Fender ‘68 Custom Twin Reverb: A mistake?
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- Опубліковано 12 кві 2024
- Firstly, here’s a link to my video a few years ago involving 3 x faulty ‘68 Fender Princetons • Fender ‘68 Princeton R...
Looks like I’m not learning my lesson!
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Equipment used today:
Fender custom shop ‘52 reissue Tele (2017)
Gibson Les Paul ‘59 reissue (R9) from 2011
Fender ‘68 Custom Twin Reverb Reissue
Strymon Flint Reverb & Tremolo
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No computers, no audio interfaces, no special mics or cameras. Just my iphone, then uploaded to iMovie then to UA-cam
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If you have a query, or if you simply wish to buy me a coffee via PayPal, then my PayPal address and email are one and the same:
paul_ursusarctos@hotmail.co.uk (or 078900 67773)
Thanks folks 😊 - Розваги
Move it on Paul. It’s obvious that you’re not totally in love with it and I doubt that you ever will be.
Early-70’s Fender amps are the best purchases you can make, in my opinion. They don’t cost much more than a new re-issue, but they’re built 100 times better. They’re not noisy. They’re handwired, so they’re so much easier to service. And because they’re built like tanks, they will last you forever. The little bit extra it costs compared to a modern reissue is so worth it.
If you can find one that doesn’t smell like cigarettes or pee, you’re g2g.
@@mooseymoose Lol, that’s so true. 😆 Maybe one of the reasons I love silver Fenders is because I have a really weak sense of smell? Seriously though, the fact that so many heavily-worn silver face Fenders are still in excellent playing condition (aside from age-essential repairs) must be evidence of their durability, reliability, and sound quality. I’ve had Bassman heads that have clearly had hundreds and hundreds of hours of use, and with only some age-worn caps replaced still sound and work amazingly.
I grab those old siverfaces whenever I can and restore them. Recent one needed retolexing, ended up splendid. With a set of power valves around £200 in parts (all work done myself).
I wish I had done that before I bought my new 68 custom deluxe reverb 2 weeks ago. I already have a problem. Apparently, there's a problem with a tube causing high pitch squealing. Now, there's 2 silverface deluxe reverb on FB local for the same or just slightly more than I paid for this brand new amp. The amp does sound very good to me, but I don't trust fender anymore. Thought buying new would be the safest use of $1500 but apparently that's not the case anymore.
@@robbyclark6915 Not unless you go with a reputable small builder unfortunately. They mostly build the old stuff out of new parts, sometimes better (attenuators and effects loops).
Hey Paul, thanks for the kind words. You’ve discovered why the 68 Custom series is garbage. The 65 RIs are the ones to get, though they still miswire the reverb driver tube (easy for a tech to fix but the factory should get it right to begin with).
Whichever you get, the stock tubes can often be noisy.
The Intensity shouldn’t affect noise at all. I suspect some new preamp tubes are needed.
Your tech shouldn’t have any problems improving it without losing channels, reverb, or tremolo.
Thank you for the info Lyle. Yes, I’ll enjoy it for the time being but I can definitely feel a visit to the tech coming on at some point. At least I went into the purchase (or swap with the Marshall Astoria as it happens) with eyes open, thanks to your channel. So I have my trusty Cornell to fall back on. Cheers Lyle 👍
@@paulstaffordcook8799 Do you run 220v where you are? and is that an issue with these fenders? I know Lyle would know, he is by far and away, wise and humble - his wisdom is like music... I can listen to his videos all day. If he went into the amp manufacturing business would fender ever sell amps again? ha ...Or would it just raise the bar of all amps ? .... I have a VHT special 6 -ultra ...and that was supposed to be the affordable 5E3 but with lots of mods added in (hand wired as well) -for about $300 ...it was a great idea - but not carried out well.... It would need to be someone like Lyle (IMHO) who could deliver an amp that wouldn't self destruct and he also knows what people like as well.. Dr Lyle the Psionic Wizard? ;) Paul, I would think if you listened to him, he might be your Merlin. I have to say I have enjoyed yours (Paul) and Lyles Videos tremendously ...and UA-cam is better because of you guys.
oh! and btw that music you played sounded great, that big amps presence really does come thru... it suits you, but it might be a wee too much head room? I wonder if Lyle could set up a proper Princeton for you? -just a thought
Paul there is a fairly easy fix for all the quirks of the 68 reissue amps. Check out some videos regarding the reissues from psionic audio on UA-cam. He is very knowledgeable and I'm sure the amp techs on your side of the pond can perform the same repairs. Hopefully that will help you feel more confident in your new amp. As always sounds great.
If you watch Lyle of Psionic talk about the Fender 68 Custom reissues his advice is to move them on. There is no fix that resolves the fact that these are not quirks but just crap designs destined to fail and the only thing to do is to get rid of them and spend the money elsewhere.
