“If an alien got here to earth and wished to listen to an American guitar sound, I’d play him my Twin with a set of Jensens.”
I discovered this assertion a few years in the past and it summarizes my emotions concerning the Twin Reverb, the flagship of Fender amps. So, let me share my insights concerning the largest brother within the Fender household and talk about audio system, tube swaps, and how one can unlock its secrets and techniques. My objective is to show you all into educated followers of this legendary amp that has considerably misplaced its place within the fashionable world. However first, just a few information.
Fender launched the Twin Reverb as we all know it as we speak in 1963 as one of many first black-panel-era amps. It was a dual-channel combo with two 12″ audio system, a diode rectifier, reverb, tremolo, and 4 6L6GC tubes producing 85 watts. It was focused at professionals and was probably the most highly effective amp Fender had ever made. Throughout the earlier tweed period, the Twin arrived as a 2×12″ combo amp—first, a low-power 25-watt model with a single energy tube pair; then, after 1958, a excessive power-version with 4 6L6GC tubes and 80 watts.
“Audio system are like ice cream—everybody has their favourite.”
The blonde Tolex Twin got here in 1960 and regarded extra just like the black-panel basic that we all know as we speak, with separate regular and vibrato channels on the faceplate. Reverb and a diode rectifier had been added to the black-panel Twin Reverb, which had all of the options and the largest iron that Fender might provide on the time. It was the primary and solely black-panel amp with a full tone stack on each channels, with bass, mid, treble, and a brilliant change permitting you to dial in every part between a Dick Dale Strat surf tone and a mellow jazz sound for, say, a giant field Gibson. The silver-panel Twin Reverb went by way of a number of adjustments from 1972 onwards, largely within the energy circuitry. There was a 100-watt and 135-watt silver-panel model with grasp quantity. They aren’t very talked-about as we speak however will work properly as an affordable observe amp if you’ll find one in good situation.
The cons of the Twin Reverb are weight and loudness. Relying on the audio system, a Twin weighs 73 to 88 kilos. The 13-pound JBL D120F audio system that got here within the authentic black-panel Twins had been, for my part, too heavy for the amp, as had been the 4 10″ JBLs within the Tremendous Reverb. Whereas these audio system are extremely collectible, the burden of those ceramic JBLs will finally tear the picket cupboard aside. So, you can’t transport these amps round for normal touring.
My favourite classic audio system for the Twin Reverb are the lighter Jensen C12N (7 kilos) or the Fender Oxford 12T6. The Oxfords sound surprisingly tight and good, and never as mushy because the Oxfords you discover in different, low-powered Fender amps. The 1965 reissue black-panel Twin Reverb’s fashionable Jensen C12Ks sound unforgivingly stiff to my ears. Even when they enhance after years of taking part in, I want to exchange them with the lighter Jensen P12Q, which has a smaller voice coil and a classic metal basket, or Warehouse Guitar Audio system’ brighter G12C/S. The G12C/S delivers an excellent genuine Fender tone at an inexpensive weight (10 kilos) and worth. However don’t solely belief my speaker recommendation. Audio system are like ice cream—everybody has their favourite. With the fitting audio system in your ears, a reissue Twin Reverb will ship all the products for you.
Whereas different Fender amps sometimes break up at round 4 with a Strat, the Twin Reverb stays clear as much as virtually 6—and people clear notes are sharp as a knife’s edge and can maintain up in opposition to heavy drummers and bass gamers. That is precisely what the amp is made for: being performed un-miked in, say, a gospel band in a 300-seat church each Sunday, or on Friday nights in a cowboy bar in Bakersfield, circa ’63. It’s designed to not break up. You subsequently must have your expectations set appropriately—or be adept with pedals—to actually respect the evil Twin.
A easy trick to decrease the headroom is to disengage one of many audio system and pull the 2 internal or outer energy tubes. You’ll, then, basically, have a 1×12″ 40-watt amp whereas nonetheless benefiting from the atmosphere of the massive speaker cupboard. Aside from that, there are not any mods that I like to recommend with this amp. The Fender Twin Reverb is made for large events, and when you learn to use it appropriately, you’ll take pleasure in a really bodily tone expertise along with everybody else onstage—who may have no drawback listening to this amp. I promise.