Fender Super 60

1. Amp was made between 1988-1992
2. I play R&B and the amp is just perfect, the clean channel is great
3. Channel switching yes ! Wish it had a seperat eq for the drive channel.
4. I play out about 10-12 times a month, plenty of power for a small to medium size club

1. The clean channel EQ is very sensitive , you can dial in many sound qualities ranging from Blues, jazz and rock n roll
2.The Distortion Is BRUTAL be careful when switching channels, you'll wake up the dead
3.I play a Bradley 69 Thinline copy with Texas Specials P/U
4. Very Quiet Amp even when switching to the drive channel

Never any problems on a gig , I would recomend replacing the Tubes if you buy a used Super 60 , I recomend 6l6GE (GT Tubes) for the preamp try 12ax7 Mullard reissues (GT Tubes)

Not Needed

I've been playing Guitar 32 years , and by far this is quite simply the best amp I've ever owned , I also own a Peavey Stereo Chorus 2x12, not bad either. If Lost or stolen I'd cry like a baby , Anyone looking for a great little club amp buy it, they weigh a ton, but it's well worth it.

made between 1988 - 1992.
Very versatile warm amp, although the volume difference between the clean and gain channels is quite marked. I have used this amp for home/studio practise and also limited gigging and its never let me down.

Never managed to play it loud enough to make the clean channel distort, my ears just couldnt cope.
I was happier using just the clean channel with a bluesbreaker and chorus pedals so I could keep better control of the volume, without switching to the gain channel on the amp.
I use it with a delux strat, a telecoustic and a first act electric all to great effect - it handles my electric/acoustic needs just fine.

no noticeable noise/hiss even when cranked up

Completely dependable, never had a problem with it.
Changed the valves once while I've owned it and had both inputs repaired due to the previous owner mis treating the thing. since then its been sweet as a nut.

No experience of this

Been playing guitars for around 5 years, got this as a swap for a Marshall MG50 and this was the better amp by a mile. Now have a fender Stage 160 which is a bit more versatile for the kind of stuff I like to play and the sounds i like, but I still love this amp.

In my opinion the super 60 could only be improved by minimising the difference between the clean and gain channel volumes

Wow, now i love my super 60.
2 channels, (no reverb footswitchable).
when i bought it, it had old tubes and sounded like crap.
once i fixed the tubes and soldered a wrecked capacitor, this is my baby.
quite loud enough

i prefer it over my mesa caliber 50 when it comes to playing clean stuff. the distorion is overwhelming somehow in a sense that it's not gonna work for all styles in my opinion (no 2nd eq-section)...its to BIG somwhoe, it tends to accentuate bass and treble and get washy in the mid section. still cool, though but not very flexible. it cranks somehow but its not deep or evil like modern stuff but rather crying. since i seldom play distorted, this ain't bad...
if you play crunchy, its real fun and bluesy sound!
not noisy.

i play funk/jazz/rnb/reggae/rock stuff
strat, tele mostly

of course you can't carry a backup, this amp already hurts your back...
it never let me down yet (knock knock knock)
but this one has broken down since my previous owner obviously didn't care too much-since i fixed it its everything coll, though

not dealt

am playing professionally.
would always try to get sth similar again, this one is not easy to find. they tend to get to you ;)

love the clean sound and the punch in the stomach-pure tube fender!!!
much better distortion than other fender crap.
as said, this one rules over my mesa caliber 50.

90 model most other appointments have been covered in previous posts.
60 watts, 2 channel, short box reverb
I got the SNAKESKIN one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I play all styles, It just has THAT Fender sound, you know that one I mean! I use the drive side and adjust the tone for it, using my Volume on the git to clean up or drive. This amp is LOUD!

