Review by Ken Morgan - Voting Member & Producer for the Grammy's

(Ken Morgan is a longtime musician, recording engineer and producer,.  He is a voting member of the Grammy, member of the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Grammy, and has written dozens of pro-audio equipment reviews for various online publications.)   

 

Guitarists have long sought to find amplifiers to suit their personalities and allow them to express their musical thoughts with gear not standing in the way, or being a part of that expression.  As a player with well over 35 years of stage and studio time, every amp I've played through, be it the latest and greatest, cheapest disposables, classic standby, revered names from through out guitar amp history, they all have left me wanting something else, until now.  

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I found the Frenzel Super Deluxe with octal preamp tubes.  Now, the search is over.  The Frenzel Super Deluxe is a 50/25/12 watt amp with the same circuits and components as the original Fender, but adds a couple of features.  More power, additional tone controls, an an effects loop that actually works, optional reverb, multi-purposed presense control, speaker mute for silent recording, switchable speaker impedance, and as a bonus, a master volume setup that allows the amp to achieve that famous Deluxe drive at reasonable volumes. 

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The amp's tone controls are more interactive than one would suspect, as they are advertised to be modeled after 'classic 60s JTM45 – Bassman 5F6 style 3 band controls.'  Having owned both of these amps, I can say the sounds are very close, but expand quite a bit on the basic theme with the addition of the presence control (5F6A circuit).  The amp comes standard with JJ's 6L6s, but can use 5881, KT66, 6550 without rebias.  Additionally, EL34s can be used with the flick of a switch on the rear of the amp – extremely cool variations are available without any real hassle, should the user choose.

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The amp also features a post output transformer line out with level control that disconnects the speaker load.  You can use this as a DI to a console, or as a headphone amp is you choose.  A stunningly useful option.

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I chose to get the octal preamp tubes, 6SL7s, as an upgrade over the standard 12AX7s.  The sonic differences are not small.  The combination of octal preamp tubes, power tubes, and a tube rectifier, all wired without any circuit board, turret board, or anything except direct point to point wiring makes for the purest guitar tone I've experienced.  When I unpacked the box, I was surprised at the lengths Frenzel took to ensure safe shipping.  Inside the shipping box was another box, isolated by Styrofoam cubes in the fashion of a shock mounted rack case, to protect the amp.  Unpacking the box within the box was no easy task, either, as it was stuffed, packed, and double packed like no other shipped product I've experienced in 20 years.  (I've seen multi-thousand dollar digital consoles with hundreds of circuit boards shipped in less than half the protection the Frenzel has...hats off to Jim!).  The JJ's and Sovtek tubes were packed inside the amp, not installed.  Very simple, but comprehensive instructions on installation and initial powering up were, of course, included and easy to read.

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Now the fun part!  I hooked the amp up to a closed back 112 with an Eminence I pulled out of a Twin Reverb years ago, and plugged in my favorite Telecaster – an old custom built sunburst loaded with Duncans, featuring the Jim Glaser (Brent Mason) blend control for the middle strat pickup.  I powered the amp, watched everything come to life, and after 5 minutes activated the standby switch.  Setting every control straight up to the 12 oclock position, I was greeted with a powerful and immediately usable sound – usable, but much louder than I anticipated.  Rolling the mids back to the 10 o'clock position (there are no numbers on the control panel – my preference) the highs and and presence up to about 2, the master up and the gain down, I found my sound.  It literally took longer to unpack the box than it did to find the sound I had been seeking for 35 years. After playing the amp a bit, I started experimenting, to see what else was in there.  Turning the amp gain wide open the the master down, I found the sound of a dimed Deluxe – not harsh, but smooth and creamy, and cleaning back up when easing up on right hand attack or when rolling the guitar volume down (!!!!)  The Super Deluxe is NOT meant for metal, but is the ultimate blues machine.  The amp also excels at jazz sounds, as it never (in spite of my best efforts) flabs out in the low end.  Bass notes were tight, controlled, and detailed, never unpleasant.  It is not brittle in its high end response, either, just clear and bright. I should mention here that this amp is the quietest amp I've encountered.  There is no hiss, hum, buzz, anything.  If one hears any noise while the unit is idling, it comes from something else, not the amp.

