Sunn T50C Combo

See other reviews for the generic stuff.

Bias adjustment on this amp is the best and easiest I have ever seen on any amp. Very accessible. Easy to use. No risk of getting electrocuted like some other amps. All necessary adjustments can be made without having to open the amp. Give credit to Fender Musical Instrument Corp. designers. They really used their intelligence on this design. Others should take note.

My main guitars with this amp are a 1998 Gibson SG Deluxe with three mini-humbuckers and a Parker Nite Fly H/S/S.

Very decent clean channel. Drive channel is excellent. Lots on onboard drive. Slight taming of the pre-amp gain pays huge dividends in improving quality of tone. Amp comes stock with Shuguang 12AX7s in V1 and V2, a 12AT7 in V5 (reverb) and Sovtek 12AX7WAs everywhere else. Shuguangs are good in this amp, but tend to be a bit noisy. Simple fix: a good NOS 5751 in V1 or V2 is the key. It tames the overkill pre-amp gain and it reduces noise.

Choice of power tubes makes a noticeable difference in quality of tone. Stock SEDs, Groove Tube 6L6GEs and JJ 6L6GCs are excellent choice for this amp. The first two both have a bit of a glassy edge to them...really noticeable in the cleans. The JJs help accentuate crunch.

Sovtek 5881 and 6L6WGCs suffer from their typical, well known limitations. Despite their reputation for sounding mediocre but being indestructible, the only power tube failure I have ever experienced was a Sovtek 5881 that blew in this amp and wound up taking out a relay.

This amp pushes power tubes hard. Plate voltages run in the 470 - 475 range - a graveyard for poor quality power tubes.

Only failure was the result of a bad power tube. Otherwise, seven years of reliable use.

Fender Musical Instrument Corp. (FMIC) so, good luck. Most of these amps are out of warranty. When mine was, my experience was not good. FMIC responded with dialogue, but no specific commitment. I did not get the real help needed to get the problem fixed.

This specific amp spent almost a year in the shop for a warranty repair that Fender and the shop tried to pawn off on a bad V2 tube. They were flat out dishonest. I knew better. I had tested the tube on a Hickock 808 both before and after. It was fine. The real issue is that the labor rate for warranty repairs are usually really low - like $20 to $30 an hour. The vendors want to be able to hold themselves out as the authorized factory repair center because that helps give them a natural monopoly, so they agree to accept this. But the acceptance is really just a way for them to get your business.

You have problem with the amp. You take it to the factory authorized vendor. If the vendor can sucker you into believing that the real problem is not warranty related, you have to pay them at the higher labor rate they usually charge. The vendor got the business (because you thought they were factory authorized good guys)and they did not get stuck with the low rate. You got the shaft because you wound up having to pay a small fortune for what should have been a factory authorized repair.

I also had very bad experiences with warranty repair work on another FMIC amplifier.

I got fed up with Fender years ago and swore I'd never go back. I bit my tongue about seven years ago and bought some Hot Rod Deluxes and other FMIC gear. When I have a problem with an amp, I don't need an e-mail dialogue or the standard fairy tales for not honoring your warranty.After my most recent warranty experience with FMIC - all negative - I won't be back.

The only guitar amp manufacturer that I have dealt with that stands by their warranty without dishonesty, hesitation or needlessly playing hardball is CRATE. They are fantastic!

Playing close to thirty (30) years. Also own B52 AT-100; Crate BV 100 watt head; Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Crate VC 50H and others.

Really love this amp. Hate that it is no longer made.