Fender Twin.........
- Thread starter woj74
- Start date
jackthehack
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,630
You could write a book, and CB probably will in his reply. While we're waiting on that, schematics for 17 of the 20-odd circuits that have been used in Fender Twin/Twin Reverb/The Twin can be found on this link:
http://www.schematicheaven.com/fender.htm
Besides speakers and cosmetics, that will show you the differences; choice usually really boils down to, "How much you have to spend?".
http://www.schematicheaven.com/fender.htm
Besides speakers and cosmetics, that will show you the differences; choice usually really boils down to, "How much you have to spend?".
The Twin .... in many forms...
Dual Professional (pre-tweed 1950?-1952?) 25w - the first 2x12 Fender amplifier, all Twins after this were 2x12
Wide Panel Twin (1953-1955) 25w
Narrow Panel Twin (1955-1957) 45w - commonly called "the low power twin"
Narrow Panel Twin (1958-1960) 80w - commonly called "the high power twin" (or big twin, for its larger cabinet)
Blonde Twin (1960-1963) 80w - vibrato is now a built in feature, the face panel is brown
transitional White Twin (1963) - a blonde Twin with a black face panel and white (light creme) knobs - very rare
Blackface Twin Reverb (1963-1967) 80w familiar blackface with skirted/numbered black knobs, reverb added
Silverface Twin Reverb (1968-1982) 80w, then 100w, then 105w, then 135w These got progressively higher wattage, although the 80 and 100 watt versions are the same - Fender fibbed in the watt-wars days. The 135w version uses the Ultra-Linear output transformer, highly modified power supply... good for clean, terrible for all else. In 1972, a master volume was added, and in 1974, the Twin Reverb got a push/pull master volume (higher gain effect).
That was the end of the classic Twin line, until they came out with reissue Twin Reverb (same as blackface, modern construction), "The Twin" (called the evil Twin, a 2x12 100w amp with better high gain and tone modeling than the original, has channel switching too), and the blonde custom shop Dual Professional, a take on the Twin Reverb with some added tweaks, better reverb, etc.
In the middle somplace - the dreaded "avoid like the plague" Twin, Twin Reverb, Twin Amp and all others with red knobs.
Dual Professional (pre-tweed 1950?-1952?) 25w - the first 2x12 Fender amplifier, all Twins after this were 2x12
Wide Panel Twin (1953-1955) 25w
Narrow Panel Twin (1955-1957) 45w - commonly called "the low power twin"
Narrow Panel Twin (1958-1960) 80w - commonly called "the high power twin" (or big twin, for its larger cabinet)
Blonde Twin (1960-1963) 80w - vibrato is now a built in feature, the face panel is brown
transitional White Twin (1963) - a blonde Twin with a black face panel and white (light creme) knobs - very rare
Blackface Twin Reverb (1963-1967) 80w familiar blackface with skirted/numbered black knobs, reverb added
Silverface Twin Reverb (1968-1982) 80w, then 100w, then 105w, then 135w These got progressively higher wattage, although the 80 and 100 watt versions are the same - Fender fibbed in the watt-wars days. The 135w version uses the Ultra-Linear output transformer, highly modified power supply... good for clean, terrible for all else. In 1972, a master volume was added, and in 1974, the Twin Reverb got a push/pull master volume (higher gain effect).
That was the end of the classic Twin line, until they came out with reissue Twin Reverb (same as blackface, modern construction), "The Twin" (called the evil Twin, a 2x12 100w amp with better high gain and tone modeling than the original, has channel switching too), and the blonde custom shop Dual Professional, a take on the Twin Reverb with some added tweaks, better reverb, etc.
In the middle somplace - the dreaded "avoid like the plague" Twin, Twin Reverb, Twin Amp and all others with red knobs.
Should add...
I have a early 70's Twin Reverb, recovered, re-front paneled, all refurbed and restored, all ready to go... that I want to find a happy home for cheep. Has BIG frame EV speakers, casters, tilt back legs, new reverb tank, new tolex, resprayed cabinet, new face panel, totally re-capped and gone thru by the most anal and persnickety amp tech I know - ME.
I have a early 70's Twin Reverb, recovered, re-front paneled, all refurbed and restored, all ready to go... that I want to find a happy home for cheep. Has BIG frame EV speakers, casters, tilt back legs, new reverb tank, new tolex, resprayed cabinet, new face panel, totally re-capped and gone thru by the most anal and persnickety amp tech I know - ME.