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Taking things a bit further, I pushed the mids up to about 3 o'clock, with a meat and boldness always lacking in Fender designs.  I would love to hear this amp through an old pre-Rola Marshal 4-12 cab.  The power setting control know on the back of the amp is wonderful, allowing the Frenzel to sing without all the volume.  Try as I could, it was impossible to get a bad sound out of the Super Deluxe.

On two different gigs with this amp, I was able to achieve sounds previously unattainable.  My personal preference is an open back cab with 2 AlNiCo 10s, your preference may be different, but your results will be nevertheless stunning.  My personal preference is somewhere in the (very expensive Vince Gill) sound, and achieving this was almost too easy with the Super Deluxe.  A couple of analog pedals, a guitar, and a telecaster, and there I was – but when it was time to get dirty, the Frenzel responded with authority.  The Frenzel Super Deluxe amp is the kind of tool that can make such impact that it allows you to become a better player.  The price is far below what the value of the unit. 

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This amp also records beautifully.  A couple of tracks already laid down for a local artist, one with some rapid fire chicken pickin' stuff, the other with a Les Paul Deluxe in the style of Merle Travis.  A U47FET clone and a Jurassic EV omni dynamic captured the amp's sounds to the point there will be no need for further EQ or processing.  It really is that good.

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Niggles?  Yes, but perhaps of my own choosing.  I ordered the amp with the steel cage, the least expensive option, but am working with Jim Frenzel now to get my unit put into a more roadworthy wood head box.  The face place seems a bit fragile, as mine got a small crack on it when an errant case caught the corner at a gig.  Again, superb support from Jim Frenzel to save the day

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Conclusion:  I don't say this lightly – Jim Frenzel's design is perhaps the best thing in the guitar amp world I personally have experienced in over 35 years of performing.  The exceptional price (well under $900 as detailed above) not withstanding, the amp is a quality built product with impeccable detail in fit, finish, and most importantly, sound.  Available only as a custom build from WWW.Frenzeltubeamps.com these things are in this reviewer's opinion as good as amplifiers will ever be, and then some.  Check em out.

 

(Ken Morgan is a longtime musician, recording engineer, producer, and all around nuisance.  He is a voting member of the Grammy, member of the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Grammy, and has written dozens of pro-audio equipment reviews for various online publications.  Ken and his wife reside in Midland, TX)  

"Ultimate Guitar" Review by Robert Roy

"Beginner Guitar HQ Magazine" - From our friend  Ray @ Beginner Guitar HQ  - I was doing research on guitars and just finished reading your wonderful article in "Ultimate Guitar" on the Super Deluxe 550. Keep up the good work!  Warmly, Ray (New Zealand) *** Ray has written an excellent  detailed and comprehensive article on how to choose a guitar with 15 factors to consider according to science. It has more than 7,000 words packed with practical tips and advice. Here is a link  https://beginnerguitarhq.com/best-guitar/  Here is another link from our friend Andy https://theguitarscout.com/choosing-your-first-guitar/

Customer Reviews:

FM-5E3SD RETRO - Hey Frenzel Team - Proud to say, as of yesterday, I now own an awesome, lightly used, FM-5E3SD  "Super Deluxe with the Quad of 6V6's and the 6SL7 Retro preamp upgrades. It sounds amazing; looking forward to rocking out with this amp for years to come... Ryan D. "RCD Media/The Scarecrow Project Band" (California)

FM-5E3SD  - Jim... I gotta tell you, I have never heard an amp that is better that the FM-5E3SD  you built for me several years ago. It has a three-dimensionality and complexity of sound that I have not heard elsewhere. That head, when paired with my open-backed 2x12 loaded with vintage alnicos, is my desert islander. Robert S. (IL) 

