Fender '65 Super Reverb Reissue

This is a '65 RI I bought new from Musicians' Friend two years ago. Features are well known, and very adequate for doing what it is supposed to do-amplify a guitar and sound good.

I play blues in a trio, and use a Parker Fly Deluxe Single-2 (H-S-S) and a Fly Classic (H-H).
I liked the amp very much in stock condition, but felt there was more tone in there to be gotten.
I recently sent the amp to Don Butler ('Toneman', if you read Tone Quest). He replaced the trannies with some from Mercury Magnetics, and reworked the tone path with new caps and resisters.
He also installed a new set of tubes I got from Lord Valve.
The improvement in overall tone and response is outstanding, and well worth the cost of the modifications, which was quite reasonable. The sound is very lush, while defined and dimensional in all ranges. It will break up smoothly when punched, but clean up easily with pick attack, just like you want your blues amp to do.
It handles stomp boxes well, and is very quiet in operation.

This amp has been quite reliable at all times. Based on the apparent quality of Don's recent work,I see little reason to worry that that might change.

Never needed from Fender. Don was, however, extremely responsive before, during and after the time he had my amp,patiently answering all my stupid questions. I feel confident that he would remain so should I need his help in the future.

I have been playing for 39 years. Besides this amp, I own a Marshall DSL-100, a Mesa Blue Angel in a 4-10 combo, and a '65 Pro Reverb in completely original condition.
The Pro is my reference amp for tone, which is really what prompted me to proceed with the mods on the Super. As much as I liked the sounds coming from my other amps, nothing had the sound the Pro did.
Being unwilling to take a vintage amp in the condition of my Pro out to the shitty bars I play in, it seemed worth it to try to get my Super closer in sound to it. I'm glad I did, as I now have a terrific sounding amp to use routinely. which I don't have to worry so much about in terms of theft or damage. I'd hate to lose it, but at least I know I could replace it if I had to, which is not necessarily the case with my Pro.
Even with the cost of the mods, this is a good amp value.

Basic ol' blackface features except the AC outlet in the back. Two channels. I like the mid knob on the vibro channel. Enough power for small gigs, mic it if larger gigs appear. I really like the rectifier tube.

I like this amp with my warmoth strat. i use an alder body with maple/rosewood neck with addition to Texas Special pups. The tone is fantastic! I put in GE remakes in the power section and put in higher quality russian tubes in the preamp. Tried chinese tubes in it too. It is made for any style of rock and roll, blues etc. I think about changing the speakers for more headroom, but the P10R speakers rock.

It never broke down yet. I would just put in a replacement circuit if necessary.

?? what support, never call them.

It is a badass amp. I like it. It gives me all those sounds that SRV could get, but SRV also used a vibroverb and marshall/dumble amps too. I think it will help me achieve "my" tone. I would not recommend this amp for people that want great tone at cheap prices, i suggest that this amp is for professional musicians that know what they are doing. if you want good tone/volume and want that $500-700 range, get a peavey classic 50. But the SRRI will blow any new "cheap classic" amp away. If you want really clean get a cheaper twin reverb RI.

Yes, it's just high, mid, bass, 'verb, tremelo, and volume, but the sensitivity of each one is amazing. I've never heard such a difference in turning one of the tone knobs half a notch. It's a tone-tweaker's dream. I have an old Marshall 50-watt head, and it has two sounds, on and off.

Tone tone tone. I don't care about playing loud or fast, I want TONE, and this amp has it. Perfect for blues. Great for jazz, surf, rock. The only problem is that I have not really been able to crank it up yet, due to living in an apartment. I had it in my parents' basement for about 10 minutes when it first arrived, and it was painfully loud on 7 or 8. Of course, I was a foot and a half away at the time.

If you have decent pickups (I have Fralins in a Tele and Strat, and pretty good mini-humbuckers in my Les Paul), you will get such an incredible response from this amp. The picking dynamics really come through well. It just has that classic Fender "snap" that I was going for.

And yes... If you're trying to get that STEVIE RAY TONE (as 90% of the people at this site are), this is a good place to start. But it's as close as you'll get, because he was SRV, and that's how he got his tone. You will never get it! Get your own tone -- you might find you actually like it! Just a suggestion...

I give it a 9 right now, because it still has the el crappo Sovteks. I'll invest $80 in JJs at some point.

Well, it was shipped in a cardboard box halfway across the country that wasn't even marked with a "This Side Up", so it must be pretty durable. When I get the JJs, I'll use the crappy Sovteks as back-ups, and that should be fine.

Never have contacted them. But they're HUGE -- chances are, you'll be disappointed. You can't really expect good service from a place that enormous.

I can't believe I got this used for $700. I looked around for a long time, and also looked at Bassmans, Vibroverbs, Twins, Deluxes, etc. Everything I read seemed to point to the Super as the overall best. And I was dead-set on getting a reissue. It just felt right. I never saw one for less than $850 used. Not only was mine only $700, but it was DEAD MINT. I really got lucky.

I'm very very pleased. 45 watts is such a nice amount -- anything more than 50 is really unnecessary, unless you're in a hardcore metal band. It's a heavy amp, but not back-breakingly. My old Twin was much worse, although Fender's website lists the reissue Twin as being lighter than the new Super. Hmmm, strange... Overall, $700 to $900 is an absolute steal for this amp, and the $1,100 new asking price is not outrageous. But find one used and spend the money you saved on good tubes. I can't imagine spending $3,500 on a Bruno and saying, "Yeah, this tone is 3 times as good as the Super!" You won't be disappointed.

