Short Term Review: Fender 57 Custom Deluxe (aka Tweed Deluxe) Re-Issue Amplifier

The mighty Les Paul with my Tweed Deluxe amp.

Last summer, I bought what is probably the bucket list amp for me: a re-issue of Fender’s legendary Tweed Deluxe amplifier.

Nine months or so later, how am I getting on with it? Was it a good decision, or do I regret paying the perceived Fender tax for an almost 70-year-old amp circuit that’s been heavily cloned?

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New Arrivals: February 2022

This month is a tale of two eras: before land war in Europe, and after the war started.

My plan was to get Hedgehog back in action, and (if they came into stock) pick up a couple of things I felt I needed for some planned recording. And that’s how the month started.

Then Putin launched his invasion of a democratic European nation, while willy-waving his nuclear arsenal at the rest of the world. While we’re almost certainly safe from major consequences ourselves, I decided to bring forward my major planned purchase of the year anyway.

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First Impressions: Bare Knuckle Pickups True Grit Telecaster Bridge Pickup

This photo is an almost top-down shot of the Bare Knuckle Pickups' True Grit Telecaster bridge pickup.

The photo shows that this pickup has six flat pole pieces (all the pole pieces are the same height).
The Bare Knuckle Pickups’ True Grit Telecaster Bridge Pickup

Last year, I picked up Hedgehog (my Squier Esquire 60’s Custom), and it quickly became one of my firm favourites. I’m on a hunt to find the right bridge pickup to bring out the best in it.

I’ve already given the Seymour Duncan Antiquity II a go. Will I be any happier with the Bare Knuckle Pickups True Grit? Read on to find out.

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