I saw Led Zeppelin's first gig at the Roundhouse in London. Jimmy Page used two of these. I have never seen one since, until now..... Rock it. You know you want to..... Lol
Something was telling me Jimmy Page owned one of these. How he was able to move it from gig to gig is another just mystery that Led Zeppelin will be attached with.
I have seen a couple of heads for sale here in se tn .....but never the whole rig. I snagged a silverface bassman 135 several years ago....not the most ideal guitar amp but you can get some good things out of it....I gave $399 for it.....I feel sure I could get my money back.
I saw Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes back in 1969. Ted was using two Dual Showman cabs with a Fender Twin Reverb on top of each Showman cab. that was impressive.
A couple of years a friend of mine gave me a price you can't resist on the same amp, and I couldn't tell him how much I appreciate this. Unfortunately he passed away last year, so every time I play on the amp with the most beautiful tone in the world I think of him.
Yes, that is absolutely true today, but in 1969, PA systems were nowhere near what they are today. Musicians were expected to supply their own volume. The PA was mostly just for vocals. Even though it might be hard to believe in the 25db monotone snowflake spongecake "calm down turn it down" phone age, there was a time when people actually liked to rock. Loud was cool, and people liked to feel it. But people could also feel things in the days before serotonin inhibitors and political correctness. Rock and Roll was the music of free, prosperous, and generally happy people, and amps like this are a reminder of that mentality. Kind of like muscle cars and cool old Harleys.
My first "real" amp was a Dual Showman with a butchered 1x 15' cabinet. Played in a band where the bassplayer had a Sessionette 100 Bass combo. The soundguy was setting up a DI for me and a mic in front of the Sesionnette :-) Imagine the surprised look when we pointed him out it was the other way around LOL
These amps were used by Big Brother and the Holding Co (Janis Joplin era) and Quicksilver Messenger Service as well. Hendrix recorded some studio tunes on one, and definitely used one at the Fillmore and Winterland.
Back in 2008, I went to a Carl Wilson Foundation benefit show in W. Hollywood. Dick Dale did a short set, and although he had not been in good health at the time, he plugged in his Fender and let everyone know that he was still King of the Surf Guitar. I kept expecting to see smoke coming out of the amp. Afterward, he was seen chatting with Evie Sands, who also plays a left-handed Fender on occasion.
I'm from that era. The main reason Fender had those big amps was because many places you played had little or no sound reinforcement system. So all of your volume had to come from the amps on stage. PAs were typically used only for vocals and/or horns. All the other instruments, bass, guitar, electric piano, etc need to have an onstage amp capable of generating live volume. And yea hauling those around was a pain. The Ampeg SVT was heavier though.
I had a 66’ showman with the dual 15” d130f cabinet and loved playing it outside festivals where I could actually open it up and feel the awesome power! When you get it to wide open and the air being moved past your body is amazing. Then the sound will cause arrhythmia in your heart beat!
Brings back memories of when I heard a local band (The Skunks) play in Milwaukee at a car show. The hall was huge and they played through Dual Showman's with JBL's and no other sound reinforcement. When I was easily 100 feet of more from the stage I could feel my pants legs quivering from the bass guitar. It was amazing how those amps filled that massive room with sound. Back then if you played guitar the Fender amps were highly sought after and if you had the money you paid for the JBL upgrade.
I saw Fleetwood Mac when they opened for the grateful dead at the warehouse in New Orleans and I want to say it was 1970. All of them were playing these amplifiers but they were called super showman amps. The top was a preamp and the bottoms were powered speakers as far as I can remember. This was the last gig that Peter Green played with band. That was the night that the grateful dead was arrested in New Orleans. Hence the song... that was the last gig with Danny Kerwin, Jeremy Spencer and Peter Green with Mick Fleetwood on drums and McVie on bass. The great thing about that band was that one guitar player had a telecaster, one had a Stratocaster and Peter Green had A Les Paul. So you had three guitars with completely unique pick up configurations all playing at the same time. They did Oh Well and it was scary how good they were.
Actually, the Super Showman that was a pre-amp head that was the solid state SS 1000 model. Not sure if the "chicken came before the egg", but VOX at the same time had the Series 90, in a Royal Guardsman size and a Beatle size. Fender offered two power cabinets, standard was the XFL-1000 with a 4x12, each 2x12 feed by a 70 watt RMS solid state amp for a total of 140 watts RMS. Optional was the XFL-2000, with an 8x10 cabinet, also 140 watts RMS. Fender and VOX utilized 3 channels, and had Reverb, Tremolo, Fuzz, and an E-Tuner built in, along with Bright switches. Fender, however, offered a sound expander called Dimension IV. It gave a Leslie rotating speaker effect, achieved by sensors rotating in and out of an oil bath. It worked well, and I would use it on songs like Because by the Dave Clark 5. The fuzz had Attack adjustments, and was useful also. However, without those effects, it sounded "dead". But then, I switched to bass, and this amp shined there. As for who used it? Focus. And, Ike Turner used it on bass. Fender did have other solid state models, the Twin, Pro, even a Bassman and PA. There is footage of these with the Beatles in the studio, but the last time they played in public, up on the roof of the Apple Corps headquarters, it was all tube Fender. They got smart, just as they did with the Thomas Organ a.k.a.VOX, solid state amps.
Ya I know who played one! My Dad back in the early 70’s I was about 6 yrs old it took up the whole front room my Mom would always go shopping when he turned it on! I would go outside and play, my babysitter and her girlfriends would come sit out in the front yard and listen to my Dad sing and play Beatles and the Doors!! You would see all the neighbors and kids get in there cars and book!! You could hear it all the way to the end of the block!! Great memories RIP Pop’s😊😊😊
He needed to run two because his Gibsons were wired for stereo so one pickup in one and one to another. That is also why his sound was so special, he was using both pickups at the same time.
we didn't mike amps in those days. outside field parties etc needed the volume, a deluxe reverb wouldn't cut it. that thing sounds flippin' glorious!!!
I grew up.with my dad playing one of those cans with his bassman 50 head for his bass rig. he still has 3 or 4 of the cabs with original jbls still in them and they sound amazing
There is one bigger fender i know of. The 400ps. It was a giant bass amp meant to compete with ampegs svt. 400 watts, 3 cabinets, it was so powerful that the vibration of the cabs meant the head needed a separate stand to sit on. I have never played or heard one but it is super cool and i love it to death.
