I have the 25R and I've gigged with it for about 2-3 years. However, I'm about to invest in a nicer one now that I have a beautiful Tele on my hands. Definitely think this can do the job for any musician, until they can afford what they really want.
For someone who doesn't do much distortion, that was a pretty good ZZ Top lick! I guess it's just in the air in Texas, every guitarist there has to know a few Billy Gibbons licks.
Jason - Thanks for the compliment. As a classic country player, I rarely use distortion (except on Boot Scootin' Boogie). I've tried various combinations of pedals and amp settings over the years, but I've never been able to achieve a nice distortion sound on stage (no problem at home - but on stage, that's a different story). I have a lot of respect for players who are able to get "good" distortion sounds. I believe it represents a lot of work on their part.
Thanks for the great review. Ordered the r25 off eBay I can no longer carry heavy amps. Been playing for 50 years you can imagine the benefits to your collection
Interesting that you’ve recorded both videos about these amps with a difference of 3 years, but they seem to be recorded at the same week haha, very nice way to record!
Justin - I'm glad the review was helpful to you. Congratulations on your purchase of a 15G - they really are great practice amps. Very small and light, the controls are simple to use, and they have that sparkly Fender sound. Other posters have talked about replacing the speaker with a Celestion and if you do, please let us know your opinion of the difference.
NoFap 365 - For home use, either amp is loud enough. The 25R has a 10 inch speaker, compared to the 8 inch speaker in the 15R, plus (I believe) the 25R has a few more watts, so it is a bit louder, but not way louder. I have used the 25R for very small venues like nursing homes, and it worked fine. I never tried using the 15R in the same situation, so it might work just as well. The difference in pricing will not be very much, and the difference in weight is also not significant. If you have the opportunity, (all things being equal), I would go for the 25R. But, to be clear, both are excellent practice amps. By the way, the Champion 20 is a great amp and has a lot of FX on it. I know a fellow who has one and uses it for a practice amp with his steel guitar. I would expect the 25R and the Champion 20 to be about the same loudness. On a side note, if you really want loud and are on a musician's budget, see if you can find a used Peavey Bandit (doesn't matter the vintage). They are stupid loud, built like tanks, and can be found on Craigslist for $100. Good luck - Ben Price - San Antonio
@@ve3cda thanks for the detailed answer. I am not into loud. I like the beautiful smooth Santana & Gary Moore sound in a home environment. My new US made Jupiter 8" speaker is arriving next week & I hope its gone be worth the price. I just love the sound & effects of my 20 champion.
Edu - The amps are both silent. The Peavey Stratocaster copy has single coil pickups and they tend to be noisy, especially when the pickups are close to the amp.
Quantum Entangle - Yes, I suppose you could connect a smartphone to the aux input on front to play music. I advise you to turn the volume DOWN on the smartphone before you hit play. Then SLOWLY turn it back up. There is no separate volume control on the amp for the aux inputs, but, if there was one, it would be at 11! all the time. Lastly, the amp is not stereo so you'll only get a mono output from the amp, but it sounds fine for practicing, etc. Hope that answered your question. Ben Price - San Antonio
Mike - doing a video on Winter Wonderland is a great idea! When Christmas 2019 approaches, I'll do just that. Thanks for the suggestion. Ben Price - San Antonio
I have this amp (15r)and I can say the clean tone is nice but the distortion/ overdrive tone sounds not the best and palm muted notes on it don’t dont the best
Tez - The thing I like most about the 25R is the simple controls. I have other practice amps, including a Line 6 modeling amp, but the 25R is truly a plug and play solution.
ve3cda Mate; I think it’s one the industry’s greatest secrets. It has everything. It’s plenty powerful enough for small gigs, rehearsals and certainly the studio. Being a “Tone-meister” this thing has the spanking sparkly Fender clean I haven’t found elsewhere. Open-backed “air”, decent 10” driver, real mechanical spring reverb, mid-range for sculpting ur tone, single “can’t go wrong/which hole do I stick me jack into” input and footswitchable channels. Still loox like a Fender too with those signature silvered knobs-on-blackface ... and cheap. For my purposes it’s my main amp. I also havva tiny 5W attenuable BMW Chimp tube amp Oz-designed with heaps of features handy in the studio. My guts are a good lawsuit Ibanez 355 semi-solid and L-5 Jazz-box clone. Back to the FM-25, I don’t need any fx as I’m only concerned with great amp/gtr tone. Yeah, what’s not to like ... pity it took me decades to wake up👍
I’ve got the 25 r What’s with all buzz???? Mine is all very quiet Hmmmm gain structure comming into play …..? All said they do sound good for inexpensive amps
Rick - I believe the noise issue is having the single-coil pickups so close to the amp for this review. When I back up a couple of feet, the buzzing stops. The Frontman 25R really is a great practice amp.
Does anybody know what I kind of speaker the 15r Uses. I just recently came into one but the speaker did not have and info on it.I was thinking of replacing it with and 8in Celestion
jimmesep - I took the back off mine to have a look. It is a generic speaker with no markings on it (as you mentioned). The one I have works fine and sounds good - but I only use it as a practice amp. I imagine replacing the speaker is straight-forward. The schematic identifies the speaker as 8 ohms. Good luck.
