Twin Reverb or Super Reverb?

[Zack Pomerleau]

Which one, guys? Regardless of money, and also, do you think the new reissues are even close to the originals. I also like the Supersonic and Bassman, but I like the reverb, and more speakers. Plus Harmonica sounds nice!

[R9.]

I don't know, but I tried the Supersonic (combo) and was really impressed with it...but I went with Marshall instead.

[toneguy86]

It really depends on the kind of sound you want. A twin is a big, powerful amp with lots of headroom so it stays clean at louder volumes. A Super is a 40 watt amp with 4 10s--basically a bassman with reverb. As mentioned, the Super is a great harp amp, but a lot of guitar players used it for years for great tone.

Vintage vs. re-issue? The vintage amps had one downfall--inconsistancy. I have never played two blackface supers that sounded the same and friends of mine that deal in vintage supers and twins say that one amp that was a great guitar amp, sounded aweful as a harp amp and some that were great harp amps sounded like doggy do with a guitar. A few were perfect no matter what. There may be a lot of factors. I' ve played 'em, but never got under the hood so to speak so who knows. The re-issues are close to the originals but probably a bit more consistent amp to amp. Oh...and the vintage gear always had unique little oddities, especially as they got older--pops, hisses, hums, etc. They were fun and sounded great. Always made me a bit nervous though when gigging. One never knew when something would go a bit haywire and I am no tech.

What are you using the amp for?

Mark

[Zack Pomerleau]

Hey Mark, Harp and Guitar. Mainly Guitar. So it also helps to know which one will distort somewhat quicker? I mean 40 Watts is LOUD Tube power, isn't it like 40 Watts clean, but can peak to like 80 Watts?

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by Zack Pomerleau

Hey Mark, Harp and Guitar. Mainly Guitar. So it also helps to know which one will distort somewhat quicker? I mean 40 Watts is LOUD Tube power, isn't it like 40 Watts clean, but can peak to like 80 Watts?

You want the Super without a doubt. It's one mean harp amp and works great as a versatile guitar amp as well. I'm pretty sure that's what Derek Trucks uses with no pedals. The tone ain't bad.

I got rid of my blackface Fenders and old Music man amps, but still have a Vibrolux that I use mainly for harp (it's not a great guitar amp for what I do). A Vibro is basically a super (with regards to wattage) without a midrange control and only two 10s. It can carry any room as a harp amp. My old Blackface Pro (the pro was a 40 watts, no midrange and 2 12s) was the same with guitar. There were few rooms where I didn't have to use a tube screamer to get a bit earlier breakup to save the eardrums of the clientel. Those old blackface amps were a loud 40 watts!

You may actually want to look into a deluxe though. Lower wattage so you get earlier breakup at lower volumes. I don't think they have a midrange control and I think they are just 2 10s.

Mark

[Zack Pomerleau]

Vibro looks nice, but I played Harmonica through Mr. Paul Butterfield's amp, and it rocked (he added new speakers, like 50 pounds each) and then Guitar through it, luscious. Might just go for it! But will do some research. I mean Bloomfield played through one, also a Super.

[mrkenny]

I'm a Bassman guy. Not very heavy, pushes some air and breaks up at a nice volume. At 40w will hold it's own in just about any situation. Mine has 50's speakers, 50's tubes, PIO Astron's and pine box. Power/output transformers and choke are Mercury Magnetics Clone series. I don't really miss reverb. I play Blues and it serves my needs. I had a Super Reverb for a while but they are tall and a bit heavy. I didn't like lugging a Super up steps. You actually have to lift them up to clear the step. I believe a Twin is even heavier.

[jomo]

I went to buy a Fender Twin, I've always wanted one. I played the Fender Hot Rod DeVille 60 watt amp and was hooked. It is loud enough for anything I could possibly need it for and a little more versatile than the Twin, but still has that yummy Fender tube sound. It also costs a little less.