In the early 80s a friend bought one of these cabs. He wheeled it up the road to a pub gig for that night. It was still on the stage 4 weeks later! Saving up for the hire truck.
@@rolandramirez4557 just needed some basic cleaning/maintenance, keep looking out there my friend, they are out there, you gotta know where and when to look.
I owned one of these in the late 60's to early 70's. I used it for Guitar and Bass, because I played both. In the late 60's stars from the 50's would tour with just their guitars, and the clubs that booked them would have to supply both a backup band, and an amp. Bo Diddley requested a Dual Showman Reverb, so when he came to Boston to play at the Kenmore Club that manager used to contact me to rent my amp for the weekend. I brought the Dual Showman Reverb down, set it up -- Bo Diddly used to like to have the cabinet horizontally with the head on top. I hung out with him backstage a couple of times that weekend. He was pretty cool, and loved my Dual Showman Reverb. It was pristine, so the tones were perfect for him. I also had the covers, but not those sketchy handles.
These kinda stories are so cool. It sucks most of them get lost in UA-cam comments. Anyways, thanks for sharing that. I'm sure it was cool at the time when it happened but to look back now and think about it, man that's pretty rad
These dual 15" speaker cabinets were aimed at pedal steel players. I owned one back in the day and paired it with Sho ~ Bud Professional Double neck. Enjoy that amp.
Hey Matthew... One thing I love about youtube is coming across these type of vids. WOW...been playing 35 years and never heard of this amp...so cool...you seem like a great guy a great player. one thing that resonated with me and really touched me...the history of these pieces and the connection of music and you said such an important thing and in this day and age....is I feel so lost in so many ways. but the actual connection with human beings. You drove to another state and visited with another human being over a guitar amp. THAT is BRILLIANT! I bet he felt the same...all these years later and because of a purchase of a 200 hundred dollar as you say behemoth....he made a connection to a young musician/gentleman.....as long as you keep that message alive ill keep subscribing. :) well done! All the best Andy
i THINK NEIL YOUNG USED THIS IN THE 70'S, AND IT IS WHERE THE ICONIC STAGE DESIGN FROM RUST NEVER SLEEPS TOUR WAS DEVELOPED FROM A EXAGGERATION OF HIS 70 STAGE SHOW.
All caps generally means increased urgency or highlight, not a raised voice. I did not see an exclamation point. This is not a text to you. Welcome to the world...please drive thru....
Back than the amps were not generally mic'd and the P.A.'s were generally just for vocals so a guitar player had to be loud ! Pictures show that Jimi used Showman Amps and cabs at a Hollywood Bowl Concert.
Brings back memories from my college days (1973) ... got one of those 15” speakers that was blown and re-glued the voice coil ... then mounted it into a plastic garbage can and cut a small port in it’s side ... connected it up to a Fender amp I had, then ... WOW! Those 15” speakers were amazing, especially the base! Happy tunes!
@@MatthewScottmusic Ha - well your little 'whoo' at the end made me laugh. But the heavy breathing comes from me waiting to here the tone come out that thing with the '59!
My buddies had had one of those when I was a kid around 30 years ago. My god did it sound amazing. Actually bought a 4×15 classic sunn cab from him years later.
@@williamgregory6684 it was ridiculously heavy! On and one little hand on each side at the top of the cab in the oddest spot which made it the most awkward thing to carry. The speakers pointed inward in a V shape, thumped good too.
Probably a million people have already told you by now, but Steve Howe used 2 of these (!!) onstage when he played with Yes in the 1970s. He had them at Anaheim Stadium in SoCal when I saw the band there when I was in high school. That ultra clean sound with so much headroom matched well with his Gibson-175 that is closely associated with him due to it being primarily thought of as a jazz guitar, yet there he was, playing prog rock. The JBLs no doubt helped out (keeping it clean). You sound like a good player, kid - keep it up, my dog.
I was hoping someone would mention Howe. He had a road kit that was painted a sunrise fade from top to bottom. First saw it in 1972 on Close to the Edge tour. At that time it was his signature sound before he got digital pedals, like the Kong A3.
@@MatthewScottmusic I saw Dick Dale last year. The tone was incredible. You can really hear the bass come through on your video. That's one of the things I remember with Dick Dale, the bass going through you. Love that!
Glad somebody brought up the mandatory topic of Dick Dale concerning this amp's existence because I was just about to. I stood about 5 feet from this amp in 2006 and had my face blown off.
When I started playing guitar, I was a skinny teenager in Stuttgart in what was then called West Germany. I was an audio nut and a budding musician, so I would frequent the Audio/Photo Club at Patch Barracks -- you could get high performance audio gear AND a few musical instruments. There was also a local musical instrument store reasonably nearby. Every time I went to one of those stores, I would grab every piece of gear literature (That's what I called it.) I could get my hands on. I had one Fender catalog that included the Dual Showman bundle. I remember noticing that the speaker cabinet featured 15 inch speakers -- the size used in the smallest number of combos and cabs. I have wondered for nearly 50 years what that rig would sound like. Thank you for giving me an answer!👍🎸
Ok. My main comment is, damn dog, you are an awesome player with an actual style that's evident right away. The amp is inspiring you to play what you did. I love when that happens. This is the first time seeing you. I'm smashing the subscribe button just to hear more playing through different amps to see what they bring out.
So so so, very cool, music is in my head every day. I am blessed! Thank you for the post. The amp the story all a colorful gift. SRV influence sounded great. The answer is both the fifth teens and the cabinets make the sound magic happen. Marshall has their own credibility but Leo was the Master of tone! Why would Jeff Beck, Jimi, SRV, EC, and Buddy go there? What a find! Good vibes
Very cool. I love your popping Hendrix-esque licks there. I’m lucky enough to have a Super Reverb black face (1963?) modified into a head by someone in the past. It came with a seperate 2x12” closed back cabinet (1967) with original Utah speakers . Got it for next to nothing at the time I didn’t know how great it would be. These amps sound awesome.