I bought this amp brand new. I'm sure the features have all ready been covered. One of the great things about this amp is the wattage. I tried a lot of Fenders, and most were just too damn loud. 65 watts is just too much power for a house, let alone an apartment(on 4 walls SHAKE). The 45 watts this thing has is just right. I have not made any mods to the amp as I want to be sure I know what base I'm working with before moding. I know it's not meant for built in distortion, but I'll give it a 9 for not having any at all. Most of us will use pedals of one kind or another anyway. As for the tone, it's very adjustable (especially adjusting the mids).

Crystal Clean bright sound with volume and bottom end. I play a Strat or AlleyKat (Hollow Body) through it most of the time. The strat sound through this amp is what legends are made of. The Hollow body is amazing for Jazz and blues (Stray Cat Strut sounds like a million bucks). I only put a TS9DX in front of it. With the hollow body distorted I get that slightly muffled 70's distortion. On the neck PU, I get screaming leads full of clarity and attitude. I recently played a set with Les Paul Standard, and found out my amp has some balls as well. The 4x10 speakers give it plenty of punch when needed, yet it has headroom for all the lead you can muster. I typicaly play between 3 and 4. This amp needs to be at a min. of 3 to really get what you need out of it.
Bottom line: This amp was not meant for heavy distortion. It was meant to be clean or overdriven for Rock, Blues, Jazz. There is NO sweeter clean sound than a hollow body through this guitar. It's pretty clear what it's meant for.
As a side note, no dis respect meant here, but I also tried the Deville 4x10. They are not even in the same league. While this amp is louder than mine, it is brittle and harsh sounding compared to the Super. My advice...if you want that fender sound...hold off and buy the real thing.

So far so good. I've had the amp a while now, playing at band practice once a week. I just leave it there now...at 65 pounds, it's a bugger to carry around. I hear it takes a while for the speakers and tubes to break in...but so far so good. (knock on wood)
I don't think it's a good idea to gig without a backup, but the amp feels pretty solid. I wouldn't go dropping it off of truck beds though...

Never dealt with them, but I hear the horror stories.

I've been playing guitar for about 11 years. I had mostly played acoustic up until a couple years ago and decided to get serious about my playing and thus serious about my gear. This amp is about pure sweet all tube tone. It's a monster for what it does. It's not a do all amp, but rather, is very focused on the task at hand. The 4x10 speakers give it a lot of punch with plenty of headroom. The way you know this amp is good is when you go to play with people you have never played with...plug in...and start playing some blues lead. People stop what they are doing, literally, and look back and wonder what slice of heaven just came out of that amp. Bar chords through a hollow body can not sound any nicer. Strats have that ping of pure Fender. Even Les Pauls, have a set of Kahunas that make for some great tone.
It would be great if it had some built in distortion, but realisticaly, I would use a TS9 even if it did. I'm going to give it a 9 simply because it is a fantastic amp that is really focused. While it is not the most diverse amp, what it does..it's the best at.

40 all-tube watts. 2 channels. Reverb and vibrato effects. 4 10" speakers. Tube rectifier. Similar layout to a 59 Fender Bassman 4x10 which Fender has reissued also for about 200 dollars less, but the bassman has no reverb and has a tweed covering. No effects loop but this is a re-issue and isn't supposed to have one. Really it has all you need and nothing you don't

This amp is very clean sounding and probably isn't what you want if you are into amp-created distortion. Your best bet is to use digital effects and just plug them in on the front end and let the tubes do their magic on them. That being said, this guitar makes a beautiful sound by just amplifying and letting the guitar's natural tone shine through the tubes. A great amp for playing rhythm guitar through in a band setting. Great for small bar gigs or miked through a PA for larger venues. I play small bars and sometimes use a PA. It will clip a little bit at high volume but has lots of headroom. You can probably get more distortion out of it by changing the output tubes and bias but I really think you are better off with effects pedals.

So far no problems. There is an issue called "vibrato click" that happens sometimes with these amps. A clicking is heard on the vibrato setting. Apparently it has happened to fender amps for 30 years with vibrato like this one (the Deluxe Reverb also). It has to do with the routing of wires in the original design that sometimes gets too close to the vibrato tubes or something. It is correctable if it occurs by taking it to a fender dealer (Fender knows about it but maybe doesn't want to change the "vintage" design) and having him rout the wires away from the problem and maybe adding a capacitor. Mine had it one day and it mysteriously went away the next day and never returned. It is a tube amp and in general you sacrifice reliability for sound quality.

Never had to deal with them

I also own a Fender Blues Deluxe. I don't want to think about either of these nice amps getting stolen. You just can't beat the sound of a Fender tube amp. I think some of it might be just because they sound so "right" which might be because that's what they used back in the 60's. Incidentally, Jim Marshall got his first design ideas for amps based on this Bassman 4x10 format. I even use the vibrato! Just crank speed and intensity to around 5 and mix in reverb around 3....It's not as cheesy as some people think if you don't get extreme with it and just let it color a bit. The amp is a bit fragile for gigging with and the tubes that come with it (Sovtek) aren't as good as other brands available so I recommend using them as backup tubes and getting some better ones to really make this amp sing. I use a digitech digital effects pedal through it and play pop rock and Christian rock at churches and local bars.

