I've been a tube snob for my whole life up until a year ago. This video only confirms how far these modelling amps have come! Even still, I was quite surprised that the one I least enjoyed turned out to be the Blues Deluxe. I have a GTX100 and am loving it.
There has been a lot of Mustang GT bashing on youtube. I have a GT100 and also a blues deluxe. I have been gigging with the GT100. It sounds and works great. I could have used the blues deluxe but I prefer the GT. Don't listen to the GT bashing. Go find out for yourself. You really can't tell until you are in the same room with it. And you use your style of guitar and your own style of playing. Other people play different than you do. And they are looking for different things. You must make the decision on your own. The GT series are great amps. People are too biased one way or the other. Just be open minded and try it out for yourself. If people can't tell the difference between a solid state modeling amp and a tube amp, that should tell you a lot. This was a very good unbiased demo video. I wish there were more like this. Good job Simon
i agree, personally i like the amount of features that you get for the price of the gt40 since i like many genres of music and it does sound good for a modeling amp
Found a 6 month old GT 100 for $250 with the footswitch that I'm trying to score. I also have a Blues Deluxe Reissue but I want something different like this modelling amp.
I'm in the market for a new amp. When I heard #2 clean I thought it was the tube, and then I thought, if its not, then I'm getting the GT 100 because it sounds great despite all the GT bashing. Thank you, great video.
Why not the Boss Katana 100? The biggest problem the Katana has is its shortage on the market. Grab one while you can. Also there is the MKII katana series. You might pay a bit more, but it blows the GT away.
@@Kenan592034 I actually wound up buying a Fender Mustang III V2, simply because I found one locally at the right price. I have tried the katana, nice amp, it just didn't do it for me. This past weekend I borrowed a GT 200, liked it as well but not enough of a difference for me to get rid of the Mustang III.
I have a GT-100 and I love it. This is the first realistic Mustang GT test I have seen on TH-cam - a blind test with same guitar and playing and no comments good or bad in the video. I couldn't pick the valve amp from the three.
I have the GT-100 as well...at first I was in denial...the better I got at tweaking it...I was still in denial. Then I realized it was just denial. I love the bi amping feature. Try a little 5150 with you Marsh. Doesn't hurt to have a good amp to monitor through.
Recently bought the Fender Mustang 200. $449 with multiple and customizable amps modelings, bluetooth capable so I can demo other amp modelings, play along with streamed music, etc. Included cover, footswitch, and looper. Perfectly satisfied with the amp, met my expectations. Maybe it's not what John Mayer would use, but for the vast majority of us home/garage band players, $449 for a versatile amp that is barely discernible from other $1500- $2000 amps is a no-brainer (unless you're a gear snob).
I found an excellent deal on an H&K Tubemeister 18 that I run through a Fender 12 cabinet, between my GT200 and my H&K I have a lot of possibilities, the H&K was the price of a used squire strat so ... win
John Mayer likes old school stuff and honestly it’s because he can afford it lmao, the Mustang is great for the ordinary dude that can’t spend lots of cash on gear. Can confirm it’s amazing.
I have a gt 40 and I really like it. I find that the latest firmware on version 2.0 not only added more options but also improved the sound quality on the features too. I love my Mustang and would love to have a Blues JR but I don't have the money right now to set a pedal board and this would do me just fine.
Bought the GT 40 a couple months back. Got a few snears from my jamming bros, until we were into a camp jam and they heard it mixed in, and I gave 'em a capability tour. Already fielded 2 calls wanting to borrow it... Considering buying the GT200, but at that price I'm going to ponder, weigh, and inventory ! This vid confirms what I already knew, and it was a truly helpful effort for anyone considering Fender's GT's.
Scratch that. Listened again. The real tube amp sounds much less like cardboard. But you really wouldn't know the difference if the modelling amp was the one that was presented to you. UAudio has done the best job in emulating tubes. They should make amps.
Heh. Interesting, thanks for sharing. I'm not a huge fan of Fender cleans; I much prefer Vox, Hiwatts or even a Super Lead for that. I didn't really care which one was tube, my order of favourites being 2-3-1. All three sounded fine & all three produced usable, "gigworthy" sounds.
Great demo. Honestly, I thought amp 2 sounded best, followed closely by amp 1. I skipped through from there, not realising there was an amp 3, but when I heard that it came last of the three anyway. The Mustang is excellent... and improved even more since this video was made.
I loved my GT200 completely until I started watching these videos, and got "trained" to hear the difference (modelling amps have a slight "sterile" edge to the attack on treble notes and dont' respond very gracefully to external OD/fuzz/distortion pedals), so I knew right away which amp was the tube and which wasn't. Luckily, the GT200 with the two drivers doesn't seem to have enough of the "sterile" edge to bother me, but I can now hear it on every GT40 and GT100 test I listen to.
Nice work! Fairest comparison I've seen yet - just an intro and the tones. Even people trying not to be biased while talking and playing give away their preference by tone of voice. I preferred 3 over 2 over 1, but 2 and 3 were very close and I wouldn't have bet very much on which was the tube amp. All were usable. What I'd really love to see is a blind shoot out between a tube amp and two modelling amps, where the guitarist has created bespoke tones on the modellers to try and match the tube amp. After all, that's what I'd be doing in real life, not settling for a stock preset. (It would also help if the sections were interleaved so you heard all three doing clean, then all three OD etc.)
I know nothing about guitars,just play a little and bought a hofner ignition recently, needed an amp and decided to get an LT25 RUMBLE bass amp just for curiosity! The technology nowadays is something else, it's actually really cool what it can do!