Hey pal. Very tasteful playing. The bandmaster/twin reverb/Dual Showman has always been my main rigs. Like you said the highs verb and vibrato are lush af. Crank em to 5 and you’re in Led zeppelin. The bass response is perfect. Always. Always drip edge or at least pre 72 master volume. I blackface them. Bridge the effects over to Chanel 1. You can bridge the amp, or amps. They are awkward to transport but not awful to carry (another reason I prefer the BMR, but I prefer the dual showman 2x15. Though the jbl 12s on a band master sound great too. Thanks for the vid pal.
Love the D-130 speakers through that crystal clear Showman circuit. I remember when I got my Showman in the 60s, went from a Silvertone 1484 (which got dirty really fast) to that ultra clean amp. The other guys in the band wondered why all of a sudden I didn't sound so great. It's because the Silvertone had been masking my not-so-precise playing. So the Showman will make you a better player. Oh, and try a Rickenbacker 360-12 through that. You'll like it.
What a beauty! I can’t imagine what that thing would pump out! It sounds amazing even on the iPhone! I have a BF Super that will absolutely shake the house. Great score Matt!
My first amp was a DanElectro with a single 15. It always sounded more “real” to me but at the time I lusted for a Crate with the overdrive control. Eventually, I figured out how to use a small home stereo amp as a preamp to get the gain I wanted back then. Wish I had it now, I’d play that clean sound all day long.
Had one of those cabs in the early 80s. Had a peavey duece 2x12 combo on top of it. That rig with a LP custom and original TS9 tube screamer made the guys with marshalls scratch thier heads at how much of a monster tone i got.
Eric Clapton in 1970 with Delaney and Bonnie used the Fender Dual Showman . Also Peter Green and Danny Kirwan with Early Fleetwood Mac. Great tone and real nice playing . Love this amp!
I had one of those cabinets back in the 80s, I used it for bass. I had an ancient sunn 200wt head, " with fan built into side of the head. It would move your pants leg and rattle the fillings in your teeth when the "brown" note was deployed. Loved that rig!
Played this at a gig 20 years ago. Belonged to the drummer. Had dodgy earth. Arrgh!! Great sound. Used to rehearse with it too. Chuck berry used two on stage. Weighs a ton. It was 135watts
That is an excellent bass amp for those of us who believe a good bass deserves tube power, too. It seems like a monster until you try to lift an Ampeg SVT...
Bruce is correct. Dick Dale used a dual showman, I knew a friend of his, we used to go to the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach and listen to him! Leo Fender developed it for him and Dick kept blowing out the speakers and Leo asked him why the hell do you need it so loud. He said because it’s surf music and it HAS to be loud! Something else a lot of people don’t know is that the reverb was pretty much developed by Leo for Dick. to better emulate the sound of waves. I’m an old fart of 70 years old, but I’ve seen a lot of music history. It’s good to see young guys like yourself so interested in collecting history. Wish I had even a 10th of your collection.
Really an interesting demo of an amp that most of us will never hear. Seems like the most significant attribute is the dynamics from Matthew’s playing really come through due to the power reserves. No compression at this demo volume. The other things of interest is how much of the characteristic Strat sound is from the guitar and not the amp break up. I would like to know what this amp sounds like when pushed. Matthew, can you put the speaker cab in another room and mic it so we can hear it at a higher volume? Wondering how it sounds compared to your Super or Bassman. Thanks.
Stunning Matthew, your neighbours must be delighted, just joking my friend. Sounds fabulous through my headphones, crystal clear sounds. As I live in the UK I moved my chair just a little to the west and I'm almost sure I could actually hear you live 😃🎸 Keep on rocking buddy. PEACE
nice Eric Johnson-esque tone and chording, Matthew! I had an Ampeg V-4 in the 70's that dwarfed me, and my bassplayer had the SVT with two 8x10s that were like refrigerators. Old gear always has great stories. Thanks! :)
I have the Fender Bandmaster head with two JBL 15" speaker cab. Looks basically the same but your cab looks taller. What's interesting, is that the the head bolts onto the cabinet. Mine is all original and 55 years old.
I feel like this was a statement by fender against Marshal in the 70's 80's cause Marshall was big on stacks of speakers with 100 watt amps. I think Fender said , lets just make our clean tones much much louder in a huge cabinet like Marshal uses.
3/2023: So cool. I haven't seen a dual showman in many years. Always thought they were great, and big. Thanks again for this posting and great story. I just turned 71 years old. You're cool too.
I bought a Dual Showman 2x15 cabinet a while back. It is absolutely massive. It's not quite as tall as an full Ampeg cabinet, but it's around a third wider. An absolutely huge cabinet and it was designed so that you can stand it up right or lay it on it's side.
If you play guitar.......you're as bad as some grubby dude that rides a greasy old Harley, and for many of the same reasons......you exist, so they are pissed. Make a bunch of hit records and then croak. You'll be worth more dead than alive, and that's good for the corporate Bottom line. If you really want to annoy them all, just keep on living. They hate that worse than anything else. For some reason. I have always gotten along great with bikers and pigeons. Figure that one out.
@@jmtrainz2582 Of course not! It's just one of those old obsolete dinosaur moron things boomers do, or at least used to do. It was called sarcasm. Also known as mockery or ridicule. It pre-dates political correctness and serotonin up take inhibitors. It was a way to have fun before phones took over the universe. These days it's mostly more trouble than it's worth.
Hot water pipe insulation cut to length would stop those handles from chattering and be a little easier on your hands when carrying that moose around. Great post. Be well.
I have the little brother to this amp, the Bandmaster reverb TFL 5005d, I’m currently turning it into a Vibroverb w/ mercury magnetics transformer and JBL d130f 1x15
Bass Players! Bass Players used those. You can hear John Paul Jones used one on the album version of Living Loving Maid, because the Tremolo and Reverb effects were still ON! I believe the Beatles had some of the 1st TFL 5000 series amps. If I find the vids I'll reply with link (if somebody else doesn't beat me to the punch). BTW 2X15" even with guitar heads are amazing for bass! I was lucky to get a mid 1970's one with Master Volume and a Line Out (listed as Slave Out). Before I took it home I played a 5 String Bass through it, and of course it was Amazing! Demo that amp with a borrowed 5 string, trust me (the proof will be in the pudding)!
