Product Spotlight: Fender Bassbreaker 18/30

Fender's latest release in their distinguished amp line up is the Bassbreaker series. Covered in grey tweed and housing two 12 inch 70 watt vintage Celestion "V" speakers, the Bassbreaker 18/30 tube combo borrows the tone stacks from two of Fenders most coveted circuits - the Blackface Deluxe Reverb and the Brownface Deluxe. Power is provided by a pair of 12AX7 pre-amp tubes and four EL84 power tubes that add a mid-rangey chime and harmonic complexity to the classic Fender amp tones of the late 1950's and mid 1960's.

The 18/30 model refers to this amp being a combination of two classic Fender circuits housed in a common chassis. In the 30 watt mode, the Bassbreaker is afforded with lots of clean head room that delivers the classic Fender clean, bell-like tone we all know and love. This side of the amp is reminiscent of a mid 60's Blackface Deluxe Reverb that is enhanced with a chimey mid-range complexity courtesy of the British flavoured EL84 power tubes and vintage sounding V-70 speakers.

Activating the 18 watt drive channel with the supplied footswitch, the Bassbreaker's crunchy musical breakup ushers in the glorious grind of an early 60's Brownface Deluxe producing that rhythm sound associated with Keith Richards. Increasing the gain results in more tube saturation and sustain for lead. Tone for days!

I had the chance to hear this amp live at the recent Fender Roadshow in Brisbane and in my opinion, the Bassbreaker 18/30 was the best sounding amp in the current lineup. Beautiful chimey cleans, meaty rhythms, and singing fat lead tones were produced by this new addition to the Fender amplifier family that is extremely pedal friendly.

I'm sure that you too will be suitably impressed with the new Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 combo. It's a versatile, beautifully voiced tube amp drawing from Fender's rich heritage of classic tone and served with a British-flavoured twist.

Product Spotlight: Fender Bass Amps

The live music scene of the 1940's in Southern California was burgeoning. Musicians were turning their instruments up to higher volumes as bands developed their signature sounds. As these levels rose, traditional acoustic bass instruments were being drowned out by their electric counterparts. Seizing on this opportunity to supply the working musician with the best tools possible, Leo Fender started working on a whole new range of musical equipment and in 1951, a brand new instrument entered the world; the Fender Precision Electric Bass Guitar.

Along with his new 'P' bass, Fender developed amps specifically for these new instruments, which in turn formed the sonic platform of modern music in all its styles and genres.  Here at The Music Spot we are proud to showcase our range of Fender Bass Guitar Amps in this week's Product Spotlight.

The Super Bassman 300 is a two channel all tube bass head with matching cabinet. 2 x 12AX7 pre amp tubes along with a 12AX7, a 12AT7 and six 6550 tubes in the power amp section pump out 300 watts of thick, natural, balanced tone perfect for live performance, or any studio application. 

The Vintage channel delivers the full, warm, classic bass sound Fender amps are renown for while the Overdrive channel delivers an aggressive and modern voiced tone stack. An optional foot switch allows effortless switching between the two channels.

The Super Bassman 300 is not only capable of pumping out stadium level volume. Turning the on board Speaker Output switch to Mute bypasses the speakers to provide a tube driven XLR output for recording at home straight from the preamp section. Brilliant!

Combined with the Bassman 610 1600 watt speaker cabinet, you have a fully professional bass rig and an all tube driven recording amp in one.

The Rumble series of bass amps have been re-engineered from the ground making them louder and lighter than ever. 

The Rumble 500 V3 Combo produces 500 watts of power channeled through a 10" Eminence speaker and a high end tweeter that can be turned on or off. It is also possible to connect an external cabinet if required. Channel switching is also included providing the ability to switch from Vintage to Overdrive mode. A four band eq means you can tune the amp to any room or stage. An XLR line out connects you to a stagebox too meaning you don't need a separate DI. As with all the Rumble models there is a headphone output and an AUX line in for playing along with your media player. Perfect for practice!

The Rumble 40 V3 and Rumble 25 V3 are the little brothers to the 500 delivering 40 watts and 25 watts respectively. Both feature an overdrive channel, headphone socket and AUX input. The 40 shares the same control panel of the 500 as well as its XLR line out. The Rumble 40 is a great choice for places of worship, school concert bands, and music rooms.

The Rumble 25 has a simple three band eq with contour control and is best suited for a practice room. Connecting headphones to any of the Rumble amps bypasses the speaker for silent practice.

Their light weight, great sound, well thought out control panel and attractive look make any Rumble Series Amp a perfect choice for your performance requirements.

Product Spotlight: Fender Bass Guitars

Leo Fender started a revolution. In  1951 he invented a completely new instrument, the electric bass guitar, introducing to the world the Precision or 'P' bass. Since their inception, Fender basses continue to define the sound of modern music.