I liked all three for different reasons. I have the GT100 and I love it. Super versatile without a pedal board with all the presets loaded and all the additional available for download. If you're purist the choice is clear. for those who want more versatility for their investment the mustang is hard to beat, especially without having to invest in a pedal board (where do you even start with that). Happy picking and strumming! And for those others out there, Don't be hatin', just keep playin'!
As soon as I heard the first few notes of amp 3, I knew it was the valve amp. The tone just opens up and sounds warmer. Although the Mustang GT sounds really good.
Excellent. I actually thought "I hope the Amp 2 is the Mustang in 57 because if not that Deluxe is in real trouble". But I am in shock. I though Amp 1 and 3 were the same, and actually thought the 1 was a little better. Man, this is amazing. Thanks!
Whoa, that's strange! Everybody seems to hate these Fender GT's, so I thought it must be easy to pick the 'real' one... 2 has the best clean sound but 1 sounds better with the pedals ...none of the samples with amp 3 sounds good to me. Interesting, very interesting!
Be extremely careful trying to compare amplifiers online, especially when in compressed format which is almost all of them excepting pure audio tracks done in Lossless, All videos audio are compressed. That's just for how they sound. One of the most important aspects of guitar amplification is dynamically how they feel "under the fingers". That can only be done by playing one, or in this case, both.
Been a guitar player for years. I would have bet money #1 was the tube amp. Technology has come a long way. I've done this same test with a Kemper and I honestly can't tell a difference with whatever amp it is profiling.
This was great, there should be more blind test videos like this out there, but I guess you'll always have people that won't necessarily believe the uploaders version of which amp was which unless they can see it plugged in whilst demo'd. I got it wrong by the way! I thought for sure that Amp 2 was the tube amp, it sounded the best to me.
I had the answers in the right order. I think the modeling-amps sound a bit brighter overall and react a little more "clean" to the overdrive. Not to forget the warmth of the tubes of the tube-amp. Yet they sound absolutely great! I am up to buy the GT200 because of the stereo possibilities. Great job on that video man. All three amps sounded amazing. :D
SAve your money if it is an A class as you will be swapping over tubes all of the time, warm up 30 mins cool down 30 mins I gig with solid state no problems at all for years and much light and if I drop it or knock it I dont have to keep replacing those expensive stuffing tubes
I couldn't tell the first two apart and had no idea if one of them was the tube. Until I heard the 3rd amp and straight away I knew that was the tube. You can hear a better response to the playing attack and you can actually SEE it too when you watch Simon playing the last bit. I'm not really saying it SOUNDS that much better but I bet it would FEEL better to play.
Thanks for this unbiased and very informative review. I liked #1 the best. Have had my GT100 for a few months and I love it. Find your sound with it. There's plenty there.
Great video! Nicely done. I love my GT Mustang, it continues to surprise me everyday. Plus love all the connectivity via WiFi and Bluetooth, the app is awesome and I can download new patches or adjust the order of effects in the signal chain. Above all that the tones are truly stunning for a solid state amp. My only gripe is some presets are way too bass-y and bottom heavy, always having to tone that back. Overall great amp for practice, small gigs, looping, and built in tuner very convenient.
I am completely amazed. For sure I thought either AMP one or two was the Blues Deluxe. And up to that point I thought hey that's all usable sounds I'd be okay with that. Then amp 3 came on and I thought for sure that was a model of the deluxe Reverb because it sounded so much like what I expected a deluxe Reverb to sound like and I was digging it. And then it comes out that's the Blues Deluxe? Maybe I need to go buy one of those?
very good...was not happy with my GT100 when I first got it, but after running it thru the board in a live setting...I'M GOOD! Just needs some speaker break in time. Good playing, really enjoyed the effort, the music, and the comparison!
Methinks the problem with the GT is the speaker. A compromise to play streamed music probably. I have the Mustang 5 v2 head, played into Orange 2 x 12 cab. Loved it. Then I got the Gt-200. Was on the fence until I plugged the GT XLR output into the Mustang 5 effects-in jack (Clear power amp setting, so no tone) then to the Orange Cab. Bang. THAT is it. I compared same type patch in the 5 Head vs GT. The GT was waaaay better. So it is kinda a weird hybrid setup. Gt-200 into Mustang 5 power amp into a cab. AND its stereo. 150 watts enough to gig with, or play at home.
I got the two models switched around but could identify the tube amp no problem. That being said, in other videos like this I've gotten it COMPLETELY wrong. I think the Mustang modeling amps are very good. I have one of the first generation and one of the most recent. I'm very happy with them both. When I want the sound of a '65 Deluxe, I am quite content with Mustang's model.
The difference between the digital model and the actual tube amp is pretty glaring. I think I still might get one though. It's a fairly close approximation.
Wow, the third amp definitely sounded thinner. I never owned a Fender tube amp. My old Mesa was pretty fat and crunch sounding. I liked the Basic 65v Deluxe sounds. They were full, clean and the setting on the soloing was clean but still had a nice over drive. I expected Amp I to be the tube amp. Now I'm convinced to get the GT 100
#2 was the most pleasant-sounding to me. #1 was a little too high-definition - it lacked any sort of murkiness that's characteristic of vintage amps. #3 sounded a bit thin to me. Definitely consider me surprised by the results.
Nicely done. I have a Mustang III v2 and was considering an upgrade, wanting to stack effects mainly. I also have a very tasty GT100 Boss pedal board, so I have choices. I had chosen #2 as my favorite, and in fact, I think I shall go buy one.