How much are you asking for that thing?
G
guitlouie
Guest
BEWARE THE ONE THEY CALL THE "EVIL TWIN"!!! I had one of these, paid nearly $1100 for it brand new. Almost from the second I got it home, there was a problem...A ghost in the machine! It would mysteriously change channels, the reverb would switch in and out, volume would suddenly fluctuate wildly, etc.... In three years the thing was in seven different repair shops, all with the same conclusion..."dude, there is nothing wrong with it, we couldn't get it to do what you said it was doing"....Numerous calls to Fender... "I think I have a lemon, what can we do about it?" "oh, try this reapair guy, he really knows his stuff..." Finally, one day I call Fender and will not get off their phone until someone gives me some kind of answer...Technical support guy has this to say..."We have gotten a lot of feedback on this same problem with this particular amp, and the best thing that we have been able to discover is that this amp is very, very sensitive to differences in power supply, say from your house, to your practice space, to the venue down the street." Me..."OK, what can we do about it?" THem... "well, on future models we are going to install a light on the back to let people know if the supply power is not sufficient" Me " Are you F$%^#cking Kidding?!!! and what am I supposed to do with this hulking piece o'crap I have got sitting here that is no longer under warranty, because you F#$%cking jerk wads have been giving me the run around about it for years now?" Them "I don't know, sell it". This was officially the last new Fender product I have purchased. And I did sell it, for $350 to this guy with the disclaimer that I knew it did not work right, and it was his problem now!!!
bpmorton777
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,651
"That was the end of the classic Twin line, until they came out with reissue Twin Reverb (same as blackface, modern construction)"
When you say "modern construction" you mean pre-fab boards with tubes soldered right on instead of in sockets? Ive heard about re-issue amps like this but was unsure if Fender was doing it too.
Brian
When you say "modern construction" you mean pre-fab boards with tubes soldered right on instead of in sockets? Ive heard about re-issue amps like this but was unsure if Fender was doing it too.
Brian
jackthehack
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,630
They frown on you disassembling things at GuitarCenter; tried out one of the '65 Twin Reverb reissues a while back, definitely does not have tubes soldered in, but couldn't see circuit board. Think it is supposed to be the AA769 schematic. It's been a long time since I played through a real '60s Blackface Twin, but the reissue didn't seem to have as much power or "crunch", but could be my recollection, I guess....
Interesting.... I used to own a '65 Reissue Twin Reverb. I sold it two years ago to get a different cabinet for recording.
I always noticed when I plugged it into different outlets it would hum more than others, I always thought it was just my crappy apt wiring. Hmm... Now I know it was the amp itself.
Although, to be fair, I really did love that amp. I'm sure it was no 1960's original, but for a few hundred more than those cheapo $500-$600 1x12 tube combos fender sells, it was night and day better.
erik
I always noticed when I plugged it into different outlets it would hum more than others, I always thought it was just my crappy apt wiring. Hmm... Now I know it was the amp itself.
Although, to be fair, I really did love that amp. I'm sure it was no 1960's original, but for a few hundred more than those cheapo $500-$600 1x12 tube combos fender sells, it was night and day better.
erik
jackthehack
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,630
If you're looking for crunchy Fender tube sound, the '59 Bassman reissue sounds a lot better to me than the Twin/Super Reverb re-issues, same price as the Twin, a little less than the Super.
bpmorton777 said:
The reissue amps have the tube sockets either - attached to a sub-board or to the main board. These protrude thru holes in the chassis. The board is a PC board with flat cables feeding a control board, onto which the pots are soldered. Not like the old tag-board and wires of the old days. Not as easily fixed. Perhaps more prone to problems, but probably not - just you hear of them since the fix is a bit more time consuming. There are refit boards/kits to eliminate the factory board and put "real stuff" back in the reissue amps.