[Blues Power]

both are awesome. i dont like the twins for the wattages. too much for me.

if it were me id go Super and crank the 40 to hell and back

[dwagar]

Twins are monster amps. Extremely powerful. I played one for years back in the late 60s.

Back then I didn't know you can pull 2 6L6s to knock back the power, and I'd never even heard of an attenuator.

I preferred the tone of the Twin over the Super, though, perhaps it was simply the tone of the 12s over the 10s?

[Stowburst]

I played a Twin reverb for a while with 2 tubes pulled out so I could drive it, but then I put the the tubes back in and played it louder, then I sold it because it weighed a TON.. now I wish I had it back!?! Nevermind, both amps are worth owning, the super will break early and give you a raw tone at lower levels

twins just look great on stage.. I was playing LOUD at this gig

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by Zack Pomerleau

Vibro looks nice, but I played Harmonica through Mr. Paul Butterfield's amp, and it rocked (he added new speakers, like 50 pounds each) and then Guitar through it, luscious. Might just go for it! But will do some research. I mean Bloomfield played through one, also a Super.

I always thought Bloomfield used a twin. How in the hell did you get to play through Paul the man's amp?

Mark

[Zack Pomerleau]

It was a Super I think, it was big and tall. Check the video of me playing with Sam Lay (Butterfield's First Drummer) YouTube - Everything's Gonna Be Alright -PBFS Gathering 2007


I met Paul's son online, and his wife (Gabriel Butterfield is Paul's son, Salli is Gabriel's Wife). They invited me down for a little get together and they had that Amp. Rod Hicks was there, too, and Bob Corritore. If you ever want to send them a shout out send me a PM. At the end you can clearly see the amp, it is big.

[saltydog3317]

I once saw a picture of Michael Bloomfield in a guitar magazine or some book, sitting on a black face Fender Super Reverb playing a Gibson Les Paul. I am sure he probably played Twins also but if the picture I saw indicates anything, he played both.

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by Zack Pomerleau

It was a Super I think, it was big and tall. Check the video of me playing with Sam Lay (Butterfield's First Drummer) YouTube - Everything's Gonna Be Alright -PBFS Gathering 2007


I met Paul's son online, and his wife (Gabriel Butterfield is Paul's son, Salli is Gabriel's Wife). They invited me down for a little get together and they had that Amp. Rod Hicks was there, too, and Bob Corritore. If you ever want to send them a shout out send me a PM. At the end you can clearly see the amp, it is big.

Zach man you got it goin on! Nice work. Was that Paul's old mic too? Videos I've seen have him playing something that looked similar. I bet that was cool playing Sam Lay. I saw him and his band a couple of years ago. He's one of the great blues drummers of all time.

Mark

[drewbertca]

My answer to the question is simply "YES PLEASE!!"

[Zack Pomerleau]

Tone guy, I am so much better now. But, it is a Mic I found in a local shop in Mississippi, hundred bucks with Mic Stand, needs a new cable, as the one in it sucks. But it was sooo much fun, and it sort of makes me want that Amp again!

[Zack Pomerleau]

Well, the decision arises. I was offered at Guitar Center a Super Reverb for the same! Price as a Twin. So now I gotta decide. How loud can that Super go without distorting? I LOVE the Cleans of a Twin, but the Super is a great Harp Amp.

[gravy]

I had a 70's Twin a few years ago and hated it.It only sounded good when it was really cranked.Anything less was just ,kind of blah sounding.And no club will let you you really drive a Twin like that anyway.I was ALWAYS getting hassled about the volume. Well anyway, long story sort....I just got a Super Reverb '65 Reissue. It sounds so nice and warm at any level.I haven't found a bad setting yet.I couldn't be happier!

Whatever you end up with ,good luck!

[ES350]

generally, a good guitar amp won't work all that well for harp (most guitarists want more gain and harp mics don't like that), but if I had to pick one or the other, I'd go for the Super Reverb. The prices are coming down for SF models---look for a '68-'70 SF and put some P10R's in it. That will do harp pretty well...forget the reissues/DeSwill stuff; buy a decent vintage amp and keep it maintained. It will outlive you most likely.

