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Post subject: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 12:52 am
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I have a 1980 Fender Twin Reverb. ( According to the Serial # F0+5 numbers )

The speakers have 005379 printed on them and another number which, on both, is partially covered by a round blue sticker on the magnet. I saw in another thread that the 005379 is Fender's In House part number.

I bought this around 1983 or 4....well before the internet and so I did not research it well. I thought Fender Twin Reverb.....gotta be good.

What I heard shortly after I bought it when I took it in for a 'service'.... is that this 135W model is not that great of an amplifier....something to do with the output transformer.....Mains transformer....power supply ...Ultra Linear design etc etc or something along those lines. I was led to believe that there was very little that could be done to it....other than speakers and keeping it biased well etc...staying on top of the tubes. But I got the impression that was about it...at the time.

It has never really sounded 'great' to me....good but not great. I tried putting a couple EV 200W speakers in it when I was going for a super clean sound....but the amp was so heavy with them that the band just about went on strike, not wanting to ever help lift it onto a stage without a ramp ever again. It was almost a fricken mutiny I tell ya! So I put the stock one's back in.

It is extremely loud.....I'd have to get a power soak/variac type dealio to see what it is capable of if it is driven really hard. It's got that Fender sparkle for sure. But other than that, nothing special...kind of sterile sounding. The Push/Pull switch is a joke...the distortion sound sucks. Monthly I would leave that 'In', never use the Bright Switch and I would go up on the MV and then bring the Channel Vol up to where it needed to be. I would get all my overdrive from whatever pedals I was suing....at the time a Tube Screamer and the yellow Boss pedal....Super Distortion? Then I went to an external preamp and into the power amp, bypassing the Fender's preamp.

So Retro you mentioned Jensen's I believe. Eminence is another choice, Celestion's perhaps. I'm not dripping with extra money for parts by any means.....but I would like to have it be given a little love. It's got a set of matched Groove Tubes in it.......I think it needs a professional bias job though. A bit hummy. Doesn't like my iPhone being on anywhere near it is another issue.

So...as with my Montreux question.........what is with this particular model Twin Reverb? Has anything changed in the last 25 years or so regarding these amps and what can be done with them?

I get that it will never be a vintage Blackface......but is there anything one can do to improve it that won't break the bank? Any sorts of mods or tricks etc...changes to the circuitry, wiring, caps..... blardy blar? The only 'mod' this amp has had is where the Line Out/Recording jack is.....Jerry Blaha ( Jabco Amp Repair ) had put a Power Amp Input there for me. This so I could come out of an ADA MIDI Programmable Preamp......one side to the Pwr Amp In of the Fender.....the other side out to the Pwr Amp in that Jerry put in my Marshall JCM 800 Lead Series head.

Anyway.....it will be interesting to hear what you knowledgeable folks have to say about it.

Also....who is the Go-To tube amp repair shop in Los Angeles right now. I know Blackie Pagano was here for a while...I believe he may have gone back to NY though...not sure. Jabco (Jerry) is no longer in business....so I have no idea who the hot tube amp repair person is currently.

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 2:19 am
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Before trying speakers or other mod, amp may need to see a qualified tech.
New filter caps ?
New tubes ?
Right bias on Power tubes.

More about 135 watts TR

http://ampwares.com/amplifiers/fender-s ... in-reverb/

Post about 135 watts TR;

https://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php ... win+reverb

https://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php ... win+reverb

https://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php ... rb#p981323


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 2:48 am
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I have a one-owner 135-watt UL Twin Reverb that I've owned since February of 1978. Third row, on the left......


Image

It was my "touring amp" for over twenty five years, until I learned that I could often get my work done with significantly smaller (and lighter) platforms. With its pair of factory-installed JBL D120F's, it tips the scales right at 112 lbs. A genuine ball-buster.

Your observations of your TR are essentially correct. The MV control with its pull-boost feature notwithstanding, you'll never get any true saturated distortion out of the amp even when dimed. Think of it as a very clean seismic-event generator. The only way mine sounded good was to use a Zoom Amp Simulator up front, where I could micromanage every sonic parameter and store those settings as presets. There's really nothing to be done that will improve the OD tone of these Ultra Linear platforms. Any amp tech who tells you he knows the secret to blackfacing one is merely jerkin' yer gherkin. And even if it were true, the original blackface editions didn't distort, compress, or saturate any more than the later silverface models. As for upgrading the speakers, there are plenty to choose from. Just make certain that whatever you buy has the requisite power-handling capability (75 watts each, minimum).