Hey, this is a reproduction, and not a bad one. For what it is the only thing lacking is the ability to get loud but stay clean. But then, I bought it for the dirt, so WTF.

I play blues and wanted to be able to get the big fat sounds that Little Charlie Baty gets. It does it fairly well, and should be better when I get around to putting some good tubes in it.

It won't get all that loud, and this is because the reissue Jensen P10Rs are not all that efficient. It starts to break up at a pretty low volume. For a slight downgrade in tone and a big increase in volume, switch to Eminence 50W Legends. I've heard this setup in an early silverface super and stuffed my Vibroverb RI with them. They don't break up so early either.

As tube amps go I expect it will be reliable. Anyone who has used tube amps for a while knows that a tube can go at any time. That's just the way it is. Deal with it or get solid state stuff.

Fender used to be great, but now they suck. Go to your local authorized repair center. Thanks alot.

Numerous guitars. Other amps include '63 Vibroverb RI, Blues Deville 212 (awesome amp), Peavey Delta Blues.

I wanted one of these for a long time, but never wanted to cough up the cash for a genuine Blackface. So, I would repalce it if it came up MIA.

Decent repro of BF Super.No point to point circuitry,PC board composition,but schematic same as Blackface.Same old,same old features,except a removable power cord and plywood casing.

Trick to this amp...GET NOS TUBES.Stock Sovtek Groove Tubes are a joke.Very buzzy very unmusical.Tried RCA blackplate 6L6GC's with JAN Phillips 12ax7's,Mullard Phase inverter 12at7 and amp came alive.Jensen reissues sound good,but new.A loud session opened them up.Close on the sound,still no cigar.

We'll soon find out.I hate PC boards and flimsy amp controls.

Calling Fender is like calling The White House.They'll pick up,but they could care less.

I applaud them for trying to copy this GREAT original amp.I had a 1968 Super and always wanted it back.I haven't gotten it back with this reissue.Find an old Super (cheaper and more affordable than you think),and skip the reissue.I'm selling mine.

No need to go into this as all other reviews have it nailed. It's a 65 SRRI and that pretty well explains it.

I mainly play an early 80's Fender Strat with lace sensors, a two year old G&L ASAT Special, and a mid 60's Vox hollow body. The strat sounds especially great. I am in agreement with every other reviewer as to the fantastic sound this reissue gets, albeit the Sovteks need to go. I have played for 35 years, other vintage Fenders, Music Man, Peavey Classic 50, Mesa Bogie, etc. This for all around playing(blues/blues rock oriented music)is my favorite amp. Soft or loud this amp is not noisy and has that beautiful Fender sound. Breaks up nicely and can be dialed to your taste. I love this amp as it for sure reminds me of the amp sounds I grew up with. I recommend this for anyone wanted "that" sound.

Purchased in July so too early to tell, but I assume it will be adequately reliable. Used it at a large blues fest and it had all the stage volume and tone I could have wanted, and the PA did the rest.

Haven't had to go there.

I've been playing for 35 years and rate this as a great reissue. Thanks for remaking this amp as good originals are not that easy to find. Top overall rating for volume, tone, ability to vary both. Sounds awesome even with an unmodded TS-9. Especially love straight guitar into amp.

normal/vibrato channels. super reverb goodness. footswitchable vibrato and the closest reverb i can get to my 63 reverb unit.
unsure of the power this amp carries.. a loud 40 watts i've been told. but i've got a very heavy handed drummer and no p.a. yet. no use for effects loops or headphone jacks.

i tried this amp with my busted old sonic blue tex-mex strat (bless that guitar... i wish i could find one to replace it) and also with my mosrite celebrity hollowbody. this amp was just gorgeous. i didnt spend too much time on the normal channel for the lack of the mid dial. but the vibrato channel is absolutely perfect.

i play any kind of music i'm capable of. except hard distorted death rumbly metal. and i don't care too much to emulate other popular guitarists. so i'm left with some strange bastard child of jazz/punk/surf/noise.

my only problem with this amp.. is i'm not sure if the power could stand up to my drummer. he plays VERY loud. he doesn't understand dynamics too well. (punk rock roots) he's great fun to be in a band with. we make excellent music together. but i'm worried that i wont be loud enough without being completely overdriven.

that said. i'd still pick one of these up to keep at home or record with.

i've heard mixed opinions on fender products. i dont own the amp yet so i cannot rate.

i think i might have found the amp i've been looking for. in fact i'm sure of it. the only problem is with projecting the amp well in the space we have for practice. loud ass drummer. bad acoustics. lack of a p.a. system or i'd just mic it. i'm worried about driving it too hard and ruining it. 1200 dollars is a ton of money to have blow up in your face and i've got a history of blowing up amps.

overall. pretty damn expensive. but if i can get it to project well, then i would be more than happy spending the cash on it. the sound i have been looking for.

Basic two channels with a tremolo unit and awesome reverb.

Great clean channel. It's a little hard to break up, but at 40 watts it can be cranked. Use the bright button on a strat to get great SRV or use the regular channel with a les paul to get good jazz tunes. Add a distortion pedal to either one and it sounds great.

