An affordable, easy-to-use addition to our top-selling FM family, the new FM 212 DSP features quality amp modeling and DSP effects (including reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, flanging, Vibratone and combinations).
FM 212 DSP
Reviewed by:
The3rdMugician, on june 16, 2008 3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 400
Purchased from: Mary's Music
Features: The amp has a single input and two channel selection. Mine came with a foot switch that's to change channels or turn the effects on or off. It's got gain, volume, treble, mid and bass selection (as we would hope) The amp all around seems Good. It has a seemingly wide array of amp types to choose from. 3 Black Face settings for Twin Reverb and old 60 Fender sounds. 4 "British" sounds which is my guess I suppose the first two could be based on Vox and the last two on Marshall. 2 Hotrod settings which in any case is more Fender. 2 metal which I suppose are for the Fender metal head series. 2 Acoustic settings which once again are based on Fender acoustic amps. 1 jazz setting that's a really beautiful clean when the equil is set just right. The last two amp settings are the hotrod settings which we also know is based on hotrods. That's it for the amp settings. Now the effects are alright I supose. I'm not really experienced enough to know any better but I know many of you will trash me in the comments for owning the amp. Anyway. It's got reverb, delay, chorus, flange, tremelo and some vib thrown in. Like I said it's alright. I'm just a hobbiest, though I wish I could find people who want to play my music, so I don't really gig or anything. I play bluesy rock to garage rock. Invasion stuff like the kinks and yard birds to mostly White Stripes so It works for me. it's got line out as well though I never use it // 7
Sound: I mostly use the black face settings with a whammy and big muff so the other stuff when I mess around with it is alright. I play an Ibanez artcore through it and it sounds fine. Like I said before I'm not really experienced so I wouldn't really know what to tell you. I played artcores through actual models off many of the amps on this amp and the originals all sounded better. The gain is alright. The big thing with this amp is how increadibly loud it is. It dosent take much to send this thing up. I play in my small room and on porches and it sounds fine for what I need it to. // 7
Reliability & Durability: Its fallin alot. And It still works so. The only problem is the knobs come off sometimes but yea that's usual I guess. It's pretty durable to have fallin so many times and gotten back up I suppose. And it's never screwed up as far as it coming on and coming through. // 7
Impression: My guitar mentor and all around cool dude told me to get this amp. He has been playing 46 years. He told me this would be a fine for what I would be doing. So yea it's just a practice amp. I'd really love to get a 65 Twin Reverb if it didn't cost so much. I've only been playin about 2 years so I guess it's fine since I'm not giging. If I could do it again I'd save until I got enough for the 65. But overall it's fine. // 7
FM 212 DSP
Reviewed by:
Dantyke, on september 09, 2011 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: £ 220
Purchased from: Unsure
Features: This amp is one which can be used for many styles of music. It has 15 different settings ranging from Jazz to metal. Also it has 2 channels and comes with a foot pedal so you can switch when desired. The amp itself is 100 watts, meaning you will never be short on volume. It has a great sound as I usually play a lot of Oasis, and the 4th 'British setting on this amp is just perfect for it. // 9
Sound: The amp is capable of many different sound and suits just about every genre. I play a lot of Rock 'n' Roll and the amp goes perfectly with my new Epiphone Les Paul Standard :) It produced a great meaty sound which just lasts forever and the distortion will blow you out of the room. // 9
Reliability & Durability: This is one of the most reliable amps to date. If gigging I would not require a back up as it is really tough and will not break. Is has been in use for a few years now and I have not had a single problem with it. I think that I will have this amp for years to come. VERY dependable. // 10
Impression: This amp is great for my Epiphone les paul standard. I mainly play Oasis, and the 4th British setting with around 4/5 gain is absolutley perfect for it. It gives out a meaty sound which makes me just want to keep playing and playing. Also with the output on this you could probably play to Glastonbury using only this! (I haven't actually played it on the full 10 volume yet, as I fear it may smash the windows). So it you are thinking of getting an amp for gigs and home use, GET THIS! And you will not be disapointed! // 9
FM 212 DSP
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on august 07, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 225
Purchased from: Used Music Store
Features: This is one of the earlier models of the solid state combos with built in amp modeling and on-board effects. It has 100 watts of power and two 12" speakers. I was looking for an inexpensive (but not cheap) I could use for home practice/noodling, band rehearsals and small to medium size venue gigging without the need to mic or line-out for volume's sake. This amp totally meets those needs for sure. It was not expensive, it is very loud and versatile enough to do whatever I might need it for and then some. It has two channels that can be set identically (one isn't necessarily clean or dirty by default). I found this very helpful for fine-tuning settings because you can get a sound you like on one channel, duplicate the settings on the other and tweek one while switching back and forth to hear the difference. It can use a foot switch for channel switching though mine didn't come with one.