This is the only Beatle video I could find with them using Fenders. I think George is playing his BASS VI through a Deluxe Reverb with a Showman extension cab. I could be wrong but I don't know what John is playing through. ua-cam.com/video/A_MjCqQoLLA/v-deo.html
I remember those damn things. There's a special on Showtime about the history of Motown records with lots of 60's-70's era bands (Smoky Robinson, Temptations, Supremes, Gladys Knight, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder etc.) and there's a number of clips of live performances with the dual showman and the JBL dust caps shining in the background ;)
I have one of these--the exact same model, in fact, purchased new in 1974. The cleans are amazing on it. It also takes pedals well, so it's easy to tailor the sound if desired. These days I use it with a 1x15 cabinet I had custom built to better fit my home studio, though I still have the original 2x15 cabinet as well. Jimi Hendrix used the Dual Showman (actually more than one) in both studio and live performance in 1968.
This amp is roughly equivalent to 2 to 3 Danny Devito’s tall.
Indeed
Hahahahahaha
@Rufus T Firefly how DARE you call my boy Danny obnoxious!
@Rufus T Firefly Danny Devito is an angel!!!!
Not 3. Just 2.
If you angle that thing towards me, ill be able to hear you play live. I live in the Uk
Just a little more on the right please, so I can hear it too, from France.
Spin it all the way around and to the right a tad for Detroit mi.
Nice one Jordy. I am in North East London, UK so i should be able to hear him as well :-)
I'm on it guys 👍🏻👍🏻
DETRIK. FX can’t
Dude, my mind went immediately to the first scene in Back to the Future where Marty goes flying back after playing a power chord through a giant amp.
Yes dude!!
That's perfect🤣🤣
When I was watching this, my son came to show me exactly that scene 😄
I saw Led Zeppelin's first gig at the Roundhouse in London.
Jimmy Page used two of these. I have never seen one since, until now.....
Rock it. You know you want to..... Lol
Something was telling me Jimmy Page owned one of these. How he was able to move it from gig to gig is another just mystery that Led Zeppelin will be attached with.
@@SuperJiggawhat Their roadies must've been huge!
@@reginaldbowls7180 I agree,! If not, they certainly were after a few world tours.
I have seen a couple of heads for sale here in se tn .....but never the whole rig. I snagged a silverface bassman 135 several years ago....not the most ideal guitar amp but you can get some good things out of it....I gave $399 for it.....I feel sure I could get my money back.
I saw Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes back in 1969. Ted was using two Dual Showman cabs with a Fender Twin Reverb on top of each Showman cab. that was impressive.
A couple of years a friend of mine gave me a price you can't resist on the same amp, and I couldn't tell him how much I appreciate this. Unfortunately he passed away last year, so every time I play on the amp with the most beautiful tone in the world I think of him.
I like those little apartment practice amps ... Lol ... Great clean sound ...
Just a mild practice amp
😆🤣😂
The neighbors are going to love what I just bought!
😆🤣😂🤘🤘🤘
You could make a Fender Stonehenge out of a dozen of these.
Amphenge?
Tonehenge
Wished Nigel Tufnel thought of that
Craiger Spinal Tap immediately popped into my head lol
Beautiful idea !!
Seriously.
Bringing that amp to a gig is like bringing a Howitzer to an indoor gun range.
Cliff Brooks best comment lol
Yes, that is absolutely true today, but in 1969, PA systems were nowhere near what they are today. Musicians were expected to supply their own volume. The PA was mostly just for vocals. Even though it might be hard to believe in the 25db monotone snowflake spongecake "calm down turn it down" phone age, there was a time when people actually liked to rock. Loud was cool, and people liked to feel it. But people could also feel things in the days before serotonin inhibitors and political correctness. Rock and Roll was the music of free, prosperous, and generally happy people, and amps like this are a reminder of that mentality. Kind of like muscle cars and cool old Harleys.
@@jpalberthoward9 OK boomer
@@jasonmorton6857 good one lol, gotem now I bet he's real sad
jpalberthoward9 damn going off
I can imagine the PA guy looking at this and asking that silly question.
“You?......You need me to mic your amp?”
Hahaha made my stinking day!!!
LOL
My first "real" amp was a Dual Showman with a butchered 1x 15' cabinet. Played in a band where the bassplayer had a Sessionette 100 Bass combo. The soundguy was setting up a DI for me and a mic in front of the Sesionnette :-) Imagine the surprised look when we pointed him out it was the other way around LOL
“You want to mic my PA into your Showman?”
These amps were used by Big Brother and the Holding Co (Janis Joplin era) and Quicksilver Messenger Service as well.
Hendrix recorded some studio tunes on one, and definitely used one at the Fillmore and Winterland.
Thanks for posting that. I have a similar rig cool to know players I dig used something like it.
New title “Matthew Scott plays through a refrigerator. “
Lol
Of course he does, that's why he's sooooo cool.
Lost a bandmate to one of those amps.Tipped over on him during a solo RIP be careful
They found him lifeless with a smile on his face.
Actually?
That seems very spinal tap-esque
Wait Fr
What lol
I bet it would sound good with a metalzone.
New Ola Englund video: Will it Chug? - Massive 60s fender amp
Beepbeep Lettuce link?
+@@moralesericjamesg9571
Just type in ola englund will it chug, he's got a bunch of videos on stuff.
Mr. Fancypants thanks:)
I neee this amp as a bedroom player... can it be loud enough as a practice amp?
Adjusted for inflation, this amp would cost roughly $7000 today.
Julia Morris better deal than 13000 for a cracked guitar *cough* gibson *cough* but at least it was signed by slash
Minimum wage should be in the $30+ per hour range. Greedy ass government but milk would 8 bucks a gallon prob. And a Squier would run ya 3,000.00
@@jonhmonroney12 so you admit you know about inflation, but nothing about economics in general? Got it.
Boofer T. Washington economics don’t make sense it’s Bs
Why do they raise cost of things yet baaaaaarely have wages increase
Do we really want to argue about economics?
this amp only exists because of Dick Dale. rest in peace, king
Back in 2008, I went to a Carl Wilson Foundation benefit show in W. Hollywood. Dick Dale did a short set, and although he had not been in good health at the time, he plugged in his Fender and let everyone know that he was still King of the Surf Guitar. I kept expecting to see smoke coming out of the amp. Afterward, he was seen chatting with Evie Sands, who also plays a left-handed Fender on occasion.
