Some very cool new amps coming from Fender.

[Jx30510]

Well, each his opinion.
After 2 months, and intensive use, I'm still liking mine.
It is a bright amp, and the bass knob is really important regarding the guitar you plug in.
And I never use the first input, but only the second.
I've found the sweet spot of this amp and really enjoying it.
A few "pointy on sound" friends of mine tried it and have the same feeling, they find it great.
One thing I maybe forgot to mention in my first posts is that I swapped the preamp tubes for NOS ones I had in my spares (General Electric and Sylvania I think..), maybe they're lower power than 12ax7, I have no idea, not impossible because I had some in that tube batch.

[Alter]

I recently played a friend's Victoria 518 (clone of a Fender 5F1), man was I impressed! Sounded like a big amp even played at a whisper, no boxiness, no lack of bass... now I want one! I'm borrowing it for a gig first chance I have..

Not all these small amps work out in the end, but when they do they are magical..

[Little Jay]

I recently played a friend's Victoria 518 (clone of a Fender 5F1), man was I impressed! Sounded like a big amp even played at a whisper, no boxiness, no lack of bass... now I want one! I'm borrowing it for a gig first chance I have..

Not all these small amps work out in the end, but when they do they are magical..

The 5F1 is a great amp design! I love mine! Mine’s a DIY kit with a Jensen P10R in a solid pine cab (a cut-up IKEA bed side table). No boxines at all and enough bass, but especially a good mid-voice. And plenty of volume for low volume jazz gigs with a soft drummer.

If Fender wants to bring out a new reissue amp model with a twist (like they do lately) then a 5F1 with a 10” is a good choice (maybe even integrate a digital reverb? Love my Boss FRV-1 with it!)

[alltunes]

I recently played a friend's Victoria 518 (clone of a Fender 5F1), man was I impressed! Sounded like a big amp even played at a whisper, no boxiness, no lack of bass... now I want one! I'm borrowing it for a gig first chance I have..

Not all these small amps work out in the end, but when they do they are magical..

Fender did a great job with the 57 Champ Reissue. At $999 it's a little less expensive then the Vicky 518 but still point to point hand wired pine cab etc. I owned a 57 Champ Reissue and sold to a friend so still get to hear it and it continues to impress. Victoria makes a champ with a 12"; the 5112 but I agree...a Champ with a 10" would be nice.

As mentioned you almost don't need reverb with a good finger jointed pine cabinet. Hearing that 57 Champ Reissue is what set my g.a.s. going for a small 5 watter. I just love playing though an old tweed Champ with nothing but a volume control on the amp. It really forces you to explore the sounds in your guitar.

[DanielleOM]

I found an interesting video showing the inside of the new 68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb.

Speaker is replaced in the video. He had a removed a metal grill at the back to make room for the speaker. Not sure what the grill is for. Protect people, tubes, EMF?

[Little Jay]

I found an interesting video showing the inside of the new 68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb.

Speaker is replaced in the video. He had a removed a metal grill at the back to make room for the speaker. Not sure what the grill is for. Protect people, tubes, EMF?

Interesting. The bigger 68 Custom amps have the same construction as the 65 reissue amps with all the tube feet off the PCB. This little one has the preamp tube feet on the PCB and radial instead of axial capacitators. A compromise I guess. Not necessarily worse or better tonewise but a bit more sensitive and more difficult to mod (should you wish) and repair.

The metal grill around the tubes is due to safety regulations to prevent one from touching hot tubes and get burned, I think.

[stevo58]

The grill is to stop people burning themselves on hot tubes. There‘s probably a regulation somewhere about it.

[Jx30510]

One of the 12ax7 on mine was misfuctionning a few hours after using it.

The Tremolo was making a very bad thunk at each cycle above 6 on the intensity knob.

The video shows that he also has a bad preamp tube.

Now that's really not reassuring on a 700€ new Fender amp.

Gosh

[alltunes]

I recently played a friend's Victoria 518 (clone of a Fender 5F1), man was I impressed! Sounded like a big amp even played at a whisper, no boxiness, no lack of bass... now I want one! I'm borrowing it for a gig first chance I have..

Not all these small amps work out in the end, but when they do they are magical..

I just ordered a Victoria 518 in black tolex which is pretty sharp looking. It will be several months before it arrives. In the meantime I'll play some guitar

[Little Jay]

I just ordered a Victoria 518 in black tolex which is pretty sharp looking. It will be several months before it arrives. In the meantime I'll play some guitar

It’s already making you a better guitarist, before you even have it!

[Alter]

One knob only, doesn't get any better than that!