Ask Amp Man: The Early-’70s Silverface Fender Twin Reverb: Dud or Dynamo?

Why don’t master-volume Twin Reverbs get any respect?
Hello Jeff,
I just got a '70s silverface Fender Twin Reverb that needs a little TLC. Surfing the various forums, I've learned that this master-volume edition of the Twin is one of the most (unfairly, to me) maligned designs. The only indication of power is the "300 watts" label on the back.
I've wanted a silverface Twin or Pro Reverb since I was a teen. To me they are loud, clean, blank slates to color with different guitars and pedals. I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have on this amp.
Thanks, John Gilbert
Matt Alcott
Hi John,
The Twin Reverb design has been through many iterations since its 1963 debut. The amps Fender produced between 1963 and 1967 are known as "blackfaces" because of their black control panels, and their designs remained largely unchanged during this period. Blackface Twin Reverbs are the most coveted versions of this amp. With their stated power of 85 watts, they are the most powerful Fender amps of the era.
In 1968 Fender changed to the "silverface" control panel. The circuitry was altered as well: There were changes to the bias and phase inverter circuits and, most important, the output stage. For whatever reason, the engineers at Fender added seven additional components to the output stage, effectively turning it into a semi-cathode-biased output. While these amps were supposedly rated at 100 watts, they are nowhere near as potent as their predecessors. Some players actually prefer these models, however, because they tend to compress more easily than any other Twin. According to the dates on Fender schematics, these "improvements" only lasted for a year. You can easily identify these 1968 amps by the silver-metal band around the perimeter of the grille cloth.
The 1969 schematic revision shows a return to the standard fixed-bias, 100-watt output-stage configuration, though the bias and phase inverter changes remained. An additional change occurred in 1970 with the addition of a capacitor to eliminate "ticking" in the tremolo circuit. The next change was the addition of a master volume control in 1972. This brings us to the era of your amp.
Now, having a master volume control on a Fender Twin Reverb, or most any other Fender amp of this era, seems like a useless addition. Master volumes are generally associated with and necessary in amps that use considerable front-end gain to overdrive the preamp section. The signal level can then be reduced prior to the output stage to control overall amp volume. There is not a huge amount of gain in the preamp stages of a Twin Reverb, at least not enough to achieve significant overdrive. So why incorporate a master volume?
Most post-black-planel "improvements" can be returned to pre-'68 specs, yielding a pretty toneful amp.
One explanation might be to allow the amp's preamp section to be overdriven by an external gain-boosting device, such as the Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 or the Dallas Rangemaster, both popular in the late '60s and early '70s. Turning up the channel volume allowed increased overdrive in the preamp section, with the overall volume of the amp controlled by the newly added master volume. Okay, now it makes a little more sense. But the engineers at Fender took it a step further, adding the ability to access more gain internally. This boost is activated via a master volume control with a push/pull switch.
So where did this extra gain come from? From the most unlikely of places: the reverb drive signal! The reverb drive circuit in most tube-driven reverb amps is actually similar to a small, low-power, single-end output stage. The tube is fed a signal (from channel 2, or the "vibrato" channel, in the case of Fender reverb amps). The tube's output connects to a transformer, exactly as in a single-ended amp like a Champ. But instead of being connected to a speaker, the output of the transformer in the reverb drive circuit is fed to a transducer in the reverb pan. It's similar to a speaker, except instead of driving a cone, it drives a spring. As you can imagine, a signal derived from this circuit could have substantial level, which could easily overdrive a preamp tube—and since the overdrive comes from a little tube power amp, it should sound pretty good.
Yeah … in theory.
In reality, the result was far from stellar, and I'm not sure I know anyone who actually uses this feature. I've never ascertained if this is because the reverb drive signal simply doesn't sound as good as you'd expect, or because of where this signal is applied in the amp. Either way, this under-whelming overdrive tone—together with the master volume and other post-1967 circuit changes—is why your amp is, in your words, maligned. But don't lose sleep over this, as most post-blackface "improvements" can be returned to pre-'68 specs, yielding a pretty toneful amp. Hmmm—food for thought for my next column.
I hope that sheds a little light on your amp, but remember: It's only a bad amp if you don't like it!
[Updated 11/8/21]
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Lutefish, the real-time music collaboration device and platform, is excited to announce a suite of new features designed to simplify setup, streamline collaboration, and offer more flexible subscription options for Lutefish Stream users. These latest updates, Audio Presets, Automatic Session Recall, Improved Scheduling with Contact Visibility, and a new Yearly Subscription Plan, are all about making it easier than ever for musicians to jam together, no matter where they’re based.
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The veteran Florida-born metalcore outfit proves that you don’t need humbuckers to pull off high gain.
Last August, metalcore giants Poison the Well gave the world a gift: They announced they were working on their first studio album in 15 years. They unleashed the first taste, single “Trembling Level,” back in January, and set off on a spring North American tour during which they played their debut record, The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation, in full every night.
PG’s Perry Bean caught up with guitarists Ryan Primack and Vadim Taver, and bassist Noah Harmon, ahead of the band’s show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl for this new Rig Rundown.