It's been great for jamming and little gigs. I still carry my trust '68 reverb for dual tones and just in case the Super ever quits(it's less than 10 years old, you've got to break them in). So far, no breaks.

I haven't contacted them about my amp, but they've been very fast and friendly with questions about my guitars in the past.

Great clean amp that can break up at small levels and sounds really good no matter what you play. A great reissue.

Tried this amp in the store, don't own one, but would make it my number 1 choice for an amp if I didn't already have an original '65.

Versatility? I dunno. I've only been playing pro 26 years, and haven't found a style it's not suited for. If you can't throw down a Tube Screamer and get the highest quality of versatile sounds you've ever heard with this amp, either the sound's not worth going after, or you just don't have what it takes.

Effects? We don need no stinkink effects! Just plug in and go.

There's so much talk about how to get Stevie Ray Vaughn's sound with this amp. How about, listen to and learn from the same people Stevie did? Then detune your guitar and use extra heavy strings? Then grow a set of Stevie's hands?

Or how about: Get a life.

What's important is this: The amp won't make you sound like someone else. What it will do is give you the best of the best of the old blackface Super Reverb tone. I've owned quite a few, and that's the highest praise anyone can give an amp, IMHFO. This time, Fender has apparently got it nailed.

Again, there's a lot of pissin' and moanin' about reliability of tube amps when it comes to tubes.

Here's a secret to keep in mind: IT'S A TUBE AMP! Tubes have ALWAYS had problems with reliability, even when they were made brand new and in large quantities in the USA by Phillips, Sylvania, et al.

I own or have owned original Fender tweed, blonde and blackface amps. I've also owned and played through Marshall, Boogie and other tube amps through the years. I've always owned at least one blackface Super Reverb. Now that Fender is making this amp again, the holy grail is within reach of anyone with the cash to afford it. If you dig the blues, rock or country, you'd be nuts not to at least try one.

We all know the features

Here is where we get into the meat of this amp. I play mainly blues and yes SRV is my influence. Who doesn't want to sound or play like SRV! I have a 2000 American strat with Seymore Duncan Antiquity's. I use a RI TS-9, Ibanez Rotary Chorus and the Super Reverb. I replace all the tubes with NOS General Electric American tubes and this amp transformed into a true TONE GIANT. Before I could't get a breakup at any level that sounded good. At 5.5/6 I get a warm breakup and when i add the ts-9 (Drive-2, Tone 11 o'clock, Level-3 o'clock)it gets down right SRV. I set the amp - Vol - 5.5/6, Treb-7, Mid-7, Bass-3, Rev-2 and use Vibrato channel 1. This thing will shake any room but will maintain a warm tone. Thanks to the NOS American tubes , clean is creamy and warm. I know it's not a '65 but it sound evry bit as good.

Have had no problems

No experience

Though pricy, I am glad I spent the money. It has a tone all it's own and it is one that I think any guitar player would recognize and appreciate. Feel free to contact me with any comments.

You know...2 channels, normal/bright, bright switch, vol/bass/mid/treb, adjustable tremolo, foot pedal. All teh features of the original w/o the outlet in back (Why doesn't Fender do that any more?). 4 x 10" Jensen reissues.
Mostly beautiful tone with lots of head room. For distortion, I use a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 pedal

The best from Fender since Leo owned it.
Very quiet, sonds great at lower volume. Not as loud as my 'Custom' Vibrolux, but certainly smoother. Can't imagine a better sound for a Strat. Yet to try my Gibson ES-335

Dont own one of these yet, but my other Fender Deluxe Reverb RI had a pre-amp tube go out, but that can happen. I wish Fender would put in better tubes. Perhaps Fender got the message, cause of the complaints here and at the retail level.

Fender has a customer relations problem. I always try to deal with the locally owned shop or amp tech.

Been playing for a long time. In search of the ultimate tone machine...this could be the one. Don't like the weight, but I dont plan to travel with it. Compared it to a Soldano and Rivera...it's more open and clear sounding. For pure tone, the Fender Super Reverb RI wins my vote. Just need to sell some other gear and first born to afford.
With the new Clapton Strat or any G&L 'super Strat'...I cant imagine anything much better. Anxious to try my ES-335 on it.

Price? Probably over-priced by a couple hundred. Then again it's a lot of amp with great tone. $300 better that a "Custom" Vibrolux? I would say so.
(I used to own one),you prefer Strats.
The Vibrolux is a better match with a Tele. For $1,000 new, and out the door would be a fantastic value...wish me luck!

who cares about the features with this amp?

This amp definitely sings. I had a blues deville for years and thought that the clean channel sounded pretty good. The deville doesnt even come close to sounding as good as the Super Reverb. 700 bucks was the worst money ever spent on the deville and selling it and a Line6 AX2, then going out and buying the Super Reverb was the best money ever spent. I havent had this amp very long, but i have no regrets whatsoever. I personally think this amp sounds excellent with any setting, but this is how i typically have the settings.....vibrato channel 1, bright on, volume 8, treble 6, middle 7, bass 2, reverb 2-3. Sometimes I will use either a TS-9 or a Tube King. If anyone has any comments, tips or advice, feel free to send me an e-mail.

So far, so good

Never had to deal with them

Buy one if you are into blues(rock). I am considering buying one of the Pro Reverbs to run along with the Super Reverb. If anyone out there is currently doing that, or has tried it, let me know what your opinion is with that setup.

I bought this amp new about six month ago. It is a reissue of the well known '64/'65 BF Super Reverb. I don't use any effects other what's available in this amp.

I was on the search for an original Super Reverb and they had also this reissue in the shop. I compared them and decided to buy the reissue. I changed all the tubes, the Groove tubes are horrible. I use Svetlana 6L6's, and the rest are all NOS tubes.
The Jensen speakers need some time to break in and after this six month of playing they sound great. I always liked Super Reverbs and I'm very happy with the reissue. I think Fender did a great job with this reissue. The other reissues don't do the original's justice but this SRRI get's the tone. I don't like to give a 10 because tone is hard to descripe, but I will in this case because Fender really did it with the Super Reverb Reissue.

Besides the crappy tubes,no problem. I had a tube failure two days after I bought it.

Never dealt with Fender.

I play more than 25 years and still gig, not as much as in my college years. I love this amp and it is getting better with time, this Jensen speakers need their time to break in. It is getting the tone I was looking for, which is the classic BF Super Reverb tone. The only thing I don't like about this amp is the weight. I normally use a Tweed Bassman and I love the solid pine cabinet. Would have been great if Fender would have used the original solid pine instead of ply-wood for the cabinet. The retail price is a bit high, but if you search around you can deal a little. The cabinet and price makes it an eight for me.

I've yet posted a review on the Super Reverb (Markie Ray) in this section ... I've done some modifications to my amp ... here comes the follow-up ...
Features : few, but enough to create a great sound. No effects loop, no phones jack, no master , etc ... you simply don't need them.

Some people in this section told they couldn't catch a good SRV Tone with the Super. Let's talk ...
I've put other (better) tubes in my Super a week ago : Svetlana (Sylvania) and Tesla tubes. Read also the review of Lefty in this section : I've changed the same tubes, but didn't do the point-to-point wiring. It doesn't affect tone much in my opinion.
My Super didn't sound bad with the original Sovtek tubes and I was pretty happy with it but not 100% satisfied, but now, after I've replaced the tubes, my amp sounds FANTASTIC, GREAT, UNBELIEVABLE, SUPER !!! I just can't describe it : It just sounds like the original vintage Super Reverb from the late 60's : clean but with a unique vintage accent !!! Let the collectors have their original Supers : my re-issue is brand new, way more reliable and sounds just the same. Add a 808-MODDED (= JRC4558D opamp) ts-9 pedal between an american standard strat, or even better (I have a SRV Strat), link the input 2 of the normal channel with the input 2 of the vibrato channel (so you're using ALL the tubes this amp has) and you're in TONE HEAVEN.
Set drive at 2 or 3, tone all the way up and level as you wish on the TS-9 : PURE Stevie Ray Vaughan !! I've been looking to catch his tone for years, but now it has no secrets anymore for me ! The combination between a Super Reverb and a modded ibanez ts-9 pedal is the perfect marriage !
I'm so happy ... thank you Fender , the amps you produce are really the top, but the tubes you put in them are crap ! Replace them as soon as possible !

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, hints, ... on getting the Stevie Ray Vaughan tone.

marsus@belgacom.net

As I said : very good ! Never had any problems with Fender products.

Never had to deal with Fender.

Read my other review in this section.
I was a little too enthousiastic when I wrote that review some months ago. I just bought my Super and you know how that feels.
But now, after I did the little mods to my Super and my ts-9, I'll tell you : this is the BEST FENDER AMP available. And I can compare.
I've had a Bassman, Prosonic, Blues Deluxe, ... before and none of them sounded like my Holy Grail.
A friend of mine heard it this weekend (he has a Bassman, also with better tubes) and is going to sell his car and his amp to be able to buy a Super ! He just looked like he took some drugs, when he went home ! Friday I'm playing for the first time with my modded amp before a crowd ... people won't believe their ears I think ! This is going to be a great night ...
Really, I can't give another overall score to this beauty than a BIG 10 !!! Fantastic value !

2001 '65 Reissue. I wouldn't call it "versatile" but the clean sound is just gorgeous, great for jazz, blues, country, all points in between. You need a high gain pedal for high gain sounds, obviously. I use this amp for most gigs I play (I'm a "pro" or at least focused on playing for a living); not for studio (tried, just couldn't get it to sound right. Needs to cranked?) 40 all tube watts, reverb, tremelo ,footswitch for reverb & tremelo. Have to give it a 9 or 10 for sound even though it doesn't have many features. Basically I try to start with a great clean sound and go with pedals from there and this is a REALLY good clean sound.

Gibson SG and Parker Nitefly through this amp sound really good. Supers sound great for any style that I play (jazz, blues ,fusion, R&B, country, etc.). Not noisy at all. Great for the glassy yet sweet clean sound or the Robert Cray grit blues sound. Breaks up around 5 and up. Sounds better as the night goes on (by 3rd set, this amp with just Tube Screamer howls like a mother******!)Still can't get the Stevie Ray sound (probably because I don't have the Dumble Steel Stringer wired to it, nor will I ever, most likely) like some people claim in this section.

I've had it for less than a year, haven't had any problems. I try to take good care of it but I use it quite a bit so we'll see.