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 6:45 am
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Great lineup of restored original Fender amps! I like the looks of those silverface ones. Esp the drip-edge amps!

:)


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:39 pm
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Thanks for the links Stratele52.

Dang Arjay.....that's one hell of a collection of Fender amps you have there. Impressive man! What model Strat is that you are playing and did anyone ever tell you you kinda look like EC? :lol:

Yeah I will consider some speakers. I can't justify spending top dollar on hard to find speakers like the JBL's you have and others. Eminence might be the way to go for me.

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2018 11:13 pm
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Eminence and Weber both have some worthy candidates that won't break the bank. I don't have anything nice to say about the imported "Jensini" speakers so I'll say nothing.

:wink:

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 1:41 am
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Fumbly wrote:
Thanks for the links Stratele52.

Dang Arjay.....that's one hell of a collection of Fender amps you have there. Impressive man! What model Strat is that you are playing and did anyone ever tell you you kinda look like EC? :lol:


Thanks.


It is alway fun to see Arjay amps's collection :)


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 2:37 am
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I need to shoot an updated "family portrait".

I've since added a '66 blackface Vibrolux Reverb and a drip-edge '68 Pro Reverb.

:oops:

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:58 am
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The Ultralinear models have a lot of subsonic bass response that wastes power.
You can limit it in two ways. To just reduce bass, change out the cathode capacitors on v1a and v2a from 25uf to 2.2uf.
To recreate the original response, get a reissue output transformer and install screen grid resistors. This will limit the bass with transformer saturation, something the Ultralinear can't do. It will reduce the power back to 100 watts.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:13 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
I need to shoot an updated "family portrait".

I've since added a '66 blackface Vibrolux Reverb and a drip-edge '68 Pro Reverb.

:oops:

Arjay


A heavy GAS :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:21 am
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TimsAudio wrote:
The Ultralinear models have a lot of subsonic bass response that wastes power.
You can limit it in two ways. To just reduce bass, change out the cathode capacitors on v1a and v2a from 25uf to 2.2uf.
To recreate the original response, get a reissue output transformer and install screen grid resistors. This will limit the bass with transformer saturation, something the Ultralinear can't do. It will reduce the power back to 100 watts.


Image[url=https://flic.kr/p/2cY5nqG]


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:06 am
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TimsAudio wrote:
The Ultralinear models have a lot of subsonic bass response that wastes power.
You can limit it in two ways. To just reduce bass, change out the cathode capacitors on v1a and v2a from 25uf to 2.2uf.
To recreate the original response, get a reissue output transformer and install screen grid resistors. This will limit the bass with transformer saturation, something the Ultralinear can't do. It will reduce the power back to 100 watts.


Very interesting TimsAudio...thanks.

As far as this reissue output transformer.....excuse my ignorance but is that an output transformer from a Reissue Twin Reverb or something......or that's what the actual part is called......if that makes sense?

I Googled it and got this. Right part?

http://www.classictone.net/40-18012.html

Also.....are these 'mods' something that can be done together? The caps and the transformer.

I would not do this myself. My big question would be......if these 'mods' were done by an amp tech....do they leave the amp reliable and are they safe?

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2018 3:40 am
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Fumbly,

Don't waste your money with a replacement transformer you don't need.

Have a good tune up on the amp by a pro and enjoy it.
Use only good electrolytics caps for filter and bypass cap ( if needed)


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2018 4:14 am
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stratele52 wrote:
Fumbly,

Don't waste your money with a replacement transformer you don't need.

Have a good tune up on the amp by a pro and enjoy it.
Use only good electrolytics caps for filter and bypass cap ( if needed)


+1

Don't forget the bias-supply cap. And make damn certain that all of the electrolytics in the filter array are rated for a minimum of 500 VDC. The ultra linears are absolute beasts when it comes to B+ voltages.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Fender Twin Reverb 135W Silverface
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2018 4:27 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
stratele52 wrote:
Fumbly,

Don't waste your money with a replacement transformer you don't need.

Have a good tune up on the amp by a pro and enjoy it.
Use only good electrolytics caps for filter and bypass cap ( if needed)


+1

Don't forget the bias-supply cap. And make damn certain that all of the electrolytics in the filter array are rated for a minimum of 500 VDC. The ultra linears are absolute beasts when it comes to B+ voltages.

Arjay


+1

That is why amp must see a pro, not a handy man in amp bussiness


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