| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic Orig. 1968 Fender Twin Reverb Pictures
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Orig. 1968 Fender Twin Reverb Pictures
Jerry Van Hoose


From:
Wears Valley, Tennessee
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2013 2:30 pm    
Reply with quote

I think that we all like pictures, I know that I do....this was my birthday present, purchased 45 years ago today (I'm 60 today!) from Apollo Music, Ann Arbor MI.
It's All original, not used much in the last 35+ yrs. Lately however, I've gained a totally new respect for this amp....heavy as it may be. When used with my Sho Bud pedal, coupled by George L 225 cables, it has a clarity and sweetness commonly heard when using a tube amp. The tubes are all original RCA's. I use only one of the buffers pictured, depending what is preferred at the time. Craig's "Lil Izzy" gives clear and distinct string separation and Brad's "FreeLoader" offers an excellent way to control the loading of the pickup in my Show Pro.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Dave Bertoncini


From:
Sun City West, Arizona USA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2013 3:06 pm    
Reply with quote

NICE!!!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Chris Boyd

 

From:
Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2013 3:39 pm    
Reply with quote

Very nice Twin and Happy Birthday!! I too turned 60 this year...just gettin' warmed up... Very Happy
_________________
https://www.reverbnation.com/bigredandtheresonators
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2013 4:36 pm    
Reply with quote

I'm 6 months behind you. What kind of speakers does it have?
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jerry Van Hoose


From:
Wears Valley, Tennessee
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2013 5:16 pm    
Reply with quote

Thanks guys! Tom, it has the original two 12's, blue label has: Fender Musical Instruments, Made In USA, Special Design Speakers. Are they, Oxfords? I once had an early 70's w/master volume control that had orange JBL's. I was playing on the road at the time, very heavy, eventually sold it. This old "68 drip-edge" has always been a keeper, sentimental value, never on the road, gigged very little. I used it mostly for some studio work at Rome Recording Studio near Columbus OH, early to mid 70's. Still have the original cover from Victoria Luggage Co, Inglewood, CA. If I decide to put it back in limited service as in, session work, it'll need re-capped, new power cord too as the present one is 2 prong. Meanwhile, it surely sounds pretty good with my Show Pro.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Chris Boyd

 

From:
Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2013 7:07 pm    
Reply with quote

I'll bet it sounds terrific with your Sho-Pro..One of my steel rigs is a drip edge '69 Dual Showman Reverb which is a Twin Reverb...great amp... back in the early 70's I had a '68 Twin just like yours but with D120's.. it was before I started on pedal steel..love tube amps for guitars and steels...
_________________
https://www.reverbnation.com/bigredandtheresonators
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Ron Whitworth


From:
Yuma,Ariz.USA Yeah they say it's a DRY heat !!
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2013 7:24 pm    
Reply with quote

Hello Jerry;
That is a real nice Twin..You have taken great care of it too!..I have a few Smile Twin Reverb amps & one of mine is just like that one too.
They do sound good - nothing like them.
Ron
_________________
"Tone is in the hands. Unless your wife will let you buy a new amp. Then it's definitely in that amp."

We need to turn the TWANG up a little

It's not what you play through, it's what you play through it.

They say that tone is all in the fingers...I say it is all in your head Smile

Some of the best pieces of life are the little pieces all added up..Ron

the value of friendship. Old friends shine like diamonds, you can always call them and - most important - you can't buy them.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 24 Oct 2013 8:09 am    
Reply with quote

I bought mine in 1967 and I ordered it with factory installed JBL speakers. To this day, it is my favorite amp.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Cartwright Thompson


Post  Posted 26 Oct 2013 6:44 am    
Reply with quote

Here's its little brother:



I love the drip edge years.
View user's profile Send private message
Chris Boyd

 

From:
Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
Post  Posted 26 Oct 2013 2:17 pm    
Reply with quote

Nice Vibrolux Reverb!
_________________
https://www.reverbnation.com/bigredandtheresonators
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Jerry Tillman

 

From:
Florida
Post  Posted 27 Oct 2013 3:51 pm     Twinn amp
Reply with quote

I didn,t see a price anywhere,am I confused.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Paul Honeycutt

 

From:
Colorado, USA
Post  Posted 31 Oct 2013 9:49 pm    
Reply with quote

Back in the early '70's I was in a duo with a guy named Richard Sinkler (some of you around here may have heard of him, but I degress...) I played guitar and he played an electric ironing board. Razz

Anyway, we both had early SF Twin Reverbs. His had factory JBL's and mine had the Oxfarts. One of them just said "Twin Reverb" and the other read "Twin Reverb Amp." We often ran microphones in the normal channels and played parties and other gigs that way.

