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.)   

"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/

Customer Reviews:

 

FM763 - Dear Jim, How are you, family and employees doing now ? I have had the Super Vibe FM-763 for about 6 months now and have tried many tube combinations. During that time I have found many combinations all of which sound great in their own unique ways. This amps versatility is unmatched because of the very high quality components used. I am sure that you will not find this in any amplifier from a major manufacturer at any price. This amp delivers beautiful sounding overtones and harmonics, so much that I often let chords sustain and enjoy these absolutely beautiful sounds. 10 years ago I never imagined that my playing could sound this good. I mostly play with the M channel at about 7 and the F channel at 3. This gives it a very nice fat Marshall sound which I completely love and enjoy. This amp is an electronic work of art from the design stages until the final build. From this I conclude that this company absolutely loves what they do, true pros. For me the search for great tones is completed. I give my strongest recommendation to Jim Frenzel and Company as I truly believe you cannot do better anywhere else. Thank you Very Much and Good Luck To All At Frenzel Tube Amps. Donald K Bazille (Thailand) 

 

FM763 GUITAR AMP - Amp sounds amazing both bass and guitar made hairs on my neck stand up 👏  Love the F & M input options. Zero complaints! Thanks for building this amp I love it! Best, Aaron P. (California)

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 FM763SVR Frenzel Super Vibe 763 - 1.5 years later.   Dear Jim, These days I am getting a lot of compliments on my guitar playing, but I think it is the absolutely beautiful tone that is getting the attention. I have tried a lot of different tubes in this amp and have settled on the following ; Preamp tubes are 1. Sylvania 12AX7 2. Sylvanis 12AV7 3, GE 5963. Trem and reverb tubes are 2 ea 12AX7 Shuguang and 1 Sylvania 12AT7. The rectifier tube is the original JJ 5AR4 and last of all 2 fantastic sounding NOS Tesla (not JJ) Mil Spec KT88s. I am not real sure how much my playing has improved, but this amp's tone cannot be beat. Thanks Again For Such A Superior Product!  Donald K Bazille (Thailand) 

 

5 YEAR FOLLOW-UO ON FRENZEL FM763 "SUPER VIBE" AMP - Dear Jim and Friends At Frenzel, I hope all of you are doing well at this difficult time. I cant add much to my previous review except to say little has changed since then. At one point I had a low volume problem and it turned out to be a shorted speaker cable. When I found and repaired it  and then tried the amp again it works perfectly, no blown fuses or other components and I have to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised that this dead short did not destroy anything. I further have to add that this speaks volumes about the build quality of your products. Now the current tube line up is V1 Sylvania 12AX7, V2 Sylvania 12AV7, V3 Silvertone by Sylvania 12AU7 this first 3 combination gives this amp great harmonics and sustain. V4 and V5 are Baldwin by Sylvania 12AX7, V6 is Sylvania 12AT7,  V7 and V8 are Shuguang EL34B, V9 is a Svetlana 5U4G. This overall combination works very much to my enjoyment. Once again thanks for building a great amplifier, 5 years later I am still completely satisfied.  Take Care - Donald K Bazille (Thailand)

Hey Jim - I am very happy with the amp - so far I've run a les paul and a tele through it, and it has nailed every sound I wanted it to. With the Master Volume and attenuator function, I am able to dial in any gain sound I want, and use the guitar's volume to control gain, which means I won't have to re-learn how to get 'my sound' every time I set up in a different sized room!  I can use one amp for any practice or gig I am likely to get.   Proud owner of FM-763!  Dave D. (Colorado)

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Telecaster Guitar Forum Review - The Super Vibroverb is loosely based on a Fender Vibroverb, but with some added features. It is a 40w head, with a built in attenuator which can cut power to 1/2 or 1/4 settings, and has tube Tremolo and a tube driven accutronix reverb tank.

I tested it out with a JD tele with Cavalier pickups and a Les Paul with '57 pickups. The cabinet I played through is GK 4x10 bass Cabinet with two Pyle driver bass speakers and two Eminence Ramrods.

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I am actually shocked by the versatility of this amp - in full power mode it has a ton of clean headroom and really picks up subtle adjustments to the pick attack, guitar volume and tone controls. It has two inputs, labeled 'F' and 'M,' each of which has a gain control, and a master volume that controls both. With the gain, master and attenuator, I can dial in the sound I want with the gain/master and then adjust the output depending on the size of the room, basically allowing you to choose your blend of preamp and poweramp breakup at any volume you like (well, maybe not ANY volume..)the tremolo has rate and depth controls, and seems to be able to hit fluttery surf stuff and choppy Link Wray style stuff easily. The reverb is very musical sounding, and seems very usable at all levels.  I've played around with attenuators before, and used a few amps that had a pentode/triode function to reduce power, and all of them seemed to lack something tonally at lower settings. I won't say this one is perfect, but it is the best I've tried, and I think if I was using a lower power cabinet (my 4x10 can handle 300w) it may have been less noticeable. On the 'F' channel, it was not very noticeable, but the 'M' channel seemed to get a little more flat as I brought it from 40->20->10w output. I think this is because the M channel has a lot more Mids than the F (which is fairly scooped, as it should be). It was certainly not enough to prevent me from using the setting in either channel, in fact I think I might have been looking for something to gripe about so am not just bragging about how cool my new amp is. Because it is pretty damn cool - with a few knob twists I can go from saturated, compresssed pure overdrive to bright sparkling cleans. It wasn't exactly cheap to buy, but for a hand-wired amp with tube reverb and tremolo it is pretty reasonable. Jim Frenzel has been very responsive to my emails, and all in all I am VERY pleased with my buying experience. It did take about 2 months from when I ordered it until it arrived, but I knew that when I ordered it, so I can't complain about that!  Despres - Tele Meister

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)

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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