OK, Following on from travis's Super Reverb find yesterday, I have managed to stumble over (purely by chance) a completely rebuilt mid 70's SF Twin in not bad condition, cap job, service, new valves throughout, new pair of Eminence speakers.
The amp is up for £850 which I think is a fair price...
I've been considering a SF deluxe reissue or possibly an older one if I can find one but this has got me thinking...I know they weigh a ton and are totally different to the Deluxe in as much as they won't distort unless they are competing with Concorde for soundspace...but there's something cool about old Fender amps..
worth a better looksy/punt??
Comments
fuggit, I'm going to wait a month or so and get a new 68 RI deluxe..
Really want a Deluxe for smaller gigs...something that Twin and the SR definitely ain't aimed at LOL
Their 'look' evokes a lot of memories for me - so I 'get' why you're attracted towards it. They seem to be more common than smaller, more usable SF Fenders. May be its because they date from a period where bands were more dependent on their back line for volume - so greater numbers were sold.
My main objection to buying one is that I'm not convinced an old amp is inherently better than a new one - and has the potential for reliability, or even safety issues down the line.
You can pick them up in OK condition for £500-£600 no problem, and £250-£350 is probably at the upper end for the cost of the work. I wouldn't be put off by the replaced speakers, quite the opposite - the originals often blew.
Don't be put off because "no-one wants them", either - *some* people still do, and for them, smaller and lighter amps just don't quite cut it. I am one of them. I like them as a pedal/preamp platform better than any of the other models because they have all the features I want - bright switch (to be turned off!), mid control (to be turned up!), master volume, 12" speakers, plus real punch and authority. None of the others have *all* those. And they are still quite compact for such a powerful amp, even today.
Yes, they are heavy. Man up . I'm 5'6", 9 and a half stone and I have little girly hands and I can lift one...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
yeah, but you were 6'2 before you started manhandling a twin about.
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
Probably also worth reading the petrol/diesel thread in OT.
Whichever engine your car or van has, it will use a lot more fuel (and may not go up hills anymore) if you have one of these in it....
Great amps for no money really. I'm lucky enough to have some nice vintage and reissue amps, most of which cost a great deal more than my SF Twin with JBL's but it is probably my favourite. It sounds great at home volume and if required, you can knock walls down with it cranked.
Totally agree with @ICBM they have authority, that's the word. The JBL's in mine give it extra punch, you really feel it when its loud. Also agree regards settings, needs the mid up full and never use the "boost". I stick a Boss blues driver in front of it if I want gain at lower volumes, can easily do most "sounds" with that. It does need to be loud to get valve overdrive from it but mine is very sweet when it gets there. @ICBM did a simple mod on mine with the mains input which I think involves fixing the mains voltage setting. That drops the power output but also takes away some of the less desirable "ice pick" these amps can have. Perhaps he can remind me what it was he did?
I find to get a smooth balanced tone, they are really fussy about valve type and it took me a bit of experimentation to get the mix right. The key for mine was the use of ECC83's which are not overly gainy and have a good mid response. I found the gain of the valve used in V4 which is half the reverb return plus a gain stage, critical in not having it Fizzy when cranked up. RCA black plate 6L6's in the output work really well as did Winged C's.
Regards weight, put castors on it to move it around and take them off prior to use .. simples.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
1) £850 is a crazy price- I'd expect a non MV model for that, or certainly the fabled JBL D120F speakers.
2) Don't be frightened of the UL models- they are designed to have a very linear power output and can be played at lowish vols.
3) Very fussy re tubes- esp preamp. Having 'hot' preamp tubes will really have a negative effect IMO- I found that a really nice balanced set of 12AX7's not running too hot (70-71) were perfect.
Hope this helps. I sold mine, 135w UL with JBL's, for £750. Do try and hold out for those speakers- they're utterly epic.
EDIT: noting your wishlist, have you considered the Pro Reverb? Halfway house between a TR and a DR. Please try and find a good original- my SF TR blew my DRRI into the ocean for tone and presence.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.