eventually, it’s not just building two amps for hours you put into building a product the more that and switch out a PCB and put in a hand-
the artist. So Eminence went to work for us and money it is going to cost you to build, and wired circuit? And your ear, if more than a few
got very close to the sound of that original odd therefore you are passing that cost on to the seconds goes by your ear, it isn’t always reliable
speaker that Chris’ amp had. We love the fact consumer. We like to tell people that at Fender as to what you heard an hour ago versus
that it’s not only a “made in the USA speaker”, we make everything from a $99 amp for the kid what you’re hearing now. It’s very difficult to
but it’s made in Kentucky… just like Chris is. in the bedroom up to a multi thousand-dollar scientifically prove that. I will say that on one
artist model and beyond, we even have custom hand, the greatest amps I’ve ever played in
t also didn’t add many hundreds of dollars to shop amps now that we build one or two or five my life are hand-wired, but some of the worst
the price of the amp, it was a very attainable units of. So where are you in that continuum? amps I’ve ever played in my life have been
speaker for us to use in there. Obviously, we’re If you believe the sixties were the height of Leo hand-wired also. Because they’re old amps
trying to deliver the product at a price that Fenders amps then maybe you want to have a and they fall apart, or they’ve been modified,
makes sense. If these old amps in all original hand-wired amp because that’s the way these or they’ve had drinks spilled into them. So, we
condition are upwards of two thousand dollars were made in that day. Maybe it’s because you love it, and everybody at Fender who plays
and we can bring this thing in at $1999, it’s a like the idea that it’s easier to modify, because guitar at some point ends up owning a couple
brand new fresh amp under warranty, most some people buy these amps and want to take of vintage amps, a couple hand-wired, we love
people will recognize the value there. So the the blue capacitors out and try the red ones. them. But for the average person who’s going
speaker was a big part of that, we love how It’s a heck of a lot easier to solder and unsolder to go out and play at a club, a church, a school,
it sounds. The speaker has a good thick, rich, hand-wired components. So we offer these whatever, they’re going to take a printed circuit
voice to it, it’s not extra treble-y. Chris doesn’t amps because some people are enthusiasts board amp because it’s half the price and it
play super treble-y, he’s got a thick guttural and they believe it’s a better way to do them. does the job and sounds fantastic.
too, that’s his primary guitar and those are fairly As far as the number of units that are sold, So we make both types, it’s as simple as that.
bright guitars. hand-wired is a tiny little drop in the bucket.
tone to his guitar, so it suits the Jazzmaster
You only have to look at your cell phone, or
[WM] Who is this amp for?
So he’s got the Jazzmaster, he’s got a reverb your computer, or your television, no one would pedal set to a room reverb with just a little bit of pay four times the money to get a hand-wired [Shane] Lots of people. First and foremost, it
it that hits really hard, you hear the room reverb, television, they’re just not going to do it. That’s would be for Fender fans, fans of the brand,
and then the amp set to just barely breaking not the way you make televisions today. If Leo fans of amps. You’re going to have a hard time
up and the tremolo just barely on. He found his Fender came down from heaven and talked to running into a lifelong guitar player that doesn’t
recipe, and the speaker worked perfectly with us he’s probably say, “You guys are still doing own multiple amps. They have one for the
that. hand-wiring? Really?” (laughs) But we have bedroom, they have another one to jam with
customers and enthusiasts that want that. their friends. Who is it for, Fender fans, tube
[WM] In the promotional video for the amp,
amp fans, certainly Chris Stapleton fans, he’s a
Chris is using a really interesting mic that I don’t Now what’s the difference? We’ve done a lot Grammy award winning multi-platinum artist so
recognize. Can you tell us what that is? of tests and it’s incredibly difficult to prove he’s got his fans.
without a shadow of a doubt that it sounds
[Shane] He endorses a company in Nashville better, because to do a true AB test you’d have But we also sell a lot of Eric Clapton Strats to
that does handmade microphones. I forget the to have the same transformers, the same set people who aren’t fans of Eric Clapton, it’s just
name of the company. But when I observed of tubes in the chassis, and how do you have a great guitar. I think it was really important to
Chris at sound check and took a couple of us, and to Chris, that when you first approach
photos he had that mic and an SM57 on there, this amp it doesn’t have a big red “CS” on the
and then the reverb coming from this little front of the amp. That stuff is all around the
reverb pedal that he has. amp. You could go out on stage with any kind
of band and have this amp sitting there and it’s
[WM] What are some of the nuances that your sound, you’re not broadcasting that it’s an
make a hand-wired circuit unique? artist model.
[Shane] I think at the beginning, the first thing So really any guitar player that loves thick, rich,
to know is that labor equals money. The more expressive tube tone.
May 2019
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