@@kkjhn41 These 68 reissue fenders are a fail out of the box. Very poor design. There really isn’t a fix or a long term solution for these amps imho.
There really is no easy fix for the 68 Reissue Series. If you want a new amp and can't afford an actual vintage amp or a properly built modern point to point or turret board amp then at least get a Fender 65 Reissue Series amp.
The 65 Reissues are junk but at least they aren't the total disaster that the 68 Reissues are.
The big 1970s silverface Twins and Supers are excellent value. A good tech will turn these into reliable amplifiers that will outlast their owners.
That’s what’s so great about music. Someone finds inspiration from someone else, uses it, and turns it into their own thing. Rest assured, I am stealing everything off your channel! I really love this strange intersection of Celtic music, Scottish Highlands, blues, jazz, rockabilly, country, Hawaiian Slack key, West African, Caribbean island music… Somewhere in there is where I live.
Beautiful touch, sir… Thank you for sharing your experience, problems and perspective
Thanks for watching, cheers 🍻
I would imagine your playing will sound good on most any amplifier. Beautiful playing.
Thanks man, appreciated
Hi Paul, Lyle talks about the 68s. Everything is solvable. Keep up the incredible work you are doing! Always a joy seeing and hearing a new video of yours.
Thanks 👍
Paul, great playing, gorgeous guitars, great topic points! I usually don’t give likes unless deserved and this deserves one which is amongst many other videos that you have done. Thank you Paul!!!
Well thank you Analogblues 👍. Appreciated
Gosh Paul, stunning playing and beautiful sound!
I have owned 2 Fender Twin Amps, they are enormous, talk about 'head room' - they were both 70's models and solid as tanks. Of course it is a matter of using pedals, but the most beautiful clean tones and reverb quality, the two 12" speakers move the air like no other, I had Celestian 80 watt speakers in both amps: Mr Breezin uses Fender Twin amps, I love them
Hi Paul, I (again) can’t recommend enough to look for a handwired clone kit. There‘s always possibilities to also buy them readymade, either from the source directly (like Tube Amp Doctor in Germany), or by small builders or amp techs who are using such kits. You won’t get better, and their sound and quality is far above todays Fender mass production
As ever great video Paul. I met Stevie at Flynn Amplification in Glasgow yesterday. Wonderfully knowledgeable and nice guy. If it does break I'd go there. He also builds beautiful Fender clones to order.
I have a Brad New 65 reissue from Fullerton Ca USA back in 2008 played 15 hours and went in another direction for 8 years. Learned the guitar and I am chomping at the bit. All Smiles Thanks Paul for Years of time. Finish Strong.
Hey Brother, I'm with you on the Fender amp sound. I have had so many different amps as you have. I bought a 68 Custom Fender Vibroverb about two years ago and have had no problems. Wishing you good playin with your new acquisition. My first amp in 1964 was a Fender Prinston , then a Bandmaster, then DuoShowman. Now the Vibroverb. I must have got a very good one. I nearly bought a Fender VibroKing ,old, used, private party ,sounded Heavenly and a good investment but I didn't pull the trigger in 2000.
The Silverface Fenders from the 70s are a good way to go. Handwired
Really enjoyed your playing! Thanks!
The breakdowns are directly proportional to the money you spend... this time you spent very little. You'll see that it won't break😂
you captured perfectly the reason why I love the bassman
Complimenti. Saluti dall' Italia
Hi Paul! I have an old blues junior with tweed cloth. I've bought it s/h . Had it for 20 years! I have the same hiss problems which I think is coming from the tubes! But if you drive it loud you can't hear It! And believe me this wee box is bloody loud for a 10" speaker amp. I had rust on the pins of the valves. I cleaned them up and pushed them back in. It has improved the sound with less hiss than before! .. trial and persevere with it paul. It sound nice but these fenders do need to be driven to get the best poke/sound out of them! Enjoy your videos! Keep up the great broadcasts young man! 👍😎
Ok, here’s my noisy Fender amp story: I have a 2000 Custom Vibrolux Reverb that is quite noisy, sounding much like your Twin. I pretty much lived with the problem for years and years, although I did try putting in better tubes and other simple stuff like that, but nothing really helped all that much. Anyway, at least five years ago I decided I wanted to try running the amp directly into my computer for recording purposes, so I bought a Two Notes Torpedo Captor. The unit plugs in between the amp’s speaker output and the speaker itself to give you a DI output for recording. It’s also an attenuator. The Captor works great for all of that, and the amp functions as it did before. Brilliant.
Now, here’s the crazy part: It took away pretty much all the noise! Why, I have no idea, but it was such an awesome discovery I thought I’d pass it along. Maybe you could borrow a Captor to see if it helps at all. Just a thought.🤷♂️
I’m intrigued about what you’re saying…. And it makes sense…. Thanks for that info man, it’s appreciated. 🍻
@@paulstaffordcook8799 Again, I have no idea why this happened, but it was a godsend to me. Good luck to you if you try it, but please don’t come after me if it doesn’t!
