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Fender ExcelsiorItem ID: Excelsior13-watt 1 x 15" Boutique-style Tube Combo Guitar Amplifier with Three Individually Optimized Inputs and Tremolo Circuit 
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From Our Research Team:Old-school Vibe, Boutique ToneThe FENDER® Pawn Shop Excelsior combo amp has to be one of the more distinctively boutiquey guitar amps we've seen. With 13 watts of 6V6 power and a 15" Special Design speaker, the Excelsior sports a brown textured vinyl covering, an unusual E-shaped grille design, and a delightfully bizarre crossed-swords front-panel badge. The Excelsior has three inputs - guitar, mic, and accordion - each with individually optimized circuitry. A tremolo circuit (with speed control) and a bright/dark tone switch complete the featureset. If you're in the mood for something "different," you've found it - Fender's Pawn Shop Excelsior.Fender Pawn Shop Excelsior Combo Guitar Amp at a Glance:
Look different Everything about the Fender Pawn Shop Excelsior combo amp shouts "different." With its delightfully eccentric styling, you won't see yourself coming and going very often. Then, there's the sound. There again, Fender's whipped up something rather tasty and unique. Sound different The Fender Pawn Shop Excelsior is fitted with two 6V6s driving a 15" - with a trem circuit and bright/dark switch along for the ride. Among guitarists, fifteens have a fiercely loyal, almost cult-ish following. You get sonic magic with that massive cone flapping about - especially when driven with a lower-wattage tube amp with a bit of sag. Add a whole new dimension to this already-awesome amp: hook it up to an extension cabinet and get ready to be amazed. If you haven't had the pleasure, you really have to experience this for yourself. Juice your tone with a boutiquey vibe One of the things that separates us guitarists from other musicians is our appreciation for real analog. Analog tone circuits, sure - but also good old-fashioned mechanics. The physical interaction of a valve amp with a speaker cone. Fender gets it (of course they do) - that's why they design and build such wonderful tone candy. Add a fresh, unconventional vibe to your music with the Fender Pawn Shop Excelsior. Fender Pawn Shop Excelsior Combo Guitar Amp Features:
On a tone quest? Check out the Fender Pawn Shop Excelsior combo amp! Excelsior Image Gallery
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Reviewsbased on 10 reviewsFender Excelsior
by William Lee from Utah
sounds really great. Made my Tele come to life. But the Taylor T-5 sounds better than it ever has. This is the first amp I have got that sounded great right out of the box without adding pedals. I... read more [+] have added a reverbe pedal and it really came to life then. Would give this amp a 9.5 as it is a little heavy but worth it. close [-]
May 21, 2012 Music Background: Hobbyist/Student A Retro Styled Amp That Delivers Unique Vintage Vibe
by Terry Orr from Alberta, Canada
First off , I have to congratulate Fender on making an amp that doesn't try to sound like any other amp they make. The Excelsior recreates that unique vibe of many old amps that were traded by their o... read more [+]wners after they bought their "proper" expensive amps. The combination of push-pull 6V6 tubes + huge speaker + small transformers = funky compression. The sound of Compressing 6V6 power tubes in the Excelsior allows it to go from smooth and polite sounding to angry and snarling in one twist of the volume knob. That is what made those old amps fun and the people that designed the Excelsior knew exactly what they were doing. The addition of bias tremelo and a simple tone circuit that doesn't get in the way is a plus for this design. The fact that the amp is beautiful and creates sounds that Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker would have appreciated makes this amp feel like a classic. The price point is amazing for an amp that might become somebody's weapon of choice on their next album. The only negative with the amp is the cheap tubes, particularly the preamp tubes that randomly get fizzy, make popping sounds and fade in and out. I put in some old Siemens preamp tubes and eliminated the nasty fizz and random noise and gained smoother breakup and compression. I feel like I stole the amp for the price Fender sells these for and I have to fight the impulse to buy a couple more. As a side note I took the amp to a very expensive vintage guitar shop and let the owner try it without telling him anything about it and and he thought I was delusional when I told him it was a new inexpensive Fender amp. He said "we could sell tons of these to go with our guitars" and looked sad to see it leave the store. That was quite a compliment considering he has a store full of classic gear. close [-]
May 20, 2012 Music Background: semi pro musician, sound engineer Fender Excelsior
by Roger Morton from Tampa,FL
If you're looking for an older 'rootsy' sound this is a GREAT amp. The 15" speaker has enough thump behind it to move air with authority thanks to the 13 watts of power. The high/low switch works well... read more [+] with the 3 input jacks to provide a wide ranging tonal palette. The tremolo has a good range of pulse to it and sounds pretty good left on at the minimum setting pretty much all of the time to get swampy just edge it up a tad it is really about the first 'effect' and it still works cool today. I've played it with a load of different guitars including various Tele's, Gibson's and homemade instruments with many boutique pups and they ALL sound excellent through it. This amp LOVES pedals, I have a small pedal board and they all articulate well especially the Boss FRV-1 '63 Fender Reverb which can and will rock your world. Slide guitar through this amp has a singing quality that is hard to deny, add in a harmonica to the mic jack with an old bullet mic and use it for harmonica and vocals makes it sound like you've stepped into an old juke joint. When paired with another amp that uses 2-12's you have a dynamic stereo rig covering the mids/highs with the 12's and the bottom range with that massive 15" speaker. I used that set-up with a guitar synthesizer at a jam recently and all of that tube goodness made the instrument representations really come to life...no more PA if I can help it anymore. I have not found anything to dislike about this amp but there is a LOT to like. If there are any concerns they are minimal and barely relevant but here they are...1) 13 watts doesn't sound like a lot on paper but this puppy moves some air it's probably not a good choice for a late night practice amp or apartments, yes you can turn it down..but that volume will mysteriously creep back up into eviction range before you know it. 2) I had ghost notes and with a strange rattle when leaning into the strings at anything above 9 o'clock on the volume. New pre-amp tubes solved that where V1 seemed to be the culprit, so you might be prepared to get a decent 12AX7 for there, I put a 12AT7 in V2 and the headroom increased a bit before distortion which is a personal preference. Maybe I just got bad/microphonic tubes. Like I said not any real big concerns I seem to do that to ALL of my tube amps as a matter of course. Is having a 'tone switch' a deal breaker? I haven't missed having the usual pots in the least. This amp has found a lasting place amongst my 'stuff' and I can honestly say it's going to get a regular workout. It looks much cooler in person than the pictures will lead you to believe as well. While you might not think to use one for Metal...because of how well it responds to pedals it might even be OK for that under the right tweaking. This amp is just THAT good. The only other thing that I might add is I'd love to get my hands on a Greta to use as a pre-amp into it, I suspect that is whey they were released together and also why the Greta has a tone control and the tube lay-out it has and the Excelsior has a tone switch and tremolo effect...just thinkin' out loud there. I think Fender has really come up with a winner in this amp. Portable/great sounding/cool looking and yes, LOUD. I have a new first among equals as it's been said. close [-]
May 17, 2012 Music Background: 40+ years player, recorder, gear maven Design, value, and functionality
by Daniel Policarpo from Tulsa, OK
I purchased this amp because I wanted something like an older amp, but without the issues that usually have to be resolved to get a recordable, giggable piece of work out of 40 or 50 year old gear. I... read more [+] didn't know what to expect, to tell you the truth, but I liked that it had 6v6's and 15" speaker, and the dual chasis arrangement found in amps of yesteryear. Not many 15" combo's out there are being released right now. May 1, 2012 Music Background: Working musician/songwriter. Immediately upon opening the box (very well packed for shipping) I was struck by the impressive design. The pictures are enticing, but to have the real deal in front of you is damn exciting. It was heavy, and well constructed. The simplicity and layout are refreshing. I plugged the telecaster in, had the volume at noon, used the Guitar input, Bright setting, and was surrounded by a clean that had grit, character, and shimmer. This is not a scooped EQ setting. As noted elsewhere, this is not a typical Fender amp. Even on the bright, which is very bright, you get a good dose of midrange with a tight low-end undertow. As the speaker gets worked more, the better everything is sounding. This speaker can handle a lot. Pushing to the Dark setting, I had even more pronounced midrange, but the lows were still tight, and the amp still clean. More of an old, vintage vibe there. In fact the amp stayed clean until I was about 80% up the dial, which I really liked. Plugging into all three inputs, the character of the amp is still there, , but you get varying shifts of that essential character. Cranked all the way, this amp sounds fantastic. It can be a little much in a living room, but in large room, the amp is able to fill up a lot of space and is not harsh when pushed. Leveling off the telecaster volume and or tone control a notch allows a really sweet tone that is more fuzzy, not fizzy. All the way up it has a relatively noise free character, it does not buzz excessively at all, and the sound cleans up really nice under the Guitar controls. A Les Paul got the amp to break up quite a bit quicker; around 11:00 on the dial with low output humbuckers. This amp is loud! You can gig this thing, especially if you are in a small combo. Great for country, blues, jazz, and hard garage bands. But I was also able to get a great early Black Sabbath sound working with my Tele tone control! The tremelo is nice and deep as you turn the dial, though it won't pulse super fast. The speaker and tubes are not bad, and I am finding that each guitar I use, whether a Teisco Spectrum, a Jagstang, or Kay archtop, I find a really interesting niche to explore. Harmonica and lap steel sound great, but have not had a chance to hear an accordian, yet. I can't express how much fun this amp is to play through. Sounds great up and down the dial. I hope Fender continues to explore their Pawnshop line, especially if they keep giving us quality offerings like this. close [-] Quirky and retro at their best!
by Devyn Keaton from Bolivar, Mo
I purchased this amp in the hopes of getting a decent, inexpensive tube amp. What I got was better than anything expected! The build quality is superb, and it's a stunning retro design. Sonically, I h... read more [+]aven't found a tone that wasn't useable. That said, this isn't for everyone. Blues, rock, country, and most anything but -core or metal guitarists. The tremolo is swampy and organic, and the minimalist controls make it a joy for plug-in-and-play purists and the experimental. The speaker offers well defined tones, both clear and harmonically rich. The overdrive brings to mind a great vintage Bassman. I've payed more for amps, but have never been so pleased after paying so little. If stolen, would instantly repurchase it. close [-]
April 22, 2012 Music Background: Avid gear freak and tone chaser Also popular
Fender Excelsior
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