Fender Twin Reverb: 2-12's or Custom 15

[Adam Fischer]

I know I ask alot of amp questions, but I've narrowed it down, and will stop soon. Thanks for bearing with me, all.

So I know I want a Fender Twin Reverb, but am weighing the original model w/ two 12in speakers vs. the custom 15. I realize this is more a matter of tone preference, so let me say that I am looking to get a more "haunting" tone out of the PSG rather than a super bright, traditional country tone. Opinions?

[Al Szwarc]

Get the 15 cab on your twin. then fabricate an additional front panel for 2 12's. Try both and then decide which you like better. Keep what you like and sell off the other. You'll always know you made the right choice for yourself. Or you can always keep both speaker panels and change with your whims. Good luck with it. al

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

I go back in forth in preference. 12s have more bite; 15 has more boom.

Dan

[Chris Erbacher]

i went from a 15 to 12's and prefer the 12's...i guess it depends on who else is around you also and their speaker size, but for me the 12's cut thru more and the bass was tighter with the twin, which isn't particularly bassy anyway...my settings with a '72 ZB Custom S-10 and my '71 D11/10 ZB Custom are bass at like 2.8-3, mids all the way up and the treble on like 4 or 5...i was told by brad sarno that on a twin, if your bass goes anywhere above like 3 or so on the dial, then it starts to take over the midrange, and for the tightest bass sound, to leave the dial at like 3...with some nice caps in there, the bass is defined and tight with two e-120's, the 15 was too flabby sounding, nice, but not what i ended up liking with the full band...i have a d-130 that i can hook up to it when i want that sound, but for gigs and a sound that cuts with definition, i like the 12's...some of that preference could be because of my preference for the ZB's...they aren't noted for having really pronounced lows, but more of a creamy top end...what kind of guitar are you playing?

[David Doggett]

Only a ZB player would say a Twin doesn't have much in the way of lows. Many people play Twins because of their low balls. I have a '70s Dual Showman Reverb, which is a Twin chassis in a head cab, and can play it through a 2x12 cab or one or two 15" cabs. For rock and blues, I prefer the 2x12 cab - it cuts through better, and sounds more guitar-like. For country and country-rock, I prefer one or two 15s - they just have a more traditional country pedal steel sound. 15s not only pump up the bass, they also thicken up the mids and highs. It's like the difference between a Tele and a Gretsch. I would definitely say a 15 has a more "haunting" voice.

I also agree that a Twin or Dual sounds good to me on pedal steel with bass around 3, mids 8-10, highs around 3. Apparently these things have such a huge mid scoop that you need to dial the mid up quite a bit. You still end up with some mid scoop, just not so much.

[Adam Fischer]

...what kind of guitar are you playing?

My PSG is a an old MarketRite Mark II, single-coil pickup. The highs are very bitey. I would be hoping to temper that some. I play in a moderately loud folk-rock band, thats why I am hoping more for a haunting tone, for a more ambient use of the PSG rather than alot of leads.

I like the idea of swapping the front panel between the 15's and the 12's to see what works best. Though Al suggested that I buy the 15 and swap in the 12's. Is there any reason why I can't buy the 12 cab and swap in a 15? (maybe a dumb question, but the 12's are easier to come by, so it seems).

Electric guitars I play are mostly semi-hollows, clean with lots of reverb.

Thanks all for your wisdom!

[Gary Chiappetta]

Adam,

I am still using the Twin Reverb I bought in 1974 and over the years I have tried the original fender speakers, JBL K-120s, Weber California, and Peavey Black Widows. I think the best sound was achieved with the K-120s and the Black Widows. Something about speakers with heavy magnets that makes for a great Steel Guitar amp.

I am currently playing through the Peavey Black Widows and the Steel Guitar sound is fabulous. (BTW, I am using an Emmons D-10, 1978 vintage).

The unfortunate reality is that it comes at a price. That is that the amp is HEAVY! With a pair of Black Widows it weighs in at close to 100 pounds.

[Chris Erbacher]

you are right on david with the ZB comment...a push pull might yield different results from the amp, but one thing remains...the growl...once you get it dialed in...it just sings...aww yeah...i would keep the integrity of the amp intact and leave the 12's in it, and get a 15 in a separate cab...that way if for some reason you try to sell the amp, you won't have to deal with the fact that you altered it, and can get top dollar...is this the 135 watt version of the amp? you could go a totally different route that makes sense...get a split cab made...and get a cab for the 15 and one or two cabs for the 12's...keep the original amp cabinet in the closet for safe keeping and choose the best speaker for the gig and type of music...and there are plenty of guys here on the forum that would buy either size of cab if you decide that you like one or the other better...i have the 135 watt version in a split cab for the chassis and a separate cab with the 12's in it...sounds killer...plus if you go that route, you can put a good piece of birch for the soundboard the speakers fit into and it really tightens up the sound...if i was getting split cabs made again, i would seriously think about the two separate cabs for the 12's considering how much a jbl e-120 or k-120 weighs by itself (if you are going the jbl route, i think a d-120 weighs a little less but i could be wrong). twins rule man!

[Al Szwarc]

Yes there is a reason to get a 15. You won't have to fit the speakers in the available space. There is more room in the 15 cab. Of course the ultimate might be to use two cabs and split the weight. Check out what the guys are doing on the forum. The two cabs look great and can save your back. al

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

Yes, split cabs are a back saver. I have two twins. My '78, 135 watt twin has the chassis in a dual showman head cab and the speakers in the original twin cab. That head alone weighs as much as some gigging amps! My '65 reissue is all in one unit with wheels. I use that for gigs where I have to get on and off relatively quickly.

Mids up and bass down?? To each his or her own, I guess. I have the bass up @6-7 and the mids @1-2. Treble 3-4 but it is highly sensitive right above three. I adjust per the room.

Dan

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

Just swapped the BW 1502-4 back into the 78 twin cab. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm! That sounds gooood. Gonna keep that in there for a while.

Dan

[Tim Whitlock]

Adam, if you are weighing the current model "65 Twin Reverb Re-Issue" with the "Custom Twin" I would recommend you go with the Custom. The speakers in the regular Twin are 12" Jensen ceramic re-issues and are not steel friendly IMHO. You might end up spending more cash to replace them. The Custom is equipped with a JBL'ish sounding 15" Eminence Commonwealth and is ready to go right out of the box.

In any case, I would recommend an older silver face Twin, with either 12" or 15" speakers, over the current Fender production line. It'll be cheaper, better built and easier to get repairs or mods done. The "haunting tone" you're after can be acheived by either 12 or 15 inch speakers. The right EQ and picking technique are more important to your tone than speaker size.

[George King]

For guys who can't decide between a 12inch or 15 inch speaker how about 1-15 and 1-12 both speakers 8 ohm for a 4 ohm load.Wouldn't that work for a little bit of both worlds?I though about trying this myself...Geo

[Ray Montee]

I use a pair.........a SESSION-400 (15) and an LA-400 (12), both with 250 watts....

With my Emmons Push/Pull........I couldn't hope for a better sound. I'm totally happy with this combo.
I get a whole lot of everything I want, and surprisingly, MORE!