Fender intros iPhone-connected Mustang GT guitar amps with preset sharing

AppleInsider

Fender on Friday launched a new line of guitar amps, the Mustang GT series, notable for including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth -- which not only enables streaming music, but changing up presets via an associated iPhone and Android app, Fender Tone.

While the app offers preset creation, musicians can also access presets from Fender, an online community, and celebrities from bands like Anthrax and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Any changes are transmitted in real-time, and setlists can be generated for live performances.

The amps also feature USB connections, and a full set of onboard manual controls when a phone isn't nearby or convenient.

Three models are available. The GT 40 is $249.99 and rated at 40 watts, intended mainly for home or studio use. The GT 100 and GT 200 cost $399.99 and $599.99 respectively, but are powerful enough to be used in stage shows.

The GT 200 bundles in a four-button footswitch that costs an extra $79.99 for the other models.

Like other instrument makers, Fender has been slowly adapting to world of phones and tablets. Another iPhone app, Fender Tune, offers manual and automatic tuning options, including support for acoustic and bass guitars, as well as unorthodox tunings like Drop D.

mdriftmeyer

Is this a first? If so, what took so long?

king editor the grate

My 1977 Peavey eats 400 watts of lightning and craps 130 watts of thunder. Technology! Whiskey! Sexy!

john.b

AppleInsider said:

...as well as unorthodox tunings like Drop D.

Minor nitpick: Drop D has been a common tuning for decades. Not at all unorthodox.

mdriftmeyer

king editor the grate said:

My 1977 Peavey eats 400 watts of lightning and craps 130 watts of thunder. Technology! Whiskey! Sexy!

And your neighbors a quarter of a mile away thank you for it.

ericthehalfbee

mdriftmeyer said:

king editor the grate said:

My 1977 Peavey eats 400 watts of lightning and craps 130 watts of thunder. Technology! Whiskey! Sexy!

And your neighbors a quarter of a mile away thank you for it.

zoetmb

It seems to me that the sound one wants from a guitar amp is not the sound you want to playback recorded music.   In fact, they even sell different amps for regular guitars and bass guitars.    A musical instrument and recorded music playback are completely different animals.  But I'll reserve final judgement until I hear it.  

Also, it seems like the market has largely abandoned stereo (aside from headphone/earbud use).   Don't we care about stereo anymore?

And since there are no standards anymore, those wattage ratings are most likely meaningless.    Wattage ratings for amplifiers only make sense if they're accompanied by a frequency response +/- a given number of db and at a given distortion level.    But even ignoring frequency response and distortion, they can give a wattage number that's actually peak to peak.  So 100 watts peak-to-peak is 50 watts peak, which is 35 watts RMS.   But then you measure it at 3% distortion and it falls to 20 watts and at 1% it falls to 13 watts (although many guitar players like the sound of that distortion because it can generate square waves).   Etc.   And for an instrument amp, it's not the wattage that counts, but SPL.   It's even worse for A/V receivers because the wattage ratings are usually reported with only one channel driven instead of all channels driven.  

SpamSandwich

mdriftmeyer said:

king editor the grate said:

My 1977 Peavey eats 400 watts of lightning and craps 130 watts of thunder. Technology! Whiskey! Sexy!

And your neighbors a quarter of a mile away thank you for it.

True story: I used to have band practice in a garage with a friend and we once were playing so loud we reportedly got complaints from a nearby bowling alley!

polymnia

zoetmb said:

It seems to me that the sound one wants from a guitar amp is not the sound you want to playback recorded music.   In fact, they even sell different amps for regular guitars and bass guitars.    A musical instrument and recorded music playback are completely different animals.  But I'll reserve final judgement until I hear it.  

Also, it seems like the market has largely abandoned stereo (aside from headphone/earbud use).   Don't we care about stereo anymore?

And since there are no standards anymore, those wattage ratings are most likely meaningless.    Wattage ratings for amplifiers only make sense if they're accompanied by a frequency response +/- a given number of db and at a given distortion level.    But even ignoring frequency response and distortion, they can give a wattage number that's actually peak to peak.  So 100 watts peak-to-peak is 50 watts peak, which is 35 watts RMS.   But then you measure it at 3% distortion and it falls to 20 watts and at 1% it falls to 13 watts (although many guitar players like the sound of that distortion because it can generate square waves).   Etc.   And for an instrument amp, it's not the wattage that counts, but SPL.   It's even worse for A/V receivers because the wattage ratings are usually reported with only one channel driven instead of all channels driven.  

