Fender Master Volume Twin Reverb

[1967owner]

Saw a 1973 the other day. Asking price was $1000. What's the verdict on MV Twin Reverbs and is this a reasonable price? Thanks guys.

 

[AlvisX]

I see silverface twins going for even less than a grand...650-800 ,quite often ...because they're heavy and can be a bit sterile

 

[Crikey]

I see silverface twins going for even less than a grand...650-800 ,quite often ...because they're heavy and can be a bit sterile

not sure what you mean by sterile. I ran a tube screamer in my TR and always had great sounds. That TR is loucd a F67K and good luck trying to get it to "break up" without a pedal. The cleans are legendary from the TR. I had a silverface TR beast and she was heavy as hell but also in sound. I've never heard a silverface TR sound bad. The silverface TR are awesome amps and you'd be in good hands with one. I miss the one I sold...

 

[Wildeman]

I got a killer one for around 600.00 but i feel like its way more valuable, i would pay a G to have this amp......if i didn't already have it

 

[1967owner]

Thanks guys. FWIW I do own a 1968 SF Twin Reverb which is non MV. It's been a workhorse over the years for all kinds of gigs. Speakers are JBL and I converted it to BF specs many years ago, although honestly the difference in sound was not huge. It's always been one of my favorite amps.

 

[What?]

$1000 seems on the high side for sure. But at the moment with the virus business, prices have been high on amps. I paid $600 for my silverface twin a few years back, all RCA tubes. I wouldn't sell it for what I paid for it. No way.

 

[1967owner]

$1000 seems on the high side for sure. But at the moment with the virus business, prices have been high on amps. I paid $600 for my silverface twin a few years back, all RCA tubes. I wouldn't sell it for what I paid for it. No way.

Yes, I thought it seemed a little high but I've been out of the vintage amp market for quite some time now. Did the sound on the Twin Reverbs change significantly after they added a master volume? If this one sounds anything like my 68 I may take a look at it.

 

[RLW59]

The first years of master volume had a few cap/resistor changes so a little cleaner than blackface. But easy to convert to blackface specs.

The big change came in '76/'77 when they changed to the ultralinear 135 watt output section. That involved different transformers and extensively different circuitry so they"re difficult and expensive to convert to blackface. They're even cleaner, and when they do break up it tends to be abrupt and harsh. The ultralinears are the ones often described as sterile, but many people think they're the ultimate pedal platform.

 

[scozz]

I had a MV Super Six Reverb back in the 70s, it was basically a souped up Twin Reverb.

100 watts, 6-10” speakers.

So much headroom in these amps it’s virtually impossible to make them break-up without help.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I'm a huge fan of the ultralinear Pro Reverb and Twin Reverb. Amazing pedal platforms, and their own clean tone is basically unmatched by anything else. But they are not amps that sound good when driven hard and loud like a blackface.

Do not expect an ultralinear silverface amp to behave like a blackface. It doesn't do that. It is a different breed.


1000 dollars for one is a good price IF it's a pristine example. And DEFINITELY it's a good price if it has the orange back JBLS in it, or better yet, the very rare and very valuable Fender branded EVM-12L called an EVM-12F. Those speakers can bring 800 bucks apiece on ebay.

 

[Wildeman]

Yes, I thought it seemed a little high but I've been out of the vintage amp market for quite some time now. Did the sound on the Twin Reverbs change significantly after they added a master volume? If this one sounds anything like my 68 I may take a look at it.

Mine is a '74 and don't sound much different than any BF amp I've had, the classic Fender tone is there. It's my first Twin though but ive had a few other big Fenders.

 

[1967owner]

The first years of master volume had a few cap/resistor changes so a little cleaner than blackface. But easy to convert to blackface specs.

The big change came in '76/'77 when they changed to the ultralinear 135 watt output section. That involved different transformers and extensively different circuitry so they"re difficult and expensive to convert to blackface. They're even cleaner, and when they do break up it tends to be abrupt and harsh. The ultralinears are the ones often described as sterile, but many people think they're the ultimate pedal platform.

Does this mean the MV models built before this essentially sound identical to NMV SF TRs when the MV is dimed?

