Twin Reverb Settings

Paul Boden · From: Santa Rosa California

I think this in the right place
For those who play though a Twin Reverb, I'm curious to know your settings
I have a 1970 Twin all original that i bought new,and i really like the clear tone except i cannot get enough bass for my ears,maybe it's the 12' speakers
thanks to everyone that responds

Robert Brewer · From: Nebraska, USA

I was fooled by this for 40 years the low string on your e9 has 125HZ and what happens is 2 things i if you are too close to the amp you can not hear the true sound because that wave length is 11 ft long. second if you turn up the lows in some amps it brings up the 60HZ and 250 HZ that are harmonics and it covers the 125hz try preamp like peavey pro fex with eq to boos the 125.

Jerry Van Hoose · From: Wears Valley, Tennessee

This will probably be moved to "Electronics". Well, one of my Fender Twin Reverbs is an original, 68 "dripedge" w/2-12's, so I'll have a go at it. Volume-depends on venue, whether studio, stage, bedroom, etc. Treble-4, Middle-5, Bass-5, Reverb-3 or 4. Those settings work for me. It surely will sound different (better) out front, a few feet away. I'll also add, my bass is tight, not boomy. Surprising, especially since it has the original Oxfords.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

My standard Twin settings are

brite: off
treble: 3
mids; 9
bass: 3

that is basicly flat.

Try starting there and see if it works for you.
_________________
Bob

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

I have the same problem with my '81 Music Man 21HD-150,which I'm fond of saying is what the Twin Reverb would have become if Leo hadn't sold the company.Came used with (obviously swapped out) Celestion G12M-70s.No bass whatever.Next was a pair of '68-ish Oxford 12s.Better,but not much.Then a pair of new Eminence Legend 1218s,which are marginally acceptable.What caught my attention was when I put the Celestions in a clone Bassman cab made 1 inch too tall,but which I kept anyway.Bottom end forever!

Makes me think the TR/MM size open-back cab with 2 12's tends to eat bass frequencies.Would a taller bottom back panel make it behave more like a closed-back cab?

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Mine is a RI. The previous owner had Ch1 modded to be more steel friendly, and it has a Jensen Mod 15.
Ch1 also has reverb qnd vibrato.
I set it bass 9 or 10, mid around 7, highs about the same. Bright off. I've had 4 Peaveys and an Evans FET500.
The Twin is the best I've ever sounded.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

Although I don't own/or play through a twin, I suffered a similar experience with my hot rod deluxe. After consulting w/ my teacher, he recommend I crank my volume up all the way, and control my levels with the vp. My bass @9, mid@ 3 treble@1 ,press@0. Sounds killer w/my MARLEN D10 now! Evil Twisted

[/list]
_________________
â€œTONESNOBâ€

Paul Boden · From: Santa Rosa California

Thanks to all for the response

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

To get bass from a Twin, you have to cut back the mids considerably! My Twin settings usually start with the treble at 3 to 4, mids at 0, and the bass at 8-10. (These settings will give you serious "fat" sounds.) If these numbers prove too "boomy", raise the mids to 3 or 4, and back the bass down to 6 or 8.

Run the volume high for best effect. IMHO, Twins always sound best with the volume at max, or nearly so. Learn to control your max volume with your foot pedal, and not with the volume knob, and you'll have sustain and a full sound. Cool

Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

Although I don't own/or play through a twin, I suffered a similar experience with my hot rod deluxe. After consulting w/ my teacher, he recommend I crank my volume up all the way, and control my levels with the vp. My bass @9, mid@ 3 treble@1 ,press@0. Sounds killer w/my MARLEN D10 now! Evil Twisted

[/list]
_________________
â€œTONESNOBâ€

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

Speakers can make a huge difference.
If the amp sounds great with a Tele, for example, it's probably way too treble-ee for Steel.
A set of EVM12L's in there would totally change your bass response from thin to full.

Brett Lanier · From: Madison, TN

Craig A Davidson · From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

On a tube amp things don't work right unless the volume is up. You need to get the tubes pushing.s

Jerry Tillman · From: Florida

I have a 1965 twinn and it has a warm bass sound with all the mids and treble you want.I have some later twins and they don,t have the warm bass of the 65.They are mods sold to turn later model twins into 65 circuts.One of the amp gurus might jump in and help out.I think some of the smaller fender amps had the blackface circut on silverface amps.I can set my twin almost anyway I want and still get a great sound from my 63 tele and my 66 emmons pushpull.

Jerry Van Hoose · From: Wears Valley, Tennessee

I would like to add, that where my Peavey amps have been consistent with their settings, depending on model, my Fender amps have not. As an example, my early 68 dripedge Fender Twin Reverb w/original blackplate RCA's can easily be dialed in for a great sound no matter the venue, location or volume, however it takes a little tweaking to get nearly the same sound with my 70's ultra-linear Twin Reverb (JJ tubes) or 74 Vibrosonic,(also JJ tubes), but it's there! Very Happy

Possibly a contributing factor could be the great low end along with the clear, bell tone-like highs of my Show Pro w/Jerry Wallace's single coil TrueTone wound to 18,000 ohms. So many factors to consider.

David Cubbedge · From: Toledo,Ohio, USA

On my '72 Twin, I plug into the effects channel (although I use my Pod XT for reverb). I turn the Master Volume all the way up to 10 (like Craig above says), and then adjust channel volume accordingly. Usually in my home, this is set at about 1.5. Treble - 4, mid - 5, bass - 5. My speakers are Jensens.

My steel is an Emmons '77 Fatback with original Bill Lawrence 705s. The sound I get is absolutely tremendous, crystal clear and full of Fender tone nuances. I don't use any other amp since this Twin has been rebuilt, although I own a Nashville 400. The real bummer is my main band doesn't use amps at all......so they never get to hear how good this sounds!

It was explained to me by my amp technician that the Twin Reverb was actually made by Fender for steel players. Loud and clean. I always thought otherwise....but it makes sense.
_________________
Red Emmons D10 fatback #2246D with sweet Hugh Briley split cases, Black Emmons S10 #1466S, '73 Fender "Snakeskin" Twin Reverb, Peavey Nashville 400, Line 6 Pod XT, Fender 400, Fender Stringmaster Double-8, too many guitars, one bass!

Scott Hay · From: Portland, OR / Yucca Valley, CA USA

I played a twin for several years. I took a tip from Ralph Mooney's interview in Steel Guitarist Magazine. They referred to hoe he set his amp as the "no tone" setting I believe. Basically crank your volume, then slowly bring up the tone controls as minimally as possible to reduce gain. Bob Hoffner's settings are really close to what I used with a Sho-bud with a 17k pickup.

Bright off
Treble, 3 ish.
Mid 3-4
Bass 3-4
Channel Volume 3 or 4
Master 8 or 9 (don't know if yours is master)

The difference between 3 and 4 on bass or treble should be pretty drastic when the volume is cranked. You'll notice the amp gets louder. When you add level to the EQ, it adds gain it sounds like to me, so that's sort of the trick. The "no tone" setting keeps the gain low. Maybe someone more electronic savvy can elaborate.

For what it's worth, I find heavily wound pickups don't sound so great with tube amps IMHO. And like Pete B said, don't underestimate the speakers effect.

Let us know what you conclude.

Bill Moran · From: Virginia, USA

I have a 72 or 73 that has not been turned on for 5 or more years. I just got it out and played it a bit. No Black Box, no Izzy and no Hilton. Just guitar, Goodrich and amp. Sounds wonderful.
I have been selling off all my stuff but this might have to wait. LOL Very Happy

_________________
Bill

David Cubbedge · From: Toledo,Ohio, USA

...did anyone notice Paul Franklin playing through a Twin on Jay Leno the other night?.....
_________________
Red Emmons D10 fatback #2246D with sweet Hugh Briley split cases, Black Emmons S10 #1466S, '73 Fender "Snakeskin" Twin Reverb, Peavey Nashville 400, Line 6 Pod XT, Fender 400, Fender Stringmaster Double-8, too many guitars, one bass!

Forum Index > Electronics		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic