Setting Up a Fender Twin in the Living Room

**DawgBone** · 03-19-2025, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

The volume pot on the amp only attenuates the signal coming from the guitar cable. It has no direct effect on the power output (which will remain the same if the guitar’s output signal is reduced by its volume pot to keep the output level constant). Several others seem to have expressed the belief that if you increase the amp’s volume pot above 4 and cut back on the guitar’s volume to keep the output level down, a Twin will somehow sound better than if you get the same volume with the guitar wide open and the amp dialed back. This is simply not true. The amp itself will sound the same.

If there’s a difference in tone between those alternatives, the only possible source is that the guitar is wired so that treble is reduced as volume is reduced (which is the case for many guitars we all use). Whether a Twin sounds better above 4 than below with all other controls on guitar and amp the same is a different question. I think the answer is no, at least for jazz.

I can’t comment on whether a Twin sounds better on 10 than it does on 3. I’ve never cranked any of my amps all the way up except for my first two - a 5W Kay followed by a 1x12 Ampeg (I don’t remember the model name).

Regardless of what it is I have never met a BF/SF Fender amp that sounded worth a crap below 4. Twin, Pro, Super, Deluxe. I've never gigged the princeton and wouldn't, lol. Anytime I can't get the vol at 4 on any of those amps it's a smaller, squashed sound. Something nice starts to happen at 4. So unless I'm playing a bedroom sized venue I still set it at 4 and just roll back the guitar vol and it sounds better to me than vol 3 with the guitar volume up higher. FWIW even when I run the amp wide open I still rarely have the guitar's volume over 7. So for rhythm work guitar vol would be like 4 and then leads 7 or 8 depending on gain desired. I work this way regardless of amp volume but I do use an OD to make up for the loss of amp gain at lower vol settings.

My guitars are all wired like a 50's Gibson. I don't know what that means on the treble bleed side of things, I just know what I hear and experience when using all the stuff at a million gigs.

**DawgBone** · 03-19-2025, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Gitterbug

Maybe Kurt Rosenwinkel has the recipe for a Twin that sounds good on all volumes. Here's a statement I found on the DV Mark website:

“I’m always looking for ways to get consistent great tone on my tours, and when I tried the DV Mark Micro 60 I immediately realized how much of an improvement it was over the Fender Twin that I always have on my rider. I just use the DV Mark Micro 60 to power the cabinet of the twin and it really opens up the sound to a fuller, more detailed and pleasing tone.”

He probably realized it was an improvement cause he is using a Twin on a rider lol. He looks for ways to get consistent great tone on his tours. Using random backline Twin isn't going to be consistent. I'm guessing he's probably getting TRRI's i.e random backline gear probably serviced only when it breaks.

**Spook410** · 03-19-2025, 07:14 PM

- If you are playing any sort of carved archtop, you are not going to be turning up a twin anywhere nearby.

- While I have the freedom to turn up as loud as I like, the guitars I play would not allow it and I simply don't like loud anything

- Since there is a great deal of experience in this forum I suspect even views the seem opposing are correct and end up getting balanced by context and subjective taste

An interesting 'look over there..': What about a Fender Pano Verb? On paper looks like it would be a great jazz amp. $3K isn't what it used to be..

**Little Jay** · 03-26-2025, 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by Spook410

- If you are playing any sort of carved archtop, you are not going to be turning up a twin anywhere nearby.

- While I have the freedom to turn up as loud as I like, the guitars I play would not allow it and I simply don't like loud anything

- Since there is a great deal of experience in this forum I suspect even views the seem opposing are correct and end up getting balanced by context and subjective taste

An interesting 'look over there..': What about a Fender Pano Verb? On paper looks like it would be a great jazz amp. $3K isn't what it used to be..

Good point! The type of guitar and it’s behaviour definitely dictates how high your volume can be turned up. With a carved archtop, a Twin is most likely overkill in about any situation…..

**73Fender** · 03-27-2025, 09:08 AM

An often undiscussed benefit of an old school Twin is that it all the heat it generates will assist in keeping a room warm in the winter.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 03-27-2025, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by 73Fender

An often undiscussed benefit of an old school Twin is that it all the heat it generates will assist in keeping a room warm in the winter.

On cold dark winter days, we sit on the floor leaning against the back and reading by tube light

**bluejaybill** · 03-27-2025, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

On cold dark winter days, we sit on the floor leaning against the back and reading by tube light

In terms of electricity consumption, I think it would be cheaper to run a space heater!

**wintermoon** · 03-27-2025, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

In terms of electricity consumption, I think it would be cheaper to run a space heater!

yeah but space heaters sound awful imo, especially reissues

**pauln** · 03-27-2025, 09:27 PM

- Many guitarists come to realize the advantages of not putting the guitar's volume control full up. Most circuits reduce pick and string noise as they reduce higher frequencies when the volume control is rolled back a bit (I like "7" on my Strat, which has round wound strings... "7" has more of a clean quiet flat wound sound), good for practicing, rehearsals, and Jazz performance. Might roll it up a little for a very big place or outdoors as needed to maintain some "edge" in the tone.

- Even some rockers and rock blues folks roll it back a bit in spite of over driving the amp or using a pedal to do so (where the pedal tone is improved a bit below full up on the guitar).

- You may always use input 2* (-6dB compared to input 1) if you want the amp volume setting to be higher.

- On Fender tube amp tone stacks with a "Middle" control, that control is actually performing insertion loss recovery - it mostly just raises and lowers the level of the whole frequency response curve with little alteration in its shape which is almost entirely curved by the Bass and Treble controls. You can use the Middle control as an amp volume control... start with the Middle all the way down, turn the "Volume" control up as high as you want and then bring the Middle control up to whatever sound level you like.

* I play almost exclusively through input 2. Some people say it's only for humbuckers with input 1 meant for the weaker single coils. If you play Jazz you might prefer using input 2 with the amp volume up a bit; some rockers and blues rock folks only use input 2 during sound check (then sneak their plug into the louder input 1 for playing the show)

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 03-28-2025, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

In terms of electricity consumption, I think it would be cheaper to run a space heater!

But tube warmth feels so much better than the flat, soulless wind from solid state ceramic elements

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 03-28-2025, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by pauln

Even some rockers and rock blues folks roll it back a bit in spite of over driving the amp or using a pedal to do so (where the pedal tone is improved a bit below full up on the guitar)

That's not at all a surprise. Most O/D & distortion effects suck bass from the signal, which is why I dislike them so much - they make your tone thin and brittle. Most "drive" amplifier channels also thin out the tone. One of the reasons that Dumbles and Dumbloid effects like the Zen, Euphoria, etc sound so smooth and rich is that they preserve the low end of the signal.

I often use a Zen clone pedal with the drive very low to add the kind of gentle fatness plus slight sag with a chime on top that characterizes the Dumblish tones of Carlton, Ford, etc. It makes an archtop sound positively 21st century

**John A.** · 03-28-2025, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

But tube warmth feels so much better than the flat, soulless wind from solid state ceramic elements

The secret to a truly warm space heater is flatwound heating coils.

**yebdox** · 04-06-2025, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

On cold dark winter days, we sit on the floor leaning against the back and reading by tube light

I used to carry a Twin to gigs 5 miles in a blizzard, uphill both ways, then warm my mittens by stuffing them between the 6L6's before my "Freebird" finale solo (on 10) so that my hands would stay warm on the way home.

Did I mention it was uphill, both ways?