It has pre-amp out which lets you run big cabinets off of it if you want. The power-in line allows you to bypass all the modeling and settings and run a stand-alone effects pedal board straight into it (not through the guitar line in) and use it basically as just the raw power amp and speakers while all your effects are on the pedal board (I use a Line 6 Floor POD Plus and it works great). This is nice if you depend on your effects board and don't have any need for the effects on the amp (which are ok but if you are serious about effects, you have pedals anyway). In my situation, the effects on the pedal board and the amp are largely redundant and the ones on the board are better, more versatile and easier to access quickly. It also has a headphone jack but this would deprive the neighbors the enjoyment of your magnificent talent. // 9
Sound: So far I've played it with my Fender 72 Deluxe Reissue, Epiphone Les Paul and Ovation Celebrity acoustic. The only thing I've found annoying is that playing the acoustic through the amp on the "acoustic" settings generates a kind of cracking/popping sound when attacking a chord. I've read other reviews that mention this same anomaly but I didn't get this amp to be an acoustic amp but it would have been cool to be able to use that feature. With the cleaner settings, the amp is very clear and strong. I mostly play clean and use pedals for distortion so I've not really messed with getting a dirty sound via the amp alone that much.
A lot of the best sound comes if you can turn it up a bit and play with the gain, but with this sucker, it is hard to do that much before the neighbors start to complain. Something that took a while to get used to was the fact that when you switch amp model types, you really have to adjust the other settings too to get the right sound for that amp type. You can't just have all the knobs where you want them and switch amp types expecting a great sound. You must tweak the other individual settings for whatever amp type you are using to get the best sound. This is a little frustrating because if you want to use multiple amp types often, you must constantly tweak the other settings as well- no "set it and forget it". I've found a couple of amps types I like (a British and HOT Rod model) and usually don't deviate from those two- one channel for each. The effects are fine but I typically just add a bit of reverb (or nothing at all) and let my pedals handle the effects. The variety of sounds you can get from this amp is nearly infinite and that's great if you like to experiment and play around but for practical purposes, you will probably find a couple of amp sounds you really like and stick with those- using pedals primarily for adding your coloration. // 9
Reliability & Durability: This thing was used, sounds great and there is no evidence that it has never been repaired. Being a Fender, I would expect it hold up well and I do not feel compelled to lug a second backup amp to a gig if I'm using this. With my pedal board, I can always run straight into the PA if I have to. // 10
Impression: I play blues and rock mostly and this is more than suitable for that. If it were stolen or lost, I would be disappointed because I know Fender no longer makes this specific model and I would not be able to get something with this much power and versatility for such a low price (probably why they quit making them- they were too good for the money). However, I would try to get another, if I could get it for under $250 or so. Just as a basic amp that you can line an effects pedal board directly into and have that much power is worth it to me - even if I never use all the other many features. Just being able to use it as a basic 100 watt powered 2x12 cabinet with my board is awesome in itself - that is probably what I like best about it. To be sure, this is NOT a top-line Fender tube amp but it is also NOT going to cost you $500 or more. The raw, solid state power and ability to model some cool amps (though not perfectly) is well worth what I paid for it. I chose it mainly for the fact that it is a Fender, it is POWERFUL and it was not expensive. Also for the fact that I can use it in virtually any situation. If you can find one for under $250 and have the same needs as I, get it. You will be glad you did. // 10
I just got one. it's replacing a roland cube 60. i tried a few fender tube amps, and the FM 212 DSP had about every tone that a tube amp could get, (except like a Marshall stack tube amp from the 80's)
I know fender has only good stuff, but trust me, i've played with this amp a couple of times and it's more than horrible, forget about using it if you have an ibanez guitar like an AX or a RG series, sounds horrible when you have humbuckers...sorrym it's the truth..
I bought one recently, and it´s great.. the Clean amps sounds incredible, I have to say that i had to dig it a lot with the metal distortions, but finally find a great tone and I really like it, what I did was to roll down the EQ settings. The British amps sounds great too. I have an ESP LTD loaded with EMG 81´s pick ups.. It really roars..
its true this amp has a variety of AMP types but they sound average to mediocre. The rock settings like hot rod and metal are too muffled. i have this amp and run it with an SG-400. my guitar's humbuckers make a clogged up sound. maybe it's best for single coils.
I bought one of these yesterday, and so far am really impressed, but the footpedal it came with is kinda weird. I have to have the effects on to use the second channel? That doesn't seem right. My friend/bandmate had a Marshall footswitch that has "Channel" and "DFX" pushbuttons on it. When I use that, it will switch channels.. but instead of the channels I have selected (such as a clean jazz on channel one with reverb and metal with delay on channel two) it gives me a different clean setting for channel one, then a louder, fuller version of that same sound for channel two. What gives? I bought the amp new on clearance, because it had cosmetic errors. All the other electronics are in perfect condition. Any help would be appreciated.
I own this amp as well. Been a gigging work horse. Got this amp as a gift when my marshall quite working. I never did fix that marshall because this has been my work horse since. Had it since 2009 and it's been gigged heavy, apart from knobs coming off, i've never had a problem. I play a lot of Grunge, Punk and Metal. I use the 2nd Blackface setting as my dirty and the first acoustic setting as a clean. I get an amazing tone out of it. well worth the money.
