The '65 Fender Twin Re-issue, Not A Siamese Twin, But Twin Nonetheless!
Written: Mar 23 '03 (Updated Mar 23 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tone, Clean Headroom, 5 year warranty
Cons: Weight, Printed Circuit Board Headaches
The Bottom Line: Going in with your eyes wide open and knowing all the facts beforehand, the '65 Fender Twin Re-issue will deliver tone, tone and more tone to a lucky user.
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| lllopez's Full Review: Fender 65 Twin Reverb Combo |
Fender Twin Reverb 101…
The Fender Twin Reverb has long been a staple in Fenders arsenal of guitar amplifiers. In fact the first incarnation of the Fender Twin, in 1952, was in a smaller, less powered package which is remarkable since Twins are known for their weight and girth, as well as broad signal dispersion and incredible, clean headroom for a small combo amp. It wasn’t until 1958 that the Twin got a power boost to the more recognized 80 watts. Since that time there have been various notable incarnations of the Twin Reverb. In 1975 there was the Super Twin Reverb, it was discontinued in 1980 to be reissued as a “II” model designed by Paul Rivera and then discontinued once more 1986 only to return the next year with the “red knobbed” Twins. That era was plagued with substantial post CBS problems related to quality control. In 1991, the 1965 Twin was reissued in an effort to bring the Fender image in line with the quality associated with the Fender name during the Pre CBS years and Leo Fenders watch. What follows is a classic comeback for an amplifier rich with history and a legacy that extends across all musical genres. To their credit, Fender offers a 5 year warranty part/labor on the Fender '65 Twin Reissue
Tone…Tone…Tone
Tone. That one word evokes a plethora of images from every guitarist, with no two responding alike. It is that elusive and much sought after, and certainly ever-changing phenomena that really boils down to feeling. Yes, a feeling that your notes played are coming across in a preconceived fulfilling display of aural splendor to your audience, but most of all you, the player. The acquisition of good tone really boils down to the player and his hands, his attack and his ability to use playing dynamics. The fact that he can achieve all of this into an amplifier that can accentuate and offer clean signal and pure warmth, crunch, subtlety or soul is the last piece of the Tone puzzle. The Fender '65 Twin Reissue offers that last, very elusive piece.
To understand the absolute mysticism of the Fender Twin it is important to know some of it’s history. During the days of Elvis, Scotty Moore was playing behind him out of a Twin, BB King, plays a Twins when he cannot have his Lab Series. Eric Clapton, John Lennon & George Harrison, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Larry Carlton, George Benson, The Beach Boys, my God the list is endless, of luminaries that have put their time in on a Twin Reverb! Most studio recordings over the last 50 years have featured a Fender Twin Reverb to one extent or another. The question beckons: does the Fender '65 Twin Reissue continue this rich legacy? The answer is both a yes and no, not to be misinterpreted as a maybe. Yes in the sense that the Fender '65 Twin Reissue delivers its characteristic clean headroom and pristine clean tone, sometimes characterized as surf tone for its prominence in 60’s era surf records. It also delivers in the lush reverb and broad dispersion and that sense of giving off big “air”, simply put, the ability to fill a room with sound. Yes that is all there, in spades!
The no’s of the equation lie in the loss of the original Jensen speakers, in favor of the more durable and available Eminence speakers, which are no serious compromise to many users. Gone is the hand point-to-point wiring in favor of the more cost efficient printed circuit boards directing and routing signal and current simultaneously. The compromises here are indeed many. The downside to pcb’s are everything from tube sockets to your outboard controls are interconnected increasing the chance for extraneous cracking, popping, intermittence and the dreaded 60 cycle hum from appearing with apparent reason. Repairs are not so cut and dry as they used to be and thus more expensive as well. Usual suspects are intermittent signal loss due to compromised solder joints if you press on the controls, bump or jar the amp too hard. It has become a little prissier than it’s forerunners. In the tone arena however, it is still a lion and in my estimation the King of The Jungle. It pays to have a good relationship with a Fender Gold Certified tech, as I do to, since you will see him from time to time.
Controls & Tale Of The Tape
Control configurations have changed over the years on the Fender Twins. They have included pull switches for Boost, Master Volume (channel switching), Bass and drive functions. The Fender '65 Twin Reissue goes back to its roots, somewhat with controls close to as were represented on the original version.
C h a n n e l 1
Inputs Two are provided. Input number 2 has -20db signal appropriate for smaller venues, practicing at home etc. in any other amp but the '65 Twin Reissue. What you hear at low volumes is typical of what you hear at elevated levels.
Bright Switch Accentuates the high frequency signal coming out of the Twin. This control brightens your tone while not coloring it, and is quite useful in R&B and jazz work
Volume You won’t use this control a lot. Generally 4 out of 10 is far too loud. I do not like the fact that it is not as effective a control below 1.5. This is a minor issue though.
