Dr.P's Full Review: Fender& Frontman&Trade; 25r Combo Guitar Amplifier
FENDER FRONTMAN II 25R GUITAR AMPLIFIER WITH REVERB
The Fender Frontman II 25R Guitar Amplifier with reverb is a great value for the money. There are few entry level amps made that sound this good, pack this much power, and sell for a discounted price as low as $139.99. The Fender Frontman II 25R is a small step up in price from the Fender Frontman II 15R, which is basically a student or practice amp, which sells for a discounted price of $99.99. However, this small step up in price gets you an amp that really sounds like a Fender guitar amp. Obviously, when I say this is a great amp, I am speaking in relative terms, and I am certainly not trying to compare the sound of this amp to a Fender CyberTwin Digital Guitar Amplifier. An inexpensive amp, like the Fender Frontman II 25R, usually represents a compromise between relative price and relative quality. As with any compromise, there are pros and cons, good points and bad points, and ultimately it comes down to individual preferences and needs. I shall try in this review to highlight the pros and cons of this amp, so that you can make an informed buying decision, if you should at some point consider a possible purchase of the Fender Frontman II 25R Guitar Amplifier with Reverb.
A very nice feature of the Fender Frontman II 25R Amplifier is that all of the input and output jacks, as well as all of the other controls, are located on the front panel of the amp. The current incarnation of the Fender Frontman II 25R Guitar Amplifier produces 25 Watts of RMS power into 8 Ohms, and it has one 10 inch, 8 Ohm, Fender Specially Designed Speaker. The circuitry is all solid state. This amp also has two channels, Normal and Drive. A one-button footswitch can also be used to conveniently select which channel is engaged, but this footswitch is not included in the purchase price, and must be purchased separately.
The Fender Frontman II 25R Guitar amp is a simple, straightforward amp, with few frills. Beginning on the left of the front panel is the one and only guitar input that this amp has. This one input services both Channels of the Fender Frontman II 25R Guitar Amp, and as stated above, the two Channels are a Normal Channel and a Drive Channel. The Normal Channel provides a relatively clean undistorted sound, and the Drive Channel is designed to provide an overdriven or distorted sound. The next dial on the front panel is the Volume Control for the Normal Channel. Adjacent to this is the Gain Control, which adjusts the amount of gain and overdrive in the Drive Channel. Next to this control is the Drive Select switch, which activates the Drive Channel. The next dial is the Volume Control for the Drive Channel, which together with the Gain Control, adjusts the amount of volume in the Drive Channel.
The next three controls on the front panel are the Treble Control (which regulates the high-frequency levels), the Middle Control (which adjusts the middle frequency levels), and the Bass Control (which regulates the low frequency levels). Like the one guitar input jack that is shared by both Channels, the Treble, Middle, and Bass Controls are controls that are shared by both the Normal and the Drive Channels.
Adjacent to the Bass Control knob is the Reverb Control, which is activated by turning the dial in a clockwise direction. The Reverb Control effects the level of Reverb in both the Normal and Drive Channels. Next to the Reverb Control are two RCA inputs which are labeled Auxiliary Inputs. The Auxiliary Inputs can be used to plug in an external device such as a portable CD player, drum machine, etc., to use for accompaniment when practicing. Although the amp section reproduces the sound that is being piped into these RCA plug inputs, the preamp section of the Frontman II 25R does not effect the sound signal coming in, and thus the Volume and Tone Controls of the amp do not effect the sound source of the device being inputted from the Auxiliary Inputs. The sound levels and tone settings are controlled from the outboard device being plugged in to the Auxiliary Input of the Frontman II 25R.
Last, but not least, is the Headphone Output. When something, such as a set of headphones, is plugged into this jack, the speaker to the amp is automatically disconnected, enabling a player to rock out without disturbing anyone else. An added bonus feature, is that this output also can serve as an unbalanced line output to either a sound board for recording purposes, or to a sound system for additional amplification. Another extra feature that I discovered why playing with this amp is that one can run a guitar jack from the Headphone Output of the Fender Frontman II 25R into the input of a good tube amp, such as a 1965 Fender Twin Reverb Reissue, and use this signal to generate a very warm and silky overdriven sound from the tube amp, such as might be obtained from a good distortion or overdrive pedal. However, I want to be clear that I am not recommending this procedure to any one out there, as every amp is different, and obviously, if this trick were to be abused, it could negatively effect both amps. On the other hand, I played with this setup for about an hour, and both amps were just fine. And by the way, the tone was astounding.
This amp is surprisingly compact for an amp that puts out 25 watts RMS of power, and it is 15.5 inches high, 17 inches wide, and 8.25 inches deep. It is also quite light for an amp that puts out 25 watts RMS of power, and weighs in at a mere 25 pounds. This compact design makes it easy to transport the Fender Frontman II 25R Guitar Amp easily from one place to another, such as back and forth from band rehearsal, or to and from small gigs. The Fender Frontman II 25R Guitar Amp is covered in a sturdy Black Textured Vinyl, with a Silver Grille Cloth, and as such, it looks in very much like a smaller brother of the 1960’s Fender Blackface Amps (which of course it is not, as the old Blackface Amps were tube driven, and this amp is solid state).
Like I said earlier in this review, this is a very simple, straightforward amp, with few frills. The only onboard built in effects are Reverb, and the distortion in the Drive Channel. The amp is very simple to operate and maintain. The amp is all solid state, and there are no tubes to deal with or replace. Now, let’s spend a bit of time discussing the pros and cons, as well as the sound of this amp.
If you are looking for that famous clear, crisp, bright sound associated with a Fender Amp, at a very affordable price, look no further, as this inexpensive amp can deliver the goods. This amp is small and light enough to serve as a practice amp, but because it can also put out 25 Watts RMS of power, it is also suitable for small sized gigs, as well as for practice sessions with your band. This amp is not perfect however, and it is limited in its sonic capabilities. The Normal Channel distorts above setting 5, but this is still quite loud for most purposes, and it sounds nice, clean, and loud at Volume setting 3. A goodly part of the problem is the 10-inch speaker. It can handle the output of this amp quite well on settings of 5 or below in Volume, but above that Volume setting, the Normal Channel starts to breaking up. When I cranked this amp to 10, and used the Drive Channel, I began to become nervous that I could damage the speaker, especially with prolonged use. A stronger or sturdier speaker would produce a much cleaner and better sound, but then the amp would have to be more expensive.
I also did not care for both the Normal and Drive Channels sharing the Treble, Middle, Bass, and Reverb Controls, but once again for the amp to have separate controls for each Channel, the amp would have to be more expensive. Another minor complaint that I have is that I like amps that come equipped with an external speaker jack. This jack would permit the easy use of a different speaker cabinet, with a different speaker configuration, such as a sturdier 10-inch speaker, or the use of a 12 or 15-inch speaker for different tonal characteristics.
In short, the Fender Frontman II 25R is a very good inexpensive amp for practice purposes or for a serious beginner. It is great for practicing with a whole rock band at lower volumes, as well for practicing alone in one’s room. It sounds quite good at low settings in the Normal Channel, and delivers that clean, crisp, Fender sound. The Drive Channel also sounds quite good as well. When you think that this amp can put out 25 Watts RMS, and only sells for $139.99, it seems even more impressive, relatively speaking. If you check this amp out, and compare it to other amps in the under $150.00 range, I do think that you will be as impressed as I was. Of course spending a couple of hundred dollars more will put you into an amp that can do a lot more, but ultimately you must decide on the extent of your needs, versus the limits of your budget.
Well thank you for taking the time to read my review. But now, if you will excuse me, I must get back to my practicing.
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