Fender '57 Custom Deluxe Tone & Volume Controls - help

[frankgravante]

On the Fender '57 Custom Deluxe

Could some one explain the way the Tone, the two Volume controls and the Bridge setting interacts?

I noticed this for example...

Setting:
Input: Instrument, Single (not bridged)
Instrument Volume: 12
Mic Volume: 0

1) Tone Control diminished effect with increased Volume?
Under settings above, with a Volume control wide open the Tone control effect is vastly reduced...almost negligible. When Volume is below 8 the Tone has effect. Curious as to why.

2) Mic Volume effects Instrument Volume?
Under settings above, if you increase the MIC Volume to 10-12 it lowers the Instrument Volume. (It is more noticeable if you have the instrument volume at 3)

Obviously the two Volume Circuits are working together no matter which input you use, the Instrument or the Mic. Understanding how this works when using the Jumper cable bridged setting would really help to shape the Tone.

Any explanations would be appreciated!

Thanks

[carlaz]

I can't offer specific guidance on the Fender '57 Custom Deluxe model, but in my experience, the controls on current AmpliTube models (or, since at least AT 2 or 3) very closely reproduce the actions of the controls on the physical gear that they model. Thus, you could find a copy of the actual Fender '57 Custom Deluxe manual online (they are readily available), though that might not really answer your question. It's also been my experience that the controls on some vintage amps don't always necessarily really seem to do that much in comparison to those on more contemporary amps, though this can depend on your pickups, the other settings on the amp (as you more or less mention), etc.

In any case, it would not surprise me if the AmpliTube model of the Fender '57 Custom Deluxe is reproducing the behavior of an actual Fender '57 Custom Deluxe (and, though that is technically a contemporary reissue, it also wouldn't surprise me if the reissue Fender '57 Custom Deluxe was more or less reproducing the behavior of the controls of an actual Fender Deluxe from the later '50s)

[frankgravante]

Thanks for the Reply. I did find the manual but it was not very detailed about how the controls interact.

HOWEVER...

I did some work on this and figured out a lot which I was able to confirm with videos I watched of someone with the physical amp.

Here is what I figured out.

Tone Control.
1) Has less effect with increase in either the Instrument or Mic Volume.
2) On the Mic channel, the brightness maxes out at 8 and diminishes as you increase it towards level 12

Volume Controls:

(Gain)
1) The onset of Volume starts at about 2 on either channel and it maxes at 6. From 6 to 11 saturation increases as the amp acts as a compressor. At 12 the compression sags the signal.
2) On the Instrument channel, the bottom and bright opens up progressively as the volume increases to 11.

(Envelope)
1) At the lower volume (3-6) there is a natural compression and decay. After volume 6, as the volume increases up to 11 the compression creates higher saturation, sustain, decay...effectively more distortion. At 12 it clips.

(Attenuation)
1) When the mic volume reaches 11-12 it attenuates the signal, decreasing the volume/saturation effect.

Bridged:
(jumper)
The two different bridged positions Mic to Instrument and Instrument to Mic can be used to manipulate the characteristics of the Amps Volume controls as outlined above.

OVERALL
What I am finding is that this AMP is actually capable of a clean tone and a variety of dirty tones. There is the classical fender saturation. Then when bridged and over driven with attenuation (both volumes 12) you can get a more Marshall like tone.
And for all of them you can work with your guitars controls to shape the tone a lot...at least it works that way with my 60's Telecaster.

Now I have to go try one of these amps in Real Life and see how it compares!

[carlaz]

There ya go! Yes, Fenders are renowned for their cleans, but you can get fine dirt from them with some judicious abuse. Any given real-world physical amp can differ from another of the same make and model, though modern production amps (as are the Fender reissues) are a lot more consistent (usually!) than most vintage amps (even when those vintage amps were new). So, again, I would at least guess that you'll find the real physical amps behaves quite a lot like the digital model.

[Mudhorn_wannabemusician]

How the heck do you use the jumper for two channels? It has a cable shown as plugged into channel #1 but no amount of clicking around provides a way to move the cable or bridge them.
Thanks to anyone who can answer this puzzler.

[huli50]

There are two toggles just adjacent to the input jacks that are 'clickable'. One selects INSTRUMENT vs MIC inputs which will move your guitar cable, and the other selects BRIDGE vs SINGLE (not bridged) which will use or pull the patch cable.

[Mudhorn_wannabemusician]

There are two toggles just adjacent to the input jacks that are 'clickable'. One selects INSTRUMENT vs MIC inputs which will move your guitar cable, and the other selects BRIDGE vs SINGLE (not bridged) which will use or pull the patch cable.

Maybe this image will clarify my question

[huli50]

Ok. I see the confusion. You are looking at the 57 Deluxe model rather than the 57 Custom Deluxe model, which this thread has been talking about. The 57 Custom Deluxe has the two toggles I mentioned. The 57 Deluxe that you are talking about, however, only has one channel modeled, the instrument channel. I assume the other input shown in the GUI is just for show. You can't move the cable to the other input.

[Mudhorn_wannabemusician]

Ok. I see the confusion. You are looking at the 57 Deluxe model rather than the 57 Custom Deluxe model, which this thread has been talking about. The 57 Custom Deluxe has the two toggles I mentioned. The 57 Deluxe that you are talking about, however, only has one channel modeled, the instrument channel. I assume the other input shown in the GUI is just for show. You can't move the cable to the other input.

Forgive me, for I am a noob. Thanks for clearing it up