Fender Supersonic 22 Watt Amplifier Head | A Closeup Inside and Out Review | Tony Mckenzie
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- Опубліковано 28 тра 2016
- Hmm... this Fender Supersonic 22 looks pretty cool... but can it REALLY be a great rock amp? I made this recent inside and out review to show you exactly what you are buying and the quality and sound of this amplifier in a rock type of demo. Actually made in the USA (Fender says). Sadly discontinued but for the price of around £650 and $999 it was a great bargain.
Being discontinued is actually a good thing because you can get these second user for a lot less than that list price when they were available. It seems that the combo was more common, but either way this amp can sound very good indeed and not at all like the Fenders of the 'old days' - that is, unless you WANT those tones - they are still in there. Check out whether you can convert this amp from 110 Volts to a 240 Volts in the video.
If you like this review then visit www.tonymckenzie.com for more or indeed my UA-cam channel and don't forget to subscribe and ring the bell for many more videos coming online soon.
(c) A B McKenzie and tonymckenzie.com 2016.
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Tony, discovered your channel about a week ago, and love how you get inside the amps and really show people what they are getting! Keep up the good work mate, I love it!
Thanks Jeff... there are many guys that say that. It puts a completely different view on the review and makes it so makers have 'nowhere to hide' :)... Thanks for the kind words and for watching.
The guy that told you about the super sonic 22 lives across the street from me. He also turned me on to this great little amp as well. Great review, and great album you just put out. Cheers.
Aha... Tom Golden I assume! Tom is a great guy actually and we have probably switched things a few times... I know that the Toneshapers I bought because he was telling me about that switching for Strats and Telecasters... not bad either. Glad to know you liked the review and the music too! Thanks for watching - its all appreciated.
Great Job Tony! Love your reviews; they're all top-notch.
Thanks for those kind words Paul. Really appreciated. And thank you for taking the time to watch it all.
Excellent video Tony . All the very best Alan .
Thanks for watching Alan...
"probably some mushrooms in there". Good one! Your videos continue to be the most in depth and honest reviews found anywhere. Keep 'em coming my friend.
Hey thanks Jesse... hope you liked this one... I really liked the playing on the Studio... it sounds really great through this amp. Thanks for watching... BTW email me your address... regular email (you know the one).
Tony your content is always of great value. Thanks
Great to know... I put time and effort behind the vids and good to know that it helps guys - which is why I make them. Thanks for watching.
excellent video Tony !
That is a cool amp . discontinued , sadly .
I can't find anybody else on the Internet that does the inside and outside reviews like you do .
Thankfully , you still do .
Good playing to at the end .
You have a playing style like me ,
you get the maximum emotion out of just a few notes .
Well done . : )
No one else does it by delving inside and out of the amp or indeed the other gear I review... and if they do then they will just be a copy I guess. That amp and the guitar together really worked well and when that happens I do get inspired to play differently for sure - as you say it comes from the feel of the tones really... Thanks very muck for those kind words and for watching. Appreciated.
Not discontinued here in Canada or USA
Great job Tony! Must be a NY thing! I have the 22 combo and 60 & 100 heads. Fender got it right with The Supersonics! Well made and tone for days.....Keep up the good work mate!
Well the Supersonic really is great and for the money second user... its a down right bargain.... that some guys might not consider - so I made the video. Three Supersonics! yes I reckon you like them :) Thanks for watching.
great feel and playing on that solo!!! nice sound too. That fine line between od and fuzz. That supersonic has some really great compression.
Thanks for that. Yes it is really one of the better amps I have played and I have played loads. Thanks for watching.
Your review of the D & A guitar stands was excellent. I bought a D & A Starfish + - single guitar stand since and love it!
Ah yes the Starfish is a very good stand.... I have one also in the studio... its often off camera but sometimes you see it hiding in the background with a white bass guitar on it. There is no doubt they are cool stands. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for this excellent video, Tony.
Now this is what I call a review. Even under the hood, really great.
The amount of time you put into this, I appreciate a lot. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I'm sorry for going off-topic, but have you ever tried an Engl E606 Ironball ? (similar wattage, 20W)
If so, I would be curious on your opinion on them. Excuse me if I should've asked this in a PM.
Cheers Tony, have a good one !
No problem Ray... I don't care what you ask. I have not used one, but I have used Engl. The brand is good I think but can't be specific on the E606. I have seen them around and considered one but never bit the bullet and bought one. But thanks for watching and for those very kind words.
Great reviews mate and with great detail! I subscribed you channel because i like the way you communicate :D All the best.
Thank you Nuno.... appreciated - and thanks for watching.
Great review Tony as usual my friend. Sounds great man. I love the 16 Studio too! I think you might want me to check that out for you sometime, so just send across the pond..hehe. Just kidding. Anyway, great stuff my friend. Thanks again.
This combination of amp and guitar was nigh on perfect for the style I played and its a really good combination. Its too far to send... (at least that's my excuse) and as always thanks.
Hi Tony. From st paul Mn. Watching your videos for years. I bought this very amp head today used at guitar center. But it's absolutely brand new condition! Up top my Marshall 4x12 slant vintage cab. Celestion 25 greenbacks. I have les paul classic and hot Rodded fender floyd strat. Have to say I'm very impressed with this amp and all smiles! 😂 amp is great on its own but I use JHS screamer pedal in front. Now I have best of both, fender clean-crunch-lead and with pedal, it does the JCM 800. Yes this amp is one LOUD 22 watts!! Good on fender with this one!
You know what... I REGRET selling this amp (I did a year or two back) and I was looking for one for a while. I'm still looking! it's a very good amp, I had no issues at all and I'm sure you will get on with it - a great tube amp... Thanks for letting me know...
I had a SuperSonic combo (same line) and it was too loud in rehearsal!
The two gain controls on the overdrive channel are fantastic.
Great amp!
