A bulletproof Twin...

[rydia is hot]

If you needed a super reliable (and not super expensive ) non-vintage amp for Twin Reverb type sounds, what would you go for?

My buddy loves the tone of the RI Twins, but the build quality isn't exaclty stellar.

Thanks!

 

[FFTT]

Talk to the guys at VVT amps in Waldorf MD.

One of the best sounding twin based builds I ever heard was the amp
they built for Gary of The Road Ducks.

 

[FlyingVBlues]

I recommend getting an early Silver Face Twin. You can get them from $800-1000 depending on their condition. I have a ’68 Twin with JBL's that I’m the original owner of. I’ve used it on at least 2000 gigs without a single problem. The only non-maintenance repair I’ve needed on this amp was replacing the reverb pan in 1978 after a spring broke when it was being shipped from San Francisco to New York. The only maintenance work I’ve needed was replacing all of the electrolytic caps a few years ago, replacing a few tubes (3 of the 4 RCA 6L6GC's are original and still sound great) and installing a three prong cord. None of the boutique amps I’ve owned has been as reliable as this amp. I also own a 1964 and a 1967 Twin. The 1968 is the best sounding amp of the 3. I had Pete Cage of Audiocage make a few of the SF to BF mods which improved the tone a bit. However, it was a great sounding amp even without the changes.

FVB

 

[wingwalker]

Why non "vintage"?

A Silverface Twin Reverb can be a great sounding amp...they can be had all day at great prices and nothing is more bulletproof than an old Fender amp!

I have a 69 Twin Reverb that was my main gigging amps for a lot of years and still see some use now and then. In fact I only switched because I started using 2 smaller amps in stereo vs the one big amp. I bough it cheep because the cab was broken because it had been dropped out of the back of a moving van (not a van for moving but a van that was actually moving!)

It was the best amp I could afford at the time so I bought it, brought it home and simply glued the cab back together so it would hold the chassis...I then gigged the amp as often as 5 days a week at some points for well over 7 or 8 years and it never once let me down.

Just a few years ago I took it to a gig one night and on my way home (I lived in an apartment at the time) I dropped it down a full flight of concrete stairs and it rolled end over end all the way to the bottom...

After getting it inside and putting all the power tubes back in it (and being amazed none of them broke!) I couldn't even look at it much less be brave enough to flip it on...imagine my amazament the next morning when I flipped the power switch and it fireds right up with NO issues at all!!!

It's a little more scared up now that it was before the fall down the stairs but had it been a lesser amp Im not sure it would have made it.

I say go out and buy a non master volume SF Twin Reverb...you'll have a great sounding amp thats as solid or more solid as any other amp you can name.

 

[gkoelling]

I recommend getting an early Silver Face Twin. You can get them from $800-1000 depending on their condition. I have a ’68 Twin with JBL's that I’m the original owner of. I’ve used it on at least 2000 gigs without a single problem. The only non-maintenance repair I’ve needed on this amp was replacing the reverb pan in 1978 after a spring broke when it was being shipped from San Francisco to New York. The only maintenance work I’ve needed was replacing all of the electrolytic caps a few years ago, replacing a few tubes (3 of the 4 RCA 6L6GC's are original and still sound great) and installing a three prong cord. None of the boutique amps I’ve owned has been as reliable as this amp. I also own a 1964 and a 1967 Twin. The 1968 is the best sounding amp of the 3. I had Pete Cage of Audiocage make a few of the SF to BF mods which improved the tone a bit. However, it was a great sounding amp even without the changes.

FVB

If that isn't a positive testimony, nothing is!


I knew a guy who had a TRRI that was in the shop more than it was on stage. I had a DRRI that was the same way. POS...

Go find a Silverface and be happy.

 

[rydia is hot]

He's not wanting to mess with caps/servicing/etc. No good techs near him and he's not too handy with an iron...

 

[gkoelling]

Oh, maybe something from Allen would work?

 

[FFTT]

Oh, maybe something from Allen would work?

Yes! Allen Amps are very well respected around here.