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Post subject: Tremolux head
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:19 pm
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I am being offered a '64 Blackface Tremolux 35 W head in a (partial) trade for my Twin Reverb reissue and I'm tempted because I really don't need the volume of the Twin (and perhaps the weight) and I would like a warmer sound tan the TRRI and something with a tube rectifier too.

I have never heard of the Tremolux before, anyone tried one? What sound can I expect? I will have to get a separate cab for it so any speaker thoughts would be nice too.

Jim


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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:37 pm
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The Tremolux is indeed a 35-watt chassis, with a power supply and output stage similar to the non-verb 1 x 12 Vibrolux combo. It's a sweet amp that you can comfortably dime for tone's sake without worrying about liability insurance claims from audience members with bogus assertions of hearing-loss. The O/T is wound for a 4Ω load, thus a pair of your favorite 8Ω drivers will work well. The original speaker complement for the amp was a pair of Oxford 10K5 ceramics -- somewhat lackluster by contemporary standards. Vintage reconditioned Jensens or alnico Webers would be an excellent alternative.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:32 pm
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Wow, that was fast, thanks!

He gave a price comparable to the Blackface Bassman heads, are they also comparable in sounds?

Jim


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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:42 pm
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Not really. The Bassman (especially when using the bass instrument channel with its extra gain stages) has a bit more "fattitude" and balls-out volume. OTOH, the Tremolux is more akin to a Bandmaster -- with which it shares much of its pre-amp architecture. Thus, brighter and more "sparkly". Like a typical AA763/AB763 blackface.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 6:05 pm
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I used to work at a Music Store in Florida and the owner had a great batch of very nice BF piggy backs and off all the ones he had (Bassman, Bandmaster, Showman, etc.,) the sweetest sounding one was the Tremolux, and it sounded great with just about any guitar, but really shinned with a Tele or a Strat.

Wish I could find a good Tremolux, I would buy that in a heart beat...to me the Tremolux always seemed to me as a psuedo Delux Reverb in piggy back form...not sure how close the circuits are, but like the deluxe you could crank it and it was not TOO loud and still got the great tone.

FWIW

T2

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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:14 am
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T2Stratman wrote:
the Tremolux always seemed to me as a psuedo Delux Reverb in piggy back form...not sure how close the circuits are, but like the deluxe you could crank it and it was not TOO loud and still got the great tone.


The most significant difference between the Tremolux and the DR (ignoring the reverb issue) is in the final drive -- the T'Lux pushes a pair of 6L6GC's to about 35 watts, while the DR features the classic 2 x 6V6 layout. As for the tone, that comparison may be likened to the spaghetti sauce commercial......

"It's in there."

The TL is at its best pushing a pair of vintage P10Q's or Weber 10A125's through its stock enclosure or, alternatively, a pair of 12-inch Celestion Gold's in a semi open-back cab such as an Avatar. The amp's relatively small O/T saturates with ease, producing the classic compression most gear junkies love.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:48 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
T2Stratman wrote:
the Tremolux always seemed to me as a psuedo Delux Reverb in piggy back form...not sure how close the circuits are, but like the deluxe you could crank it and it was not TOO loud and still got the great tone.


The most significant difference between the Tremolux and the DR (ignoring the reverb issue) is in the final drive -- the T'Lux pushes a pair of 6L6GC's to about 35 watts, while the DR features the classic 2 x 6V6 layout. As for the tone, that comparison may be likened to the spaghetti sauce commercial......

"It's in there."

The TL is at its best pushing a pair of vintage P10Q's or Weber 10A125's through its stock enclosure or, alternatively, a pair of 12-inch Celestion Gold's in a semi open-back cab such as an Avatar. The amp's relatively small O/T saturates with ease, producing the classic compression most gear junkies love.

Arjay


+1 Arjay...I bow to your superior knowledge...but I really do think they sound kind of close in tone even though they have the different output tubes...somehow I knew you wouldn't let me tread on the Deluxes tone :lol:

T2

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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:00 pm
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Indeed they are closely akin in tone -- merely a skosh more bottom end with the Tremolux due to the different output bottles. I doubt that few could pass the "blind taste test" playing both amps through an identical speaker load in similar cabinets. As another Fender rarity, the T'Lux has its disciples just as with the Vibrasonic and both Vibroverbs.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:49 pm
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I have this '65 Tremolux with 10" JBLs. She whispers in my ears that she is sweeter than any Deluxe I could hope to find. Don't know about that, but I am not looking. She ain't as petty as Arjay's amps, but she's mine. I fall in love too easily.

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Post subject: Re: Tremolux head
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:19 pm
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She's as pretty as they come, Garry!

Gorgeous, in fact.

Consider yourself fortunate to be a member of a very exclusive club whose ranks are limited only by the number of surviving blackface beauties such as yours.

Rawk on!

8)

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