Joe Bonamassa, Fender Release Rare ’48 Dual Pro Amplifier, Last Manufactured 75 Years Ago

Three-time GRAMMY-nominated Joe Bonamassa is celebrating his 26th #1 Billboard Blues album “Tales Of Time” this week. Joe is known for “keeping the blues alive” through his adventurous albums, stellar live performances, and his Keeping The Blues Alive foundation, which provides scholarships to schools and artists in need. Another creative way he does this is by collecting and preserving important, historic musical gear. Now, in partnership with Fender, Bonamassa lives up to his mission with the release of a special edition original 1948 Dual Professional guitar amplifier, an extremely rare and collectible model that has never been reissued—until now. Honored by Guitar World magazine with its Platinum Award of Excellence, the 1948 Dual Professional guitar amplifier is the first Fender amp with two speakers, boasting a striking “V-front” appearance, an early-era Fender classic, and a throaty growl, which can be leveraged for its original lap steel purpose or for blues, rock, or country guitar.

An avid collector of the world’s greatest vintage guitars and amplifiers with a deep knowledge of the technical side of his craft, Bonamassa partnered with Fender to revive this classic amp, which otherwise would have been lost to the guitar community. This is Bonamassa’s second piece of vintage gear that Bonamassa has helped bring back to life in partnership with Fender, following the ’59 Twin-Amp JB Edition released in 2018. “This is an amp that, for a Fender connoisseur, goes back 74 years,” Bonamassa said. “It was one of Leo Fender’s first professional amps made for the stage and they’re extremely rare.” He continues, “Sitting next to it, it just feels like you’re going back in Fender’s history books.”

Bonamassa loaned his own prized ’48 Dual Pro to Fender, who, at his request, developed this hand-wired reissued model, which delivers the amazing look, tone, feel and overall vibe of that special vintage tube amp. The amp includes two 6L6 power tubes, two EF806 preamp tubes, and one 12AU7 phase inverter tube to replicate the sound and feel of the unavailable octal tubes in the original. Hand-made in Corona, Calif., the 1948 Dual Professional JB Edition is designed and built to Joe Bonamassa’s specifications and is sure to appeal to his fans, collectors, and pro guitarists everywhere. Priced at $3,499.99, the amplifier is available in limited quantities exclusively HERE.

The announcement of the 1948 Dual Professional guitar amplifier comes just after the release of ‘Tales of Time,’ Bonamassa’s sprawling and expansive live concert film and album, shot at the breathtaking Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Joe’s latest #1 Blues album, out now in CD/DVD, CD/BR, vinyl, and digitally, captures a stratospheric performance by the blues-rock titan, as his virtuoso guitar style and unique technique and flair elevate the evening to an almost heavenly high. This incredible undertaking was produced by long-time collaborator and producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Journey). “This live show represents our most progressive and largest production to date, focusing on my most ambitious studio album to date,” commented Bonamassa. “My band was a force of nature on this show, and it truly was a special night.” For more information visit www.jbonamassa.com.

Bonamassa has just announced a 26-date U.S. Fall Tour, which will take him from coast-to-coast and all points in between. Kicking off at The Cannon Center in Memphis, TN on October 23rd before winding its way throughout the south and Midwest, the tour will feature stops at historic theaters like The Fabulous Fox in St. Louis, MO and The Lyric in Baltimore, MD before culminating with Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 28th at 10am local time. For more information, visit HERE.

Bonamassa is currently in Europe on an 18-date tour and will return to the U.S. for a short run of dates beginning on May 26th in Yakima, WA. In addition, Bonamassa has also just announced his first-ever appearance at the iconic Hollywood Bowl to perform an exclusive, one-night-only concert experience alongside an orchestra on August 9th that will be recorded for his next live concert film. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 2nd at 10am local time. For more information, click HERE.

Cited by Guitar World as “arguably the world’s biggest blues guitarist,” Bonamassa is known for taking risks and venturing into uncharted territory throughout his wide-ranging career. His most recent full-length ‘Time Clocks’ marked his most raw, rocking studio album yet, with American Songwriter sharing, “Bonamassa pushes into fresh territory while staying within a blues-based framework,” and “there is more than enough proof in this sprawling set that Bonamassa doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels or take his star status in the blues-rock genre for granted.”

Summer U.S. Tour
May 26 – Capitol Theatre – Yakima, WA
May 27 – Backroads Blues Festival – Hayden Homes Amphitheatre – Bend, OR*
May 28 – Backroads Blues Festival – Chateau Ste Michelle Winery – Woodinville, WA*
August 2 – Vina Robles Amphitheatre – Paso Robles, CA
August 4 – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
August 5 – Eccles Theater – Salt Lake City, UT
August 6 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
August 9 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA^
August 12 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY**
August 13 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel, NY**

*Featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joe Bonamassa
**Keeping the Blues Alive presents: Joe Bonamassa & Friends: Styx and Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles
^Joe Bonamassa with Orchestra

Fall U.S. Tour
October 23 – Memphis, TN – The Cannon Center
October 25 – Shreveport, LA – Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
October 27 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre
October 28 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land
October 29 – Austin, TX – ACL Live
November 1 – Fayetteville, AR – Walton Arts Center
November 3 – Little Rock, AR – Robinson Performance Hall
November 4 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre
November 5 – Oklahoma City, OK – Civic Center Music Hall
November 8 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
November 10 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
November 11 – St. Louis, MO – The Fabulous Fox
November 12 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Paramount Theatre
November 14 – Rochester, MN – Mayo Civic Center
November 15 – Rockford, IL – Coronado Performing Arts Center
November 17 – Fort Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre
November 18 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
November 19 – Columbus, OH – Palace Theatre
November 21 – Reading, PA – The Santander Performing Arts Center
November 22 – Providence, RI – Providence Performance Arts Center
November 24 – Springfield, MA – Symphony Hall
November 25 – Baltimore, MD – The Lyric
November 28 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre
November 30 – Sarasota, FL – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
December 1 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena`
December 2 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live`

`On-sale now