Guitar Amp Blog

After going down to the local blues jams here in town for several months, I’ve made some pics on the best amps I’ve heard for playing the blues. These are my personal choices and I’m sure add to the list as time goes on, but for now, here are my pics.

1959 Bassman
The late 1950s tweed Fender Bassman combo remains the classic blues amp, an ultimate tone monster. It is a 45-watt tube amplifier with four 10-inch speakers and a four-input design. The tweed Bassman combo was, and still is, a preferred amp of countless guitarists, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, B.B.King, T-Bone Walker, Jeff Beck and many others. The original Bassman combo was discontinued by Fender in 1961. Overwhelming demand for this classic prompted Fender Musical Instruments to produce a very convincing reissue: the Fender ‘59 Bassman. Highly recommended.

Super Reverb
Introduced in the 1964-1965 Fender catalog, the blackface Fender Super Reverb combo grew out of the tweed Bassman design of the 1950s. Basically it provided a bigger, more rugged version of the same four-speaker amp with reverb, the mid-60s black tolex/black panel cosmetics, and a two-channel design with bright switches. It has become a definitive blues guitar amp, favored by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Winter and many others. This amp is configured for 45 watts into 4 10″ Jensen speakers.

Deluxe Reverb
One of the most recorded and gigged amplifiers on the planet, the Fender Deluxe Reverb is a classic amp for blues, rock and country. Introduced by Fender in 1963, this popular model was produced through 1982 finally being replaced by the ill-fated Deluxe Reverb II which only last 4 years. In 1993, Fender brought back the classic version of this amp in the Deluxe Reverb ‘65 Reissue which has remained in the lineup ever since. The beauty of this amp is a shimmering clean tone at lower volumes and a classic overdrive when pushed a little harder. This amp is a favorite of countless players, but Eric Johnson is a well-known devotee. This amp is configured for 22 watts in a single 12″ Jensen speaker.

Vibroverb
Fender introduced the blackface Vibroverb amp in the same 1964-1965 catalog that presented the Super Reverb. The Vibroverb was closely related to the Super Reverb, containing the same electronics (wattage, controls, fifteen tube performance) and cosmetics, differing primarily in the use of a single 15-inch speaker instead of four 10s. Stevie Ray Vaughan alternated between blackface Vibroverbs and Super Reverbs throughout his career.