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Topic: Any difference between Fender silverfaces? |
Kyle Dosskey
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Posted 11 Jan 2009 6:27 pm |
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| Would somebody with the knowledge tell me if there is a difference between say a 1975 silverface Fender Twin Reverb and a 1968 silverface Fender Twin Reverb? Or are all silverfaces pretty much created equal? |
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Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
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Posted 11 Jan 2009 8:07 pm
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A 1968 could have a Blackface circuit (AB763) or an early AC568 circuit. A lot of differ3ence in those two circuits.
A 1975 would likely be the 100 Twin with a master volume.
Some info I found on the net:
Blackface, "pre-CBS" Twin Reverb: 1963 85 watts.
Silverface Twin Reverb (silver face plate with blue letters) 1968. 85 watts (very similar circuit to blackface, inappropriate major circuit
changes made initially, but most reversed almost back to pre-CBS
specifications within months. All examples of this version can be easily
and inexpensively modified to exact blackface specifications by a competent
tech)
Second Silverface Twin Reverb Version: 1973 100 watts and a perfectly
cheesy sounding master volume control.
Third Silverface Twin Reverb Version: 1976 100 watts and a push/pull
distortion switch on the master volume control pot.
Second Blackface Twin Reverb Version: 1981 135 watts (ouch) |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 11 Jan 2009 10:14 pm
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As Ken said - "silverface" is just a generic name for a control panel color and has nothing whatsoever to do with the circuitry. There are several designs of silverface plates - and even those designs do not tell you what's "under the hood"
Even the later master volume models came in different favors. FWIW, the paper labels that have the circuit type printed on them are very often wrong.
Same goes for blackface - I just sold a BF Bassman head on eBay and described some minor circuit mods - and STILL had questions from techs about tiny little details of the circuit, as there's a huge difference between 1964 and 1965 Bassman circuits.
The ONLY way to tell precisely what circuit is inside a Fender amp is to open it up and look - something NOT to be done by an amateur, as even an unplugged amp hold enough electricity to kill you if you touch the wrong part.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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