“I need smaller amps for today’s volume limits in clubs” Also Matthew Scott: “I bought the biggest and loudest amp I could find”
I'm from that era. The main reason Fender had those big amps was because many places you played had little or no sound reinforcement system. So all of your volume had to come from the amps on stage. PAs were typically used only for vocals and/or horns. All the other instruments, bass, guitar, electric piano, etc need to have an onstage amp capable of generating live volume. And yea hauling those around was a pain. The Ampeg SVT was heavier though.
Had one of those, too.
Take my advice ..... don’t let this amp go
I had a 66’ showman with the dual 15” d130f cabinet and loved playing it outside festivals where I could actually open it up and feel the awesome power! When you get it to wide open and the air being moved past your body is amazing. Then the sound will cause arrhythmia in your heart beat!
Brings back memories of when I heard a local band (The Skunks) play in Milwaukee at a car show. The hall was huge and they played through Dual Showman's with JBL's and no other sound reinforcement. When I was easily 100 feet of more from the stage I could feel my pants legs quivering from the bass guitar. It was amazing how those amps filled that massive room with sound. Back then if you played guitar the Fender amps were highly sought after and if you had the money you paid for the JBL upgrade.
I saw Fleetwood Mac when they opened for the grateful dead at the warehouse in New Orleans and I want to say it was 1970. All of them were playing these amplifiers but they were called super showman amps. The top was a preamp and the bottoms were powered speakers as far as I can remember. This was the last gig that Peter Green played with band. That was the night that the grateful dead was arrested in New Orleans. Hence the song... that was the last gig with Danny Kerwin, Jeremy Spencer and Peter Green with Mick Fleetwood on drums and McVie on bass. The great thing about that band was that one guitar player had a telecaster, one had a Stratocaster and Peter Green had A Les Paul. So you had three guitars with completely unique pick up configurations all playing at the same time. They did Oh Well and it was scary how good they were.
Wow.
Thx, for telling this story.. It's history... RIP-Peter Green
Now THAT was a pleasure to read! To be in the know about this special night is really cool. Thanks for sharing!
Actually, the Super Showman that was a pre-amp head that was the solid state SS 1000 model. Not sure if the "chicken came before the egg", but VOX at the same time had the Series 90, in a Royal Guardsman size and a Beatle size. Fender offered two power cabinets, standard was the XFL-1000 with a 4x12, each 2x12 feed by a 70 watt RMS solid state amp for a total of 140 watts RMS. Optional was the XFL-2000, with an 8x10 cabinet, also 140 watts RMS.
Fender and VOX utilized 3 channels, and had Reverb, Tremolo, Fuzz, and an E-Tuner built in, along with Bright switches. Fender, however, offered a sound expander called Dimension IV. It gave a Leslie rotating speaker effect, achieved by sensors rotating in and out of an oil bath. It worked well, and I would use it on songs like Because by the Dave Clark 5. The fuzz had Attack adjustments, and was useful also. However, without those effects, it sounded "dead". But then, I switched to bass, and this amp shined there.
As for who used it? Focus. And, Ike Turner used it on bass. Fender did have other solid state models, the Twin, Pro, even a Bassman and PA. There is footage of these with the Beatles in the studio, but the last time they played in public, up on the roof of the Apple Corps headquarters, it was all tube Fender. They got smart, just as they did with the Thomas Organ a.k.a.VOX, solid state amps.
@@greensavant2573 I never actually played through one but this guy makes it sound pretty good.
You should do a cover of Lenny by SRV with that wow
Although his family already has enough money.
That would sound stellar
Steve Howe of Yes used this amp in the early 70s
Yep !
Oh cool Steve Howe is one of my favorite guitarist of all time
His best live tone.
@@JordyMarincic Dave Gilmour used Hiwatts into WEM 4x12's at Pompeii.
@Satanic Panic Fun and Games I think he ran all of his guitars through the same rig.
As I recall, Dick Dale helped develop & used a Dual Showman.
Ya I know who played one! My Dad back in the early 70’s I was about 6 yrs old it took up the whole front room my Mom would always go shopping when he turned it on! I would go outside and play, my babysitter and her girlfriends would come sit out in the front yard and listen to my Dad sing and play Beatles and the Doors!! You would see all the neighbors and kids get in there cars and book!! You could hear it all the way to the end of the block!! Great memories RIP Pop’s😊😊😊
The clean tone is absolutely superb, but I want to hear what a fuzz sounds like through it.
Chuck Berry. 2 Dual Showman Reverbs were part of his contract rider.
Ou wow
I've seen videos with him playing with both of them running. And that was in Chuck's later years.
He needed to run two because his Gibsons were wired for stereo so one pickup in one and one to another. That is also why his sound was so special, he was using both pickups at the same time.
we didn't mike amps in those days. outside field parties etc needed the volume, a deluxe reverb wouldn't cut it. that thing sounds flippin' glorious!!!
Ted Nugent used to play through five fender super twins sitting on top of five showman cabinets.
@@terrylaswell7250 the lords rig
The Amboy dukes
I grew up.with my dad playing one of those cans with his bassman 50 head for his bass rig. he still has 3 or 4 of the cabs with original jbls still in them and they sound amazing
I saw Dick Dale using several of these back in 2000 ( BIG sound ) he was on tour in Iowa actually hung out with Dale prior to the concert
There is one bigger fender i know of. The 400ps. It was a giant bass amp meant to compete with ampegs svt. 400 watts, 3 cabinets, it was so powerful that the vibration of the cabs meant the head needed a separate stand to sit on. I have never played or heard one but it is super cool and i love it to death.
I would love to see the face of the sound guy when you drag that into a gig.
He'll probably just say "well looks like I'm not needed here". LOL!
He'd just have an aneurysm right there and fall over more than likely
In the early 80s a friend bought one of these cabs. He wheeled it up the road to a pub gig for that night. It was still on the stage 4 weeks later! Saving up for the hire truck.
