So, my 2 cents. I have a lizard red prosonic with an LO serial, no custom shop label, and a GB date code, which if the site I checked is correct means it was made in Feb 1996. I have been a huge Fender fan since the 1960s. My first real guitar was a Mustang at 15 yrs old. I have played many Fender guitars and amps and the Prosonic is my favorite, hands down. 3 reasons I think some people are dissapointed- speakers, tubes, and knobs. I had a 1976 silver face twin for years and loved the glassy sound of a strat through it, but it was heavy (JBLs) and more power than I needed usually. After I got the Prosonic I was a little disappointed that it didn’t have that over the top tone, so I did a lot of reading and research. First, I read that the first year or so these were made the celestial speakers were sorry. Many people complained and some were actually replaced by Fender. I believe mine originally had these crappy speakers. I also read about tube replacements for better tone. Eventually I replaced the preamp tube with a groove tube and the power tubes with Svetlana’s. I bought a pair of Jensen made in Italy vintage custom speakers. Almost there. But to add punch and top end sparkle I replaced one of the Jensen’s with a JBL. Weird I know, and the JBL overpowers the Jensen, but the combo is remarkable. The last thing that makes the sound is tweaking the knobs. A couple of reviewers mention this, but there are sweet spots that really bring out the tone. Typically I will crank bass, treble and middle on Fender amps all the way up, but on this one it’s better if I back the treble to about 7 and the middle to about 5. Also the volume needs to be over 3 to bring out that tone. A little loud in the house, but that’s what it likes to really sing. If I’m playing out I have a 2 12″ cab with a 70s K120 JBL and a 12″ Jensen in it. Crank this up to about 7 and it’s Fender heaven. Also, I almost always play it on the AB rectifier setting, a little more crunchy and nuanced than the A setting.
I’m puzzled why I keep seeing posts saying the Prosonic has an active EQ section. If you look at the EQ/tone stack on the schematic, you can see that it’s very close to a standard issue Blackface type tone stack that filters signal to ground. An active EQ will add gain(dB) when the pot is turned up but the Prosonic eq only cuts from max at 10 on the knob. Anybody know why it’s called active? I think the Prosonic is a great sounding , well built amp. It has a basic PC board but it has chassis mounted pots and tube sockets which is not common these days.
I bought my Red Lizard Prosonic new back in 1995-1996(lucky me, as I read that they only made 300 of them). This is my main gigging amp(except when I’m playing in my Dio tribute. For that gig I use a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier with a 4×12 cab). My Prosonic has the LO designation in the serial number. Tone is subjective and I’ve seen a few complaints about this amp. Mine is a beast though, and it delivers gig after gig. Apart from a blown speaker(many years ago, and was covered under warranty), and tube replacement, I’ve never had any issues with this amp. It’s built like a tank. Someone once spilled a rye and coke down the front of the amp(luckily, AFTER the gig), and I was so worried about it that I opened up the amp when I got home. After opening up the amp, I could see by the design of the amp that it was virtually impossible for any liquid to get inside(better safe than sorry). Still to this day, people compliment my tone, and I’ve actually had people asking me if I would sell it after hearing it in action. It’s small enough for easy transport and on stage when space is limited, and it is very loud. The drive channel is great, and it takes pedals really well. I’ve had this amp for so long, it’s like a member of the family. I’ll never sell this amp. If you can find somebody willing to sell one, grab it, you won’t be disappointed.
Hi all, I am a new Prosonic owner and have a question I do not find an answer to: I want to use an attanuator. It has inputs for 4, 8 and 16 Ohms. Which one shall I use? Thanks a lot
I love how people cry, whine, and defame a great Fender high-gain amp. It’s possible this just isn’t the amp for you! I own three of these amps—two heads and one combo—and I’ve been through all sorts of gear, from vintage to modern: Friedman, Mesa Express 5:50+, Super, JCM, and others. I tried to like the Super-Sonic combo but ended up with a used Prosonic combo instead, and I couldn’t be happier. The reverb sounds fantastic. I sold all those other amps and keep coming back to the Prosonic. These amps require time and patience to really dial in your sound—small adjustments on the active EQ shape the tone dramatically, especially depending on which class you choose. I use all of mine stock, and they perform beautifully both on stage and in the studio. They sound incredible just plugged straight in, without a bunch of pedals in the way. The gain can be over the top past a certain point, but it’s up to the player to figure it out, not complain about it. I figured it out, and it’s absolutely worth it. I have both a red snakeskin “LO” model and two “CR” models, and the tonal difference between them is negligible. Also, to clear up confusion from earlier posts—none of these were ever Custom Shop amps; they were Custom Shop–designed by Bruce Zinky, but not built in the Custom Shop. According to my Fender manual, the combo weighs 48 pounds. To clarify some misinformation: the combo is wired to a 16-ohm load. When using an external cab along with the internal speakers via the external speaker jack, it switches to an 8-ohm load (all explained in the manual). Just make sure you’re smart enough to use a 16-ohm external cab—mismatching impedance can cause problems. Bottom line: the Prosonic is a unique, special high-gain amp that isn’t for everyone. The players who understand and love them rarely sell them, which should tell you something. These amps will only go up in value, so I’m holding onto mine for as long as I can lift them. People who bash or dismiss the Prosonic simply haven’t chosen the right amp for their style—or haven’t taken the time to figure it out. It’s a high-gain rock amp, plain and simple. If that’s not your thing, move along quietly. Savvy?
