Craigslist Super Twin--$300

Garth Highsmith · Post by **Garth Highsmith** » 16 May 2005 9:36 am

.[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:55 PM.]

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 16 May 2005 7:48 pm

These are the best tube amps ever made for steel - vintage Fender clean tube tone with headroom for miles, plus switchable 5 band active EQ in addition to the regular passive 3 band EQ. I have two, and both are in head cabinets to make the weight manageable. The Super Twin doesn't have reverb, and obviously the Super Twin Reverb does. Buyers don't always list the names properly, so check this one. Someone in the Seattle area should snap this baby up (fresh tubes even). Because of the weight, these monsters are hell to ship.[This message was edited by David Doggett on 16 May 2005 at 08:51 PM.]

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 17 May 2005 8:03 am

This is the one without reverb (I'm thinking about snapping it up, but just thinking about it makes my back hurt).

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www.tyack.com

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 17 May 2005 8:26 am

Dan, that's the best price you'll ever see. It's a bargain even if it needs work. Put it in a head cabinet and you're set for life. Other than the reverb, the only difference is that the earlier version without reverb doesn't have the boost foot switch. This is actually good, because in the other model the default without the boost switch plugged in and activated is for the boost to be off. So if you don't have the foot switch (and most don't), you're only getting about 2/3 of the full output. The switchable EQ is nice and allows you to switch between two EQ settings. But the main attraction is the tube tone with miles of clean headroom.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 May 2005 4:44 pm

I concur with David...awesome amp! If this one was across town (instead of across the country), I'd have bought it already. Tone-wise, there's nothing even close in a combo amp.

Nothing!

It's scary.

Really!

Dennis Hilsabeck · Post by **Dennis Hilsabeck** » 17 May 2005 4:52 pm

New biee question!!

So is it better to have a reverb and could this amp be fitted with one?

Dennis

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 May 2005 7:11 pm

Even in the version of this amp that has reverb, it's a disappointing reverb. The EQ controls on this amp eliminate the 'verb at some settings, so it's best to use a stomp box 'verb or delay pedal.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 17 May 2005 8:53 pm

Like Donny said. If the reverb is missing or broken on a bargain old amp, I don't bother fixing it. You can get great reverb and delay in separate units these days.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 18 May 2005 8:39 am

Here's the info I got yesterday:

--- "Burak, Peter" wrote:
> Hi,
> Is the Super Twin still available?

yes, but the price has changed, since I got an offer of $400 in the beginning of June.

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 18 May 2005 8:45 am

Huh?
Beginning of June?

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 18 May 2005 11:30 am

I just cut 'em and paste 'em, Marty!
Cut 'em... and Paste 'em!

I emailed him back asking for current price a pic's.

Did any of our Seattle FoBro's check this unit out yet?

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 19 May 2005 7:46 am

I think I just bought this amp!
The seller sent a pic of the front and back, and I told him that if it's as electronically sound as it is aesthetically clean, I'll take it.
He did bump the price to $400, though.
I'll pick it up (with a dolly) this weekend!
Viva la Casters!

Marty, As per his earlier email, he said he had an offer from a guy who would pay $400, but wouldn't have the money untill the beginning of June, so it was now $400 to the first buyer with cash. (Im thinking, whatever, dude).

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 19 May 2005 8:49 am

Let us know how you like it, Pete. By the way, these also make a good heater for a small room.

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 19 May 2005 10:25 am

Better hurry before someone offers him $2700 in September!

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 19 May 2005 11:14 am

I see it as being worth $400.
No Problem there.

But surely Marty, you have more on your mind concerning this amp than that.
Tell us how you really feel!

Pete B.

Garth Highsmith · Post by **Garth Highsmith** » 19 May 2005 11:33 am

.[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:55 PM.]

