# Metal bands that play Fender amps?



## vilk (Oct 14, 2020)

Probably the first time I ever saw one was when my band opened for a Quebecois band called the Hazytones.... it was some sort of tweed 12" combo, probably a deluxe (atop an orange 4x12) 

Later I saw Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, I could've sworn it was 2x12 combos (making them Twins, right? Isn't that the only Fender 2x12 combo there is?), but I've read in interview the guy loves Tweed Deluxes... They are pretty wide for 1x12 so it's definitely possible.

I also know about Baroness rocking Princeton 10" combos on top of their Deluxes.

Honestly, I thought both Hazytones and Uncle Acid had amazing guitar tone live. I've never seen Baroness but in videos they sound great. I'm genuinely intrigued. I've never dialed in a dirty Fender before, hell, I never even touched one in a guitar shop... After all, that shit ain't metal! but I do keep a cranked, rangemastered Silvertone as a go-to in Helix. And recently I've become pretty fascinated with Fender Twin clean tone (again, in Helix).

I think Bongripper used to use a Bassman, but I think these days it's preamp+quilter.


Anyone know any more metal bands playing through Fender amps?


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## akinari (Oct 14, 2020)

Ephel Duath used a Fender combo on their records, I think it was a Hot Rod Deluxe or something? Blues Deville? Something like that.
Ron and Toby from Kayo Dot have been using twins forever.
Pretty sure one of the guys from Snakes Alive had a Fender combo in the studio pictures I saw forever ago.
Ben from Snow Burial is/was using a pair of twins with vintage 30s in conjunction with an Orange and a Verellen.


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## gunshow86de (Oct 14, 2020)

Not sure if it counts since it's the amps they usually play, but King Gizzard used Fender combo amps on that one "metal" album they did.


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## KnightBrolaire (Oct 14, 2020)

Baroness just use the fenders as pedal platforms fyi. They're not getting their dirt tones from the amp itself. John has been doing that since at least Yellow/Green iirc.

I used to have a Hot Rod Deville and that amp was actually surprisingly good at metal. Granted that was at ear splitting volume with a boost pedal, but it definitely gave a unique gnarly voice. Also take a look at the Vox AC30. It gets surprisingly gnarly as well


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## vilk (Oct 14, 2020)

akinari said:


> Ephel Duath used a Fender combo on their records, I think it was a Hot Rod Deluxe or something? Blues Deville? Something like that.
> Ron and Toby from Kayo Dot have been using twins forever.
> Pretty sure one of the guys from Snakes Alive had a Fender combo in the studio pictures I saw forever ago.
> Ben from Snow Burial is/was using a pair of twins with vintage 30s in conjunction with an Orange and a Verellen.


I think you're the first person besides me that I've ever heard talk about Ephel Duath 

You think they used them on Hemmed by Light? I love the tone on that album


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## gunch (Oct 14, 2020)

The supersonic is _kinda _a gain head?


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## akinari (Oct 14, 2020)

vilk said:


> I think you're the first person besides me that I've ever heard talk about Ephel Duath
> 
> You think they used them on Hemmed by Light? I love the tone on that album




I remember hearing the Fender was used on every record they did, but I suppose he could've blended it with something else. Brilliant band.


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## akinari (Oct 14, 2020)

This thread's making me want to buy a Fender M80 and I don't need one


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## broj15 (Oct 14, 2020)

Tons of heavy bands use dual showman's, twins, bassmans, etc.. older fenders obviously have great clean tones & can push a ton of air without breaking up so they're perfect for using as a pedal platform with whatever OD/fuzz/distortion suits your needs.


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## BenjaminW (Oct 14, 2020)

I have a Fender Champion 100 that I used to use for a few years until I got my Marshall, and it's definitely my favorite combo amp. 

Channel 1 is strictly clean and I've been able to get some really great clean tones from it. Channel 2's amp voicings range from a Roland Jazz Chorus type sound, all the way up to a 5150/6505. It also sounds really great with the onboard effects it comes with.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 14, 2020)

I get OP's looking for like... "traditional" Fender amps (Twin, Showman, etc), but seriously check out the Tonemaster head, ProSonic and Machete. Beutiful Fender cleans, and legit gain channels.


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## budda (Oct 14, 2020)

Can confirm supersonic heads have gain on tap. Saw a super cheap 100w but it was after i decided to go digital.


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## Choop (Oct 14, 2020)

Last I checked the guitarist in Russian Circles plays on a Twin and I *think* a Bassman.


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## MFB (Oct 14, 2020)

Choop said:


> Last I checked the guitarist in Russian Circles plays on a Twin and I *think* a Bassman.



