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Topic: Yer thoughts on the Super Twin Reverb. |
Gerald Menke
From:
Stormville NY, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2005 1:01 pm |
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I fell off the wagon guys. I had vowed never to buy another amp, but after playing through a Fender Twin the other night, I had that "Wait a minute, here. That's the sound I've been looking for feeling." Searched around a bit locally -- you guys outside of New York don't want to know what people ask for a beat up Twin with changed speakers and transformers here -- and came across a guy selling a Super Twin Reverb. I couldn't help myself, I got it for almost 3 bills cheaper than Twins go for around here, and the sound is incredible. My Williams just sings through this amp, sounds sweet and bell like even up in Hughey land, a quality that for all it's clarity and punch, seemed lacking in the Alembic F2B/VHT 2/90/2 rig. Harmonics sound amazing, rich lows, the mids have this warm quality to them, very different from the KT-88 sound. The amp is just short of immaculate, and even came with the footswitches.
I did a search but it didn't seem that too many others out there are using Super Twins. I mean it's heavy, but not that much heavier than a standard Twin.
Would be curious to hear what you all think of the Super Twin...
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Garth Highsmith
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Posted 24 Jan 2005 2:22 pm
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| . [This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:53 PM.] |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Jan 2005 4:01 pm
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Gerald, I used one for years! UnGODly power and tone, terribly heavy, and has a rather poor reverb circuit (some EQ settings eliminate the reverb altogether). Still, with a stomp-box reverb or delay pedal, I feel it's the best tube amp ever made for steel, and it's certainly the most versatile, tone-wise.
I guess people get tired of hearing me say it, but no combo amp ever made even comes close to this baby.
"Awesome" is the only way to describe it.  |
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David Spangler
From:
Kerrville, TX USA
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Mark Herrick
From:
Bakersfield, CA
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Posted 24 Jan 2005 6:29 pm
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What types and brands of tubes are you using in that amp?
The Fender Amp Field Guide shows that amp to have 6 (!) 6L6 power tubes and 180 watts. It also shows some other tubes, 6C10 and 6CX8, that I am not familiar with.
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[This message was edited by Mark Herrick on 24 January 2005 at 06:38 PM.] |
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Clyde Lane
From:
Glasgow, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2005 7:25 pm
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98 pounds of clean headroom. I owned one for 20 years. Got the bad back to prove it. As Donny said the reverb is touchy at best. There was almost no taper on the reverb knob at all. A little past 4 and the reverb is full on. The weight was the killer though.
Clyde[This message was edited by Clyde Lane on 24 January 2005 at 07:26 PM.] |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 24 Jan 2005 9:31 pm
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Oh, yeah. This is my favorite all time amp for pedal steel. To deal with the weight problem, I put the chassis in a Dual Showman head cabinet, and play it through a single 4 ohm 15" Eminence in a separate cabinet, or through two 8 ohm 15" JBLs. It's like playing through two Twin Reverbs.
Although it has a black face, it was made in the late silver face era. It's hand wired and has the ultralinear transformer. It has clean headroom all the way to the top, with those lush lows, warm mids, and sparkling highs of the Twin sound. In addition to the usual 3 EQ knobs, it has an additional switchable set of 5 knobs that cover the whole frequency range. When you switch them in, both sets of knobs work. So you can have one EQ setting with the usual three knobs, and then switch in the other 5 for a second EQ setting.
The "distortion" setting is a joke, no one ever uses it. The Boost switch does work, and since the default is for the Boost to be off without a footswitch plugged into it, you need to plug in a foot switch to get the full volume. It boosts about one-third. So without the boost it has the volume of a regular late silver face Twin.
These grand dinosaurs go for 400-500 bucks, less than a Twin. Few 6-stringers like them, because they are just too loud, clean, and heavy. I liked the first one I got so much, I picked up a second one on E-bay for backup. I got just the chassis for $300.
From the same era, there is a rare Fender amp called the 140. It is basically a head version of the late silver face 135 watt ultralinear Twin (four 6L6s), but it has the same additional 5 band EQ as the Super Twin, only with sliders instead of knobs.
The Super Twin and 140 are great old tube amps. I hope they all eventually end up in the hands of steelers. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2005 12:25 am
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I played a Super Twin for about 12 years.. Had 2 D120 JBL's in her .. WHAT an AMP!!!. Reverb was NOT good..but that was a great amp for steel..VERY HEAVY... Make sure it has casters and consider wearing a back brace or hiring a piano mover!!
Also had a 140 head that was a GREAT head for steel. Got rid of it like a big fat dope for $175 just a few years ago,,, really stupid.... Fender tube amps are THE best sound for pedal steel to my ears... Nothing else has the sweetness and complexity as far as I am concerned,but hey most guys use Peavey so I must be the one who is doing something wrong.... bob |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2005 2:25 am
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| I used to play rock guitar with a Tube Screamer through one of those things back when I lived in Austin - I'll bet the neighbors are still complaining. |
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