Silverface pulled it off!!!!!

I have been noticing a lot of people talk about blackfacing old sf amps and I was almost sucked into it myself but I had to tell ya bout a gig that changed my mind.

I was hired to play lead guitar in a local theatre for a Patsey Cline show ( I know its a cheesy :oops: gig but it pays and is kinda fun) and I was stunned at how my 1974 SF twin pulled off that early 60s sound :idea:!!!!!! It sounded like it jumped out of a Grand Ol Opry Show from back then. I know we say that sf fenders arent the same as bf but I can tell ya that it cant be much different sound wise cause it was spot on 60s sound.

Im not dissing people that get there amps BFed but Im just saying if your not made of money dont spend a fortune gettin an amp that someone has convinced you is enferior bfed because you may be surprised how little tonal difference there really is.

And it was an impersonator LOL. Not Patseys ghost or anything like that.

I spent three months playing bass in a dinner theatre Patsy Cline show, so I can relate!

I've slowly come to the realization that any piece of gear must be judged on its own merits, and only THEN changed/modified IF NECESSARY! Case in point: a few years back, there was an SF Pro Reverb in my local music store that was absolutely sonically perfect. It was probably the finest-sounding Fender amp I've ever heard in my life! Guy bought it, immediately BF-ed it. I don't know if it sounded worse after he did that, but heaven knows it didn't sound a lick better!

Tim

The only mod for a Fender Reverb Amp that I will always love is the 1/2 power toggle with Reverb on both sides.
To me - that's a MAJOR ENHANCEMENT that is worthy. :cool:
I've always loved Silverface Tone!!!
Seriously Albert Collins and Roy Buchanan sound GREAT through Silverfaces.

I feel quite strongly that with the exception of the "mod mentioned" that "modding" destroys Value.

I own two BF Fenders now, but have owned and gigged/recorded with dozens of SF Fenders. All sounded fantastic. No exceptions. A '65 Twin Reverb may sound better than a '75 TR, maybe, but it ain't by all that much. And I owned a '65 TR at one point. Damn, those things are heavy. :shock:

Oh trust me , given the choice if I could afford an original bf twin I would go with the bf every time but I think people are spending a lot of money modding good amps and not always making enough difference to matter.

And then again I may have bought an exceptional amp for its year of manufacture. Who knows it coulda been bfed before I got it but I doubt it because it still has the master volume. Could be the jbl speakers or I may even have a less sensitive ear.

I guess the line below says it all...

You may be right 4 strings:lol:. I know I tried everything in the world before goin back to the simple tele so maybe the amp world has the same thing goin on

I have been noticing a lot of people talk about blackfacing old sf amps and I was almost sucked into it myself but I had to tell ya bout a gig that changed my mind.

I was hired to play lead guitar in a local theatre for a Patsey Cline show ( I know its a cheesy :oops: gig but it pays and is kinda fun) and I was stunned at how my 1974 SF twin pulled off that early 60s sound :idea:!!!!!! It sounded like it jumped out of a Grand Ol Opry Show from back then. I know we say that sf fenders arent the same as bf but I can tell ya that it cant be much different sound wise cause it was spot on 60s sound.

Im not dissing people that get there amps BFed but Im just saying if your not made of money dont spend a fortune gettin an amp that someone has convinced you is enferior bfed because you may be surprised how little tonal difference there really is.


I always dug the silverface Fenders up until the master volume appeared and even then the normal channel was still cool.

And, ain't no reason 'tall to apologize for playing a Patsy tribute gig. I'm betting that there might be 10% of the members here that could step into that gig and do it right. I know I'd need a good 2 weeks of cramming for it and that might be pushing things. Be proud, that's a good one for the resume!

And it was an impersonator LOL. Not Patseys ghost or anything like that.

So long as Patsy wasn't a man there's nothing wrong with that. Not that there's anything wrong with the other thing, but, uh, yeah.


Anyway, good public service announcement on needless amp mods. Over the last ten years I've un-modded more great old amps than I've modded. The SF Twin made a hell of a lot of great music in its day and there's not a thing wrong with it. And when there is something that could be dialed in more perfectly, it won't be just a blanket change.

I love my 75 SFTR

I always dug the silverface Fenders up until the master volume appeared and even then the normal channel was still cool.

And, ain't no reason 'tall to apologize for playing a Patsy tribute gig. I'm betting that there might be 10% of the members here that could step into that gig and do it right. I know I'd need a good 2 weeks of cramming for it and that might be pushing things. Be proud, that's a good one for the resume!

I've got a week before the shows start, but I think I'll get it down.

And yes the Patsey impersonator is a woman thank god cause a man would be a little freeky :lol: