Twin Reverb Questions.

[Axis29]

I just have to say, I have a 30 year old tube Twin and a one year old "Tone Master" Twin.
These days I'm a lot happier dealing with the TM. Two reasons, weight, and power attenuater.

Yeah, if you don’t want to be tied to ‘analog’, look into the Tonemaster Twin.

One of the most beautiful tones I ever got was from a tube Twin Reverb, at around 1.5 on the volume knob) and a mid 60’s ES-125.

The volume taper on a Twin actually works…. Unlike Deluxe’s which have a gigantic jump at the start.

I have played a lot through an 80 watt tweed Twin Over the past few years. It is still my favorite amp of all time. Big iron, great low volume sound, as well as huge tone at higher volumes. So, don’t be afraid of a modern Twin Reverb.

 

[Wally]

I use 5s as my default for BF/SF amps. If you want to play these amps at low volumes below 5 while maintaining rich tones, push the tone controls above 5. If you want to push the volume beyond 5, then the treble and bass controls need to be reduced below 5 on the dial.

 

[stnmtthw]

View attachment 1040686

That's the settings for "icepick". Use your ears and dial in what sounds good to you.

Putting a Twin or Super Reverb at 6 on the volume is ridiculous for 90% of us anyway, unless we are playing an outside gig or something.

 

[Bourbon Burst]

I love twin reverbs, but I play a Deluxe Reverb Reissue because of the weight and volume. In the scenario you describe buying a twin reverb would be like buying a Farm Combine to mow your 1/4 acre lawn.

Yeah but your neighbors would think your a bad @ss with that combine....

 

[Bourbon Burst]

Take speaker out from amp in to amp in on the Fryette. From there you have many options to route to line out, speaker out and or using the effects loop. Its a reactive load attenuator. Its explained here well

Thanks for the video. I watched the whole thing.

 

[Lawdawg]

Another happy Twin Reverb owner, mine is an early-mid 70s silverface with the master volume. Like others have mentioned, I think Twins sound better at low volumes than their reputation would suggest. I do think Twins, like most tube amps, have an ideal sweet spot -- on my amp it's around 7-8 on the MV and 3-4 on the V -- but that's a really loud setting! Still, even backed off to a more modest volume it sounds good.

What you really can't do with a Twin at any reasonable volume is set it for edge of breakup tones; they just have way too much clean headroom. So long as you understand that limitation go for it. If it's just too much amp look into getting a Deluxe.

 

[Bob L]

I was getting ready to sell my Twin last summer. It was my main gigging amp for some time, but I hadn't used it in a while. I brought it up from the basement and fired it up to make sure everything was still working. It sounds so good even at low volume levels that I decided to hang on to it. They weigh a ton though!

 

[mikehihz]

I've played guitar for going on 40 years and have never owned a Twin, but they were pretty much the standard rehearsal studio amp in New York city in the 80s and 90s and I have a lot of experience with them. My first experience was carrying Kenny Burrell's Twin from his car to the stage at a gig at Pace university in the early 80s. I think my back still hasn't recovered. They are my favorite amp, but I would never buy one. I DID get a Tone Master Twin which is much less finicky, is indistinguishable in tone from a Twin, has a built-in attenuator, weighs nothing compared to a tube Twin, and finally it much more forgiving if you are going to actually use it to gig. I've heard a lot about it doesn't have the feel of a tube amp. I play jazz clean and it feels like a tube Twin. There is nothing in what I do to hide behind. Try one out and let your ears and playing decide.

 

[Jay Jernigan]

I had a Twin, too many years ago to talk about, and it was an amazing amp. I have been steadily downsizing since, have tried a few other brands, always come back to a Fender amp, regardless of size, and they have always sounded like Fenders to me. Current rig: one or two Pro Jr. amps, depending on the venue. I can use them as pedal platforms, turned down, but I have an upgraded speaker in one and I love to run it barefoot and crank it all the way up, if I can.

 

[teletail]

I DID get a Tone Master Twin which is much less finicky,

Where did you get the idea that a regular Twin is finicky? I've had a couple and they were bulletproof. I've played with a lot of guys over the years that had one and no one every had a problem with them. Too heavy? Absolutely. Finicky? Never heard anyone say that.

 

[Scoutbag]

Rather than spend $1000+ on an amp you have , " been told it feels warmer and more dynamic than transistors" You might want to play one first. I have a twin and it is great, but most of the modern digital stuff can be just as warm.

 

[Wally]

Where did you get the idea that a regular Twin is finicky? I've had a couple and they were bulletproof. I've played with a lot of guys over the years that had one and no one every had a problem with them. Too heavy? Absolutely. Finicky? Never heard anyone say that.

Agreed!!!

Finicky? Wait until that modeling circuitry goes….

 

[Eric Wall]

Well, I've a Deluxe Reverb Silverface from around the 70's or so and have found it to be great, even in a small practice room. That being said, I am thinking of selling it only because of it's weight and size. I think I can do fine with a smaller size amp, maybe a Henriksen.

 

[Tele 19355]

The reason some say the Twin Reverb is too loud and other say it's not too loud may be related to the fact that the Twin came with either 85W, 100W, or 135W outputs. It depended on the year. Sorry, but I don't have a list of what years produced which output levels. I had a '72 and it was 100W.

Just found this info at https://www.tdpri.com/threads/when-did-the-fender-twin-reverb-switch-wattage.96679.

63-67: 85 Watts
68-76: 100 Watts
77-82: 135 Watts

 

[Tom Grattan]

If you haven't played one... well you're only getting someone else's opinion. And remember, All Opinion is Subjective! As in all bedrooms, small clubs and concert halls the amp will sound different in different environments. You better play through a few before you make the jump. A great amp, as testified by the huge number of people using them. That said, I play through a 76 MusicMan 100RD bought new. Liked it better than the Twin but more subjectivity.

 

[RU Experienced]

I used a Headrush pedalboard with my Twin. Even in a small room, I would have the Twin on about 7 or 8 and keep the Headrush output very low on 2-3. Sounded fantastic to me. The physical weight and size of a Twin is a limiting factor for many. If so, a Twin head with separate cabinet is a reasonable work around.

 

[Tempotantrum]

I found a 74’ master volume (silver face twins can be found for great prices) and had it completely gone over by the best amp Dr. I could find. It is sweet at any volume- very full and completely flexible in how you want to use it. Very heavy- mine stays parked. You can do several things to get tone a lower volumes like speaker changes, pull one set of power tubes, put a less aggressive tube in position 1, etc. I love my silver face twin

 

[76standard]

1.165 / 5.000
Hi, I'm here to ask for your guidance please.

I'm making the transition from digital to analog and am very focused on buying a tube amp, mainly because I've been told it feels warmer and more dynamic than transistors.

I'm a big fan of a Japanese band called Ling tosite sigure and the guitarist is known for using a Fender Twin Reverb in conjunction with his pedalboard to achieve a crystal clear, defined, clear, crisp and distorted tone.

My problem is that I need an amp to rehearse in a relatively small venue and play medium venues. So I've read that the Fender Twin Reverb is incredibly loud even when set to 1-2 (I don't know about this, but I was thinking of leaving it at 3).

An important fact is that I'm not looking to saturate the tubes, I just want that dynamic and harmonically rich tone of the Twin reverb to accompany it with my telecaster and my pedalboard that has everything I need in terms of overdrives, distortions and modulations.
The truth is that I am very obsessed with the twin reverb but I am concerned about that issue and that there are other options.

I attach a video of the guitarist I mention:

Might I recommend a Deluxe Reverb based on your comments. You can get those wonderful clean tones at lower to moderate volumes, and a nice overdriven breakup when you push the amp at higher volumes. What you will also discover is how to use your guitars volume knob, assuming you are talking about a Telecaster guitar, to go between clean and breakup tones. You will become a more versatile player learning that skill. Of course you can still use all of your favorite pedals with that amp. It is a great pedal friendly amp. Weight wise, the Deluxe Reverb is several pounds lighter than the Twin Reverb. I’m sure others will give you several worthy choices regarding your questions and comments. Good luck with your search for “your tone”.

 

[gridlock]

A Twin sounds great clean at almost any volume.

 

[Andy ZZ]

Twin Reverbs sound superb at living room level and at paint-peeling levels. Best amp to put a pedaboard in front of, on the Planet!