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Post new topic Difference in "The Twin" and the "65 Twin"
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Author Topic:  Difference in "The Twin" and the "65 Twin"
Gene H. Brown

 

From:
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
Post  Posted 4 Oct 2003 12:16 pm    
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I was curious to know if anyone out there in Steel Guitar Land has ever played through one or both of these amps? Neither of these has the "Red Knobs>
"The Twin" is a Fender Twin with 100 watts (switchable to 25 watts) and is a little heavier with 2 12" eminence speakers.
"The 65 Twin" is supposed to be a reissue of the Fender 1965 Twin and has 85 watts and two 12" jensen speakers.
If anyone could please give me your insight on one or both of these amps, it would be greatly appreciated. I am looking to buy either a good used one or a new one soon and have never played throught either.
I used to have a Fender Twin 20 years ago and wish I had it back, it had 135 watts RMS and 1 15"JBL, what a dummy!!!!
Thanks
Gene H. Brown

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If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
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Ken Fox


From:
Nashville GA USA
Post  Posted 4 Oct 2003 1:03 pm    
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Gene, I would look for another 135 watt Twin or a 1990's Vibrasonic (same as the 1965 Reissue, steel channel, reverb both channels and a 15" speaker. The reissue Twin is a nice guitar amp (I have a dead mint one I got from Jim Wallace in Portland), not that great for steel. With a couple of 12" EV (Force 12's are great)or Peavey (1203-8)speakers it might be a different story.
The 135 watt Twin had the ultralinear output transformer, the cleanest Twin ever built. It was not a favoite amongst most guitar players, too clean for them!
I must confess, I am not that familiar with the "Evil Twin" or "The Twin". Maybe someone else can shed some light there for you.

Ken Fox,
Former dishwasher and cook at Taylor's Viewpoint! Those were some great times and music. Hope to see and hear you pick again someday, Gene. I think the last time was when you were at the Flower Drum with Ira Allen, 1974 or 1975?
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CrowBear Schmitt


From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
Post  Posted 5 Oct 2003 1:22 am    
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the "Evil Twin" w: the red knobs i have is called the "The Twin" too
it has the 100 and 25 watt switch
maybe the one you mention does'nt have the red knobs, but it sounds like an "Evil Twin" to me
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 5 Oct 2003 5:14 am    
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The "Fender Twin" reissue (with the quarter-power switch) has no reverb. Is that the one you are tallking about? (Many people say "Twin" when they really mean "Twin Reverb".) The "65 Twin Reverb" reissue, of course, does have reverb. (A steel amp has to have reverb!)

At any rate, I'd forget the "re-issue" stuff. It doesn't have the resale value or the reliability (ruggedness) of the older amps. Get a old silverface model, or save your coins for awhile...and get an "authentic" blackface.
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Brad Sarno


From:
St. Louis, MO USA
Post  Posted 5 Oct 2003 8:12 am    
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Yea, what Donny said. Why mess with the lesser quality reissues when you can have the real thing. Early silverface Fenders are unbeatable for tone, affordability, fixability, reliability, ruggedness, and overall general mojo.

I messed with one of those "The Twin" amps with red knobs. I couldn't have been more dissapointed. The words "Fender" and "Twin" were very misleading. Perhaps my '69 original has me spoiled.



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Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis
http://home.earthlink.net/~bradsarno/


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JB Arnold


From:
Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 5 Oct 2003 8:44 am    
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I bought a reissue 65 because everyone I talked to with an original was either a dealer who saw me coming, or someoine with a beat up monster-no one would part with one on good condition, and wanted insane prices for trash.

I'm real happy with the reissue, heave tweaked it to Healy specs and it rocks. Old don't always mean better, unless you're talking about steelers.



JB

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Fulawka D-10 9&5
Fessenden D-10 8&8
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
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http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 05 October 2003 at 09:46 AM.]

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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 6 Oct 2003 2:06 am    
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There is a current model Blackface amp called "The Twin"..I don't think it should be compared to a Twin reverb or a re-issue Twin Reverb.

The Twin..as it is called..is a rocked out R+R or Blues amp..lots of overdrive and really friggin' loud. This amp is in the current Fender catalogs and does not have red knobs..it looks pretty much like a Twin reverb with 2x12's..

I think if you were a guitar player and were playing an outdoor festival and needed to blow the clothes off your back..a pair of these would fit the bill....

They are very interesting amps to say the least..I think heavy too...

tp

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 07 October 2003 at 02:10 AM.]

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Tim Hurst

 

From:
Newport, TN
Post  Posted 6 Oct 2003 2:16 pm    
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I've got one of these "The Twin" amps that I got for about the price of a Deluxe Reverb because the footswitch was missing. It is basically a Twin Reverb with some features that should make it appealing to those who like a tube sound but like some of the bells and whistles of the steel amps like the Nashville 1000. "The Twin" has three channels- a blackface type clean channel, a slightly overdriven vintage type sound, and a heavily overdriven channel that seems would only be good for shredders. It also has impedance selector switch-4,8,or 16 ohms, pre-amp out, power amp in, effects loop and effects level, power reduction switch-100 or 25 watts, and Eminence speakers. It sounds very much like the silverface Twin Reverb which I foolishly sold several years ago, although with less low end, as my old silverface had EV SRO speakers. One of these days I may try to get me a 15" baffle built for putting in a JBL or BW.

[This message was edited by Tim Hurst on 06 October 2003 at 07:04 PM.]

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Brian Davis

 

From:
San Francisco, USA
Post  Posted 7 Oct 2003 1:40 pm    
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Gene,
I have owned both the Evil Twin (no red knobs) and a 135w silverface twin reverb. I am sorry to say I let the latter go. I think I am repeating someone when I say the late 70s Twin reverbs were by far the cleanest amps Fender ever produced. You can buy one of these vintage models for the same price as a new reissue and you will not regret it.

Brian
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Bob Metzger

 

From:
Waltham (Boston), MA, USA
Post  Posted 7 Oct 2003 1:43 pm    
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Anyone who sits down (at their steel) with '65 reissue Twin Reverb and an original BF/SF in good working order is in for a real surprise in a direct A/B comparison! Obviously, most amps sound a little different from one another, especially older examples and you can't play every one but if you do 5 older Twin Reverbs and 5 newer RI's, you'll get the picture quickly.

Of course, any amp in good working order will almost always sound better than an amp that is tired and old and in disrepair. You have to make the playing field level in direct comaprisons between older amps and brand-new reissues.

Bob M.
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