Just kidding.😉
That's a huge and gorgeous sound Paul! We can hear the walls shaking! Great playing as always. Stevie Flynn can sort that amp, he looks after my 54 year old Laney. He fitted a non evasive Master volume that made the amp useable with no deterioration in the sound at all. I can now turn it up to get body in to the sound at acceptable room levels. good luck with it Paul and I hope it works out for you mate.
Thanks Brian. Yeah, I’m Stevie can work some magic 🤞
Beautiful playing as always Paul! You can try looking for a used Two Rock Studio Signature, Classic Reverb Sig or Vintage Deluxe. That's a lot of money, but if you're into CS guitars, you might as well go into CS amps territory. But if you buy it used (as I did with my CLRS) it's basically free, because it won't ever get cheaper. I love the millions of sounds I can get out of my CLRS and it has amazing headroom and a very good master for a bedroom volume.
Lovely, tasteful playing - I really like your style. Instant sub! With regards to amps, handwired boutique seems to be the way to go these days. Here in Aussieland we have Achilles amps in Melbourne, authentic Blackpanel and Tweed clones with a few modern options for around the same price as the Fender custom models (which also have lots of QC issues).
Thanks kswannie. Delighted you liked my playing 🍻
Hi Paul, I had a mid 70s twin-the 135 watt monster, it was louder than my old 100 watt marshall stack but in clubs I couldn’t turn it much above 1on the volume-sold it & got something that didn’t kill my back & ears!
Welcome back to big amps man! I have a '79 135W dual showman reverb, pretty much a twin in a head, along with a couple other 100w heads. The "bigness" is why I cant play small amps, they just don't have the low end authority of the big iron. Your playing obviously makes it sound even better.
Thanks Rocky. I agree about the “big-ness”…. It’s quite addictive.
Love your Oh Shenandoah and Hawaiian slack key improvs, and yes they do sound great on a super-powerful Twin Reverb. I have a few comments/suggestions. First of all, you don’t need to pay a tech to disable channel 1, you can do that by pulling out the first valve (12ax7 furthest to the right when you look at the amp from the back). It’s generally OK to pull out preamp tubes for diagnostic purposes (e.g to see where a particular noise is coming from). If your reissue Twin has reverb and vibrato on both channels, part of the noise floor problem might be because of the sub-optimal way Fender combines the channels (a tech may be able to help you with that, but not without voiding the warrantee). The bigger problem that’s not going away however, is that it’s getting harder and harder to find really high quality preamp tubes, and the tubes that Fender puts in its amps are at best middle-of-the-road quality, which, these days, is not that good.
Thanks for that info Jeremy…. that’s interesting. Cheers 🍻
Nice playing as well. You sound great!
Best of luck to you on your Fender Twin journey brother! Hope you get nothing but enjoyment from it! 😎👍🙏
I hope so too! Cheers 🍻
Hi Paul - I recently picked up a 68 reissue Deluxe reverb and it also had the noise issues evident in the video (and testified to by many in this comments section). I knew ahead of time about this and had also watched the Psionic Audio videos on the topic. I got a good deal on the amp so I literally took it the day after I bought it to an amp tech who basically converted it to blackface spec by adding the negative feedback back in and fixing the vibrato tick, switching thump etc. Result - beautiful amp, sound similar to my 65 reissue Princeton. Only cost me $80 in New Zealand (that's about $50 Euro). Basically you buy the silverface if you want overdrive tones, otherwise go blackface for pristine cleans.
Brilliant info, thanks Phil 👍
Chords, I love your chords, Paul. So rich. So lush.
That’s what I wanted to hear! Thanks Bob 🍻
Paul Thanks for the great video. You can't beat Twins and Pro Reverbs ( preferred choice)voice but for gigging in most venues they are too loud and heavy. I currently run a wet /dry rig with a Princeton and a Ampeg Jet II (20w). It's a big enough sound and easier on the back. In the near future going to replace the Ampeg with 65 Deluxe.
When I started I wanted a Marshall. But amps were so expensive, even used, my brother and I could only get one between us out of our parents. He had a Strat, and was older, so a Fender it was. I got stuck with it eventually. It was a Quad. And, like you said, no Crunch. I tried everything. A Big Muff. A MXR Distortion +. The best was the Ice Cube. It was a blue plastic cube that plugged in the back where the Reverb Tank was plugged in. Then, when you turned up the Reverb knob you got Crunch and Sustain in place of Reverb. Eventually, I blew the head and bought a Marshall, but I still used the cab to this day. But, like all the other Voxes and Marshalls, they're too loud to play at home. They should all come with a warning, "Stadium Not Included". You almost have to get a Kemper. So you can turn down, but that's only a Snapshot of a "real" amp. You have to get an good attenuator, which is basically the price of another amp, to play at home. How our parent stood the whole band practicing, I don't know. They must have been saints.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day Paul ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊
Hi Paul, wonderful playing! I did the mods on my 68 custom deluxe that Lyle talks about. Well, my amp tech did it. I had made a list of them. It worked out wonderful if you get rid of the bassman/vibe tone stack, and do the other mods the noise floor becomes Acceptable. By 68 deluxe is a keeper. I think my Tech charged me $140 for the whole job.