The best rhythm guitar tone I ever achieved was with that Twin using a 15" JBL D-130 as an extension speaker. (The guitar was a '66 Epiphone Riviera which I still own). I later got JBL's for my amp and when I sold it I was wise enough to pull the JBL's out and keep them. I have a 2 x 12" cab with those speakers and a '68 drip edge Dual Showman Reverb head. I've come full circle. Only these days, lifting either the head or the cab is a challenge.

Thanks for sharing your amp and triggering some good memories.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Chris Boyd

 

From:
Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
Post  Posted 1 Nov 2013 6:47 am    
Reply with quote

The 2nd twin reverb I had was a 1965(OD) with a 15" D130 (that I still have and use)..Bought it in Colorado Springs in '77 from Dan Trainer who had a band called Caladonia...Sounded great for pedal steel!
_________________
https://www.reverbnation.com/bigredandtheresonators
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 1 Nov 2013 6:57 am    
Reply with quote

Are the drip edge SF amps early enough that they do not have dadoed-in speaker baffles? So you can change baffle boards easily?
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Chris Boyd

 

From:
Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
Post  Posted 1 Nov 2013 7:08 am    
Reply with quote

Yes Tom...
_________________
https://www.reverbnation.com/bigredandtheresonators
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Paul Boden

 

From:
Santa Rosa California
Post  Posted 4 Nov 2013 8:06 am    
Reply with quote

Jerry
I still have my 1970 fender twin I bought new with the original fender speakers, I love the clean sound
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Paul Boden

 

From:
Santa Rosa California
Post  Posted 4 Nov 2013 8:08 am    
Reply with quote

Jerry
I still have my 1970 fender twin I bought new with the original fender speakers, I love the clean sound
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jerry Van Hoose


From:
Wears Valley, Tennessee
Post  Posted 4 Nov 2013 9:35 am    
Reply with quote

Paul, I too, really like the clean tube sound. Throughout the years, I've owned a couple of other Fender Twin's, both were later models w/master volume control. One of them was stock, the other modded, both sounded great. However, this one, because it was a gift/present has always been a keeper. I can't believe that I kept it hidden away in closets for so long. Presently, I'm having it "blueprinted", brought up to factory specs, no mods. Upon removing the chassis, my tech showed me that it was already pretty much a "black-face". Tubes are original RCA's, all but one tested good. I'm replacing it with a nos RCA. The only drawback is the weight, would rather not modify or separate chassis from cab. I might look into Dave Beaty's new, Telonic's neo 12, 8 ohm speakers for replacements. Anthony Lucas, an Eminence tech recommended them to me.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Allan Jirik


From:
Wichita Falls TX
Post  Posted 6 Nov 2013 2:25 pm    
Reply with quote

Have not heard of Apollo Music. Not surprisingly that I am a Spartan and I conducted my business at Elderly. I bought a Fender Vibro Verb and that's what I played steel through in the 70s. No effects, no cabs or other expensive crap, just me and the guitar. Worked fine.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
David Gertschen

 

From:
Phoenix, Arizona
Post  Posted 6 Nov 2013 3:11 pm    
Reply with quote

Nice Twin Reverb!!
If I had access to an amp with that much power at age 15; hmmm, probably just as well that I didn't!

As to which speakers are in it, here is an easy way to find out. I'm sure the stamped numbers would be easy to find on an amp that clean:

http://www.webervst.com/codes.html
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jerry Van Hoose


From:
Wears Valley, Tennessee
Post  Posted 6 Nov 2013 5:09 pm    
Reply with quote

Allan, unfortunately whenever I did an internet search, I discovered that Apollo Music isn't there any longer. I was only visiting relatives in Mi. at the time, so I'm not sure whenever they went out of business. I do remember though, that it was located right in the middle of downtown Ann Arbor. During the late 60's, early 70's, there was a large, popular pizza establishment named, "Bimbos" close to there.
David, thanks. You're correct regarding the speaker identification. The numbers reflect they are "Oxfords", info from both, Weber codes & AmpWares website.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bruce Derr

 

From:
Lee, New Hampshire, USA
Post  Posted 11 Nov 2013 7:35 pm    
Reply with quote

I love my '67 blackline Twin Reverb. I've owned it for about 20 years. It's in great condition except for the grille cloth stain, which happened during a very brief encounter with a couple of inches of water in my basement. I'll get around to cleaning it one of these days.


View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron