rockinangus
New member
Got a 72' i believe, distortion sucks in front of it. All original, any suggestions what to do to get a decent crunch? or country lead tones? New speakers?
Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
- Thread starter rockinangus
- Start date
RayBarbeeMusic
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Vintage Fenders take OD better than just about anything ever, so if it doesn't sound good, there's a problem for sure. What that problem is, I'd have to have more info or see it to tell you.
Vintage Fenders take OD better than just about anything ever, so if it doesn't sound good, there's a problem for sure. What that problem is, I'd have to have more info or see it to tell you.
Davidandrew
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
I agree with Ray Fender Twin is one of the best platforms I have ever used an overdrive on almost every pedal sounded amazing on it. Here are a few that just stood out and imo sounds phenomenal with a twin reverb
1. Zvex Box of Rock (great JMP tones) This is definitely my favorite pedal for a twin with the zia drive a close second.
2. Durham Electronics ZIA Drive
3. Fulltone OCD
4. Paul Cochrane Tim/Timmy
5. T-Rex Mudhoney
6. Lovepedal Englishman (awesome top boost vox tones)
Those are probably my favorite I used with my Twin I play out of mostly strats and a 72 ri thin line with widerange pick ups.
Least favorite (this is mostly due to the fact that I just dont like the pedal.
1. Ibanez TS-9
2. Maxon OD-9
3. any tubescreamer pedal actually (this is more just preference because obviously tubescreamers sound amazing with Twins to most people. )
I agree with Ray Fender Twin is one of the best platforms I have ever used an overdrive on almost every pedal sounded amazing on it. Here are a few that just stood out and imo sounds phenomenal with a twin reverb
1. Zvex Box of Rock (great JMP tones) This is definitely my favorite pedal for a twin with the zia drive a close second.
2. Durham Electronics ZIA Drive
3. Fulltone OCD
4. Paul Cochrane Tim/Timmy
5. T-Rex Mudhoney
6. Lovepedal Englishman (awesome top boost vox tones)
Those are probably my favorite I used with my Twin I play out of mostly strats and a 72 ri thin line with widerange pick ups.
Least favorite (this is mostly due to the fact that I just dont like the pedal.
1. Ibanez TS-9
2. Maxon OD-9
3. any tubescreamer pedal actually (this is more just preference because obviously tubescreamers sound amazing with Twins to most people. )
James Rock
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
What pedals are you using, as mentioned above most pedals work well with old fenders. Fact is alot of manufactures use fenders as a basis when testing pedals as they are arem probably the most common clean amp brand. Now AC30s on the other hand as much as i love them dont always sound great with pedals (can wait to try some of my pedals through the princeton reverb clone that is now at my parents house).
What pedals are you using, as mentioned above most pedals work well with old fenders. Fact is alot of manufactures use fenders as a basis when testing pedals as they are arem probably the most common clean amp brand. Now AC30s on the other hand as much as i love them dont always sound great with pedals (can wait to try some of my pedals through the princeton reverb clone that is now at my parents house).
Bludave
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
If your not happy with a Twin, sell it & buy something else. Twins are notoriously loud & clean, but as others said they take pedals very well. If your not happy with what you are getting you could try different pedals but IMHO a Twin may not be for you.
If your not happy with a Twin, sell it & buy something else. Twins are notoriously loud & clean, but as others said they take pedals very well. If your not happy with what you are getting you could try different pedals but IMHO a Twin may not be for you.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Couldn't agree more. A Twin Reverb is just to much amp for most players. To loud and to clean for most gigs. A Twin Reverb was my first Fender amp back in 1967. Switched to a brownface Concert around 1970 and my amps have been getting smaller and smaller ever since. Now I play through a pair of Deluxe Reverbs and as soon as Bruce completes my second Princeton Reverb I'll be gigging through a pair of Princeton Reverbs.
That old Twin probably needs servicing.
