GUITAR TRASH OR TREASURE
BLUE BOOK PUBLICATIONS
Effects…in an Amplifier!
Hey Zach,
I have one of those Fender modeling amps
called the Cyber Deluxe. It has all kinds
of controls, knobs, buttons, and a built-in
tuner. I used it a lot when I bought it new,
but it has since worked its way into the
storage room. I dug it out the other day
to play around with it again, and I remembered how much fun you can have with
it. Although it isn’t the easiest amp figure
out, it is cool nonetheless. I’m curious
about modeling amps, their effects,
and what this unit is worth today.
Thanks!
Adam Hendrickson
Charlotte, North Carolina
Hey Adam,
“Innovate…Don’t Emulate” was
Fender’s catchphrase for their new
line of modeling guitar amplifiers in
2001, which is kind of an oxymoron
since these new amplifiers were
made to recreate the sounds of
yesteryear. Modeling guitar ampli-
fiers became extremely popular
in the early 2000s, but they have
since subsided a bit and there are
several reasons for this. Although
there doesn’t seem to be much his-
tory on modeling amps (tube amps
dominate most of the available amplifier
books), I’ll shed a little light on these multi-
button, multi-tasking machines.
Basically, modeling amps simulate or reproduce the sounds of various popular amplifiers and cabinets (Fender, Marshall, Ampeg,
and Vox are some of the favorites). Many
of them also have several built-in effects
(reverb, chorus, delay, distortion, etc.). Most
of these amps create these sounds through
digital processing, although there have been
a few analog designs along the way. The
user could select from their favorite amp
head/combo and speaker combination, and
select from a variety of effects all in one box.
This development, for a time, threatened the
rest of the amp industry by offering a “one
size fits all” piece of equipment. However,
modeling amps have not taken off as much
as most companies had thought.
Line 6 is most often credited with releasing
the first digital modeling amp in 1996 with
the AxSys 212. This unit was a 100W, 2x12
combo with both digital amplifier and effect
models. Line 6 really captured the guitar
modeling market with the release of the
POD in 2000. Several other amp manufacturers jumped on the modeling bandwagon
shortly thereafter, including Johnson, Tech
21, Roland, and Vox. Variations of modeling
amps have also expanded with the use of
tubes and other more traditional equipment.
In 2001, Fender introduced their modeling
guitar amplifier called the Cyber Twin. This
hybrid chassis (containing both tube and
solid-state components) featured 35 different
amp models ( 26 of these 35 are based on
Fender amps) and 85 custom amp designs
with effects. A digital display along with self-adjusting motorized controls added to the
Cyber Twin’s versatility. A lot of fanfare and
mostly warm reviews followed the introduction of the Cyber Twin. To supplement the
line, a Cyber Twin Head and 4x12 speaker
cabinet was introduced in the same year.
The Cyber Deluxe was introduced in 2002,
and the Cyber Champ in 2003. An updated
Cyber Twin SE combo was introduced in
2005, and is currently the only Cyber modeling guitar amplifier in production by Fender.
Your amp, the Cyber Deluxe, features 65
watts, a 1x12 Celestion G12T- 100 speaker, a
solid-state chassis, 16 amp collection presets,
16 Custom Shop presets, and an additional
32 presets that can be rewritten by the
user. The preamp is actually analog, and
the digital effects such as Delay and Chorus
are placed post-distortion, while effects
such as Touch Wah are placed pre-distor-
tion. Other features include a digital tuner,
digital display, and speaker emulated stereo
line outputs. The Cyber Deluxe last retailed
for $1000 and sold new for around $700.
Today, this amp is selling for between $375
and $450 in excellent condition. This may
seem a bit low (less than half of the original
retail), but it reflects the saturation
this amp has in the market, as well
as the overall negative feeling
toward modeling amplifiers. Also
note that the optional Cyber Foot
Controller that originally retailed
for $250 can add $100 to $150 on
top of this value.
As far as I’m concerned, guitar
modeling amps will never replace
the real thing. Although they provide the user with almost unlimited
options for tone, most guitarists
I’ve spoken with often comment
that they can hear that the tone
is being digitally created and is,
at times, incorrect. After all, these
amps take the signal from the
guitar and convert it to sound like
something else that is not natural.
While Fender is probably the most worthy
manufacturer to offer an amp like this (look
at almost any other modeling amp and you’ll
find a plethora of Fender models on it), don’t
expect this amp to replace your entire arsenal. These amps are definitely a treasure to
the beginner, but for more advanced players
and those playing live, traditional amps will
sound better.
Zachary R. Fjestad
is the author of the Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, Blue
Book of Electric Guitars, and the Blue Book of Guitar
Amplifiers.
Questions can be submitted to:
Blue Book Publications
Attn: Guitar Trash or Treasure
8009 34th Ave. S. Ste #175
Minneapolis, MN 55425
800-877-4867
bluebookinc.com
guitars@bluebookinc.com