Hi Simon. Thank you for demonstrating the difference between the Fender Mustang GT100 Modeling amp versus the Fender Blues Deluxe (true tube amp). I watched your video on TH-cam so the quality of the sound difference is limited by my laptop computer speaker. Since you heard both amps in person what was your impression?
First of all, thanks for the video, nicely done. You totally had me fooled. I was sure that Amp 1 was the tube amp, and in fact Amp 3 was my least favourite sounding. I have been researching about this amp, and I am most probably going to get one, especially now.
I had a gt 40 and returned it because it didn't have the amp sounds I was looking for. Nice thing about this amp,U can store a lot of your own settings while most modelling amps u can store 4
I would imagine when playing a gig with audience the Fender blues deluxe would just sound better. imo you can't beat a tube amp when its working in its zone. The Mustang does sound really good; I am thinking of getting one to extent the life out of my tube amps; this vacuum tube shortage is a bit of a concern. Great review, thanks
For cleans 3 sounded tube, but with dirt I would have said 2, One is a model amp though. The fact it difficult to pick out says the model amp is pretty good regardless. I have sold 2 mustangs in the past, v1, v2 something was missing in person. I may have to try the GT (Fender tube amps are waaay too much, except for maybe that bassbreaker-killer tone from its circuit.)
Granted I was listening through my iPhone speaker, but I too thought amp 1 was the tube amp... I tried the GT40 (a friend brought his over) yesterday and compared it to my Blackstar 5HT and my Marshall 1W reissue ($950), and the Fender..... the Fender sounded just as good in some ways, but never seemed as loud as the tube amp. The other pint is the Marshall 1W is as loud as a 5W amp. The Blackstar 1W (I have one of these too) sounded a little anemic compared to the rest. Result: the Fender GT is very close to a real amp sound. Live you can tell the difference, but I don’t think it’s the simulation in most cases it’s the rest of the electronics. In other words, run it through better Amplifier and I don’t think you could tell. Higher gain like Marshall the GT is good but it’s no replacement for my Mesa Boogie (yet!). Recorded I’m not sure you can tell difference for clean sounds or very high distortion sounds. For Tweed and Marshall sounds GT is very good, but no replacement. Fender cleans (including Vox) are the sounds I crave when I want a clean sound. My Universal Audio Tweed amp simulation is still better than any of the the Fender GT dirty simulations, imo. For the money and convenience, the GT is amazing, imo.
I tend to think that its the clean tones that really give away a tube amp and there just wasnt enough clean playing to make a considered choice, for me it was between 2 and 3 but with effects its so hard to tell, theres just that warmth and depth with clean tube tones that still sets them apart, but modelling amps are getting very close.
I own a gt100 and would've put my house on number 2 being the tube amp... no1 was way to bitey at the top end and no3 I skipped at least half the demo of but still thought I heard some slightly harsh highs... quality video 👍
Nr. 3 with tubes, no doubt with the gentle crackling, warmth and how it responds to the OD. The clean sound on nr. 2 is pretty good though. Personally I use a solid state head, not Fender though.
I've been gigging live with a Mustang III for 5 years and when I heard #1 I knew it was the modeling amp. They clarity and definition along with the reverb personality I recognized immediately. #2 and #3 also sound very good but not as defined to me so one of them is the tube amp. I honestly can't tell for sure which one is which. I'd prefer #1 setting for my style of playing now that Im used to the overall clarity. Good video comparison. Im waiting for the V2 GT.....
3:09 VALVE TUBE AMP 1 5:58 FENDER MUSTANG GT (THE AMP YOU STILL DOUBT TO BUY(or me - halls of mirrors)) 8:23 VALVE TUBE AMP 2 I'm posting this comment to hear difference by my self. Thank you for video.
Hello Simon very nice video and comparison . In your own ... do you really find big difference between them ?? or the modeling amp is accourate and makes no difference ? Thanks
The cleans on number 2 sounded great, but it fell apart on the other tests. Number 3 knocked it out of the park on the soloing in the last track so I KNEW it had to be the tube. Great vid.
Wow. I got it just because the dynamic with the OD is slightly different, but I have to say: I'm impressed. The 57 model is amazing and it react way better with pedals. Just a question. Delays where on the FX S/R Loop or in front?
I liked all the clean tones. Too much distortion on the other settings. I used to love the old Fender tube amps due to their responsiveness. But, they cost too much now, and tube replacement is expensive. Transistor amps cost less, were reliable, but had a different sound. I finally bought a Fender GT40 with a 4 button footswitch. The sound is pleasing. One does not need an effects board, unless you miss a volume/wah pedal. The size is small and weight is light. This rig is not cheap, but is less than a tube amp. Also, it has the modern capabilities of USB, Bluetooth. Connectivity with other player’s settings. My box is 100-240 volts. And 50-60 hertz. So basically, as a modern electric shaver or a notebook computer, one can use it worldwide. I encourage you to check it out. Modern amps now have so much to offer, and less chance of blowing up or you being electrocuted.
There IS a difference in tonal quality - it was immediately obvious. That being said; I own a Mustang III and gig it regularly. My feeling is that in terms of the amp's solid state tone, Fender have made huge strides and It aquits itself admirably. Neigh sayers aside; I think these amps are tremendous value for money....and whilst it's going to be a few years yet before tube and transistor amps are indestinguishable; I think that the fact that it is certainly close enough and is very easy going on the wallet and the spine, makes it a really first rate investment.
I have a subwoofer and decent computer speakers and Amp 3 clean was obvious. Not that Amp1 and 2 were 'bad'. I thought the high gain stuff was fine in all three - the tube sounded more familiar, but the others had plenty of nice, singing sustain. Now try the GTX!