Couldn't agree more. A Twin Reverb is just to much amp for most players. To loud and to clean for most gigs. A Twin Reverb was my first Fender amp back in 1967. Switched to a brownface Concert around 1970 and my amps have been getting smaller and smaller ever since. Now I play through a pair of Deluxe Reverbs and as soon as Bruce completes my second Princeton Reverb I'll be gigging through a pair of Princeton Reverbs.
That old Twin probably needs servicing.
crusty philtrum
Vintageologist
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Yup, ya can't make a proper judgement about an older amp unless it's been serviced and brought up to full working condition.
Yup, ya can't make a proper judgement about an older amp unless it's been serviced and brought up to full working condition.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
+1 to lew and crusty.
How old are the toobs? Has it been biased?
When you say "all original" do you mean original tubes? If so, its abut 40 years overdue for a fresh set and a rebais.
Its probably needs fresh electrolytic capacitors (they would be 20 years overdue) as well.
Get all that sorted and then you'll have an idea of what the amp is capable of.
+1 to lew and crusty.
How old are the toobs? Has it been biased?
When you say "all original" do you mean original tubes? If so, its abut 40 years overdue for a fresh set and a rebais.
Its probably needs fresh electrolytic capacitors (they would be 20 years overdue) as well.
Get all that sorted and then you'll have an idea of what the amp is capable of.
rockinangus
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Tubes are not original, they were changed obviously. Everything else on the amp is original, chassis, speakers, it has been freshened up, capacitors I believe were changed that I gotta ask my tech, i don't see why he wouldn't of changed the capacitors. BUT i'm not ruling out that it could need another service because I've had it for a few years but never gigged with it...My problem is some crunch tones I get through there sound awesome but the cones fart. Find it difficult to remove that and YES i've tried tweaking the amp along with the pedal...The amp sat in someones basement for a few years so I was also thinking maybe mold started to deteriorate the speaker cones a little? The amp is not too much, I want a loud clean amp, its not my main rig, but I want to use it. I use it in studio for 2nd outputs from my stereo pedals and also for clean takes. My main rig is a Marshall TSL 100 with 1960v cab loaded with vintage 30's. I should have been more clear, the distortion doesn't sound too bad through it but the bass has always been an issue and could never get a nice sweet response to it, I know its the nature of the beast but...The pedals i've tried through it were a digitech sceramin blues pedal and also a boss distortion, not the best slecection to try IMO but its what I had, I do want to try the Fulltone OCD they would probably be awesome. Not looking for a crazy overdrive but it would be nice to have if I needed something a little heavier, looking more towards a creamy smooth distortion nice for blues and country with slight twang, but get good response, sensitivity, and good tone. I'm a tone freak so if one thing doesn't sound that good, it all doesn't sound that good.
Appreciate the input! I'm gonna get it serviced AGAIN and see what happens. Like i said i wasn't ruling that out but could be a number of things. Or maybe i'm just ****ed up!
Any other suggestions for creamy sweet overdrives great for blues and country leads?
THANKS EVERYONE!!
Tubes are not original, they were changed obviously. Everything else on the amp is original, chassis, speakers, it has been freshened up, capacitors I believe were changed that I gotta ask my tech, i don't see why he wouldn't of changed the capacitors. BUT i'm not ruling out that it could need another service because I've had it for a few years but never gigged with it...My problem is some crunch tones I get through there sound awesome but the cones fart. Find it difficult to remove that and YES i've tried tweaking the amp along with the pedal...The amp sat in someones basement for a few years so I was also thinking maybe mold started to deteriorate the speaker cones a little? The amp is not too much, I want a loud clean amp, its not my main rig, but I want to use it. I use it in studio for 2nd outputs from my stereo pedals and also for clean takes. My main rig is a Marshall TSL 100 with 1960v cab loaded with vintage 30's. I should have been more clear, the distortion doesn't sound too bad through it but the bass has always been an issue and could never get a nice sweet response to it, I know its the nature of the beast but...The pedals i've tried through it were a digitech sceramin blues pedal and also a boss distortion, not the best slecection to try IMO but its what I had, I do want to try the Fulltone OCD they would probably be awesome. Not looking for a crazy overdrive but it would be nice to have if I needed something a little heavier, looking more towards a creamy smooth distortion nice for blues and country with slight twang, but get good response, sensitivity, and good tone. I'm a tone freak so if one thing doesn't sound that good, it all doesn't sound that good.