15 years old, I guess it will last

Out of warranty

I like it, heavy, but sounds so good and punchy for only 112. I would buy it again

the little combo,please read the others...

im using fender mex strat and jerzy drozd custom guitar.
This little amp has a big problem, i tried many things to take the best of the overdriven channel but i couldn't find where the problem is...im now thinking that its the cone thats up...im gonna change it to a vintage 30 or Jensen C12-K, bc this amp is very very loud...
i would like to hear another Super 60 but i cannot, its not very popular in here...
i tried it wit a 2x12 of vintage, sounded really better...i tried a 4x12 with g12t75 to hear the differences and it was less brighter...

the problem i'm talking with the overdrive is the great amount of high freq., it makes the amp sounds very ugly when u play a D chord is 1st position for example when having the gain more than 3 or 4...
its a nightmare...

i play of kind of styles but of course this amp is designed for blues, country,surf, classic rocknroll... if i'd have a eq just for the dirstorted sounds, i could use it for all kind of styles...

if i finally correct the overdriven channel (that for me is lika booster over the clean channel) i'll be very happy...

still lucky: no needed to...

ive been playing for 10 years, i have a jmp+marshall 8008+1960 4x12 too, and from the guitars to the amps i use a EB volume pedal, the duncan booster y the 535 crybabe wha...
i love the clean channel, but i hate the overdriven...its a love/hate story
im now gonna make a revalving /rebiasing and change the speaker and i hope i'll have the real sound of this baby, thats hiding inside some defective thing...Rivera made good job but its not easy to use it 100% and let u completely satisfied...

I'll write this review in spanish. For those who doesn't know about us: Spain and Latin America rocks too.
Primero: Desde Buenos Aires, Argentina, quisiera compartir con uds la experiencia que tengo con este amplificador.

Origen EEUU, producido entre 1988 y 1992, post-CBS era. Lei por ahi que fue dise?ado por gente de la firma Rivera (epa, intersante). Algunos lo consideran un equipo de transicion dentro de la firma Fender. La discontinuacion de este ampli dio a lugar a lo que pudimos ver en los 90: "el resurgimiento de la estetica vintage". Los potes en la parte superior, como los primeros amplificadores dise?ados para tocar sentado frente a la audiencia (imaginate sentado con la viola y tu ampli al lado: si tenes los potes al frente, es muy incomodo; los cambios introducidos en la accesibilidad a los controles tienen relacion directa con los cambios en el uso: pensa en Hendrix frente a su muralla de Marshalls poniendo todo en 10 ;D)

Todo lo dicho respecto a la "estetica vintage" parece atentar contra este equipo, y lo digo por esto: la verdad, los amplis vintaje son lindos a nivel visual, parecen mejor terminados, mas decorativos...esto hace que el Super60 no sea adecuadamente valorado: he escuchado hablar a musicos grosos sobre este ampli (sin decir nombres, integro la formacion que grabo Oktubre de los O's), diciendo "ah...see, con las perillitas rojas...es un invento raro eso, naa no va". Bua

en fin, si sos fan de utilisima satelital buscate otro ampli, porque con el Super60 no vas a lucir bien, simplemente, vas a sonar bien. Esta en ti decidirlo...

Ah...cierto..."red knobs"...que cagada no? mi ampli no se parece al legendario twin reverb...bueno basta de eso. Tiene esa particularidad. Son rojos. No son doraditos, como los marshall...que macana. Lo que si, te aviso: mi ampli tiene mas de 15 a?os, y jamas un pote me metio un ruido...Esto te deja en otra cruel encrucijada, sonar bien o lucir bien...pensalo...

Un parlante de 12 pulgadas...mencione que se trata de un combo? Pesadito eh, si lo queres desplazar en tu monoambiente de 20m2, ponele rueditas, va de onda.
Respecto al parlante, ese cono, tranquilamente puede soportar un cabezal de 100watts de transistores. Cuando las valvulas empiezan a tomar calor, el volumen que podes alcanzar te va asombrar.

2 canales, limpio, y distorsion.
Primero el limpio: impecable, muy leal a tu viola. Cada nota adquiere un cuerpo increible. Un sonido con mucha compresion...bien
Distorsion: se controla mediante el pote "gain". Vos diras, "eh, los equipos marshall tienen como 20 potes para controlar el canal lead, el super60 no tiene matices": error.

Features...aver..ah..3 controles de equalizacion, reverb valvular y "presence".

Tiene 2 entradas para la viola, pero no recomiendo tocar con 2 instrumentos, no lo hagan en sus casas ni?os.
Es un ampli muy versatil, ahora digo por que.