I liked 1, 3, and 2 in that order. Tradeoffs between styles. I could tell the first was probably the model on the clean stuff but it just sounded so damn good. Didn't care much at all for the 65 DR simulation.
Well, I guessed 1 as the tube amp (though I have to admit I haven't ever owned or played a tuber amp. I thought that 1 and 3 sounded a lot alike. I was pretty sure that 2 was the GT, but between 1 and 3 I needed to flip a coin. BTW, this is the best I have heard any of the Mustang GT amps sound on TH-cam. Wonder why that is.
Yeah, I have a Mustang III, v2 that I like a lot. I will probably wait a bit before upgrading to see how/if Fender deals with some of the issues regarding the GT.
Why would you do a blind test between a real amp, and a model of a different amp? Wouldn't it make much more sense to compare the 65 DR model to a DRRI or an original DR?
I made A/B comparison yesterday in a music shop between GT 200 and blues devile ( both 2 x 12 ) and GT 200 sounds thin, poor, like a computer game sound when compared to the tube amp ( devile ). And I was really thinking of buying a GT before this trial yesterday....
The 57 model was really close to the real thing, until the overdrive was introduced, and it wasn't far off, but was still a little too clear and bright to be an overdriven tube.
I tried the gt 40 and the gt 100 in a sam ash the other day. I'm no expert but it sounded plenty good to me. Combine that with the versatility and I'm sold. I do like the sound of the gt 100 over the gt 40. Even my wife begrudgingly admitted she liked the sound of the 100 and agreed it was worth the price difference.
Good review - nice sounding 2nd amp IMO. However - I think to compare properly, you have to use authentic US or UK original valve amps ...NOT the new issue ones made in far east , they are not the same, especially build and speaker wise. They have to cut costs somewhere.
Wow. I got that horribly wrong! I could have sworn the '65 was the real deal while I though the real deal was a pretty average patch... I put it down to industrial deafness. I was in 2 minds about getting one of these but you've sealed it for me.
I’ve had a GT100 for about 4 years now and I’ve put countless hours on it trying to find all kinds of different tones. For the price, it’s a great deal. However, imo if you’re a perfectionist when it comes to your tone, you really just can’t reach the level of tonal perfection that you can with say a twin reverb. It really just comes down to how ‘perfect’ you want to sound. “Yes. Good guitarists can sound good on shit gear; this is purely down to superior technique and clean playing." "Basically, you have to use fingers to turn knobs or settings of your gear, so that's why they always say 'tone is in the fingers', lol." - music radar The GT is not bad gear, and it’s not great gear. You get great quality for what you pay for. But if you want world class tone, be ready to drop a world class check. :)
Thanks for this so useful video! I must say that all the amps sound great and, to my ears, the clean sound is awsome. Probably the difference rises up when the overdrive pedal is working. That makes me ask you a question: In your opinión, do you think the GT amp works with distortion, fuzz or overdrive pedals good enough?Thanks
In my honest opinion I thought 1 was the tube!!!
Got me!!!!! Great job sir !! Hello from Argentina!!!
I thought the same. Really impressive and unexpected result.
I've been a tube snob for my whole life up until a year ago. This video only confirms how far these modelling amps have come! Even still, I was quite surprised that the one I least enjoyed turned out to be the Blues Deluxe. I have a GTX100 and am loving it.
There has been a lot of Mustang GT bashing on youtube. I have a GT100 and also a blues deluxe. I have been gigging with the GT100. It sounds and works great. I could have used the blues deluxe but I prefer the GT. Don't listen to the GT bashing. Go find out for yourself. You really can't tell until you are in the same room with it. And you use your style of guitar and your own style of playing. Other people play different than you do. And they are looking for different things. You must make the decision on your own. The GT series are great amps. People are too biased one way or the other. Just be open minded and try it out for yourself. If people can't tell the difference between a solid state modeling amp and a tube amp, that should tell you a lot. This was a very good unbiased demo video. I wish there were more like this. Good job Simon
i agree, personally i like the amount of features that you get for the price of the gt40 since i like many genres of music and it does sound good for a modeling amp
Agreed. I am always been a valve amp guy, mainly because untill late years modelling where crap. But now....oh man they sound sweeet.
Yeah. I just got the gt 100 and i think its great. So much sound which can all be tweaked into pretty much what you want. Love it
@sbjkd Boss katana 50 for me id amazing
Found a 6 month old GT 100 for $250 with the footswitch that I'm trying to score. I also have a Blues Deluxe Reissue but I want something different like this modelling amp.
Is hard to tell the difference bro, these modeling amps and transtube amps are getting better end better every day
I'm in the market for a new amp. When I heard #2 clean I thought it was the tube, and then I thought, if its not, then I'm getting the GT 100 because it sounds great despite all the GT bashing. Thank you, great video.
Why not the Boss Katana 100? The biggest problem the Katana has is its shortage on the market. Grab one while you can. Also there is the MKII katana series. You might pay a bit more, but it blows the GT away.
@@Kenan592034 I actually wound up buying a Fender Mustang III V2, simply because I found one locally at the right price. I have tried the katana, nice amp, it just didn't do it for me. This past weekend I borrowed a GT 200, liked it as well but not enough of a difference for me to get rid of the Mustang III.
I have a GT-100 and I love it. This is the first realistic Mustang GT test I have seen on TH-cam - a blind test with same guitar and playing and no comments good or bad in the video. I couldn't pick the valve amp from the three.
