Fender Super Reverb

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earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3491
I've been reading a bit about the Blackface Fender Super Reverb, but I can't find a huge amount about them.  

Has anyone tried a BF (or other versions) Super Reverb?  How do they compare to other Blackface amps like the Princeton, Deluxe etc? 

Thanks in advance. 
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  • jacksparrowjacksparrow Frets: 673
    Hi I had a SRRI and it was a great amp once the jensen speakers broke in and with some good tubes in.

    I now own a 66 super reverb and i prefer it slightly more than the reissue. the original cts speakers sound wonderfull, super reverb cleans are breathtaking there is something about 4x10 speakers they have a great spread of sound. 

    hope this helps most blackfaces sound similar the diffrence is mainly speaker size and tubes ie 6l6gc v's 6v6.
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  • darcymdarcym Frets: 1297
    tried and used, loved loved loved it as an amp, and like @Jacksparrow the reissues for me was a little better than the actual blackface original, if you don't get lost in the mythical history/magic of the blackface (still amazing) the reissue is just a little tidier put together and more consistent clean sound, I'd buy one in a heart beat. They are big and heavy though, so be prepared for that.
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  • gordijigordiji Frets: 782
    jack prefered the original.not the reissue
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  • BlacksheepBlacksheep Frets: 293


    darcym said:
    tried and used, loved loved loved it as an amp, and like @Jacksparrow the reissues for me was a little better than the actual blackface original, if you don't get lost in the mythical history/magic of the blackface (still amazing) the reissue is just a little tidier put together and more consistent clean sound, I'd buy one in a heart beat. They are big and heavy though, so be prepared for that.
    Big, heavy and LOUD! Fantastic tone, though
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  • darcymdarcym Frets: 1297
    ahh I liked the reissue,
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    edited June 2016
    Yep owned mine for 5 years and is prob the best amp I have (I have 9 in total!)

    Be ready for:

    * superb HiFi cleans and ambiance
    * enormous thump when you turn the Bass up a little
    * ultimate Fender Americana rock tones
    * blues you can use
    * pedal friendly beyond belief
    * Vintage JTM Marshall tones with the right pedal and a Les Paul
    * beautiful piece of room furniture/art
    * a need for longer legs and shorter arms


    http://i61.tinypic.com/2zyefrn.jpg
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
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  • jpfampsjpfamps Frets: 2723
    One of my favourite amps.

    Sadly I don't get to play in venues big enough to use mine that often.....

    Not that heavy, but quite unwieldy due to the largeish cab.

    If you go the vintage route, the main issues are that the cab is in sound condition.

    Best value in my view would be late 60s, early 70s SF and get this converted to BF spec.
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  • My favourite amp.  Not that heavy for their size, but they are bloody awkward to carry.  The reissues are excellent, and tend to go comparatively cheap secondhand (cheaper than a Deluxe Reverb RI, and Supers are about £400 more new).  If you want vintage but can't afford it, get a Traynor YRM-1SC for about a 1/4 of the price.
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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3491
    Thanks for all the replies. 

    I was reading about Television's guitarists Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine that they used Super Reverbs in the 70's, and like many I imagine learning to play Marquee Moon as a teenager pretty much put me forward for my love of guitar from there on.   

    The Super Reverb sound was recommended to me by an amp maker with whom once the finances come in I will commission an amp with.  I took the advice on board without questioning it as obviously his insights are insightful but it was the Television connection which made me inquire here and it seems it was a perfect fit all along.  

    Great to hear there are many happy accounts of forumites using the Super Reverb too. 


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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3491
    57Deluxe said:
    Yep owned mine for 5 years and is prob the best amp I have (I have 9 in total!)

    Be ready for:

    * superb HiFi cleans and ambiance
    * enormous thump when you turn the Bass up a little
    * ultimate Fender Americana rock tones
    * blues you can use
    * pedal friendly beyond belief
    * Vintage JTM Marshall tones with the right pedal and a Les Paul
    * beautiful piece of room furniture/art
    * a need for longer legs and shorter arms


    http://i61.tinypic.com/2zyefrn.jpg
    Holy Batman, that is a stunning amplifier.  What's the guitar btw?  IMO, the combination of P90's and Fender amps is a lot of fun. 

    Great description as well.  Pretty much exactly what I am after (aside from the arms and legs bit - mine look strange enough as it is...)


