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Post subject: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 1:00 pm
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The latest issue of Vintage Guitar magazine has an article on the '63-68 blackface Super Reverb. If any of you read this do you think Fender really issued any amps in '68 well after the silverface cosmetics showed up in blackface. It seems with the complete redesign of their looks and all the advertising that went with it to release such an amp that late in production is unlikely. According to the article the amp was built in the 48th week of '68. Almost 1969.


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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 3:38 pm
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I suppose it's possible, given that Fender employees continued Leo's practice of never wasting otherwise usable parts (even though by then he'd been out of the corporate picture for some three years). I once saw a brand-new blackface Bassman head with a build date sometime in December of '67, long after most of Fender's line had converted to silverface cosmetics.

But to truly know that Super Reverb's pedigree I'd need to inspect its pre-natal components for the appropriate date codes. And don't forget -- cosmetics are the easiest things to alter. I've done it many times myself, though never with the intent to deceive.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 2:01 am
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We can download it ;

http://www.vintageguitar.com/current-issue/


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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:33 am
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Aside from a hand-scrawled date in red grease pencil (which I deem to be inconclusive) the authors showed absolutely no definitive EIA component codes, nor did they bother to investigate the date that's usually stamped inside Fender cabinets from this era (if they're even aware of the existence of this clue). One thing certain, and I mean VERY CERTAIN......that baffle board has been diddled with. There's an abnormally large gap at the top and at least one new hole has been drilled on the left cleat (the right side is obscured). I'm not calling it bogus but IMO it is *very* suspicious.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 6:21 am
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Weren't replacement parts (i.e. face plates, grill cloth, baffles, etc.) readily available by order through dealers in the 60's and 70's?

UN


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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:25 am
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Indeed they were. Not nearly as prolific as today what with all the repros and FMIC's own generous offerings to the public at large, but parts were available through authorized dealers. My recently-purchased 1966 Vibrolux Reverb arrived to me wearing a silverface front panel with crudely installed 1968 grill cloth and the quasi-conversion was done very early in the amp's life.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 5:47 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Aside from a hand-scrawled date in red grease pencil (which I deem to be inconclusive) Arjay


I thought it was a common practice when a Fender Service Center repaired an amp that a new stenciled date was added. The second bantam I refurbed had the '69 date lined threw and a 1970 date added. I am sure it was a '69 as the transformers, speaker, etc all dated to that year, thoughts?

Interesting article, but right up front it was stated they were taking "Liberties" with it being the first and last. Good reading but they only showed what backed up their article as proof.

FWIW.

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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 6:30 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
I thought it was a common practice when a Fender Service Center repaired an amp that a new stenciled date was added.


Occasionally, yes. But such a servicing notation was usually done with pencil or sharpie, not ink-stamped as a stencil. But as we all know, variations can and do occur.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2017 8:48 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
T2Stratman wrote:
I thought it was a common practice when a Fender Service Center repaired an amp that a new stenciled date was added.


Occasionally, yes. But such a servicing notation was usually done with pencil or sharpie, not ink-stamped as a stencil. But as we all know, variations can and do occur.

Arjay


Agreed...I went back and looked at the gut shots of all my amps, and everyone is ink stamped with a date. But my Bantams, even the original date was hand written, but with only a couple of runs of Bantams, maybe they just hand wrote them?

T2

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Post subject: Re: Blackface '68 Super Reverb?
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2017 9:49 am
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T2Stratman wrote:
But my Bantams, even the original date was hand written, but with only a couple of runs of Bantams, maybe they just hand wrote them?


Possible......perhaps even likely, given the relatively low overall production numbers.

Arjay

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