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The VM Combo replicates the look of classic Fender blackface amps

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• Review

The Deluxe combo is the latest addition to Fender's Vintage Modified range of amplifiers, which aim to blend vintage and modern aspects together.

At first glance, the combo appears to be based on a Fender classic, however, when you get a little closer you realise things are somewhat different.

To begin with, it's a hybrid design – but not the usual 'solid-state with a token preamp valve' type of hybrid.

Rather, both amps share a common circuit, which combines a dual 6L6 valve power stage with a valve and solid-state preamplifier.

This isn't a new idea – Music Man was doing a similar thing way back in the early 80s with the RD series and so was Roland with its excellent Bolt combos.

But it has been unusual, as it costs more to build than the reverse concept, and the valves actually have to do something more than just glow red.

The styling is closely based on Fender's classic 60s 'blackface' amplifiers – Fender has added a small 'VM' badge to the front grille, but done away with the metal corner protectors you'd find on an original 60s blackface.

One bad thing, which has sadly become a tradition on all modern Fender amps, is the flimsy cereal box rear panel material – how much does two square feet of quarter inch plywood cost? Still too much, evidently.

The electronics are contained within a sturdy wedge-shaped open-ended tray chassis, with folded returns on each side to improve rigidity.

At the thin end, all the front panel components apart from the pilot light are fitted onto a single through-plated and double-sided PCB, with the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) on a smaller daughter board.

The thick end is home to the rear panel stuff, valves and power supply, housed on two non-through-plated boards.

The PCB holding the valve bases is adequately supported on solid metal standoffs, however, the chassis layout means the preamp valve bases are deeply recessed, making valve replacement a pain.

Overall, the general standard of the components, layout and wiring is better than average for this type of modern mass-produced product.

The control panel is easy to understand, even without the aid of a manual.

The clean channel features volume, bass and treble controls, while the lead channel has the usual gain, volume and three-band EQ arrangement.

After this comes the effects section, which features reverb, delay and chorus – all digitally generated.

The reverb is governed by a single level control and is a reasonably good facsimile of a Hammond spring, while the delay and chorus effects share knobs for rate/time, mix level and repeats/depth.

You press a small button on the panel to select delay, dial in your preferred settings and then press another small button to use the same knobs to adjust the chorus effect independently.

So you can go from a wide, slow chorus with a single hard slapback delay to fast wobbly almost Leslie-type stuff with long delay and endless repeats.