Fender Twin head clone: All the options

[spiritofeden]

I'd like to buy a fender twin style head. What about the clones available nowdays?

[AL30]

Fender Dual Showman Reverb.

It's a twin in a head package. No need for a clone... unless you want one.

AL

[spiritofeden]

Originally Posted by AL30

Fender Dual Showman Reverb.

It's a twin in a head package. No need for a clone... unless you want one.

AL

To be honest I'd prefer a clone, I don't want to mess with something that is 30 or 40 years old...Maybe my point of view is wrong but I'd fell more confortable with something "younger".

[nrvana8775]

I'm in the market for the exact same thing.

Dual showman's are the head version of the twin, might require a good servicing, but they are a really simple circuit.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by spiritofeden

I'd like to buy a fender twin style head. What about the clones available nowdays?

All the parts are available aftermarket. Ted Weber sells a Twin Reverb chassis kit with circuit boards and front and rear panels. Heyboer makes the trannies. Mather Cabs can build you a nice head cabinet.

My advice is to find a good builder that is building black face fender style amps and ask if he'll build you a one-off Dual Showman Reverb clone from the Weber kit. David Allen comes to mind.

[spiritofeden]

Originally Posted by Smitty

All the parts are available aftermarket. Ted Weber sells a Twin Reverb chassis kit with circuit boards and front and rear panels. Heyboer makes the trannies. Mather Cabs can build you a nice head cabinet.

My advice is to find a good builder that is building black face fender style amps and ask if he'll build you a one-off Dual Showman Reverb clone from the Weber kit. David Allen comes to mind.

Interesting...Any advice about pre-built amps?

[Smitty]

I'm not sure who's 'pre-building' Twin Reverbs, but they wouldn't be any different than the approach I just mentioned. I built one once. Came out real nice.

[marsos52]

VINTAGE SOUND AMPS makes blackface twins in combo and head versions

and best parts and ceaser diaz trem mod best blackface tone
great customer service rick hayes has a web site

[Jon Silberman]

Originally Posted by spiritofeden

To be honest I'd prefer a clone, I don't want to mess with something that is 30 or 40 years old...Maybe my point of view is wrong but I'd fell more confortable with something "younger".

Is it because you'd prefer to buy a new amp that then loses up to half of its value out the door as opposed to a vintage Fender that will never lose its value and only appreciate in time?

Sorry, I know this is probably coming off snotty. I'm just trying to represent the other side of the equation. With adequate routine maintenance, there is no reason to fear a 30-40 year old amp.

[oldmanmetal]

Dual Showman reverb is a great amp. A friend of mine put a Heyboer output transformer for 4, 8, or 16 ohms and it became one of the beefiest most pedal friendly amps I have heard. +1 on the routine maintenance, they will last for many years to come.

[b2sc]

+100. I'll take the original over a clone or replica 99 out of 100 times. Once you get a vintage amp serviced, it's pretty much worry free for 10 years other than tube replacement.

You'd be saving money up front as well as when/if you sell down the road. You'd likely make money w/the vintage Fender. And now's a good time to buy a high wattage amp since smaller amps are currently in style and prices are down on the big boys.

Originally Posted by Jon Silberman

Is it because you'd prefer to buy a new amp that then loses up to half of its value out the door as opposed to a vintage Fender that will never lose its value and only appreciate in time?

Sorry, I know this is probably coming off snotty. I'm just trying to represent the other side of the equation. With adequate routine maintenance, there is no reason to fear a 30-40 year old amp.

[Squigglefunk]

love my dual showman reverb. No reason to buy anything else IMO.

Servicing is easy and cheap for these amps, get one already brought up to snuff or buy one and get it fixed up for a few bux and it will last another 30 years

[Jon Silberman]

Also, if you've been lucky enough ever to use a Dual Showman as a small club bass amp, it's more than sufficient revenge on all the musicians who used Bassmans for guitar.

[spiritofeden]

Originally Posted by Jon Silberman

Is it because you'd prefer to buy a new amp that then loses up to half of its value out the door as opposed to a vintage Fender that will never lose its value and only appreciate in time?

Good point...but a lot of people say that some clones (for exemple FARGEN BLACKBIRD and DR.Z EZG 50...) sound better too. I have a DR.Z STANGRAY and it's an amazing rendition af the 1964 AC30. I'd like to pull the trigger on another DR.Z but the 'RAY was very expansive. So first I want like to see if there's something else in the twin field that does not kill again my bank account and that sounds really good...

[Chuck King]

If you want a Twin-style head, it's tough to think of something better than a Twin in a head cab, which is what the Dual Showman Reverb is. They are not the most popular of old Fenders so the are relatively inexpensive. You could probably buy one and get it blackfaced and re-capped, and maybe the transformer swap mentioned above, for less than the cost of a boutique clone.

I got a Dual Showman Reverb not too long ago and it was possibly the best gear purchase I've made ever.