Who makes half of a twin reverb?

[Webfoot]

I am interested in a amp that is relatively clean, has the power of 40 watts, is 6L6 and has the tone stack (treble, mid and bass) of a twin reverb. The reverb part would be nice also.

Does this exist as a production amp or kit form?

[WireLine]

Fender Pro Reverb...same chassis and features, just lower power with 2 output tubes...there are several variations of 2 6L6 tube amps out there...Allen, Weber, and several others have kits.

If you already have a Twin, yank a pair of power tubes (inside pair or outside pair), andjust the speaker impedance, and there ya go.

[chriscrob]

Sounds like a hot rod deluxe to me. The hot rod is unpopular on forums like these. But its dependable, makes great clean noises and has the tone stack+'verb you want. The distorted channel leaves a lot to be desired. But thats just a bonus since you're looking for cleans that doesn't really matter. You can use it with the gain turned down for a pretty nice overdriven sound. At the price you can picked up a used one for you can't go wrong.

[eggman]

Howdy,

Fender's old Oregon-made Red knob series of 60 watt, all-tube amps would seem to fit that bill. They are no longer in production. Are you familiar with this line?
My Super 112 is great for clean, but it's gain channel (porportedly like a Mesa Boogie) doesn't do a thing for me. Many other young guitarists feel just the opposite! These amps are surely better than thier lower-than-dirt reputation and might be worth a look on the used market. Good luck!

Eggman

PS: BTW, my Super 112 has needed only a single repair ($40) in the 15+ years I've owned it. How's that for reliability?

[Brennantele]

Originally Posted by chriscrob

Sounds like a hot rod deluxe to me. The hot rod is unpopular on forums like these. But its dependable, makes great clean noises and has the tone stack+'verb you want. The distorted channel leaves a lot to be desired. But thats just a bonus since you're looking for cleans that doesn't really matter. You can use it with the gain turned down for a pretty nice overdriven sound. At the price you can picked up a used one for you can't go wrong.

My first thought when I read what he was looking for. The hot rod rocks. Head out to GC and test one out!!! It can be had used for $450 easy.

[WireLine]

Although a worthy contender, I believe the tone stacks and such are almost polar opposites between a Twin and an HRD...I currently own the HRD and have owned several Twins over the years, and they sound nothing alike (to me)...truthfully, the only thing they share in common is the brand name, and even that is doubtful, as Twins are PTP, handwired, each having its own favs and quirks, where as (my opinion only) each HRD sounds pretty much exactly the same...not bad by any means, just not a Twin.

You might clarify - which Twin "Lite" are you trying to mimic? A brownfaced Twin sounds a lot different than the BF... SF Twins have a questionable reputation (but I like them)...tweed Twin Amps are considered by some the holiest of grails...

Originally Posted by chriscrob

Sounds like a hot rod deluxe to me. The hot rod is unpopular on forums like these. But its dependable, makes great clean noises and has the tone stack+'verb you want. The distorted channel leaves a lot to be desired. But thats just a bonus since you're looking for cleans that doesn't really matter. You can use it with the gain turned down for a pretty nice overdriven sound. At the price you can picked up a used one for you can't go wrong.

[JohnnyCrash]

The Custom Vibrolux Reverb sort of fits the bill. Two 6L6's, 40 watts, Reverb... only thing is its 2x10"

I've built old tweed circuit dual 6L6 amps and love em - HotRods, on the other hand, I have not been happy with the sound of.

[Big Mike Simpson]

Originally Posted by Webfoot

I am interested in a amp that is relatively clean, has the power of 40 watts, is 6L6 and has the tone stack (treble, mid and bass) of a twin reverb. The reverb part would be nice also.

Does this exist as a production amp or kit form?

It's called a Super Reverb...

[FMA]

Half a twin? Isn't that a Deluxe Reverb?
I know, it's not a 6l6-based amp. But the ones I've played have all had great clean tones.

[PhatTele]

Put a Bandmaster Reverb (same basic thing as a Pro) into a 1x12 cabinet with a Weber 12F150 or California. I've built a couple of these with an Allen multitap output transformer (so I can run an 8 ohm load). They're a near perfect gig amp.

[Dacious]

The 'mini' Twin you are looking for is a Vibrolux Reverb. Not a HRD, CVR or anything modern from Fender which have not enough tubes and too many changes to circuit, cabinet and speakers. My bandmate has a HRDlx with 2 x 12s and it sounds not much like my VR or a TR. The VR does sound like a little Twin until it breaks up, then it has delightful tube rectifier sag. 35-40 watts from 2 6L6s.

A VR is 2 x 10, almost as small and about 10-15lbs heavier than a Deluxe Reverb. DRs sound good but break up much earlier and 6V6s are a little different tonewise than a Twin - so is the sound from 1 x 12" speaker. Pro Revs are great amps but use the same 2 x 12 cabinet and are more like 70 or 80% of a Twin. They and weigh not much less and are still loud, which makes them too much amp a lot of the time.

A Vibey is clean/loud enough up to 5 or 6 to live with a loud drummer. Reverb and tremolo is classic Fender. Weighs 50lbs instead of 90-100 like a Twin. Apart from a stupid pull boost that arrived in the late 70's that you can leave unpulled, up until they stopped making them in 1982 they are close to identical to a Blackface. They are one of the easiest to mod back to that level if you desire They never got the mid control on the channels, like most BF amps don't but you don't miss it. They sound great as is. Pine or ply cabinet, CTS speakers (alnicos are great).

Unfortunately the secret's out on them - the price horse has bolted. Note that the modern Custom Vibrolux Reverb has almost nothing in common with them other than 2 x 10 speakers.



Info on Vibrolux Reverb

[Chris Callahan]

Pro Reverb's not it because of the missing mid knob. Super Reverb's not it because it breaks up too early. HRD's not it (!).

To my mind a half a twin is a twin with the outside power tubes removed and a speaker disconnected.

[Webfoot]

I suppose I have only played through the newer twins that just sounded big and seems like it would sit well in the mix without ice pick highs. I am trying to get a lighter rig as my bassman was 65 lbs. So a combo amp where I could add a second cabinet as needed.

There are a lot of good suggestions I have heard. What are your thoughts on these possibilities...

1. Hot Rod Deluxe with a modified tone stack (I know these get dissed as being too woofy low endish... of which I think is true)

2. New Custom Vibrolux Reverb - with two weber alnicos (I hear these hiss alot and that could be a deal breaker) - would I miss the mid control? But don't really need vibrato or tremelo.

[Dacious]

The Fender amps with reverb and no mid control (including the CVR, probably) actually do have 'mid' setting which is a 6.8K resistor soldered to the bass pot, and equates to a mid pot set on '5'. Most SF amps got the pot.

Older Bassmans have no mid pot, instead they have a 2-band eq which is a different sort of arrangement. In practice, only if you had a very thin -sounding guitar in the mids would you put the pot anywhere but '5'. If you consistently wanted more mid freqs you can have this value changed, some people even have a pot added in the chassis or on the back. 90% would not bother.

If you're talking about the sound of a modern 'Twin' then go with any of the newer amps. If you don't need vibrato then any of the 90's-on Fenders should work for you.

When you said Twin Reverb I, and I guess others, thought you meant a BF/SF TR or a 65 TR reissue amp. If you were looking for that sound, your choices would not be terrible but not quite the best match.

[gtrman911]

Originally Posted by FMA

Half a twin? Isn't that a Deluxe Reverb?
I know, it's not a 6l6-based amp. But the ones I've played have all had great clean tones.

yep.

[Hoodster]

Hard to believe, I know, but an early 90's Fender Champ 25SE (2 6L6's) will get you the huge Twin tone on a budget and save your back too.

A bit ugly but who cares for ~$200?

http://www.ampwares.com/ffg/champ_25.html

[Big Mike Simpson]

Here is my "Super Vibrolux Reverb"... this maintains the 3 tone controls and the "vintage iron" in a 2 6L6 / 2x10 amp. The same can be done with a SF bandmaster reverb.

1966 Super Reverb amp
JD Newell 2x10 Vibroclone cabinet
Weber 10A125 4ohm speakers @ 2ohm load

Here is a size comparison to a DRRI (left) and the "Super Vibrolux Reverb"... (right) and dog (center)

[The Radium King]

if you got the $$$, try a vibro king. huge vibrato, huger reverb (built-in fender 6g15 reverb unit). 2x6l6 and full tone stack. not quite a twin tone stack as the volume is on the other side of a gain stage, so the tone stack also acts as a volume control of sorts. a little grainier than a twin (no nfb, drives three low-power 10" speakers) but great clean tones under 5 on the dial. heavy, however. 'fuller' 'richer' clean, too, without the beaminess or ice pick treble of a twin.

[Wally]

One big difference between a TR and some of the suggestions..SR, Pro REverb, Bandmaster Reverb, DR, Vibrolux REverb....is that the TR has SS rectification while the suggested amps have tube rectifiiers, though one could mod the suggested amps for SS rectification.
Or...pull two tubes from that TR and rebias. Tha's the cheapest way to get from point A to point B....and back again if desired.

[getbent]

Allen Encore. You could get it with 1 12 and you'd be there.... or silver face vibrolux as others have said...