Appreciate the input! I'm gonna get it serviced AGAIN and see what happens. Like i said i wasn't ruling that out but could be a number of things. Or maybe i'm just ****ed up!
Any other suggestions for creamy sweet overdrives great for blues and country leads?
THANKS EVERYONE!!
Rockstar216
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
The Fulltone OCD should get you what you need depending on if everything on your fender is solid. Or try a tube screamer Ive heard nothing but good things about the OCD. But my question to you is how do you get that thing from gig to gig those Twins are heavy SOBs?
The Fulltone OCD should get you what you need depending on if everything on your fender is solid. Or try a tube screamer Ive heard nothing but good things about the OCD. But my question to you is how do you get that thing from gig to gig those Twins are heavy SOBs?
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
The speakers in those early 70's Twins were nothing special. Fender/CBS had stopped using Jensens by then. They could be Utahs which were real junk!
But everyone I knew who used those amps back then put something better in them. JBL's, Altec Lansing, and Electro Voice SRO's or EVM's, which were popular back in Detroit and Ann Arbor because EV was in Michigan. Made them weigh a ton though! Ted Nugent was big on EV SRO's...but I doubt he moved his own gear much, even back then. I remember when I spent a few hours with him at his farm in Hell, Michigan and he had a '62 brownface Deluxe that was his favorite recording amp. He had an EV SRO 12" in it and I remember the magnet sticking out of the back of the amp! Sounded really good though.
The speakers in those early 70's Twins were nothing special. Fender/CBS had stopped using Jensens by then. They could be Utahs which were real junk!
But everyone I knew who used those amps back then put something better in them. JBL's, Altec Lansing, and Electro Voice SRO's or EVM's, which were popular back in Detroit and Ann Arbor because EV was in Michigan. Made them weigh a ton though! Ted Nugent was big on EV SRO's...but I doubt he moved his own gear much, even back then. I remember when I spent a few hours with him at his farm in Hell, Michigan and he had a '62 brownface Deluxe that was his favorite recording amp. He had an EV SRO 12" in it and I remember the magnet sticking out of the back of the amp! Sounded really good though.
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rockinangus
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Grab her by the haunches and carry her from the bottom lol! She is one heavy SOB! Got that right! Just want to get her sounding great with something in front of it so I can have a fully ready backup amp or just use that for some gigs!
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That amp through that cab sounds awesome! no problem with low end frequencies! Still clean but the time I did use that amp with my cab was when my marshall head broke down on me at a gig! was tough to get a decent level between rhythm and a lead level. Thats also another thing, i've been spoiled with TSL and want 3 different levels, clean, crunch, and lead. But can def. work that with pedals too..
Grab her by the haunches and carry her from the bottom lol! She is one heavy SOB! Got that right! Just want to get her sounding great with something in front of it so I can have a fully ready backup amp or just use that for some gigs!
- - - Updated - - -
That amp through that cab sounds awesome! no problem with low end frequencies! Still clean but the time I did use that amp with my cab was when my marshall head broke down on me at a gig! was tough to get a decent level between rhythm and a lead level. Thats also another thing, i've been spoiled with TSL and want 3 different levels, clean, crunch, and lead. But can def. work that with pedals too..
Bludave
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Silverface Twins are usually very clean. IMHO much cleaner then Blackface era Twins. Unless its a 68, through a 70 Twin. Those are the very early SF Twins which are essentially a blackface amp with a silver face. Later on the amps had some additional changes that made them sound much cleaner. I'm not an amp tech so I don't really know the specifics but the old Twins broke up a lot sooner.