 

[1967owner]

I'm a huge fan of the ultralinear Pro Reverb and Twin Reverb. Amazing pedal platforms, and their own clean tone is basically unmatched by anything else. But they are not amps that sound good when driven hard and loud like a blackface.

Do not expect an ultralinear silverface amp to behave like a blackface. It doesn't do that. It is a different breed.


1000 dollars for one is a good price IF it's a pristine example. And DEFINITELY it's a good price if it has the orange back JBLS in it, or better yet, the very rare and very valuable Fender branded EVM-12L called an EVM-12F. Those speakers can bring 800 bucks apiece on ebay.

I'll have to find out about the speakers. The 12 inch EVMs would definitely interest me since my Twin has orange back JBLs and I've got an extension 2x12 with SROs. FWIW I also have two Showman cabs. One has 15 inch JBLs, the other 15 inch EVs. A TR with EVMs would round out the collection.

 

[AlvisX]

not sure what you mean by sterile. I ran a tube screamer in my TR and always had great sounds.

Exactly..
Travelin around, you get lotta Twin Reverbs thrown at ya. I have a tube screamer on board , never plugged in except when I draw the twin rev. Never could quite bond with those kind of amps ,but if I have to, I prefer the lower wattage ones ..Super/Pro

BTW, the ultras are great for bass !

 

[RLW59]

Does this mean the MV models built before this essentially sound identical to NMV SF TRs when the MV is dimed?

Very close, not quite identical. Some cap/resistor changes needed for full blackface.

Some people say the glued in particle board baffle changed the sound compared to the screwed in plywood baffle.

But even stock, a '73 isn't a huge departure from blackface, so "essentially" the same is a reasonable description.
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The master volume isn't a tone sucker. It has somewhat of a bad reputation simply because the preamp is so clean that you can't get thick warm creamy distortion by turning up the volume and turning down the master.

But if you slam the front end with a clean boost pedal to goose the preamp into heavier distortion the master works pretty well.

 

[Wildeman]

Very close, not quite identical. Some cap/resistor changes needed for full blackface.

Some people say the glued in particle board baffle changed the sound compared to the screwed in plywood baffle.

But even stock, a '73 isn't a huge departure from blackface, so "essentially" the same is a reasonable description.
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The master volume isn't a tone sucker. It has somewhat of a bad reputation simply because the preamp is so clean that you can't get thick warm creamy distortion by turning up the volume and turning down the master.

But if you slam the front end with a clean boost pedal to goose the preamp into heavier distortion the master works pretty well.

I haven't tried the clean boost thing yet, gotta give it a go, otherwise the MV is pretty useless on this one.

 

[RLW59]

I haven't tried the clean boost thing yet, gotta give it a go, otherwise the MV is pretty useless on this one.

Don't expect awesome saturation, just decent crunch. Blackface mod helps a bit, but a good dirt pedal will probably still be better.
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Later on, they added a pull boost to the master. I've never tried one, but all accounts are that the pull boost is horrid.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

PULL BOOST should have been labelled as PULL SUCK instead. It IS bad. Nobody uses it unless they're looking for an intentionally bad tone.

Unfortunately I swear, a lot of bands always use the pull boost! Because SOMETHING is making them suck!

 

[What?]

Yes, I thought it seemed a little high but I've been out of the vintage amp market for quite some time now. Did the sound on the Twin Reverbs change significantly after they added a master volume? If this one sounds anything like my 68 I may take a look at it.

I don't really know how much difference there is in the end sound between the non-master and master volume silverfaces. My favorite twin to date was a non-master volume silverface that was blackfaced. Great amp. Mine is still silverface specs, and it sounds good in that silverface way, but not in that great blackface spec way.

 

[Wildeman]

Don't expect awesome saturation, just decent crunch. Blackface mod helps a bit, but a good dirt pedal will probably still be better.
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Later on, they added a pull boost to the master. I've never tried one, but all accounts are that the pull boost is horrid.

Tried, liked, thanx. You're right, it gets that slightly clipping tone, add an od at this point and all good. If you hit the pre too hard with the clean boost it sounds like ass.
P.S. its pretty loud right now....