Treble Treble controls on the Twin can get harsh if overused. Generally the Twin is a bright enough amp with the Treble control on 5 with the Bright switch engaged, although this is a matter of preference.
Middle Essentially a presence control which in essence fattens your tone a little and can also be used when configuring your Twin in a PA or recording mix.
Bass the Bass controls are effective without losing tonal balance and not characteristically prone to breakup or muddiness.
Red Jewel A crystal jewel cover to indicate power is on. The jewel is typical Fender fare and as symbolically fender as the Jaguar hood ornament is on an XJ Series Jag. There are many aftermarket replacements that offer colors other than Fender Red.
Channel 1 is the dry channel and reverb is not routed to this part of the amp. Originally all signal routing was direct, but on the '65 Re-issue, it is via printed circuit board.
C h a n n e l 2
Inputs Same as Channel 1
Bright Switch Same as Channel 1
Volume Same as Channel 1
Treble Same as Channel 1
Middle Same as Channel 1
Bass Same as Channel 1
Reverb The '65 Fender Twin Reissue comes equipped with its spring reverb unit which is sizable and sits on the deck of the open backed Twin. It is lush without being overbearing but lacks some of the warmth of the originals.
Speed This control allows the user to control the modulation or pulse of the Vibrato (tremelo). It is quite effective in the lower registers but non-apparent past 5-6.
Intensity Here again a Vibrato control, Intensity controls the presence of Vibrato in your outgoing signal. Here again anything past 5-6 is wasted on my ears.
Rear Panel The rear panel controls are few but noteworthy.
Ground The ground actually is there for show purposes alone and to lend an air of authenticity. It does not function and is not connected! The electronics of the '65 Twin Reissue, handles all grounding in-circuit.
Power a toggle switch controls powering the Twin on & off.
Standby On a tube amp the Standby switch is of extreme importance. One of the rules of obtaining pure tone is to heat up your tubes prior to use. Heating the Tubes is much like heating up the Jag before taking off, it Thoriated tungsten-filamented tubes produce the most current-per-wattage when heated optimally. Simply put, you extend the life of your tubes if you let them heat up prior to use & current draw and produce optimal result (tone) as well.
Internal Speaker Jack This ¼” jack accepts the connection to the 2 12” Eminence speakers. It is not recommended that you play the amp without some type of load on this circuit.
External Speaker Jack At 85 watts, the '65 Fender twin Reissue is certainly a candidate to drive external speaker cabinets. A 4x10 or 4x12 draw is perfectly acceptable provided it is a 4 Ohm load adjusted according to draw.
Footswitch Jack Again a ¼” jack to your footswitch allows you to use the two functions on the footswitch included.
Footswitch The Chrome-Domed Fender footswitch controls Vibrato and reverb on/off controls on Channel 2. A 12-foot cord is ample to suit most stage situations.
The '65 Fender Twin Re-issue comes equipped with: 4ea. 12 AX7, 2ea. 12AT7,and 4ea. 6L6 tubes making changeouts pricey at about $200.00 including re-biasing.
Conclusions And Afterthoughts
The '65 Fender Twin Reissue is a worthy amp to ad to your arsenal if you are part-time player occasional playing out. It certainly will fit the bill tone-wise for these occasions. For the more seasoned full time player (2-3 nights a week), I would recommend a look at some of the original class A hand wired, or the “II” series units for reliability and a little more of the original Fender tone that is indigenous of those models. The '65 Twin Reissue, to Fenders credit, have gone back to Jensen 12” speakers, which are better for the Twin, although the Twin is a monster with Aluminum capped JBL 12’s if you are built like a logger to carry the thing. At 65 pounds out of the box, the extra load of a pair of JBL’s or even EV’s can take that freight up past 100 pound easily. The '65 Twin sounds great with either of these upgrades as well. It’s open back makes it warm, although a little loose sounding. A perfect combination is switching a cabinet loaded with 10” speakers (1 or 2) externally for solos or tighter comping or coloring.
The Fender Twin Reverb is known as the “hardest working amp in show business” for a reason; it is. The '65 Fender Twin Reissue is a workhorse more suited to the studio than road, unless it is guarded in a cushioned road case to protect those delicate circuits. Its pristine clean signal is Tonal tofu for any outboard effect pedal you wish to throw at it. You will be assured a nice clean signal with tons of headroom to make your musical statement with authority and clarity. I’ll give Fender 8.5 out of 10 on this one!
For more information on the '65 Fender Twin Reissue you can consult the Fender site, www.fender.com or www.harmonycentral.com in their guitar/amps section for user reviews and information.
Recommended:
Yes
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