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 19 May 2005 9:27 pm

Garth - that is tooo funny!
Pete - congrats on a screamin deal. Nice score.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 22 May 2005 9:43 am

So I spoke with the owner of the Super Twin, and though we struck a deal for the amp for $400, I wasn't able to make the trip up to Seattle this past weekend (as originally planned) to pick up the amp.
I told him I understand if he doesn't want to hold it untill I can make it up there ('not sure if I can make it next weekend either).
So if any of you are interested, I think it is back on the market to the first person with $400 cash to pick it up.
The owner sounds like a nice guy who has had the amp stored for 10 years or so.
I'll call him later in the week to see if it is still there (he didn't sound like a motivated seller), but FWIW, it's not a "life or death must have" amp for me... More of a "always wanted to try one, and at this price..." type thing.
Anyway... Just an FYI on that amp for you local Seattle-ite Steelers (and Marty too!)

.
Keep Steelin'!
Pete B.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 22 May 2005 3:38 pm

I dunno. That amp sounds like a good deal, and it's one of those amps I'd like to try, but I've already got a killer Fender Showman. Plus, in those rate occasions when I need to be clean and louder than the showman can accomodate, I can alway drag out my VHT 2-90-2 power amp and a second speaker cabinet to add to my THD BiValve. That's enough volume to make any sound guy weep and beg for mercy.

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www.tyack.com

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 22 May 2005 4:35 pm

Dan. It's not the power that makes this amp so special.

It's the tones you can get with it!

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 1 Jun 2005 11:22 am

Well, I got this one instead: http://portland.craigslist.org/msg/76083090.html
The guy brought it to my home, so I was able to put it though the paces with several steels.
By way of some horse trading, it only cost me about $100 more than the Super Twin would have, without the 400 mile RT to Seattle.
I'll cross tracks with a Super Twin one of thes days I'm sure, but I must say, this Vibrosonic sounds pretty killer!
It has a great Tremelo circuit, and a strong 'verb.
The two channel thing is nice, too (the Super Twin is a one channel amp), as I have gigs where I'm doing double duty on a Strat or Les Paul.
GAS enguaged!

~pb

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 1 Jun 2005 12:37 pm

Pete, you got a good Vibrosonic and great speaker. They are basically a silver-face Twin, but with an 8 ohm speaker jack, so they can take a stock 8 ohm JBL 130F and still give you full volume. If yours is black-faced, that typically means it sounds warmer but gives crunch and early breakup, like 6-stringers love. At low to moderate volumes it may sound better (warmer) than a silver-face (great for recording), but a silver-face will play cleaner all the way to the top, and so is better for loud unmiked live gigs.

A Super Twin can function as a two channel amp. It has two input jacks. They are both on the same channel, but that channel has the ability to switch between two EQ settings. With no footswitch plugged in both the regular 3-knob passive EQ and the 5-knob active work together for one very complex setting. With a footswitch plugged in you can switch between just the regular three knobs alone, or those three plus the 5-band active EQ. So you can have one EQ setting with just the three knobs (say for a Tele), then hit the switch to kick in the 5-band EQ knobs to overide that with another EQ setting (say for steel). There is also a bright switch, so you really have 4 different EQ setting possibilities.

Dan, to me the Super Twin has the tone of a silver-face Twin (within the variation you get between any individual two vintage Fender tube amps), only half again louder. Other than loudness, the other advantages are that you can get all that volume in a single package (my Super Twin Reverb in a head cabinet weighs 60 lbs., only a few lbs. more than my 100 watt DSR head). The switchable 5-band active EQ is nice, but I don't know if it alone is worth getting a Super Twin if you don't need that volume in a single package.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 1 Jun 2005 10:02 pm

Thanks for the information guys.

I've got to disclose that I'm not a fender twin fan in general. I LOVE my showman, but it doesn't sound like a BF or SF twin, it's considerably fatter than most I've played. It was modded by Andy Marshall at THD to favor the Dumble super 100, which is kind of a mix between a blond showman and a blackface.

I could be won over by a super twin, but I'd have to play one (I'm not super enamored by the sounds of SF Twins that I have used). Here's the deal, a big part of my clean sound involves driving the power amp tubes with a quite clean preamp signal. THe THD amps are perfect for this. ALso, I can go between clean and totally driven simply by putting down the volume pedal, they are very dynamic. While I probably would love the clean sound of a super twin, I almost never play gigs that are clean sound only.

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www.tyack.com