Last week I stumbled across a listing on the Reverb site for new ICEpower 125ASX2 modules. The seller, a guitar store, had five available (now down to two) priced $89 each. The listing said they were for Fender Rumble 350 bass amps. The photos accompanying the listing show genuine modules as far as I can tell (date code, QC stamps, etc.). I ordered two. They arrived today.
I haven't opened either of the sealed packages. However, the package labeling caught my eye:
Made in USA? Not likely. If the part number is a Fender number, I wouldn't imagine they can just repackage boards manufactured elsewhere and alter country of origin. The genuine replacement ICEpower modules I received some time ago were shipped to me from Thailand.
Also interesting (to me, at least) the 125ASX2 illustration in the ICEpower product brochure from December, 2008 looks exactly like the clone/counterfeit boards readily available on ebay:
I haven't opened either of the sealed packages. However, the package labeling caught my eye:
Made in USA? Not likely. If the part number is a Fender number, I wouldn't imagine they can just repackage boards manufactured elsewhere and alter country of origin. The genuine replacement ICEpower modules I received some time ago were shipped to me from Thailand.
Also interesting (to me, at least) the 125ASX2 illustration in the ICEpower product brochure from December, 2008 looks exactly like the clone/counterfeit boards readily available on ebay:
Not opening the package? How are you ging to know if they are fake? By looking at a label?
Maybe the label was made in USA
Like many others Fender just buy these B&O products and use them in their end products. If one is the suspicious type one better not buys from other sources than real distributors.
Maybe the label was made in USA
Like many others Fender just buy these B&O products and use them in their end products. If one is the suspicious type one better not buys from other sources than real distributors.
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I still haven't seen any "proof" that there are actually clones or fakes of the 125ASX about. There have been many claims of fakes based on modules being sold by Chinese sellers, but I've never seen any evidence that the modules are actually fake. AFAIK the ICE-modules are made by a Chinese EMS and used by many customers with manufacturing in China, so it's not really surprising that some modules will find their way to the grey market.
Now of course what you buy might be factory seconds, production rejects, pulls or something else that is "second rate", but that is not the same as a counterfeit product.
Regarding the allegedly fake boards, people really need to watch this video: ICEpower 125ASX2 eBay boards - YouTube
What's simply happened is that there are 2 versions of the 125ASX2, the newer version having an updated PCB layout and not being as readily available to DIYers.
What's simply happened is that there are 2 versions of the 125ASX2, the newer version having an updated PCB layout and not being as readily available to DIYers.
Not even that.
Fender won´t sell parts to end users, but supply them readily to AWSC, the Authorized Service Shops, this one is probably one.
Either for free/exchange if still on warranty or at a very reasonable cost afterwards, so no need for fakes, seconds, rejects, whatever
In principle those are new from Factory (I mean Fender, not ICE Power) replacement boards, probably they ordered a couple too many and sell them to the general Public. No big deal.
A friend of mine used to be THE East USA Service Center for Behringer, and they received tons of components to keep in stock for warranty repairs: pots, jacks, knobs, ICs, whatever.
When they moved from downtown NY to NJ they had to get rid of the huge (now obsolete) inventory and selling them part by part was madness, so they assembled lots of random parts "mystery bags" and shoebox sized grey boxes with a pound or a kilo of stuff, not kidding, and sold them for a fixed price.
I mean like $5 a bag and $15 a box or so. NO CHOOSING, you get what you get.
Being a hoarder I would have bought all of the inventory in bulk, but I am 12000 km away and most important, behind Customs barriers so it couldn´t be.
Even so, they had to dispose of some in dumpsters, they didn´t sell all by any means.
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