Fender twin questions

Clinton Zimmerman · From: Memphis,Mo

I recently bought a used twin that needs to be restored which tubes would be the best one to put in, it is a silver face. Can it be restored to a black face,and would there be any benefit in doing so. Thanks

Michael Brebes · From: Northridge CA

Whether it can be modified to Blackface specs really depends on which version of Silverface you have. All of them can be modded to have the adjustable bias instead of bias-matching.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso

Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100

James Holland · From: Alabama, USA

Same here - mine is working well except the hum at stage levels seems high? Maybe im spoiled on ss amps with built in noise gates? From what ive read, its likely the power tubes which i plan to check shortly and could use recommendations for replacements. The one thing not working well is the xlr line out - its buzzing louder than the signal!

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Look in the back by the speaker jacks. If it says "135 watts" then it is not really blackfaceable. Otherwise it is.
Whether or not you should do it depends on whether you want the absolute maximum clean volume you can get out of it (silverface feature) or if you want a little warmth of slight break up when pushed hard (blackface feature).

Ken Pippus · From: Langford, BC, Canada

Playing steel, most people would prefer that the amp not be "blackface." Guitar, most would prefer the mod.

Clinton Zimmerman · From: Memphis,Mo

OK thanks ,it will probably stay a silver face is there any special set of tubes that are better than another?

Dave Campbell · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

i just got one, too.

look up the year of the amp, as this will tell you what can be done. you can have some of the blackface mods done and not others, and depending on the year some don't need doing.

mine is a 1972. it didn't need the power tube suppression caps removed, nor did it need to have the huge bias resistors removed.

i am having the bias circuit changed from the silverface balance circuit, to the blackface style bias adjust circuit.

there is a modification to the phase inverter section, but for steel you may want to keep it silverface for a bit more headroom. i am going with the latter on mine.

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

Opinions about the "best" brand of tubes are as plentiful as those about the "best" of anything. There are a lot of them.

That being said, NOS, or new-old-stock, American tubes are probably at the top but their cost is super high, if not ridiculously so.

I have had consistent good luck with Electro- Harmonix tubes. Whatever brand you decide, expect to pay upwards for 6L6's. Try to get matched sets.

Rick Johnson · From: Wheelwright, Ky USA

If the amp has a master volume you might
consider having it removed and rewired back
to the blackface specs.

Rick

www.rickjohnsoncabinets.com

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

Of all the BF mods, I'd check (or have someone else check) for the 2000pF snubber caps on the output. Those guys are tone suckers. I did all the BF mods on an older Twin, one at a time to see what made the most audible difference, and removing those caps was easily the most dramatic improvement, like removing a blanket covering the amp. I've heard stories about oscillation hazards with those gone due to poor wire dress (controlling potential HF oscillation was the purpose to begin with, a CBS 'improvement'), but I've never had any issues. Another reason you might want to have a tech do the mod if you're not sure.

_________________
Lost Pines Studio
"I'm nuts about bolts"

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

To answer your other question, the JJ/Tesla tubes have been working really good for me and the few amps I service.
_________________
Emmons/Sho~Bud/Blanton, Fender/Peavey.
Telonics pedal

Lefty · From: Grayson, Ga.

I bought a 1969 or 1970 Twin. Jeff Bakos went through and black-faced the amp and changed the power tubes to Svetlana's. I added a pair of JBL D-120 speakers that were re-coned by Woody Woodell.
It is the best sounding twin that I have owned, or played through, period.
I have a dead mint 1968 with pristine JBL D120F orange speakers also. It sounds good, but not as good as the 1970 in my opinion.

As far as the amps with a master volume: My tech said why not just leave the MV. I don't know of any improvement removing it makes and guess it would be such a subtle change why bother. Others may disagree.
Lefty

Dave Meis · From: Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA

I have a 135 SF, and I've run TAD's and Svetlana's in it, and both sound great..different, but great. I had a hum I chased around for a while, then discovered it was one of my cables. Smile

I hear good things about JJ, but had a failure with a new one..got to happen once in a while, but I don't buy 'em..lots to choose from.

Michael Brebes · From: Northridge CA

If it has a Master Volume, I recommend removing the capacitor across the high side and wiper. It acts like having a bright switch on - all the way up is no effect and more highs the lower you go with the pot. Removing it will give you consistent tone throughout the whole range of the pot.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso

Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100

James Holland · From: Alabama, USA

I just started reading up on tubes for amps - let me warn you: there's lots of dissenting opinions that will make it impossible to make a choice on advice alone. The more I read, the more divergent the opinions become, from "modern tubes can't perform/sound like US-made 60's and 70's tubes since materials, techniques, and cost have been lost" to "it doesn't matter, as long as the tube isn't defective".

So, the only way for us to know, is to purchase some vintage RCA or GE tubes and try them next to some modern Sovtek tubes and modern Chinese tubes. Anybody wanna donate $$ for a tube product evaluation project? Very Happy

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

I bet in a blindfold test, no one could tell the difference between silverface or blackface. I think it is mostly psychological. Same with different brands of tubes.
_________________
A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Off subject, but still in the ball field. When I was attending Jeff Newman's school in the early 80's, I had a Twin with JBL's. I asked him for his opinion on the Twins and he said they were good if you don't go past the 15th fret. He said they would just not reproduce the high notes in "Hughey Land." Does any body think that Jeff had a good point, or not.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I think Jeff must have gotten a dud. Mine are great.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

The Twin was built as a guitar amp, not a steel amp. At that time, there were no amps built exclusively for steel, so everybody tried what was out there and somebody discovered that a Twin was a good amp for steel. When I was talking to Jeff, Peavey, and maybe others, were making amps built for steel. He said I should get a steel amp and forget about a Twin.

Jeff may have had one with the stock Fender speakers or something other than JBL's. The speakers may have been the "dud".

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

There had to be something wrong with his. Like Lane and most others, I think a Twin is a great steel amp.
_________________
Emmons/Sho~Bud/Blanton, Fender/Peavey.
Telonics pedal

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The tubes are capable of frequencies well beyond the steel, so the limiting factor is the speaker. The BW starts crapping out at 2.5KHz, and most of the 12s higher than that. I find the Fenders sweeter sounding better up high than the Peaveys, but not by a lot (my current Peavey stable is the Session 400 and 500, YMMV if your amps bear the name "Nashville).
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Ken Metcalf · From: San Antonio Texas USA

I have owned a number of twins and had several modded to BF specs.
My findings were as such.
Reissues ... Not so much.
Mid seventies okay but too loud meaning that people ask you to turn down.
70 - 71 very good
Mid 60s black face. very good exceptional tone. Meaning people and sound men typically ask you to turn up.
Sometimes not loud enough for modern high powered monitors with loud bands.
Best tone is from a Blackface Fender and a blackface mod is not quite the same.
I like new good quality 2-12 speakers over 1-15.
I think most people replacing old tired 2-12 fender speakers with 1-15 JBL are hearing the difference between old average speakers and a upgraded 1-15.
Not that a 15 inch speaker is better than 2-12s just that newer better speakers sound better.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

I have a Silverface super twin and I had a blackface twin. The Silverface was voiced for steel guitars by the previous owner and it walked all over the blackface. I had it mounted in its own cabinet and I plug it in to various speaker cabs. I think the best sounding speaker is the Electro-voice EVM 15L, for loud and the Altec 418B for "normal".

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