When I saw them last November, I recall them running a at least the Twin but if there was a Bassman, it wouldn't surprise me; they were loud as all get out, but they sounded _good._


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## eggy in a bready (Oct 14, 2020)

Unsane. chris plays a tele through a super reverb


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## Mprinsje (Oct 15, 2020)

I think I saw one of the guys from Alcest play something like a twin. Was pretty far from the stage but it certainly looked like a fender.


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## Steo (Oct 15, 2020)

I was at a Grind/Power violence gig in Vancouver some years back. The bass amp for the bands was a Fender Bassman 300. Some tone out of it.


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## efiltsohg (Oct 15, 2020)

akinari said:


> Ron and Toby from Kayo Dot have been using twins forever.



only for cleans I'm pretty sure, Ron Varod says they used a Sunn Model T, a Hiwatt 100 and a Plexi for the dirt on Hubardo. I assume the other albums are similar


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## broj15 (Oct 15, 2020)

Steo said:


> I was at a Grind/Power violence gig in Vancouver some years back. The bass amp for the bands was a Fender Bassman 300. Some tone out of it.


Owned one of these for a while. They were originally released as the Sunn 300T and then updated (Sunn version had QC issues with some poweramp components leading to catastrophic failure) and then rebadged as the Bassman 300 pro. 300w, all tube, 6550's, 2 band foot switchable compressor, 2 blendable channels, and a 10 band graphic EQ. I used mine for guitar with an EHX hot tubes OD on full blast. Absolutely ripped for doom/sludge tones, but was made to be an SVT killer and can be found used for $700-800. They also made a 1200w class D tube/SS hybrid version that practically sounds the same and only weighs about 30 pounds.


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## MFB (Oct 15, 2020)

broj15 said:


> They also made a 1200w class D tube/SS hybrid version that practically sounds the same and only weighs about 30 pounds.



And did this happen to come in a head only version? If so, my Ampeg may have just become obsolete.

Edit: found it, don't need it for that price


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## broj15 (Oct 15, 2020)

MFB said:


> And did this happen to come in a head only version? If so, my Ampeg may have just become obsolete.
> 
> Edit: found it, don't need it for that price


Yeah I just spotted one on reverb for about $550. They came a rack mount version or with a rat fur enclosure. Same for the Sunn 1200s (again, same amp as the 1200w class D hybrid) but these were apparently really prone to failure. Here lately I've been seeing fender versions go for anywhere from $450-550 depending on condition. There's a few people trying to sell them for more than that, but they aren't getting it.


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## akinari (Oct 15, 2020)

efiltsohg said:


> only for cleans I'm pretty sure, Ron Varod says they used a Sunn Model T, a Hiwatt 100 and a Plexi for the dirt on Hubardo. I assume the other albums are similar



Those were borrowed for the overdubs. Live, it's just twins. Coffins and PHOBOS are just the twin. This is a technicality though because those aren't their most metal albums


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## Chris Bowsman (Oct 16, 2020)

I have a ‘73 Super Reverb that sounds good for heavy stuff with the right pedal. Also have a solid state 2x12 100 watt Fender combo that gets plenty heavy on its own.


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Oct 17, 2020)

I use a Fender Twin for half of my rig and it sounds incredible. The open back adds a lot of space to your sound when paired with a closed back 4x12.


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## budda (Oct 17, 2020)

AngstRiddenDreams said:


> I use a Fender Twin for half of my rig and it sounds incredible. The open back adds a lot of space to your sound when paired with a closed back 4x12.



Just add jcm800 and aby and enjoy


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Oct 17, 2020)

budda said:


> Just add jcm800 and aby and enjoy


Sovtek MIG 50


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## budda (Oct 17, 2020)

AngstRiddenDreams said:


> Sovtek MIG 50



Also good.


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## Alex79 (Oct 31, 2020)

Since the EVH brand is owned by Fender, I’d say a lot of metal bands use “Fender” amps even if they are labelled EVH.


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## InfinityCollision (Oct 31, 2020)

If you go that far then you could include every metal band that's ever used a Sunn reissue. The Model T reissue is basically the same circuit as the Pro Tube Evil Twin that came after it, so not even that much of a stretch. 300T went into the Bassman 300 too.


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## Science_Penguin (Nov 1, 2020)

Fender amps are pretty universally thought of as a clean canvas to paint your tone with pedals.

Pick any distortion pedal that isn't the Metal Zone and you're probably good to go.