Thanks mate
I have the GT-100 as well...at first I was in denial...the better I got at tweaking it...I was still in denial. Then I realized it was just denial. I love the bi amping feature. Try a little 5150 with you Marsh. Doesn't hurt to have a good amp to monitor through.
Recently bought the Fender Mustang 200.
$449 with multiple and customizable amps modelings, bluetooth capable so I can demo other amp modelings, play along with streamed music, etc. Included cover, footswitch, and looper.
Perfectly satisfied with the amp, met my expectations.
Maybe it's not what John Mayer would use, but for the vast majority of us home/garage band players, $449 for a versatile amp that is barely discernible from other $1500- $2000 amps is a no-brainer (unless you're a gear snob).
agreed. I found a perfect metal mix as well, it's an amazing and incredibly versatile!
I found an excellent deal on an H&K Tubemeister 18 that I run through a Fender 12 cabinet, between my GT200 and my H&K I have a lot of possibilities, the H&K was the price of a used squire strat so ... win
John Mayer likes old school stuff and honestly it’s because he can afford it lmao, the Mustang is great for the ordinary dude that can’t spend lots of cash on gear. Can confirm it’s amazing.
The one that sounded sweetest, most complex, and most "alive", to me, ended up being the 57. Thanks for the demo.
No worries mate
@@SimonSmithGuitar I recently heard one of the old Mustang V heads through a good cabinet...I may have to change my tune on tone!
I thought for sure #2 was the tube, it sounded so good. Thank you for saving me a lot of money on my amp purchase!
I have a gt 40 and I really like it. I find that the latest firmware on version 2.0 not only added more options but also improved the sound quality on the features too. I love my Mustang and would love to have a Blues JR but I don't have the money right now to set a pedal board and this would do me just fine.
Wow! Thank you very much for this well done video. I'm kinda stunned. Was certain that #1 was the tube.
Bought the GT 40 a couple months back. Got a few snears from my jamming bros, until we were into a camp jam and they heard it mixed in, and I gave 'em a capability tour. Already fielded 2 calls wanting to borrow it...
Considering buying the GT200, but at that price I'm going to ponder, weigh, and inventory !
This vid confirms what I already knew, and it was a truly helpful effort for anyone considering Fender's GT's.
Amazing. The modelling amps sound just like the tube amp. I'm impressed.
Scratch that. Listened again. The real tube amp sounds much less like cardboard. But you really wouldn't know the difference if the modelling amp was the one that was presented to you. UAudio has done the best job in emulating tubes. They should make amps.
wow. I did not expect those results at all. I'm blown away.
Heh. Interesting, thanks for sharing. I'm not a huge fan of Fender cleans; I much prefer Vox, Hiwatts or even a Super Lead for that. I didn't really care which one was tube, my order of favourites being 2-3-1. All three sounded fine & all three produced usable, "gigworthy" sounds.
I just love to hear you playing. :) For me modeling won years ago. I use Yamaha THR.
Great demo. Honestly, I thought amp 2 sounded best, followed closely by amp 1. I skipped through from there, not realising there was an amp 3, but when I heard that it came last of the three anyway. The Mustang is excellent... and improved even more since this video was made.
I loved my GT200 completely until I started watching these videos, and got "trained" to hear the difference (modelling amps have a slight "sterile" edge to the attack on treble notes and dont' respond very gracefully to external OD/fuzz/distortion pedals), so I knew right away which amp was the tube and which wasn't. Luckily, the GT200 with the two drivers doesn't seem to have enough of the "sterile" edge to bother me, but I can now hear it on every GT40 and GT100 test I listen to.
They both sounded great,mate. Not a fan of the tele but,i love the sound u got out of it. Rock on!!!
Nice work! Fairest comparison I've seen yet - just an intro and the tones. Even people trying not to be biased while talking and playing give away their preference by tone of voice.
I preferred 3 over 2 over 1, but 2 and 3 were very close and I wouldn't have bet very much on which was the tube amp. All were usable.
What I'd really love to see is a blind shoot out between a tube amp and two modelling amps, where the guitarist has created bespoke tones on the modellers to try and match the tube amp. After all, that's what I'd be doing in real life, not settling for a stock preset. (It would also help if the sections were interleaved so you heard all three doing clean, then all three OD etc.)
I know nothing about guitars,just play a little and bought a hofner ignition recently, needed an amp and decided to get an LT25 RUMBLE bass amp just for curiosity! The technology nowadays is something else, it's actually really cool what it can do!
I liked all three for different reasons. I have the GT100 and I love it. Super versatile without a pedal board with all the presets loaded and all the additional available for download. If you're purist the choice is clear. for those who want more versatility for their investment the mustang is hard to beat, especially without having to invest in a pedal board (where do you even start with that). Happy picking and strumming! And for those others out there, Don't be hatin', just keep playin'!
As soon as I heard the first few notes of amp 3, I knew it was the valve amp. The tone just opens up and sounds warmer. Although the Mustang GT sounds really good.
Excellent. I actually thought "I hope the Amp 2 is the Mustang in 57 because if not that Deluxe is in real trouble". But I am in shock. I though Amp 1 and 3 were the same, and actually thought the 1 was a little better. Man, this is amazing. Thanks!
Thanks for the comment buddy
Whoa, that's strange!
Everybody seems to hate these Fender GT's, so I thought it must be easy to pick the 'real' one...
2 has the best clean sound but 1 sounds better with the pedals ...none of the samples with amp 3 sounds good to me.
Interesting, very interesting!
TORTUGA * I thought amp one was a tube amp until he kicked in the pedals then I could hear very clearly that it was solid state.
DerEchteBold Agree,. 100%
Be extremely careful trying to compare amplifiers online, especially when in compressed format which is almost all of them excepting pure audio tracks done in Lossless, All videos audio are compressed. That's just for how they sound. One of the most important aspects of guitar amplification is dynamically how they feel "under the fingers". That can only be done by playing one, or in this case, both.
I thought amp 2 was a tube amp, i also thought it was the best!
@@AuntAlnico4 I think the only issue with GTS is that its far too complex for players
Been a guitar player for years. I would have bet money #1 was the tube amp. Technology has come a long way. I've done this same test with a Kemper and I honestly can't tell a difference with whatever amp it is profiling.
This was great, there should be more blind test videos like this out there, but I guess you'll always have people that won't necessarily believe the uploaders version of which amp was which unless they can see it plugged in whilst demo'd. I got it wrong by the way! I thought for sure that Amp 2 was the tube amp, it sounded the best to me.
Mee too. Amp 2 was most warmth. But, what I found the most interesting was the fact that the artist was playing everything the same. Thumbs up!
I had the answers in the right order. I think the modeling-amps sound a bit brighter overall and react a little more "clean" to the overdrive. Not to forget the warmth of the tubes of the tube-amp. Yet they sound absolutely great! I am up to buy the GT200 because of the stereo possibilities.
Great job on that video man. All three amps sounded amazing. :D
the 200 also comes with the 4 button foot pedal which is $100 canadian so it's a great deal
I have been waiting for this sort of comparison its a compelling piece of hardware for those who just want something more affordable.
I did pick the tube amp, only from when the distortion was played through it though. I have also just bought one and I love it
SAve your money if it is an A class as you will be swapping over tubes all of the time, warm up 30 mins cool down 30 mins I gig with solid state no problems at all for years and much light and if I drop it or knock it I dont have to keep replacing those expensive stuffing tubes
I couldn't tell the first two apart and had no idea if one of them was the tube. Until I heard the 3rd amp and straight away I knew that was the tube. You can hear a better response to the playing attack and you can actually SEE it too when you watch Simon playing the last bit. I'm not really saying it SOUNDS that much better but I bet it would FEEL better to play.
I haven't finished the video yet so I don't know if they are gonna tell us which is which but number 3 sounds like a real strong spring reverb to me.
Thanks for this unbiased and very informative review. I liked #1 the best. Have had my GT100 for a few months and I love it. Find your sound with it. There's plenty there.
Thanks
Great video! Nicely done. I love my GT Mustang, it continues to surprise me everyday. Plus love all the connectivity via WiFi and Bluetooth, the app is awesome and I can download new patches or adjust the order of effects in the signal chain. Above all that the tones are truly stunning for a solid state amp. My only gripe is some presets are way too bass-y and bottom heavy, always having to tone that back. Overall great amp for practice, small gigs, looping, and built in tuner very convenient.
I am completely amazed. For sure I thought either AMP one or two was the Blues Deluxe. And up to that point I thought hey that's all usable sounds I'd be okay with that. Then amp 3 came on and I thought for sure that was a model of the deluxe Reverb because it sounded so much like what I expected a deluxe Reverb to sound like and I was digging it. And then it comes out that's the Blues Deluxe? Maybe I need to go buy one of those?
very good...was not happy with my GT100 when I first got it, but after running it thru the board in a live setting...I'M GOOD! Just needs some speaker break in time.
Good playing, really enjoyed the effort, the music, and the comparison!
Thanks mate
Methinks the problem with the GT is the speaker. A compromise to play streamed music probably. I have the Mustang 5 v2 head, played into Orange 2 x 12 cab. Loved it. Then I got the Gt-200. Was on the fence until I plugged the GT XLR output into the Mustang 5 effects-in jack (Clear power amp setting, so no tone) then to the Orange Cab. Bang. THAT is it. I compared same type patch in the 5 Head vs GT. The GT was waaaay better. So it is kinda a weird hybrid setup. Gt-200 into Mustang 5 power amp into a cab. AND its stereo. 150 watts enough to gig with, or play at home.
I loved amp 1s clean tone! The low end and clarity had me think it was the tube in my opinion
I got the two models switched around but could identify the tube amp no problem. That being said, in other videos like this I've gotten it COMPLETELY wrong. I think the Mustang modeling amps are very good. I have one of the first generation and one of the most recent. I'm very happy with them both. When I want the sound of a '65 Deluxe, I am quite content with Mustang's model.
The difference between the digital model and the actual tube amp is pretty glaring. I think I still might get one though. It's a fairly close approximation.
Wow, the third amp definitely sounded thinner. I never owned a Fender tube amp. My old Mesa was pretty fat and crunch sounding. I liked the Basic 65v Deluxe sounds. They were full, clean and the setting on the soloing was clean but still had a nice over drive. I expected Amp I to be the tube amp. Now I'm convinced to get the GT 100
Wow, I had them completely backwards. Amp 1 and 2 sounded so tube like and 3 sounded flat like a solid state. Boy was I wrong!!!
#2 was the most pleasant-sounding to me. #1 was a little too high-definition - it lacked any sort of murkiness that's characteristic of vintage amps. #3 sounded a bit thin to me. Definitely consider me surprised by the results.
Nicely done. I have a Mustang III v2 and was considering an upgrade, wanting to stack effects mainly. I also have a very tasty GT100 Boss pedal board, so I have choices. I had chosen #2 as my favorite, and in fact, I think I shall go buy one.
Thanks mate
Thanks for the great review. Excellent presentation and playing.