En cuanto al sonido, es aqui donde me puedo explayar respecto a la versatiliad.
Basicamente lo uso siempre en el canal distorsionado. La clave de este ampli es la convivencia entre el control "gain" y la equalizacion: agudos, graves y medios. Realmente marcan la diferencia, del 1 al 10, Ag Me y Gr, muy sensibles, recorridos muy parejos, quizas lo mejor del equipo.

Por ej, te gusta SRV bluseando? listo: pones los medios en 7, graves en 4 y agudos en 6; el gain en 4, y tu strato vuela. Vas a tener un sonido con muchisima compresion y sustain, muy muy calido y dulce. te vas a preguntar para que existen los pedales de compresion, en serio.

Te gusta Santana? solucionado, gain y Gr en 7, muchos medios y tu Les Paul va a adquirir ese matiz que tiene la distorsion de Santana, algo opaca pero repleta de matices en las notas altas.

En cuanto al reverb...tambien hace la diferencia...muy sensible, recorrido muy parejo, otra una pegada del ampli.

No tengo conocimientos tecnicos, ni tampoco tengo idea respecto al pote "presence". Lo dejo en 5, neutral, que no joda pero que no desaparezca :P

Creo que la pegada de este equipo es la versatilidad que ofrece la excelente equalizacion que tiene. No soy partidario del sonido metalico, pero si pones el gain en 8, y matas todos los medios, te podes acercar a un sonido metalico...pero no es su fuerte. Si buscas eso, seria preferible hacer base en el canal limpio y usar algun pedal a tu gusto.

La mayor parte de mi conocimiento sobre el super60 es a traves del uso de una strat plus '89, con lace sensors. Si hay algo definitivo que se pueda decir respecto a este amp, es que con una strato hay satisfaccion garantizada.

Lo recomendaria para tocar Rock/Blues/Jazz. Responde muy bien a los controles de tono y volumen de tu viola. Tu viola en 9 suena clarita, en 10 cruje. Claro que depende mucho de tu viola, pero hay amplis que no tienen esta ventaja. Vease un gran equipo, como el JCM2000...nop

Hay que decir algo en contra: si queres sonar distorsionado, agresivo, este no es tu ampli, al menos que elijas algun buen distorsionador. Si con el gain pasas el 7, y queres mantener un buen nivel de medios y agudos, va a parecer que no cambiaste las cuerdas en a?os; perdes todo el brillo, no hay crujidos, ni armonicos, nada, un desierto; y el sustain q obtenes no justifica la perdida. Mal. Muy Mal.

Todavia no tuve problemas. Es un fierro, es un Fender.
El problema es que al ser un equipo discontinuado, no vas a encontrar en Argentina personal que conozca esta gama de equipos; mucho menos repuestos.
Ni bien lo compre (usado a primer due?o), encontre que en algunas frecuencias metia un ruido (que se escuchaba solo a bajo volumen), era un ceceo, como si hubiera alguna parte suelta que vibraba a ciertas frecuencias, muy molesto si planeabas tocar bajito en tu cuarto.

Lo lleve a los tecnicos de oficiales de Fender en Argentina, y me cobraron 20 u$s de aquel entonces por mirarlo y decirme "no se que le pasa al ampli"

Los distribuidores de Fender en Argentina apestan, me haria contrabandista de Fender solo para verlos arruinados. Grrr

Aguante la Industria Nacional

http://www.blues-music.com.ar/amplis.html
http://www.nativoamps.com.ar/Indexesp.htm
www.fantaluthier.com.ar

y a todos los luthiers! a romper con la dependencia economica! :P

En lineas generales, es un combo que reune caracteristicas que son imposibles de encontrar en Argentina:
1- Es Fender
2- Completamente valvular
3- Tiene un gran sonido (ser fender y valvular no lo garantiza, por eso hay que diferenciarlo)
4- Es muy potente, 60 watts.
5- muy versatil

y por ultimo, atencion:
6- 500 dolares. Los desafio a que recorran el pais con 500 dolares en la mano (sean cuidadosos, hay mucho atraco por ahi) y comprar un equipo Fender valvular de 60 watts.

