Choosing between 79 Twin Reverb Head and a Reissue

[frank1985]

Hey guys - I'm wondering if you could help me make a decision on an amp purchase.

It's between two versions of a Fender Twin Reverb listed in my local classifieds - one combo amp; a reissue that's around 3 years old, and a 1979 head version that's a little shabby but works (has been overhauled recently) and has the convenience of taking up much less space. I think it's an original 1979 combo converted to a head via a bandmaster chasis.

Any notable sonic differences between the two? Are the older models better quality?

Logic dictates that as I'm recording direct via load box > Torpedo that the head version would be ideal; it's going for the same price as the combo, but the latter may possibly retain resale value as it's in much better cosmetic quality.

A tough call for me.... I'm kind of wanting to justify the head as I can get it delivered and don't have to travel 3 hours to pick it up...

 

[dannyh]

Without seeing pics, my thought is you'd basically just be buying the 79 Chassis (I'm not sure a Twin chassis would fit in a Bandmaster cab, so I'm not sure what's going on with that story).

I would want to pay less for a 79 TR chassis than a 3 year old complete reissue amp.

 

[corliss1]

If the price is close to the same, the head is likely a better value. As you mentioned, they never made a Twin Reverb head, but putting into another cab is common.

 

[adjason]

I don't know- I'd hold out for a dual showman which is I think a twin in head form or just buy a regular old silverface twin reverb. I've really liked just about every twin I have ever played through- vintage, reissue etc.

 

[telemnemonics]

Not my usual answer but I vote RI here.

The '79 in shabby cut down overhauled condition is a bigass crapshoot.
Even complete andboriginal it is an unpopular year thats hardvto sell and has monstervtransformers for extra weight plus like 500v power section which is harder on tubes, louder brighter cleaner harsher and not the old BFTR tone.

 

[telemnemonics]

I don't know- I'd hold out for a dual showman which is I think a twin in head form or just buy a regular old silverface twin reverb. I've really liked just about every twin I have ever played through- vintage, reissue etc.

Dual Showman Reverb is a Twin head

 

[frank1985]

Yeah you've helped me make my mind up - Twin Reverb it is. £750/$800, with the average being £1000.

Ideally I could wait for a dual showman but they just don't show up here in the UK for those prices...

 

[BobbyMac]

Just for info, a Twin Reverb chassis will not fit in a BandMaster head cab; not wide enough to accommodate the extra "Middle" knobs in the normal and vibrato channels of the Twin Reverb chassis, not to mention the reverb knob in the Vibrato channel and the reverb tank in the BandMaster head cab.

I think you are making the right decision to get the Twin Reverb Reissue.

 

[schmee]

If the 79 works well, I would definitely opt for that. Not because it's a head (although for a Twin that may be a good thing) but because it's hand wired and readily fixable forever.

IF it's a real Twin and not a build someone put in a BM chassis.
OTOH as a player, a 3 year old anchor will likely last for quite a while trouble free.

 

[Milspec]

As mentioned, a Twin chassis will not fit the Bandmaster cabinet, so there is something wrong there. Likely just a seller that was told the wrong thing and nothing more, but it remains a red flag that you should consider when dealing with a vintage amp.

Do they sound different? Yes, they do. Every modern amp sounds a little muffled to my ears compared to vintage. It doesn't matter what brand, which speakers, etc., they just sound a little muted to me. Could be the cabinet, or the components age....what-ever it is, the older amps are just a little more full of life to my ears. You will not notice it as much with distortion, but playing clean, it seems to always be the case.

Is the vintage one better built? Well, it is point-to-point so if that is done correctly I would consider it the better build. Again, that can be a bit of a gamble on a vintage amp that has been modified. The new amp is likely still stock and removes a lot of that gamble.

Re-sale value? They are probably about the same at this point. Having the chassis put into a head eliminates a lot of collectors so the value isn't going to be great and the later SF Twins don't draw big money anyway. The newer Twin might have better re-sell....but not by a lot.

What to do? Well, I love my '79 Twin and also my '71 Twin, but I would not drag either one around town. For that reason, I have often considered converting a SF Twin into a head myself, but even the chassis weighs 50 lbs, so it will never be light either way. I believe your intention is to use this for recording purposes? Then the weight doesn't matter in the equation.

Final thoughts on the decision (yes, I talk myself to death on decisions)? I would go with the SF Twin head unit over the reissue combo. The reasons are because I think the tone is more lively and I really like using head units for recording. I can place the head next to me for easy adjustments and get some distance from the speaker cabinet.

 

[dukewellington]

So as a former (deaf and hobbled) silver Twin owner, actually my favorite amp, if you’re recording direct into a load box, what do you need all that power for?

 

[Milspec]

Dual Showman Reverb is a Twin head

Hey guys - I'm wondering if you could help me make a decision on an amp purchase.

It's between two versions of a Fender Twin Reverb listed in my local classifieds - one combo amp; a reissue that's around 3 years old, and a 1979 head version that's a little shabby but works (has been overhauled recently) and has the convenience of taking up much less space. I think it's an original 1979 combo converted to a head via a bandmaster chasis.