Hi Simon. Thank you for demonstrating the difference between the Fender Mustang GT100 Modeling amp versus the Fender Blues Deluxe (true tube amp). I watched your video on TH-cam so the quality of the sound difference is limited by my laptop computer speaker. Since you heard both amps in person what was your impression?
How is the Name of 3:10 music? I want to find a backing and „how to“ for it!
Long train running by the Doobie Brothers
Whats the song he's paying on 3:40? I heard it a million times but cant think of the name.
Long Train Running - Doobie Brothers
I've seen a lot of videos with preconcieved conclusions about these amps. This blows all of that away.
Amp 2, love it!! Warm clean tone
1:39 clean 1
4:00 clean 2
2:29 overdrive and delay 1
4:55 overdrive and delay 2
First of all, thanks for the video, nicely done. You totally had me fooled. I was sure that Amp 1 was the tube amp, and in fact Amp 3 was my least favourite sounding. I have been researching about this amp, and I am most probably going to get one, especially now.
I had a gt 40 and returned it because it didn't have the amp sounds I was looking for. Nice thing about this amp,U can store a lot of your own settings while most modelling amps u can store 4
All sounded very good.
I would imagine when playing a gig with audience the Fender blues deluxe would just sound better. imo you can't beat a tube amp when its working in its zone. The Mustang does sound really good; I am thinking of getting one to extent the life out of my tube amps; this vacuum tube shortage is a bit of a concern. Great review, thanks
i gotta ask, mustang gt 100 or hot rod deluxe 112?
For cleans 3 sounded tube, but with dirt I would have said 2, One is a model amp though. The fact it difficult to pick out says the model amp is pretty good regardless. I have sold 2 mustangs in the past, v1, v2 something was missing in person. I may have to try the GT (Fender tube amps are waaay too much, except for maybe that bassbreaker-killer tone from its circuit.)
Granted I was listening through my iPhone speaker, but I too thought amp 1 was the tube amp... I tried the GT40 (a friend brought his over) yesterday and compared it to my Blackstar 5HT and my Marshall 1W reissue ($950), and the Fender..... the Fender sounded just as good in some ways, but never seemed as loud as the tube amp. The other pint is the Marshall 1W is as loud as a 5W amp.
The Blackstar 1W (I have one of these too) sounded a little anemic compared to the rest.
Result: the Fender GT is very close to a real amp sound. Live you can tell the difference, but I don’t think it’s the simulation in most cases it’s the rest of the electronics. In other words, run it through better Amplifier and I don’t think you could tell. Higher gain like Marshall the GT is good but it’s no replacement for my Mesa Boogie (yet!).
Recorded I’m not sure you can tell
difference for clean sounds or very high distortion sounds. For Tweed and Marshall sounds GT is very good, but no replacement. Fender cleans (including Vox) are the sounds I crave when I want a clean sound.
My Universal Audio Tweed amp simulation is still better than any of the the Fender GT dirty simulations, imo.
For the money and convenience, the GT is amazing, imo.
I tend to think that its the clean tones that really give away a tube amp and there just wasnt enough clean playing to make a considered choice, for me it was between 2 and 3 but with effects its so hard to tell, theres just that warmth and depth with clean tube tones that still sets them apart, but modelling amps are getting very close.
I own a gt100 and would've put my house on number 2 being the tube amp... no1 was way to bitey at the top end and no3 I skipped at least half the demo of but still thought I heard some slightly harsh highs... quality video 👍
I’m getting the 200w version of the Modeling amp, I hope it is the same model or even better.
Guessed that 3 was the tube amp, 1 and 2 sound really nice though
Nr. 3 with tubes, no doubt with the gentle crackling, warmth and how it responds to the OD.
The clean sound on nr. 2 is pretty good though.
Personally I use a solid state head, not Fender though.
I really like this video, was proud when I got them all correct.
Is the Fender GT 200 a lot louder than the Fender GT 100
Wow I thought the 1st one was the 2 Is amp great demo
Great video. I liked 2 the best and that surprised me.
I play guitar and harp through my GT 100. Baseman settings are killer for harp with a Bullitt Mic.
Yeas there is a big different between tube and model. You can't confuse it.
I've been gigging live with a Mustang III for 5 years and when I heard #1 I knew it was the modeling amp. They clarity and definition along with the reverb personality I recognized immediately.
#2 and #3 also sound very good but not as defined to me so one of them is the tube amp. I honestly can't tell for sure which one is which. I'd prefer #1 setting for my style of playing now that Im used to the overall clarity.
Good video comparison. Im waiting for the V2 GT.....
Wait no longer... The GTX-100 is coming in March.
3:09 VALVE TUBE AMP 1
5:58 FENDER MUSTANG GT (THE AMP YOU STILL DOUBT TO BUY(or me - halls of mirrors))
8:23 VALVE TUBE AMP 2
I'm posting this comment to hear difference by my self. Thank you for video.
1:40 Mustang Basic 57 Deluxe
4:00 Mustang Basic 65 Deluxe
6:48 Blues Deluxe
Hello Simon very nice video and comparison . In your own ... do you really find big difference between them ?? or the modeling amp is accourate and makes no difference ? Thanks
The cleans on number 2 sounded great, but it fell apart on the other tests. Number 3 knocked it out of the park on the soloing in the last track so I KNEW it had to be the tube. Great vid.
Wow. I got it just because the dynamic with the OD is slightly different, but I have to say: I'm impressed. The 57 model is amazing and it react way better with pedals. Just a question. Delays where on the FX S/R Loop or in front?
