Fender Cyber Twin ...... any thoughts ???

[BIG GINGER GIT]

Hi guys,
The Cyber Twin seems to get a lot of stick when it comes to modeling amps, most folk prefer the Line 6 models or the Vox. Well I've just been on the Fender web site and the sound samples seem mighty good to me, even the higher gain sounds.
Just wondering what y'all thought of them ? :confused:

[Scott Peterson]

This is an honest reply; I have no modeling amp now and have no dog in this fight.

This is just my opinion.

When my rock covers band was doing lots of shows, the other guitarist brought his Cybertwin out a half dozen times or so. And without fail - every time - he would be rolling it back out the door after the first set and getting his big ole' Marshall head and 412 back out.

The reason was that it sounded bad. No cut, no balls, no tone, no nothing. It sounded thin and weak. He'd spin knobs on the fly, between songs, etc. and it just didn't sound good.

I talked to him at the time about it; even at rehearsal he'd try it over and over and again - he'd just shut it down after a song or two and go back to the Marshall - for the same reasons above.

Alone it sounds pretty good. In with a band it just never cut the cheese in his opinion and in mine.

YMMV!!!! I know this is a pretty negative thing to put on a board, but I am not doing it to be mean or cruel or to knock someone's amp (if you have one and like it - Great!)

JUST my opinion. Nothing more or less.

[BIG GINGER GIT]

YMMV!!!! I know this is a pretty negative thing to put on a board, but I am not doing it to be mean or cruel or to knock someone's amp (if you have one and like it - Great!)

JUST my opinion. Nothing more or less.

That's why I come here Scott, I value the views and opinions of yourself and the other guys. It makes great reading and it's so informative, I'm not wanting to buy a Cyber Twin, I just like to know what the folks think of certain bit's of gear or if they own them.

Cheers though mate, doesn't matter if your point is positive or negativeas long as we all join in :D :D ;)

[Buffalosix]

Git:

I've had the Cyber-Twin for a couple of years, I've been pretty pleased with it. But unlike Scott, I've not gigged it, I've been using it at home. A friend of mine, a serious Fender amp head, has one and gigs it, and he's pretty pleased. As for myself, I was looking for a space-friendly "all-in-one" to use at home and found it friendlier and more pure sounding than the Line 6, and better built and with more options than the Vox.

The main thing I like about it is that the amp modeling is not really digital modeling per se. I can't explain this all that well, not being a techie, but I'll try.... Corporate advertising blather aside, what happens is that the computer chip is used to configure an assortment of internal analog circuitry to create the amps, as opposed to the sound being stored in the computer. Of course, the effects are definitely digital. However, I think this accounts for major sound differences compared to the Line 6 variety.

In the end, at its core the Cyber-Twin is essentially a hot-rodded, very versatile, Fender solid-state Dyna-Touch amp with digital effects. Okay, with 2 12AX7 tubes in there I suppose it would be called a hybrid, but as I said, I'm not much of a techie.

At the very least, it is worth your while to check it out, and as Scott says, "Your mileage may vary." Good luck with your decision.

Cheers.

[BIG GINGER GIT]

Just been reading about it on the Line 6 forum this evening.
There's a guy who used to use one but is now using a Flex III, although they sound similar live he says his Fender sounds much fuller and clear on the gigs he has recorded :confused: :D :o

[CrazyChester]

I find that Modeling amps work well only when miced or direct out into a pa system. In this situation they sound great. Otherwise they don't seem to cut through the mix for me.

[TRandy16]

As a music store salesman who occasionally is forced to sell an amp without tubes in it <wink>, I think the Cyber Twin is fine...in your home or home studio...I'm with Scott as far as the "cut" and "balls" go. I see more and more of these amps coming out that I classify as "bedroom amps" or "living room" amps...they sound great at home....but when the red light goes on at the gig...it's time for something different.


Actually, IMHO, I like the Fender Cyber-Deluxe the best tone-wise... and before anyone jumps on me...I understand from a marketing viewpoint the appeal of these type of amplifiers for what I call "recreational" players, and to be totally honest MOST guitarists fit into that category...these "Swiss Army" amps are great for approximating different amps, etc. in a controlled setting...but in the heat of the battle, my personal experience tells me that if your amp chassis don't "glow" then it ain't gonna "go" on the gig.

[Mark Ray]

I played through a friend's Cyber Deluxe, and was actually surprised. I set it on a higher gain type of sound (my Marshall's input jack had gone kablooey) and was able to work with it pretty well. This was at a jam, not a "real gig." I liked it better than the Cyber Twin that I tried once at GC.


Mark

[San]

When I was looking around for a modelling amp I listened to the Cyber Twin samples on the web and was very impressed. Had they been cheaper I would definately bought one but my wallet persuaded me to get a Flex III and we're still not speaking!!

I'm a firm tube convert now and forever....

San.

[BIG GINGER GIT]

...but in the heat of the battle, my personal experience tells me that if your amp chassis don't "glow" then it ain't gonna "go" on the gig.

Ha...ha.... like it :dude:

[TieDyedDevil]

I'll throw in a kind word for the Cyber-Deluxe. I have one patch that I use exclusively - one of the tweed amp settings - and control everything from the guitar.

I've gigged this amp several times and have liked it. The choice between the C-D and my Vibro-King or '62 Pro comes down to which amps are where (I leave some at rehearsal spaces) and how much I'm willing to carry.

[DanHund]

I gigged with a borrowed one for a few months last year. I never had any luck getting solid tone out of it. Hard to describe, but it just always sounded thin and sterile to me. It definitely had a "processed" feel to it, if you get me.

No doubt, it was a well made, well thought out amp. With tons of features and sounds and tweakability. But those sounds just did not do it for me.

My current amp is a Roland Cube-30, and I am very happy with it and gig with it. So I am not a guy who has problem using solid-state or modeling amps.

Edit: An afterthought-
Maybe the Cyber-Twin just had too many things to tweak and adjust for me. I am too impatient to be a good "tweaker". I could not sit there and go through every patch and twiddle knobs on each one to try and make it fit.

I have always been very simplistic in my setup. I plug the guitar direct to the amp and let 'er rip.