Not sure the point of this dissertation. Do you even play guitar?

polymnia

SpamSandwich said:

mdriftmeyer said:

king editor the grate said:

My 1977 Peavey eats 400 watts of lightning and craps 130 watts of thunder. Technology! Whiskey! Sexy!

And your neighbors a quarter of a mile away thank you for it.

True story: I used to have band practice in a garage with a friend and we once were playing so loud we reportedly got complaints from a nearby bowling alley!

Years ago I bought my first Big Muff distortion pedal. That was an effect that begged to be played at maximum volume. I lived in the country, no one else around for a quarter mile. About an hour into playing I heard some loud knocks at the door. Sure enough, my nearest neighbor was there to give me an earful.

I moved back to the city within the year.

ryancgoodfellow

mdriftmeyer said:

Is this a first? If so, what took so long?

For Fender, yes. Line6 has had this for years now with their AMPLiFi models.

KBChicago

zoetmb said:

It seems to me that the sound one wants from a guitar amp is not the sound you want to playback recorded music.   In fact, they even sell different amps for regular guitars and bass guitars.    A musical instrument and recorded music playback are completely different animals.  But I'll reserve final judgement until I hear it.  

Also, it seems like the market has largely abandoned stereo (aside from headphone/earbud use).   Don't we care about stereo anymore?

And since there are no standards anymore, those wattage ratings are most likely meaningless.    Wattage ratings for amplifiers only make sense if they're accompanied by a frequency response +/- a given number of db and at a given distortion level.    But even ignoring frequency response and distortion, they can give a wattage number that's actually peak to peak.  So 100 watts peak-to-peak is 50 watts peak, which is 35 watts RMS.   But then you measure it at 3% distortion and it falls to 20 watts and at 1% it falls to 13 watts (although many guitar players like the sound of that distortion because it can generate square waves).   Etc.   And for an instrument amp, it's not the wattage that counts, but SPL.   It's even worse for A/V receivers because the wattage ratings are usually reported with only one channel driven instead of all channels driven.  

It's so we can practice against a song we're learning.  Most modern amplifiers have an aux line input.  Bluetooth playback means one less cable with which to hassle.

SpamSandwich

KBChicago said:

zoetmb said:

It seems to me that the sound one wants from a guitar amp is not the sound you want to playback recorded music.   In fact, they even sell different amps for regular guitars and bass guitars.    A musical instrument and recorded music playback are completely different animals.  But I'll reserve final judgement until I hear it.  

Also, it seems like the market has largely abandoned stereo (aside from headphone/earbud use).   Don't we care about stereo anymore?

And since there are no standards anymore, those wattage ratings are most likely meaningless.    Wattage ratings for amplifiers only make sense if they're accompanied by a frequency response +/- a given number of db and at a given distortion level.    But even ignoring frequency response and distortion, they can give a wattage number that's actually peak to peak.  So 100 watts peak-to-peak is 50 watts peak, which is 35 watts RMS.   But then you measure it at 3% distortion and it falls to 20 watts and at 1% it falls to 13 watts (although many guitar players like the sound of that distortion because it can generate square waves).   Etc.   And for an instrument amp, it's not the wattage that counts, but SPL.   It's even worse for A/V receivers because the wattage ratings are usually reported with only one channel driven instead of all channels driven.  

It's so we can practice against a song we're learning.  Most modern amplifiers have an aux line input.  Bluetooth playback means one less cable with which to hassle.

Boy, you got that right. Cable control in both live and studio situations can quickly become unmanageable.

techprod1gy

ryancgoodfellow said:

mdriftmeyer said:

Is this a first? If so, what took so long?

For Fender, yes. Line6 has had this for years now with their AMPLiFi models.

This is correct. I have had a Line6 AMPLiFi for 2 years now. You can control everything off an iPad if you wish...share tone settings and the coolest feature is you select a song from iTunes and the APP uploads all of the user created tunes for that song including all parts, rhythm, lead and bass...it is pretty nice.

YvLy

This photograph ... what is my aunt Elly with her new wig doing in the bedroom of my 8 year old daughter?

king editor the grate

Back in the daze, people got distortion by poking holes in the speaker. Be fun to have told one of them, "Some day you'll use your phone for that."

randominternetperson

SpamSandwich said:

KBChicago said:

zoetmb said:

It seems to me that the sound one wants from a guitar amp is not the sound you want to playback recorded music.   In fact, they even sell different amps for regular guitars and bass guitars.    A musical instrument and recorded music playback are completely different animals.  But I'll reserve final judgement until I hear it.  