Great info man, thank you
Hi Paul,
First of all, incredibly beautiful playing my friend. Sorry about your amp issues. I very much dislike gear problems. Gear problems to me have that same undesirable feeling I have when I’m in the doghouse with my wife. I too use fender amps. I have a reissue Champ and an Uncle Larry 5E3 from P2P amps. So far so good with them, fingers crossed.
Please keep us updated on the status of your new amplifier. You are always fun and relaxing to watch play and speak.
Going to go make a cup of coffee as well now.
Take Care
Thanks man, enjoy your coffee 😊
For what these go for used you can typically get a 70's Silverface. A real one. They often need minimal servicing and are easy to "EQ" to taste. I typically lower the voltages in the preamp and blackface the phase inverter (a few resistor changes). A Lar Mar master volume can really help. I like a cold bias of around 25ma per pair. Once you have "blackfaced" it back to AB763 or thereabouts its a glorious thing and the cool bias and lowering the voltages a bit really loosens them up nicely. The later 70's ones with the big iron are glorious amplifiers and often trade for silly cheap.
Testify, I have a ‘71 non-master Twin black faced. Amazing tone and no noise. Sweetness and big beautiful cleans.
@@electricj5I have a '71 non-master Super Bassman, crazy good clean platform at any volume. And dang does it get loud!
Hi Paul, I have a 68Custom DeluxeReverb and rebuilt it completely to a handwired one so all issues are gone. The reason why the Tremolo on these 68series hisses that much is because of EU rules. THe optocoupler is not allowed anymore and replaced with a complete new circuit which is awfully bad. I have been replacing these in a lot of 68-amps for the original optocoupler and after that the tremolo works as it should, nice sound and deadquiet. Also the hiss of the whole amp is because of the negative feedback that has been modified in these series, correct that and the amp ios deadquiet in total. ALso the left channle is calles "Bassman", but has nothing to do with a Bassmancircuit at all. A BS story by Fender. Only the MIDS are slightly altered. The Reverb sounds awfull but is due to the bas quality springtanks of the last 15 years or so. There are NO decent tanks anymore since they have been produced in the far East. FInd yourself a good 70's Fender reverbtank as I did ans you will have a killer amp. However the best advice is: buy a 70's Silverface Fender Twinreverb, your 68 version will never sound like such a Twinreverb.
That’s great info Eppie, I appreciate that. Cheers 🍻
I still have a Twin that I bought in 1972. No telling how mant thousands of hours it has on it, including 20 years of gigging 5 nights a week. All Ive ever had to do is replace the tubes occassionally
Lovely tone. I had a similar problem with fender reissues. I am a deluxe reverb guy. I had a local amp tech wire the same circuit by hand and swapped it out .. sold the printed circuit board from fender on ebay. Job done.. Dawgg is happy.
That’s an interesting solution….. I’m liking that idea!
Hi Paul, I have a Fender Blues Junior that has been completely hand wired, point to point, valve rectified, valve reverb by Rat Valve Amps - check out his website.
The point is Fender Amps in UK are set to run at 230vac when the current is really 240vac. This combined with biasing issues means power tubes can be cooked in as little as 2 hrs. My modified FBJ is 7 yrs into its replaced valves after my unmodified FBJ burnt its valves out in a month. Get your twin to an experienced tech soon. Anyway I'll get back to watching the rest of your video
Thanks for that info Nicholas. Appreciated
sure sounded great at the open for a “box o’ crap!” i have the fender custom 65 hw princeton and just had it serviced-needed a new tube and a bit of solder reflow-but i played every single day for a few hours straight a time for a couple years before it needed the tune up. i freaked out after i saw psionic’s vid on how crappy the hw deluxe he had on his bench was but mine was good inside. solder reflow was sop for my service guy.
Great playing as always! A very interesting video for me. I’ve had a Fender pro reverb twin 1978? for about 30 years. I know nothing about them….never been serviced (that was new to me!) but had a valve replaced once. I play a Gibson LP Custom (1988)and a G&L ASAT (1988) through it. Now….Ive always loved the sound and the potential power (never used its full potential)…but it had its fair share of buzzes and crackles which I put up with. Now….a few months ago I moved house. I thought the amp would be the same. But no! It sounded great….after a few minutes of warming up the was no interference at all…just the clear, warm Fender sound. It’s never let me down and I’m keeping it. As I said I know nothing about electronics and have never had anyone service my guitars or amps….but sometimes it could be the wiring/earthing of the actual room or house which is the problem? Just a thought.
