Fender PA 100 for a guitar amp - very fine

fenderfan · March 18th, 2006, 10:34 PM

I like to have a back-up amp on gigs, but I don't want to haul a complete second amp, so I have found that it's great to just have a Fender head as my back-up (I can just connect the head to the speaker in my main amp if necessary). I have been without a back-up head for awhile so I did a little shopping today and came across a 70s Fender PA 100 head in a used equipment shop. I put it through a long workout and was very happy to grab it for $250. With four 6L6s, reverb, and massive transformers, it's like a Twin Reverb head - very clean, full, warm and big headroom (which I love - I use a pedal for a little grit on solos). It may have been built for a PA, but this head delivers good old Fender clean guitar tone and is a fine amp.

Ringo · March 19th, 2006, 02:39 AM

PA100 is just basically a 4 channel Twin Reverb. Used to see them around a lot cheap but not so much anymore.

ye olde fretmonkey · March 19th, 2006, 04:47 AM

$250? A steal.

fenderfan · March 19th, 2006, 10:18 AM

I just realized you can daisy chain the channels, too, to get enhanced tone settings (unlike on a regular Twin Reverb where the two channels are reverb and non-reverb, which causes a phase cancellation when you jumper them, the PA100's channels are all reverb channels). I'll have to do some tone experiments with this...

teach6 · December 15th, 2007, 11:37 PM

Hey....I just got a Fender PA 100 with the columns for $100 bucks....how do you do the daisy chain thing? Thanks...keith

skeksis · December 16th, 2007, 01:14 AM

mmmm.... saw that $100 one today, almost called on it. but then though: what on earth would I do with a 100w, 4 ch Twin with two big ol' towers.... and so in a rare moment of better judgement, I let it go. BUT, I can't deny that it sounds like fun. enjoy.

I'd guess the 'daisy chain' meant here is something like this: run your guitar into one input on ch1, then a short jumper from the other input in ch1 over to ch2, a second short jumper between ch2 and ch3, etc. could get nutty.

Big Mike Simpson · December 16th, 2007, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teach6

Hey....I just got a Fender PA 100 with the columns for $100 bucks....how do you do the daisy chain thing? Thanks...keith

doh....

I saw that one and almost called on it too... I been having a lot of self restraint lately.... must be gettin' old...

Good luck with that.... And welcome to the TDPRI forum.

jh45gun · December 16th, 2007, 03:18 AM

Man I would have snapped on that deal in a heartbeat 100 bucks? A little secret those columns at the music shops maybe dinosaurs and they do not want them but take out the speakers and sell them to them raw they will take them in a heartbeat. At least my local stores will. I could have sold the speakers to them or made a trade to get my C note back and that head would have been free.

teach6 · December 16th, 2007, 01:31 PM

Hey nice 335....too bad your way over in Gilbert....I got the PA close to my house...I-10 West in Avondale.....other side of the planet from you....I have a 1980 ES-335....my favorite...I was doing pretty good on the restraint too...until this weekend.....went all the way to Chandler for that Digitech Talker Saturday....what a cool pedal....been messing with it for hours......thanks for the reply.....Keith

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Mike Simpson

doh....

I saw that one and almost called on it too... I been having a lot of self restraint lately.... must be gettin' old...

Good luck with that.... And welcome to the TDPRI forum.

teach6 · December 16th, 2007, 05:11 PM

Thanks....took off the back and they are all the original Fender issue 10" speakers....Hooked up the amp to a 2x12 cab....it is killer with a modded TS-9...Again Thanks....Keith

Quote:

Originally Posted by jh45gun

Man I would have snapped on that deal in a heartbeat 100 bucks? A little secret those columns at the music shops maybe dinosaurs and they do not want them but take out the speakers and sell them to them raw they will take them in a heartbeat. At least my local stores will. I could have sold the speakers to them or made a trade to get my C note back and that head would have been free.

teach6 · December 16th, 2007, 05:14 PM

Thanks.....I did some research and you are right ... you can link them and get a lot fatter sound.....hooked this up to a 2x12 vintage Fender cab and it sounds great...plus a modded TS-9....Again thanks....keith

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeksis

mmmm.... saw that $100 one today, almost called on it. but then though: what on earth would I do with a 100w, 4 ch Twin with two big ol' towers.... and so in a rare moment of better judgement, I let it go. BUT, I can't deny that it sounds like fun. enjoy.

I'd guess the 'daisy chain' meant here is something like this: run your guitar into one input on ch1, then a short jumper from the other input in ch1 over to ch2, a second short jumper between ch2 and ch3, etc. could get nutty.

March 18th, 2006, 10:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
fenderfan Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 523	Fender PA 100 for a guitar amp - very fine I like to have a back-up amp on gigs, but I don't want to haul a complete second amp, so I have found that it's great to just have a Fender head as my back-up (I can just connect the head to the speaker in my main amp if necessary). I have been without a back-up head for awhile so I did a little shopping today and came across a 70s Fender PA 100 head in a used equipment shop. I put it through a long workout and was very happy to grab it for $250. With four 6L6s, reverb, and massive transformers, it's like a Twin Reverb head - very clean, full, warm and big headroom (which I love - I use a pedal for a little grit on solos). It may have been built for a PA, but this head delivers good old Fender clean guitar tone and is a fine amp.

March 19th, 2006, 02:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
Ringo Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,925	those are cool amps PA100 is just basically a 4 channel Twin Reverb. Used to see them around a lot cheap but not so much anymore.

March 19th, 2006, 04:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
ye olde fretmonkey Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Austin Posts: 3,443	$250? A steal. __________________ Just 'cause that's the way things are, that never did make it right.

March 19th, 2006, 10:18 AM	#4 (permalink)
fenderfan Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 523	And you can jump the channels I just realized you can daisy chain the channels, too, to get enhanced tone settings (unlike on a regular Twin Reverb where the two channels are reverb and non-reverb, which causes a phase cancellation when you jumper them, the PA100's channels are all reverb channels). I'll have to do some tone experiments with this...

December 16th, 2007, 01:14 AM	#6 (permalink)
skeksis Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: phoenix Age: 31 Posts: 399	mmmm.... saw that $100 one today, almost called on it. but then though: what on earth would I do with a 100w, 4 ch Twin with two big ol' towers.... and so in a rare moment of better judgement, I let it go. BUT, I can't deny that it sounds like fun. enjoy. I'd guess the 'daisy chain' meant here is something like this: run your guitar into one input on ch1, then a short jumper from the other input in ch1 over to ch2, a second short jumper between ch2 and ch3, etc. could get nutty. __________________ most of the time: '55 LP Jr. or MIJ '62 Custom Tele ----> '08 Marsh 5F4 Super kit http://www.myspace.com/jswattsmusic

December 15th, 2007, 11:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
teach6 NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Phoenix, AZ Age: 58 Posts: 4	Hey....I just got a Fender PA 100 with the columns for $100 bucks....how do you do the daisy chain thing? Thanks...keith

December 16th, 2007, 03:18 AM	#8 (permalink)
jh45gun Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,105	Man I would have snapped on that deal in a heartbeat 100 bucks? A little secret those columns at the music shops maybe dinosaurs and they do not want them but take out the speakers and sell them to them raw they will take them in a heartbeat. At least my local stores will. I could have sold the speakers to them or made a trade to get my C note back and that head would have been free.