Fender '65 Super Reverb Reissue

This is the amp to own if the tone of your guitar is what you want to hear coming out of your amp. The only bells and whistles on this baby is a really rich reverb and a somewhat un-inspired vibrato. Add a TS-9, a wah, and a volume pedel and your all set to go. This is a tone monster.

I use a couple of Strats, one with Texas pu, a 52 Tele re-issue, a 72 Les Paul Deluxe and a Les Paul Classic. I play a mix of blues and Texas Rock. This amp makes no noise, just music. I find a comfortable level at about three, and by the time I get to 5 it's driven quite nicely.

I have never had a problrm with any Fender product.

I have been playing since 1965, and I have played through everything from Danos to Marshalls. This is my main amp, my only amp. I i had to wish for anything to be added to it, it would have to be a bit of a Marshalls bass boost.

New 65 Fender Super Reverb. By 1960's standards, I would rate this amp's features as 10. In terms of present day versatility, I rate it a 7. The design is not modern - don't buy this amp if you want an amp with lots of bells and whistles (presence, multiple channels, gain, modelling, etc).

I use original Fenders (strats and teles) and Gibsons (LP Custom and 335) through this amp. It is a very vintage sounding amp. All my guitars have great voice through the Super. Like any amp, single coils can result in some hum, and your amp settings will change from guitar to guitar.

This amp suits my style very well - My sound is pretty stripped down. For clean this amp is one of the best you can buy. The reverb is brilliant and as big as a house. At 40 watts and with 4 x 10" speakers this amp has a pleasant natural overdrive when pushed. For more distortion, I have always had a preference for stomp boxes (TS-9, Rat) versus the "dirty" channel in amps. It is easily possible to achieve a hard rock sound.

The Super reverb is best suited for clean and mildly overdriven sounds but it can handle more distortion too. That being said - this is not a heavy metal amp. This is due to 10" speakers, open back cabinet, and sparse features.

No problems yet.

Well made + good components + reputable manufacturer = should be reliable

I've been playing for 20+ years and own(ed) many amps - Marshalls, Boogies, other Fenders, etc. This is a very good amp for most types of music, especially blues and rock & roll. I hope it will be a work horse for me in the next 20 years.

It is not the holy grail, but a classic, uncomprimising, straight forward amp. One of fenders best designs. It has enough power to fill any hall. If you need more power then put a mike in front of it.

If you want an amp that will pour layers of effects on to your sound this ain't the amp for you.



I have played vintage Supers and this amp is almost as good.

This Fender has just enough features for a great rock/blues amp.

I own several amps ie: Fender Bassman, Marshall 30th ann.100 wt., Carvin tweed & tubed 4/10 combo,Blues Junior, ect. and this is by far my favorite amp. The bottom end sounds every bit as big as my Marshall1960A cab yet its not muddy. The high end cuts nicely through the mix. The reverb is pretty decent but not any thing amazing ( not as versitile as my Fender outboard) but not bad. I been playing this amp exq. after I bought it a year ago. I mostly play blues and rock. Even my marshall 30th ann. has sit there unloved for a year now and I loved that amp. These amp breaks up nicely about 4-5 but I usaully play it @ a more resonable volume just below 3 and it still sounds great. I been playing for 27 years now and I have never owned or played through a better sounding amp. Period! I don't believe in giving a product a perfect 10 but in this case I have to!!!

I have and would take this amp to a gig without worry. Bring a few tubes because you never know.

fender has been good to me in the past so I feel they will in the future.

hey if this amp was lost or stolen I freaken cry my little eyes out and go buy another!

Check the specs at the previous reviews, very simple set up, very "true" amp. No fx loop or headphone plug. Just '65 vibes,
and worth every penny.

I use all kinds of guitar, Fenders (Tele with Vintage noiseless), strat (with Frahlin p90's instead of fender single coils, Strat with Kinnman P.U.,Cort Mat guitar Murphy, Tanglewood Sundance Jazz body,
Gibson ES 335, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Dano, that's it all lefty's.
I am a blues picker, from old 50's, BB King, to J; Copeland.
This is just the most fabulous amp I've ever own (used around 20 amps,still got 9) HERE IS A GOOD HINT, IF YOU CAN AFOORD? LET YOUR AMPTECH REMOVE THE PCB BOARD AND LET HIM DO THE POINT TO POINT WIRING
ALSO ASK HIM TO USE J.J. ECC83S IN THE PRE AMP-AND SYLVANIAS 6L6 IN THE POWER AMP SECTION. IF YOU CAN AFFORD AN EXTRA 320 $ THIS IS ABSOLUTE THE TOP.

As I said before, there are pro and contra's against the point to point wiring, to me this is 100% more reliable,of course you have to take care of you amp and tubes.
I use a 65 Delux Reverb as a back up, (also with JJtubes ,and RCA 6l6)
and also a Bassman Reissue (with JJ tubes and tung sol 6l6 tubes)
I regret that Fender use the same (crap) Sovtek tubes for the reaissue's, these are amps situated in a higher price range.So why do they use those crap tubes? The "better" Sovtek preamps tubes (12AXT LPS) are still far below the JJ.'s(Eurotubes - tesla).

As I am living in Belgium (Europe) I only deal with the Fender dealers
local.

I am playing 30 years, going from pop, to blues (the last 10 years ... how older ones get ...) I am very happy with the reissue of the Super Reverb, because the prices of the vintage ones are veeerrrrryyyy high. Of course if you install a point to point wiring you pay a litlle more, but you'll have the best amp you can get.
As I mentioned before Fender has to put some good and decent tubes in their amps, not oversprayed Sovtek,but good ones.
If you want to contact me, about other amps and modifications, you can mail me : lefty.freddie@belgacom.net

Features are a 9.5 by 1965 standards. We can't expect a 1965 car to have a CD player or a sat-nav system. It's the same with amps. Some musicians need complex effects loops, digital effects etc., but that is not what the 65 Super Reverb is about

I can say outright that this is the best sounding amp I have ever played whether original or reissue. I know of three Fender amps that use Jensen P10R 10" speakers (in their current catalog). The Vibrolux, the Bassman reissue and the 65 Super Reverb. There are differences between them. Think of the Super Reverb as the best all-around performer. The reverb is absolutely luscious, rich and full. At a setting of 3 or 4 it really has a beautiful balance. I use a Fender Coronado 6 string, 12 string, and several strats through this amp and every nuance of pick attack can be reproduced. The clean channel is made for jazz. I also have an Ultimate Chorus amp with two 12" speakers that is good for a clean sound but it is very different. It has a more sterile sound. It's really hard to describe the difference. There are warm overtones present in the Super Reverb that aren't present in the Ultimate Chorus. I also like the 4 10" speakers because they really emphasize individual notes and the chords aren't muddy like with amps with Celestion Vintage 30s. This amp is as good as it gets for my kind of music, which is world-music, jazz, blues, some country and rock. I even plug in a Sony condenser mike and run it with a strat for vocals and guitar out of the same amp (supposed to be a no-no). It sounds great.

So far so good.

Local dealer is fine so I havn't had to deal with Fender directly

This is the best all-around performer I have ever used. (40 years of music making, recording, and jamming.

This info is already stated, and available of Fender's website, if you need it..... Little in the way of modern luxury, but all i need, including Fender's incomperable tube driven Reverb and Tremolo (Vibrato).....

I play a 72 tele custom reissue, always using both pups (bridge SC, and neck HB) simultaneously. I use a minimum of pedals, just a Boss tuner and a delay. I play clean ALL the time, so I can't tell you how this thing sounds with overdrive/distortion, although if you turn this puppy up past about 6 or so, it'll start snarling.... I play clean/mellow indie kind of stuff. Somewhere between the velvet underground, cowboy junkies stuff.... Anyway, this amp has unbelievable clean tone, with a lot more warmth and defined bottom end than the Twin. Not quite as much headroom (which I was worried about), but enough for the levels I play at. If you need LOUD clean, you should check out the TRRI, but if a medium stage level is all the headroom you need, this amp might be for you. Blues players love this amp (the typical SRV wannabes) and initially that deterred me from it. But it really has a warmth and character that seemed to be missing from the Twin (which is still an excellent amp). But at 40 watts, it will start to clip around 4-5 on the volume dial, depending on your pups and your picking attack. This amp is super responsive, and you can coax a lot of different sounds from it, just by varying your attack, where on the you strum, adjusting your guitars tone/volume controls....... This is a very organic instrument. Great for country, blues, rock, jazz, just about any style that requires great clean- to natural overdriven tube sounds......

It seems pretty good, but I just got it a week ago, so we'll see. I had a 410 Deville for almost a year (traded it in) and it was a solid workhorse, never had any trouble. We'll see how this one stands up. I would recommend a flight case for any musician that plays out regularly. I know it seems kind of funny to use these, but for the kind of money these amps run new...... I ain't a millionaire, and touring is hard on equipment. Take care of your stuff and it will last you.....

Never dealt with them

I'm still in the process of breaking it in, finding it's sweet spots..... Like most Fenders, it can be a little zingy in the high end, especially with a tele, so I'm ordering some Svetlana 6L6's to replace the Sovteks (crap tubes). Should do the trick, sure worked on my Deville. I'm loving this amp so far....... Best tone I've ever had. That said, I don't believe in rating anything a 10. Too many posts on this board are from overly anxious new owners. I am one of them, but I'm realistic, too. This is a phenomenal amplifier, but you'll have to try one for yourself, naturally...... If it warms up/breaks in the way I think it will, I'd give it a 9. We shall see.....

