Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

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Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by shoegaze_head » Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:26 pm

Just seeing what the consensus on these things are, thinking about getting a new amp for playing live and being a general purpose workhorse. Right now I'm playing lead guitar in a indie band that has a pretty light sound (very clean guitar parts) but for my own music I like having both a nice clean sound and a bit of dirt.

I've heard that they're really good at giving a clean fender sound but you can approximate a Marshall if you use the burn channel. Curious to hear everyone's opinions on if they're worth it or not. My big question about this amp is I heard you get a really bad pop when switching channels. Anyone know if they fixed it in the newer models?

Might be apples to oranges (no pun intended) but I've also considered the Orange Super Crush 100 for the same 'has really nice cleans but can break up if needed' thing. Pretty much every demo I see about these things is geared towards metal but I've heard good things about the clean channel. There's a used one at my local guitar center I haven't gotten a chance to try out yet. I know its not a tube amp but its a fraction of the price and I've been interested in Orange for a bit, just never played music heavy enough to fully commit to them.

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by stevejamsecono » Wed Mar 01, 2023 2:42 pm

I personally really like the Supersonic series and if I was ever to get a Fender again, they'd be top of my list.

think the guy did a great job putting it through its paces if Youtube demos are your thing. May not be the kind of music you choose to play on it but all the core sounds seem thoroughly demonstrated in a fairly unvarnished fashion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3Jvl0WWPcQ
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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by sal paradise » Fri Mar 03, 2023 3:37 am

I’d not come across them before. Sounds like the kind of amp that should be on my shortlist.

Is there any difference between the blonde & black versions? And how big/heavy are they vs a lunchbox head?
I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by shoegaze_head » Fri Mar 03, 2023 6:56 am

stevejamsecono wrote:
Wed Mar 01, 2023 2:42 pm
I personally really like the Supersonic series and if I was ever to get a Fender again, they'd be top of my list.

think the guy did a great job putting it through its paces if Youtube demos are your thing. May not be the kind of music you choose to play on it but all the core sounds seem thoroughly demonstrated in a fairly unvarnished fashion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3Jvl0WWPcQ
I'll check it out, thanks. Do you have any info about whether they fixed the popping sound and hiss on the clean channel? Thats really the only thing stopping me from committing to this amp.
sal paradise wrote:
Fri Mar 03, 2023 3:37 am
I’d not come across them before. Sounds like the kind of amp that should be on my shortlist.

Is there any difference between the blonde & black versions? And how big/heavy are they vs a lunchbox head?
AFAIK there isn't any difference, looks like the combos ship from fender with the same speakers. The combos weigh in at 40 pounds and the lunchbox at 27

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by Nudger » Mon Mar 06, 2023 1:23 pm

shoegaze_head wrote:
Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:26 pm
I heard you get a really bad pop when switching
I had the an early supersonic 60 "combo" and yes, loud pop when switching channels.
Nice cleans but reverb didnt wow me.

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by shoegaze_head » Mon Mar 06, 2023 4:29 pm

Nudger wrote:
Mon Mar 06, 2023 1:23 pm
shoegaze_head wrote:
Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:26 pm
I heard you get a really bad pop when switching
I had the an early supersonic 60 "combo" and yes, loud pop when switching channels.
Nice cleans but reverb didnt wow me.
Everyone seems to have a different opinion on if they fixed the fizz/hum and pop or not. Was there a fix for it or did you just have to live with it?

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by Nudger » Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:12 am

Seem to remember stuff online bout the 2nd wave if supersonic "mine was 1st version with squarer logo" were an improvement but I never A/Bd so cant say from experience.
Never bothered with the burn channel, bought it for clean which I liked for pedals. Deffo more background noise than my twin but then again Ive owned another twin that was noisier than the supersonic...

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by s_mcsleazy » Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:38 am

i used one at a gig a few years back and thought it was great..... but i always forget they exist.
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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by stevejamsecono » Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:30 pm

Not to muddy the waters here, but you also might consider checking out the small H+K and Victory heads as well. Both have multiple offerings that do "clean plus gain channel" and I rarely here channel pop complaints from either brand. I actually just ordered my second Victory yesterday (A Countess Mk2) that has clean/crunch/lead on it for similar reasons.
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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by shoegaze_head » Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:46 pm

Thanks everyone who posted. The GC sold the super crush but not before I got a chance to try it out. Wasn't majorly impressed with the clean channel, I did like the dirty channel more than I thought I would, especially with a telecaster. Maybe I didn't turn it up far enough, I get embarrassed easily playing in guitar shops.

Still considering saving up for the Super Sonic 22, but there are a few new contenders. First is a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb that popped up online, secondly is a EHX MIG-50, and lastly GC has a 1971 Fender Bandmaster head for 900. Ideally I want a head but I'm not opposed to getting a TMDR. Anyone have experiences with these?

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by stevejamsecono » Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:36 pm

Just keep playing stuff in stores until you find something that speaks to you. At the end of the day that's the shortest route to being happy with any rig and the more time you spend with it, the more you'll learn to love it/deal with whatever idiosyncrasies it has.
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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:56 pm

stevejamsecono wrote:
Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:36 pm
Just keep playing stuff in stores until you find something that speaks to you. At the end of the day that's the shortest route to being happy with any rig and the more time you spend with it, the more you'll learn to love it/deal with whatever idiosyncrasies it has.
Agreed.

Those are three very different amplifiers (four if you include the SuperSonic 22).
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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by HarktheUmpire » Tue Mar 21, 2023 3:16 am

Let me muddy the waters some more. If you're in the States, I'd also consider: https://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/mini-bassman
Seems similar to the Victory Countess.

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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by stevejamsecono » Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:29 am

HarktheUmpire wrote:
Tue Mar 21, 2023 3:16 am
Let me muddy the waters some more. If you're in the States, I'd also consider: https://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/mini-bassman
Seems similar to the Victory Countess.
I've been curious about these amps for years but I never see anyone playing them nor are there any great Youtube demos of them in use. Anyone care to take the plunge for the sake of science?
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Re: Opinions on Supersonic 22 head?

Post by HarktheUmpire » Tue Mar 21, 2023 5:22 am

stevejamsecono wrote:
Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:29 am
HarktheUmpire wrote:
Tue Mar 21, 2023 3:16 am
Let me muddy the waters some more. If you're in the States, I'd also consider: https://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/mini-bassman
Seems similar to the Victory Countess.
I've been curious about these amps for years but I never see anyone playing them nor are there any great Youtube demos of them in use. Anyone care to take the plunge for the sake of science?
I’d love to know more too! Not being in the US means I don’t want to try myself. But this March sale might be a good occasion if you are.

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