Fender FM 212 DSP 100W 2x12 Guitar Combo Amp
Type: Amps & Preamps
Manufacturer: Fender
Model: FM 212 DSP
Date Purchased: 08/2008
Purchased At: Long & McQuade
List Price:
Street Price:
Price Paid: $399.99
Features:
100 watts into 8 ohms
2-12 in. Special Design 8 ohm, 75-watt Speakers
2 independent channels with duplicate controls; each channel can be set to any amp type, effect, and EQ setting desired
Both channels include 16 selectable Amp Types including classic Fender Tweed, Blackface, Hot Rod, & Metalhead;
Both channels include 16 DSP effects including Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Tremolo, Vibratone, Flange, and combinations
What I Liked:
-Completely independant set of controls for each channel.
-Light weight.
-Decent tones.
-Built-in effects.
What I Disliked:
-Not very loud. I don't believe this is truly a 100 watt amplifier, as it wouldn't turn up much louder than practice volumes before it would seriously start to distort, regardless of EQ and gain settings.
-The footswitch failed after approximately one month, and it would cause some weird hum noise to be produced (think of the sound that a straining electric motor produces) whenever plugged in. This was sad, as I had not yet used it outside of my bedroom at the time. Fender would not help me with this for some reason.
What I Would Change:
-Make it as resilient and robust as a typical 100 watt amp is.
Recommendation:
-For the money, this amplifier is decent. However, the tones aren't anything anyone should consider recording with, and as for stage volume, it's just not capable. I would recommend this piece to someone who's looking to upgrade from their "lunch box" style amp for the purpose of practicing.