fender excelsior available for preorder now!

[Muse FTW]

I just realized this is $300.

I'm definitely buying this *if* it takes pedals well. My AC15C1 has some trouble with pedals, as of late.

[dubkitty]

yeah, it's a Tube 10. i had a bigger output transformer installed--the original was the size of a matchbox--and had it made self-biasing as well as replacing the speaker. i used to use it with a 2x12 cabinet with P12s and it ruled, but just wasn't loud enough to get over people with 100W amps. i have a vintage RCA 12AX7 and an old TungSol 6V6 in it and it's rude.

[univalve]

Here is something about the guts:
http://billmaudio.com/wp/?page_id=1203

[Astricii]

Uncomfortably loud you say? Fuck yes looks like this would make a good candidate for getting a stereo rig going!

[madmax1012]

as much shit as I give my Vox AC15, this vintage lunch box isn't gonna make me sell it....unless they put spiderman or x-men on it. and maybe some Led's. and a spinning car rim for good measure

[Noise...]

Bump for Excelsior GAS!
Has anyone tried these out in person yet?

Not yet.

A few demos have popped up on youtube:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6kfOSG1bKk[/youtube]

This demo made me want one. Sounds a lot better than the others I've seen, including Fender's.

Has anyone gotten one of these yet? If so, how does it play with pedals - specifically fuzzes and delays?

[Muse FTW]

Has anyone gotten one of these yet? If so, how does it play with pedals - specifically fuzzes and delays?

The question we all want answered!

[insubordination]

Has anyone gotten one of these yet? If so, how does it play with pedals - specifically fuzzes and delays?

The question we all want answered!

Yup. My friends' store has a 90s Fender Pro Jr. that takes pedals surprisingly well for a 1x10" amp, and is in the same price range. I'm almost inclined to just support them since I need a smaller amp.

[transients]

I get to check one out tomorrow, so I'll report back if I have time to throw a few pedals in the mix. From my experience though, most amps with a 15" speaker sound titz with pedals.

[transients]

Alright, had a brief run with a Hoofreaper, rainbow machine and dispatch master through the EXCELSIOOOOR and it sounded AWESOME. The hoof side didn't sound that great to me in the higher tone ranges, but with the tone knob at 10 oclock and lower it was awesome. The tone reaper was absolute riffage with the excelsior, very awesome. Not bad for an amp at $299 retail. Not bad at all.

[univalve]

uhhhh, i really have to get one!
thanks for mini review.

[WayToHip]

I'll pass on this amp, until there is an actual tone knob.

But a 15" speaker, and $300 (USD) new could mean I'll buy one second hand.

[Gone Fission]

I'll pass on this amp, until there is an actual tone knob.

The flood of modding info will likely be out soon enough. The internal build makes this a great candidate for the "next Valve Jr." amp that half or more of the buyers buy to mod.

[Muse FTW]

Alright, had a brief run with a Hoofreaper, rainbow machine and dispatch master through the EXCELSIOOOOR and it sounded AWESOME. The hoof side didn't sound that great to me in the higher tone ranges, but with the tone knob at 10 oclock and lower it was awesome. The tone reaper was absolute riffage with the excelsior, very awesome. Not bad for an amp at $299 retail. Not bad at all.

Nice! Was there any excessive noise or buzz when you turned the amp on?

[transients]

Alright, had a brief run with a Hoofreaper, rainbow machine and dispatch master through the EXCELSIOOOOR and it sounded AWESOME. The hoof side didn't sound that great to me in the higher tone ranges, but with the tone knob at 10 oclock and lower it was awesome. The tone reaper was absolute riffage with the excelsior, very awesome. Not bad for an amp at $299 retail. Not bad at all.

Nice! Was there any excessive noise or buzz when you turned the amp on?

When I first turned it on there was GIANT HUM I WAS SO ANGRY then I calmed down and plugged some stuff in differently on the surge protectors and it disappeared, must've been a ground loop. There's a slight hum at high volume, much more noticeable with the bright switch on (and depends on what direction you face with your guitar) but again, that might be the building's shitty wiring/power - not the amp. The hum was probably coming from the pedals/lights being on, since other people have reported there's pretty much no noise (ex: http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/amp-owners-clubs/167427-fender-excelsior-owners.html). Also I was testing a demo model that was not brand new, so someone could have left it on all day and night for the last few weeks for all I know. There seemed to be a little rattle in the amp, but it seems to be coming from the cage over the tubes, which can easily be taken off.

I played it again with some various overdrives today, not sure if I like how shrill some of the highs get (i've never been much of a treble guy), but the low end on this thing is awesome, very well-defined, it seems to be at least a half-decent 15" speaker. I tried the trem on it, but I've never really cared much for amp trem and it didn't sound like anything special. I keep the tone switch on dark most of the time because that's what I liked most. Didn't try any of the other inputs either, just guitar (there's an accordion and mic input). Lots of clean headroom for a 15watt amp too.

Did I mention my girl loves how the amp looks? This thing has a high pussy potential