Van a encontrarse con humanoides que les pediran entre 1000 y 1400 u$s por los fender de la linea Hot Rod (40 y 60 watts respectivametne, deville, deluxe, bla bla). Por supuesto, justificaran ese atropello a la razon porque son "vintage"...Por favor, descarten eso...no les den pelota...

La unica alternativa en Argentina al Super60 son los equivos valvulares nacionales, como los Cream. Con 500 dolares ya se puede salir a pelear algo, y son tan buenos o mejores que los Fender. Caso contrario, preparense para tener que gastar arriba de 800 dolares para sonar valvular.

Vi que en EEUU, en ebay, lo ofrecen por 150 uss....alla ellos. Que vengan aca a comprar un ampli valvular con 150 dolares...si vienen, mejor vayan a florida a comprar camperas de cuero ;)

diegohg@argentina.com

This amp, along witht the Super 210 and a couple other variants in this vintage, have about the same complement of features. All designed in the late 80's and at the time, destined to be the last of the tube amps. "the twin" falls into this catagory as well, but in a completely different animal. All of my comments will/should pertain to all of these tube amps with the exception of the twin, which will be in another post. The sixety is basically a one channel amp, but when set up right is very powerfull. The reverb is standard Fender and one of the three 12ax7's is for this purpose. Whats left is your basic gain/distortion and master volume. Full complement of tone controls and presence/notch. Never use the notch, only the presence. One 12 inch fender speaker in the 60 and 2-20's in the 210. Weight is bearable. All were red knob, black grill, will some very late issues in and around 92-93 were black knob, silver grill.

Now for the good/bad. When either the 60 or 210 is set up right, they are super sounding amps. They can be fairly reliable (more below)and rugged. However, when they are bad...they are really bad. If you have a good one, put some eminence legends in it and you have one fine little club amp. Add a few peddles, and you can do most anything. Just don't overdrive the front end too hard...you'll be sorry. See below.

Next the trouble you may get into. These amps are an absolute bitch to work on. I'm also a tech and have worked on amps for a very long time. If you've heard horror stories on the twin,(which ain't as bad as you hear)then these are far far worse. First, make a wooden cover to shield the red knobs from all doors, other cabs, anything metal or anything hard. Put the cover on religiously or you'll be sorry. If you bang a knob (that sticks out way too far) its history. Find a replacement? Only from Fender. Expect weeks/month to get it and you'll also get dinged pretty good for it. Suggestion: Get a handfull or build the wooden cover. If you break one off, that circuit is done until repaired. These are all mounted on a pcb board and its a very difficult surgery to get it out and back. Just barely room. Next most of these have fixed bias. There is an optional bias circuit on the schematic, but I've never seen one with it installed. Suggest you install it or try to stick with the tubes it came with. One pot and resistor change is it.....well, except for getting the main pcb out. Fender designed these things such that all the components are on top of the board facing the bottom of the amp. So when the chassis is removed, you don't see the pcb components and location codes until removed. About 10 leads to unplug to get to anything. Then you have a board out, unplugged. How can you troubleshoot a board like this? No power or connections. No other way, unless you have xray vision to see through the pcb to the other side. So using a signal tracer is out or using a generator/scope is out. UNLESS, you have a test unit set up to place the board in for testing! I did just that...only way to do it right without spending an inordinant amount of time checking components. Bottom line, if it breaks, expect you pay big bucks for the repair.

Forget it, unless you want to take it to a good Fender service center, then expect to pay. I guess the good news is that parts are available, but pots only through fender. PS, these are 12mm pots pcb mount.

When its good, its very good. When its broke, its not a pleasant experience. Do take care of the knobs. Have a tech (and be prepared to spend some $$) put in an adjustabe bias and check the entire circuit for distortion. Check all coupling caps. Replace all the electrolyics (its time...16 years) and do it while the board is out.
Then you should have another 10-15 years of service out of a great little club amp.

60Watt - 1x12" Fender Blue Spkr - 2 Channels(Hi and Low input) with same EQ, reverb(spring accutronics), presence - 2 x 12AX7 and 1x12AT7 pre - 2x6l6GC power - Pre out and Power amp in - 8ohm exit...Made in Usa in the late 80'. I thinks these are enough for this kind of amp.

