NAD Fender '65 Twin Reverb RI

[zisme]

I sold off my Orange CR120 head and 4x12 that I used for about 5 years with my previous band. Great amp that never let me down, but since that band broke up and I had to remove it from that practice space, it had just been taking up bunch of space at home. My current band has more of a shoegazey-space rock sound. Up to this point I've been using my JC-120, which I like very much - but alas, the fabled twin has been calling my name for some time. For over a decade now I've exclusively used solid state amps - largely due to cost and concerns about tube maintenance/reliability, but i'd be lying if i didn't admit that i developed a bit of chip on my shoulder about it. i did hem and haw quite a bit between the tube twin and the tonemaster version. in this band i'm using the amp as a clean pedal platform, and the reviews/comparison seem to favor the tube version in that regard.

so i pulled the trigger with sweetwater, who had it shipped to my door in 3 days. the fedex truck pulled up saturday afternoon while i was mowing my front lawn. there were two delivery folks in the truck who immediately expressed their displeasure with having to move the 2-ton box. I helped them carry out of the truck and into my garage. it wasn't until after they had driven off that i noticed a substantial hole punched through the center of one of the long sides of the box. fortunately the amp inside was undamaged (the hole was on the opposite side from the grill cloth).

i had a busy weekend and wasn't home much, so i only got a few odd minutes here and there to fire it up. I moved it to my band's practice space during my lunch break on Monday, where I had my first opportunity to turn it up a bit. As advertised the amp delivers a beautiful, rich clean tone. the big difference between it and the jc-120 is the sensation of headroom. it definitely gets to moving air quickly. pedals 'leap' from the speakers in a more pronounced way. for tonight's band practice i ran it on the normal channel at volume 5 - definitely loud, but not painfully so. it does way a brick ton - it will be getting a set of wheels of some kind should I need to start moving it around regularly (if live gigs ever return).

probably not much more i can say that hasn't already been said about it. i'm happy with it - its classic status is well earned.

updated photo on new tour case wheels

updated/current pedalboard

most recent practice recording

[bc rich]

Congrats on NAD , Your 'Stolen Flame ' is some seriously heavy shoe gaze .

[Chocol8]

I didn’t realize the new ones don’t come with the casters and the tilt back legs. Both are nice to have, but definitely put it on wheels if it’s ever going to move even a few inches!

I have always had at least one Twin Reverb since the 80’s. Other amps come and go but a Twin always stays. My favorites have been the early Silver Face amps which I used to be able to pick up cheap and then recap and convert to Black Face specs for maybe $400-$500 total invested. There must be a resurgence in popularity because they now seem to go for over $800 in rough shape needing over $100 worth of parts, and up from there into original Black Face prices.

As for getting the most out of it, a good place to start is the “Fender magic 6” settings. Volume and treble at 6, bass and mids 2 and 3 (2x3=6). These numbers are starting points and due to differences in pots and other components could be +/- 1-1.5 on different amps. There are some good write ups on why this works, but basically, the tone stack is interactive and this is the approximate sweet spot where the low and high E’s will be in balance and start to distort at roughly the same level. If it’s too loud, instead of turning down the amp, try turning down the guitar volume (and or pick lighter!). These amps can give big thick clean tones that really bloom when you turn them up to 6 or higher and then feed them a softer input signal. You also get great dynamics. Try the reverb on maybe 2-3, where you can hear and feel it but before it gets anywhere near surfy.

I mentioned in the other thread that you can safely pull a pair of output tubes. Either the outer two or the inner two, in order to cut the volume level a bit. You will reduce power in half. Another quick free mod is to pull the input tube of the channel you are not using which will increase gain a bit. The first tube is for the normal channel, and the second one is the “vibrato” channel. I usually don’t do this one, but you used to see it a lot.

[zisme]

I didn’t realize the new ones don’t come with the casters and the tilt back legs. Both are nice to have, but definitely put it on wheels if it’s ever going to move even a few inches!

I have always had at least one Twin Reverb since the 80’s. Other amps come and go but a Twin always stays. My favorites have been the early Silver Face amps which I used to be able to pick up cheap and then recap and convert to Black Face specs for maybe $400-$500 total invested. There must be a resurgence in popularity because they now seem to go for over $800 in rough shape needing over $100 worth of parts, and up from there into original Black Face prices.

As for getting the most out of it, a good place to start is the “Fender magic 6” settings. Volume and treble at 6, bass and mids 2 and 3 (2x3=6). These numbers are starting points and due to differences in pots and other components could be +/- 1-1.5 on different amps. There are some good write ups on why this works, but basically, the tone stack is interactive and this is the approximate sweet spot where the low and high E’s will be in balance and start to distort at roughly the same level. If it’s too loud, instead of turning down the amp, try turning down the guitar volume (and or pick lighter!). These amps can give big thick clean tones that really bloom when you turn them up to 6 or higher and then feed them a softer input signal. You also get great dynamics. Try the reverb on maybe 2-3, where you can hear and feel it but before it gets anywhere near surfy.