I'd love to own vintage gear, but my job says "naw, you can't afford that." I love how you showcase these amps and guitars, keep it up!
I bought my 72 silverface bassman for $150.
GuitarMinds what kind of condition was it in?
Put it on credit cards lol
@@rolandramirez4557 just needed some basic cleaning/maintenance, keep looking out there my friend, they are out there, you gotta know where and when to look.
I understand man. It's taken me years to get to this point. At least this amp was reasonable.
I owned one of these in the late 60's to early 70's. I used it for Guitar and Bass, because I played both.
In the late 60's stars from the 50's would tour with just their guitars, and the clubs that booked them would have to supply both a backup band, and an amp.
Bo Diddley requested a Dual Showman Reverb, so when he came to Boston to play at the Kenmore Club that manager used to contact me to rent my amp for the weekend. I brought the Dual Showman Reverb down, set it up -- Bo Diddly used to like to have the cabinet horizontally with the head on top.
I hung out with him backstage a couple of times that weekend. He was pretty cool, and loved my Dual Showman Reverb. It was pristine, so the tones were perfect for him.
I also had the covers, but not those sketchy handles.
These kinda stories are so cool. It sucks most of them get lost in UA-cam comments. Anyways, thanks for sharing that. I'm sure it was cool at the time when it happened but to look back now and think about it, man that's pretty rad
Thanks for posting I saw Bo at a smaller Detroit Club His friend Albert King showed ups as well. I saw Him and Chuck Berry with similar amps.
"So, here's wonderwall."
These dual 15" speaker cabinets were aimed at pedal steel players. I owned one back in the day and paired it with Sho ~ Bud Professional Double neck. Enjoy that amp.
A pedal steel thru that thing would tear your head off. Ha ha. But makes sense though.
It was actually intended as a bass amp.
Hey Matthew...
One thing I love about youtube is coming across these type of vids. WOW...been playing 35 years and never heard of this amp...so cool...you seem like a great guy a great player. one thing that resonated with me and really touched me...the history of these pieces and the connection of music and you said such an important thing and in this day and age....is I feel so lost in so many ways. but the actual connection with human beings. You drove to another state and visited with another human being over a guitar amp. THAT is BRILLIANT! I bet he felt the same...all these years later and because of a purchase of a 200 hundred dollar as you say behemoth....he made a connection to a young musician/gentleman.....as long as you keep that message alive ill keep subscribing. :) well done!
All the best
Andy
i THINK NEIL YOUNG USED THIS IN THE 70'S, AND IT IS WHERE THE ICONIC STAGE DESIGN FROM RUST NEVER SLEEPS TOUR WAS DEVELOPED FROM A EXAGGERATION OF HIS 70 STAGE SHOW.
I was just thinking about that.
Also like the Weld stage design from early 90s.
Did you go partially deaf from that show because you’re shouting, man.
All caps generally means increased urgency or highlight, not a raised voice. I did not see an exclamation point. This is not a text to you. Welcome to the world...please drive thru....
@@hyperluminalreality1 its a joke dufus
Back than the amps were not generally mic'd and the P.A.'s were generally just for vocals so a guitar player had to be loud !
Pictures show that Jimi used Showman Amps and cabs at a Hollywood Bowl Concert.
Brings back memories from my college days (1973) ... got one of those 15” speakers that was blown and re-glued the voice coil ... then mounted it into a plastic garbage can and cut a small port in it’s side ... connected it up to a Fender amp I had, then ... WOW! Those 15” speakers were amazing, especially the base! Happy tunes!
*Drags huge Fender amp into shot* - heavy breathing...
From me or you
@@MatthewScottmusic Ha - well your little 'whoo' at the end made me laugh. But the heavy breathing comes from me waiting to here the tone come out that thing with the '59!
Don't you hate it when your amp just stops walking and says, "carry me"!???
@@hannahpumpkins4359 - Like the little kid at the grocery stored being dragged by one arm!
My buddies had had one of those when I was a kid around 30 years ago. My god did it sound amazing. Actually bought a 4×15 classic sunn cab from him years later.
4-15? Must of had to use a forklift!
@@williamgregory6684 it was ridiculously heavy! On and one little hand on each side at the top of the cab in the oddest spot which made it the most awkward thing to carry. The speakers pointed inward in a V shape, thumped good too.
Take the back off & rent it out as another room.
Awesome vintage setup. Played bass through a 67 Dual Showman with two , double JBL 15" cabinets for many years.
Probably a million people have already told you by now, but Steve Howe used 2 of these (!!) onstage when he played with Yes in the 1970s. He had them at Anaheim Stadium in SoCal when I saw the band there when I was in high school. That ultra clean sound with so much headroom matched well with his Gibson-175 that is closely associated with him due to it being primarily thought of as a jazz guitar, yet there he was, playing prog rock. The JBLs no doubt helped out (keeping it clean). You sound like a good player, kid - keep it up, my dog.
I was hoping someone would mention Howe. He had a road kit that was painted a sunrise fade from top to bottom. First saw it in 1972 on Close to the Edge tour. At that time it was his signature sound before he got digital pedals, like the Kong A3.
You realize now that everyone wants to hear this amp dimed out, right? Well...everyone but your neighbors.
it will happen at some point
@@MatthewScottmusic Judging from the bass response on it, it may loosen up some walls. Or drop some plaster.
I've got a neighbor who, every time I shred when I get home from work at 2:00 AM, throws a brick through my window so he can hear it better!
Make sure to take it outdoors and point it in a safe direction and wear ear protection!
@@alanhardman2447hahaha 😅😅..that's funny .love it .
From Australia 🦘🦘 🦘
Dick Dale R.I.P. helped Leo develop the duel showman...Ted Nugent also used them early on.
Dick Dale.. forgot that's the hole story behind these amps
Gene B. Ted nugent actually used twin reverbs with dual showman cabs. I believe Mark Farner used these back in the day.
@@MatthewScottmusic I saw Dick Dale last year. The tone was incredible. You can really hear the bass come through on your video. That's one of the things I remember with Dick Dale, the bass going through you. Love that!
Glad somebody brought up the mandatory topic of Dick Dale concerning this amp's existence because I was just about to. I stood about 5 feet from this amp in 2006 and had my face blown off.
