He was tapping on the tubes testing for microphonics. For your fender twin to sound and perform at its best, the tubes must all draw an equal amount of current. How to fix repair fender twin reverb tube guitar amp bias issue. A trio band located in clearfield, pa who specialize in classic rock. Remove the 6v6 or 6l6 output tubes to disable sound coming from the main speaker. This amplifier is great for surf and country, as well as being wellknown as a pedal platform.
This guide will describe the steps necessary to replace one of the smaller preamp tubes on board the fender 65 twin reverb amplifier. As others have said here the distortion feature is poorly planned and basically the result of some misguided nonguitar playing electrical engineer who was told to add a distortion circuit cheaply the best way to get distortion with this amp is to add it with a pedal. I have a twin reverb in for repair right now with exactly the same symtoms as yours. Find out which tube is responsible for controlling the reverb unit. Silverface fender twin reverb low volume before distortion. Ive wanted a silverface twin or pro reverb since i was a. Calling all fender twin enthusiasts need amp repair help. Fender 65 twin reverb power switch replacement ifixit. On fender amplifiers equipped with reverb, the reverb is fed from the tone controls in a parallel circuit similar to that shown below. The twin now had an onboard spring reverb tank and was renamed the twin reverb. Style transformers by classictone general features.
Calling all fender twin enthusiasts need amp repair. Style transformers fender 80w 100w showman twin reverb, etc. These are invaluable reference tools if you are digging around inside of your vintage fender amplifier. If the bulb doesnt light the preamp wiring is ok, disconnect the power tube screen connection and test. Repairing the fender twin reverb from hiss, buzz, noise distortion.
These amps have been in service over 50 years, therefore they will develop bad connections, corrosion, weak leaky. The twin reverb is known for its characteristically clean tone at very high volumes. You can turn it back to a 100w amp any time you want or have a spare speakerpower tubes. In this video we undertake the extremely difficult repair of a 1978 fender silverface twin reverb with both pushpull boost and master volume control. The fender super twin reverb is a guitar amplifier made in the late 1970s that is a follower of the classic fender twin reverb amps. Some fender amps use one tube to activate the reverb, and other fender amps use two tubes. How to troubleshoot the reverb on fender amps our pastimes. Replace the tubes with duplicate tubes, and test the reverb. Two 12 celestion speakers provide enough projection to use all 85 watts of headroom effectively. The deluxe reverb is known for its under rated power supply which gives the amp a lot of feel and touch response but leads to a loose low end and even farting out at very high volume settings.
The strange thing is that after retubing the amp and changing the screen resistors as a matter of course the amp was fine and singing very nicely. Screen grid resistors help keep the screen grid at a lower potential than the plates. You are bidding on a vintage 1984 fender twin reverb ii combo amp. Ive kinda lusted after a low power tweed twin myself. It happened suddenly, the amp sitting in my studio. You dont want the screen grid to act as a secondary plate which can happen if the plate voltage goes below the screen grid voltage. Microsoft stores offer services like cracked screen and physical damage replacements for surface laptop 3 and surface pro x. Up until a certain year, fender made these amps with a black face and without a master volume knob, and this distinguishes. If an alien came to earth and wanted to hear an american guitar sound, id play him my twin with a set of jensens. The other ab763 amps like the twin reverb have higher output power supplies that do not suffer from the deluxe reverb s loose low end. Question used 65 reissue fender twin reverb should i.
Two transition prototype 1963 twin reverb amps have been found in both brown and blonde tolex covering. Backplate fits mojotone blackface bassman chassis no logo. I dont know too much about it, so im hoping to pick yalls brains. The black nameplate was also brought back on these models. Looking at a used fender twin reverb 65 reissue gearslutz. Fender 65 twin reverb preamp tube replacement ifixit repair. Blown grid stop screen resistors ab763 twin reverb. If the normal channel works but the reverb channel doesnt work, replace the second and fourth tube from the right looking from the back 12ax7s.
How to fix troubleshoot fender twin reverb tube guitar amp. The last time i fixed a reverb problem inside the tank, a small lead wire had broken off of one of the transducers, which are the little things on each end that have the wires going to them, all i had to do was solder it back on. The reverb drive is basically a fourwatt output amplifier consisting of a 12at7 tube and a reverb driver transformer. Testing bias on a fender twin reverb amp antique radio forums. This could be done by installing 1 ohm resistors in series with the plates.
Schedule a free appointment at a microsoft store near you. My 1970s silverface fender twin reverb amp powers up tubes glow orange but i get no sound or hum through any of the channels. As a side note, this is one reason to overbuild amps. This model features blackface cosmetics and 12 jensen speakers. You can get an sf twin for the same price as a sf princeton reverb. It has ten tubes in total, four 12ax7 preamp tubes, two 12at7 preamp tubes and four 6l6 power tubes. Two of the screen grid resistors were cracked in half. Tube amp schematics, tube amp information, tube amp projects.
