Danno
Gretschie
I picked up the Fender Mustang LT25 on Friday when I returned the Spark Mini to Guitar Center after owning it for a whopping 6 hours. Don't get me wrong the Mini was great but not what I was looking for. I want Fender Amps and Spring Reverb.
I ordered the new LT40S from Amazon which will be here Wednesday and between that and the 25 I'll keep one of em and return the other. Why you ask? The LT40S is the size of a head and instead of an 8" amp speaker it has stereo Hi Fidelity speakers. Designed to compete with the Yamaha THR line. All reviews say it sounds better especially when using backing tracks than the LT25 and LT50. Using backing tracks is something I plan to do most of the time as a solo bedroom player.
Thoughts so far:
Despite being the budget models of the Fender Modelling Line they are surprisingly good. I tried the GTX 100 a year ago found the Bluetooth glitchy. Also do you need 200 presets? The LT line has 60 and I doubt I'll us more than a half dozen...I've been going back and forth all weekend between Rockabilly, Surf, Chicken Picking, and Skate Punk factory presets.
I have simple needs and this $155 amp surpasses those. All I need is Slapback Delay, Spiring Reverb, and Tremolo and sometimes two of the effects or all three at the same time. My only complaint about the Fender Champion 20/40/100 was.only 1 effect at a time otherwise I'd still be using the Champion 20.
I have owned all my favorite tube amps over the years: Champ, Princeton, and Bassman. These Mustangs got them all.
Looks: it's not covered in Tweed nor is it Drip Edge Silver Face so my aesthetic preference is shattered. But it does not look bad either. Reminds me of computer speaker/subwoofer sets like the Logitech brand one I use with my projector in the backyard.
Sound: the LT25 sounds distant/muffled especially on high gain amps and effects. It's like I'm listening to someone else practice guitar in another room with the doors closed. Loud but not present. This is why I'm excited to try the LT40S on Wednesday night as it's supposed to fix this common complaint. I remember the GTX 100 being the same as ay but I don't remember my Yamaha THR,5, THR10, or THR10c being afflicted by this 10-12 years ago the effects s are great and so are the amp models. I think the best way to describe this is IMO Home Use modelling amps sound like cd/radio recordings not like live music.
Interface: using the amp is easy and not as fiddly as I expected. Pick your amp, your OD or Compressor, your Modulation, your Delay, and your Reverb. Adjust Bass, Mid, Treble, and FX then save the preset. When.m you go back to it later all you need to worry about is the Master Volume Knob. I haven't used the PC software which looks like iRig and Garage Band etc. Is there to mak your own presets more easily. However everything can be done on the amp alone which to me is better and a leg up on Spark and Katana.
Aux Input: finally an Auc input that works. Many budget amps use Mono Aux inputs that don't work with smartphones. They only work with old mp3/cd players. The Fender Champion 20 I thought years ago was my forever amp had a useless aux input that sounded like a megaphone playing scrambled cable tv channels when I tried to play music form my phone. I'm happy to say the aux input is flawless with a 2022 Android phone.
Turning On and Off: cheaper priced solid state amps are plagued by cost cutting and lack a power bleed I think it's called and result in a loud pop or thump when turning off. The Fender Champion 20/40/100 do it, the Blackstar Debut 10/15 do it, even Orange Crush 20RT/35RT if Reverb was on. The only solution over the years in these practice amps was to insert an aux cable in the headphone jack to prevent the power surge to the speaker. I'm happy to report the Mustangs do not suffer from this which. Is O D nitpicking but I've sold amps before because it's annoying and sometimes startling.
I'm hoping the reviews are true and the LT40S which is physically smaller (same width and depth but half the height) does sound better than the LT25. Either way I am embracing technology and enjoying this journey and will b keeping one of the amps.
---
Forgive any typos, I typed this on my phone tried to catch and correct what I could.
I ordered the new LT40S from Amazon which will be here Wednesday and between that and the 25 I'll keep one of em and return the other. Why you ask? The LT40S is the size of a head and instead of an 8" amp speaker it has stereo Hi Fidelity speakers. Designed to compete with the Yamaha THR line. All reviews say it sounds better especially when using backing tracks than the LT25 and LT50. Using backing tracks is something I plan to do most of the time as a solo bedroom player.
Thoughts so far:
Despite being the budget models of the Fender Modelling Line they are surprisingly good. I tried the GTX 100 a year ago found the Bluetooth glitchy. Also do you need 200 presets? The LT line has 60 and I doubt I'll us more than a half dozen...I've been going back and forth all weekend between Rockabilly, Surf, Chicken Picking, and Skate Punk factory presets.
I have simple needs and this $155 amp surpasses those. All I need is Slapback Delay, Spiring Reverb, and Tremolo and sometimes two of the effects or all three at the same time. My only complaint about the Fender Champion 20/40/100 was.only 1 effect at a time otherwise I'd still be using the Champion 20.
I have owned all my favorite tube amps over the years: Champ, Princeton, and Bassman. These Mustangs got them all.
Looks: it's not covered in Tweed nor is it Drip Edge Silver Face so my aesthetic preference is shattered. But it does not look bad either. Reminds me of computer speaker/subwoofer sets like the Logitech brand one I use with my projector in the backyard.
Sound: the LT25 sounds distant/muffled especially on high gain amps and effects. It's like I'm listening to someone else practice guitar in another room with the doors closed. Loud but not present. This is why I'm excited to try the LT40S on Wednesday night as it's supposed to fix this common complaint. I remember the GTX 100 being the same as ay but I don't remember my Yamaha THR,5, THR10, or THR10c being afflicted by this 10-12 years ago the effects s are great and so are the amp models. I think the best way to describe this is IMO Home Use modelling amps sound like cd/radio recordings not like live music.
Interface: using the amp is easy and not as fiddly as I expected. Pick your amp, your OD or Compressor, your Modulation, your Delay, and your Reverb. Adjust Bass, Mid, Treble, and FX then save the preset. When.m you go back to it later all you need to worry about is the Master Volume Knob. I haven't used the PC software which looks like iRig and Garage Band etc. Is there to mak your own presets more easily. However everything can be done on the amp alone which to me is better and a leg up on Spark and Katana.
Aux Input: finally an Auc input that works. Many budget amps use Mono Aux inputs that don't work with smartphones. They only work with old mp3/cd players. The Fender Champion 20 I thought years ago was my forever amp had a useless aux input that sounded like a megaphone playing scrambled cable tv channels when I tried to play music form my phone. I'm happy to say the aux input is flawless with a 2022 Android phone.
Turning On and Off: cheaper priced solid state amps are plagued by cost cutting and lack a power bleed I think it's called and result in a loud pop or thump when turning off. The Fender Champion 20/40/100 do it, the Blackstar Debut 10/15 do it, even Orange Crush 20RT/35RT if Reverb was on. The only solution over the years in these practice amps was to insert an aux cable in the headphone jack to prevent the power surge to the speaker. I'm happy to report the Mustangs do not suffer from this which. Is O D nitpicking but I've sold amps before because it's annoying and sometimes startling.
I'm hoping the reviews are true and the LT40S which is physically smaller (same width and depth but half the height) does sound better than the LT25. Either way I am embracing technology and enjoying this journey and will b keeping one of the amps.
---
Forgive any typos, I typed this on my phone tried to catch and correct what I could.
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