Fender Custom 68 Pro Reverb

[Cunamara]

New Fender=Overpriced junk amps.

I hear people compare the Pro to the Twin all the time. They aren't anything alike because the Pro is tube rectified and has smaller transformers. It gets real squishy at volume whereas the Twin stays pretty tight all the way up the dial.

Tube rectification is easily changed to solid state like the Twin. I did this with my Pro Reverb (early 70s, pre-master volume), which tightened up the bass frequencies but increased clean headroom only a bit. There is a lot of tonal difference between my PR and the similar era TRs I have used. The PR starts to show some hair around 4 on the volume knob, which is not all that loud compared to a Twin on 4 (which is painful in a living room, unless you're already hard of hearing) or even my tweed Deluxe at 2.5 (much steeper ramp on the volume controls from 0-3 than a Twin or PR). For jazz, the Twin is a better sounding amp IMHO unless you want the Kenny Burrell thing with a little hair on the notes when you dig in. With older amps, the Pro doesn't save much weight compared to the Twin.

That SS rectifier is now in my 5E3 where it is quite helpful in improving clean headroom.

[Sam Sherry]

I am a long-time lurker, first time posting here.

Well alright then!

I would get a Deluxe 65 Reissue but the lack of bright switch and mids kind of bothers me. . . . In the end, I just want an all-tube Fender amp with headroom, reverb and tremolo that is not going to need many trips to an amp tech.

I recently bought a 1981 Fender 30 combo from MusicGoRound. Handwired, all-tube, 2x6L6, pine cabinet. (Here's the writeup.)
Think of the '30' as the teenage child of a Vibrolux and a Super Champ. It has a smooth-sounding bright switch, a mid control and spring reverb. (It does not have tremolo.)
And it came in 1x12 and 2x10 versions.

I had the epiphany . . . I . . . suddenly realized that if I hurt my back lifting the amp out, I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things I needed to do - you know, those little things like playing the gig, getting home, and going to work the next morning . . . . by the time I got home, I'd already decided that I needed to find a smaller, lighter amp.

Nothing but respect as always.

I had an epiphany loading into a gig earlier this year. Ever since, I pack a dolly.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I had an epiphany loading into a gig earlier this year. Ever since, I pack a dolly.

I hope you got Ken. Barbie's no help at all.

[Harry_Barnes]

I have basically been researching Silverface Fender amps for a week or so. The Vibrolux just doesn't feel right somehow. Maybe it's the 2x10, maybe the fact that most agree it can't really hang with a full band (not that I am currently in a gigging band), maybe the lack of a mids knob which I am stuck on.

Somehow the Fender Twin feels right. I have read the endless debates on this forum about how loud they are (I am not in an apartment, and maybe a silverface twin with a master volume knob), how heavy they are (it will stay put for now like a piano, i will get a dolly if need be), and well actually those are the only issue people have no? A Silverface twin is less than half the price of a new RI.

I am hoping for an early 70s, and I have my eye on one now. It is in immaculate shape and the seller is offering it at a pretty low price. I messaged him about it and he was very grouchy. Perhaps his wife is forcing him to sell it?

The other Twin for sale in my area is a blackface modded 74 with what look to be Oxford Brown Cap 12s? Are those 60s Alnico speakers? He says they are original, but there is just no way right?

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I think you may be getting caught up in hype spread by people who've never actually used those amps, Harry. Some of the most famous names in jazz guitar have used Deluxes, Princetons, etc for some of the most wonderful and well known recordings in history. From your posts, I can't tell what you're seeking from an amp. I strongly suggest that you get a better handle on what you want before buying anything, or you're more likely to be disappointed than pleased.

The Twin and the Vibrolux are true icons of electric guitar performance. They've both been there for some of the greatest performances and recordings in history and have done so in every genre. I've had at least 5 Twins that I can recall since 1980 or so, including SF and BF. I have a very nice late '70 / early '71 SF right now modded by a prior owner to BF specs. There's nothing like a Twin for simplicity, elegance, and power. The sound is big at any volume and there's a fairly wide range of tone available. Size and weight aside, they're as wonderful in an apartment as they are on an arena stage. But used solely for home playing, they're more than a little overkill. And I defy you or most other players to tell blindfolded which BF or SF iteration and mod they're hearing or playing through - I can't reliably pick them out in a lineup.

The VIbrolux is king of the middle ground - I've owned 3. They sound great, although some of the SF versions sound a bit brittle and harsh to me. I prefer early BF in solid pine cabs. Whether a Vlux will "hang with a full band" is a matter of opinion and dependent on what kind of music you're playing, what guitar you're playing, how you play, etc. I've been using a SF '68 Vlux "custom reissue" (not a custom shop product) in the backline at the club where I've played a Sunday blues brunch every week for several years. It doesn't get lost in a blues band with a loud drummer, a 3000W bass rig with a 21" bass bin, a Hammond / Leslie, a horn section, and another guitar. I also play a weekly jazz show with my trio there, and it sounds great with my archtops.

We have a custom shop BF Princeton Reverb on stage, and it also sounds great for jazz with archtops or solid bodies. It will not "hang" with a big band, but it has more than enough juice for home and small gig use. I have a '76 SF Princeton at home that sounds wonderful for any style with any of my guitars. Personally, I can't imagine needing anything more unless you play gigs that demand more. Remember that an open E6 is only 82 Hz. A Twin, a Vibrolux, and a Princeton all have more than enough bass, and the quality (tight, loose, etc) is determined more by your choice of speaker than amp (especially at low volumes).

I use a Henriksen Blu 6 for restaurant gigs. It's not a Twin, but it sounds big and rich with plenty of tight, clean bass when on the floor (and I play only 7 string guitars). For most small to medium gigs, I use a class D head with a Toob (I have both 6.5" and 10" Toobs). Again, there's plenty of great sound coming out. I usually practice through a DV Mark EG250 head driving a Toob, although I recently got a new TC BAM200 head as a spare that I'm using at home right now to wring it out. For fun, I practice through the Twin or the Princeton once or twice a week. But the little Blu and the humble Toobs sound mighty good. It ain't what you play, it's how you play it.

If you want a Twin, buy one - they're outstanding amplifiers. But so is a Vibrolux, so are the smaller Fenders, and so are many other tube and SS amps. You just have to know what you want and listen with your own ears. Don't buy because of what you've read or heard. You absolutely do not need a Twin, and a Vibrolux would keep most of us very very happy both at home and on most gigs. Opinions are like rectums - everybody has one and everybody thinks everybody else's stinks.

[Alter]

And if buying an old Fender amp for clean sounds, always go for non master volume ones

[Cunamara]

If you aren't going to move it, then the weight issue is a non-issue. Twins sound great (I personally prefer silverface ones) at living room volumes and sound pretty much the same but louder at gig volumes. And if you're going to repaint the living room, just open up the Twin with a Tele and peel the existing paint from the wall.

[Jimmy Mack]

Don't neglect this little bit of the future: if you do gig a Twin, a dolly is very beneficial, but you may still have to LIFT it into a car, or up some stairs, or even lifting it onto a bandstand can hurt you. I've owned 3, and a Concert or 2. No way now would I move those. But I love my Fender tube amps.

Best of luck to you.

[vernon]

New Fender=Overpriced junk amps.

I will take issue with you on that. The new ‘64 Custom Deluxe Reverb (handwired) is a very, very fine amplifier. I have one. It IS overpriced for sure… but it is NOT junk.

[Jx30510]

Give the Hot Rod Deluxe IV a try, you might be suprised. This amp is in my opinion the best Fender amp for the price/power/sound in the current offerings.
I tried almost every of the Custom 68 range, and they all rattled, hissed and other strange pops and crackles.
The HRD IV has a very very good clean channel (I never use the Drive Channel), and it takes pedals like no other amp I've owned.
The volume knob is now progressive, and perfectly usable at home. The 40w clean headroom is pretty massive if you need it.
The cab is pine, very solid (no rattle here), and Celestion A speaker is very nice.
The older Hot Rod Deluxe had a pretty bad reputation, but the IV is getting high marks from a lot of well respected players.
I suggest you give it a try, really.

[Jx30510]

About 10 years ago I used to own a Fender Red Knob Twin Reverb. I don't how it compares in weight with the BF Twin (or SF). I was in my early 40's, and used to lift heavy stuff. Even then, when I moved the amp from my basement, about 10 steps upstairs, it was a physical challenge, not only because of the weight, but also the dimensions. It's a very bulky object.
Going downstairs was not better, the thing was pulling you to fall down the steps.
Even if you have the physical abilities to manage it by yourself , it's just very dangerous. If you happen to fall with it you're in for serious injury. Also, I happened to knock the varnish on the steps wood more than one time. So you have to lift the thing above the height of the next step. A hassle. Be sure that you have someone to help you each time.