That’s very interesting! I often wonder about that… even my Cornell makes the occasional interference noise…. Maybe my power supply is compromised….
I bought a Fender Deluxe Reverb Tonemaster Blonde. Very nice amp, super light and very quiet.
‘68 deluxe reverb reissue. Exact same. Keep the reverb and tremolo completely off and helps a lot. Keep it around 3 and wouldn’t dare put it on a stage or in public in general. Maybe I’ll have a tech do the fixes one day, but for now, I’m just satisfied with the sweet tone at low volume. I have other amps for playing out. 👍
Hey Paul. Maybe the Twin was too big and powerful for your needs, unless gigging at the O2? 😁 I have the Vibrolux and it started to sound like the local cab office was muscling in on my prctice sessions!🤔😆 Took it to a tech who said exactly the same about the caps! Put a set of higher grade ones in, re set the bias and it now sounds amazing!!! It's 35 watts and I play it on 5 at home... beautiful! Great videos and playing, as always! Oh and TH is my new best friend too! 👏🖖❤
Thank for the info, appreciated. And I’m delighted you’re also a Tobias fan 🤘
Absolutely fan of Fender ‘68 Custom Twin Reverb sound ❤
Well thank you Jagercaster 🍻
Yup, sounds amazing! Bravo Shenandoah❤
Try a Fuchs Bassman ODS.
With new caps, the Twin will sound as new. I think Rift amps in GB is a good Adress for Amp service. Lyle is great, so you know allready what to do with your Twin.
Great video as always Paul. Love the warmth that tube amps produce but as a senior I tired of having to turn my last tube amp(Peavey Classic 50 2x12) on 15-20 minutes before playing to warm up. Simply too noisy when the tubes were cold. So I sold it ten years ago not long after a rather expensive re-tube and re biased by the local tech.
At my age I just want to flip a switch, sit down and play. Nothing so far has impressed me enough to buy a solid state amp. But I’m tempted.
Have you tried a vox pathfinder 15r? They're a great little solid state combo from about a decade or so ago, you can find demos and testimonials all over the internet
@@jasondorsey7110 Not familiar with Vox amps. Currently go through my modeller into Mac into stereo powered speakers. My portable is the Yamaha THR 10C which is a great little programmable amp. The old Fender Twins were unbeatable for their full clean tones.
Wise words Taylort3b……
Make sure your Reverb Tank RCA Plugs are facing towards the front baffle in the reverb bag. The thump is normal when coming off stand by. The crackle is a faulty preamp tube in the 2nd position from the right hand side. Swap the 1st and 2nd tube places and should be fine. Since you use the Reverb/Vibrato channel the first tube is for the unused channel. The 2nd tube(causing the crackle) is for the reverb channel. The fender 68 reissue line is notorious for having terrible white noise in the background. Poor mods implemented to have reverb on both channels. Also, the handwired series is about the same amount of problems from Fender.. It really depends who is the hands wiring the amp. Handwired isn't always better.
I've settled on a 2002 cream colored Fender Hot Rod Deluxe that's been modded with Sovtek and Svetlana tubes and rebiased...it's got an oxblood grill and with a grephic eq in the effects loop which lets me crank the amp and lower the volume with the eq...love the reverb tank and love Fender amps...I've had a few of them. I had a Twin in the 70s and we used to joke that the sound of a Twin was ouch until you got your back adjusted..they're heavy beasts....I have a 30 Watt Fender Champion for small rooms that works like a champ. A good amp doctor can clean the hiss out of that Twin for you
Good info, thanks Greg
Nice play with the Tele.
I am a country / rockabilly player, like you have had all the ‘ good amps’
I now own a quad cortex.
Never thought i could own something like that,…..but
I get those tones without the buzz, reliability,
Give it a real try, i think you will like
great playing!
Thank you Brian 🍻
Hi Paul, I have a Fender Supersonic 22 and had a lot of the same sort of issues as you - reverb was noisy and exhibited feedback at anything past 4, channels ‘thumped’ when switching and generally a high noise floor. I ended up putting some sticky backed foam under the reverb tank which cured the feedback, swapped and then replaced V1 with a JJ 12AX7 and the reverb driver 12AT7, a new reverb cable and all the problems went away. Total cost of about £60 and all very simple fixes for the novice.