Surfing the various forums, ive learned that this mastervolume edition of the twin is one of the most unfairly, to me maligned designs. When he tapped on v9 it must have shorted internally cause he said he saw sparks in there and the fuse blew. Thats the way the tone controls on a real twin reverb work so i guess they made the tonemaster work like a real twin. Discussion in amp central station started by coga10, mar 9, 2020. Note that small differences in the value of resistors in the bias circuit can make a big difference in bias voltage.
Of all the fender amplifiers produced over the past 40 years, the twin reverb has truly established itself as the industry standard for comboselfcontained amplifiers. I just got a 70s silverface fender twin reverb that needs a little tlc. Aug 23, 2016 twin reverb no pedals with thd hot plate. Set of parts for you to make two cables reverb input and reverb output short one is 39 inches 110 cm.
The only indication of power is the 300 watts label on the back. How to fix repair fender twin reverb tube guitar amp bias. Yamaha mm8 88key synthesizer broken screen home reverb. The article states the blackface era of fender was 19651967. The fender blackface twin reverb 65 is the most highly regarded guitar amplifier in the twin reverb line. The blackface fender twin reverb is a loud and we mean loud and proud vintage combo amp built for the largest venues and stages, with a remarkable amount of clean headroom and a dense, lush reverb. All high quality components throughout including carbon comp resistors, cloth wire, heyboer us made transformers, galvanized steel chassis, tad and sprague atom electrolytic caps, sbe orange drop coupling caps etc.
You might want to post a schematic of your actual bias circuit as modded, or confirm that it truly does exactly match the more popular bias adjust circuit as found in the ab763 twin reverb amp. Get service for your out of warranty or damaged surface. Follow the on screen directions to complete your service order. The screen current can be measured by just measuring the voltage across the 470 ohm screen resistors and calculating the current.
The twin was one of the first amps that cbs improved after buying fender. Different from the older model, the reissue is built with a printed circuit board and 14 inch footswitch phone jacks. The fender super twin reverb is the king of clean headroom. The twin reverb is the king of fender blackface amps. Clear, deep and powerful, it produced big tube tone, with world class fender reverb and vibrato effects. Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Be it rock, blues, country, jazz or anything else, this is what clean electric guitar sounds like. Question used 65 reissue fender twin reverb should i do it. The sound that creates legends american musical supply. From 1977 to 1982, the twin reverb s power was increased to 5 watts.
Fender twin reverb 85watt vintage blackface guitar combo amp. With its dual 12 speakers, timeless look and essential sound, the 65 twin reverb is a truly magnificent tone machine that takes you back to an electrifying era with defining fender sound and style. Silverface amps include the deluxe reverb, twin reverb, super reverb, pro, bandmaster reverb, bassman, princeton, princeton reverb, champ, vibro champ, showman and vibrolux reverb. Reverb on fender twin reverb broken the input and output impedances of reverb tanks vary between tubedriven reverb circuitry and the equivalent ss reverb circuits there are different impedance tanks to suit each application, so impedance mismatches can cause signal losses when using them in the incorrect application. Vst crack vst, plugins, audio, samples, free, download. From 1982 to 1986, the name was the twin reverb ii and the power was changed to 105 watts. Twin reverb vs super reverb ive been looking for a twin reverb lately when this dude on craigslist offered me his super reverb. There is no citation for the claim of the twin reverb being fenders most popular amplifier. Fender 68 custom deluxe reverb common problems and fixesupgrades i recently purchased a fender 68 custom deluxe reverb amp us model and am sharing info on what i have learned about it after a fairly extensive internet search on issues, fixes, and upgrades.
Clean as you want it to be, with a fatter tone than the. The blackface 212 reverb amp kit this kit comes complete with everything you need to build the classic 212 reverb amp ab763 vintage 1965. Fender forums view topic opinions choosing 69 twin. Buy fender 65 twin reverb 85watt 2x12inch guitar combo amp. Fender twin reverb 85watt vintage blackface guitar combo. Fender makes a reissue of this amplifier based on the original but made with more modern parts. Fender 68 custom twin reverbamp 2channel 85watt reverb. One was visually separated and the other wasnt noticeable until it was unsoldered. We believe that this is the most complete, highest resolutio. The blackface twin reverb was the first amp designated the twin reverb due to the inclusion of the reverb circuit, made from 19631967. A friend has one of the 65 twin reverb reissues, i think its 1997 vintage. Some tips on fixing problems with old tube guitar amps. This is the only tube associated solely with the normal channel.