Mark Farner used West Amps and Cabs with D130s.
Roadie: I quit.
When I started playing guitar, I was a skinny teenager in Stuttgart in what was then called West Germany. I was an audio nut and a budding musician, so I would frequent the Audio/Photo Club at Patch Barracks -- you could get high performance audio gear AND a few musical instruments. There was also a local musical instrument store reasonably nearby. Every time I went to one of those stores, I would grab every piece of gear literature (That's what I called it.) I could get my hands on. I had one Fender catalog that included the Dual Showman bundle. I remember noticing that the speaker cabinet featured 15 inch speakers -- the size used in the smallest number of combos and cabs. I have wondered for nearly 50 years what that rig would sound like.
Thank you for giving me an answer!👍🎸
Ok. My main comment is, damn dog, you are an awesome player with an actual style that's evident right away. The amp is inspiring you to play what you did. I love when that happens. This is the first time seeing you. I'm smashing the subscribe button just to hear more playing through different amps to see what they bring out.
I remember seeing Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac using these..in fact a whole row of them as backline-in around 1970/71
So so so, very cool, music is in my head every day. I am blessed! Thank you for the post. The amp the story all a colorful gift. SRV influence sounded great. The answer is both the fifth teens and the cabinets make the sound magic happen. Marshall has their own credibility but Leo was the Master of tone! Why would Jeff Beck, Jimi, SRV, EC, and Buddy go there? What a find! Good vibes
Sometimes you found these and the big bassmans at a lot of high schools in the 70's
Very cool. I love your popping Hendrix-esque licks there. I’m lucky enough to have a Super Reverb black face (1963?) modified into a head by someone in the past. It came with a seperate 2x12” closed back cabinet (1967) with original Utah speakers . Got it for next to nothing at the time I didn’t know how great it would be. These amps sound awesome.
Hey pal. Very tasteful playing. The bandmaster/twin reverb/Dual Showman has always been my main rigs. Like you said the highs verb and vibrato are lush af. Crank em to 5 and you’re in Led zeppelin. The bass response is perfect. Always. Always drip edge or at least pre 72 master volume. I blackface them. Bridge the effects over to Chanel 1. You can bridge the amp, or amps. They are awkward to transport but not awful to carry (another reason I prefer the BMR, but I prefer the dual showman 2x15. Though the jbl 12s on a band master sound great too. Thanks for the vid pal.
I bet the neighbors were pissed when they saw Matt bringing this into his house :)
i love the johan segeborn ''lets check it out'' intro that you did
Sounds like you could get some epic ambient tones with this amp.
Love the D-130 speakers through that crystal clear Showman circuit. I remember when I got my Showman in the 60s, went from a Silvertone 1484 (which got dirty really fast) to that ultra clean amp. The other guys in the band wondered why all of a sudden I didn't sound so great. It's because the Silvertone had been masking my not-so-precise playing. So the Showman will make you a better player. Oh, and try a Rickenbacker 360-12 through that. You'll like it.
What a beauty! I can’t imagine what that thing would pump out! It sounds amazing even on the iPhone!
I have a BF Super that will absolutely shake the house.
Great score Matt!
I personally love 15" speakers with guitar
Vegas Cycling Freak Indeed I wonder how few manufacturers make 1X12’
The top of the line Fender Tweed 56 (I think it is) uses a 15 and it sounds great. To my ears at least.
My first amp was a DanElectro with a single 15. It always sounded more “real” to me but at the time I lusted for a Crate with the overdrive control. Eventually, I figured out how to use a small home stereo amp as a preamp to get the gain I wanted back then. Wish I had it now, I’d play that clean sound all day long.
Peavey Delta Blues or whatever it's called, great used amp deal with a 15".
Definitely different response. I like it.
Had one of those cabs in the early 80s. Had a peavey duece 2x12 combo on top of it. That rig with a LP custom and original TS9 tube screamer made the guys with marshalls scratch thier heads at how much of a monster tone i got.
Eric Clapton in 1970 with Delaney and Bonnie used the Fender Dual Showman . Also Peter Green and Danny Kirwan with Early Fleetwood Mac. Great tone and real nice playing . Love this amp!
I had one of those cabinets back in the 80s, I used it for bass. I had an ancient sunn 200wt head, " with fan built into side of the head. It would move your pants leg and rattle the fillings in your teeth when the "brown" note was deployed. Loved that rig!
I’m glad I’m not the only one that sits on the floor like that to play literally right in front of my couch.
Now you know why the previous owner's house was falling apart. 🤪
Steve Howe of Yes played these......And I believe Chris Squire used one for Bass. D140's for bass.....D130's guitar...
I saw a picture of one of these once. They told me to turn it down.
Good one
@@bipbipletucha This thing was made before the Karens conquered the world and turned it into a global HOA.
Relics from the old free America.
Albert king used this cabinet at the Fillmore .BLUES POWER. Looks like he had a different head . There is a video on you tube .1970
Played this at a gig 20 years ago. Belonged to the drummer. Had dodgy earth. Arrgh!! Great sound. Used to rehearse with it too. Chuck berry used two on stage. Weighs a ton. It was 135watts
That is an excellent bass amp for those of us who believe a good bass deserves tube power, too. It seems like a monster until you try to lift an Ampeg SVT...
looks like Neil Young's huge rust never sleeps tour fender amps.
Just wonder what the neighbors thought when they saw you hauling that in? Lol
Called the cops
@@MatthewScottmusic lol
There he goes again.
I got a noise complaint within 15 minutes of getting my Super Reverb can just imagine that monster.lol
Very cool find! Sounds great. Makes me miss my 62 Fender Twin Reverb that was stolen in the 90's.
Love your playing mate, and you've a great attitude. You'll go a long way in life.
Bruce is correct. Dick Dale used a dual showman, I knew a friend of his, we used to go to the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach and listen to him! Leo Fender developed it for him and Dick kept blowing out the speakers and Leo asked him why the hell do you need it so loud. He said because it’s surf music and it HAS to be loud! Something else a lot of people don’t know is that the reverb was pretty much developed by Leo for Dick. to better emulate the sound of waves. I’m an old fart of 70 years old, but I’ve seen a lot of music history. It’s good to see young guys like yourself so interested in collecting history. Wish I had even a 10th of your collection.
