Fender Eighty Five

$140.00 Price Tier: Budget

4.0 (13)

2 Reviews

This product is Vintage or Discontinued

Find out who is using Fender Eighty Five

6 wishlisted

23 saved

Page last updated Jun 12, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 1 store. Prices updated June 12, 2026.

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Reviews

Price

5.0 (4)

$140.00 4 available Used

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Average Price: $140

Budget/Beginner

$300

$701+

Price Tier

In the Combo Guitar Amplifiers category, Fender Eighty Five is priced in the Budget/Beginner range. This is great gear to get started with or for creators on a budget.

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

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Product specs

Brand	Fender
Model	Eighty-Five 2-Channel 65-Watt 1x12" Solid State Guitar Combo
Finish	Black
Year	1988 - 1992
Made In	United States
Categories	Guitar Combo Amps
Built-In Effects	Built-In Effects
Color Family	Black
Electronics	Solid State
Number of Channels	2 Channels
Number of Inputs	2 Inputs
Output Power (Watts)	65
Power Tube Type	None
Reverb	Spring Reverb
Series	Fender Standard Solid State
Speaker Configuration	1x12"

FAQs

What type of music genres is the Fender Eighty Five suitable for?: The Fender Eighty Five is versatile and can handle a variety of genres, including rock, blues, and jazz, due to its clean sound and solid-state reliability.
Does the Fender Eighty Five have built-in effects?: Yes, the Fender Eighty Five features built-in effects, including a spring reverb, providing added texture and depth to your sound.
Is the Fender Eighty Five loud enough for live performances?: With 65 watts of power, the Fender Eighty Five is capable of delivering sufficient volume for small to medium-sized venues, making it suitable for live performances.
How many channels does the Fender Eighty Five offer?: The Fender Eighty Five is equipped with two channels, allowing for easy switching between clean and overdriven tones.
What kind of speaker configuration does the Fender Eighty Five use?: The Fender Eighty Five features a 1x12" speaker configuration, providing a balanced and full sound suitable for various playing environments.

Videos

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Scatter Tune

Fender Eighty Five - Demo - Radiohead tones

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Reviews

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PROS

Cheapest vintage Fender amp, great value
Loud with lovely EQ and spring reverb
Features an effects loop
Clean channel delivers chimy Fender sound
Exceptional with Fender Tele Thinline, rivals more expensive amps
Unique killer hi-gain and grunge tones

CONS

Overdrive quality not the best
Viewed as a one-trick pony by some
Durability issues, prone to breaking

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Fender Eighty Five.

Features and functionality

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The clean channel is praised for its warmth, comparable to a Jazz Chorus but less pristine, ideal for single coil guitars.
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The amp is solid state, making it lighter and more reliable for gigging compared to tube amps.
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Described as having a "garbage" distortion channel, but the clean channel is notably loud and articulate for a 112 solid state combo.
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Comparisons

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Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead used the Fender Eighty Five, making it popular among fans of the band.
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Compared to the "eighty-five blues" variant, suggesting slight model differences that may influence tonal characteristics.
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Mods and upgrades

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Owners suggest replacing the original speaker due to its harsh and brittle sound.
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Use cases and applications

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The amp is noted for excellent clean tones with pedals, making it suitable for a range of genres.
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It's noted that the amp can rattle windows and is suitable for loud environments, though not always sufficient for very loud punk bands without mic'ing.
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Highly regarded as a practice amp for pedal collectors due to its clean channel and compatibility with effects.
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Linked to Jonny Greenwood's aggressive, saturated tones when paired with a Marshall Shredmaster pedal, highlighting its niche appeal for Radiohead fans.
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Value and pricing

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Recent purchases report prices around $100-$300, but classifieds may offer lower deals.
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User experience

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Despite being a mediocre late 80's transistor amp, it has gained a cult following for its unique sound characteristics in specific setups.
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4.0 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 13 Ratings

5 star

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1 star

1nsanefreek

221

over 8 years ago

It's alright.

This amp has an amazing grunge tone, and even though it's a one-trick pony, IT'S AMAZING AT WHAT IT DOES.

skylinerr

5340

over 7 years ago

decent

good for £85 killer hi gain tone but thats it it broke man :(

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Metal

jimmarchi1

40997

7 years ago over 7 years ago

85 for 85 LOL

skylinerr

5340

7 years ago over 7 years ago

Artist usage

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Jonny Greenwood

Guitarist

Radiohead

Verified via Photo

For heavy distortion, Jonny used a Fender Eight-Five, notably on "Creep". He later obtained a Fender Studio 85 in mid-March 2008 as a spare for the regular Eighty-Five, though it has yet to see any public use. It is also very unlikely to have seen later studio use, as Jonny hardly ever uses it anymore save to perform older songs. (Cf. The King of Gear)

Melody Maker, February 5, 1994, "Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade: How To Record Rock Guitar" by Tom Doyle

For the Radiohead sessions, Paul and Sean used three core amps — a Marshall stack, a Vox AC30 and a small Fender 85, which surprisingly was responsible for the 'Creep' sound.

The King of Gear, 2012 post

https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lztvnu19CU1qicidzo1_1280.jpg

A nice shot of Jonny’s Fender Eighty-Five. Note that it is clearly not a Deluxe or Studio Eighty-Five. In addition, it can be seen that Jonny *does not*use the amp’s overdrive channel or reverb by that the knobs are all set at zero.