Vito: The guitar was plugged directly into the amps - no pedals or other effects. The hissing might be either A) part of the signal chain in the UA-cam path, or B) a significant degree of "presence" common among Fender amplifiers. I didn't notice an over-abundance of hissing myself, but then again I accustomed to a Fender guitar with single coils and a Fender amp. Overall I believe either of these amps would make a good practice amp for home.
Danilo - The buzzing (humming) is a common issue with single coil guitar pickups - specifically Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters. It is even affected by the position of the guitar relative to the amplifier. On stage it's not a big issue as the guitar is at least a few feet from the amp, but with the guitar right next to the amp, the buzzing gets louder. For what it's worth, I use a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor on stage, which removes the buzzing. It really isn't a problem with the amp - it's the guitar.
@@ve3cda I learnt about metal shielding inside the guitar and I did the work to my several guitars. The result is amazing, big difference, great feeling, even no more noise when you move the pickup selector. Strongly recommend you to try. From your video, noise all comes out when you move the pickup selector, this is not the problem of single coil but the lack of shielding inside the guitar.
There is a dog sleeping in the backgound haha
Yes, that is my trusty dog Scottie. He is in a number of my videos (sleeping).
Most Plays how much doesthis cost
Clicked Like for that alone
I have the 25R and I've gigged with it for about 2-3 years. However, I'm about to invest in a nicer one now that I have a beautiful Tele on my hands. Definitely think this can do the job for any musician, until they can afford what they really want.
Great review brother! Like 'em both but dig the focused sound of the 15-- might be nice for recording
I had the red 25 r and wish I never cut loose of it because it was an awesome practice amp
I got a 15r for my practice room. Loud enough for that, but I wouldn’t take it out to a gig. Worth every penny.
I got a 10 and it's pretty good
Very well done. Just picked up the 25 in Texas Red. Thanks for your help.
Great review & cool dog sleeping on the couch.
For someone who doesn't do much distortion, that was a pretty good ZZ Top lick! I guess it's just in the air in Texas, every guitarist there has to know a few Billy Gibbons licks.
Jason - Thanks for the compliment. As a classic country player, I rarely use distortion (except on Boot Scootin' Boogie). I've tried various combinations of pedals and amp settings over the years, but I've never been able to achieve a nice distortion sound on stage (no problem at home - but on stage, that's a different story). I have a lot of respect for players who are able to get "good" distortion sounds. I believe it represents a lot of work on their part.
finally a smart review, ty beautiful old man. greeting from chile... yes, chile!!
Thanks for the great review. Ordered the r25 off eBay I can no longer carry heavy amps. Been playing for 50 years you can imagine the benefits to your collection
Interesting that you’ve recorded both videos about these amps with a difference of 3 years, but they seem to be recorded at the same week haha, very nice way to record!
Thank you for this review, I just bought a 15g to practice in hotel rooms and it sounds good might replace the speaker though......
Justin - I'm glad the review was helpful to you. Congratulations on your purchase of a 15G - they really are great practice amps. Very small and light, the controls are simple to use, and they have that sparkly Fender sound. Other posters have talked about replacing the speaker with a Celestion and if you do, please let us know your opinion of the difference.
A Very clear review, well done & Thank you.
Is the 25R way louder than the 15r for home use? I have the champion 20 with Jupiter 8sc speakers.
NoFap 365 - For home use, either amp is loud enough. The 25R has a 10 inch speaker, compared to the 8 inch speaker in the 15R, plus (I believe) the 25R has a few more watts, so it is a bit louder, but not way louder. I have used the 25R for very small venues like nursing homes, and it worked fine. I never tried using the 15R in the same situation, so it might work just as well. The difference in pricing will not be very much, and the difference in weight is also not significant. If you have the opportunity, (all things being equal), I would go for the 25R. But, to be clear, both are excellent practice amps. By the way, the Champion 20 is a great amp and has a lot of FX on it. I know a fellow who has one and uses it for a practice amp with his steel guitar. I would expect the 25R and the Champion 20 to be about the same loudness. On a side note, if you really want loud and are on a musician's budget, see if you can find a used Peavey Bandit (doesn't matter the vintage). They are stupid loud, built like tanks, and can be found on Craigslist for $100. Good luck - Ben Price - San Antonio
@@ve3cda thanks for the detailed answer. I am not into loud. I like the beautiful smooth Santana & Gary Moore sound in a home environment. My new US made Jupiter 8" speaker is arriving next week & I hope its gone be worth the price. I just love the sound & effects of my 20 champion.
@@ve3cda I just upgraded my fender with a US Jupiter ua-cam.com/video/Frwk15ad7us/v-deo.html
25R: "I've got a Speaker Out jack, and can use an optional Footswitch; how about you, son?
15R:
Hi!.. one question....the noise on the background comes from the guitar or it comes from the amps?...Thanks!
