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Just saw this and thought it would be of interest...Fargen Amps has a new hybrid 50W jazz amp (2 12AX7 pre-amp, Class D power amp) that weighs 22lb.
NAMM 2014: Fargen Amps launches new product line | MusicRadar
Fargen has announced two new additions to its standard retail line. Its first jazz amp is presented in a lightweight grab and go combo that weighs under 25 pounds, and offers pure tube tone. Fargen has developed its first ever tube/ solid state hybrid design.
Jazz Custom SE
The brand new Fargen Jazz Custom SE combo features a pure high voltage hand-wired tube preamp feeding an ultra-efficient lightweight 50W class D power amp, through two ultra-efficient 8" full range speakers. Now, jazz guitar players, and any player needing great clean headroom tone, can have pure boutique tube amp tones in a super lightweight and compact design. This amp brings fresh new traditional vintage & modern jazz-style tones inspired by the classic 60's blackface all-tube preamp architecture. MSRP $1,599.
New compact 2 x 8" combo amp design
Front panel bright switch
SoZo Bluemold vintage style capacitors
Fargen Custom Shop resistors
1/8″ aluminum chassis
Dimensions: 20”W X 17”H X 10″D
Weight: 22lbs.
Output Power: 50 watts
4 and 8 ohm output taps
Tube Complement (2) 12AX7
Class: D power amp
Front Panel Layout & Equalization: volume, bright switch, treble, mid, bass
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01-15-2014 05:13 AM
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Mambo, Quilter, Fuchs, now Fargen.... happy days for jazzers
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I would trade 2x8 full range for speakers for a guitar speaker, 1x10 or 1x12...
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No reverb?
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Good point, deal breaker number two
Would love to hear clips!
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Just my opinion but I really have very little faith in clips of an amp. Clips tell me a lot about the guitar, the player and the recording process but with an amp, so much what I actually respond is how it projects sound in the room and recordings don't tell me anything about that.
Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
Good point, deal breaker number two
Would love to hear clips!
Ad for the Fargen, I've known Ben for many years. I've owned a couple of his amps and had lots of experience with several more of them. I've also owned a cab built by his brother Jeff, who builds the cabs for all of the Fargen amps. They make nice stuff and this may very well be a really nice amp but I'm starting to really wonder about this sudden growth in the jazz amp sector. I guess it's happening now because class D amps make it much easier to build an amp with a really cool front and and still be able to keep the weight down. That's really what I was doing with my modeling rigs and it is a great development to be able to get a lot of clean power out of an power amp that weighs under 2 lbs. That means full featured amps can be under 30 lbs and sometime quite a bit under. As a player I love it but are there really that enough of us to support an entire mini-industry of single purpose jazz amps?
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I'm surprised by how low the wattage is. Usually class D amps are high power units not falling under 150 watts, but this one is 50 watts. How would a 50 watt solid state hold up in a performance situation?
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with difficulty?
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I'm w/ Klatu on this one, unless Ben Fargen has figured out how to make 50 watt Class D as loud as 50 watt tube power. I would think this amp would be underpowered for sure. There is an interesting amp that Jim Demeter has made for Sonny Landreth to travel with. It uses a Toroidal power transformer and Class D as well.
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Is jazz getting popular or something?
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I was using 50 watts (1 side of a 100 watt stereo amp) with my modeling rig running a Raezer's Edge NY 8 or Stealth 10 and I had no problem getting all the volume I needed for any situation. Originally Posted by Franz 1997
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Jim you obviously play w/ drummers that listen,LOL!
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That's good news. One thing I noticed about the write up that looked promising was that Fargen had used a Fender preamp circuit as the basis for this amp, which is exactly what Jack Zucker has been lobbying for for many moons. I just hope the street price is a bit lower than the $1500 MSRP. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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There's some interesting info on the acoustic image site that suggests you need a ss amp rated at ten times your typical playing wattage to avoid distortion on transient notes.
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We probably aren't as picky about absolutely no distortion as acoustic guys (well, that describes me, anyhow), but there is the age old "tube watts" versus "SS watts" (subtype: "Class D watts") debate. Originally Posted by Franz 1997
Last edited by BigDaddyLoveHandles; 01-15-2014 at 05:35 PM.
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I don't play with drummers at all any more Originally Posted by jads57
But really, I was able to get pretty loud with that little sucker and I suspect Ben is using speakers that are a lot more efficient than the RE cab.
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It will not be good to tell feel / dispersion but the voicing of the amp and how the controls work - the preamp basically. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
I believe guys like Fuchs or Fargen know the market is small - they sell the amps at a price point that making a few of them a year will be profitable I guess.
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Perceveid loudness depends on tons of stuff - cab size and disperison, speaker effiency, etc.. A Bandit 65 is 65w and can get very loud.
I guess the reason why they go with just 50w is to allow them to choose more speakers. A good solution for this is the one I have in my Mambo - 150w at 8hm to use with an EV and an 50% limiter that limits the power to 75w to allow use with much more speakers.
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I believe the main difference is SS distortion is hideous and tube distortion can sound pretty good Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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I'll be at NAMM next week, and I heard about the Fargen, so I'll be sure to hunt it down (not that NAMM is a great place to really demo stuff -- way too loud!). I have a 2x8 cab by Jeff (J Design Cabs), and he was telling me about this new Fargen Jazz. I bet it'll be nice.
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Sounds great, look forward to your impressions (not just of this amp, but of all jazz-related gear at NAMM)... Originally Posted by marcwhy
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I think Fargen has beaten all the other builders when it comes to looks!
Really like that faux-leather and classic styling of the amp. It's not the decisive criterium, but still.....
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i agree with little jay here the look of the amp is way cool ....
amp makers should know by now that us jazz guitarists go all weak at the knees for these real vintage looking amps......... i wonder if epiphone or some other maker will start making 40's looking jazz amps stylistically but with modern technology .... i just guess the jazz market is so small tho...but someone should think of it ....
maybe i'm just being a bit too "cheap" here but this amp would have to be something real special for me to pay $1,500 for a 50 w hybrid amp thats pretty steep in my books ... BUT if it's a gem as in everything you ever need for jazz then i supose it's worth it ........
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Keira, Originally Posted by Keira Witherkay
Please see the other recent discussion on this: https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...-jazz-amp.html
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It's a pretty nice looking amp I grant you, but most small shops (like us) can do any color tolex and grille cloth and even hardwood cabs if desired. It is unique though, I like it.
Just a few quick observations (as a player or consumer not thinking as a competitor): I think 50-W is pretty low for good totally clean headroom at stage volumes without breakup, the glaring lack of reverb, and price point make me wonder aloud 'why ?'. I'm also confused that it has 4 and 8 ohm outputs, which a solid state amp would not have...? I am impressed by the light weight.
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