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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    edited June 2016
    Hi,

    FWIW, I've have experience of the Silverface forms of these amps. All three are great amps. 
    Aside from the obvious fact that they're each amp offers different amounts of headroom and volume, they each have that classic Fender sound so I'll try to focus on the subtle differences between them.. 

    Princeton Reverb -mine is a stock '78 with the maligned pull boost. It sounds better than the 72 I used to own. Simply a great sounding amp - warm and pure. Stock speaker craps out a bit if I crank it too much, but I primarily play clean. Could be my favourite for home use and or for small venues, though I probably love the DR just as much - it's splitting hairs to be honest. 

    Deluxe Reverb - a '73 which I've loaded with a JBL D-120F which I much prefer to the stock speaker. It still sounds wonderful at low volumes but can get as loud as a Pro Reverb. The DR seems to be a hotter amp than the rest of the classic Fender range. As well as the great clean sound, it's capable of great Rock sounds with the right guitar. A great, portable all rounder that is more than enough amp for most needs.

    Super Reverb - a '74 with JBLs. Great clean sound with that shimmer, but more scooped sounding than the others. Nails the Television sound, which I also love, and Big Star. Good also for '70s Pop Rock e.g. Badfinger. Bit of a picky amp: I have to set the controls differently to my other Fenders. Treble on 6 with the Bright Switch Off/ Treble on 3 with Bright Switch on. Mids on 10. Bass no higher than 2.3 or 3, or it gets messy. For some reason, the bass isn't as crisp as on my amps that have a 12 or 15 inch speaker, so I don't use it for Dick Dale sounds, despite the great reverb. Sound really fills the room.  I don't care for the overdriven sound beyond about 5 on the dial. A number people have told me that a Super complements a Strat very well. SRV is the obvious example, though not really my cup of tea.


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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    edited June 2016
    As JPFAmps said though, Supers are loud amps. How loud do you need to be? Lots of other/cheaper options if you just want to cop that Television sound e.g a Twin, Musicman, Traynor or Peavey 4x10. During their reunion, I think Television used AC30s!
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  • PigknowsPigknows Frets: 39
    edited June 2016
    One more point is that I don't personally subscribe to the view that BF Amps are necessarily better than SF Amps, or that vintage is necessasrily better than modern. I've played a BF Twin and Pro Reverb and while they looked cool i didn't think they justified the premium. Used to own a BF Vibro Champ but my SF sounds better hands down. I've played an early Vibro king, a reissue Vibrasonic and 65 Princeton Reverb and they all sounded great.
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    @earwighoney - the guitar shown with my SR is a PRS Soapbar II and yes is a superb pairing AND it WILL/DOES give you those Tom Verlaine+/ TV tones!
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
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  • hywelghywelg Frets: 4302
    I first heard Matt Schofield playing through a BF SR and he sounded huge. My experience is limited to the occasional go on one, but you do notice the 10's. The attack is different, faster, maybe a little more compressed?. I really like 10's for that Fender clean sound.

    Volume is an issue, only when you get it to 4½ and above does it get those magical tones. And that is LOUD. If you pair it with a Strat with low output vintage style pickups its just tone heaven.
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  • BlacksheepBlacksheep Frets: 293
    This thread has me gassing for an SF Super Reverb.
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    I mentioned I got classic Marshall tones from my SR with a good pedal and a Les Paul... well seems this is not uncommon!





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  • wellsyboywellsyboy Frets: 451
    Have had a '64 and a 65 - quite simply one of the greatest amplifiers ever made! The sound from these is jaw droppingly good. 
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  • BucketBucket Frets: 7751
    I've never tried a Super but from what I can work out, they're louder and bigger (physically and tonally) than a Deluxe, certainly more so than a Princeton, but sound-wise will have the same glassy American shimmer which, to my mind, is simply the best type of clean tone from any amp ever made. At 45w it'll be fuuuuuucking loud, but if you ever do manage to crank it up then these types of Fenders sound absolutely wonderful at break-up.

    I once saw a gig (Alan Darby's Guitars Deluxe - fantastic) where all three guitarists were using Supers - a mix of vintage originals and reissues. All three, I believe, cranked up. The sound was utterly wonderful but bugger me, it was so loud.
    - "I'm going to write a very stiff letter. A VERY stiff letter. On cardboard."
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  • A friend of mine picked one up at a farm auction for $50 . Crazy deal for an original SR.  Great sounding loud amp...
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