Re: Just how "clean" is a Twin Reverb?
I'm in the market for a seriously big fat clean sounding amp for my relatively new funk/motown band and I'm looking at Fender amps.
I've looked at the Supersonic combo which was really nice and am also looking at the Deluxe Reverb (not the hot rod)...but was also thinking about the Twin Reverb since I've seen it being used by Anthony Wilson on the Dianna Krall DVD and it sounded pretty awesome...but that wasn't really funk clean.
Just how big, clean and crisp would a Twin Reverb get?
Twins certainly do the big clean thing well. They're sort of the industry standard big stage clean amp, and I see a lot of guys using them.
But if you're going for a 60s sound, then you may want to look at a smaller amp, as most of the great soul and funk reocrds of that era were recorded using lower wattage amps, and it's not uncommon to hear a hint of dirt. The ultra clean thing is more of a 70s/80s feel, when the uprated silverface amps and solid state stuff became popular.
I play in a 12 piece soul/funk/afrobeat band with a very 60s oriented sound, and the sweet spot for me is a 30-40 watt amp with dual speakers. Amps around that rating have enough clean headroom to just start breaking up when my band is getting excited, and can get a full sound without overpowering the band. I've used a Mesa Blue Angel, a Custom Vibrolux and a Victoria Double Deluxe, and all have worked well, but I've also had decent experiences on the road with hot rod devilles, deluxes, and AC30s. I personally avoid twins, but that's just me. The twin is certainly a classic amp for this kind of music. And the blackface deluxe would be a tad underpowered, I feel.
You should also think about the guitars you'll use. For example, if you're using humbucker guitars then a glassier blackface tone will work well. However, a pre-blackface circuit might give a nice reinforcement to your mids if you're using a tele or strat. Having a strong midrange that isn't annoying is very important when dealing with beng heard alongside keys and horns.
Of the amps you suggest, the supersonic is a cool choice as you can get pretty glassy with the vibrolux setting, but also quite a bit warmer with the bassman setting. That would allow for some nice variety.
