it for like 3 years and hasnt died on me yet, so not too bad in my oppinion

This thing won me battle of the bands this year ('07) so hell, it can do the job if you know how to use it. I would DEF NOT use distortion pedals with it, it dosen't handle other overdrive other than its own well (IE muddy bad bad sounds will ooze out of it if you do) so just stick with whats on it, reverb dosen't go all the way off either, but i can't even tell its really on half the time. Not bad in my oppinion, im prolly gonna ditch it after i save up and get my Mesa Boogie, and use that for distortion and clean with my twin, and i know that'll make the sound i want, but untill then i know this thing can handle what i need.

This amp was built in 2006. I play R&B, blues and country... my style I have coined as Funky Cowboy Blues. I bought it as a back up for my Deville, which was in the shop for some warranty work... Oh yea, you get what you pay for. However, depending on who you pay determines who'll back up their product. And the for 300 bills and some change this amp is the best deal on the market. If music is your business and not just a hobby, you'll appreciate that fact. I originally bought the Marshall MG50 for a back-up... I had to return it because the digital reverb destroyed its worth. However, the FM-212R amp has real reverb, 100 watts, two twelves and an effects loop which I use a pinch of Voodoo Labs Tremelo pedal on. In all honesty, I don't really use the drive, more drive channel.. having played for 35+ years I get my drive from driving the amp and punching the guitar and not through effects. This is a great amp for those who want to amplify their playing, it's bare bones and it will not give you chops. Consequently, I understand those who didn't like it. However, for those who want a solid amp, this is a great package.

I did try out the drive more drive channel... They were loud and had a nice singing quality to them when dialed in. The clean channel is what I use and when cranked has a nice thump to it... I play mostly on 7, however on 10 it is still quiet, clean untill you punch it. When punched, on volumes from 5-10 the speakers break up nicely, again with a nice musical quality to them. I play three nights a week in a medium size room. My go to guitar is a Mexican Strat with some Custom Shop Fat 50's and a copper lined pick-up cavity. This amp for me, has great sound.

Like I said... This is my back-up for a Deville an old school tube players dream! Curiously, I don't worry about the FM-212R when the Deville is in the shop. No back up is needed.

As I said before... I bought this Fender because my other Fender was in the shop for some warranty work. If music is your business, then customer support is a critical feature in your choice of gear. This is one of the reasons I chose a Fender amp, though they're very reliable, things happen. Fender backs up what they build and put their name on.

I've been playing 35+ years and for over 22 years I've been gigging an average of three nights a week. I have a variety of Guitars and have owned a variety of amps over the years... but in the end a nice strat with a great Fender amp... what else do you need?

Made in 2006. Solid state combo with Two channels with a more drive feature, Channel switching with supplied foot switch. Fx loop, Reverb, 100 watts @ 4ohms, 2-12" eminence speakers. I dont play out anymore so i wanted an amp that i could just plug in and play at home and get a good sound at den volumes. Very loud amp. Kinda suprised it doesnt have a presence knob.

When i went looking for a new amp i really never intended to buy this one but decided to try it out since it was there and i was totally suprised by its tone. It has the low end girth of a 4-12 cabinet with the right amount of midrange and treble bite. The clean channel is pretty much what i expected to be but the drive channel floored me. Smooth chunky with tons of sustain. I play blues classic rock hard rock metal and some country pickin and this amp does it all great. The mid contour button is the gem with this amp. Fender and solid state has come a long way. Im a die hard tube guy but this amp is really impressive. I have many guitars from les paul to strat and some hot kramers and others and this amp serves them all well. It makes single coil pickups sound thick and fat. The only concern is the reverb is weak. Its a small spring box but doesnt have the depth of other fenders or peaveys. The speakers seem fine.

When it came i completly inspected every inch of it and it seems to be a top notch build. The made in china had me worried but it seems like its going to last. Ive had other fenders before and have had no problem with them.

never dealt with them.

