'65 Twin Reverb

[The Ace]

Can someone give me the lowdown on the '65 twin reverb? Some people over at harmony central say they have the best clean sound out there? What's your stance?

[Dr_simon]

you might want to try a Rolland JC120 (Jazz Clean 120 W) before parting with any cash. I know a couple of people who love then and think PonyOne has one also.

[The Ace]

I've looked into the rolands... but I've always liked the feel of tube amps. Besides, I don't know why, but I also really like the fender distortion.

You are correct though, I've heard some say that once they tried the Roland, they immediately sold their twin.

[Kevin Taylor]

Ah, here's an amp I owned for about 15 years.
Overall, if you're looking for a clean sound it's great.
I wouldn't use it for rock though cause there's no way to get a natural distortion from it without super loud volumes or pedals. I'd also check it for buzzes in and around the actual wood frame itself. Mine had an annoying rattle that I could never get rid of. When the tubes get old, they tend to make a bit of a buzzing sound.
The original speakers are lightweight and bound to blow eventually. Watch for re-coned speakers (usually some weird colour other than black)...cause they suck big time.
Most guys like me changed em for JBL's, which sounded great.
Unfortunately, they weigh a ton. The wheels will literally break off and the handle will bust if you try to lift it too many times. Two people should lift it unless you want back problems the rest of your life and you'll dread every gig you have to load it back into your car.
Check the reverb knob and make sure it actually controls a reverb. Some guys have it converted to a master volume... which doesn't work at all to give you a distorted sound.. it just adds another volume control.
If the reverb works, it's actually springs in the base of the amp in back, which sound ok at best. However they make an awesome crashing sound if you kick the amp....which you'll want to do if you ever reach around to the power switch in back and hold the guitar strings at the same time.
You'll get an electric shock that'll make your hair stand on end.

Overall... it was a great amp as long as you didn't mind the weight and made sure you let go of the guitar before turning it off. The buzz in the cabinet was something I got used to and forgot about but 15 years later I tried to sell the amp and the first thing the guy mentioned was the buzzing noise.
If you're into jazz, blues, country etc... it'll be a great amp.
If you're into hard rock, you'll wish for a Marshall every day unless you find a really decent distortion pedal.

[Polera]

I say that the '65-68 Fender super reverb sounds better then any other fenders...

[Lordathestrings]

That's one of the better Fenders, if you're sure you want a Fender clean. I agree that the Roland Jazz Chorus series are the best clean-sounding transistor amps out there. The JC120 was the big boy - there was also a JC90 and a JC60.

For tube amps, I put my money on Magnavox-era Ampegs. I have three of 'em. If you're dragging your gear around frequently, I'd recommend the V-2 head. It's conservatively rated at 60 Watts, has the best 'real' reverb (Accutronics spring unit) that you'll find in a guitar amp, and the most flexible tone controls around. If you get one that has the input sensitivity switches, you can use them to control how loud the amp gets before it distorts, and how much grind you get when it gets there. The Master Volume on the later models works well. I love the sound of mine when it's cranked, but I can get great sound out of it at levels that don't upset club owners. And it can make a really good clean sound, a little thicker, to my ears, more 'real', more solid than most Fenders.

If you feel you need something that can do club-wrecking duty, go for the V-4 120 Watt version. More headroom, and enough power to melt the first four rows of your audience.

[The Ace]

Well I did some research, but I couldn't find much on the model you described. Do you have a link?

I also came across this while searching aound - Ampeg R212R Reverberocker (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/481769/)

I would prefer something with more headroom, but does anybody have any experience with it?

Thanks

[Lordathestrings]

Well I did some research, but I couldn't find much on the model you described. Do you have a link?... :rolleyes: Uh, Ace, you're lookin' at new gear while the rest of us are talkin' vintage!

The Roland JC series (for Jazz Chorus) was originally designed for Joni Mitchell. It's been a while since they made any. But for clean sound, with a mind-blowing chourus effect, they're the best that's ever been.

My AMpeg VT-22 is a 1976 model. My VT-40 was built in 1977. They're combo versions of the V-4 and V-2 heads. My Ampeg G-18 dates from the late 70's.

[The Ace]

Well I'm talking anything I can get my hands on that sounds good. As you can tell by now, I have basically NO knowledge when it comes to purchasing amps. I guess I've been looking in the re-issue department. Will there be a substantial difference in the tone with a reissue of an amp?


So this - JC-120 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/480003/)

isn't really a JC-120, isn't really new, or is just a reissue?

I don't really understand, but thanks a lot LATS, for putting up with me...

So if I'd like to purchase your ampeg model, my only chance would be to go used?

Thanks so much.

[Lordathestrings]

That JC-120 sure looks like the real thing. I was pretty sure they were discontinued after about 10 years of production, but it may be that they just faded away from view. Either way, it's worth checking out. They still pop up on eBay once a while, and go for anwhere from $200 to $400, depending on condition.

My Ampegs? Yeah, they're all nearly 30 years old, and those models haven't been made since 1980.

[PRSplaya]

I think the JC-120 was discontinued for a while, but brought back. Don't quote me on that though :rolleyes:

[Lordathestrings]

Makes sense to me. It was/is a niche rig. Jazzers love it, but there aren't as many of them as rockers.

If you want crunch, you should look into getting a multi-FX box like a POD. The JC-120 (and it's little brothers) sound very clean and clear, like a stereo. They were never meant to produce distortion. The plus side of that is the fact you get exactly the same tone at any volume level.

[PonyOne]

yup, i have an original JC120 (many of the older ones had their original speakers swapped for Celestions or Jensens), from some time in the early 80's.

for jazz, it's a great, great amp. it doesn't distort at all; it has a gain circuit that can be clicked off completely. when the distortion is on, it really doesn't sound all that great to be honest; the factory circuit is weak and overall not really worth it. the chorus effect is really lush, and the spring reverb sounds great too; you can get some really pleasant voicings out of it, and it will definitely complement jazz chords and riffs.

for rock it isn't great on its own, but, it's so perfectly neutral that you can throw whatever distortion effect you want at it and it takes it no problem. i'd look into something like a Tube Screamer or Boss Blues Driver for gain purposes.

it has been reissued for a couple years now.

[The Ace]

Well I don't need huge amounts of distortion, but I would like to be able to get the grind that, say, Stevie Ray Vaughan gets on his 1983 perfomance on Austin City Limits. That's the sound I really like. I'm not exactly sure what amp Stevie is using on this, though (I know that he has used both fenders and marshalls).

So now my question is this - if the Roland gives me the clean sound I want, will (for example), a tube screamer give me a realistic distortion, or should I be thinking Marshalls, or Ampegs now?

I play mostly jazz, but I like to dabble into rock and blues too. The main thing I am looking for is something that is responsive to how I play, how I pick, etc...

Thanks a lot!

[Dr_simon]

A tube screamer in front of the JC will sound great

[The Ace]

A tube screamer in front of the JC will sound great

Woo-hoo!

So it now looks like I know what I want... Thanks a lot guys.

[PonyOne]

if jazz is your thing, i think you can't go wrong with a JC. if you're curious about the sound, go to a shop and say that you have it on good faith that it'll sound nice with a tube screamer, multi effect, blues driver, etc, and ask if you can plug one in to try it; they'll probably let you, especially if you have cashola on you.

i love Fender amps; i'd considered a Blues Deville for awhile but decided to just wait for my AC30 instead. and indeed, there are some awesome jazz artists who use fender amps. i just think tit for tat, a JC120 or 90 would be better for what you're looking at. also, the type of pickups and guitar you play has a more noticable impact on the tone you get out of the JC120 than most other amps I've played; it's a great reference point.

i'm happy i have it; all i need is my AC30 and a Dual Recto and I've got my three amps.