Also, it seems like the market has largely abandoned stereo (aside from headphone/earbud use).   Don't we care about stereo anymore?

And since there are no standards anymore, those wattage ratings are most likely meaningless.    Wattage ratings for amplifiers only make sense if they're accompanied by a frequency response +/- a given number of db and at a given distortion level.    But even ignoring frequency response and distortion, they can give a wattage number that's actually peak to peak.  So 100 watts peak-to-peak is 50 watts peak, which is 35 watts RMS.   But then you measure it at 3% distortion and it falls to 20 watts and at 1% it falls to 13 watts (although many guitar players like the sound of that distortion because it can generate square waves).   Etc.   And for an instrument amp, it's not the wattage that counts, but SPL.   It's even worse for A/V receivers because the wattage ratings are usually reported with only one channel driven instead of all channels driven.  

It's so we can practice against a song we're learning.  Most modern amplifiers have an aux line input.  Bluetooth playback means one less cable with which to hassle.

Boy, you got that right. Cable control in both live and studio situations can quickly become unmanageable.

Which makes me wonder why this doesn't include an out of the box wireless guitar-to-amp solution.

randominternetperson

YvLy said:

This photograph ... what is my aunt Elly with her new wig doing in the bedroom of my 8 year old daughter?

What photograph?

kamilton

The best music ever recorded was done live with gear that basically sucked and buzzed.  I'm tired of all the focus on technogear.  Music today is not short on tech, it's short on melody and meaning.  Pick up any guitar magazine and Jimi Hendrix is in there...  47 years dead.  Why?  Great songs and great performances.  Buzzy single coils in late 60's Strats, abused Marshalls, Wah-Wah, Big Muff and the occasional Univibe.  

Natural talent, very hard work, balls, innovativion, song writing, singular focus, learning the craft.  I'm a dinosaur, but that's what sets great apart from gearheads.

KBChicago

kamilton said:

The best music ever recorded was done live with gear that basically sucked and buzzed.  I'm tired of all the focus on technogear.  Music today is not short on tech, it's short on melody and meaning.  Pick up any guitar magazine and Jimi Hendrix is in there...  47 years dead.  Why?  Great songs and great performances.  Buzzy single coils in late 60's Strats, abused Marshalls, Wah-Wah, Big Muff and the occasional Univibe.  

Natural talent, very hard work, balls, innovativion, song writing, singular focus, learning the craft.  I'm a dinosaur, but that's what sets great apart from gearheads.

True.  But you've gotta admit, the new toys are fun.

KBChicago

randominternetperson said:

SpamSandwich said:

KBChicago said:

zoetmb said:

It seems to me that the sound one wants from a guitar amp is not the sound you want to playback recorded music.   In fact, they even sell different amps for regular guitars and bass guitars.    A musical instrument and recorded music playback are completely different animals.  But I'll reserve final judgement until I hear it.  

Also, it seems like the market has largely abandoned stereo (aside from headphone/earbud use).   Don't we care about stereo anymore?

And since there are no standards anymore, those wattage ratings are most likely meaningless.    Wattage ratings for amplifiers only make sense if they're accompanied by a frequency response +/- a given number of db and at a given distortion level.    But even ignoring frequency response and distortion, they can give a wattage number that's actually peak to peak.  So 100 watts peak-to-peak is 50 watts peak, which is 35 watts RMS.   But then you measure it at 3% distortion and it falls to 20 watts and at 1% it falls to 13 watts (although many guitar players like the sound of that distortion because it can generate square waves).   Etc.   And for an instrument amp, it's not the wattage that counts, but SPL.   It's even worse for A/V receivers because the wattage ratings are usually reported with only one channel driven instead of all channels driven.  

It's so we can practice against a song we're learning.  Most modern amplifiers have an aux line input.  Bluetooth playback means one less cable with which to hassle.

Boy, you got that right. Cable control in both live and studio situations can quickly become unmanageable.

Which makes me wonder why this doesn't include an out of the box wireless guitar-to-amp solution.

Line6 amps have this.  The charger is even built into the amp.  I can't find anything on this for the Fender.  But then, Fender is more conservative in their innovation.