Chris Stapleton, Fender and Filson Join Forces For Gorgeous Retro Guitar Amp
Smoother than “Tennessee Whiskey.”
Chris Stapleton is the rare artist whose fan base bridges traditional country, indie Americana and even high-gloss pop, as evidenced by his recent collaboration with Justin Timberlake.
And now the golden-voiced singer/guitarist is breaking more new ground with his very own Fender guitar amp, which fittingly comes with a rugged cover by Seattle-based heritage brand Filson.
The “Tennessee Whiskey” crooner’s ‘62 Princeton Chris Stapleton Edition Amp is a unique addition to Fender’s lineup, reports Gear Patrol.
“We haven’t done a hand-wired reissue of any of the Fender Brown amps from the early 60s, so it was long overdue,” said Shane Nicholas, Director of Product Development, Electronics at Fender.
Brown-era Fender amps were produced from ’61 to ’63 and were generally cleaner and brighter sounding than the Tweed amps of the ‘50s. “If you compare a Brown Princeton to, say, a Tweed Princeton or Deluxe, it’s slightly less distorted and it’s slightly brighter,” said Nicholas.
Like the original Fender amps of the ‘50s and ‘60s, this 12-watt combo is wired by hand. Housed in a resonant solid-pine cabinet, it features a ’62 Princeton 6G2 amp circuit, Fender Vintage “Blue” tone caps and Schumacher transformers (the same transformers used by the brand in the ‘60s).
Stapleton’s personal vintage ’62 was modified to use a 12-inch speaker as opposed to the stock 10-inch option, an alteration that bolstered the amp’s low-end range. As such, the reissue model utilizes a custom Eminence 12-inch speaker manufactured in Kentucky.
The amp’s control panel features just four knobs—Volume, Tone, Speed and Intensity—and a one-button switch manages the tremolo.
Filson’s water-repellent, 22-ounce cotton-twill amp cover is “the most expensive cover we’ve ever bought,” says Fender’s Nicolas. Which may not come as a surprise to devoted fans of Filson’s premium bags and luggage.
Aimed at collectors and serious players, the ’62 Princeton Chris Stapleton Edition amp is priced at $2,000.
Stapleton will donate all royalties from sales to his charity, Outlaw State of Kind, which benefits the March of Dimes, Musicares Foundation, City of Hope, Habitat for Humanity, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, VetsAid and more.