This is a new model Super Reverb. This amp is a tone monster. No bells and whistles, just one hell of a tone. Channels..Normal 1 & 2...Vibrato 1 & 2. I always use Reverb when I play so the normal clean channel is almost useless to me. Reverb and vibrato is only accessible on the the Vibrato Channel...no channel switching. No effects loop....no headphone jack. A headphone jack would have been nice, because I practice primarily in my home and I work out parts to my music with repetician, which I know can be annoying to others. I am very happy with this amp. It has 40 Watts of ALL TUBE Clean Tone Power. I turned this puppy up and it started to distort a little at 7. That's much louder than I will ever play. I am surprised at how loud this amp is for 40 Watts. I had planned to buy the 65 Deluxe Reverb when I went to the store, but also wanted to check out this model before I made a purchase. I'm glad I did. I mean they had all the Fender models on display and ready to try so why not. I was not impressed with the Twin Reverb. It sounded very muddy. Didn't think twice about NOT buying that model.
Funny...when I told the store clerk that I wanted to purchase the Super Reverb, he said he'd check to see if there was one in stock...I said no, I want to purchase this one. He argued that this was the display model, and had out here for 3 months. I said has it had any problems? He sid that one of the speakers was not working, but was just a loose wire. I told him that's fine, wrap this one up and he's got a deal. He said he could not sell me the display model and I said oh well, see ya. Wait he said, you mean you don't want one in the box. No, this one has a great tone and is working to MY satisfaction and it's the one I want, besides if were going to fail it should have failed by now. I told him if you bring out one in the box we are going to pull it out of the box and check it out completely. He said ok and gave me the diplay with a dicount too, and a free set of strings. The customer is always in control. Buy these amps on your terms, it's YOUR hard earned money.

I am String bending Blues Guitarist, and as far as I am concerned there is no other music. In fact, I'm known as Ole Man Blues. I own a 78 Gibson ES-355 with BIG FAT Humbuckers that give this amp a work out. Together they are the perfect Blues MAchine, the 4 10" Jensen Speakers help too. This amp gives my guitar one great voice. A lot of the tone comes from the fingers, but the right combo of guitar and amp is 75% of the battle. Of yes, practice, more practice. (You should be able to hit that lick without thinking about it.) Not noisy at all. On 5 it has a slight hiss. I play with the bright switch off. Don't use toys in line for the sound I want. I like clean and pure and this amp gives plenty of that. It's perfect for blues...and good for jazz and country. All others stay away, you'll get your feelings hurt. You distortionists...Sorry.

I believe there are no perfect amps on the market. They will all breakdown, when, is the big question...take your amp to a service center once a year for a check up and that will help minimize problems. Preventive maintenance. Tube amps generate a lot of heat. Heat is electronic circuitries worst nightmare. I'm going to cut a hole in the side of my amp and install a 120 Volt 4 inch computer fan to draw off heat. It will extended the life of my tubes and amplifier.
Gig without a backup? What are you nuts? Never, unless you want to go home early without pay.

If the amp is out of warranty will not use customer Support.

Picked up my first guitar 38 Years ago. I own a Roland VS-890 Workstation and a good CD Burner. If the Amp were stolen, God help the person if I find them. There is nothing I hate about this amp. Even the weight is 60 lbs, not bad. I got what I paid for. And I got what I wanted, good clean tone, what else do you need? I love everything about this amp..could not be happier.

40 Watts into 4x10 Jensen Reissue speakers. Clearly the #1 feature is the sound (see below); otherwise all of the basics are in place. Not an amp for someone looking for effects loops, digital modeling, etc. I give it a 9 on Features because almost every feature it needs is included, although it would get a 10 if someone in 1965 had originally thought to add an effects loop!

As background, I use this amp with several different guitars. Gibson Les Paul Custom, PRS Custom 22, PRS McCarty Hollybody II, Gibson 350-T. My style is basically straight-ahead jazz (cool jazz and bebob), with some occasional migration into blues or even a Santana-esq voicing. After tons of research, I was looking for an amp with a crystal clear tone to bring out the best in my jazz chops (having lived for years with a Mesa/Boogie Studio 22).

The Sound is nothing short of amazing. Crystal clear, warm, full tone. I have never owned a Fender amp before, so maybe this is to be expected, but this amp simply delivers exactly the type of jazz tone a jazz guy wants. Since I have no need for distortion, it isn't high on my list that this amp doesn't have those features (although, as an aside, my friend came over with his Line6 POD and produced incredible distortion effects through this amp; plus if you have heard SRV, he was a big fan of these amps): Net, it is quite verstile, but it always can come back to a foundation of pure tonal bliss.

So far so good, but I have only had the amp 1 week

No need yet.

I love this Amp! My only regret is that I didn't buy it 10 years ago, because the combo of this Amp with my LP Custom is EXACTLY the sound I have been searching for over the past many years. If you are looking for a clean amp with tons of headroom, you MUST check this out!

Simple is best

I play blues, rockabilly, and punk with a strat and tele and danelectro. I do not own this amp but have thoughly tested it. I own a 67 blackface super and a 73 silverface super. This amp(the reissue) has the super reverb sound. I had an unbiased friend listening. We were completely sold on this and, complimented it all the way home. I then plugged into my blackface and was shocked at the amount of difference in the depth and warmth of both the blackface and silverface from the reissue. The originals sounded much better.
Every super that I have played sounded different, but all had great tone, and had the same "sound". This may be the same with the reissues. Speaker age, tube changes may improve sound. I do not know what a new original super sounded like. The reissues may just need some aging. They deffinately have the super reverb sound. I have owned the reissue Bassman and Vibroverb. They are great but this one is better. I would be proud to play this amp any where. With this being said. The cost of these amps is way too high. The average cost is $1,100 to $1,200. I paid $1,400 for my 67 blackface. There is a lot more than $300 difference in these two amps. I paid $65 for my Silverface and it sounds way better than the reissue.

I am not poor mouthing this amp at all. I think That it is the best sounding new amp around. I do think that it is too pricey. $600 to $800 would be a bargain. The originals are worth the difference in price. Either Blackface or Silverface sounds much better. Please contact me if you have any response at jhnrinehart@aol.com

65 Fender Super Reverb Re-Issue. Not known for features other than TONE. I give it a 9 for lack of effects loop, but for me, the simpler the amp the better.

OK, I do not own this amp BUT over the past month I have played through about 6 different models at various major and "mom and pop" retailers. I have been playing guitar for over 20 years in various bands and at one time owned a 66 SR. Of the 6 Super Reverbs played (about an hours worth of playing per amp in locations from Macon, GA, Orlando FL and several in the DC area), I have found 2 that were "killer". The two had the shimmering clean tone. Nice and tight, great reverb and reasonably loud and clean with a hint of crunchy power amp distortion when maxed out. Tone controls were exceptional as well. The other 4 SR units I played through had flaws. One had a ticking sound from the tremolo section and the other three had a overly bassy distortion that was not pleasing to my ears. Has anyone else out there experienced differences between the units? I really would not buy one without playing it first especially since finding the difference in quality between the 6 units I have played through. However I will say this. I have compared the schematic for the SR RI and my 66 BF SR and there is not any difference. I know about the PC board vs punched board differences, and personally, I do not think (with audio frequencies) the PC design is inherently flawed for creating great amp tone. Let me stress that the 2 units that I liked were fantastic. They had THE classic tone. I will be buying one of these amps especially since one of the KILLER SR RI I looked was at a mom and pop store and the first price quote to me was $1050. I give it a 7 since you have to play through several to get one with the tone.

Certainly the old ones were reliable, but as with all new designs there is a certain period where the infant mortality rate has to be looked at and then certain design changes made in future models to correct the initial deficiencies. I state this due to an amp I had that had a stress point and after time one of the runs cracked on the PC board. I haven't looked inside the amp to inspect the mounting of the PC board or any other component BUT Fender is known for putting out quality products so I give it a 9.

In the past Fender has been helpful to me in delivering schematics of amps. Large company, large beruacracy, so might not be as effecient as a smaller company.

I currently play through a Peavey Classic 30. Being raised in Macon, GA during the Capricorn heydays of the seventies, I can't help having a love for the undefinable and great band "the Allman Brothers". To bad they got stuck with the Southern Rock moniker. They are the Greatest Jazz/Blues Fusion group... EVER. Other than playing with an allman flavor, I certainly pick SRV and other blues/rock stylists. Anyway, the Peavey amp is very loud and very clean but is missing a certain undefinable "vibe" to me. It is a great amp except for a few design shortcomings: the tubes are exposed (very bad) and the amp runs very hot. After an hour of playing the control knobs are warm to almost hot to the touch. My main guitar is a Fender Mex Strat with TEX MEX PU's and grover tuners. I am looking forward to buying this amp (SR) and keeping the Peavey as a back up. In all my years of playing I will offer this advice: It's NOT the equipment folks, its in the hands and the heart. I've seen and heard many players who wailed on what most self righteous pickers would say they would rather not play than to play through the trash those cats used. I'm talking blues pickers on Kay guitars and Lab series amps. Well, to me, it really is in how you play not what you play it on.