Vintage amp with new speakers

Anthony Del Grosso · From: Utah, USA

Hello, I was thinking of getting a new Twin Reverb but I saw I can get a used 1970s twin reverb for roughly the same price. The only thing is he replaced the speakers and the preamp tubes (from the original fender specs). Since I’m very new to amps (really only played acoustics forever) I was curious is vintage amps still worth it with new speakers and tubes?
Thanks

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

Most likely better than original.
Tubes don't last forever and need to be replaced occasionally, originals from 1970 are nothing special. As for the speakers if the new ones are JBL's it's a definite upgrade, albeit a heavy lift. Power supply capacitors will need replacement at some point also if that has not already been done.

The newer "reissue" amps incorporate a few manufacturing changes that make them less reliable than the originals, such as clip-on transformer leads and molded plastic speaker and reverb cables instead of the original, more durable ones. Also the original Accutronics reverb tanks are no longer made and most modern ones are inferior to the originals. All of these issues can be fixed by a good amp tech and a few bucks.

Jim Cooley · From: The 'Ville, Texas, USA

I agree with what Dave said, above. Speakers are subjective. Many audiophiles and musicians swear that vintage tubes make a huge difference, but the ear hears what it hears. I'd opt for the vintage amp every time providing that the components inside the chassis are in good condition. Everything has a life cycle. Things like capacitors and potentiometers tend to wear out. I'd check to make sure that there are no swollen or leaking capacitors, black scorch marks inside the chassis, etc. Scratchy pots can often be fixed, either by turning the knobs multiple times, or giving them a shot of something like DeOxit. Then again, some components seem to last forever. The only way to tell is to look inside and play through the amp. If the vintage Twin has been well maintained and the internals are in good condition, you'll have a much better amp than the reissue will ever be.

Colton Stokley · From: Texas, USA

Modern speakers are really just better than vintage speakers

Especially when it comes to power handling and staying clean like a pedal steeler would want.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Note that unless you know and trust the seller of the 70's amp very well and the seller is telling you that it was thoroughly serviced by a competent tech within the last 'x' years (that number can be the subject of varying opinions), you should not even fire it up before taking it to a tech. The old amps are a lot more technician friendly than the new ones but they have aging components that do have real lifespans. A 50 year old tube amp needs attention. And it can cost several hundred dollars for basic stuff.

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

A new Twin Reverb is now $1999! I hope you are not paying that for a 70s Twin. I see them on Craiglist all the time for $1000 or less. Keep in mind any old tube amp is almost guaranteed to need servicing. At today's bench rates plan on at least $300 for that.

PS: Speaker are subjective. If you are new to amps whatever is in there should be fine. Once you start getting very finicky about tone you can go down the speaker swap rabbit hole.

James Holland · From: Alabama, USA

Yea, a great modern deal, are those old SF Twin's that nobody wants, because they are heavy. They have great ($$) transformers, easy to have tweaked into top working order by a tech, and if you replace the speakers with modern lightweight speakers, you can get the weight down under 60 lb. I know that's a non-starter for many, but iron is iron. And they are just great matches for pedal steel, full of sparkle and sustain. I love my 1970, and just embrace the 60 lb as my weekly workout....

Joe A. Camacho · Posted 22 Feb 2024 11:46 am

I would put the amp and reverb box in a head cabinet and get a single 15" speaker cabinet.

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

Seconding the comments here, I'd go with the older Twin Reverb rather than a new one. Unlike most of the smaller Fender amps, the Twin Reverbs simply don't have a lot of collector value. They were too clean and too powerful for most lead players, and it's those lead guitarists that drive most of the (sometimes insane) collector market. Yes, the amp is heavy, but it will last almost forever when properly maintained. You do, however, have to remember that maintenance on a tube amp has become pricey, and a restored amp should be gone through every 5-10 years by a good tech. And if you buy an older one, that too should probably be serviced/checked by a tech before you use it.

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