On the volume thing I used a 2x12 and it was not bad really. But as you say it can get loud if you want it to. Yes the dual gain is cool... reminds me of the 'dual wah' I concocted in the 'Focknrollers' video we made some time ago.. so instead of calling it a 'wah wah' ours was a 'wah wha wha wha' :) - I know I'm well off subject but when you think of that statement I just made its really comical (at least to me) :-)
The Supersonic 22 is a cool amp for sure... and thanks for watching.
great review Tony
Thanks and thanks for watching.
I've got the Supersonic 22 in a combo.. Love it... great gigging amp. Standard Fender cleans with a nice overdrive/distortion channel. I hate pedals so having a two channel combo amp is my taste and style... I place this a VERY close second to my Mesa 5/50 express tone wise... but the Fender is better to gig with due to its lighter weight (than the mesa)
Well they are different and like you I like Mesa AND Fender Supersonic 22. My personal thing with Mesa is the mid range which they are not really as famous for as the recto sound, but on my RKII the channel 3 is indeed mid range more than recto and sounds really great for lead guitar. The Supersonic has that 'old style' tones within but can be driven further without extra pedals etc and I really did like that one - I still have it too which confirms that the amp has something to offer over the rest that I own. Thanks for the info and for watching.
Tony’s got licks. 😅
Try this with your Les Paul, on Fulltone OCD and Keely Compressor, Mr. Tony. That’s the winning combo.
:) Thanks for the tip... I'm always willing to learn too :)... thanks for watching.
Hi Tony great review! Greetings from Merida Yucatan México!Jorge
Thanks for watching Jorge
Greetings from Nova Scotia . ...love the videos, thanks.
Glad you liked it Jeff... they are great amps and worth looking for second user. Thanks for watching.
A very nice sounding head! I'm usually still into 100watters and ear-shattering volume levels but mostly you won't be able to use all that power anymore these days. I may be looking into a Wizard Modern Classic 25 (2x 6L6) someday. I'm still hoping you'll do a review on one of them someday. I've got the Wizard Vintage Classic and it's still the best amp I've ever heard/played. You're gonna love them, as soon as you open one up; a true work of art!
I'm glad you're doin allright. Didn't get to check UA-cam that often in the past couple of months, so I'm gonna have to rewatch your recent videos, haha!
Take care, buddy! :-)
Yo BudMovies good to hear you. The SS 22w really is a great head and beats many of the brands I have here for many things. I have not tried a Wizard but I'll bear it in mind and if I can find one cheap enough then I might do that. Thanks for the info. Well I'm not quite OK right now but it's being worked on so we shall see. At least I'm still here. Thanks for watching.
i have the 60w head version through the 2x12 v30 speakers cab.Similar to yours but not quite.I put a patch lead between the effects loop therefore giving it a boost section.Clean sounds are awesome and the metal tones are good too.I use a cmatmods screamer to add more bite to the rock section.great reviews keep it up.
Thanks for the info re the loop and pedal... useful info for anyone who has one of these amps. Thanks for watching.
You're a good guitar player. I enjoyed that jam at the end.
Thanks... appreciated. Stay safe.
I have a 60 and a 22, love them both for blues/blues rock
Brilliant amps... I sold my head but should have kept it!. One regret!
A good amp for sure-another hidden gem of an amplifier is the Vox 2x12 Tony Bruno 35 watts-it is something like a Fender Twin, but a darker tone and with more grit, have you had a look at this amp-it has the 6VS tubes also!
Hi Mike, No I have not seen that one. Last Vox I saw was a night train 50w... but I'll bear in mind your comments... thanks for watching.
tony is that stright in w no pedals....thanks for all the great vids...been a big help for me
I used a wah pedal and that was it. I think that amp sounds really nice myself. Thanks for the kind words but as always thanks for watching.
I am really close to buying this... tried it several times at the store. I have a few questions. Did you have any other pedals going on in the demo or those tones purely created from the amp if so what were they? And did you use the supersonic cabinet with them? Since where I live they do not have the supersonic cab, wonder what kind of cab I should get with them?
Appreciate your info in advance! Rock on!
Good questions. If I did use any pedals it would have been a TS808 and a wah. That would be it. Scarily the speaker cab was bought from Thomann and really cheap (about $150) made by that company that made the cheap Chinese amp with Soldano design (I forget the name). The guitar was entirely standard Gibson Studio. Don't worry about the cab so much. The Supersonic has great drive ability for a Fender amp and I would have just 'pushed' it a little bit. If I saw one of these right now I would buy it... I sold mine a while back (and regret it!). Just a great amp and they discontinued it :(. BTW mine was a 22w and that was the best one for me I thought. The higher output ones can be very loud. Thanks and stay safe.
awesome Tony!!!!!
:) sounds good... right? :) Thanks for watching.
Going from the head to a speaker cab, did you connect to the internal or external output jack? And 8 ohm or 16 ohm can matter ? I bought one of these heads recently and it started squealing and popping to the point of it being unusable after day 2. Sending it back and going to try again. I loved it so much for the 1 day I got to use it.
I connected the standard and no extension for the speaker. I used (if I remember right) an 8 Ohm speaker setup. Yes if you have that sort of problem get it solved - hope you got a replacement - these are discontinued here in the UK sadly. Thanks for watching.
great demo / loved your playing , but wish you would have showed amps sets as you played / I bought the amp cause of this video
I'm glad you liked this video and its a great amp now sadly discontinued here :( thanks for watching too.
Love your videos tony. I'm writing from Pa. USA. I see you had a Hughes & Kettner behind you in one of your videos. How do you like them? Thanks
I do like the H&K Grandmeister 36 and still have it. Here's the full review I did :ua-cam.com/video/I7UxJ8Rb19A/v-deo.html Thanks for watching.
Great video. If you had to choose between de Supersonic 22W, the Deluxe Reverb 22W or the Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W, which one would it be? Thx!
TBH I have not really tried all three of them... but for me it might be this supersonic I liked the drive on it... Thanks for watching.
I just might get this. I been struggling with having Fender clean & Marshall dirt. I was thinking of getting a Jmp-1 and running through Fender effects loop but can't seem to test out or find info of it being done so I think this just might work instead. Thank you & great review!
Thanks for watching and its a cool amp.
Tony, I'm still a 2 SS22 man. I use the same exact Clean channel with the Fat switch engaged. I've played countless shows with both of them (bigger shows I bring them both and have one running clean and one a little boost. At the volume on 2 or 3 it has natural warmth and overdrive. My drummer has 2 very vintage Mesa Boogers and some other amps. I still use the same 2 amps. Great review.
The Super Sonic 22 is probably one of the best Fender amps I have ever used and it was made quite well overall. I was 'introduced' to this amp by you Tommy :) and I did not regret it for one moment. Unfortunately they have now stopped selling the SS 22 here in the UK so second user is the norm but as you say they really are a great amp and certainly a bargain. Thanks for watching.
tonymckenziecom thanks my man.
nice one mate cheers from spain as a always.
Thanks for watching Peter.
I believe the mark on the back of the amp above the Fender logo is the C-Tick mark for Argentina, I will double check tomorrow, thanks
Thank you very much for pointing that one out I was not sure of it... I tend to know marks for the UK and Europe mainly and some Australian ones so thanks again - and for watching.
Thanks for the video! My local guitar store has the combo sonic 22. I liked the sound of it pretty good, seemed to get lots of tones out of it. The only issue I saw was the reverb was messed up. It just hissed when you cranked it up but didn't actually apply any reverb to the signal.
Anytime... check the tubes (preamp) as one of them drives the reverb... also the connectors of course... but you could replace the reverb I'm sure... thanks for watching.
+tonymckenziecom that's what I figured. I've heard that there are some bad tubes coming out with amps these days. Have you had a chance to play the new Fender Bassbreaker amps? Or any of the Supro amps? Just curious if you had any insight into the guts of those. (I looked through your videos and didn't see any title suggesting you'd reviewed those amps). Anyway, thanks again!
I have seen the bassbreakers but not yet got to one... on the Supro no I have not even seen one... they will be here, but in the UK often its a bit slower than the USA in general.
Great demo. Thanks. Want this SS22 amp head so bad!
Discontinued :( I sold this one and want it back :) Stay safe and thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom I would go for the SS 100W amp head if I could.
They can be loud! :) but great if you can turn one up or use limiter etc.
@@tonymckenziecom I think it has a 25 W setting too (but to switch you need to turn off or standby), but personally I like the headroom for clean stuff. My wife would not appreciate the loudness though anyway, haha.
Well they are great amps and it's one of those amps I actually regret selling! even at 22w it was a nice amp. Ah with a switch the 100 makes more sense :) and my wife only appreciates the volumes when they are on standby :)
Hi great !
Do you think that would be possible on this amp make a mod to footswitch on/off the "gain2" in and out from the circuit ?
To be honest I have not checked that option... but it might be possible... anyone out there done this mod? Thanks for watching.
I own the 22 and the discontinued 100. The 22 is great for recording, it can get a lot of different sounds. I rarely use it on stage though. If your playing with a loud drummer in a mushy sounding room the 22 struggles a bit. Not sure if it’s just my amp, but to my ears the 22 starts compressing and clamping down with the master volume past 4.
Thanks Kurt for the info and as a user of the gear its always good to know what guys think. BTW in the UK the 22 and the 100 (I believe) are now both discontinued :( but the 22 I had was a great all rounder and had some very tasty tones. 22 is a bit low for a full band situation but if you used a 4x12 it should hack it... Thanks.
One thing I find this excels at is the musical harmonic feedback you can get on sustained notes on the burn channel. Doesnt happen all the time if you move the amp around, this thing sings sweet 5ths or octaves of harmony when things are just right, not something any you tube reviewers have either wanted to or were able to figure out, not a lot of people let notes ring at all.
Well I really like this amp and should never have sold mine! At least in the UK they stopped supply now :( I liked the tones on this amp a lot. Not too much or too little drive and I could see immediately that it was and is a great sounding amp. I think many amps can offer something unique like you said, and when you figure that out it becomes a device that will undoubtedly inspire you to play and write better. Thanks for the post and for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom It appears the SS22 is going back on the market soon, price tag now is 1399 USD vs the old 1049 USD. Pretty big bump for an amp that isn't one of their most popular flavors.
nice video!
Thanks!
Love this riff Awesome, not bad for a old English chap
Ha old English... like an OAK :) Thanks for watching.
Hello, Tony! What type of cab would you recommend to use with this thing(2x12/4x14 etc)?
It can work of course with most cabs. I used a Laney 2x12 closed back cab with this amp and the tones you hear at the end of the video reflect exactly how good this amp can sound. But regarding cabs also consider what styles you are going to play because open, closed or ported cabs change the tones ;-) Thanks for watching.
Thank you!)
thats a very nice piece tony very nice .how r u doin my friend
Good to hear you Anthony... I'm OK and trust you are OK too... I hope you have improved more on your Pink Floyd stuff :)
***** yeah i mproved a lot tony when il have my new cam il change some of my videos im do ok for now thx
Sounds good! Makes me wish I had a Fender tube amp.
Yes I thought it sounded good too... better than most of the Fender amps I've ever had really. Thanks for watching.
Ok Tony... i will ask you this...you still got the supersonic 22 head ? lol
Is there enough bottom end coming through the cabinet?
I still have it as you will see on future videos... and preferably a 4x12 will give you better bottom end than my closed back 2x12.
***** Any time, thanks for posting!
Tony, waiting on your Marshall code demo I trust your brutal honesty-
I don't have one yet I'm afraid... but I will of course get one if I can...
your an original, rock on- hope you can get across the pond to the midwest-
I clicked subscribe just on your personality!
:) any reason is good! Thanks.
Hey Tony loved your detailed & going inside the box video! Im thinking of tracking one down & replacing the 6V6 tubes with El34, do you think this would work ok? I prefer the midrange that El34's give, that my only reason. Or anyone else here tried EL34's in these? ….curious!
EL34 I can't really answer... I have never tried to do that. But there will be guys out there that have! Anyone help Fonk Zilla with this question? In any case I liked this amp and it certainly has a great tone as it is. Thanks for watching.
Hey Tony thanks for the reply much appreciated.
LOVE TONY..
;-) Thanks for watching.
Hey tony, what about some reviews of Music Man guitars? would love to hear your thoughts! Btw great demo- i have a supersonic and love it.
Last time I was in the USA I nearly bought a Petrucci one but did not because it was scruffy (but new). I don't currently own one but if I do get one of course it will be on here. Thanks for watching.
Interesting, how do you mean by scruffy? Excellent. I have a Music Man Luke III HSS which i absolutely love, you should check it out if you ever get the chance to. Love watching your reviews, keep them coming!!
It was in a store but the store was covered in dust etc. and they were refurbishing the store... it had done a few miles on the retail floor and I hate gear like that so I passed. Yes I have seen the Luke ones too but over in the UK its all VERY expensive and even worse now the £ has dipped... even a strat elite went up last week by £110 on average (that's $150) so all is not good on pricing right now. If I find a cheap one... then its another story, but the effect is that second user gear is rising too.
any opinions on the super sonic 60? would you expect the same sort of quality? I own the combo and love the clean side (vibrolux/bassman) but not crazy about the burn channel.
A friend of mine (USA based) has had a supersonic 60 and he was critical of a channel change noise like a click. I don't get that but always check the amp for it seems they updated something later. I would expect the 60 to be similar to the amp I reviewed but with more headroom maybe. But the 22 is loud enough for most stuff I think and obviously the more air movers you connect the perceived loudness will be. I used a 2x12 and it is great. For my review I did use the burn channel and that sounded pretty good overall and that clean channel is pure Fender and really nice with the reverb. I WOULD buy another! I still have this one and won't sell it anytime soon. Thanks for watching.
Taze Kozak, Is your playing a direct result of clean playing. the example most use in this thought is that the pedal usage is better with clean channels. other s considered experiences are for clean tones, jazz or rhythm players. I m interested in this consideration of your post. Because, I ve come to use clean channels more for the use of pedals and for bright, crispy tones...ie bright switch on ........ I m always finding many folks can offer a particular consideration that allows for me to create better understanding of circumstances for future reference when needed.
JED TAYLOR yes, for the band im in now, I only use the clean channel (vibrolux) with a telecaster, straight into the amp. I have used pedals with this amp from time to time, and it's takes pedals very well, both the vibrolux and bassman on the vintage channel handle all sorts of pedals like a champ. The 60watts of headroom really let's the OD pedals do their thing.
This amp is not discontinued. Both head and combo versions are still available and I will be getting the combo as my next amp.
Hey Angus, thanks for the information and that is exactly true for the USA guys, but here in the UK it seems that the head (at the very least) really is discontinued sadly. If I could find another new one 240 volts make no mistake I would buy it. Thanks for this info though and if you find out different PLEASE do come back and tell me! :) Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom I'm in Los Angeles and I will be getting the combo version soon. I love the gain, very organic, chewy, spongy. I love my Marshall too, but I need amps with distinctly different tones. I used to own a Boogie decades ago and I'd get a Supersonic over a Boogie.
Oh it's a great amp. Yes the Supersonic really is different. Well, they all are in their own way... it's the reason I have many amps. When you come back to one after many months or so it is actually very useful for inspiration I find. I'm sure you will love that amp. Thanks...
Love your playing Tony,,, thank you
Thanks.... and thanks for watching.
No thank you Tony, and thank you for the time you put into it your videos.. Also,,,, thank you for replying to me whenever I ask something, thats great!
If someone has spent the time watching my videos and made a comment I have always felt that it is essential and courteous to reply to them. The internet is so 'throw away' these days, but I refuse to be someone who does not communicate with good guys that spent time on my stuff ;-) I have done this from day one back in 2009 and feel its the 'right thing to do'. Thanks.
Thanks mate.... after watching your video I went out bought this head and it is all you said,,, sounds great, cheers
Good to know... I like these too - stopped selling them in the UK now but second user ones are around. Always good to get comments from actual users of the gear too. Thanks.
Hi Tony I have one Supersonic 22 combo and had this problem with the reverb it makes a hum and do not work looks like a common fault on this amps do you have any advice on what could I do to sort this out. Thank You!
One of two things. Firstly check the tube that drives the reverb (change it to be sure its OK). Secondly find another reverb tank (you can buy them). Hope it helps and remember there could be other issues that I can't easily cover here. Thanks for watching.
A little cardboard under the tank removed a feedback issue for me. The tank is by default getting g too much cabinent resonance.
Great amp loud as hell. I've read taking out the outter tubes left and right side drops volume abit.
The 22w only has two tubes and you can't do that... on the bigger output models probably, but don't forget to plug the cab in the right output when you do that - the one it was in would now be mismatched with only two tubes in there. The 22w as demonstrated is a great choice if you don't need all the extra volume output. Thanks for watching.
*****
Great information thankyou and sorry mybad I model wrong it was Bassman.
:)
I agree, very loud, I am running on 0.5 to 1 on volumes, but still getting sweet harmonic sustain. It makes want to hold notes.
My supersonic 60 combo is fantastic
I think those are really cool amps. This one I sold and regretted it since! Thanks for watching.
Top shelf Amp, the best of both clean it mean enuff for anything with few exceptions
Yes I agree... I had some reservations but TBH its a really great amp that I am tending to use at the moment. Thanks for watching.
The only type amp that makes the strings sound like velvet or silk in tone....bad use of association I m sure. But, when you get to the point that you can feel the tones inside. your using rope or wire. i prefer rope tones. thick and warm
Are the really discontinued? They are still on the Fender site and available at all the music stores
They are discontinued from the UK I believe. However there is stock out there and they really sound great. Recommended....
Tony, what wah are you using may I ask sir? Sounds killer. Oh, just a suggestion, and you might have done a review already on the guitar I'm thinking of, but I'd like to see your review of the standard Mexican Strat, but especially the Jimi Hendrix strat made in Mexico.
I have considered the Fender JH Strat recently... and I did not buy it at the time but I might do a review on that - I'm no Hendrix mind and my efforts in that department will pale in to insignificance to 'machine gun' with the Band of Gypsies... he was awesome. We shall see. I have been busy these last couple of months completing a new album that was put back for two years after my health stuff... but its nearly done now and called 'Gravity Waves'... it has loads of amps and guitars used on it and there are some really good guitar, bass and vocals on there... I can't wait for the publishing (6 to 8 weeks).
Thanks Tony. I appreciate it the thought. Sorry to hear about your health buddy. I hope it's better than mine.. hehe..
Tony, are you on FB?
No I don't use facebook unless I absolutely have to... the guy running it is a tosser and in my opinion abuses personal data which once you post they own forever. Even if you delete they keep it. I really dislike people and companies like that.
No I'm OK... they checked and I glow in the dark now :) However they said it was all good what they found was nothing except a utensil bottle opener someone had 'left inside me' from opening a beer while I was being operated on... joking of course...
Great video Tony. Your right 22 watts is VERY LOUD for home playing. LOL BTW if I don't see any videos from you in the next year I'm thinking your Wife watched this one and you recovering in
rehab ;-) LOL
Its not that bad really - you can use the MV to keep things under control a bit. I used a 2x12 cab as well (only cost £110 at the time fitted with eminence speakers) which also adds to less volume. Using a 4x12 would really be loud. I am lucky about the wife... she does not use computers really :) so I live to make videos for another day :-) .... Obviously I don't mean those comments... or do I?. Thanks for watching.
Oh I know your just joking around with the Wife. We all do. LOL
Joking with the wife (or in my case girlfriend) is a very fun thing to do. It gives me great pleasure :) lol
As long as they don't find out its all good... like a day at the races... but when they do find out (always) then you're in the race to get away :) Actually mine is fine with it all as she knows my sense of humour and has been stuck with it for a very long time :) but it is fun to add in when I'm making the videos for sure - it stops them being too stuffy.
Tony great review. I’m almost certain that gender owns groove tubes.
Indeed I also believe Fender owns Groove Tubes... Thanks and stay safe.
Would you say this amp would be good for Blues and Jazz alike?
Absolutely... the cleans can be incredibly clean like the old Fenders... and the drive is so flexible because of those two drive pots... its a cool amp if you can find one... thanks for watching.
The Supersonic is definitely one of Fender's best amps. I think they are not discontinued and only come in black er the chap I know who just got a new one was playing an invisible one? Nice to hear an actual guitar solo instead of some other players who just run though scales and patterns, if you know what I mean ;)
From what I know the ss 22w appears to be end of line/discontinued... (at least here in the UK it seems) but it really is a great amp as you say. I know exactly what you mean re the playing. For me, you will always tell when I'm inspired from the playing and this amp did just that. I don't like to just play a few chords = they have their place, but this amp was in a very good place and it all came together all by itself - as is always the case with a really great amp. You know I have many amps, but this one eats some of them and spits them out... at a considerably lower price point too. Thanks for watching as always.
***** You're right. The Supersonic series will just be the 22 head, 22 combo, and only in 120 volt. Still in both colours. Also, the 212 cab. BUT, No more 60 watt or any UK/EU models.
Well I guess they can still be imported or second user. Thanks for that info...
Holy Shit I had No idea those was as well built as they are!!!
Yes a very good amp for the money. Sadly in the UK they have discontinued the amp but they are still findable on the used market. Thanks for watching.
So did you keep this amp after the honeymoon stage is over?I want this amp so bad.Believe it or not there is not one available to demo anywhere in the Denver Metro area.
Indeed I did keep this amp for some time. I eventually sold it to use the money to buy more amps! Actually I do regret selling the supersonic 22. Its one of the few amps that I should have kept. FYI here in the UK some while ago Fender stopped selling the Supersonic 22 head (and I believe combo) probably to make way for the bass breaker. If you find a supersonic 22 then grab it. Thanks for watching.
Thanks Tony!The 22's are still available here in the US.They did stop selling the other SuperSonic models though i noticed.I did pick up a Bass Breaker 15 LE combo four months ago.British Racing Green tolex with a Celestion greenback in it.I LOVE this thing!The clean channel is good but dark.I think i will still pick up a 22 head for the Fender cleans here soon though.I am attracted to it over the DRRI with it being a head,22 watts,and an effects loop.
I was also wondering how linear the volume control was on your SS 22?My Bass Breaker 15 has great linear volume.You can get some great low volume tones.My Blues Jr on the other hand is 1 to loud.Nothing much in between.
Racing green! :) I have not seen a green bass breaker yet. Yes if you find a 22 head buy it!
The volume was OK and not like some stuff. You should be fine with it...
Imediately, when they first put these amps out man o man I got excited. This is going to be interesting. Thanks tony
The supersonic 22 is a wonderful amp (watch the tones at the end) and pity they discontinued them.
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo the 22s or completely
Here in the UK the 22 (and I believe the 60) is no more. There are maybe a few kicking around but stopped in the UK and maybe everywhere else over time. I really don't know why except the introduction of the Bassbreaker maybe? But those are not as nice as the 22 for sure.
its about right i loosing fuction and all the great gear will disappear with me
If you find a 22 I can recommend it - a great amp. ;-)
Tony is there a whopper pop sound when switching between channels like the Prosonic I owned in the 90s did ?
Some guys say there is... its (for me) not that bothersome and I would not describe it as whopping... like many amps there is a click... but even Mesa have that. Good point to raise and Tom also mentioned that before. You might find that 'pop' is variable depending on what each channel is set to...Thanks for watching.
+tonymckenziecom that pop sound is notorious. ANYONE interested or perusing, make sure you test the clean to burn channel. I had 2, I had to send back. But once I had the ish resolved, it rocked.
Exactly...
+tonymckenziecom Tony when I channel switched using my Prosonic I made sure I was always muting all the strings with my left hand and no pop, if I channel switched with left hand away from strings then there was a bang like a sniper being in the room, try it and see.
Hey, that pop is NOT supposed to happen. Some leave the factory like that. Some people don't mind. Me? It happened with my first one. I bought it online. I complained and the Compnay sent a prepaid box next day. It happened 2x. The third one was the one. It's a working mans amp.
Not perfect, but works great with pedals and the burn channel is pretty good.
so tony i have a marshall valvestate 80v can i connect on of those with my amp? what its exact;y for what do i gain
Anthony I don't understand the question? one of what?
***** what does this thing u connect to your amp for more power?
I still am not sure what you are asking... on this review I used a Fender 22 watt Supersonic amplifier and a wah pedal.
My bandmate is lending me his Supersonic combo for practices. The issue I have with it is getting a volume that can hang with the rest of a louder country rock band, with decent enough saturation, without overpowering everything. Having it both ways has been next to impossible using both a Les Paul and Tele. Anyone have any ideas what might help? Love the sounds and versatility of the amp
The model I'm playing is the combo with the Vibrolux/Bassman (or whatever two they are) clean channels and the separate Burn channel
How I increased the output was really to use a bigger speaker cab. On my demo I used a regular 2x12 from Laney (of all people), but later I used a 4x12 which helps. Also take a close look at how 'efficient' the speakers are that you are using.. it is possible to increase the perceived volume by using very efficient speakers. Some speakers are actually very inefficient resulting in a maybe lower perceived volume.
I assume Supersonic 22? they also make higher output amps of the same supersonic range up to 100w.
Here's something about speaker efficiencies I found on the internet:
So let's assume we have a speaker with a sensitivity of 90dB @ 1W/1m and a power handling capacity of up to 100W. If that speaker is powered with 1W of power, it will generate 90dB when measured at a distance of 1 meter. If we double that power to 2W, the SPL measurement will increase to 93dB. If we increase the power to 10W, then the SPL measurement will increase to 100dB, which is "twice the perceived loudness" when compared to 1W. So it actually takes 10 times more power to give us a perceived doubling of volume level. Since this imaginary speaker is rated to safely handle up to 100W, we could double that volume level yet again, and in theory, hit up to 110dB SPL by increasing the power all the way up to 100W. One watt=90dB. One hundred watts, or 100X more power=110dB. That's a huge increase in power but only a "doubled double" (4X) increase in terms of perceived volume levels!
As you can see, it takes considerable increases in power-in the wattage of the amplifier-to "double" the perceived "volume." This is where speaker sensitivity/efficiency comes into the equation. If we replace that 90dB @ 1W/1m speaker with a model that has a sensitivity of 100dB @ 1W/1m, the numbers change dramatically. For starters, 1W of input power will give us 100dB SPL. Remember, the first speaker required 10W to achieve that same volume level! So by installing a more efficient speaker, we can get the same perceived volume level from a 1W amp as we could from a 10W amp that is coupled to a less efficient speaker. Again, this applies all the way up to the maximum power handling capacity of the speaker. Assuming our 100dB @ 1W/1m speaker can also handle up to 100W, it can give us up to 120dB SPL; again, that's double the perceived "volume level" of the 90dB @ 1W/1m 100W speaker's maximum level of 110dB SPL.
Those Ceriatone amps you ve demo d and spoke of, I still hold that as my go to wish. And they sound so very good, that would cover two of my personal wants. the harmonic richness of the Liverpool by Ceriatone or C wreck, and or the ods 50 represent a massive reduction in amps once I get those two home, I ll empty maybe 10 15 amps of various origins.
Yes I like Ceriatone too. The HRM50 that I have sounds so good.
agreed
Tony, time and time again, I find a great combination of pedals, guitars and amps that just set my fingers on fire. The tone is very good, the pedals are just sitting pretty, and the style of measured tone. Holds me in my seat, how or why, I do not know I just know that there are times when the music is very goodand I can deal with it once again. Just to heaer whats been played.I attribute that to your skill and life in identifying problems and personality flaws that are eventually dialed in as to be fixed. Teaching though example is a great gift Tony Thanks
Have you ever used a Klon Centaur? If not I have a review coming up on one of those which you might find interesting.
I ve had opportunity back in the early years of its production, while stationed overseas, one of the band guys had one If I remember correctly. But Tony it could have been a Klone Clone. That many years ago I wasn't into the harsh overdriven amps of the hard rock type. But, the again....the music I was into had a very good smooth and warm tone not so popular today either.
be nice to see the amp settings rather than just seeing the guitar played at the end. Also get some amp setting variations too! Got one though & its gr8
That's a good point and I could have done that easily. I don't always have the time to do that, on some videos I do show the cleans, settings and things but on this one I did not. I did show though what you get inside and the others... well... they don't. I think that matters too... but you had a great comment there and I'll bear it in mind for other videos. Thanks for watching.
Nice work Tony! Great idea showing the guts. I just bought a 22 combo and am really liking it. I'd been wanting one for years, but I'd heard the Supersonics had electronic issues (a friend as a 60 and has had problems). Then I read Fender worked out the issues, and I was sold!
In addition to showing amp settings, it would be helpful to detail the signal chain, such as any pedals and settings, etc.. Thanks again! Frank
Hi Frank, actually Frank I rarely use any pedals except if I am reviewing a pedal. Likely on this there was probably just a cry baby wah (if you heard a wah) which was likely a Jerry Cantrell wah pedal... a really great wah.
The supersonic amp is really a great amp. This was also a 22 head and I never had a bean of problems. I really liked this supersonic and sadly they discontinued it (at least in the UK) which was a pity. But settings I'll try and remember next time :) Thanks for4 watching and hang on to that amp as they will get pretty rare I think.
NEEDED TO CRANK IT UP A LITTLE! GEEZ! THEY ALL SOUND GOOD AT A WHISPER !
What can I say :) I agree of course! But it sounded good to me anyway :) Thanks for watching.
PROSONIC IS ONE YA WANT..........................................
Maybe right on that... but there a re a few models around there.... :) Thanks and stay safe.
I have the 60 watt combo and posted a video with a Les Paul and wah pedal
Nothing else, if anyone is interested I have it full burn doh do awesome tone for days
Thanks for the info Ed... these are really great amps and the 22w is sadly discontinued here in the UK, although you can still find them if you look hard. Thanks for watching.
Tony, if you called into a radio show and pretended to be Paul McCartney, I doubt anyone would second guess. You sound just like him.
Call me Macca... I just wish I had his talent! Now who stole the money from my bank account :) Thanks for watching.
Would you say this amp is sensible for home use?
Yes it is... the amp does not have to be cranked all the time and its master driven. I like the supersonic 22 - not too loud, but you could gig with it. Great sustain. Thanks.
As an SS22 owner, I can say yes, it works well as a home amp.
It is loud, for me not to be audible from down the road, I can never go over 2.5.
@@evankeal Its true Evan - it CAN be loud, but crank that preamp a little or pedal it and it will work fine at home... Thanks.
@@tonymckenziecom I added a JHS Little Black Box yesterday, so can dial up quiet levels with ease, and it affects both amp channels which is nice.
If this is a home amp, then anything is really with a pedal or whatever, the original question is then meaningless.
But I do run a Chase Tone Secret Preamp on all time that is boosting my volume to be fair.
wow 5 tubes
Yep sure is... from crystal clean to really nice driven tones... it was a great amp and I can recommend it if you can find one. Just 22w but sounds loud enough to gig as well.
Fender own groove tube
Ha... well there you go :). Thanks for that info I really did not know that. Thanks for watching too.
+tonymckenziecom I just got a premium set of TAD STRs. I'm gonna A/B them to see if there's much of a difference.
Great - let me know what you think. I find with TAD that the matching and the 'no issues with tubes' are worth their weight in gold though.
I used it last night at a show, monster sounds.,superb....."
Ha you are mentioned in there Tom... good stuff and the tones were as good as you suggested for sure.
+tonymckenziecom 8 is fair. That footswitch alone takes a point. 11 pin?
Yes there were a few little things that made me decide on an 8 (but that's good) such as the pedal, the front grille wood was rubbish, I also take a view on GT tubes as I have bought 'matched pairs' from them that were not matched and don't match ever. Also no 120 to 240 switch... the usually dodgy design (many do it not just Fender) to stop intercontinental shipping. But overall that tone is what matters as well as the quality and warranty and this amp had it all in spades.
great amp but i had to sell mine because the reverb was humming and buzzing so loudly that it was useless for recording. i looked online and it seems a common problem. i was gutted because it sounds so good.
It might well have been something simple... but if you sold it its too late... thanks for that info though always useful info... and thanks for watching.
Those Fender Super Sonic 22's are supposed to sound Great!!
They do!
what you said about amps bringing the right tone, that being said, I ve always been tied to amps that don't sound like normal amps. And found it hard to get those tones to assimulate the songs I played. The tone wasn't right and this meant I d get very indignant about the tone. As I recently made effort to acquire standard pedals so to have tone enhancements that allowed tone to fall back into the songs I want to play. this single remedy aided me in understanding what you stated to be true. Now I don't use it as often but when I pulled out the hd400 to ply tones for songs. it to had a way of not quiet doing the tone unless I spend hours going through the tone settings to dial in eeach pedal offered. This can be tedious at best.
I disillusioned my self into thinking it should just jump up and be there when using pedals for the effect. Each effort becomes a extended effort in time to get just so. The true value of lessons learned. You have to sweat first. Then jump the gun.
I had a Engl E670 amp a while ago and used it for years... and you know what, it always sounded like an E670! There was a combination between the Engl cab and the E670 amp that created those tones. Great tones for particular stuff, but if you wanted to play different styles that was not really the best amp for that. This little Fender supersonic in many ways was a better choice. It was far less complex and lower cost and very flexible to achieve many different tones where the E670 was always an E670. That could be tiring just as you say and hiding the tones with effects does not make a silk purse from a sows ear (the E670 was not a sows ear - just a figure of speech here) and effects have their place, but not really for changing the 'tone' of the amp, but rather in enhancing the output.
This is one reason why I also showed a number of single ended Class A amps recently because they have often got a particularly nice tone.
Thank you Tony. I do a lot of research when you offer these time released episodes on amps from different venders. Much appreciation. I ll get right to it if the wind is blowing true. And wife is exercising her mental capacity. And I exercise my patience.
To me, the Engl amps are clean amps that are driven in the power mode of appreciation for fusion and jazzand the whole basic genre of music that holds it together with the power of great clean tone transmission of great playing in similar expressions We play for the tone and the relevant way we commuicate with each other. No matter if we speak to be understood, or to play to be heard all over. It takes a clean amp to start and a great dirty amp to hold us down to th4e steady playing of those around us.
