DIGITAL-ONLY REVIEW > FENDER
FENDER
EC TREMOLUX
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
There’s nothing more blues than a Fender Tweed. From a visual standpoint, a Tweed Deluxe, Bassman, and
Tremolux are probably the most essential
and ubiquitous electric blues accessories.
Looks don’t count for much if you ain’t
got the sound though, and Tweeds shape
the sonic signature of everything from
the sting of Muddy Waters’ Chess sides
to Slim Harpo’s throbbing and shuffling
Excelo slabs.
Such truths are not lost on a blues
scholar like Eric Clapton. And given his
storied infatuation with electric blues in
its most authentic forms it’s surprising
that we didn’t see a Fender Tweed with
EC’s initials on it sooner. But if you’re
a fan of compressed, exploding, South
Michigan Avenue tones it may well have
been worth the wait, because the new
hand-wired EC Tremolux delivers the
greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts clout
with a super hip tremolo circuit and
power attenuation capabilities that make
it handy beyond blasting the front row at
your local juke joint.
Dressed to Kill
The EC Tremolux is based on Fender’s
first generation Tremolux from the mid
’50s, which for all practical purposes, is
the legendary 5E3 Tweed Deluxe with
tremolo. That means it’s rated at right
around 12 watts (a figure that never
fails to surprise), which is churned up
through three 12AX7 preamp tubes, a pair
Power attenuator
Pine cabinet
construction
Mercury
Magnetics
transformers
of 6V6GTs in the power section, and a
5Y3GT rectifier tube.
The Tremolux is beautifully built—on
par with anything you’d see from a boutique builder. The pine cabinet, which also
helps makes the Tremolux quite light, looks
clean and immaculate, and the lacquered
Tweed covering is flawless at the seams.
Even the most nuts-and-bolts parts of the
amp look cool—right down to the Weber-designed, 12" Eminence alnico speakers.
The control panel looks as simple as
they come, though the simplicity belies the
amp’s versatility. An Output switch just
adjacent to the light jewel attenuates the
power by about half. Next to the Output
switch you’ll find the Speed control for
the Tremolo. It’s the only control for the
Tremolo, which might be a bummer for
players looking for a deep, chopping trem.
But those that dig a cool throb to put on
top of their blues shuffles will probably
enjoy the simplicity. Apart from the Tone
and Volume knobs, there are high- and low-gain inputs. It’s a beautifully simple control
set that beckons you to fire up and go.
Weber-designed Eminence alnico
12" speaker
Down and Dirty
Anyone who has ever played a little Tweed
like a Deluxe or Tremolux can tell you
that a simple circuit and control set don’t
necessarily translate to crystalinity you
often associate with Fenders—even small
ones like Blackface and Silverface champs.
Instead the Tremolux is full of color and
character, even at low volumes. If you
need pure bell-like chime and jangle for,
say, your Telecaster’s bridge pickup, you
might end up a little frustrated with how
much color the Tremolux adds to an otherwise clean tone. But if you’re constantly
looking for ways to pepper your jangle
with a little attitude, a Stratocaster or
Telecaster with amp volume between 3
and 5 and generous application of high
end via the Tone knob gives you a sweet,
butt-kicking Tom Petty-style rhythm tone.
You may not be able to hear too much of
DR6 PREMIER GUITAR JANUARY 2012
premierguitar.com
