Fender '57 Custom Pro-Amp - Amplifier Manual

'57 Custom Pro-Amp

The late-'50s tweed-covered Fender Pro-Amp combined great looks with sweet tone, medium output power and the unique performance characteristics of a single 15" guitar speaker. Hailed as one of the holy grail "narrow-panel tweed" amps beloved by guitarists and collectors, vintage examples are rare and highly sought after.

The '57 Custom Pro-Amp continues that legacy, with all-tube handwired circuitry and premium components. It faithfully recreates the tones of the original classic 5E5-A design, delivering about 28 watts of warm, sensitive response. A Special Design 15" ceramic-magnet speaker by Eminence® is voiced for big, fat guitar tone with sensitive response, and new reverse-engineered '50s vintage "Yellow" tone capacitors add subtly nuanced tonal magic. Along with custom transformers, internal bias control for easy substitution of various 6L6 power tube types, instrument and microphone inputs, finger-joined solid pine cabinet, lacquered tweed covering and more, the result is a richly rewarding amplifier experience that's pure Fender.

The '57 Custom Pro-Amp's harmonically rich clean tones are perfect for recreating classic guitar styles, while today's pedal board enthusiast will also find an ideal tonal canvas for creating new sounds. And with the volume cranked, the naturally touch-sensitive overdrive tone is simply electrifying.

Register your '57 Custom Pro-Amp online at www.fender.com/productregistration.

Control Panel

1. FUSE: Provides electrical over-current protection. With power disconnected, replace a blown fuse only with one of the type and rating specified above the fuse holder.
2. POWER SWITCH: Turns amp on and off. Both the POWER and STANDBY (C) switches must be on for audible output.
3. STANDBY SWITCH: Disables speaker output while power is on. To extend tube life, leave switch in STANDBY position for first 60 seconds after turning POWER (B) on. Instead of turning amp off during short breaks, set switch to STANDBY position to further extend tube life and to avoid tube-warmup delay when resuming play.
4. POWER INDICATOR: Illuminates when amp is on.
5. PRESENCE: Ultra-high frequency tone control adds greater high-end sparkle.
6. BASS: Tone control for lower frequencies.
7. TREBLE: Tone control for higher frequencies.
8. INSTRUMENT VOLUME: Adjusts volume level of both instrument inputs.
9. MICROPHONE VOLUME: Adjusts volume level of both microphone inputs.
10. INSTRUMENT INPUTS: Plug instruments in here. Input 2 has lower sensitivity (-6dB) for cleaner response with high-output and pre-amplified instruments. Input sensitivities are identical when using both inputs simultaneously.
11. MICROPHONE INPUTS: Plug microphones and instruments in here. It was common in the 1950s to use guitars and microphones simultaneously with tube amps, and these inputs produce a distinctive alternative guitar tone. Input 2 has lower sensitivity (-6dB) for cleaner response with high-output and pre-amplified instruments. Input sensitivities are identical when using both inputs simultaneously.

Chassis Rear View

Rear panel, tube cage, preamp tube shields and other parts removed for illustration.

12. POWER CORD: Connect to a grounded outlet in accordance with the voltage and frequency specifications noted on the amplifier information label, which is located inside the cabinet on the left when viewing from the rear.
13. RECTIFIER TUBE: Single 5AR4 rectifier tube converts AC voltage from the amplifier's power transformer into DC voltage required by the power (N) and preamp tubes (Q). It should be replaced with an identical rectifier tube or one with a comparable rating and quality, although a 5U4 rectifier tube can be substituted to produce lower-gain tone typical of the original era.
14. POWER TUBES: Dual 6L6GC power tubes drive the power section of the amplifier. These should be replaced only with identical power tubes or those with a comparable rating and quality.
15. INTERNAL SPEAKER JACK: The '57 Custom Pro-Amp's single internal speaker connects here using a right-angle plug. A single external speaker can also be used instead of the internal speaker (note that this requires disconnection of the internal speaker), but it must be rated at 8 ohms and it must be connected to this jack and not to the Extension Speaker Jack (P).
    Also note that the amp can be damaged by using a single external speaker plugged into the Extension Speaker Jack (P) with nothing plugged into the Internal Speaker Jack. Whether internal or external, an 8-ohm speaker must be connected to the Internal Speaker Jack when the power is on, or the amplifier can be damaged.

16. EXTENSION SPEAKER JACK: This speaker jack enables the use of an external 8-ohm speaker in addition to the internal speaker. Also, two external 8-ohm speakers can be used by plugging them into the Internal (O) and Extension Speaker jacks (note that this requires disconnection of the internal speaker, and that the custom transformer will switch to 4-ohm operation when both jacks are used). Also note that the amp can be damaged by using a single external speaker plugged into the Extension Speaker Jack with nothing plugged into the Internal Speaker Jack (O).
17. PREAMP TUBES: Dual 12AX7 preamp tubes (high gain) and a single 12AY7 preamp tube (for lower-gain tone typical of the original era) drive the preamp section of the amplifier. Alternately, another 12AX7 preamp tube can be substituted for the 12AY7 tube to achieve higher gain.

Specifications

TYPE: PR 2515

POWER:
Requirements: 225 watts
Output: 26 watts RMS into 8Ω @ 5% THD, 1kHz

IMPEDANCE:
1 MΩ (instrument input 1, microphone input 1)
136 kΩ (instrument input 2, microphone input 2)

SPEAKER: One 15" Eminence® Legend (8Ω, PN 0059660000)

TUBES:
One pair 6L6GC (power, PN 0059778200)
Two 12AX7 (preamp, PN 0074287300)
One 12AY7 (preamp, PN 7708740000)
One 5AR4 (rectifier, PN 0041400000)

FUSE: F3.0A L 250V (100V-120V versions), F1.6A L 250V (220V-240V versions)

ACCESSORIES: Deluxe fitted cover (included, PN 7708571000)

DIMENSIONS:
Width: 22.37" (56.83 cm)
Height: 20.87" (53.02 cm)
Depth: 10.87" (27.62 cm)

WEIGHT: 51 lbs. (23.13 kg)

Product specifications subject to change without notice.

PART NUMBERS

'57 Custom Pro-Amp

8170500100 (120V, 60Hz) US
8170501100 (110V, 60Hz) TW
8170503100 (240V, 50Hz) AU
8170504100 (230V, 50Hz) UK
8170505100 (220V, 50Hz) ARG
8170506100 (230V, 50Hz) EU
8170507100 (100V, 50/60Hz) JP
8170508100 (220V, 50Hz) CN
8170509100 (220V, 60Hz) ROK
8170513100 (240V, 50Hz) MA

For questions and troubleshooting, contact a Fender specialist at:
1-800-856-9801 (U.S. toll free)
1-480-596-7195 (International)

Documents / Resources

Download manual

Here you can download full pdf version of manual, it may contain additional safety instructions, warranty information, FCC rules, etc.

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