You may want to try a ts808 OR A ts9 those overdrives interact with the amp really well. The Fulltone OCD I thought sounded brittle with my Super & Deluxe so I elected to stick with my TS9. After the amp is serviced it should do what you need..... Good luck
Silverface Twins are usually very clean. IMHO much cleaner then Blackface era Twins. Unless its a 68, through a 70 Twin. Those are the very early SF Twins which are essentially a blackface amp with a silver face. Later on the amps had some additional changes that made them sound much cleaner. I'm not an amp tech so I don't really know the specifics but the old Twins broke up a lot sooner.
You may want to try a ts808 OR A ts9 those overdrives interact with the amp really well. The Fulltone OCD I thought sounded brittle with my Super & Deluxe so I elected to stick with my TS9. After the amp is serviced it should do what you need..... Good luck
crusty philtrum
Vintageologist
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
A lot of s/f Fender amps seem to have a big 'kick' on the bass knob at around 4 1/2 on the dial, and anything above that setting can be troublesome. But definitely try running the amp into a different speaker cab as Glassman suggests, and more than one other cab if you can to get a better picture of what's going on.
A lot of s/f Fender amps seem to have a big 'kick' on the bass knob at around 4 1/2 on the dial, and anything above that setting can be troublesome. But definitely try running the amp into a different speaker cab as Glassman suggests, and more than one other cab if you can to get a better picture of what's going on.
rockinangus
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Absolutely right! I'm pretty sure it's a 72 I gotta check the serial again. But you are right about that bass knob round 4 1/2. Sounded *****ing through my marshall cab with vintage 30's...Think vintage 30's would sound good loaded into the fender???
Absolutely right! I'm pretty sure it's a 72 I gotta check the serial again. But you are right about that bass knob round 4 1/2. Sounded *****ing through my marshall cab with vintage 30's...Think vintage 30's would sound good loaded into the fender???
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
Be careful if it's a 16 ohm cabinet. The Fender Twin Reverb output transformer works best with a 4 ohm load...the two 8 ohm speakers it normally comes with = 4 ohms when they're connected in parallel, which is the way Fender wired them. 16 ohms is quite a mismatch for an amp that wants to see 4 ohms.
Be careful if it's a 16 ohm cabinet. The Fender Twin Reverb output transformer works best with a 4 ohm load...the two 8 ohm speakers it normally comes with = 4 ohms when they're connected in parallel, which is the way Fender wired them. 16 ohms is quite a mismatch for an amp that wants to see 4 ohms.
glassman
Electron Herder
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
That's an issue you won't be able to get past easily...it's always going to be a trade off. Lowering the drive level of your pedals will get you the level you are looking for but probably at the expense of tone. It sounds like you've proven that your speakers are the weak link in your setup and that replacing them will get you to where you want to be.
That's an issue you won't be able to get past easily...it's always going to be a trade off. Lowering the drive level of your pedals will get you the level you are looking for but probably at the expense of tone. It sounds like you've proven that your speakers are the weak link in your setup and that replacing them will get you to where you want to be.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Vintage Fender Twin Reverb Silverface
40-year-old stock speakers and caps would be my initial concerns as a new owner of that amp. If you are concerned about originality, simply keep the replaced caps in a bag for whatever nut might buy it and care about that in the future. And you can recone the speakers instead of replacing them, or replace them and keep the originals in a safe place for that aforementioned nut potential future buyer. I'd throw all those tubes on a tester, and I'd also install a three-prong main cable when you are in there. (Again, keep the original.)
40-year-old stock speakers and caps would be my initial concerns as a new owner of that amp. If you are concerned about originality, simply keep the replaced caps in a bag for whatever nut might buy it and care about that in the future. And you can recone the speakers instead of replacing them, or replace them and keep the originals in a safe place for that aforementioned nut potential future buyer. I'd throw all those tubes on a tester, and I'd also install a three-prong main cable when you are in there. (Again, keep the original.)
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