Fender's Jazz or 'J' Bass was the first major development from the original P bass and was released in 1960. Always an innovator, Leo's new 'J' bass featured an offset body, fast thin neck and dual single coil pickups with independent controls. Artists such as Jaco Pastorius, U2's Adam Clayton, Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Geddy Lee from Rush have all relied on the J bass for their unique styles and tones.

Squier's Classic Vibe 60's James Johnson Signature model, beautifully finished in Lake Placid Blue with matching headstock builds upon this rich tradition. Fitted with a HiMass bridge and brass barrel saddles this bass offers vintage style with a modern twist, and is excellent value for money.

Fender's Modern Player Dimension Bass  features a three single coil 'Triplebucker' pickup controlled by a five-way rotary knob providing a wide variety of tonal options. It also has an easy access truss rod adjuster wheel located at the heel end of the neck and a HiMass bridge to increase sustain.

The Deluxe Jazz Bass Active V gives the extra bottom end that only five strings can. With its active 3 band eq and slap switch, the Active V is a great choice for any working musician,

Introduced in 1966 the Mustang short scale basses were designed with the student player in mind. A shorter neck and smaller body made it easier to play. Building on this tradition, Fender's Mustang Classic Series Bass features a short scale neck, single pickup and is finished in classic Vintage White with tortoise shell pickguard. Short scale basses such as this Mustang model are also a great choice for guitarists who wish to add a bass into their repertoire.

Squier's Precision, Jazz and Jaguar Short Scale Bass Packs are a great choice. Simply choose your preferred model and everything you need to 'Stop Dreaming and Start Playing!' is included to make your mark in musical history.

Leo Fender invented the bass guitar and in doing so started a legacy that continues to this day. Choosing a Fender Bass guitar puts that history and tradition into your hands to create the sounds of the future.

Product Spotlight: Fender Electric Guitars

Jimi Hendrix. Eric Clapton. Mark Knopfler. John Mayer. John 5. Jim Root. Keith Urban. Simon Neil. Chris Chiflett. The Edge.

One guitar unites all of these players and their respective styles together.

Fender electric guitars have been at the forefront of modern music making for over 70 years. Developing his first solid body guitars in the late 1940's through to the iconic Stratocaster I'm sure Leo Fender had no idea what legacy he was leaving when he started out in his humble workshop all those years ago.

The Music Spot has been a proud dealer of Fender's Fine Musical Instruments since our launch back in 1993. We have a wide range of Fender electric guitars in stock to cater for every player's budget, proficiency and playing style.

Fender's Squier Bullet Stratocaster provides an affordable launching point for the beginner. Solid body, bolt on neck, familiar tremolo system and equipped with either SSS or HSS pickup configurations, the Bullet series is a great guitar to get started on.

Squier's Affinity Series Strats and Telecasters are the next level up in the chain with better quality hardware and electronics while the Standard Series offer great, gig worthy guitars at an affordable price point.

Vintage Modified guitars build upon traditional designs with useful additions and upgrades. These are really good guitars for the price.

Squier's Strat Packs provide excellent value for money with a choice of an Affinity Series model in SSS or HSS configuration, and a 10w or 15w Frontman amp depending on the package you choose. Each pack includes a tuner, lead, strap, gigbag, and coupon for some free online lessons.

Squier's Signature Series guitars are excellent examples of Fender product tailored to meet the needs of the professional players whose names are attached to them. The John 5 Frosted Gold Tele is a visually stunning instrument - classic and modern at the same time. Simon Neil's Classic Vibe 60's Fiesta Red Strat harkens back to the early sixties with its vintage voiced pickups, looks and style.

Made just over the border from Fender's US facility - the Deluxe Nashville Telecaster is factory modded with TexMex pickups and a Strat middle pickup added granting you the best of both worlds from Leo's iconic electric guitars. The Deluxe Roadhouse Strat provides you with SRV's Texas Special Pickups and the innovative S1 switching and preamp system on board.

The American Standard Stratocaster and Telecaster provide the classic tones you've grown up listening to. Vintage voiced Custom Shop wound pickups, refinements on the classic designs of the 50's, the US made American Standard is the guitar so many players aspire toward.

At the top of the tree in our range is the 1965 American Fender Vintage Series Stratocaster. Beautifully finished in Shoreline Gold and painstakingly developed to replicate the original 1965 model, this Strat produces fat, thick tones provided by Custom Shop wound pickups, as well as the aesthetics consistent with guitars produced in this era of Fender electrics - thin skinned nitrocellulose finishes, colour-matched headstock, slab top rosewood fingerboards, and vintage Kluson button tuners.

Fender guitars have been at the pinnacle of music making for over 70 years. Come on in today and try one for yourself.