Fender Super Sonic 112 Guitar Combo Amplifier (60 Watts, 1x12 in.)

Feature:
Best features include the three flavors, Vibrolux, Bassman and cascading gain. Before this amp, the Strat S1 options with the button in were too boomy, too bassy. Now I select the Vibrolux channel on the amp and have discovered some very enjoyabe and unique sounds. Too bright? punch on the Bassman channel and it warms right up. The gain channel is sweet, too. In fact, I traded a Mesa Lonestar Special (talk about cascading gain!) for this amp and I don't regret it a bit. It's plenty loud, if not too loud. For fun I threw in a set of Substitubes with EL84's and it sounds very good at the lower output. My preference is the 6L6's though. Every dynamic nuance is captured by this machine. Like I said, inspiring!

Quality:
Everything looks real good, all the corners are tucked in perfectly, metal amp corners on the bottom four corners. The grill cloth has just a bit of a wave in it near the bottom, but because it's dark it doesn't stand out. The blonde tolex looks great. I wish they had put a nice leather handle on it - the Mesa spoiled me.

Value:
Dollar for dollar, this baby's a lotta bang for the buck!

Desirability:
Again, the Mesa Lonestar Special spoiled me - it was a looker. I do like the blonde/oxblood look better than the typical Fender black and silver and better than the Fender tweed (except for the lacquered tweed). So, it's better than most Fenders. I've had some positive comments on the Super-Sonic's looks alone. So, yeah, it's a good lookin amp. The best thing about it, though, is the three distinct tonal flavors, the all-in-one aspect.

Sound:
Inspiring!! It's been a long time since I just sat and played for hours unaccompanied. The reverb is lush. Usually when you dial in a lot of verb it doesn't sound good at all. This verb is different. At 5 it's solo heaven. Even at full bore it's a usable effect - sure, maybe not very often, but still in the realm of possibilities. So I sit and try different pickup options and different channels on the amp and play and play and play. Find a groove, embelish it.... It's great! Can't wait to get home tonight and play some more.

Ease of Use:
Straight forward. The footswitch has two channel switching buttons and an effects on/off switch. The latter can be used as a "solo" button (just like the Mesa) when a cable is connected between the "send" and "return" jacks. Ahh! Everything I need, 30 pounds lighter AND tilt-back legs! Sweet!

Support:
Can't say, haven't ever had to deal with Fender support, and this is about the 10th Fender amp I've had in about 15 years.

Overall:
I'm expecting this amp to be the one I finally stick with for a long time. I really hope to leave the effects stash at home and simply enjoy the sounds of my guitar through the amp. It definately has that potential. Time will tell, but it's looking good at this point.

Feature:
Cascading gain stage. Footswitch built right. No additional features I'd ask for. This is my keeper amp.

Quality:
Fit & Finish are excellent. As I'm a weekend warrior, I can't say what it's road worthiness will be. I build things. This is a nice cabinet and finish. Blonde Tolex and Oxblood is a nice looking amp.

Value:
Probably has to be highest on list of $1K amplifiers... I'd buy it again tomorrow.

Sound:
Pretty amazed by the range of tones I'm still discovering. LP Standard, 93 AmStd Tele, and Gretsch Annie and I'm not yet running out the sonic landscape. Compared to my '93 Concert (Rivera) which was the 1st attempt to do a Fender "gain" stage, this one gets it right. Both clean channels: Vibrolux and Bassman, I find worth the entry ticket price alone. The cascading gain is amazingly good for the price of this amp.

Ease of Use:
I've only begun to explore the range of tones. All very nice. I like Fender's intro on their website. Manual is OK but just scratches the surface. Wish Fender would take 20 extra minutes to explain what's behind their circuit topology, how & why it works... how they got there finally where the '93 Concert and Pro-Sonic fell short...

Support:
N/A - I bought this off the floor and am yet to get the cover and all the hang tags from my local dealer. Would also like to have the placard that sits on the amp showing fundamental tone settings. Got a nice price off the floor ($900) but still wish I had the paper chi-chi's that come with it..

Overall:
I think this is my "keeper" based on my needs. I can't expect anything as good for under $2K.