Fender’s legendary tube amp models like
the Champ, Bassman, and Twin, Super, and
Deluxe Reverbs garner much attention from
guitarists and musical historians. Rightfully so,
as these wonders of tube-tastic circuitry are
some of the finest tone machines ever made.
But under CBS management in 1966, Fender
stepped into the solid-state world with
three new models—the Dual Showman, Twin
Reverb, and Bassman. These amps were different
from anything Fender had previously
offered. New appointments included a silver
control panel angled at 45 degrees, cylindrical
flat-topped knobs, and aluminum trim
surrounding the cab that eventually became
standard for later Fender models.
The Zodiac series was built following their
first solid-state series with better design and
construction, which resulted in a more reliable
amplifier. This series had four models—the Libra, Capricorn, Scorpio, and Taurus—and were built from 1969 through 1971.
Here, we showcase a 1970 Scorpio. It’s a
56-watt combo that is loaded with two new
replacement Fender Eminence 12” speakers.
It features two channels (Normal and
Vibrato), four inputs—two for each channel—
and a bright switch for each channel.
The controls for the Normal channel are just
Volume, Tone, and Bass, while the Vibrato
channel has Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass,
Reverb, Vibrato Speed, and Vibrato Intensity
knobs. The amp is protected with a black
alligator covering and sports Fender’s trademark
silver grille.
Thanks to Rick Tedesco at Guitar Hangar for
listing this amp on Gear Search. Whether
you’re looking for a vintage piece or the
latest on the market, there’s a great chance
you’ll find it at Gear Search. More than
47,000 pieces of gear are listed, including
some of the rarest gear in the world.