The Steel Guitar Forum

I just got my first PSG and now have an excuse to replace my Super Reverb that was stolen back in '69. Will this work OK with a Fender 1000?

Not a great steel amp. A Pro (Reverb, or better yet, not reverb) would be much better.

But here's one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1966-FENDER-SUPER-R ... 0328648054

KP

Thanks for the advice Ken. I'll check out the Pro.

Pete W

Ed, the guy selling the Super, has, in his own stable, a Pro (if it didn't say Reverb it was fiftyish watts through a single 15") that I lusted after mightily when it came in, but couldn't get away from him. (The Pro Reverb was two 12"s.) My Twin is more practical, but the Blackface Pro was way cool. Honestly, probably a better guitar than steel amp.

KP

You're looking in the right place for information, there are at least fifty Fender tube amp aficionados on this forum, with at least seventy five opinions on what the best option entails. In the right setting, depending on the sound you're looking for, nearly anything can be made to work. Old Twins and Vibrosonics seem to be kind of a gold standard for pedal steelers looking to tubes.

KP

I actually prefer my Pro Reverb to a Twin Reverb for steel or 6-string. It's nearly as loud, can be set up for tons of headroom and is much warmer at low/mid volume levels than a Twin. A Super Reverb I've not had as much luck with for steel, probably more due to the stock speakers than anything else (and the reissues are not worth looking at for anything IMO.)

Even better is the '64 Vibroverb Custom, a 40-watt, 1x15 tone monster. It's real pricey, though, being a hand-wired model.

What's the difference between the new tube Fender reissues and the originals? The music shop guy says that they've just upgraded the circuitry to make them more reliable but they are basically the same. He couldn't elaborate.

The new ones are on printed circuit boards instead of the old handwired technology. This can work (see Soldano), but the Fender reissues have a lousy reputation for nearly everything, including reliability and road worthiness.

KP