I liked all the clean tones. Too much distortion on the other settings. I used to love the old Fender tube amps due to their responsiveness. But, they cost too much now, and tube replacement is expensive. Transistor amps cost less, were reliable, but had a different sound. I finally bought a Fender GT40 with a 4 button footswitch. The sound is pleasing. One does not need an effects board, unless you miss a volume/wah pedal. The size is small and weight is light. This rig is not cheap, but is less than a tube amp. Also, it has the modern capabilities of USB, Bluetooth. Connectivity with other player’s settings. My box is 100-240 volts. And 50-60 hertz. So basically, as a modern electric shaver or a notebook computer, one can use it worldwide. I encourage you to check it out. Modern amps now have so much to offer, and less chance of blowing up or you being electrocuted.
There IS a difference in tonal quality - it was immediately obvious. That being said; I own a Mustang III and gig it regularly. My feeling is that in terms of the amp's solid state tone, Fender have made huge strides and It aquits itself admirably. Neigh sayers aside; I think these amps are tremendous value for money....and whilst it's going to be a few years yet before tube and transistor amps are indestinguishable; I think that the fact that it is certainly close enough and is very easy going on the wallet and the spine, makes it a really first rate investment.
I have a subwoofer and decent computer speakers and Amp 3 clean was obvious. Not that Amp1 and 2 were 'bad'.
I thought the high gain stuff was fine in all three - the tube sounded more familiar, but the others had plenty of nice, singing sustain.
Now try the GTX!
I did focus on the clean sound and where there was a minimal difference between 1 and 2 the third one was way apart. I. 2 II.1 III.3
Wow yeah really the only huge difference I noticed between 2 and 3 was the amount of headroom
Setting number 2 sounded more authentic to a tube amp than one, but in all honesty it’s hard to tell which is tube and which isn’t
Wasn't sure which 2 or 3 was tube.
As you would expect the two sound the same with cleans but I felt the dirty pedal platform was easily better with the real tube.
I liked 1, 3, and 2 in that order. Tradeoffs between styles. I could tell the first was probably the model on the clean stuff but it just sounded so damn good. Didn't care much at all for the 65 DR simulation.
Well, I guessed 1 as the tube amp (though I have to admit I haven't ever owned or played a tuber amp. I thought that 1 and 3 sounded a lot alike. I was pretty sure that 2 was the GT, but between 1 and 3 I needed to flip a coin. BTW, this is the best I have heard any of the Mustang GT amps sound on TH-cam. Wonder why that is.
Let me guess -- are you ozcad?
Yeah, I have a Mustang III, v2 that I like a lot. I will probably wait a bit before upgrading to see how/if Fender deals with some of the issues regarding the GT.
Why would you do a blind test between a real amp, and a model of a different amp? Wouldn't it make much more sense to compare the 65 DR model to a DRRI or an original DR?
It would yes. And if I owned one, I would have done that.
I made A/B comparison yesterday in a music shop between GT 200 and blues devile ( both 2 x 12 ) and GT 200 sounds thin, poor, like a computer game sound when compared to the tube amp ( devile ). And I was really thinking of buying a GT before this trial yesterday....
Amp 3 sounded really sweet. Gonna say I like 3 the best
The 57 model was really close to the real thing, until the overdrive was introduced, and it wasn't far off, but was still a little too clear and bright to be an overdriven tube.
It's good to be back hermosas guitarra hermoso sonido y el fender Brown lo maximo gracias saludos
Great job Fender with the Mustang GT100. Amps 1 and 2 sound much better than the 3rd amp in this recording.
Amp 1 was my favorite.
Wow. I went 2, 1, 3. I thought the tube was 100% not 3. I’m shocked. The Mustang sounds superb. What a great amp for touring musicians. Lynchburg
I tried the gt 40 and the gt 100 in a sam ash the other day. I'm no expert but it sounded plenty good to me. Combine that with the versatility and I'm sold. I do like the sound of the gt 100 over the gt 40. Even my wife begrudgingly admitted she liked the sound of the 100 and agreed it was worth the price difference.
Good review - nice sounding 2nd amp IMO. However - I think to compare properly, you have to use authentic US or UK original valve amps ...NOT the new issue ones made in far east , they are not the same, especially build and speaker wise. They have to cut costs somewhere.
Really nice playing
Wow. I got that horribly wrong! I could have sworn the '65 was the real deal while I though the real deal was a pretty average patch... I put it down to industrial deafness. I was in 2 minds about getting one of these but you've sealed it for me.
I’ve had a GT100 for about 4 years now and I’ve put countless hours on it trying to find all kinds of different tones. For the price, it’s a great deal. However, imo if you’re a perfectionist when it comes to your tone, you really just can’t reach the level of tonal perfection that you can with say a twin reverb. It really just comes down to how ‘perfect’ you want to sound.
“Yes. Good guitarists can sound good on shit gear; this is purely down to superior technique and clean playing." "Basically, you have to use fingers to turn knobs or settings of your gear, so that's why they always say 'tone is in the fingers', lol." - music radar
The GT is not bad gear, and it’s not great gear. You get great quality for what you pay for. But if you want world class tone, be ready to drop a world class check. :)
I was fooled. I thought Amp 1 was the tube for sure, and sounded the best. Real eye-opener here. Thanks for posting.
1 sounded perfect!!!
I liked the 1st least.
this is the digital one.
Thanks for this so useful video! I must say that all the amps sound great and, to my ears, the clean sound is awsome. Probably the difference rises up when the overdrive pedal is working. That makes me ask you a question: In your opinión, do you think the GT amp works with distortion, fuzz or overdrive pedals good enough?Thanks