Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

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Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by telegraph1101 » Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:40 pm

I've noticed that a popular alternative to the Fender Twin Reverb reissues, are the silverface Twin Reverbs from the 70s (going for really cheap right now). However, on Reverb.com, the vast majority of those silverface Twins have the master volume, which I recall as being widely disliked. Is it still worth it, in this case, to buy a used silverface MV Twin, rather than any of the current reissues?

Also, why exactly is the master volume so poorly regarded? If you just set it to 10 and leave it like that all the time, wouldn't that make it as if the MV isn't there?

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by oid » Tue Aug 07, 2018 10:32 pm

telegraph1101 wrote:
Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:40 pm
why exactly is the master volume so poorly regarded?
Because they do not quite do the sound of everyone's favorite guitar heros perfectly.

If you can not work it with a MV Twin, the Twin is either not for you or your interests lie more in hero worship than music.
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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by oid » Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:19 pm

That was a tad terse, to expand. The Black and Silver Face Twins all sound like a Twin, they each have different strengths and weaknesses but there is a fair amount of overlap in their sounds, I find them all to be good amps. If your interests in the Twin are the stereotypical sound of a certain Twin then get that Twin, if you just want the sound of a Twin, they will all get you there.

One of the mistakes I have noticed people make when comparing the different eras of amps is they dial in the controls exactly as they normally do and then complain it is is to bright, turning down the treble just seems an alien concept to these people and they seem to also be the sort to be very vocal regarding the differences between eras.

I have no issues with hero worship, but I do not care for some of the fallout that it causes, I do like that it makes certain fantastic amps rather cheap, at least by comparison of the inflated prices of a certain few.
Logic gates based on billiard-ball computer designs have also been made to operate using live soldier crabs of the species Mictyris guinotae in place of the billiard balls.

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by s_mcsleazy » Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:58 pm

honestly, for me the master volume models are the best. i've never owned a twin...... but i must have played/borrowed at least 50 different ones. the ones that seem to work best for me are the master volume twins. easier for me to dial in the right level of preamp gain and power amp gain.
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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by Logrinn » Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:58 am

I got a new Twin in the middle of the 70's. It had a master volume and I loved it.
Because of the very big and spacious rehearsing area the band I played with back then had, I was able to use it at full volume.
One of the best sounding amps I've ever had. :w00t:

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by zepset » Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:58 am

It would depend on the sound you like and how you intend to use the amp.

I don't care for the Twin model in general, regardless of era. It's just too big and too clean. I'm happier with a Deluxe Reverb or Princeton Reverb from the 60s-70s.

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by gringopig » Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:10 pm

I love my master volume ultra linear. It has a warmth you can't beat and a clean headroom that just can't be rivalled. I have no idea why these amps aren't as loved universally as other models but more fool the detractors as you can pick up a nice good condition one for a great price. All handwired point to point with quality transformers and a full length top of the line Accutronics reverb tank. You do need two people to carry it though, especially as I did and replace the worn speakers with EVM 12L speakers.

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by ludobag1 » Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:08 pm

it is not the 135 w that have bad réputation ?
cause the 100 w silverface with master is the same as the non master more or less ?
not sure i ask ;)

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by oid » Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:35 pm

gringopig wrote:
Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:10 pm
I have no idea why these amps aren't as loved universally as other models
Most of us care more about our backs than our tone.
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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by panoramic » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:12 am

man master volume or not makes no difference, twin reverbs sound like twin reverbs and they definitely weigh 85lbs, so get ready to hulk that thing about if you buy it. I would skip that if i were you and buy a bandmaster or a tremolux head and a super light cab but that's how i roll
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by cestlamort » Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:28 am

oid wrote:
Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:35 pm
gringopig wrote:
Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:10 pm
I have no idea why these amps aren't as loved universally as other models
Most of us care more about our backs than our tone.
There was a time though....

Put in some neo speakers and a twin isn't quite so heavy. (I'm also fairly convinced that all fenders got heavier in the 70s sometime). I had a 68 with EV12L speakers and it sounded glorious. I couldn't lift it.

Any silver face twin is a lot of amp for the money. And should run forever.

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by i love sharin foo » Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:45 pm

I have a later '70s MV Twin Reverb. It sounds good to me. Just like what you expect a Twin to be. Loud and clean with a nice, full lowend. I generally keep the master wide open and use the only volume control. I've never felt like I was missing out by not having an earlier one without the master. I feel like mine is easier to move than the old Vox Ac30CC2 that I used to have. It's heavy but not overly thick.
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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by garyfanclub » Sat Aug 11, 2018 11:16 am

Jumping into the fray...

I’ve got a mid-70s MV 100W Twin. Yes, it’s clean, super loud, a stupid heavy, that’s the price of entry. If you want compressed smooth breakup ala JMP/Marshall look elsewhere. If you want crystalline cleans and a ton of horsepower to push your pedals, this is the ticket. With the right speakers it’s basically a PA system. Not to say it’s sterile, but it sounds exactly like your guitar - what you put in is what you get out.

The controversial MV is blown way out of proportion. It’s actually nice to have for certain applications - i.e tweaking where you sit in the mix. Yes, it impacts the tone (bass cut) but you can easily dial that back in. Like I mentioned before, a lot of the griping is wanting these amps to be something they simply weren’t designed to do.

To answer your question, yes, definitely worth it. It’s an incredible value for a point to point amp that will last you a lifetime and not break the bank. A true “working man’s” amp.

Here’s a little something to help with convincing you...

76 SF Twin / 75 Telecaster Custom
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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by Sauerkraut » Wed Aug 15, 2018 3:04 am

I had a '79 Twin Reverb years ago, one of the 135 watt ones. It was a fantastic amp; tons of headroom, extremely clarity but still warm and lovely reverb. The only thing to know is, like you wrote: just leave the master volume at 10 and never ever pull out, if that's possible (I don't know about the 100 watt model, but the 135 watt ones have push/pull master volumes: Pull the knob out and your amp will sound like a manualist). I sold it because it was heavy as hell, I had no use for the insane volume it can produce and, besides the weight, I also prefer the more "forgiving" sound of my '65 Tremolux. If I wanted a Twin Reverb, I'd get a 70s one again, not a reissue, because I have yet to hear a reissue that's truly convincing and because they don't have printed circuit boards.

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Re: Is Silverface Twin Reverb with master volume worth it?

Post by redchapterjubilee » Mon Aug 20, 2018 6:06 am

I've played different ones. Vintage blackface Twins WILL breakup if you turn them up. I was shocked the first time I was in a studio with one and that it wasn't quite as paint-peelingly loud as I expected it to be. I read later that that's Steve Jones' Never Mind The Bollocks tone. Les Paul, cranked blackface Twin. Silverfaces all seem to sound the same regardless of master volume or 100/135 w. Heavy, loud, clean. I play drums in a fun drunky Black Sabbath cover band and the guitarist cops Tony Iommi amazingly with a Tele, a master volume silverface Twin, and a couple of different fuzz pedals. He dimes the master and uses the regular volume too.

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