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Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

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  • #1

    Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

    So the Nuge was famous for using these throughout the 70s, and Robin Trower used the red knkbs during the 80s and early 90s.

    What is the scoop with these amps? Gneral specs, etc. Anyone have one or experience with them? both Ted, and Robin had some amazing aggressive hard rock tone with them, and they are much heavier sounding than typical Fender tweed, BF, or SF amps.. Was this Fenders answer to Marshalls dominance of the 70s/80s in the hard rock arena?
    I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

    Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook
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  • #2
    Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

    The Dual Showman is really nothing more than a Twin Reverb in head form. Nugent's tone is definitely aggressive; any Fender can get that level of aggression with some slight modifications and a lot of volume.
    Now operating part time: Glassman Tube Amps...repairs, rebuilds, restorations & modifications of tube equipment.

    Still building: GlassMan Amplifiers (25 watt, all tube, single channel w/reverb, single 12" combo) and some more designs in the works.

    Located in Fort Wayne, IN

    Note: I've "parked" my website in case anyone has been looking for it. I moved locations and haven't updated the site to reflect this.

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    • #3
      Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

      the red knobs ones are pretty different than the silverface ones.

      i have a '69 dual showman reverb thats been blackfaced and its fantastic, albeit loud as hell. i had a red knob twin too and it was a good amp for what it was. dont expect the dirt channel to do metal without a pedal though and not all of them have reverb.

      they are all solid loud amps with good clean tones. if you crank the volume till the overdrive they sound great too, just very loud

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      • #4
        Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

        Wow. I thoughi saw on google some fender ad where the models ted used had some eq and gain boosts, but they were stock from fender that way. They dont sound like a cranked twin to me..which I have played...tweeds, sf, red kob and bf versions.... but maybe they did have them modded..or the speaker/cabs are making the diff?
        I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

        Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

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        • #5
          Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

          Ted's studio tone back then was a brown Deluxe but he used various bigger Fenders live...I've seen footage and pics of blonde Twins on Showman cabs, BF and SF Showman heads and cabs and even Super Twins and Showman heads...

          FWIW, those red knob Fenders are really pretty bad sounding IMHO but some guys have used them as a platform for good OD pedals.

          Showman amps form the 60's and 70's are non reverb Twins as heads...big, loud and clean...cool amps but not practical for most guys these days.
          If you just read a post by The Guy Who Invented Fire please understand that opinions change, mind sets change and as players our ears mature...not to mention our needs grow and change. With that in mind, today I may or may not agree with the post you just read!

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          • #6
            Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

            I love the tone of a BF or SF Showman--and I can remember doing a couple of outdoor festivals back in the day where I was using TWO DSRs daisy-chained together.

            I think you can still get pretty good clean tones from the red-knob Fenders. Some of them though used active, rather than standard passive, tone controls--especially in the Drive channel. A moderate amount of gain in the dirt channel can get you a a nice ratty blues tone; if you want the singing sweetness of a Mesa lead channel, you'll need a pedal.

            Aside from the red knob models, you should also look at the Fender 75 and Concert models.

            And the old Super Twins that Nugent used are just hellaciously loud. They obviously caused a lot of brain damage....Ted, Ted, Ted.....

            Bill
            When you've had budget guitars for a number of years, you may find that your old instrument is holding you back. A quality guitar can inspire you to write great songs, improve your understanding of the Gdim chord while in the Lydian Mode, cure the heartbreak of cystic acne--and help you find true love in the process.

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            • #7
              Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

              showmans are no louder than twins. Loud is a combination of where you set the volume knob, and how efficient you speakers are. Anyways...this guy seemed to like them. I'm not sure. but his speakers look like 2x15 cabinets...
              Last edited by Chickenwings; 04-20-2012, 02:44 AM.
              "Technique is really the elimination of the unneccessary ... it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to acheive the smooth flow of energy and intent"
              Yehudi Menuhin

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              • #8
                Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

                Of course Jimi used a fuzz for most of his gain though. I cannot post vids from this stupid Nook but there are plenty of live vids of the nuge from thr 70s and there is no way its a stock twin with the kind of gain he has got going on and the tonal character. Maybe its pedals. I need to go back and google the models with the mid and gain boosts.
                I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

                Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

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                • #9
                  Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

                  Yeah if you wiki fender showman, it talks about master and NMV models with the boost circuitry. Not that wiki is always spot on, but.

                  Again, I canmot post a link or I would.
                  I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

                  Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

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                  • #10
                    Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

                    Also in the ad, Ted states he is using super twin heads with dual showman cabs. Super twins are like 200w no?

                    Of course all of this is just curiosity on my part, ive no practical use for such a setup...though I wish I did
                    Last edited by JeffB; 04-20-2012, 07:07 AM.
                    I'm an internet person. All we do is waste time evaluating things that have next-to-zero real world significance.

                    Remember, it's just a plank of wood. YOU have to find the music in it - The Telecaster Handbook

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                    • #11
                      Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

                      a super twin reverb is like 180w

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                      • #12
                        Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

                        Originally posted by gibson175 View Post
                        showmans are no louder than twins. Loud is a combination of where you set the volume knob, and how efficient you speakers are. Anyways...this guy seemed to like them. I'm not sure. but his speakers look like 2x15 cabinets...
                        With D130F JBLs.
                        Originally Posted by IanBallard
                        Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Fender Dual Showmans..70s, red knob 80s

                          One of the best rigs I have ever heard was a band that I used to book for dances at my high school, c. 1968. The guitarist used a SF Fender Pro Reverb with two JBL D120s, sitting on top of the tall Showman 215 cabinet with two JBL D130s. I don't remember his name, but he was an awesome player, with great tone.

                          The lead singer in that band was really good too. A beautiful young girl with a fabulous voice...by the name of Ann Wilson, before she formed Heart.

                          Bill
                          When you've had budget guitars for a number of years, you may find that your old instrument is holding you back. A quality guitar can inspire you to write great songs, improve your understanding of the Gdim chord while in the Lydian Mode, cure the heartbreak of cystic acne--and help you find true love in the process.

                          Comment

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