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Topic: Blackface twin with a TUBE RECTIFIER ??? |
Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2012 4:23 pm |
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I have an opportunity to obtain a 1967 blackface twin with three 6L6s and a tube rectifier. The owner is very Fender knowledgeable and states it is all original, not a modded twin.
I've never heard of such an amp. I asked if two tubes powered one channel, or what , but he wasn't sure. I'm thinking this one may not hold as much potential re-sale value if I choose to sell it one day, as it is a bit different.
Anybody ever seen or heard one of these? I am guessing with a tube rectifier, and less power tubes, might it break up sooner ?
Good steel amp ?
Thanks to all who respond! |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 30 Nov 2012 6:11 pm
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| That sounds relatively impossible. |
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Lee Warren
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2012 6:27 pm
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Hmmm ...
My friend has a BF twin.
It has 4 power tubes.
As far as I know, a 'push/pull' circuit can't work on an uneven number of power tubes.
Sounds a bit fishy to me, if the owner is very Fender knowledgeable.
Here's a twin schematic.
4 x 6L6 and solid state rectifier:
Hope this helps.
Lee |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 30 Nov 2012 6:27 pm
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someone probably put a 5AR4 into one of the 6L6 slots and blew up the power supply. How could it have 3 power tubes? That makes no sense unless one is just sitting there as a spare.
Twin reverbs need to have a solid state rectifier to get high enough voltage and enough power to make them 85W.
The Tweed Twins had 2 tube rectifiers to compensate for the large amount of plate current the amp requires.
I would skip this one... sounds like a nightmare and expensive proposition
_________________
Milkmansound.com |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 30 Nov 2012 7:37 pm
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The last tweed twin used a single GZ34 and four 5881's.
One rectifier yes, three power tubes... don't think so. Class A? I doubt it. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 5:51 am Re: Blackface twin with a TUBE RECTIFIER ???
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| Steve Spitz wrote: |
I have an opportunity to obtain a 1967 blackface twin with three 6L6s and a tube rectifier. The owner is very Fender knowledgeable and states it is all original, not a modded twin.
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Sounds to me like the owner may be a bullcrapper - or worse, a scam artist, trying to sell off a "collector's item" Fender amp that never existed. 
Of course, the "rectifier tube" he's referring to could also be a foreign variety 6L6. I've seen some that were about a full inch taller than the standard 6L6GC outline. There were also 6L6 metal cased tubes, made in the '30s and '40s. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 7:27 am Twin with a tube rectifier
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This one is no tweed twin, allegedly a 1967 blackface twin. When I first read the sellers description, I assumed it was a tube rectifier in addition to the standard four 6L6s, not three 6L6s and a tube rectifier. I had never heard of any fender amp of that era/type that had an odd number of power tubes. Both the seller and I own the Aspen Pittmann tube amp book, I'm asking him to find a schematic for that amp in the book, and I may proceed. It sounds like it will not be there. Any chance I'm mistaken, and this is a legit, non-modded Fender circuit ? I'm getting a bit suspicious.
I really appreciate the all the help , thanks again. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 7:45 am Twin with tube rectifier
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Donnie, I posted before I saw your response.
" the seller may be a bull crapper"
The seller previously was a vintage dealer, with an actual vintage guitar store !!! |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 7:54 am
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It is not legit. I think Donny might be right, it could be something like one 5881 or a small bottle 6L6WGB, and three tall bottle RCA's.
The only other explanation I can think of would be that it was converted to class A, and uses three power tubes and a rectifier tube. Pretty far fetched but not impossible. |
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Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 8:33 am Re: Blackface twin with a TUBE RECTIFIER ???
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| Steve Spitz wrote: |
The owner is very Fender knowledgeable and states it is all original, not a modded twin.
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That would be a no.
Find out more and offer less.
I would add that a 67 Fender Twin will make a good steel amp but the tubes lose clarity with regular use and need to be replaced every 2-3 years.. With regular use.
Gets mildly expensive after a few times.
_________________
MSA 12 String E9th/B6th Universal.
Little Walter PF-89.
Bunch of stomp boxes |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 10:04 am Sounds fishy
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The red flags are flying on this one. The seller is an ex-vintage dealer, surely he could liquidate this to a collector if it was a legit 1967 black face twin. I was going to trade him my blackface deluxe reverb, and he wanted cash to boot. I'm not even going to look at it. Thanks to all who contributed.
The item is on Craigslist #3423347930 |
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LARRY COLE
From:
LANCASTER, OHIO, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 5:34 pm
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| A blackface Deluxe is worth a lot more that a blackface Twin |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 6:51 pm Deluxe vs. Twin
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Interesting observation, and I have no reason to doubt it. I believe you may be right about this, as the guy with the twin wont leave me alone. It turns out the twin has no tube rectifier, its the solid state rectifier with standard four 6L6s, the owner, (ex-vintage dealer!!) was confused.
Just curious, how could I confirm the value of the blackface twin vs the value of the deluxe reverb ?
I will start another thread as well.
Thanks. |
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LARRY COLE
From:
LANCASTER, OHIO, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 7:06 pm
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| Check ebay |
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Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 9:04 pm
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Also check Gbase.com.Since only stores can advertise there,it'll give you an idea of whether his price is sublime or ridiculous-if you get as far as talking price.
Addendum-I took a quick look.One TR,a silverface represented as a '67(?)Way way overpriced at $2500,no BFDR's.I'm not sure I'd get very excited about a blackface TR unless it was Pre-CBS. |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2012 10:04 pm
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| Dave Hopping wrote: |
| I'm not sure I'd get very excited about a blackface TR unless it was Pre-CBS. |
My understanding is that blackface is blackface, pre-CBS or otherwise. (Obviously reissue w/blackface cosmetics is different.) That's as relates to quality as an amp to use; "collectability" is a different criterion. Same for early silverfaces, when the circuits (at least of some models) hadn't yet been changed. For example, my books on vintage Fenders say there actually never was a "pre-CBS" Pro-Reverb (they started in '66, CBS bought the company in '65), but regardless of who owned the company the '66 Pro-Reverb is a true "blackface" amp. I know I love mine!
That said, I'd rather have a BF Deluxe Reverb (I do--I bought in '66!) than a BF Twin Reverb any day! |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 2 Dec 2012 5:46 am Re: Twin with tube rectifier
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| Steve Spitz wrote: |
Donnie, I posted before I saw your response.
" the seller may be a bull crapper"
The seller previously was a vintage dealer, with an actual vintage guitar store !!! |
Steve, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but dealers, vintage or otherwise, are sometimes the biggest bullcrappers out there.  |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 2 Dec 2012 10:06 am
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| Quote: |
| A blackface Deluxe is worth a lot more that a blackface Twin |
In terms of both dollars and sonic splendor, I might add. End of story  |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2012 3:25 pm Deluxe
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Thanks guys, I'm gonna keep it. Had the vintage trader not been so greedy, ( he was proposing my deluxe reverb plus $500 for his twin) I might have come close to trading. I don't really care about guitar amps , but after firing up the deluxe, I can't let it go.
What was I thinking ?
Thanks again. |
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