The Steel Guitar Forum

My Peavey Nashville just went on the blink and so I am borrowing a friend's Fender Twin Reverb for the weekend. But I can't find the right combination of settings to make this thing sound like a steel guitar is supposed to sound. Would anyone out there be kind enough to point me in the right direction? Thanks.

There are 10 or more major variations in Fender Twins. Which one are you using?

Charlie

There's a plate on the back of the amp that reads "Model 65 Twin Reverb." Does that meananything to you? Thanks,Charlie.

These are my starting settings for just about any amp with a "mid" control...

Volumes...6 (or higher)
Treble....3-4
Middle....1-2
Bass......7 (or higher)
Reverb....3-4

That should get you in the ball-park!

That sounds pretty darned good, Donnie. Thank you. Do you have any idea of what the "speed" and "intensity" settings should be. My ear tells me that I want a high speed setting but a low intensity setting.

-= Bob

Speed and Intensity are TREMELO controls.. I doubt you want Tremelo.. keep them BOTH at zero! bob

I have a 72 vibrosonic. There is a little problem with the tremelo that I have heard is common with Twins as well. Even when the intensity level is on zero and the speed is turned all the way down you can hear a slight clicking sound at the speed of the tremelo. I think it is related to some light sensor thing. Anyway...I just make sure that I use the foot switch to turn the tremelo off and the noise goes away.

Steve

The trem is simply a matter of taste, but for faux-leslie set the speed pretty slow and the intensity about halfway - gives a nice slow speed effect. Fender trem running fast sounds really choppy, except for the older brown amps that use a different, smoother circuit.

As far as tone controls - treble 5-6, mids 4-5, bass under 4. Setting a Twin's bass on 7 will give you nothing but mud. This is assuming you can turn the amp up - Fenders are designed to require a bass rolloff as you turn up the volume. If instead you're running at low volume, good luck - Twins at 2-4 on the volume knob universally sound lousy. They have to be pushed a bit to get the amp to open up and provide any decent tone. Ideally, 7-8 is the sweet spot if the amp has good tubes, good filter caps and is biased correctly.

Seriously, unless you can really play loud a Twin is not a good amp. That's why so many traditional steel players use solid-state amps - they sound better at low volume. Tube amps have to be driven hard.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 20 October 2005 at 10:17 AM.]</p></FONT>

I agree with Jim. My Vibrosonic doesn't sound very good at the "at-home" practice level (volume-3/4). But at stage level (volume-7/8)it sounds beautiful!

It's true there is not as much difference at low volume between tube amps and solid state ones, still, my Fender tube amps (Pro, Dual, Super Twin) sound as good or better than solid state amps at low volume at home. Maybe it is because I turn the bass up. With two 12s my EQ is Treble 2-3, Mid 5-6, Bass 7-8. For playing loud with a group I add some treble and cut back some on the bass.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David Doggett on 20 October 2005 at 02:31 PM.]</p></FONT>

Jim, the bass control set high only gives the "muddy" sound you speak of when the mid and treble controls aren't adjusted properly. As Bob, Jack, and others have pointed out, Fender's "tone stack" mid control is one of the most misunderstood and misused controls ever put on an amp. Indeed, it was the mid control that made amps like the Twin Reverb so popular with steelers! For the first time, they could remove the mid frequencies, and get real body and warmth from their pedal steels, which are naturally chock-full of mid and high frequencies.

I have great tone with my twin at the house, too. But it really sweetens up at a gig when I can crank it up. It really went to a new tone dimension when I added the Rick Johnson cabs. Must be that green tolex and gold grill cloth! Of course, the 418B Altecs don't hurt the tone either! HA!! Did I mention the Philips tubes? OK, I'll quit now!