Brought to you by D’Addario.Not-So-Quiet As a Mouse
Primack started his playing career on Telecasters, then switched to Les Pauls, but when his prized LPs were stolen, he jumped back to Teles, and now owns nine of them.
His No. 1 is this white one (left). Seymour Duncan made him a JB Model pickup in a single-coil size for the bridge position, while the neck is a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Staggered. He ripped out all the electronics, added a Gibson-style toggle switch, flipped the control plate orientation thanks to an obsession with Danny Gatton, and included just one steel knob to control tone. Primack also installed string trees with foam to control extra noise.
This one has Ernie Ball Papa Het’s Hardwired strings, .011–.050.
Here, Kitty, Kitty
Primack runs both a PRS Archon and a Bad Cat Lynx at the same time, covering both 6L6 and EL34 territories. The Lynx goes into a Friedman 4x12 cab that’s been rebadged in honor of its nickname, “Donkey,” while the Archon, which is like a “refined 5150,” runs through an Orange 4x12.
Ryan Primack’s Pedalboard
Primack’s board sports a Saturnworks True Bypass Multi Looper, plus two Saturnworks boost pedals. The rest includes a Boss TU-3w, DOD Bifet Boost 410, Caroline Electronics Hawaiian Pizza, Fortin ZUUL +, MXR Phase 100, JHS Series 3 Tremolo, Boss DM-2w, DOD Rubberneck, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Walrus Slo, and SolidGoldFX Surf Rider III.
Taver’s Teles
Vadim Taver’s go-to is this cherryburst Fender Telecaster, which he scored in the early 2000s and has been upgraded to Seymour Duncan pickups on Primack’s recommendation. His white Balaguer T-style has been treated to the same upgrade. The Balaguer is tuned to drop C, and the Fender stays in D standard. Both have D’Addario strings, with a slightly heavier gauge on the Balaguer.
Dual-Channel Chugger
Taver loves his 2-channel Orange Rockerverb 100s, one of which lives in a case made right in Nashville.
Vadim Taver’s Pedalboard
Taver’s board includes an MXR Joshua, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Empress Tremolo, Walrus ARP-87, Old Blood Noise Endeavors Reflector, MXR Phase 90, Boss CE-2w, and Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-200, all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Big Duff
Harmon’s favorite these days is this Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass, which he’s outfitted with a Leo Quan Badass bridge. His backup is a Mexico-made Fender Classic Series ’70s Jazz Bass. This one also sports Primack-picked pickups.
Rental Rockers
Harmon rented this Orange AD200B MK III head, which runs through a 1x15 cab on top and a 4x10 on the bottom.
Noah Harmon’s Pedalboard
Harmon’s board carries a Boss TU-2, Boss ODB-3, MXR Dyna Comp, Darkglass Electronics Vintage Ultra, and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus. His signal from the Vintage Ultra runs right to the front-of-house, and Harmon estimates that that signal accounts for about half of what people hear on any given night.
Kiesel Guitars has introduced their newest solid body electric guitar: the Kyber.
With its modern performance specs and competitive pricing, the Kyber is Kiesel's most forward-thinking design yet, engineered for comfort, quick playing, and precision with every note.
Introducing the Kiesel Kyber Guitar
- Engineered with a lightweight body to reduce fatigue during long performances without sacrificing tone. Six-string Kybers, configured with the standard woods and a fixed bridge, weigh in at 6 pounds or under on average
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- Hidden strap buttons mounted on rear for excellent balance while giving a clean, ultra-modern look to the front
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- Available in 6 or 7 strings, fixed or tremolo in both standard and multiscale configurations Choose between fixed bridges, tremolos, or multiscale configurations for your perfect setup.
Pricing for the Kyber starts at $1599 and will vary depending on options and features. Learn more about Kiesel’s new Kyber model at kieselguitars.com
The Sunset is a fully analog, zero latency bass amplifier simulator. It features a ¼” input, XLR and ¼” outputs, gain and volume controls and extensive equalization. It’s intended to replace your bass amp both live and in the studio.
If you need a full sounding amp simulator with a lot of EQ, the Sunset is for you. It features a five band equalizer with Treble, Bass, Parametric Midrange (with frequency and level controls), Resonance (for ultra lows), and Presence (for ultra highs). All are carefully tuned for bass guitar. But don’t let that hold you back if you’re a keyboard player. Pianos and synthesizers sound great with the Sunset!
The Sunset includes Gain and master Volume controls which allow you to add compression and classic tube amp growl. It has both ¼” phone and balanced XLR outputs - which lets you use it as a high quality active direct box. Finally, the Sunset features zero latency all analog circuitry – important for the instrument most responsible for the band’s groove.
Introducing the Sunset Bass Amp Simulator
- Zero Latency bass amp simulator.
- Go direct into the PA or DAW.
- Five Band EQ:
- Treble and Bass controls.
- Parametric midrange with level and frequency controls.
- Presence control for extreme highs.
- Resonance control for extreme lows.
- Gain control to add compression and harmonics.
- Master Volume.
- XLR and 1/4" outputs.
- Full bypass.
- 9VDC, 200mA.
Artwork by Aaron Cheney
MAP price: $210 USD ($299 CAD).