Frontman15R w Mod 8-20 and open back

[Revnelli]

Hi all,
This is just to let people know what a great sound you *can* get from a cheap amp. I picked up a used Frontman 15R for $20. I knew it has a reasonable clean sound - in fact I got a FM15G with the Squier affinity Tele package I got last year - and sold the amp on new for $50. The 15R has a true spring reverb built in, which works well.
i have made two mods to the unit - first I opened up the back - replacing the closed back with two pieces of pine - each wrapped in black duct tape. I put a new 120v socket on the back so I kept the old back intact. The connectors are push on spade terminals. This really changed the sound - making it less boxy and more chimmey/complex.
I replaced the speaker with a Jensen Mod 8-20 ($30 from Guitar Center). The orig speaker is a Radio Shack 40-1271B - twin cone full range. It was OK - but the new speaker is intended as a guitar speaker I have a mod 12-50 in my Deluxe reverb and I really like it. The new speaker makes more of a difference - though not as much difference as opening the back.
So I wouldn't say that I'm getting the same quality of sound as my deluxe reverb, but the sound is really nice at bedroom practice levels - so long as you don't hit the overdrive hard. Clean is great. A little dirt is OK, but more than a little and you hear the limitations of solid state distortion....

 

[JustABluesGuy]

I once had a FM15R and have wondered what it would sound like through a nice extension cab.

 

[tap4154]

Never played a 15R but my 25R is a great little amp IMO. I suspect the opening the back and adding the Mod speaker makes that little amp sound great!

Also a clever idea using black duct tape to simulate tolex.

 

[BryMelvin]

My son has a 15 R as a living room practice amp. It's quite OK with OEM fender speaker. I have a Fender Frontman (same chip earlier model) modded as a little head I use occasionally indoors at a bar. I also have a 25 R and 65 R Fender Frontman amps. I like them all! I Don't use any of the dirty though, clean and for steel.

 

[JustABluesGuy]

My son has a 15 R as a living room practice amp. It's quite OK with OEM fender speaker. I have a Fender Frontman (same chip earlier model) modded as a little head I use occasionally indoors at a bar. I also have a 25 R and 65 R Fender Frontman amps. I like them all! I Don't use any of the dirty though, clean and for steel.

I didn't use the distortion much on my 15. I don't remember it being that pleasant to my ear. I liked the cleans though, and I remember it taking pedals well.

I wouldn't mind having a 25 in a head version. I've got plenty of cabs to run it through.

 

[dqami]

I did the same to mine awhile back and got great results. With the better speaker you can get it louder without the harshness. On OD, it sounds better as well. The key is to crankup the volume then use slight gain for edge of breakup, then control with the guitar volume and tone knobs. I also have the early metal grill Frontman 25r which has greatbass, open back, and a speaker out to plug into an external cab. The early 15s also came with an external speaker jack.

 

[PhredE]

I did the same to mine awhile back and got great results. With the better speaker you can get it louder without the harshness. On OD, it sounds better as well. The key is to crankup the volume then use slight gain for edge of breakup, then control with the guitar volume and tone knobs. I also have the early metal grill Frontman 25r which has greatbass, open back, and a speaker out to plug into an external cab. The early 15s also came with an external speaker jack.

I'll second all that. Even small 'cheap' SS Fender amps *can* sound quite good -- under certain circumstances.

For fun (50% serious, 50% as a lark), I took the chassis out of SP-10 -- yeah, that one! -- and stuck it in a cast aluminum housing. I posted about this a couple years ago over on SSGuitar.com (Solid State Guitar site).
https://www.ssguitar.com/index.php?topic=3686.0;prev_next=prev#new
It actually worked, sounded good and was fairly loud (given the 10W max power). I sent the output to my homegrown pine cabinet with a WGS 12" speaker (98db I believe) AND stuck my Joyo American Sound to boost before the input.

I also like what JustABluesGuy said about a separate SS Fender head of about 20-25W (preferably with an effects loop, no onboard effects, but maybe with a few amp emulations perhaps). Seems like there is a niche for potential buyers of a compact, SS, modestly-powered head having good intrinsic tone that is not expensive. What not a Champion 40 or Champion 20 head with an effects loop and no onboard effects?


More on current Fender SS combo offerings..
Interestingly, although a lot of people think that the newer Fender Champion/Mustang series are all digital -- well, they're not. The power amp section is old school Class AB TDA7294-based. The effects section IS based on newer digital ICs though.

Overall, I don't think the Fender SS amps get the respect they deserve -- especially for their clean channel.

 

[Revnelli]

Update - I was getting some low frequency vibration when I played certain open bass note combinations - see
http://www.tdpri.com/threads/low-frequency-amp-resonance-interferance.800584/

I realised through the FM25 thread that the FM 15 has speaker cloth mounted direct onto the speaker baffle . Used some mouse mat material to pad out the cloth and this really helped.

 

[Lonn]

I replaced the small speaker in a Vox Pathfinder 15r with a 90s Fender Blue Label 10". HUGE difference in an already good amp.

 

[notme]

I love this stuff.... make something cheap/undesirable into something useful. I had a couple FM15G's kicking around, and they are not worth much around here. I also had a couple 12" around so I decided to put them together. I took the measurements from my Superchamp xd and expanded it a little to make room for a 12".
The results, as you would think, a night and day difference! A much fuller sound as opposed to the "shoebox" sound.
It could really use some 'verb though, its a super dry/flat sound. I rarely see the R model come up for sale, its always the G or Squier 10. Speaker is a WGS ET65.
Right now there is a FM 25R for $50, but Id rather have the 15 to keep it a "look what you can do with a FM15" project.

I cant remember the wood I used, its like pine but even cheaper, from Home Depot. The cloth is a bottom liner from an old couch.
In the end Id wished I thought out the size a bit better, its a little on the large side, but probably helps the sound a bit. No big deal, the wood was about $8.

 

[Revnelli]

I'd take the 25R in a shot if I was up there. Looks a bit dusty from the Kijiji ad but $50 you cant go wrong - and a 10" would be a nice upgrade. There's a Bandit 65 for a good price as well. Hmm - now who do I know in 'loops

 

[notme]

Thing is, my sis has a 15R waiting for me, I just havent had a chance to go to Van to grab it. Along with a few guitars hehe.. So If I was to put out my own cash money it would have to be quite cheap.
That guy wont budge from $50 on the 25r.
The 1 bandit is almost 1/2 the price of the other, not an amp Im after though.

 

[JeffinNH]

Traded my 25R along with 2 Monoprice guitars for a nice Strat, the Frontman was okay with a Jensen Mod, but I replaced the stock one for the trade.