FM-5E3SD - I want to thank Mike Gee Kustoms for the amazing "Rivers Cuomo Strat-o-Master" Guitar and Frenzel Tube Amps for the amazing "Super Deluxe" all tube Guitar amp. Without affordable High quality instrumentation and Equipment like this I would not be where I am today. Dominic Antonelli 

FM-5E3SDR - Hi Jim!! How are you? Just writing to say that I've received the amp today, and I must say it Kills!! Really really sweet, warm, I love both inputs and the reverb also sounds great!! Really, Im very impressed! Its so much better than my expectations :) Thank you so much for the attention and fast shipping. Thank you very much! Regards!! Julia Brandao. (Brazil)

FM-5E3SDR -Thank You very much! This is by far the best amp I have ever owned (perhaps played thru?).My Carvin guitar with DiMarzio super 2’s thru a Keeley compressor, plugged into a Mesa 2/12 cab w/Celestion V30’s gives me all the tone  I need and then some. Again, Thanks.  Brian S. (California)

FM-5E3SD - Hi Jim, I made a combo cab (see Pictures page)for my Frenzel Super Deluxe head......I’m pleased with the results and the amp sounds great!! Lots of compliments on how good it sounds (and a few compliments on how good it looks...lol). I borrowed some design ideas from here and there and added some of my own as well. The speaker and amp are separated from each other by 3/4” plywood and there are deflectors that direct the sound coming off the back of the speaker out the side ports.  Glenn T.. (British Columbia, Canada)

FM-5A3SD/6SL7 - Thanks Jim, Got the amp today. Picked it up at the post office, put the tubes in and used it on the gig. Sounds great! I'm really impressed with the fat, but still tight, compression of the 6SL7 tubes. Also the Lineout/powersoak/speak.sim is the best Lineout I've tested. I pulled back all the treble on the PA system and pushed the mid a bit to sound like the speaker I was on (marshall1912... which is dark in character). But then, the feel, which always is the thing that gets lost in the "line out" process, was identical to the speaker feel.   Kudos! Thomas D. (Norway) 

Hi Jim, I just want to drop a note of thanks for the FM-5A3SD amp you built me. It sounds better than I hoped for! My Super Retro Deluxe (6SL7 preamp) is gigging regularly and is a joy! Thanks again, I couldn't be happier! Christian S. (Washington)

 

Thank You Jim and company for the quality of the product you build. I can’t say I play a lap steel guitar but I like to mess around with one a lot. I have a small 5 watt tube amp and was surprised at the difference in the sound quality. expecially the low notes. I ordered the super deluxe 550 50 watt with all the options except the 100 watt and the input power options for other countries. I use  quarter power most of the time. I thought my old Supro had weak windings. If it does, this amp is a good substitute for changing out the pick up. I like pedals and I use a little bit of overdrive, reverb and echo to get the exact tone I like. This amp is everything I hoped it would be and much more. If you compare this to the brand new Mexican products, how much more did I get for my money? The versatility of this amp alone should be worth at least 2 times as much and still be getting a real bargain. That wouldn’t be factoring in the US parts and  hand built quality! Some might say I went overboard for buying this amp. I don’t gig, It is only for my own enjoyment and the sound quality I get from this amp sometimes makes me almost drool while I’m playing. Does anyone know what I mean or am I just a weirdo. To me that’s worth it. Once I’m done with it and I’m dead and gone, a real musician might end up with it, that’s where it really belongs, I think. Thanks for the opportunity to own a amp like this.  Rick C. (Kansas)

Jim, just to let you know,  I am a 53 year old Blues Rocker that has played professionally for 35 years, I have owned, and still own Fenders Marshalls Mesas & Laneys, (just love the toys)  This is the most dynamic colourful amp I have ever used...  Brenton J. (Australia)

Jim, this is an astonishing amplifier. Thanks so much for your great work. Please pass my kudos on to everyone involved WOW.This amplifier is, for lack of a better term, lush and responsive.WOW. Thanks, Gary H. (Louisiana) 

