Update – I wrote this on May 2, 2016.  Some time after I wrote this, I traded it in and got a Bassbreaker 15, which mostly addresses my issues with the 007.  But I can tell you this – if you connect the 007 to a great external speaker, and you connect the 15 to an external speaker, they pretty much sound the same or very similar.

I previously reviewed the Fender Bassbreaker 007 combo tube amp.  7 watts, a 10 inch speaker, EL84 output tubes.  I just got one, so I’ll be updating my review with new information.  This is a different topic.  I want to talk about everything wrong with this amp.

I love this thing.  I LOVE it.  The amp itself is amazing sounding.  Contrary to what some (morons) say, you can definitely get a very nice clean tone out of it.  In fact, I like its clean tone better than any other Fender amp for under a grand.  That’s a very subjective statement/opinion, but my ears have really grown tired of the 6L6 output tube sound.  Yes, it’s big, and when done correctly it’s warm.  But the high end isn’t there, and if it is, it’s shrill, at least in the sub-$1000 Fender amps.  The Bassbreaker amp, any of them, go from a very nice sparkly clean tone with plenty of body all the way up to moderate overdrive smoother than any amp I’ve played.  I can dial in the exact amount of dirt I want, and it sounds glorious (when connected to a good speaker.)

But the 007 has four very major shortcomings.  They are:

  1. The line out emulation sounds like poo
  2. The 10 inch speaker sounds really small and boxy
  3. There’s no reverb
  4. There’s no effects loop

Not having a good line out is a bummer.  The line out on the Peavey Valveking series is actually quite good.  But I’ll be recording this amp with a microphone anyway.  The 10 inch speaker is good enough for tuning your guitar, or some bedroom practicing, but I wouldn’t bring it to a band practice or gig.  It just sounds small.  You might wonder why I bought this amp, for $449, instead of the head version for $399.  The answer is that I got this amp on sale for $379.  Less than the head.  And I treat this amp like an amp head and run it into my one 12 cab.  And through the 12, it sounds amazing.  You haven’t heard this amp if all you’ve heard is the internal 10, which is hideous.  OK, it’s not hideous, but this thing really sounds like a different, far superior amp through a 12.

For recording, I never use an amp’s reverb, so that’s not a big issue for me.  I wouldn’t gig with 7 watts anyway.  But if I’m just playing through the amp in my bedroom, it would have been nice for Fender to toss a digital reverb chip in there.  It wouldn’t have cost them that much more.  Granted, you can buy a digital reverb pedal, and for your clean sound, you’re all set.  But for your dirty sound?  No.  Not unless you’re using a dirt pedal, and if you buy this amp to only use clean you’re an idiot.  OK, you’re not an idiot… you just don’t know what you’re doing.

So there you go.  For my needs, this amp is great.  With an external cab, it’s a fantastic recording amp.  But if you’re in a band and you want that Bassbreaker sound, you probably need the 15 watt version of this amp.

On the other hand, it depends what sound you want.  If you play dirty all night, this amp (with a different cab) might cut it – at full volume, it’s very loud.  But your clean sound has no hope of being heard over a drummer.  Something to think about.