Finally been and gone and done it .......

After the interminable problems with the Ultralight Jazzmaster which at the time really was the cats pyjama's, i have settled on my choice of next amp.
Thanks for all the input over the months as i played one against another trying to figure it out.
So, form an orderly line over to the left to kick my sorry b*tt because i have come down on the side of the Fender *Supersonic*, (i can hear the winces from here !!).
For a lot of gigs i still use my tried and trusty MKII Boogie but i do a lot of 'casuals' now and DONT want to be struggling around wheezing with a flightcase full o' Boogie so ............
I wanted a lightweight throw in the trunk kind of amp for some old timey and straight country gigs i do around here, loud and clean preferably Fender toned and the Super just fitted the bill in every respect.

I tried it against a Twin --- Gorgeous country tone -- too frigin' heavy.
A Vibrolux ---- Tone to die for but with the sound of frying breakfast in the background !!.
The good old DRRI, --- i really tried, it's lightweight and has a great sound but just too weak sounding when pushed, i felt it would break at any minute.

So, the Super for Johnnie, on all the gigs i went back to that amp time after time, loud, clean (the amp 'voicing' is a bit sucky) but i can use all the tones in it and it has a decent send/return it is loud enough to cut through without getting all shrill and Divaesque on me and i don't need a minder to lift it for me.

Now just sit back and wait for the whining to start, i ordered Beige so whats the betting there aren't any in the country ?

No objections from me. I tried the Supersonic and fell in love with it. If only I had the dough...:roll:

Considering it's what Pete Townshend plugs into on stage to play place like the Garden I don't think anyone can say bull.

Considering it's what Pete Townshend plugs into on stage to play place like the Garden I don't think anyone can say bull.


Doesn't he use the older ProSonic ?, quite different.

Yeah, tell the truth i dont care too much who does and doesnt play 'em but there has always been a healthy dislike for them around here, same with the Boogie of course, dont know why, some people just don't like some amps it seems.

I had never tried the Supersonic until a friend brought one to a local club. I got to play it on stage and I thought it sounded pretty darn good. I plugged straight in with my tele, and dialed the Bassman channel with a little dirt.

I had a fun time playing with this amp.

Aint no trash talking from me!

I like how simple the amp's controls are too (for a modern amp).

If you're ever looking to shave off even more weight, try an Eminence Tonkerlite in place of the stock V30. It has a similar sound and has a lightweight neodymium magnet.

Congrats on the new amp!

I tried one at GC a week or so ago and thought it was a pretty good 'un. Besides, I never dog anyone about amp choices since I'm a die hard Peavey guy and catch lots of offal for it.

Doesn't he use the older ProSonic ?, quite different.

Yeah, tell the truth i dont care too much who does and doesnt play 'em but there has always been a healthy dislike for them around here, same with the Boogie of course, dont know why, some people just don't like some amps it seems.

Maybe from last decade but his set up for the last couple years has been Strat into Pro-Sonic.

I don't own a Supersonic...YET... but I've played several in stores & done alot of reading up on them, and it seems to me there are only 2 "issues" (which are really NON-issues) with the SS:

The V30 has to be broken in.

The bias on some early models was cold, and needs to be reset.

I don't care what anyone says, a SS is in my future. If it's a crap amp, I seriously doubt Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, & Greg Koch would be playing them,

The V30 has to be broken in.

The bias on some early models was cold, and needs to be reset.


I'm with you ruger9, i really like EVM12L's but think that might be a bit 'over the top' for the SS and weight was a consideration after all.

Funny how everyone is coming outof the woodwork now, before when i asked about them the vast majority said "stand clear" (or words to that effect).

I'll keep you posted.

yeah, it's amazing how the 1st run of amps (in this case, biased way cold) can scar a product line for life. I wonder how the opinions of the music forum community has (or hasn't) affected actual sales of the SS?

FYI
Pete Townshend uses Vibro Kings on stage! They sound fab too!

I heard a surf band two weeks ago where the lead player was using a Supersonic. I think he had a JBL in it. He used a German tape echo and a Jazzmaster and nothing else. Sounded surfolicious.

I heard a surf band two weeks ago where the lead player was using a Supersonic. I think he had a JBL in it. He used a German tape echo and a Jazzmaster and nothing else. Sounded surfolicious.

MMmmmmmmm ................. Twang !!

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11292175/Twang_Lemon_Salt.jpg

I never heard of that amp before. I went to the Fender site and checked it out, it looks pretty cool. Why did people advise you against it?

Keep us posted, please!

Just joined the Supersonic Club! Blonde combo. Should be here next week. I'll be ready with new tubes, and I'll check the bias.

Hey ruger9, mine turned up this week, you are in for a nice surprise i think !
Have tried it in the house to figure the controls (2 minutes - job done) and took it to a rehearsal and wrung it's neck for a while ------- oh yes !!

Folks have mentioned the speaker needs 'working in' that might be true, it's a little hard edged maybe but i was just knocked out with the tone of this thing straight out the box!

Its an old building so the mains are a bit dirty but it wasn't as noisy as the one i tried before, i'll be gigging with it as from Jul 20th, maybe just slot in the Tremulator.

It really is from clean to dirty, check out this Greg Koch demo, pretty much captures the 'feel' of the SS .................

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ruger9 ---- it's me and you against the world mate ! (with some help from Greg).

That Greg Koch demo is the REASON I got a Supersonic. The one I played locally sounded kind of thin-ish (but the Bassman channel was INCREDIBLE), but it was brand new, the speaker was still stiff, and it had all stock Sovteks in the preamp positions. I'm already researching tube swaps & I'll give the speaker a good pummeling to loosen it up.

FYI... the reverb in this thing isn't just spring reverb, it's TUBE-DRIVEN spring reverb, pretty cool.

Here's the tube assignments if anyone's interested:

V1 –12AX7- V1A is the input stage, V1B is the first gain stage of the drive channel (between gain1 and gain2)

V2 -12AX7- Used in the Clean channel. V2A is the usual BF-type post tonestack/volume stage. after that, there is the preshaping filter (part of the Vibrolux/Bassman-switching) followed by V2B as a buffer stage

V3 -12AX7- Used in the Burn channel as second (V3A) and third (V3B) gain stage, followed by the tone stack and master volume

V4 -12AX7- V4A is a buffer stage after the switching relay between clean and burn. V4B is the effects loop send buffer stage

V5 -12AX7-Effects Loop - V5A is the effects loop return buffer stage, V5B is the reverb mixer stage

V6 12AT7 Phase Inverter

V7 6L6GC Power Section
V8 6L6GC Power Section

V9 12AT7 - Reverb send stage

V10 12AX7 - Reverb makeup/buffer

I thought it was interesting the PI is a 12AT7... usually they are 12AX7's. I wonder if a 12AX7 in the PI slot would drive the power tubes a little harder, and get breakup at slightly more reasonable volumes?

I'll be using an Airbrake with mine, but still...

Congrats on the new toy!

......I'll be using an Airbrake with mine, but still...


Maybe you'll reconsider once you have played it, in the rehearsal room the Bassman side really came to life when it was driven a bit.

The Burn channel does a terrific 'Texas' type setting that cleans up perfectly from the guitar.

Hey ruger9 !!!, dont worry , i played 'Stray cat strut' so's not to annoy kitty on the sofa, she's almost feral and i dont want the tolex getting ripped yet.

It's a nice little rig though isn't it ?

http://www.fotothing.com/photos/c3e/c3e7da3c4df0cb005f1340e44b5cc9a5.jpg?ts=1215805739

What kind of tele is that? SWEET!

Nice Choice there Big John - Enjoy it and be sure to treat us with some clips of those tasty licks you got working !

Yoyre right about Koch - but let's not forget he works for Fender.
Plus Koch has a penchant for playing just about anything (as long as it's got a Fender Logo). I played the SS enough to know it ain't for me, but It's ot a bad amp at all. Its cool you found your sound with it, that's what really counts. I can rag all day on this site how friggin great my Masters TVA30 is too, but nobody gives me a second nod. Probably the best value currently available in the world for quality and sound at 899, full of boutique options found in amps 3 times its price and sounds every bit as good as an AC30. Cheap as Peavey and there are Peavey Gods all over this site. SO in the end, ya just gotta be happy for yourself, because sometimes youre the only one who knows, or cares.

I don't play old time waltzes so I use my Boogie. :wink:

I don't play old time waltzes so I use my Boogie. :wink:

Bwaaaaah !!, ya can't beat the Boogie for a quick step thats for sure !!, "Your next dance please ladies and gentlemen" ----- oh no, i'm having a flashback !!, must have been last nights chicken dhansak . :mrgreen:
Next problem is :- when i play Dyce airport again how much will EasyJet charge to get me and both amps up there ? ----- how much !!! ???

chabby, i don't care who pays Greg Koch, he'd still play that way even if he was demo'ing a Peavey Bandit! :grin:

..SO in the end, ya just gotta be happy for yourself, because sometimes youre the only one who knows, or cares.

You are right of course but you are making me want to play a Rick Nelson song now. :grin:

Geez! I know not everyone plays like Grg Koch (I sure don't) but after watching that video I have to say I don't understand all th SS dissing that I've read here.

Sure, people are expected to have different and often strong opinions, but even if for some reason the SS wasn't your sound I don't see or hear why it seems to engender such loathing.

That was my first listen, and obviously I thought it sounded great.

Congrats, Big John. BTW, thanks for pulling me off the Jazzmaster Ultralight. I was all set to pull the trigger but the last thing I need is another problem to deal with. Yeah, I know about Fender's warranty, but given my experiences with their customer service in recent years the warranty wasn't much comfort to me.

Next time you are up this way, give me a call and you can borrow the Boogie rather than pay Itainteasy Jet.

Hey John, congrats on the amp!

I've played through the Supersonic a bit, helping my friend get an amp for his son. That's the amp they picked, mainly because it covers a lot of bases. I heard the kid gig it at a local club recently, and it sounded great!

If no one else likes it but you, tough beans. I have a lot of stuff like that...

The SS got a raw deal from the "standard vintage crowd" simply because it wasn't their beloved hand-wired ...champ, deluxe, princeton, etc. These people don't want to see anything NEW from Fender, they want Fender to make the OLD stuff again, in the OLD ways. Funny how they always complain about the prices tho when Fender DOES put out a hand-wired reissue.

The SS is a NEW amp for Fender (strike one), it's PCB (strike two), and it's got a V30 in it (Blasphemy!! A speaker OTHER than a JENSEN! Never!) (strike three.) Add to that, alot of the early ones apparently left the factory biased cold, and the V30 is a stout speaker that takes awhile to break-in, and THAT IS WHY the SS gets little respect.