In response to a steep decline in amplifier sales in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Fender restructured their amplifier design team in 1982. Managed by Paul Rivera—of Rivera Amplification fame—the team moved quickly in creating the II Series of Fender Amps, which were produced until 1986. Often called “Rivera-era amps,” this line included recognizable model names like the Showman, Deluxe Reverb, and Twin Reverb, as well as new models, like the Studio Lead, London Reverb, and Montreux. Each model sported one or more modern upgrades, including master volume controls, channel switching, active tone controls, graphic equalizers, and effects loops, among others.
The ’86 Super Champ Deluxe featured here is one of the last examples of the modern circuitry upgrades that were housed in a more traditional package. With a nod to the early days of Fender Tweed amplifiers, the Super Champ Deluxe amps came with a natural oak cabinet and brown grille cloth. Two 6V6GTs pumped 18 watts of power into a 10" speaker, while a Master Volume knob controlled the overall output volume. Pulling out the Volume knob, or hitting a button on the optional footswitch, engaged a mid-gain lead channel, re-routing extra gain from the 12AT7 tube driving the reverb on the clean channel. A second Lead Level knob controlled output for this lead channel. If the player needed some extra cutting power, a tug on the Treble control resulted in a strong midrange boost.
Thanks to Glenn Weatherford 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.
In 1973, the Roland Corporation answered
guitarists’ demand for a portable, durable,
and, most importantly, affordable way to get
the popular tape echo sound on the road
and in the studio—the Space Echo series.
While the RE-100 and RE-200 units were
groundbreaking, it only took Roland one
year to redefine the line with the release of
RE-201 in 1974. Building off of an already
impressive set of features, the RE-201
offered a spring reverb tank, bass and treble
controls for the effected sound, and 12
operating modes, which could combine the
three playback heads in different combinations—
with or without reverb. Throw in one
instrument and two microphone inputs, all
with independent level controls, as well as
a line-level input, and the RE-201 became
one of the most popular tape echo units not
only for guitarists, but vocalists and sound
engineers as well. The RE-201 Space Echo
was so popular that Roland kept producing
them up until 1990, even after releasing the
RE-301 and RE-501 models.An early example of the classic effects unit, this 1977 RE-201 is in great shape, which is a testament to the tank-like sturdiness of the Space Echo. It still runs smoothly and sounds great, thanks in part to the low-tension, free-floating design of the tape loop. From great vintage slapback sounds (à la John Lennon records) to wild oscillation and pitch shifting madness, this all-original RE-201 has it covered.
Thanks to Howie Statland at Rivington Guitars for listing this unit on Gear Search. Whether you’re looking to channel classic mojo through vintage effects or be at the cutting edge with the latest boutique stompboxes, there’s a great chance you’ll find your next effect at Gear Search. More than 47,000 pieces of gear are listed, including some of the rarest gear in the world.