From ai58–(at)–afn.org Thu Apr 9 13:53:15 CDT 1998
Article: 96733 of alt.guitar.amps
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From: ai58–(at)–afn.org (Gil Ayan)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar.amps
Subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb II
Date: 7 Apr 1998 13:25:01 -0700
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In article <1998040620265401.QAA1861--(at)--adder03.news.aol.com>, tremolu–(at)–ol.com Tremolux says:
>
>>Then just as I was
>>flooring the accelerator to get there before someone else did, he said “It’s
>>a Twin Reverb II.”
>
>Hit the brake!!! These things have the most dull and lifeless clean tone that
>you can imagine. As bad as a Mesa Boogie.

These Rivera-designed amps were never received with warm affection,
and I still wonder why. However, there are several things to be noted:

1. These amps are point-to-point wired and their clean channel
circuitry — looking at is as we speak — can be turned into
a Blackface one by removing the 0.001 uF cap (plate to cathode)
on V1, and changing the feedback network (6 resistors total).

2. In addition to the above, you get a buffered FX loop and good
reverb. If you don’t like the presence of the FX loop, it takes
2 minutes to take it out of the circuitry. The amp has 6 12AX7
tubes, plenty to do anything you want out of an amp.

3. These amps’ lead channel design is about as close to an old
Dumble that ever came into production, incorporating a 500 pF
plate-to-cathode feedback in V2A and a large coupling capacitor
(0.0047 uF, to be exact) after the 1st OD stage to mitigate the
typical Fender fartiness — though Dumble used a variation of
that scheme.

4. Tremo and I both know Jay Graydon and know what he likes and
doesn’t like. Jay once told me that Larry Carlton used to have
a Twin II in the early 80s that sounded as good as his (Larry’s,
not Jay’s) Dumble.

5. I have repeatedly heard people talk down on the Concert amps of
the same vintage, and I have always found them to ge great amps
if properly dialed in, and provided you have the right touch for them.

In the words of Paul Rivera, “all of those amps are great platforms to
do just about everything you want with them. Point to point, cheap and
they have a good sound of their own: they’re one heck of a deal.” I do
agree. For those whose only concept of a guitar tone is to plug into a
60s Blackface, co be it; for those into something a little different with
more choices, do consider these ealry 80s Fenders.

Gil

—
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/ __ / / /_/ / / __ / / / / Gil Ayan, Los Angeles, CA
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