confederatewk
Junior Member
- Messages
- 116
guitlouie, dont push off ur shit on others, u bought the amp, you didnt fully test it, your a fucktard
theres nothing wrong with any pcb tube amps, or hanf wired tube amps, as long as the circuit is in good shape and the tubes are good.....they are ten times better than anything you can think of
ive heard torres amps blow twin reverbs out of the water
a little care and knowlesge goes a long way
and im sure there isnt anything wrong with cb's amp
in fact im sure you got suckerd on urs, so dont take ur shit out here saying those amps got problems, cuz looks like ur the one who gots problems
theres nothing wrong with any pcb tube amps, or hanf wired tube amps, as long as the circuit is in good shape and the tubes are good.....they are ten times better than anything you can think of
ive heard torres amps blow twin reverbs out of the water
a little care and knowlesge goes a long way
and im sure there isnt anything wrong with cb's amp
in fact im sure you got suckerd on urs, so dont take ur shit out here saying those amps got problems, cuz looks like ur the one who gots problems
DiMitriR33
Hero Member
- Messages
- 604
guitlouie was complaining about the fender amp called the evil twin, not all fender twins. if i bought a fender amp new and they dicked me around untill the warenty was up i'd complain too. and if ya keep calling people fricktards gregg might boot ya from the forum.... fricktard :laughing7:
just kiddin ya but seriously this isn't a place to be flaming people.
just kiddin ya but seriously this isn't a place to be flaming people.
confederatewk
Junior Member
- Messages
- 116
just like ozzy, i just say shit, im not being all derogrative as such to someone inspecific
jackthehack said:
Its AB763, by 69 they had the dual bias thing, mostly grid bias, with medium value grid resistors to "even things out" between unmatched tubes.(it sucked bad). They went from bias level, to bias balance, to "self balance" and back to bias balance.
Its the speakers Jack. Old twins had JBL or higher end Oxford speakers. Todays Twin... sadly... has crap. Putting a set of Vintage 30's in a Twin is good. Putting old JBL D120's is better.
confederatewk
Junior Member
- Messages
- 116
my grandfather had boxes of jbl he wa colecting, after he died my grandmother didnt take kindly to his storage locker full of old audio junk and shit like that, tools etc....
from old ev's to jbl's some lucky bastard bid 500 on the locker and got gold
can i still get a juju witch doctor to make me a shrunken head of a nemesis??
from old ev's to jbl's some lucky bastard bid 500 on the locker and got gold
can i still get a juju witch doctor to make me a shrunken head of a nemesis??
G
guitlouie
Guest
Ok, first of all genius, you need to learn to read almost as badly as you need to learn to spell. Secondly, the guitar store I purchased the amp from doesn't allow it's customers to take the amps apart and go through them with a multimeter, so the testing of the amp I did before purchase was to play through it for a few hours, which did not reveal said problem. Thirdly, a representitive of Fender itself told me point blank that there was a problem with the engineering of said amp, and that they planned to do relatively little to fix the problem. This is why I wanted to warn others of this particular amp. I do however welcome you to continue the personal slags, I find that they reveal your troglodyte like "thinking" mechanism to the more evolved humans around here.
confederatewk
Junior Member
- Messages
- 116
ok first of all u anal redundand a******
i just type, i dont go over my shit and red it as analy as you do, so id apreciate it if u didnt judge me base3d on my lack of interest to correct my spelling or grammar on a guitar forum
bravo, you feel better pointing out my ignorance and idocy, you must feel great
too bad i dont care
so spill it to someone else
if ur soo smart you can look through spelling errors and TYPOS because i type over 140 wpm and dont care enought to check before i post, like right ow.................
i just type, i dont go over my shit and red it as analy as you do, so id apreciate it if u didnt judge me base3d on my lack of interest to correct my spelling or grammar on a guitar forum
bravo, you feel better pointing out my ignorance and idocy, you must feel great
too bad i dont care
so spill it to someone else
if ur soo smart you can look through spelling errors and TYPOS because i type over 140 wpm and dont care enought to check before i post, like right ow.................
dudesweet157
Hero Member
- Messages
- 661
Speed without accuracy is nothing to boast about. It's like shredders. If Yngwie Malmsteen played as fast as he does and had uber sloppy technique, no one would care a thing about him. It's like the "shredders" in Guitar Center. Yeah you can play fast, but your technique is sloppy and phrasing sucks. It makes it awful hard to take you seriously if you don't take the extra 30 seconds to type your response with correct grammar/spelling just because you're lazy. Heck, even Nonesense Tele tries, and his English is admittedly not great by any means (no offense to Mr. NT).
confederatewk
Junior Member
- Messages
- 116
:sad1:
i guess i got schooled :-(
i guess i got schooled :-(
Similar threads
