Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

[ratherdashing]

Check this amp out: http://vancouver.craigslist.org/msg/188637519.html

I don't know much about these, other than that they came out in the 80's and weigh a ton. Anyone have any experience with them?

Thanks!

 

[Bludave]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

hey are about 100W amps. My personal opinion about these is they are very underrated. One of the few early channel switching amps that had 2 usable channels. They are very loud and very heavy. I don't remember what speakers were stock in them. I liked the few that I had played thru.

http://www.superpage.com/riffs/desc_86twin.html

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

i have not played thru one in years.... i remember really likeing them a lot in the 80's.....

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

I'll disagree here. I think they do a pretty good job on the clean side of things, but the LEAD channel left a lot to be desired. Still, there are some usable tones, especially a lower gain settings. There were some reliability issues--like jacks and even the PCB.

If you are just looking for a decent clean sounding high powered amp to run a pedalboard thru, then you should be okay.

My 2 cents....

Bill

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

It was the first amp I really wanted. I used to idolize this guy who lived by me, and he owned a Red Knob Twin, a PRS, a black Strat, and a beat up Les Paul.

I bought a PRS, I played a Pro 185 (solid state twin), and to this day own his 73 Les Paul - so this guy had a profound impact on me.

I played against a band that had a player who owned one, and I thought it sounded horribly bright and brittle. Those Rivera designs are very glassy, but quite 80s sounding if you ask me. Very clean, very icy. They do sound decent with the right pedal, but I feel the voicing is quite bright. This could be the Fender Special Design speakers - I wonder how it would sound with some JBL's

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

Although the `Red Knobs' are considered by most as the lowest of low points in Fender amps, I recall the RK twin as being a pretty cool amp. IMO it sounded closer to the BF/SF amps than the other RK amps from that era. It had a FX loop and a 1/2 power switch. Aside from the problematic PCB mounted input jacks I think they are a good value if your looking for a decent sounding Loud Clean Tube amp in the under $500 range.

 

[HamerPlyr]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

I agree with Boogie Bill. Decent clean tones, a gain channel that is usable but not great, and they were hit-or-miss when it came to reliability. For $300 bucks, they ain't that bad. If you need it right now, it should work. Otherwise, save up and you can do better.

 

[flank]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

Clean tone is very hifi sounding, compared to a blackface Twin which is warmer and more harmonically rich. Still, these amps have plenty of headroom and if you did use alot of effects, do provide quite a neutral palette to work with. The gain channel is a little fuzzy sounding to me. Very middy sounding. Not too open or dynamic.

Plus, these amps are ugly looking. I don't know about reliability, but it should probably be ok as long as you dont push it too hard. I'd rather save my money towards something else (better), but its a decent amp overall.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

I got one dirt cheap when a local music store was going out of business about five years ago. The only problem was that I still had that Crapiphone strat with the horrible, bright sounding pickups, so all I got was a REALLY LOUD horrible, bright sound. Other guitars sounded pretty good through it, but I never really got anything I was happy with. I didn't appreciate it and when I got short on money I sold it.

If I found one that cheap again I'd probably buy it.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

If you really like the Red Knob Twin you should just look for a used Rivera Knucklehead or the like. The Twin might go for $400+, some of these used Rievras go for $500.

The Riveras in the lower range tend to be 50 watetrs, but the tone will be sweeter in the cleans and smoother and better saturated in the gain. If I remember correctly, the Red Knobs are the Rivera designs when he worked at Fender.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

Good tips guys. Thanks. I'm leaning towards a Traynor right now, but I thought this may be a worthy alternative. Very loud and very heavy are not features I'm looking for in an amp these days, and I definitely need a top notch gain channel.

I'll check out some Riveras too, thanks Olin.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

i used to have one for years and it was a decent amp. loud, lots of features, and heavy. after a good set of tubes, replace those speakers. the stock ones arent great, i put two vintage 30's in there and it sounded much better and even louder. it was a good work horse amp for six years or more

 

[Skoora]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

They were the classroom amps at Berklee (Boston, MA) in the early 90's, maybe they still are! Distortion channel was absolute crap. To this day I remember them as the ultimate in extremely ordinary.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

They lool like Fender M-80's. Nice typical fender Clean tone, an overdrive tone similar to Poison's CC Deville

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Tell me about the "red knob" Fender Twin

The Red knob Twin has pretty much been summed up above. For a couple hundred more, a Pro Tube Series amp or Vintage Reissue series amp would be a smarter buy.