Was pleasantly suprised with this amp. I didnt think fender could have such a great distortion. Its pretty much what i was looking for in tone and size and price.

most features as above in other reviews.
basically a 100watt 212 speaker solidstate amp with reverb, no other features.

i play an epiphone g-400 (sg) and a washburn chigago series kc45v.
i originally bought this around christmas time 2 years ago when i was very much into blues, and this amp i belive had a good enough clean to play it. however, as i started play rock and metal such as zeppelin, hendrix, sabbath, nirvana, pantera and sepultura i felt this amp could not hold up ANY of these bands. no matter how i tried to change the settings, it just couldn't do it. the amp, has very little low end and should be avoided if you want to play metal.



i havent even gotten into the wonders of feed back in the second channel, as for feedback, i think i broke a new record!!! which isnt really a good thing, the second drive channel feed backs terribly.


the only decent channel on this amp is the clean, if you want distortion, USE A PEDAL!!!

i can not depend on this thing for anything!!!
i have played 2 decent sized gigs with this thing, and both times it failed me. the first time, for whatever reason, the distortion turned absolutely clean!!! the second time (by this time i got myself a good pedal) during my second song (iron man) it complete died!!!! (in the middle of the solo i might add)
but even after that i was forgiving of this hunk of junk.
during a jam with another guitarist, it started making this horrible banging noise, frequently, i changed my leads, used my other guitar and still this noise when ever i did anything on the guitar. DONT TRUST IT!!!

havent dealt with the company, in australia, the warrenty lasts for 1 year, and it started stuffing up around the 18 mounth mark....

Good clean channel...other than that you got nothing, the reverb sucks and the overdrive sounds really shitty.

clean channel is ok

NOT RELIABLE! let me down at three different shows... I only use it at home now... If you want something reliable you have to pay the price.

Looks good in my basement and thats where its going to stay.

Basic solid-state Fender amp, with 100 watts its' major attraction! Basically a two-channel amp, normal-n-drive; consider that 3rd "more drive" mode a sonic steroid! Mid-contour emulates Mesa Boogie types of Recto-vibed distortion if one certain mod is performed(see below). Spring reverb for subtle retro Fender vibe. Separate bass, midrange, & treble tone controls for both normal-n-drive channels. Pre-amp out & power amp in jacks for additional tonal flexibility. 2-button footswitch for channel access.

Considering this amp retails for around 3 bills, Fender had to make a production short-cut somewhere. It's in them stock Eminence speakers! They're voiced to emulate Jensen's C12Ns(1204s to vintage vibers), which means they don't suffer brutal wattage gracefully! Plus, they're wired in parallel! That lowered ohmage leads to sucky tone-n-electrical meltdown! As for that aforementioned mod, replace them stock Eminence drivers with Brown Soun's hemp-coned Vintage 30s, wired in series! All of a sudden that normal channel delivers classic Fender clean! A guitar geek bud said it sounded like a 60's-era Twin! Then when you kick into drive, you've got Mesa Boogie-ized Recto-Verbed distortion; more drive morphs into poly-phonic putty! Add pedals of choice if ya need more tonal versatility! Them hemp-coned V30s converts that lowly 212R into a veritable mini-stack! You'll have volume bordering on pain thresh-hold; yet that 212R aint even huffin'-or-puffin'! For added electrical protection, use an appliance surge protector like those sold @ Ratio Shaq! Used a Fender 50th anniversary Yngwie'ized Squier Strat, Mexican Jazz Bass, & Ibanez Les Paul Custom copy(with P.A.F. & P.A.F. Pro pickups) to put this pup through its' paces!

With that V30 mod & surge protection adapter, you've got a versatile, portable mini-stack for around 6 bills! A modded 212R should suffice until ya can afford that multi-kilobuck boutique amp! Ya can take a 212R out to a gig & not worry about some five-finger-discount Freddie; whereas ya gotta keep constant surveillance on a classic Twin or Bassman amp! Who sez ya can't be smug coaxin' scintillatin' tones outta a lowly 212R???

Have never had to find out, thankfully!!!

Mesa Boogie built their empire moddin' Fender amps! With the aid of hemp-coned V30s, ya get the feelin' a Fender engineer returned the favour by incorporatin' Recto-vibed distortions into them drive channels! For around 6 bills total, plus a little bit of elbow grease, ya get a sonic slice of harmonic heaven!