23 comments
So, my 2 cents. I have a lizard red prosonic with an LO serial, no custom shop label, and a GB date code, which if the site I checked is correct means it was made in Feb 1996. I have been a huge Fender fan since the 1960s. My first real guitar was a Mustang at 15 yrs old. I have played many Fender guitars and amps and the Prosonic is my favorite, hands down. 3 reasons I think some people are dissapointed- speakers, tubes, and knobs. I had a 1976 silver face twin for years and loved the glassy sound of a strat through it, but it was heavy (JBLs) and more power than I needed usually. After I got the Prosonic I was a little disappointed that it didn’t have that over the top tone, so I did a lot of reading and research. First, I read that the first year or so these were made the celestial speakers were sorry. Many people complained and some were actually replaced by Fender. I believe mine originally had these crappy speakers. I also read about tube replacements for better tone. Eventually I replaced the preamp tube with a groove tube and the power tubes with Svetlana’s. I bought a pair of Jensen made in Italy vintage custom speakers. Almost there. But to add punch and top end sparkle I replaced one of the Jensen’s with a JBL. Weird I know, and the JBL overpowers the Jensen, but the combo is remarkable. The last thing that makes the sound is tweaking the knobs. A couple of reviewers mention this, but there are sweet spots that really bring out the tone. Typically I will crank bass, treble and middle on Fender amps all the way up, but on this one it’s better if I back the treble to about 7 and the middle to about 5. Also the volume needs to be over 3 to bring out that tone. A little loud in the house, but that’s what it likes to really sing. If I’m playing out I have a 2 12″ cab with a 70s K120 JBL and a 12″ Jensen in it. Crank this up to about 7 and it’s Fender heaven. Also, I almost always play it on the AB rectifier setting, a little more crunchy and nuanced than the A setting.
I’m puzzled why I keep seeing posts saying the Prosonic has an active EQ section. If you look at the EQ/tone stack on the schematic, you can see that it’s very close to a standard issue Blackface type tone stack that filters signal to ground. An active EQ will add gain(dB) when the pot is turned up but the Prosonic eq only cuts from max at 10 on the knob. Anybody know why it’s called active? I think the Prosonic is a great sounding , well built amp. It has a basic PC board but it has chassis mounted pots and tube sockets which is not common these days.
I bought my Red Lizard Prosonic new back in 1995-1996(lucky me, as I read that they only made 300 of them). This is my main gigging amp(except when I’m playing in my Dio tribute. For that gig I use a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier with a 4×12 cab). My Prosonic has the LO designation in the serial number. Tone is subjective and I’ve seen a few complaints about this amp. Mine is a beast though, and it delivers gig after gig. Apart from a blown speaker(many years ago, and was covered under warranty), and tube replacement, I’ve never had any issues with this amp. It’s built like a tank. Someone once spilled a rye and coke down the front of the amp(luckily, AFTER the gig), and I was so worried about it that I opened up the amp when I got home. After opening up the amp, I could see by the design of the amp that it was virtually impossible for any liquid to get inside(better safe than sorry). Still to this day, people compliment my tone, and I’ve actually had people asking me if I would sell it after hearing it in action. It’s small enough for easy transport and on stage when space is limited, and it is very loud. The drive channel is great, and it takes pedals really well. I’ve had this amp for so long, it’s like a member of the family. I’ll never sell this amp. If you can find somebody willing to sell one, grab it, you won’t be disappointed.
Hi all, I am a new Prosonic owner and have a question I do not find an answer to: I want to use an attanuator. It has inputs for 4, 8 and 16 Ohms. Which one shall I use? Thanks a lot
I love how people cry, whine, and defame a great Fender high-gain amp. It’s possible this just isn’t the amp for you! I own three of these amps—two heads and one combo—and I’ve been through all sorts of gear, from vintage to modern: Friedman, Mesa Express 5:50+, Super, JCM, and others. I tried to like the Super-Sonic combo but ended up with a used Prosonic combo instead, and I couldn’t be happier. The reverb sounds fantastic. I sold all those other amps and keep coming back to the Prosonic. These amps require time and patience to really dial in your sound—small adjustments on the active EQ shape the tone dramatically, especially depending on which class you choose. I use all of mine stock, and they perform beautifully both on stage and in the studio. They sound incredible just plugged straight in, without a bunch of pedals in the way. The gain can be over the top past a certain point, but it’s up to the player to figure it out, not complain about it. I figured it out, and it’s absolutely worth it. I have both a red snakeskin “LO” model and two “CR” models, and the tonal difference between them is negligible. Also, to clear up confusion from earlier posts—none of these were ever Custom Shop amps; they were Custom Shop–designed by Bruce Zinky, but not built in the Custom Shop. According to my Fender manual, the combo weighs 48 pounds. To clarify some misinformation: the combo is wired to a 16-ohm load. When using an external cab along with the internal speakers via the external speaker jack, it switches to an 8-ohm load (all explained in the manual). Just make sure you’re smart enough to use a 16-ohm external cab—mismatching impedance can cause problems. Bottom line: the Prosonic is a unique, special high-gain amp that isn’t for everyone. The players who understand and love them rarely sell them, which should tell you something. These amps will only go up in value, so I’m holding onto mine for as long as I can lift them. People who bash or dismiss the Prosonic simply haven’t chosen the right amp for their style—or haven’t taken the time to figure it out. It’s a high-gain rock amp, plain and simple. If that’s not your thing, move along quietly. Savvy?