What is 'Tweed'?
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rottenramone
Active member
..
tweed's the rattan like cover. khaki colored.... like wat was on the earliest fender amps and cases. this was replaced by tolex.
tweed's the rattan like cover. khaki colored.... like wat was on the earliest fender amps and cases. this was replaced by tolex.
JMguitars
New member
A Fender buff could probably explain better but I understand tweed amps to refer to a generic reference of Fender or other brand amps whose sound and circuitry model the Fender amp range of Champs, Blues Jrs .... basically Fender's smallest tube amp models.
I believe many of these models were first released with tweed covers. In that respect, I can't recall specific amp series called Tweed.
The stereotype sound for tweed amps is supposed to contain a greater mid-range voicing, easily overdriven and hence typically used to generate an overdriven blues tone.
One of the more prominent boutique builders of tweed-style amps is Victoria Amps.
View attached link for ToneQuest report on the manufacturer and their take on tweed amp copies.
http://www.victoriaamp.com/tonequest.html
I believe many of these models were first released with tweed covers. In that respect, I can't recall specific amp series called Tweed.
The stereotype sound for tweed amps is supposed to contain a greater mid-range voicing, easily overdriven and hence typically used to generate an overdriven blues tone.
One of the more prominent boutique builders of tweed-style amps is Victoria Amps.
View attached link for ToneQuest report on the manufacturer and their take on tweed amp copies.
http://www.victoriaamp.com/tonequest.html
Victorinox
New member
Tweed actually refers to the fabric covering used to wrap cases in the 50s and 60s. From what I've read, they were used to cover suitcases and many other items. They look to me like a yellow fabric woven together with dark lines. After using tweed, fender changed to tolex of different colours.
When talking about tweed with reference to fender amps, they refer to the fender amps produced in the 50's which were wrapped in tweed. They have their signature sound which were suppossed to have more midrange and richer than either brown or blackface amps which came later. There are a whole range of fender tweed amps from champs to to deluxes to bassmans to twins. Iirc, all of them had no reverb. Revereb and tremolo only came later in the brown and blackface amps. The tweed was suppossedly richer as the signal path was simpler & shorter. They introduced reverb to make up for the reduced richness in blackface amps.
Victoria and Clark suppossedly make the best tweed reproductions.
Cheers!
When talking about tweed with reference to fender amps, they refer to the fender amps produced in the 50's which were wrapped in tweed. They have their signature sound which were suppossed to have more midrange and richer than either brown or blackface amps which came later. There are a whole range of fender tweed amps from champs to to deluxes to bassmans to twins. Iirc, all of them had no reverb. Revereb and tremolo only came later in the brown and blackface amps. The tweed was suppossedly richer as the signal path was simpler & shorter. They introduced reverb to make up for the reduced richness in blackface amps.
Victoria and Clark suppossedly make the best tweed reproductions.
Cheers!
JMguitars
New member
Newbie said:
Brit can actually refer to Vox as well as Marshall. Both are UK firms.
Mesa started out in California, and grew popular when many of the LA California studio players began using them.
Two distinct variations of the Mesa tone are the Mark series and the Recto series. Many modeling amps copy both models as they sound quite distinct; (think Santana versus Limp Bizkit).
Tweed, blackface, twin are categoric terms for Fender's catalogue of amps.
Classification is such as the names of the models are Trademark-ed and normally can't be used outright. Also, given that each classfication has a distinct voicing, it allows enthusiats to zero into the tone they are looking for.
i have a tweed bandmaster repro and have played tweed twins and deluxes and gigged with one blackface super reverb, twins, deluxe reverb, so i can make a fair comparision.
there is slightly more midrange content in fender tweed amps than compared to blackface amps.
it is very sensitive to the kind of guitar you put through it. think low output vintage single coils because anything heavier in the bass and midrange will cause the bass to get too fussy and the midrange to collapse.
pair it with a 50s style strat or tele and you will have clean to overdriven tones that are simply organic.
i never understood what the deal was with touch-sensitive until i played a true point to point wired, class a, tube rectified, and pine cabbed tweed amp - depending on how hard you play you can go the range of clean to slightly overdriven timbres from just one setting.
most tweed amps have only one tone, but most will agree the most glorious tones for roots music - blues, country, vintage rock, etc.
tweed - think raw, glorious tone.
blackface - think smooth and refined. (you need midrangier and bassier s/c pups to match well with blackface)
the complexity in tweed tone is simply unparalleled, even compared to blackface amps.
but it is not for everyone. metal, rock fans need not apply.
there is slightly more midrange content in fender tweed amps than compared to blackface amps.
it is very sensitive to the kind of guitar you put through it. think low output vintage single coils because anything heavier in the bass and midrange will cause the bass to get too fussy and the midrange to collapse.
pair it with a 50s style strat or tele and you will have clean to overdriven tones that are simply organic.
i never understood what the deal was with touch-sensitive until i played a true point to point wired, class a, tube rectified, and pine cabbed tweed amp - depending on how hard you play you can go the range of clean to slightly overdriven timbres from just one setting.
most tweed amps have only one tone, but most will agree the most glorious tones for roots music - blues, country, vintage rock, etc.
tweed - think raw, glorious tone.
blackface - think smooth and refined. (you need midrangier and bassier s/c pups to match well with blackface)
the complexity in tweed tone is simply unparalleled, even compared to blackface amps.
but it is not for everyone. metal, rock fans need not apply.