Just Got a Fender Twin Custom 15".....headroom?

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Not sure what's going on with this amp. With steel, it breaks up at around 5-6 with an unpleasant fuzz-type tone. This amp is brand new, straight from the factory. All I'm using is a Sho~Bud and a VP.

I have a sinking feeling that it just might not have the headroom I was looking for. It make sense, at its wattage. But so many here said it was warm and sounded great with steel. I'm hoping it might just be a technical issue.

Any suggestions or ideas?
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

You should have the power of a black face twin. That means that you will have some harmonic distortion at higher levels----like the classic: pick strings 4 & 5 at fret 15. Slowly step on A pedal. Do you hear a low pitched tone moving downward as the string 5 moves upward? Even my twin reverb model on the Pod nails that particular distortion.
But fuzzy distortion at 5/6? No way. That ain't right.
There have been a number of reports of quality control on that Custom 15. Unfortunately one of the forum sources of the reports is someone who's posts have so little credibility that they go right out my window.
But I'd have to figure you've got an amp problem. For fun, reseat all your tubes.

BTW--my response is a general Fender tube thing. I've never played a Custom 15.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Hey Jon,

I tried that 15th fret thing.....cool! It certainly does that dip.

At lower volumes, the amp sounds sweet. It's just when I start pumping the gas that the tone goes to pot. I've tried the amp without the VP, etc. Same thing. It's like there's a point at which the amp can't handle the steel signal and starts to protest. I just thought it shouldn't happen so early, and be so nasty. I ran both my strat and tele through it as well, and got the same break-up when picking hard past 5-6. I't not the tasty tube break-up, but more like bad fuzz.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Jerry Malvern · From: Menifee, California, USA

Chris, I've posted several times here on the forum about the "lack" of headroom on my custom twin 15. Like you said, at lower volume it sounds sweet and I have recorded with it and again, its sweet. I changed the 6L6's with winged 6L6's from the tube store with a hardness rating of 25. It played clean to the top, but lost all the sweetness and sounded very sterile. I have not had the bias checked. I've come to realize that it sounds good, just as it is.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Jerry, thanks for posting again on this topic; I have read your past posts, and this has led me to believe that the same thing may apply to mine. I need a ton of headroom in a live situation, and I think my expectations will be shattered using anything less than a Session 400 or Steel King - something solid state in the 200-watt range.

I'm not giving up on it, though. I will see what my local tech has to say, and will check out the speaker as well. I tried the speaker with my Session 400 tonight, and a similar sound emitted. So we'll see.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Hey Chris...
I usually set the vol on mine around 4 or 5 when we play live. I hadn't noticed any real distorsion, but like you said, it doesn't have the headroom of a Sess400 or Nash1000.
It's the usual trade-off...the Twin sounds warmer, but the Peaveys are louder. When I play live with the Twin, it's mic'd thru the PA, so I'm not depending on the amp alone for coverage. And you know how loud we are. I haven't had any trouble hearing myself with the Twin. We've got a couple shows coming up at the end of the month, and I'm thinking about using both...Twin thru the PA, and the Nash for more onstage volume.
In the studio, I'll take the Twin over the Nash1000 any time.
I hope you get yours dialed in.

Steve Feldman · From: Central MA USA

I would pop a 5751 into the V1 (or V2) position (depending on whether you use channel 1 or 2) in place of the 12ax7 that was specced in there. It's a cheap fix if it works - certainly worth a try, IMO.
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"...An admission of interest in protracted commentary is certainly no reason to capitalize on surmised aberations that do not exist." - BH

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Thanks, guys.....I'm going to try these suggestions. The amp sounds great at lower volumes, but I'm a headroom nut, due to our dummer (ah) drummer's heavy hand.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Twayn Williams · From: Portland, OR

Tilt that bad boy towards your ears, and not the back of your knees. It's the cheapest volume fix there is.
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Primitive Utility Steel

David Doggett · Posted 6 Aug 2008 9:52 am

If you want clean headroom in a tube amp, you want a late '70s sliver-face ultralinear 135 watt Twin, Vibrosonic, or Showman. They are as loud and clean as any 200 watt solid state amp. If you want a tube amp as loud and clean as the 300 watt NV1000, you want a 180 watt Super Twin. Accept no substitutes. Smile

John Groover McDuffie · From: LA California, USA

I happen to have an Ultralinear Twin I am wanting to part with...

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Hey guys,

Thanks again for the tips. I brought it back to the shop today and tried it with another speaker. It's the speaker. A caster was banging around in the back of it during shipping and must have damaged the speaker. Sounds great with another 15. So right now we're talking to Fender about how to handle it. I may negotiate a price cut and put a speaker of my choice in there.

Thanks again, everyone. Case solved!
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

KENNY KRUPNICK · From: Columbus, Ohio

If you're going to put in another speaker, install a Black Widow. Cool

Let us know how it sounds.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Kenny,

I purchased Justin Brown's Weber 15 in Amps and Accessories. It's modeled to be a JBL D130F replacement @ 60 watts. With the amp being only 85 watts, it should do fine. Apparently Weber are conservative with their wattage ratings. I will post when I receive and install it.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

KENNY KRUPNICK · From: Columbus, Ohio

Sounds good Chris. Very Happy

I was wondering about that Weber speaker as well.

Gibson Hartwell · From: Missoula, Montana, USA

Chris, glad to hear that you figured out your problem and I hope the Weber speaker works for you. If for some reason it doesn't, in case that 60 watt rating translates to earlier breakup than you want, you might want to try a stock speaker. I've been using a Custom for a few years now and really like the stock speaker--I believe it was made for Fender by Eminence. Please let us know how the new speaker sounds in that amp.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I received my Weber California 15" from Justin Brown on Friday. I installed it and gigged with it this evening. Great sound. It breaks up nicely at around 6.5-7. Nice and smooth, with no harsh high end. This speaker sounds custom-made for this amp. I think I'll grab a 12" for my Deluxe Reissue.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Oh ya, the weight of the amp is about 7 pounds less than it was with the Eminence. That stock speaker is heavy. I had one in my Session and it made the amp a brute to slog.
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Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Marc Jenkins · From: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

I much prefer the California over a BW, if Justin's had the paper dome I would have bought it, been wanting to try the alnico, have a ceramic mag one now that have used with a Twin for quite a while.
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Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

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