FM-5E3SD - Hi Jim. Sorry it's taken me so long to let you know what I think of my amp. I received it last Tuesday and I wanted to do an unboxing video for YouTube at my friends studio. Well life happens and we weren't able to do it till Sunday. WOW! It's everything I had hoped for, and more.... My friend and I played and played. Thank you for putting out a solid product. I'm sure we will be doing business together again in the future. Bob P.  (Oregon)

Dear Jim and Company - A buddy of mine bought a second-hand FM-5E3SD from another player in our small Canadian town and we both agree that it is the best amp we've ever heard (I'm a young feller but he's been gigging professionally for decades and has owned virtually everything under the sun at one time or another). Finally, I've got to say that you guys are geniuses! I absolutely love the way that you nail the vintage tones of these amps, but build them to a modern standard that allows them to be tweaked almost infinitely Mmy friend was running 2 KT-88s in his and no matter how far to the right we turned the volume, the sound would not break up without a pedal. Truly astounding! The way that you run your business is also a breath of fresh air in these modern times. You don't brag because you don't have to; your work speaks for itself- and speaks loudly for that matter. You offer remarkable quality at prices that put any other manufacturer that I've ever seen to shame (on both fronts).Tone wizards and nice guys? What a combination?!? James M. (Canada)

Hi Jim - Holy yowza!Thank you and thank you again! It is unbelievable tone and craftsmanship. Looks great and sounds even better. The rich harmonics are amazing! And I can't believe the great tones it gets when you push it into overdrive. Simply stunning. You have earned a loyal fan and willing brand preacher and preach the love of Frenzel amps I will. Thank you again. Your newest admirer and fan, Mike D. (Texas)

Jim - When I turned it on... it was like a dream come true! Absolutely georgeus sound! Best amp I've ever had (I had Peavey, Marshall, Laney and many others) and ever played (played almost every amp on the planet)! You are a Tube Wizard! Love the sound, light weight and simplicity. Thank's God I had the opportunity to try your amp and became a believer. I am proud to have it and to use it. Thanks a lot for your help and for your amp. God Bless, Art - From Poland  

Hey Guys, - Just a note to say the amp wows em everywhere. Tone snobs, even the average listener comments on the great tone. Two sound engineers at live concerts said to me "perfect guitar tone"  I now own two other amps purchased from you after hearing the first one. I just finished building another cabinet/ stack for a friend of mine who bought one. One I bought for the wife is the Purple snake-skin with red Hollowbody- the other is Marshall Red Elephant Tolex. Leon T. (Oregon) 

Hey Guys,  -  I just bought another FM-5E3SD Super Deluxe-this one off Ebay.(why would somebody get rid of one?) This makes 3 in my studio, 4 on stage as our other guitarist has one. The best tone machine on the planet - I know it is for me, and has made believers out of those in earshot. My original has been flawless on stage and studio since day one over 3 years ago. Thanks for making killer amps affordable. Leon Taylor (Oregon) 

Hi Jim, Love this amp - everyone who plays it is amazed at the touch and tone and all jaws drop at the price. Keep on building! Russ R. (Texas)

FM-5A3RSD/6SL7 - Everything arrived on time and in perfect shape.  Took longer to unpack the box than it did to get a killer Telecaster sound.  You guys done good...thanks!  Ken M.(Texas)

FM-5E3SD/100 - Hey Jim, Gotta say, this is one cool amp! I dig the tones I'm getting from it! I've recently had a few custom amps made that I just wasn't happy with, and then I went back to my trusty Frenzel DP3 that a bought several years ago and I just loved that sound!! My only problem was headroom, but tone was amazing! So I decided on the 100 watt version of the SD! I'll never have to worry about tone and/or headroom EVER!! I love what you do especially for folks like me on a budget. It's definitely great being part of the Frenzel family!!! Jarrett B. (Louisiana)  

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SDX-50  - Good morning, I received my amp yesterday, and it is outstanding. Even after reading all of the glowing reviews, I was amazed by how wonderful it sounds, straight in or with any pedal I put in front of it. I don't imagine I'll be plugging into anything else for the foreseeable future! Thank you, John S. (Kentucky)

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