Great info, thanks Ian 👍
First things first, you just played a piece so freakin good im gonna wind up spending half the day trying to learn as much as I can figure out. As far as the amp goes, my goodness it suited you and that tele so well. I really mean it. That's not to say the Les Paul didn't, because it sounded great too. That reverb and tremolo was fantastic, and I was just listening thru a little tablet. Gonna put some headphones on and have another go in a minute. It's a shame it hisses so much the further it gets turned up. All I can say is, I hope it doesn't crap out on you for some time because what I heard sounded like a datgum record. I'm gonna need to go back and see if I can find some of your older videos playing the Princeton, I just don't remember you ever doing that. I had planned on getting a hand wired 64 one day, but after hearing about all the problems from others and now you I'm getting pretty apprehensive. Anyhow, great video as always Paul.
Thanks man, appreciated 🍻
You can always check out Mojotone if it fails and buy a kit to convert to hand wired. Won't cost much if you can do the work yourself. I did it with a 59 Bassman Reissue and it was great.
Mojotone is great!
I found those things wrong with it too, before I bought it, can't believe they make an amp like that and ship it out like there is nothing wrong with it! I bought a real 68 Twin and I love it!
I’ve the same ‘extra noise’ with the 65 DRRI, bit of a nuisance at home. I moved away from valves. (Though I’ve kept the Deluxe reverb, in the cupboard) I found my peace with a Quilter Mach2 for playing out and a Bud 6 at home which is completely silent and so good I’m tempted by the 10 but can’t justify it other than I want it.
the "mood" swing sounds to me like a tube (probably preamp) that needs to be replaced... It wasn't clear to me if you are the first owner of this amp, but if those tubes are from the factory they probably won't hold up... upgrading tubes can also improve your noise floor if you pick the tubes right.. I purchased a brand new little fender amp with groove tubes in it, they had to GO on day 1 as they were the root source of most of my complaints about the amp out of the box! I suggest that you mess with the tubes a bit before cutting off the vibe/verb/other channel. Better yet... just take it to a tech who can get it to run on a level much closer to your expectations!
Great playing man, I always enjoy your stuff... New Sub!
Thanks man, yeah I think you give good advice. I’m the second owner so I think some time with tech is a good idea. Cheers for subscribing, appreciated 👍
You're sounding more like Django everyday😂 Well played Paul.
I had a 68 Princeton tweed reissue. Took a while to get it working properly
Yeah man I couldn't agree more, it's shame really to have to pick between a good working amp and a good sounding one. But either settle for a Fender adjacent sound or deal with the quirks of either a vintage or a new one. Boutique of course is still an option but you can't really get those as easily in shops all the time.
Got a 73 twin.66 bass man head with celestions.heaven.
Thanks for the heads up!
What do you think about Magnatone-Amps?
I love the look of them, and I love the tone from the various demos I’ve watched. Sadly I have never played one. I suspect I’d love it. And I’d imagine them to be well made.
I have a 68 super reverb and it’s a beast and so far reliable and I gig it all the time
That’s refreshing to hear. Cheers, 🍻
Hey Paul, I wonder if you used a modeler of a twin (like a helix..etc.) if you would get the noise? I know they are two different animals but in a bedroom setting, even with a powered speaker, it may get you close without the hiss.?? I personally am an old school guy and love my amps and pedals but my helix does have its place. I do have a super sonic 22. I do love that amp. Although I don’t use the burn channel so much so I’m really just using a deluxe reverb… sort of… as always I love your vids and your music! Take care!
Thanks Harold. Still can’t quite make the leap to the Helix…..
Great video Paul. I have the Princeton 68 and it's been fine, although I did need to tighten up the 2 input jacks. I run it at home with an Audiostorm attenuator. Using the vib/rev footswitch takes the hum out of the sound. Have you ever tried Flynn Amps?
Good to hear your Princeton is a good one. As regards Flynn amps…. Yes, if I could afford one then I’d get Stevie to build me his version of a deluxe reverb.
@@paulstaffordcook8799 Ye they are not cheap are they. I recently managed to pick up a used Pro model with 15 inch speaker for less than half the price of a new one. I was lucky as they rarely come up.
There's no denying the fidelity of the sound, the question is of reliability. Only time will tell. I've heard the '65 reissues are better, at a price. I've always wondered if the Tonemaster versions aren't the way to go? I haven't tried them, although I must get a go on the Super, if only to scratch an itch!
On the other end of the scale, i just nabbed one of those new katana Go thing-a-ma-bobs. For silent practice they really are impressive. I can record direct to my DAW with a USB C cable too. Even works with Garageband on the iPhone. You can jam with backing tracks streamed to it as well. Bloody useful bit of kit.
All digital amps suffer from introduced latency, there is no cure and I for one can not abide it. Kills the feel and why have an amp if it isn’t for that very thing? Believe me my back is not happy about the conclusion!
I have a '68 Custom Pro Reverb and has been nothing but a lemon. A friend of mine works for George Alessandro and really want get it hand wired and make it into a head.
It sounds so nice. It is a shame that fender cannot get the quality of their amps to be better. Paul, are you using your Strymon Flint for reverb? Thanks!