The E670 I can honestly say can do it all from incredible cleans through to detuned metal. Great amps but very expensive and also picky on which cab you use.
tonymckenziecom . Really glad to see you building up your percolating pressure possibly to return to the marvelous mystery man whom ....at the drop of a pick can rip it any ole way desire motivates. sincerely glad to see you.
i love your wife jokes!
:) Actually she heard them the other day... I'm moving out tomorrow :) (joking of course). Thanks for watching.
Egnator rebel 30
Maybe :)
@@tonymckenziecom you going to check the rebel out. Lots of features and lots of supposedly problems for $500.00 US. be interesting to gather your opinion. You a very respected amp reviewer. Pick the right speakers
Oh I don't know... often I look at brand new gear - but that's not always the case... if I find one around that is relatively low cost then I might... but you just have to see what turns up :) and thanks for those kind words.
So when are we going to be able to subscribe to Levi McKenzie's page? I imagine it'll be around three years until he begins posting videos of himself jamming, using all of grandpa's wonderful guitars. I can't wait to see him playing your PRS dragon guitars. Hopefully he won't decide to go Pete Townsend on any of those nice guitars of yours. Ha ha ha. Be well my friend.
Ha... He's had enough of my guitars (just the one really) and he won't be getting any more :) At the moment he has decided to learn 'Beat it' and well, I did warn him how hard that is to play. He has the rhythm off (don't we all) but the rest has yet to appear. No doubt he will get there. He has a page here: ua-cam.com/channels/u-X2aFnnvbvxJTOaaRhZxA.html but he has games stuff on there too. Hey Jesse - email me your postal address ;-)
do u have f.book tony? can i join u?
I don't use Facebook... can't stand it... especially the owner.
***** yeah yur right i dont use it much
Absolutely my most favorite amp of the 10 fenders I've owned. I still have 8 of them. This one (the combo version) is my first choice for big and outdoor gigs. Best darned amps fender makes. Here's a sample from last year ua-cam.com/video/UIPTcWF3ebc/v-deo.html
Yes I agree - they can sound really cool and scarily here in the UK they discontinued them! Thanks for the link too. And thanks for watching.
Tony I hope the misses isn't watching your video otherwise you'll be in the dog house lol
:) actually she knows what I'm like... so I'm lucky to be able to bring some humour in to the vids :). Thanks for watching.
Hi Tony. It's a shame you disabled comments for your Harley Benton teardown, I'm posting here as A: hopefully you'll see this, and B: if others are interested in the following.... I finally got around to taking my Harley Benton SC450 Plus apart and have made a video on my channel showing my findings. If you (or anyone else here) is interested pop over to my page and take a look. All the best to you and everyone else.
I did... not a bad video really. Thanks for letting me know.
you sound like a Billy Gibbons fan.
I'm not a Billy fan, but he is a great guitarist :). Thanks for watching.
Discontinued? Bullocks. Correction needed, sir.
You're wrong on this. The amp was discontinued IN THE UK some while ago. It might be available in other territories, but I did check this at the time right here in the UK. Ha more cows than bullocks :)
@@tonymckenziecom Your statement was that it was discontinued, mate. You didn't say "discontinued in the UK" or did I miss something? Luv u T! U rock.
Ouch! still correct though! In the USA I do see it on Sweetwater - www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=fender+supersonic but if it's discontinued here maybe there presently. In any case its a really good 22w amp head.
Awful Amp........and I usually like most FENDER AMPS. Like the Vibro King is one of the BEST, But, the 22 and 60 supersonic YUCK. I know what I'm talking about becuz I owned this amp. Where did they go wrong ? ......Well, The GAIN is awful, its VERY LOUD !!!! at level 1, TOOOO Brite and BRITTLE !!! and finally failure issues. YUCK I say....................
Ouch Moto... Remember I also owned this amp and mine was different than your experience. The 22 was not overly loud to me. I used a 2x12 cab and it was fine. The drive was less than I like and I tended to look for the TS808 to fix that... if fix is the right word. It could be bright if you wanted it and I could agree with that also but it was settable for me. BTW I used a Gibson and not a Fender guitar through this one.
But in any case info from owners is always welcome because its a real persons view and their own experience so thanks for posting - there is no doubt it will help other guys. Thanks for watching.
For every one that hates it, 100 love it.....some people can't be pleased.
I'm on your side with this amp... it was truly a great amp in the main. Thanks for watching.
Hi there
I just got myself one
Thumbs up from Australia 🦘 I have it on lay by I will have it soon
Hang on to it! I sold mine and regretted it ever since!. Gday to you too :) and thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom
My pleasure my friend I got myself the combo not the head I'm going to get myself a supersonic 60 212 cab and run it off my combo
🇭🇲👍🇭🇲
I've heard mixed reviews on this amp I was going to get myself a reverb or a deluxe but I decided on a supersonic I am glad that I did actually I think all amps have some sort of something that you can complain about
I really liked the Supersonic amps. Discontinued (at least in the UK sadly) but I still look to replace that head I had. I had no complaints on the Supersonic head really - it's like a modern classic I think. Hang on to it...
@@tonymckenziecom
Yes I reckon it could and would be a modern classic
I was emailing a guy at fender because I wanted to know if I could get a brand-new head in the blonde colour supersonic 22 and he said that the supersonic line has been discontinued so what you can get get
They are pretty pricey too
The shop that I brought mine from had three brand-new blondes ones and a couple of brand-new black ones l got mine in Australian $1920 and I have seen them for $2500
All I can say is that I’m glad I got one because once they’re gone they’re gone brand-new ones of course and then you buy secondhand 🇦🇺👍🏼🇦🇺
Also the head and the combo virtually are the same price given take a few dollars if I was to buy a second one I would buy the combo because you get a speaker with it
Well spotted.... hardly around here in the UK....