I don't play much Metal these days but I love the sounds I'm getting from my Twin Reverb sim. Add some OD and it gets you a kind of SRV or early Punk Rock distortion (depending how hot the gain is). And if I need a little extra sustain, I'll switch to the Bassman sim.


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## ArtDecade (Nov 2, 2020)

The Tweed Bassmans are what Marshall was trying to clone (with the valves he had available in the UK). Therefore, we all use Fender circuits, but the circuit is now in a different cabinet.


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## Choop (Nov 2, 2020)

AngstRiddenDreams said:


> I use a Fender Twin for half of my rig and it sounds incredible. The open back adds a lot of space to your sound when paired with a closed back 4x12.



Totally, open back cabs are super underrated IMO, especially as a compliment to a 4x12. I have a Mesa 3/4 back 2x12 cab which I think achieves a similar effect. Lets the cab breathe a little more and sounds a bit bigger in the room while still being punchy. Not *quite* as punchy as a fully closed back cab, but seems more balanced overall. I have been on the lookout for a Road King 3/4 back 4x12 too, but they can be hard to find. .-.


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## vilk (Nov 2, 2020)

ArtDecade said:


> The Tweed Bassmans are what Marshall was trying to clone (with the valves he had available in the UK). Therefore, we all use Fender circuits, but the circuit is now in a different cabinet.


Ehhh kind of a slippery slope. Next you'll be saying that all electric instruments are theremins or Western Europeans all speak Latin


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## ArtDecade (Nov 2, 2020)

vilk said:


> Ehhh kind of a slippery slope. Next you'll be saying that all electric instruments are theremins or Western Europeans all speak Latin



Not really. The cranked Fender Bassman sound is the sound of rock. Marshall made it louder. Brian Setzer is a good example of what a cranked Bassman sounds like and it certainly has nothing to do with the latter Blackface models. Tweed amps (and their circuits) are the sound.


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## vilk (Nov 2, 2020)

ArtDecade said:


> Not really. The cranked Fender Bassman sound is the sound of rock. Marshall made it louder. Brian Setzer is a good example of what a cranked Bassman sounds like and it certainly has nothing to do with the latter Blackface models. Tweed amps (and their circuits) are the sound.


And in my high school Latin text, about halfway through they insert section that is written in Spanish without telling you it's not Latin (I think they also removed accent marks) and then on the next page is like "Actually that was Spanish, not Latin! Aren't you surprised you could read it so easily?"


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## ArtDecade (Nov 3, 2020)

vilk said:


> And in my high school Latin text, about halfway through they insert section that is written in Spanish without telling you it's not Latin (I think they also removed accent marks) and then on the next page is like "Actually that was Spanish, not Latin! Aren't you surprised you could read it so easily?"



I'll try to make this as easy as I can for you, because you insist on a weak analogy. Language took thousands of years to develop. Jim Marshall took Leo Fender's schematic and changed the tubes.


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## vilk (Nov 3, 2020)

ArtDecade said:


> I'll try to make this as easy as I can for you, because you insist on a weak analogy. Language took thousands of years to develop. Jim Marshall took Leo Fender's schematic and changed the tubes.


 Take a pill, dude, I'm just goofing around. Believe it or not, I already knew that about Marshall trying to copy the Bassman.


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## Accoun (Dec 29, 2020)

If Grindcore counts, then Nasum was mostly a DS-1 into a Dual Showman until their last album, which was Mesas + some HM-2 sprinkled on top.

Not sure if we want to discount Doom/Stoner bands plugging a fuzz into a clean amp because it's a more oldschool sound, but then again, what's the practical difference between that and plugging a DS1 even if the result is more modern?
Already mentioned, but Alcest is a RAT into a Twin and a Jazz Chorus. If Boris counts as well, then one of their collaborators, Michio Kurihara, uses a Twin as well. Sunn O))) also had some Twins on Life Metal along with the other stuff they usually use. All Them Witches is another Twin, with a Green Muff clone and/or a Blues Driver.


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## MFB (Dec 29, 2020)

And for what it's worth, All Them Witches live sound is quite massive. They played with Mastodon up in Maine a few years back, and it was a good time.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 29, 2020)

I know Anvil's kind of a punchline, but IIRC Lips Kudlow uses a Tokai distortion pedal into Fender amps.


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## possumkiller (Dec 30, 2020)

I think that dude from russian circle is using fender bassman heads now.


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## DudeManBrother (Dec 30, 2020)

I’m really loving my Fender 140 boosted by a (modestly set) HM2 right now. It’s big and fat, but has that sparkling Fender top end. I think it’s more of a 90’s to early 00’s kind of rock/metal tone; at least that’s how I’ve been enjoying it thus far.


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