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Topic: Fender Dual Showman Reverb |
Danny Hullihen
From:
Harrison, Michigan
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Posted 8 May 2009 7:37 am |
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Anyone have any experience using a Fender Dual Showman Reverb head for steel guitar? I have a '72 Silverface Twin that I had hotrodded by Ken Fox for more headroom, and it's truly fantastic! I have yet to play through anything else I liked better. I was thinking about doing the same with the Dual Showman head. Any suggestions?
I didn't realize how much I was missing regarding tone until I started playing through these old P.T.P Fender amps again, and nothing else compares in my opinion. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 8 May 2009 8:11 am
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A '70s Dual Showman Reverb head is my main pedal steel amp these days. I use it with either a 2x12 cab, or a couple of 1x15 cabs with JBLs. Ultimate convenience, tone, and flexibility.  |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 8 May 2009 8:45 am
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| If you like the Twin Reverb you'll like the Dual Showman Reverb - they are the same amp electronically. (other than individual variations due to component tolerances and drift) |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 8 May 2009 10:53 am
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Danny, A Dual Showman is a twin in a head cabinet. The mastervolume model Dual Showman, Twin Reverb, Super Six, Quad Reverb, are all the same, year to year. John is dead on--electronicly the same.
The Vibrosonic is the same as the above, except that it has an 8 ohm output transformer, instead of the 4 ohm tranny. |
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john widgren
From:
Wilton CT
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Posted 8 May 2009 11:34 am Quad
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Last month I got a quad reverb head from Ken Fox with his mods and seal of approval. It certainly has mine.
Ken is great to deal with and I'm lovin the head. Sounds great with my marrs ultralight cab w/1501, and with my tweed narrow panel fender pro style cab w/12" blue marvel.
Rick Johnson is building a matching fender style cab for the head which will look great. I'll load a 1501 into it. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 8 May 2009 11:35 am Re: Fender Dual Showman Reverb
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| Danny Hullihen wrote: |
| I didn't realize how much I was missing regarding tone until I started playing through these old P.T.P Fender amps again, and nothing else compares in my opinion. |
Testify brother!!!
Brad |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 8 May 2009 11:40 am
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| I had forgotten how good my DSR sounds. I just did some maintenance on it last week and retubed & biased it and shazaam! I'm running it thru a Marrs cab with the Fender /Emi speaker from a Steel King. Here at home it is a lively and loud pairing. |
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Danny Hullihen
From:
Harrison, Michigan
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Posted 9 May 2009 12:36 am Fender Dual Showman
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Thanks for the response my brothers, I truly appreciate your input on this. I use my current Twin Reverb amp with a couple of cabinets that Rick Johnson built for me,(15's and 12's)and the tone is absolutely fabulous! I sometimes use a combination of these with 8ohm speakers consisting of Black Widow and JBL speakers at larger venues, and it's fabulous! I recently sent the Dual Showman head to Rick to recovered as well. I realize that this sometimes destroys "vintage collector" value, but I am much more concerned about functionality, tone, and good looks than I am of collector value. I still have the original Twin cabinet with Orange-back JBL's, but I am using a seperate head/speaker combination that Rick Johnson built for me, which works out great when hauling this rig to steel shows and gigs, and it'much easier getting it in and out of the tour bus for sure!
I am considering upgrading the power to 135 watts on the Dual Showman head, (same as my Twin Reverb)and I was wandering if anyone knows what would be involved to do this?
Thanks again for all of your comments and advice. |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 9 May 2009 5:03 am
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I persoanally wouldn't go there. It can be done however, if you do not mind buying a bigger transformer or two.
BUT, If you really want to go there, I'd go ahead and upgrade the amp for 6550 tubes, too. The tone will improve more, and your volume will approach "lethal weapon" status. But you will have major surgery and it will be expensive. But, then again, when did THAT ever slow us up??? I'm thinking seriously of doing these upgrades to my '71 twin.  |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 9 May 2009 7:38 am
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Yes, brethren, I will testify. I use a '69 Dual Showman Reverb head pretty regularly. Great sound. Mine was blackfaced a long time ago, and to me, it's plenty loud and clean for either steel or jazz guitar. An early version doesn't require much of a mod - just a few tweaks plus possibly changing the tube matching circuit to a true bias adjust. I prefer the head to a comparable Twin Reverb because (duh) it's a lot easier to haul, but also because I generally prefer a ported closed-back cab for either of those applications.
Regarding moving to 135 watts - I would not recommend that for the earlier versions. First, I just flat out prefer the sound of the older style circuit. Properly biased (I like 'em a bit cool) and set up with good tubes (good NOS 6L6 in the power section and I usually use a 5751 or 12AY7 in V2, which is the first preamp tube in the Vibrato channel), I think they're pretty clean but when they get pushed they get sweet, not harsh. Second, I think it's not too tough to find an ultralinear 135-watt version out there quite a bit cheaper than the earlier version - if I really wanted the ultralinear, I'd just go find one. Third, I think you would likely devalue the amp by moving to ultralinear - that version is generally less desirable in the market, and it's also now modified, and you've spent a lot to get it that way, so it takes a triple hit. Just my take. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 9 May 2009 9:08 am
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John W, I also used a Quad Reverb for a head. Semi Black-faced. Got a Twin faceplate, and Rick Johnson made me the cabs. Sweet!
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Drew Howard
From:
48854
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Posted 9 May 2009 10:10 am
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Alright Danny!!
EDIT: Glad to hear you testify to vintage Fender sweetness.
For the 135w version I tracked down a late 70's Twin in Detroit on Craigslist.
Last edited by Drew Howard on 9 May 2009 12:17 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 9 May 2009 10:24 am
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Sweet John B., sweet!!  |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 9 May 2009 10:26 am
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| Thanks James! Sounds even better than it looks. Any further progress on you guitar? |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 9 May 2009 10:35 am
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| John, the fingertip project is shelved for awhile, so I can get several other refurb projects back to their owners. |
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Danny Hullihen
From:
Harrison, Michigan
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Posted 14 May 2009 11:57 pm Fender Twin
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This photo was sent to me from the Washington PA. show using my 70's Fender Twin with Rick Johnson custom cabinets. Rick's craftsmanship is simply the best I've ever seen!
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Danny Hullihen
From:
Harrison, Michigan
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Posted 15 May 2009 3:56 am
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| James. I'm using a 15" 8ohm Peavey Black Widow in the cabinet in the photo, and I have a closed back extension cabinet that I use with that rig on larger venues that has a 15" 8ohm JBl D130. The sound is really pure and clean, even at high volume levels. |
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Rick Johnson
From:
Wheelwright, Ky USA
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Posted 15 May 2009 4:19 am
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Danny
Looking good! and sounding
even better.
I love those old tube amps
Rick
www.rickjohnsoncabs.com |
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Danny Hullihen
From:
Harrison, Michigan
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Posted 15 May 2009 4:43 am
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| Thanks Rick! I'm looking forward to getting the Dual Showman head cabinet back from you too. No doubt I'll love it just like all the many other cabinets you have done for me! Your work and attention to detail is the best of ANY i've ever seen! Keep some room on the bench my friend, as I have more to come. |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 15 May 2009 11:26 pm
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| Danny Hullihen wrote: |
| James. I'm using a 15" 8ohm Peavey Black Widow in the cabinet in the photo, and I have a closed back extension cabinet that I use with that rig on larger venues that has a 15" 8ohm JBl D130. The sound is really pure and clean, even at high volume levels. |
VERY sharp rig, Danny!! I bet it sounds as good as it looks, too!! |
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