[Zack Pomerleau]

I am looking, and Paul's amp was not changed for Harp, except for one tube change. It got loud and greasy, and trebly and biting like him. Super sounds best, as I can't crank it half the time.

[Splattle101]

I play an old Super Reverb. It was a 73 (silverface, no master volume), but it was blackfaced when I bought it in the early 90s. I've recently refurbished it with Jensens and a complete replacement of all tubes and caps. I use it with a 3 piece rock / blues band (led Zep, Joe Walsh, ZZTop).

It has plenty of volume for most situations. With a LP the break up starts pretty early around the edges of hard strummed chords. I start to hear it at about 3 on the volume. However, you should know two things about that. My particular amp is unusual in breaking up that low; and, I'm using fairly low-rated 6L6 GCs from JJ. If you wanted more clean head room you could use a higher-rated tube, like the Tube Amp Doctor 6L6 GC STRs, and they'd stay cleaner to higher volumes. I think you could also change the pre-amp 12AX7 tubes ( x 100 amp ratio) for lower gain 12AT7s (~ x 30 amplification factor). This might keep it clean further up the volume scale, but I think this sort of change would require the attention of your amp techie.

I really don't think you're likely to have a problem with not having enough clean head room.

On the other hand, the Super really loves a good overdrive or distortion. It just saturates beautifully as you push it at the front end. I have used my ancient RAT II, an Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808, a Boss OD-1 and an MI Audio Crunch Box through it, and it loves them all. The only common pedal that I've used that hasn't sounded good through this amp was the old Marshal Guvnor. It sounded a bit fake to me, which was odd because it was good through my old 100 W JMP and 4 x 12.

At the moment, the Super is the amp I go to and all the others sound flat in comparison. It sings. I figure that if I am ever in a position where I need more volume than the Super can give, it should be miked-up anyway.

Splat

[Zack Pomerleau]

Well I'll probably go for the Super as this will also be a Jam amp and if I need to turn my amp up so loud, it won't work, so the Super will do.!

[Zack Pomerleau]

Hey Tone Guy, I have a question, would you say the Super Reverb is pretty much the Twin but two more speakers and lower wattage, for ease of Break up? I mean 45 watts of Tube Power is like LOUD, 85 is not for me, I couldn't get it loud enough to get saturation without pedals and I am not much for that. Yeah, many guys have told me the Super is the same, ALMOST.

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by Zack Pomerleau

Hey Tone Guy, I have a question, would you say the Super Reverb is pretty much the Twin but two more speakers and lower wattage, for ease of Break up? I mean 45 watts of Tube Power is like LOUD, 85 is not for me, I couldn't get it loud enough to get saturation without pedals and I am not much for that. Yeah, many guys have told me the Super is the same, ALMOST.

I say is "the same" in the sense that, unlike a pro or a deluxe you have a mid range control (which the twin has too). The super has 4 10s and roughly half the wattage of Twin. I agree though, it is a freakin loud 40 odd watts! To be honest, I never played a club where I didn't need a pedal to get my tone--it's just an unfortunate fact. Now with harp though, I can get my tone on amps of that size and most of the tone comes from the hands and it is easier to get breakup at lower volumes (I have never played a harp gig where I needed the volume on my amp above 2.5-3). Others have talked about some tube swap out tricks etc. for guitar that may help. There is not doubt that you will have double the issue with a twin though.

Good luck!
Mark

Mark

[Zack Pomerleau]

Yeah the Twin sounds like something bad waiting to happen.

[Zack Pomerleau]

Also, I got a BBE Clean Boost, that could help a little with gain.

[overdriver]

Super is what a person wants to have not a twin.

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by overdriver

Super is what a person wants to have not a twin.

See

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by toneguy86

See