Really an interesting demo of an amp that most of us will never hear. Seems like the most significant attribute is the dynamics from Matthew’s playing really come through due to the power reserves. No compression at this demo volume. The other things of interest is how much of the characteristic Strat sound is from the guitar and not the amp break up. I would like to know what this amp sounds like when pushed. Matthew, can you put the speaker cab in another room and mic it so we can hear it at a higher volume? Wondering how it sounds compared to your Super or Bassman. Thanks.
you want him to turn tht beast up in his house!?
After that there would be only one room left...if the house still stands of course
to funny i turn my 45/100 up in the house and things started falling off the walls.
@@runrabbitrun4342 Can only imagine this monster in a closed space haha
@@prtheid Right lol....
Stunning Matthew, your neighbours must be delighted, just joking my friend.
Sounds fabulous through my headphones, crystal clear sounds.
As I live in the UK I moved my chair just a little to the west and I'm almost sure I could actually hear you live 😃🎸
Keep on rocking buddy.
PEACE
I am in North East London UK, and i am sure you could hear him :-)
That faint ringing noise in the distance is me dont mind
@@MatthewScottmusic I don't mind in the slightest 😀🎸PEACE
I will live next door anyday..from Australia 🦘 🦘🦘
nice Eric Johnson-esque tone and chording, Matthew! I had an Ampeg V-4 in the 70's that dwarfed me, and my bassplayer had the SVT with two 8x10s that were like refrigerators. Old gear always has great stories. Thanks! :)
I have the Fender Bandmaster head with two JBL 15" speaker cab. Looks basically the same but your cab looks taller. What's interesting, is that the the head bolts onto the cabinet. Mine is all original and 55 years old.
I feel like this was a statement by fender against Marshal in the 70's 80's cause Marshall was big on stacks of speakers with 100 watt amps. I think Fender said , lets just make our clean tones much much louder in a huge cabinet like Marshal uses.
If I remember right, Ted Nugent played several of these all cranked to 10. - ALL ON AT THE SAME TIME!
Thought it was that thing from 2001 Space Odyssey when you put the covers on.
Ha!
The omnipotent monolith
3/2023: So cool. I haven't seen a dual showman in many years. Always thought they were great, and big. Thanks again for this posting and great story. I just turned 71 years old. You're cool too.
I bought a Dual Showman 2x15 cabinet a while back. It is absolutely massive. It's not quite as tall as an full Ampeg cabinet, but it's around a third wider. An absolutely huge cabinet and it was designed so that you can stand it up right or lay it on it's side.
“Who do you want to annoy with your guitar?”
-
Yes.
If you play guitar.......you're as bad as some grubby dude that rides a greasy old Harley, and for many of the same reasons......you exist, so they are pissed. Make a bunch of hit records and then croak. You'll be worth more dead than alive, and that's good for the corporate Bottom line. If you really want to annoy them all, just keep on living. They hate that worse than anything else. For some reason. I have always gotten along great with bikers and pigeons. Figure that one out.
@@jpalberthoward9 Is that supposed to be an insult or something?
@@jmtrainz2582 Of course not! It's just one of those old obsolete dinosaur moron things boomers do, or at least used to do. It was called sarcasm. Also known as mockery or ridicule. It pre-dates political correctness and serotonin up take inhibitors. It was a way to have fun before phones took over the universe. These days it's mostly more trouble than it's worth.
@@jpalberthoward9 Alright
@@jmtrainz2582 Horses, kerosene lamps, log cabins, rotary dial phones 8 tracks, independent thought, common sense, non compliance, literacy, sarcasm........
Hot water pipe insulation cut to length would stop those handles from chattering and be a little easier on your hands when carrying that moose around.
Great post. Be well.
I think this is the amp that Albert King used at the Fillmore.
Beautiful piece of history, amazing tone. What I wouldn't give to plug into that!
Sounds great! I played a Quad Reverb for many years. Beautiful clean tones. I traded the amp for a 1964 Fender Precision in 1992. Still have the bass.
"I'm gonna have to use smaller amps from now on." Then *this*
The transition era where your playing buddy holly at jimi volumes
Oh Hey. I've got one of these. Absolutely BITCHIN as a keyboard amp
I have the little brother to this amp, the Bandmaster reverb TFL 5005d, I’m currently turning it into a Vibroverb w/ mercury magnetics transformer and JBL d130f 1x15
'wow' indeed Matthew. Thanks for the tour.
Bass Players! Bass Players used those. You can hear John Paul Jones used one on the album version of Living Loving Maid, because the Tremolo and Reverb effects were still ON! I believe the Beatles had some of the 1st TFL 5000 series amps. If I find the vids I'll reply with link (if somebody else doesn't beat me to the punch).
BTW 2X15" even with guitar heads are amazing for bass!
I was lucky to get a mid 1970's one with Master Volume and a Line Out (listed as Slave Out). Before I took it home I played a 5 String Bass through it, and of course it was Amazing!
Demo that amp with a borrowed 5 string, trust me (the proof will be in the pudding)!
I think it is Heartbreaker more than Living Loving Maid (though they are regularly played together as 1 song)
This is the only Beatle video I could find with them using Fenders. I think George is playing his BASS VI through a Deluxe Reverb with a Showman extension cab. I could be wrong but I don't know what John is playing through.
ua-cam.com/video/A_MjCqQoLLA/v-deo.html
I'm pretty sure Peter Green and Danny Kirwan used dual showman for awhile
Danny Kirwan and Peter Green used DSR's and Bandmaster Reverbs...
I remember those damn things. There's a special on Showtime about the history of Motown records with lots of 60's-70's era bands (Smoky Robinson, Temptations, Supremes, Gladys Knight, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder etc.) and there's a number of clips of live performances with the dual showman and the JBL dust caps shining in the background ;)
I have one of these--the exact same model, in fact, purchased new in 1974. The cleans are amazing on it. It also takes pedals well, so it's easy to tailor the sound if desired. These days I use it with a 1x15 cabinet I had custom built to better fit my home studio, though I still have the original 2x15 cabinet as well. Jimi Hendrix used the Dual Showman (actually more than one) in both studio and live performance in 1968.