I mentioned in the other thread that you can safely pull a pair of output tubes. Either the outer two or the inner two, in order to cut the volume level a bit. You will reduce power in half. Another quick free mod is to pull the input tube of the channel you are not using which will increase gain a bit. The first tube is for the normal channel, and the second one is the “vibrato” channel. I usually don’t do this one, but you used to see it a lot.

lots of great info there, thanks!
it does have kickback legs, but no casters. I'm thinking of some kind of rolling case or cart in the future.

[Chocol8]

it does have kickback legs, but no casters. I'm thinking of some kind of rolling case or cart in the future.

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/parts/amp ... 00000.html

Solid when in use and pop out easily when not wanted. Surprised they are no longer standard equipment.

[archetype]

Nice score! They're definitely loud... real blasters. They have another side, too. Despite what one reads on Web forums, they're excellent home amps. A Twin with the volume on 1 or 1 1/2 has a beautiful, room-filling clean tone. "Room-filling" doesn't mean loud, it just means that the open back 2 x 12" cab moves a lot of air, front and back, and fills the space you're playing in. I played one in a living room for years.

[jhull54]

Man, that is so nice. Congrats!

[Mossman]

so i pulled the trigger with sweetwater, who had it shipped to my door in 3 days. the fedex truck pulled up saturday afternoon while i was mowing my front lawn. there were two delivery folks in the truck who immediately expressed their displeasure with having to move the 2-ton box. I helped them carry out of the truck and into my garage. it wasn't until after they had driven off that i noticed a substantial hole punched through the center of one of the long sides of the box. fortunately the amp inside was undamaged (the hole was on the opposite side from the grill cloth).

Congrats! The mighty Twin has been my dream amp for the longest time, but I always felt it was too much amp for my needs, and totally useless in a home setting. Of course, if I had known what @Chocol8 and @archetype just said, that may have changed my mind.

BTW, your Soundcloud track isn't working.

[zisme]

so i pulled the trigger with sweetwater, who had it shipped to my door in 3 days. the fedex truck pulled up saturday afternoon while i was mowing my front lawn. there were two delivery folks in the truck who immediately expressed their displeasure with having to move the 2-ton box. I helped them carry out of the truck and into my garage. it wasn't until after they had driven off that i noticed a substantial hole punched through the center of one of the long sides of the box. fortunately the amp inside was undamaged (the hole was on the opposite side from the grill cloth).

Congrats! The mighty Twin has been my dream amp for the longest time, but I always felt it was too much amp for my needs, and totally useless in a home setting. Of course, if I had known what @Chocol8 and @archetype just said, that may have changed my mind.

BTW, your Soundcloud track isn't working.

Sorry it's been a while since i've checked in here. I take a practice session off of soundcloud every time i upload a new one since a free account has limited space. I'll update the link in the OP.

My twin is still mighty, though one of the stock power tubes did go microphonic on me. swapped the original groove tubes with jjs and she's singing pretty again.

I did invest in a gator tour case for safer transport. it's great when you can roll it. but on the occasion you do have to lift it (such as into the trunk of my car), it's ridiculously heavy.

It does it's job in the band setting perfectly. I've finalized my rig for the time being and am loving the tones. I don't doubt that the twin sounds good at bedroom volumes, but i certainly wouldn't use it as a bedroom amp. I am eyeing one of the smaller 68 reissues though for a new home amp. maybe the princeton

[tlarson58]

so i pulled the trigger with sweetwater, who had it shipped to my door in 3 days. the fedex truck pulled up saturday afternoon while i was mowing my front lawn. there were two delivery folks in the truck who immediately expressed their displeasure with having to move the 2-ton box. I helped them carry out of the truck and into my garage. it wasn't until after they had driven off that i noticed a substantial hole punched through the center of one of the long sides of the box. fortunately the amp inside was undamaged (the hole was on the opposite side from the grill cloth).

Congrats! The mighty Twin has been my dream amp for the longest time, but I always felt it was too much amp for my needs, and totally useless in a home setting. Of course, if I had known what @Chocol8 and @archetype just said, that may have changed my mind.

BTW, your Soundcloud track isn't working.

. I am eyeing one of the smaller 68 reissues though for a new home amp. maybe the princeton

That's what stimulus checks are for, I believe.

[OMB]

Everyone should own a Fender Twin Reverb until they can no longer hear or are unable to lift it into a trunk without a visit to the ER. Sweetest clean tones next to an Ampeg!

[andrewsrea]

I missed this when you posted it - congrats and nice choice!

Orange 120 to a Twin - you mush like 'em loud!

[zisme]

I missed this when you posted it - congrats and nice choice!

Orange 120 to a Twin - you mush like 'em loud!

Guilty!