Ok...Clean sound its really lovely and all guitar give the best, obviously my 1984 Japan Strat with texas special is the better test, maybe it can be a little fat but harmonics and natural brightness are sure.
The really good side is the EQ, it's sensitive(also reverb), not like some Marshall where Eq works like a ghost...Reverb its perfect for my taste,presence works fine.
Ok...Overdrive Channels needs to work on it...first you can raise the gain only to 4-5, this is the deadline,after this...shit!!With a strat is just an overdrive/crunch...With a TS9 maybe you will improve the overdrive to something more "comfortable".I use a Rat fo dist and with this amp this pedal is brilliant(sustain and harmonics).I use my 1980 Ibanez Artist 50 with humbckr and the things doesn't go better...but something really interesting happened when I tried an Ibanez RG550 with a DiMarzio ToneZone bridge position., Hey guys...This amp sound Rock!!! I mean really rock dist sound... not bad...

Really like a Tank 26 Kg of quality...

This amp make you always one step up for is sound quality and loud power versus other similar amps.

60 watts, 2 channels, class B, tubed, footswitch, and 1,000,000 lbs.
Sounds great, only has one eq though. Weighs a ton for its size.

I only use the clean channel. I get my tone from a Fulltone Fulldrive2. I get a slight hum if i get a little too distorted, but i rarely do, and the hum could come from anywhere in my chain. Plays really well. Very loud.

Yes...it does sound great...but mine is a piece.

bought it used a year ago...it came broken. Had it repaired, replaced all the tubes, fixed it up. A couple weeks ago it completely died. Is sounds like im listening to headphones from across the room. Thats about how much volume i get. Replaced all the tubes....nothing. Sent it to a fender tech...haven't got it back yet.

Died one other time on me, had to replace a preamp tube. Dont know why...the others didn't seem like they needed replacing.

Never contacted fender directly...but i have dealt with fender technicians. That dude was nice.

Been playing 5 years. I really like this amp....when it works. I get great tone. Suits my price range. If i was to buy another, i'd probably go with a class A amp a little more fancy than this...like a vox....but this definately does well for me. Wish it had a separate eq for both channels...and wish it weighed a lot less.

I own one of the rack mount versions and baught it brand new in 1989. It has two channels and an effects loop and all tube. I cuurently am running it though a fender 4/12 cab that I got used for under two hundred (I probably should break down and check to see what speekers it has in it because theys sound better that may Marshall 1960 4/12.
I wish the clean were a bit louder but miking it with a PA can resolve that issue. The gain channel is down right lowd it can hang with my JCM2000 DSL 100. It may actually be louder. At least below the 4 setting it is alot loader. And I never use it above 3.5.

The clean channel is fantastic, the usual for a Fender tube amp. The gane channel down right screems. I have a les paul standars and Shecter tele standard. Both guitars sound incredible with this amp. My Marshall went into the shop recently and has been causing me major head aches. I replaced the power tubes (Gruve Tube Gold Series 6L69) on the old Super sixty and have been just blown away with its tone. I am going to replace the preamp tubes soon. I think I now like it better than my Marshall. When the Marshall gets back from the shop I will probably sell it and get a second super sixty rack mount to make a stereo setup. These amps are by far the best bang for the buck ou there I am surprised they havent become a classic amp. Better for those of us who know better.

I play mostly orriginal rock music that I compose. However I do like to play some Zeplin and some Who from time to time. With th etele I can get really close to Tonshends Live sound from the Early eighties. And with the pual and the help of my Yard Box ( a tone bender coppy) I can naile all those Great Zep one and two tones. Also with a Start you can do a pretty decend David Gilmore, Cumfortably numb etc.

I have been really enjoying my rediscovery of this amp. I may also get a combo just to play inside my house with on winetre days when it is to cold to go to the Barn

I have had this amp since new and it has never let me down. Ot sat rarely uised for at least 9 years while I went through my Marshall kick. When the Marshall went nuclear, I fired it up and was really impressed.

No experience.

These amps really are increadible and are a steal at under $400.00 used. Once I put those new power tubes in I realized that his amp kicks the Marshalls butt. I can't wait to get a second rack mount version so I can go stereo.