When someone mentions American-style guitar amplifiers, there is really only one name that comes to mind. And for good reason. Since their start in California during the late 1940s, they’ve been designing and crafting some of the finest-sounding and most-recorded electric guitar amps in history. Whether guitarists lean more toward the company’s ‘60s-style glassy cleans or gritty tweed-era tones, all of us revere the legacy that these amps continue to create. With their blackface, brownface, tweed, and modern designs, there is only one company that truly lays claim to the American sound.
The mid 1960s saw the release of the blackface line of amplifiers that changed the way we hear electric guitar today. Sitting comfortably on top of that prestigious line is the Fender Twin - a high-powered model with twin 12” speakers, and a luxurious 22-watt, single 12” speaker combo that may be the most recorded and gigged amp of all time. The larger of the two is still the quintessential clean tube amp, ideal for everything from jazz to funk, and has even found it’s way into the backline of hard rock players such as Mark Tremonti. And with the perfect blend of power-amp grind and sparkling-clean top end, the Fender Deluxe Reverb has garnered a list of players much too long to list. Add to both amps’ list of accomplishments some of the most sought-after tremolo and reverb circuits in history, and these two American combos may be the most iconic guitar amps of all time.
No list of electric guitar amp tones is complete without the sounds you’ll enjoy from your Synergy T/DLX preamp module. Carefully crafted to elicit the pure tones of two of California’s most iconic guitar amps, the T/DLX module may well be your go-to clean and vintage-voiced tonal solution. On one channel - based on the sound of the Fender Twin - you’ll find the high-headroom clean tones that are also ideal as a pedal platform. Dial up the gain on the second channel and you’ll be greeted with real 12AX7-driven, Fender Deluxe Reverb-like breakup and sag that makes those luxury 1 x 12” combos so inspiring. To ensure the T/DLX preamp module sounds terrific though your rig, we even included bright and tight buttons, which change the tone’s character to nail the sound you’re looking for. No matter what version of 1960s California tone you crave, you’ll find it in the Synergy T/DLX Preamp Module.
Fender, Bassman, Twin, and Deluxe Reverb are trademarks of Fender Corporation.
CATHODE SELECT SWITCH:
The T-DLX module features a three position switch on the PCB which allows you to configure the input tube bass response to match the original circuit of the selected module. This will affect the feel and tightness. Each amp designer has a specific combination of components that makes up their input tube circuit. We have selected the three most popular combinations which you can access with this switch. For example, Friedman modules use position 2. The USA voiced modules typically use setting 1. The Soldano SLO uses position 3. Of course, you can experiment and try any of the positions to see what you prefer. The modules will come preset to the designers preferred setting which for the T/DLX module is position 1 ( 1.5K resistor and 22uf capacitor).
DUAL<>SINGLE SLIDE SWITCH:
The T-DLX module features a secondary switch allowing the new Synergy modules to be used in older single channel Egnater and Randall modular amps/preamps that do not accept the dual channel modules. This allows access to either of the module channels when that slot is turned on. You will still not be able to switch between the two channels due to the limitations of the older hardware. You can set it so either module channel one or module channel two will turn on when the slot is selected. Set to Dual when using the module in units that have the switching circuit to access both modules. If you are using a single channel only amp/preamp, setting to DUAL will make the bottom module channel active. Set to Single will cause the top channel of the module to come on when selected.