Modeled Amps: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
3•2
controls of the MAIN Row parked at 12 o’clock, which means they are “flat,” making
no contribution to the tone.
Still, we’d hate to waste those things, so we figured out a way to put the Bass, Mid, and
Treble controls to work without mucking about with the authenticity of this Amp
Model. When using this Amp Model, all these tone controls are applied after the
TubeTone modeling, which essentially lets you EQ up your tone as you would do on a
mixing console after recording your amp. Remember, for the unadulterated emulated
sound of the Champ, set all the tone controls at 12 o’clock.
2.2 – Modeled after a 1952 “wide panel” Fender Tweed Deluxe, this Amp Model will
snarl with the best of them. The original amp had only a single tone control,
essentially a Treble roll off. We set up the Treble knob to give you this Treble roll off
when using this Amp Model. Which left us with the Bass and Mid knobs just sitting
there. That just didn’t seem right, so we set up the Bass and Mid as post-TubeTone
controls. Set the Bass and Mid knobs at 12 o’clock to put them in “neutral,” and try
the Treble knob somewhere above halfway for a classic Tweed sound.
3. Tweed Blues - The Fender Bassman 4x10 combo was the amp that started it all –
instant rock and roll tone. Originally a bass guitar amp, the Bassman became a Blues
staple for 6-string guitarists. It has the fat bottom end you’d expect from a bass amp but
also has the Fender twang on the top. The 59 Bassman was the “blueprint” for the
AX2’s Tweed Blues. Incidentally, when Jim Marshall built his first amps with Ken Bran
they were heavily influenced by the early Bassman. One of the interesting things about
the Bassman is just how interactive the Mid and Treble controls are. The Mid control
isn’t a bandpass, as in most tone control setups. Instead, it’s almost like a second treble
control. The two are additive, so if you’re running the Mid knob higher than halfway
up, you’ll find that the Treble Control might give you more bright than you really
want. On the other hand, when you turn the Mid knob down, you’ll probably want to
boost the Treble.
The Bassman, like many of the amps modeled for the AX2, didn’t have a master
volume. So to get the kind of tone that the Bassman can deliver at higher gain
settings, you had to crank it up loud enough to do some serious damage to anyone who
might be standing close by. With the AX2, you can get that kind of tone at a bedroom
or studio level – or through your headphones even! Try a drive setting of about 4 or 5
– it’s guaranteed to dredge up the best R&B licks you know.
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