Hi Tele100. Cheers. And yes, that’s the Strymon 👍
I am a fender guy as well I used to play a blonde baseman head at home in garage but way to loud, I now have a hand wired champ but not fender lol a guy in UK, I love Princeton reverb but again went with a cheaper tonemaster SS and honestly it’s close to the tube very very close and house friendly it’s the amp I play most so must be good.
Paul, I absolutely love your playing. Are there any courses or books or other resources for that feel you get at the end of this video -- it's a little Caribbean Island feeling. I know you are just improvising but I have been trying to crack the "island" sound code and I want some better direction about how to voice lead it, common chord progressions and substitutions. i have already ripped off some of your licks from this video! Your channel is awesome. Feel like I am just hanging in your living room, it's great. Don't need tons of production to make a good channel.
Thanks man, I’m genuinely chuffed you like my playing. Comments like that make it a very enjoyable experience posting on UA-cam. As regards the “island” sound…. I know exactly what you mean. I wish I could say “oh, it’s just what comes out of me 🤣”…. But no, it’s all originating from watching so many Tobias Hoffmann videos on the Vintage Oldenburg channel. The first time I ever heard him play this “island” sound was on this video here ua-cam.com/video/UyTL6mJn-kU/v-deo.htmlsi=uNOe1o-z3eBlxWpx
It just blew me away! And so I’ve tried to emulate it ever since. If there’s a theme? Maybe it’s starting a little chord one fret below where it’s meant to be and then sliding it up to the correct fret. You can also do this pattern with single notes, again spelling out a chord. Keep things simple, melodic and don’t be afraid to use some tasteful trem arm if your guitar has one.
So I’m finally not alone
Heaviest amp ever! I had a silverface
I have a blackface '66 Twin reverb, a silverface '68 Twin reverb, a 66 blackface Princeton reverb and a '64 custom ( hand wired/soldered) Deluxe reverb. The 66 twin has a serious fan installed in the back blowing air up towards the tubes so it is more noisy thus it is a stage amp and I do not use it in the house. The '68 with factory JBL's is quiet as a mouse. The Princeton reverb is quiet and so is the '64 even with the 2 modern channels and both channel running reverb and tremolo. It's the '68 reissue that is known for quality fails not only for the Twin version but also in the Deluxe and Princeton format. I think it's because of the change in their circuit. Love your playing... it's only complete if you use the Fender on-board vib and rev.!! LOL
I guess I need to add that nothing can beat a Fender Tele or Strat either. Just a warning....these guitars breed like rabbits. They will be everywhere before you know it.
Ha ha, just watched one of your old vidyas - “Katana and a FreqOut, who needs valves!!!”
Today on “how has Paul paid to make his life more difficult this week” 😁
Your comment has me smiling 🤣.
I used to play twin reverbs back in the day wound out full onstage. No wonder i have tinnitus now.
I put a volume pedal on mine and was able to crank it up to 7 with the pedal almost in the off position to get volume to a usable level at home. The rest of your issues I haven’t seen. But have heard from others about them.
Hi Paul, love your playing. I wanted to let you know. Around a month ago, I was in guitar center. And I found the holy Grail fender. Try some of fender tone masters. No hiss . Beautiful sounds.
I’m guilty of never having tried a Tone Master…. maybe it’s time….
@@paulstaffordcook8799 I recommend the deluxe and super reverb. I'm not crazy about the Princeton.
Similar problems out of my PRS custom...... Now I am really curious.
Hello , First it is not handwired. I bought a Fender Custom Reverb Vibrato finding out it had a circuit board. I ripped it out of the amp and handwired it like Fender did in the old days. Put in new spec transformers and nos tubes and WOW...... Warm tone.............
These twin and deluxe 68 are not the real thing. your better off buying a 1970s Fender twin. That ticking noise will go away with a capacitor mod..... thanks for your playing and videos.....
I love fender amps aswell and like you Ive been very 'unlucky' with them as every one Ive had has failed.
I watch psionic aswell so changing the 'doghouse' caps to F&T's seems like a must for these... Its a shame.
You could of course get one of those AB763 'drop in' boards with really nice mojo, but again for the £ they charge it should already be there.
Wouldn’t it be nice to pay for something that doesn’t immediately need fixing?
@@mooseymoose Yes.
Hmmm, I had a similar love/ hate relationship with a Marshall TSL amp in the early 2000s. Loved the tone (at that time, my tastes are very different now), lived with the noise. But eventually the noise issues eroded my love of the tone and I couldn’t live with it.
I have had plenty of other amps since then, but if they’re noisy they don’t stick around for long. If you can get it (properly) fixed, then great. If not I would suggest you move it on and try again as it will surely eventually grind you down.
