M

ODELED

 A

MPS

 & C

ABS

:  

W

HICH

 A

MPS

AND

 C

ABS

 A

RE

 M

ODELED

?

4 • 3

Middle

 knobs just sitting there. That just didn’t seem right, so we figured out a 

way to put those knobs to work without mucking about with the authenticity of 
this Amp Model’s treble tone control. We set up the 

Bass

 and 

Middle

 as post-

Amp Model controls, which essentially lets you EQ up your tone as you would do 
on a mixing console after recording your amp. Set the 

Bass

 and 

Middle

 knobs at 

halfway to put them in “neutral,” and try the Treble knob somewhere above 
halfway for a classic Tweed sound.

Tweed Blues - 

The classic ’59 Fender Bassman 4x10 combo was the amp 

that started it all – instant rock and roll tone. Originally a bass guitar amp, the 
Bassman became a Blues staple for 6-string guitarists. It has the fat bottom end 
you’d expect from a bass amp but also has the Fender twang on the top. The 
Bassman was the “blueprint” for POD’s Tweed Blues. Incidentally, when Jim 
Marshall built his first amps with Ken Bran they were heavily influenced by the 
early Bassman. One of the interesting things about the Bassman is just how 
interactive the Mid and Treble controls are. The Mid control isn’t a bandpass, as 
in most tone control setups. Instead, it’s almost like a second treble control. The 
two are additive, so if you’re running the 

Middle

 knob higher than halfway up, 

you’ll find that the 

Treble

 control might give you more bright than you really 

want. On the other hand, when you turn the 

Middle

 knob down, you’ll probably 

want to boost the 

Treble

.

The Bassman, like many of the amps modeled for POD, didn’t have a master 
volume. So to get the kind of tone that the Bassman can deliver at higher gain 
settings, you had to crank it up loud enough to do some serious damage to anyone 
who might be standing close by. With POD, you can get that kind of tone at a 
bedroom or studio level – or through your headphones even! Try a 

Drive

 setting 

of about 4 or 5 – it’s guaranteed to dredge up the best R&B licks you know.

Black Panel - 

The Holy Grail for many blues, country, and “roots” players 

has been a blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb. (Of course, now that POD’s here, that 
may all change.) After listening to quite a few candidates for modeling, we 
stumbled upon an extremely cool ’64 Deluxe. Most players love a Deluxe when it’s 
turned up to about 7 for a nice gritty sound that cleans up when you back off your 
guitar’s volume knob just a little. Notice how the tone control response changes as