Any notable sonic differences between the two? Are the older models better quality?

Logic dictates that as I'm recording direct via load box > Torpedo that the head version would be ideal; it's going for the same price as the combo, but the latter may possibly retain resale value as it's in much better cosmetic quality.

A tough call for me.... I'm kind of wanting to justify the head as I can get it delivered and don't have to travel 3 hours to pick it up...

WAIT A MINUTE DON'T BUY YET!

You don't suppose that head unit is really a Showman chassis do you? The Showman chassis used the same chassis as the Bandmaster so they would both fit the same cabinet. Many people assume that all Showman head are the same as Twins, but only the Dual Showman is the same as the SF Twin.

I would bet that this head is actually a Showman amp in the Bandmaster cabinet....and that is a whole different discussion.

 

[BobbyMac]

WAIT A MINUTE DON'T BUY YET!

You don't suppose that head unit is really a Showman chassis do you? The Showman chassis used the same chassis as the Bandmaster so they would both fit the same cabinet. Many people assume that all Showman head are the same as Twins, but only the Dual Showman is the same as the SF Twin.

I would bet that this head is actually a Showman amp in the Bandmaster cabinet....and that is a whole different discussion.

The Fender BandMaster head cab is 8" X 24" X 9"

The Fender Showman head cab is 8" X 26" X 11-1/2"

Edited to add: The Fender Amp Field Guide is a great source for Fender amplifier information. It can be found at this link:

The Fender Amp Field Guide

 

[myfenderissues]

the ease of rap

Hey guys - I'm wondering if you could help me make a decision on an amp purchase.

It's between two versions of a Fender Twin Reverb listed in my local classifieds - one combo amp; a reissue that's around 3 years old, and a 1979 head version that's a little shabby but works (has been overhauled recently) and has the convenience of taking up much less space. I think it's an original 1979 combo converted to a head via a bandmaster chasis.

Any notable sonic differences between the two? Are the older models better quality?

Logic dictates that as I'm recording direct via load box > Torpedo that the head version would be ideal; it's going for the same price as the combo, but the latter may possibly retain resale value as it's in much better cosmetic quality.

A tough call for me.... I'm kind of wanting to justify the head as I can get it delivered and don't have to travel 3 hours to pick it up.

79 head is what i'd get. so long as it has been checked out by an experienced tech with the transformers in working condition. silverface amps are easily switched back to the pre cbs fender era circuit by changing a few resistors, which any tech (or yourself) can do in an hour. the conversions are on the internet. as for cosmetics, making it look good isn't unreasonably expensive. i do believe the original sized parts and hand wiring adds a lot to the tone, so yes tone is a consideration. and pc board amps are a lot more difficult and expensive to fix if there is a problem. they can require removing different board modules to get to what has to get fixed. you need to remove and flip the pc board over to solder in a new resistor or cap which is alot harder than how you service the old style boards where the components are right there. the reissues have 1/8 watt resistors in some preamp spots. not long-term reliable in my opinion.

 

[Andy ZZ]

The 79 will be running long after the RI is dead. Buy the 79, can the chopped head, buy a cab from Mojotone or some other cab builder.
Even if it needs some work, it is a sherman tank, and sounds like a dream with the right speakers.

 

[paulhealey]

It is fairly common for people to chop a Twin into a head. The amp you’re looking at very well could be a Twin. I would go for the head, personally. Twins are close to 100 lbs.

 

[Andy ZZ]

That is a fair point.

 

[telesaurusus]

The '79 "silver" Twin is a CBS era amp. Leo was cheap and CBS was even cheaper. What does overhauled mean? Does it have a grounded power cord? If parts were replaced, were quality replacement parts used? Does it have any IC electrolytics in it? Is it DC leaky? Was plate voltage and dissipation checked/corrected? How quiet is it at idle and while being played? Any 60 cycle hum? Is it close enough to spec to bias correctly?

 

[68goldtop]

Hi!

The '79 "silver" Twin is a CBS era amp. Leo was cheap and CBS was even cheaper…

Yeah, right
Leo (and CBS) were so cheap that most of their amps still work quite well after 60+ years.

cheers - 68.

 

[Milspec]

The Fender BandMaster head cab is 8" X 24" X 9"

The Fender Showman head cab is 8" X 26" X 11-1/2"

Edited to add: The Fender Amp Field Guide is a great source for Fender amplifier information. It can be found at this link:

The Fender Amp Field Guide

Maybe it is correct, maybe it is a little off. I know for a fact that the Showman and the Bandmaster used the exact same chassis. I have a '63 Bandmaster that was converted to quad power tubes by installing 2 more tube sockets to the punched holes already there. Maybe a little more height was needed for the different transformer, but either chassis will fit the Bandmaster cabinet while the Twin will not even come close to fitting.

So, until we see some pictures and confirm some numbers, I remain of the belief that this is not a Twin chassis at all being considered.