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I know I'm treading on dangerous ground but I don't even play a Strat anymore, preferring a Tele, which to my ears gives a more 'Fender' sound especially on the bass strings. I prefer to bend strings rather than use the term, which I've never really used on a Strat ever. I've always been 'disappointed' with the sound of a Strat -I've had about seven over the years and tried all sorts of pups, but none have matched the sound of a Tele bridge or indeed the in-between sound, so... I'm currently using a MIM Tele which I'm really impressed with, not seeking at all to replace the pups which I would have most certainly have done with a MIM Strat. I don't know why the MIM tele sound is so good compared to the Strat (might be my imagination...) but the Tele must be far far cheaper to produce than a Strat which might account for a better quality pup.

Tigerdaisy wrote:I know I'm treading on dangerous ground but I don't even play a Strat anymore, preferring a Tele, which to my ears gives a more 'Fender' sound ...

Nothing dangerous about that observation, but you’re talking about getting what you hear as a ‘Fender’ sound, whereas this thread is about choosing a Fender amp to get a ‘Shadows’ sound.
It’s an interesting but different subject and you may like to start a separate thread on it. I suspect it might trigger a good conversation

Well I've always suspected that a Tele might be better than a Strat at the same price because it involves less parts (simpler bridge and one fewer pickups) and labour (less body routing and contouring), which means the money saved could be spent in other areas. What I can say is that I never had any problem getting a Shads sound out of the Tele I used to have.

(Gorgeous, wasn't it?)



Indeed at my previous Shadows Club a gentleman frequently turned up with a very nice Tokai Tele which was fitted with a 4-way selector, the extra sound being the bridge and neck pickups in series. This has always been my favourite sound on a Strat as well.

abel wrote:Hi Ray, Dave and all,

I am now between the Frontman 100 2x12 and the Champion 100 2x12 for the closest clean Fender sound.
Here, I can get either one for under $200.
After years of tribulations, my interest now is to achieve a clean Fender sound but with a Fender Solid State amp.
I do have a Hot Rod Deville 4x10 which deliver the best Fender sound you can dream of.
My desire now is to get as close as possible to the sound of the Deville with either the Frontman or the Champion.
The Roland JC120 has an absolutely clean sound, but it's not exactly A Fender sound.

Thanks for any input you can give.

Blessings to all,
Abel

Hi Abel, I would have either of those without hesitation, I have used both and got good sounds from them. I haven't however tried the Roland that you mentioned, only my Boss Katana which does the job.

Referring back to the original question about which Fender amp to use for the Shadows sound...... I would say none of them. They have their own distinctive sound but generally have contrived EQ sound which gives an over emphasised treble and bass response and a shaped mid range which sounds very clean and impressive but is more suited to Country and country rock or blues players. Try playing a fender amp directly alongside an AC 30 and you will hear that they are poles apart. Both have their good and bad points and each is preferred by different players but I have yet to hear a fender amp that is close to the original Shadows sound.

Stuart wrote:Referring back to the original question about which Fender amp to use for the Shadows sound...... I would say none of them. They have their own distinctive sound but generally have contrived EQ sound which gives an over emphasised treble and bass response and a shaped mid range which sounds very clean and impressive but is more suited to Country and country rock or blues players. Try playing a fender amp directly alongside an AC 30 and you will hear that they are poles apart. Both have their good and bad points and each is preferred by different players but I have yet to hear a fender amp that is close to the original Shadows sound.

The most original of all Shadows' sounds (Jet Black, Driftin', Willie And The Hand Jive, etc) were played on Selmer Stadium and Constellation amplifiers, which electrically, were near-clones of the then-current 15w Deluxe Amp.

Yes, the early small amps from Selmer were less sophisticated and would lend themselves to the Shadows sound. I used to work at Selmer as an engineer.
I have to admit that when I think of the typical Hank sound quality from the later hits from Apache/ FBI/Wonderful Land/Atlantis era and onwards are the sounds that I refer to as being difficult to emulate using the current range of Fender amps.

The closest-sounding “reissue” of the vintage Fender Twin isn’t a Fender, I am told, but a copy by the boutique amp company Victoria. They are not inexpensive though.

But, going to the original question, wouldn’t it be simpler to begin the quest for the Shadows sound by starting with a Vox?

Best,

Andy

Right You cant beat the real thing.

Hi all,

Thank you for your input...Here is the latest on my end:

Having seen 4 or 5 very positive comment by our experts on this forum about the Boss Katana, I decided to call (before making a decision) Guitar Center Support and I was lucky to talk to this expert who actually knows about almost every single amp on the market and he confirmed what the folks here
are saying about the Boss.
So, I ordered a Boss Katana 100 2x12 new for $399 US. I know our British friends would love to have these kind of prices in UK.
But, I also went the GC store in my neighborhood and tried the Mustang IV V2 2x12 and I was really impressed by the sound, the simplicity of use and
the enormous possibilities it offers for tweaking your sound.

I am really not after the Shadows sound anymore as I know that it's a lost cause unless you spend tons of money and even then will just only get closer.

I truly love the Classic clean yet twangy Fender sound (like the one I have on my Hot Rod Deville 4x10) and my goal is to emulate it on the best solid state available with no maintenance burden and get an agreeable sound to any musicians ear on the Shadows tunes (even if it's not the holy grail).

Even though I ordered the Katana, I am afraid that it might not emulate the beautiful Fender sound. I know it has a dedicated clean channel and I am sure it's awesomely clean, but can I dial a real good Fender tone out of it, I am not sure. I read it has too much bottom end that can only be edited through the Boss software.
After I try it when it gets in the shop, I'll compare it with the Mustang IV 100 2X12 (the reviews on it are extremely positive) and make my decision then.

I'll keep you posted.

Blessings,
Abel