Edu - The amps are both silent. The Peavey Stratocaster copy has single coil pickups and they tend to be noisy, especially when the pickups are close to the amp.
When you want an airy open sound instead of a boxy sound, remove the back of the 15R and you will be suprised.
I got this amp back in 2015 and I just liked the sound my fender 25r was better than my line 6 amplifier
Hi can these amp simply be use for playing music from a smartphone? I notice there's a auxiliary input, thanks
Quantum Entangle - Yes, I suppose you could connect a smartphone to the aux input on front to play music. I advise you to turn the volume DOWN on the smartphone before you hit play. Then SLOWLY turn it back up. There is no separate volume control on the amp for the aux inputs, but, if there was one, it would be at 11! all the time. Lastly, the amp is not stereo so you'll only get a mono output from the amp, but it sounds fine for practicing, etc. Hope that answered your question. Ben Price - San Antonio
Should do a video on Walking in the Winter Wonderland ! That just sounds too cool ! Oh ! Those little frontmans are good ole amps !
Mike - doing a video on Winter Wonderland is a great idea! When Christmas 2019 approaches, I'll do just that. Thanks for the suggestion. Ben Price - San Antonio
great review.. detailed and to to the point
I have this amp (15r)and I can say the clean tone is nice but the distortion/ overdrive tone sounds not the best and palm muted notes on it don’t dont the best
that guitar likes the 15 better. nice playing.
If ur into Tone tho’ this’s the bomb ... 25R’s gr8 for clean-gritty tones. 25R’s also open-backed which’s my preference
Tez - The thing I like most about the 25R is the simple controls. I have other practice amps, including a Line 6 modeling amp, but the 25R is truly a plug and play solution.
ve3cda Mate; I think it’s one the industry’s greatest secrets. It has everything. It’s plenty powerful enough for small gigs, rehearsals and certainly the studio. Being a “Tone-meister” this thing has the spanking sparkly Fender clean I haven’t found elsewhere. Open-backed “air”, decent 10” driver, real mechanical spring reverb, mid-range for sculpting ur tone, single “can’t go wrong/which hole do I stick me jack into” input and footswitchable channels. Still loox like a Fender too with those signature silvered knobs-on-blackface ... and cheap. For my purposes it’s my main amp. I also havva tiny 5W attenuable BMW Chimp tube amp Oz-designed with heaps of features handy in the studio. My guts are a good lawsuit Ibanez 355 semi-solid and L-5 Jazz-box clone. Back to the FM-25, I don’t need any fx as I’m only concerned with great amp/gtr tone. Yeah, what’s not to like ... pity it took me decades to wake up👍
@@jocknarn3225p
Awesome review buddy.
I’ve got the 25 r
What’s with all buzz????
Mine is all very quiet
Hmmmm gain structure comming into play …..?
All said they do sound good for inexpensive amps
Rick - I believe the noise issue is having the single-coil pickups so close to the amp for this review. When I back up a couple of feet, the buzzing stops. The Frontman 25R really is a great practice amp.
Nice review, those pedal sounds good i going to buy the fender 15 gr
Does anybody know what I kind of speaker the 15r Uses. I just recently came into one but the speaker did not have and info on it.I was thinking of replacing it with and 8in Celestion
jimmesep - I took the back off mine to have a look. It is a generic speaker with no markings on it (as you mentioned). The one I have works fine and sounds good - but I only use it as a practice amp. I imagine replacing the speaker is straight-forward. The schematic identifies the speaker as 8 ohms. Good luck.
Ten Brownie points for the dog for fake sleeping through the whole demo
Lol the dog just slept through it all 😂
Why so much hissing especially on the R 25?
Thx
Vito: The guitar was plugged directly into the amps - no pedals or other effects. The hissing might be either A) part of the signal chain in the UA-cam path, or B) a significant degree of "presence" common among Fender amplifiers. I didn't notice an over-abundance of hissing myself, but then again I accustomed to a Fender guitar with single coils and a Fender amp. Overall I believe either of these amps would make a good practice amp for home.
ve3cda ok thx, I’m considering getting one for practice, nice clean sound!
Cheers
The red ones go for 250 in mint condition
Wow 250 is steep …..
Just got an immaculate 25 r for $60
I think it had a Celestion in it but not sure
loud humming...
Danilo - The buzzing (humming) is a common issue with single coil guitar pickups - specifically Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters. It is even affected by the position of the guitar relative to the amplifier. On stage it's not a big issue as the guitar is at least a few feet from the amp, but with the guitar right next to the amp, the buzzing gets louder. For what it's worth, I use a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor on stage, which removes the buzzing. It really isn't a problem with the amp - it's the guitar.
@@ve3cda I learnt about metal shielding inside the guitar and I did the work to my several guitars. The result is amazing, big difference, great feeling, even no more noise when you move the pickup selector. Strongly recommend you to try. From your video, noise all comes out when you move the pickup selector, this is not the problem of single coil but the lack of shielding inside the guitar.
Oribile distorcionas
You need to speak up. It's annoying otherwise to listen to you.
You talk so much, man!
too much talking