You didn't get hurt in the trade. From watching Psionic's videos on the Fender reissues, there seem to be a few minor quality and reliability issues in both the '68 and '65 models (cheap components, quick connects on high-tension leads, ect.). However, a good amp tech can fix that for less than the cost of another amp. Lastly, at 65 lbs., it will make a spectacular splash when you throw it in the river 😛
Thanks Disco, your words leave me smiling. Especially the spectacular splash 🤣
I have my dad's 68 silver Ab763/ black face circuit twin it still sounds great.Yeah it's loud, but you know what I mean. I changed out the caps and tubes a year ago. Still working n sounds great. I just don't like the weight. It's a killer! Going to check out those fender twin tonemaster ? Oh yeah, I have two boss mk2 100 run in stereo mode sounds great. They're not so heavy! A lot less cash too ?
That's a surprise. Twins can be crazy loud, but the dynamics are wonderful. I've had a '73 SF Twin since '78 and wouldn't part with it. The shortcomings of the '68 reissue CAN be dealt with IF you're willing to invest in it. Thereafter, you'll have an amp that will serve for years. Or, you could invest in a pre-owned Rift PR35. BTW, Lyle on Psionic Audio name-checked you a couple of times in his recent live stream. Cheers.
Thank you Kevin. Your words seem positive as regards the possible improvements to the ‘68 reissue series. That cheers me up 👍
Playing in a country band the Twin has the power to cut through the mix even if you like to dial in mids and bass for nice fat tone but still have plenty of punch at the higher freq. If you play mostly clean I cant imagine a better choice at that price level
I had a 68 Custom Deluxe, but the reverb just wasn't fendery enough. I'm currently paying off a super reverb reissue and it is very quiet in terms of noise, plenty of reverb, just ok trem, but very warm with plenty of bass.
“Fender. Try one before it breaks.” 😊
Bad caps?bias tubes?outlet polarity?turn everything in the room off?
I'm kind of out of love with valve amps. All of the ones I've owned (fender and vox) have needed constant attention over the years. My ac30 let me down live on stage twice. On the other hand, my Session SG75 twin, which is a transistor amp and voiced like a fender is still going strong, having been built in 1988 and only had a volume pot and an input jack in that time. Brilliant amps. I've been gigging mine every week for the last ten years. Never missed a beat. But it's a transistor amp, so it must be crap, right? 🤷
Sounds like a keeper!
As some have mentioned, the issues are at least mostly solvable. Cutting out the bassman channel and the reverb/trem would probably work, but it is really overkill for the problem. A lot of the issue is the shared reverb/trem across both channels (unlike in an original) and how they chose to do it. Simply undoing that "feature" or doing it a better way will help the noise floor considerably. There are other "issues" as well that can also be resolved. Psonic here on UA-cam goes through a ton of "stuff" on the Fender reissues to deal with the noise and bulletproof the amps in general. He's in the US, but your tech either knows the same "things" about the amps or can quickly see what he's doing (he's pretty open about it). I have a '68 reissue Vibrolux Reverb that needs that work done to it, but I wish I'd gone for the Twin myself. Better yet, I wish I hadn't sold the real '65 Deluxe Reverb that I had back in the 80's! lol Another cool amp you might try if you get the chance is the Bad Cat Black Cat. I LOVE that Fender sound and also the Vox sparkle, and that amp, I find, gives me a good dose of both with the touch sensitivity to get to both, or a mix of both just with my hands when you set the amp right!
Thanks for that info man. Appreciated
ohhh that keyword: authority. I swapped my VHT 50 watt top for a 20 watt Marshall for better character and more managable volume control but I really miss that authority.
You can disable the first channel by pulling out the first valve. The hiss issues are caused in part for the lousy channel mixing routing (enabling reverb and trem on both channels) , crackle is just quality of crappy valves. All issues are solvable by any tech worth their salt. Psisonic here on YT deals with this stuff - worth having a look.
It's probably been said in the comments but I couldn't be bothered looking through 188 previous comments sorry Paul.. But try some different tubes/valves in the Reverb Section and Tremolo
Love your playing as always!!!
Thanks S.K. 👍
Dude what is that song you’re playing with the Les Paul? Haunting./ awesome.. or is that some kind of improv ?
Thanks Zaqintosh. Yes, just an improv. Delighted you liked it 🍻
Paul, a good amp tech can get rid of those issues.
I love the drip edge cosmetics of the '68 Custom amps. They aren't too hard to fix up, but you'll lose the verb/trem on the normal channel(which is the culprit anyways). Just roll back the mods to the original AB763 circuit and it'll be dead quiet, like the standard '65 Reissue.
Good info Matthew, thank you
Made the mistake of buying one of these too… brand new… and in less than a year it was trash. Never left the house with it, never played it on volumes over 5. Used an mxr sugar drive occasionally. And it rattled itself to bits. Edited to say that mine did that exact thing with the crackle.