Fender Prosonic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fender Prosonic guitar amplifier was produced by Fender Musical Instruments in the latter half of the 1990s. Available in head and combo versions, the Prosonic featured several departures in design from traditional Fender amplifiers such as the Bassman, Twin Reverb, or Deluxe Reverb. Designed by Bruce Zinky as a project for the Fender Custom Shop, the amplifier later had a non-Custom Shop production run at the Fender facilities in Corona, California (most contemporary Fender amplifiers are produced in Mexico). Initially priced to compete with the so-called boutique amplifier market, it is believed that high list prices, and deviations from established Fender Amplifier designs swayed many buyers away from the Prosonic. Many retailers cut the prices significantly as the 1990s came to a close, and the Prosonic developed a cult following, closely tied to the rise of musician-centric internet communities.
Contents |
[edit] Innovations and sound
The Prosonic introduced several features that had previously been seldom or never seen in Fender amplifiers. The most unique feature of the Prosonic is the switchable Rectifier, allowing on-the-fly changes of operating mode and output power (as well as subjective tonal differences). This feature, originally found on Randall Smith's Mesa Boogie amplifiers, allows the Prosonic to achieve a versatility very rarely seen from mass-market instrument manufacturers. The Prosonic can operate in either Class A (cathode bias), Class AB (grid bias), or Class AB/SS mode- the latter of which uses a solid-state rectifier. The output power is scaled higher in each option, yielding 30, 50, or 60 watts respectively. Many users marvel at tones achieved in the Class A mode, and typically, it's at this setting that the amplifier garners comparisons to products from 'Boutique' amp makers. Few Fender amplifiers have ever featured a Class A design.
A channel switching amp, the Prosonic offers a clean channel that features a blend of traditional Fender sounds with the influence of Vox amplifiers, frequently attributed to the class A mode. Many players praise the Prosonic's clean channel as being 'softer,' and more prone to break-up and musically desirable distortion, than more contemporary Fender designs. Detractors point out an apparent 'darkness' in tone, and the lack of a typical Fender 'sparkle.'
The Prosonic also brought levels of gain (distortion) previously unseen in a Fender amplifier. Taking a major cue from the first generation of Mesa Boogie amplifiers such as the Mark I, (itself a modified Fender design), the Prosonic used additional gain stages in the preamp section that cascaded into one another. Although Fender had been designing amps with some facility for built-in distortion/overdrive since at least the late 1960s, never before had they arrived at a sound so readily usable for modern high-gain styles of music, and far removed from what many players consider to be archetypical Fender tones.
[edit] Configurations and cosmetics
Prosonics were available first from the Fender Custom Shop, and later from Fender Musical Instruments, and for each production run, combo amplifiers featuring dual Celestion 10" speakers, and head versions were available. Although the circuitry is identical, users with experience playing both production runs claim the original, Custom Shop run is of a higher quality. The combo version featured a tube-driven, Accutronics spring reverb, not included in the head version.
While the vast majority of Prosonics were shipped with the standard black covering, some of the Custom Shop run were finished in snakeskin, mint-green, and red 'lizard' tolex. The look of the amplifier borrows simultaneously from several eras of vintage Fender design: 'chicken-head' pointer knobs (as used on circa 1950s 'tweed' models), a flat script logo reminiscent of the short-lived 'brown face' designs (of the early 1960s), and the silver grill cloth, jewel lamp, and black control plate as used during the 'black face' period (mid-1960s).
[edit] Specifications and electronics
An all-tube design, the Prosonic uses 12AX7A tubes for the preamp sections (and for the reverb send on the combo model). Output tubes are 5881/6L6WGs. The rectifier tube is a 5AR4/GZ34. Finally, reverb recovery in the combo model is accomplished via a 12AT7.
Although the Prosonic is a channel-switching amp, both channels share the same active-EQ section. Defying conventional logic, the Prosonic features independent master volumes for each channel- or rather, on the 'clean' channel, simply one volume control. The 'dirty' channel features the aforementioned dual cascading-gain controls, plus an additional master volume.
Two outputs for speaker cabinets are provided, (with switchable 4/8/16 ohm operation on the head version). The back panel also provides for a line-level effects loop, as well as footswitch.
[edit] Downfall and influence on future products
Towards the end of the 1990s, poor sales relegated many of the existing stock of Prosonics to closeout status. Theories abound why the Prosonic was never a great success with players: most notably, was the high price. Originally listing at nearly $2000 and commonly retailing for $1300-1600, it was simply perceived as too much money despite innovative design and glowing reviews. The Prosonic also suffered from something of an identity crisis- the cosmetics suggested classic Fender tones, and many players desiring an amp for Blues/Country playing, for example, were put off by the over-the-top lead channel. Conversely, the demographic for high-gain amplifiers, generally the domain of practioners of hard rock and heavy metal, and dominated by products from Marshall and Mesa Boogie, had long written off Fender as incapable of producing amplifiers catering to their style. Several of the Prosonic's quirkier design elements, such as the shared EQ and line-level effects loop, were designed for studio use and weren't ideal for live playing. Understandably, buyers were attracted to the amp's flexiblity, and when used on-stage, these studio-friendly features were perceived as design flaws.
As of 2006, Fender has introduced the Super-Sonic model which draws heavily on some of the elements of the Prosonic. Available in head and combo (a 1x12" in contrast) forms, the Super-Sonic also features the pre-Silverface voiced clean channel paired with the cascading-gain drive channel such as on the Prosonic. Absent is the switchable rectifier or facility to run the amplifier in Class A mode, but a 2 channel EQ has been added to the clean side, as well as a 'voicing switch,' offering tones inspired by the Vibrolux and Bassman models.
[edit] References
- Fender Australia. Prosonic Combo.