Basically, the only difference between the different models are the transformers, speakers and the power tubes deluxe reverb, vibrolux reverb, bandmaster reverb, pro reverb, super reverb, twin reverb the ab763 two channel documents below includes these board types. There should be four wires to remove, two white and two black. Looking at a used fender twin reverb 65 reissue i am looking into this amp going to check it out today and i was hoping to get some opinions on whether this sounds like a good deal or not this is from the ad. If its good enough for keith richards and eric clapton. How to repair my fender twin reverb know about life. Usually 470ohm 1watt but i guess using 2watts dont hurt it. If you have a copy of an old fender guitar amplifier owners manual not shown in this archive, wed love to have a copy to post here. The fender 68 custom twin reverb takes everything players loved about the transitional dripedge silverface amps and adds a custom channel with a bassmanesque tone stack. The twin is going to provide a bit more clean headroom, and, personally, i prefer the sound of the 12s. Super loud and super clean, sounds like twin to me. Combo amps free delivery possible on eligible purchases. While a typical 2watt resistor used by many companies as an output tube screen grid resistor will function fine under most normal operating conditions, that resistor may be pushed past its capabilities by constantly playing the amp at very high volumes or by an output tube shorting.
Blown grid stop screen resistors ab763 twin reverb discussion in glowing bottle tube amp forum started by telecastertweet, feb 25, 2018. Jan 14, 2010 getting great fender twin reverb tone at volumes. The 68 custom twin reverb amp pays tribute to the classic look, sound and performance of fenders late 60s silver face amps. I just did some late maintenance on a friends sf twin reverb. How to repair my fender twin reverb the fender twin reverb is an iconic amplifier, noted for its bright and clean reverb. The silverface amps are surprisingly similar to the coveted fender blackface line of amps so many blackface mods and tweaks apply to the silverface lineup.
Being that this version is super, it has a number of features and controls not found on regular twin reverb amps, although i dont prefer this to the originals. Fender 68 custom deluxe reverb common problems and fixes. Well, given that cracked imac screen, its obvious he turned the volume up over 2 thats a nono indoors. You can make any of the reverb amps in the list below using the ab763 circuit. The twin reverb has been used on thousands of recordings and countless live performances since 1954 when the first version the twin amp appeared on the music scene. Read the instruction manual for your fender amplifier. I sometimes take a twin out and put a lexicon reverb in front of the dry side for my steel and play my tele thru the reverb side. Up until 2010, fender twin reverb reissues used accutronics reverb tanks made in cary, illinois. Edit i should add, if you ever want your amp to break up a bit, then the twin is probably not the way to go. In november, 2009, the accutronics company was purchased by belton, and the manufacturing facility in cary was closed. Those manufactured in 1973 and later also featured a pushpull master volume knob.
This is an interesting area to attempt at increasing the gain through the amplifier. For countless guitarists ever since, the twin reverb has been the go to amp for classic fender sound. Sep 24, 2018 simply a open screen power supply feed resistor and a few cracked solder joints. Be sure to keep track of where each was connected, since you will have to reconnect them in the same way. How to repair ampeg reverb tube guitar amp no output dlab. For your amp with plate voltage of 405 v, the maximum plate current can be up to 74 ma and the maximum screen current can be 12 ma. A stressed screen grid resistor can definitely cause crackling noises to occur. Schematics and layout diagrams here are hundreds of original fender schematics and layout diagrams, available for free viewing and download.
And, someone at gc had told him dude you need these. Unplug the reverb pan, and connect a speaker to the reverb jack labeled reverb input. Or, if you want superduper loud and clean, super twin reverb. If its ok then you probably have a shorting capacitor. It will be cleaner than a pro reverb beefier output transformer, solidstate rectifier. The fender twin is an 85watt, tube guitar amplifier. He got a quad of electroharmonix 6l6s and retubed the amp, replaced the fuse and it was playing again. The fender twin reverb is considered a standard model for players seeking a clean sound, and it is especially known for the quality of its builtin spring reverb. I have a baby on the way now and need to make room anyway so its not something i plan on keeping around. I mentioned this earlier in another post, but johnny was playing a fender, d9th to minimize string breakeage. As with all tube amplifiers, the fender twin reverb requires ongoing.
Fender diagrams, schematics and service manuals download for free. The 65 twin reverb is an authentic reproduction of the original amp to ride the wild surf, one of the alltime hall of fame amplifiers. Up until a certain year, fender made these amps with a black face and without a master volume knob, and this distinguishes the amp from the later silver face models of the amp. The screen needs to be replaced and i havent gotten around to it.
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