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Topic: Master Volume TWIN vs. non Master Volume |
Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2003 5:42 pm |
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| I'm looking at a Twin with a master volume control. I've heard occassional comments about their sound being dfferent than those without the master volume. This is a late 70s model with a 15 inch JBL. Pros? Cons? |
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Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2003 6:30 pm
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Sounds like a good steel amp all the way around. I have never been able to hear a difference in a master volume Twin as compared to a non-master, except when the master is turned down a bit. When it is wide open, I just can not hear a differecne at all. I have modified Twins and Vibrolux amps with masters to non-master, just to be able to change the faceplate top a Blackface. The Silverface era amps do have less distortion than a Blackface, probably better for steel. The 135 watt Twins with ultralinear output transformers, are even cleaner sounding amps than the 100 watt Silverface amps.
Well, that's just my opinion, for what it is worth! |
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 3:22 am
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Thanks, Ken!
Anyone else wanna take a stab at this?[This message was edited by Chris Bauer on 19 June 2003 at 04:22 AM.] |
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Gino Iorfida
From:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 6:15 am
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the whole 'master volume twis sound bad' and 'silverface amps sound bad' thing all goes areound the rockers and blues players who like to make the amps overdrive. If you want a good clean tone (like most steelers do), the silverface master and non master designs sound GREAT. As long as the supression caps are off the output tubes, the tone is VERY good (the supression caps were a $0.02 fix for poor labor when routing the wires, they take off a bit of the presence an dsparkle from the amp in order to keep the amp stable... removing these and making sure all the wires are routed correctly, and short as possible will leave you with a great sounding amp, regardless if it has the blackface or silverface phase inverter, or blackface vs silverface bias circuit)... as some guys, I like the fender amps to deliver a CLEAN tone all the way, so the silverface phase inverter is a blessing...
-- look at it this way, rockers and blues players of the 6 string also love marshall amps, but are they good for steel or clean chickin pickin on a tele? not particularly.... don't follow what the rockers say if you are looking for a good amp for steel... i'm sure the same folks who insist that a fender be blackfaced would be apalled playing through a Session 400 or a Nashville 1000, or a Webb or an Evans etc... you wouldnt use the handle of a screwdriver to pound nails when you have a hammer in your toolbox..same thing. |
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 6:20 am
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| One thing that really helps the tone on these amps is to cut off the 120pF on the Master pot, which adds highs until the Master Volume is around "7", where it starts flattening out. That way you can set the Master Volume without a tone change. |
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 7:11 am
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| Thanks guys. Keep 'em comin'! |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 8:25 am
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How many ohms is the JBL? Is it 4 ohms or 8? If it is 8 ohms did the output transformer get changed to a Single Showman transformer, for example, or is it the original output tranny looking for a 4 ohm load?
I don't mind master volume Twin Reverbs. The ones I have experienced seem better than the other Fender Master Volume amps. However, I hate that era of Fender amp cabinet construction. It is very hard to change out a baffle on a Fender Twin Reverb post-early Silver Face. The baffle is stapled into a routed channel and the staples are hidden under the tolex. How did the guy who put in the 15 JBL change the baffle? Did he re-Tolex too?
Chris Lucker |
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 8:45 am
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| The speaker is apparently a 4 ohm K-130 (Which I've never used before.). I haven't actually seen the amp yet in person so I don't know about the routing of the baffle. From photos, though, both the tolex and the grille look spotless. |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 4:39 pm
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I just bought a master volume, 135 watt Twin from Ken Fox's brother, put two E-V SRO 12"
speakers in it, and it sounds WONDERFUL! Steel, Tele, ES-175, Les Paul--all my 6-strings sound good, and I have yet to dial in a bad tone for my steel. My playing's still terrible, but not my tone.
Just dread the day I've gotta CARRY it somewhere, though... |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 5:13 pm
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To expand on what Michael said, I'm assuming that this cap is between the center terminal of the pot and the non-grounded terminal. If so, changing the value of this cap will shift the point on the volume setting at which the cap starts to have no effect.
If you put in a smaller value cap, it's effect will become less noticeable at a lower volume setting than a bigger one. In other words, it may drop out at a setting of 4-5 on the volume pot as opposed to the setting of 7 or so that you have now.
Having a cap in there is the same as having a bright switch that is always on.
------------------
Artie McEwan
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Jackie Anderson
From:
Scarborough, ME
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 8:09 pm
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| Does anyone know of a reliable Fender amp tech in Western Massachusetts? I have a Silverface w/master volume control in serious need of rehab, and I would like to have it optimized for steel use. |
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John Russell
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 19 Jun 2003 8:19 pm
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I agree about the silver/black face issue. If you want distortion, get a tube screamer--you can dial up as much or as little as you need.
The fact is there ain't very many of the pristine blackface amps around (sure, they look better) but I see lots of the post-CBS silver face versions. The new Fenders aren't so bad either. Last night I played a medium size club using my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for steel and the Les Paul. No problem with clean volume. The other guitarist had an old silverface Super Reverb and I smiled as he wrestled the thing into his car. --JR |
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