Playing for 15 years (I'm 25 now). Have a Blues Deluxe for backup, Gibson SG Special, Parker Nite Fly, Run basic setup -guitar to TubeScreamer, sometimes SansAmp GT-1 (very high gain), Boss DD3 Delay,to amp. I would buy another Super in a heartbeat. Had a Twin Reissue before that and loved it, but this sounds a little sweeter and breaks up easier, obviously. (Twin works better for country, and for festival gigs if they don't mike you. )Twins have better bottom end and maybe more overall snap but I prefer the Supers. I was at the store, playing this one and a Vibrolux, couldn't decide and my girlfriend said "get that one"(the Super) and she was right. The only thing is they're kind of expensive, overpriced, but at the same time I'm satisfied and very happy with the amp. Sometimes I think I want something with more features, more gain, but then I realize, I'm simply going to have to buy another amp to cover those areas and use the Super for its strengths. But I'm a musician and don't have any money. Oh, well...

It what it is. Great Idea but doesn't quite get there.

Stiff, Lifeless & Lacks Midrange Punch. The Tone controls are flexible though but not quite that much

No Problems.

Never needed it.

I have been playing for 21 years. I think the "Custom Vibrolux" has a much better responce however it is kind of noisey. I guess I'm very happy with my Vibro-King.

Features:
40 watts of output power
Four, 10? Jensen P-10R AlNiCo speakers
Two, 6L6GC power tubes
Four, 12AX7A tubes
Two, 12AT7 tubes
One, 5AR4 tube rectifier


Height: 24 7/8 in.
Width: 25 1/8 in.
Depth: 10 * in.
Weight: 63.8 lbs.
Sound: LEGENDARY

This was Stevie Ray Vaughan's preferred amp. Enough said ...

I'm using a SRV Signature Strat, TS-9 (not modded), Vox Wah and POD 2.1 (for more modern sounds) through it. I play pop and rock in a band but my favourite style is the blues a la SRV. I owned a Fender Blues Deluxe, a Bassman '59 reissue and a Fender Prosonic before. The Bassman had way too much bass, even with the bass set at 0 !!! The Prosonic was a nice amp but it's treble sound couln't satisfy my needs. But with my Super I can achieve almost every tone I wish.
I've always been searching for the marvellous sound of SRV as on the 'Live at the El Mocambo video'. With the Super Reverb (not modded) I can achieve 95 % of the real SRV tone ... the only thing is it all sounds too 'new'. Stevie obtained a very used and abused sound coming from its amp(s).
But I'm very happy with my Super Reverb, it has a very responsive eq and the sound is just FABULOUS !!! But you have to play with a real strat through it, not with a squier or a gibson. My SRV strat just loves my Super Reverb ... I can feel it in my fingers when playing !

ANY SRV FAN THAT READS THIS MESSAGE WISHES TO EXCHANGE THOUGHTS ABOUT GETTING 'THAT SRV TONE' (hints, questions, gear, etc.) : mail me at marsus@belgacom.net

I've had it now for 1 month ... I think it's too early to rate this category now. But I've never had any problems with Fender products before.

Never had to deal with Fender ... and I hope it never will be necessary too !

I've been playing for 10 years now, mostly in several bluesbands but now I'm playing in a pop-rock band. I've always dreamed of having a Super Reverb, just like SRV, and now that Fender has reissued the Super, I knew from the first day that I would buy one. I now have the SRV Stratocaster and Stevie's main amp ... think I'm in heaven.
And now I know why Stevie preferred this amp above all the others ... It is in my opinion the best Fender amp available. It lets your guitar sound just how your guitar IS !!! Yourr guitar comes alive with this amp.
I love this amp and I will never again have to change it for another amp. Only thing : it is a HEAVY motherfucker !!!
But the sounds that come out of it are THE BEST you ever heard !!
I also heard Fender will increase the price of these amps with at least 10%. So hurry to the music shop to get one !!!
I give it a 10 because an 11 is not available ...

We are all familiar with the amp. The main feature is TONE. Period.

I`m using a `62 American reissue Strat, Fuzzface, Vox wah with bypass mod, Ts9 to 808 specs,Ce2 Chorus, Digitech delay, to amp. True bypass is a must, if you want that clean tone to shine thru.The amp has a sweet spot at around 3.5 on the volume, with bright switch on, treble 4,mids 7, bass 4-6, depending on the room.The EQ on this amp is very responsive, and the mids are the key to sustain on this amp, so you`ve got to tweak it, but you`ll notice good results. I pulled the first preamp tube for a noticable increase in gain, as I only use the vibe channel.I replaced the power tubes with Sovtek WXT+`s, and that really woke her up!! Also 12ax7LPS preamp tubes in the other spots.
If you play a Strat, you`ll drool over this amp`s tone. I`ve owned origionals, and I must say this amp is much more full-sounding, than any I`ve owned or tried recently. I think th Jensen speakers are the best out there for this amp, and I was fully expecting to haver to swap them out for something better.After about two months of regular gigging tho, the Jensens really came into their own.I `ve had the amp for a year now, and I`m very pleased , althought it was expensive!!! The reverb is the best around, and anyone that trashes the Vibrato, isn`t spending enough time dialing it inot the tune they`re playing.

So far, so good. Well built, althought others will dispute that fact. I gig almost every weekend, plus rehearsals during the week, so it gets used.

Too soon to tell.

I`ve been playing now thifty five years, and I think I know good tone when I hear it now! Yes I`d replace it if stolen. The tone is the best feature of the amp,,after all thats why we buy amps,isn`t it? Its heavy, and cumbersome, but it beats lugging a 4X12! The reason for the 8, is the price, other wise it`d be a 10!!

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.

Lets be honest here. Its a reissue of a 65 Super Reverb. If you want features like effects loop, etc, you should not be looking at a reissue. For what it does, it does awesome, and I only gave it an 8 because some people will be put off by the lack of modern features. What DOES it do? well....

TONE!!!! Thats what this is all about.Ok guys. Let me preface this so I dont have any "purist" flame me. When I was 16 (27 now) I started playing w/ my now ex father in laws country/country rock band (he wasnt my father in law yet then :) ) We played old and new country, and classic rock. The closest guy to my age was 33. The rest were all in their 40's and 50's. Everyone, and I mean everyone, used real, vintage Fenders. Not only that, but the guys were all cool enough to let me borow them "between shows" so sometimes I would have a BF twin, Super, Tweed Bassman, etc for 1-2 weeks at a time in my possession. At the time, I wasnt to jazzed, since I was into gain monsters, like my EVH 5150 I was using (Hey, I was a kid.. cut me some slack. :) ) So I know what the vintage stuff sounds and plays like. Not all twins sounded the same, nor did the bassmans, deluxe reverbs, etc. Ok.. *whew* Now that that is done.

I recieved my Super RI on a Thursday at 5:00. I had band practice at 6:00, so I took off, new amp in tow. Immediatly my drummer noticed the tightness of the bottom end. For the 4 hour practice, I didnt have time to toy with it, but my tone, I felt was awesome. On Saturday, we did 2 shows. A private party from 2-5 PM and then a 9-1:30 AM show in Deleware, Oh. I got tons of compliments on my tone. To me, its sounded a little harsher then I remember, but I really think its the new speakers, which I can break in over time. Other then that, it was dead on to some of the best supers Ive played. All in all, I play Blues, Classic rock. This amp is awesome. Its not as heavy as I was expecting, nor is it as loud as I was told as well, which is good. I played at the outside part on 6-8 and inside I was on 4-5. Great tone. If you can aford it, get it.Im glad I did. I got my modded Ts-9/808 back that day, and what a combo. Theres a tube mod someone told me about on here I did for a little more gain. Email me if you're interested in it. Its subtle but will make a difference if you're doing small venues/bars/clubs. I have now had this amp for 2-3 months. I've used it on about 15-20 shows. It kills everytime. I've really dialed in a great tone. I've bought a lot of equipment. I'm not talking about my guitars here, since I always labor over there purchase. However, I have bought a LOT of amps and effects. Usually the honeymoon is over in 2 weeks, and I regret wasting the money on it. This amp, in all of my years of playing, is the only purchse I never looked back upon with contempt. It was expensive. $1200 is a lot to me, but if it were stolen I would have to buy it again. Chances are, if you're looking at this review, you're NOT in the market for a high gain Mesa, or 5150, or what have you. This reissue is up to par with some of the best BF's Ive ever heard. You will not lose if you get this amp. It sings, and lets me be me. What more could you want?

So far no tubes have went. However, heres a piece of advise, if your outlet at the gig is right next to where the drummer crawls back behind the kit, tell him if he knocks it out, DO NOT HURRY UP AND PLUG IT BACK IN!! My drummer did this and blew my fuse. I panicked, but my bassist had a spare and I was up and running again in 5 minutes. This isn't Fenders fault, but a clumsy drummer. Heck, he didn't know, and neither did I. I do now.

The one good thing Fender did is make it so the power cord can detache from the unit. While it increases the chance of losing it, it makes it easier to replace if something happened to it.

We practice at my drummers house (damn him!!!) and his basement flooded. My amp was up to the bottom 2 inches of the bottom 10's.I took it apart and let it dry. Put it back together, and it was fine. I was really worried I'd have to replace the parts, and one day I might, but it was fine to my ears. Some people will say "The speakers will sound like crap now" but I really didn't notice. And my ears are pretty good. Outside of human ignorance, I don't see any problems coming with this amp.

Hadn't had to use them, and hopefully, won't!

I'm using an SRV Strat/American Deluxe Strat into a Texas Square Fuzz>Ts9/808>Teese RMC 3 or Picture, depending on my mood> Octavia into the Super. Not a lot of effects. This, for me, is tone heaven. I bought a dolly to lug it around. This thing is heavy. Oh well, whats a hernia among friends? ;)

I have to be lenient in this category because it is a reissue, and is not intended to compete with the new digital modelling amps or a Marshall TSL. If you buy this amp you are either a 'less is more' player or intend to do channel switching and effects via a pedal board. What it does have is useable power, deep reverb, and tremolo that takes you from slow motion swirl to helicoptor rotors. If I could have one additional feature on this amp, it would be footswitchable reverb levels. I would love to go from 2 to 8 at the click of a switch.

I own a '57 Black Beauty (not a reissue), and a Les Paul Classic. I also use a TS9 pedal and a Budda Phatman preamp. I play classic rock, blues, bluegrass, folk, funk, jazz, and sometimes even metal.

I realize that many of the people looking at these reviews own or have owned an original Super. My favorite guitar players use original Supers, but I have never been able to find one that is affordable. I have read the reviews of the originals, and the reissue closely matches up.

My favorite settings are with volume between 3 to 4. After 4 the natural distortion kicks in. It sounds great, but I don't want to loose the ability to strum clean chords.

The bass has a wider range than is necessary. With bass on 1 it sounds like you are playing through a tin can. With bass on 10 it has tightness that is not common to open back amp designs. Also, the amp does not rattle when the volume and bass are turned up. I find many combo amps rattle too much. I can't vouch for all of these amps, but mine is perfect.

The trebble is pleasant as well. It provides enough bite, and at the right frequency. My Black Beauty is an all mahogany guitar, and generally has a mellow bass/mid tone. The trebble allows me to go from a jazz sound to a screaming lead tone without changing guitars.

At first, I didn't like the reverb, but now I love it. I have owned a Matchless Chieftain 210 and a Vibrolux, both with subtle but muscular reverb. This thing has "super" reverb. With the Super Reverb set at 3, it compares to a Vibrolux at set at 10. When playing lead at high volume and at high reverb levels, this amp swallows you whole. It sounds as if there is a slight echo added to the reverb.

The tremolo is extremely versatile. With the depth set a 10 the volume swells from off to full. I find that a good tremolo can shut completely off at the bottom of it's sweep. And the speed range is much wider than the Vibrolux on both the slow and fast side.

My only complaint is that two pieces of particle board (protecting the tubes and reverb tank) are flimsy. The originals had the same flimsy construction, but since they changed the power chord, I expect they could provide thicker or stronger wood on the back without loosing offending anyone.

This amp has not failed me yet. I'll get back to you in a few years.

No experience with Fender, although I like the warrenty. I hope I don't have to use it.

I have been playing for 11 years. This amp may not be point-to-point wired, but sounds much better than my Matchless Chieftain ever did. It lets my guitar occupy it's own tonal niche. I would love to own an original, but I'm not complaining.

Easy enough to use without even reading the manual. Simple straightforward 2 channel amp. Great for Jazz/Rock/Blues/R&B.

I mainly use my 98'Fender American Deluxe and Ibanez AS120 semi-hollow body. The 65 Super Reverb works great with both. What I love about this amp is that when I plug in my AS120, and it gives me this wonderful well-balanced jazzy tone that I allways wanted. It is even more amazing when I use it with my Fender American Deluxe. I usually run my signals through Guitar -> BOSS CS-3 -> BS-2 -> DS-1 -> GE-7 -> DD-5-> CE-5. When I stomp on my BS-2, this amp instatntly turns into a classic Blues machine. Since I work for axjacket.com ( guitar on-stand cover ), I always have the chances to try the amps and guitars in our show room, and I have come to the conlusion that the Super Reverb Reissue is definetly your best buy for music styles like Jazz,Classic Rock, ALT Rock, and Blues. I had to buy one for myself, and I did. I certainly am very happy about my decision. The 65 Twin Reverb Reissue is also great but does not sound as good as the Super Reberb Reissue. NOTE: The 72 Twin Rever is a wonderful choice as well. I will try to post more reviews about the gears I have at home and here in the office.

Don't know. Only have it for about a month. But the one in the office is about 2 year old and no problem at all.

Don't need it yet!

I have been playing electric guitars for over 15. I am very happy with this amp.

bin done,,you all know what it has.Best feature is TONE!!!

This is an update from my last post. Had the amp a month now, and I haven`t touched my other amps since I got it! Even my keyboard player noticed the improvement in tone, and said it was way more versatile than the Bassman Reissue I used as my #1 rig. Totally satisfied.

I was wondering if any amp techs have had a chance to look inside one of these bad boys. Is the build quality as good as the tone? Will I be looking for a Hoffman board kit in a few years, or will this last me the rest of my days?? You can email a response, or opinion to me.

no comment. My local dealer sucks. Period.

Too pricey,,but I bought it anyways. Don`t tell my wife!

We are all familiar with the features of this amp. I`ve owned origionals and i must say, this one is damn good. The reverb could be better, but maybe a tube swap would fix it up.

I am a blues player, and I use a Strat, `62 reissue. The usual pedals. Modified Vox 847,old Bluesbreaker, modified to 808 spec tube screamer, ce2 chorus, Digitec delay pedal to A,B,C, to Super, and Reissue Bassman. I`ve got all the tonal bases covered for what I do. smooth jazz textures, to screamin` Buddy Guy stuff! When I get the dough, i`m gettin` Hoffman kits for both! Just love the Jensen rissues too!! ( Listen to me,,,I sound like a re-issue freak! Can`t afford the origionals tho`!)

Too soon to tell, but if my Bassman is an indication,, I`m ok.

I`ve bin playing 30 years, now, and haved owned the origionals, and wished I`d never sold them. I bought this amp because I missed out on a mint origional 65, and a glad I did. Everything I liked about he origional, I like on this one. It`s about tone, and it`s got it in spades!

04/20/01

After being convinced of the validity of Fender?s reissue Amp line by the outstanding performance of my ?65 Deluxe Reverb RI, I had no reservations about ordering one of Fender?s new ?65 Super Reverb RI?s sight unseen. Now that I?ve spent just over
2-hours exploring the terrain of the amp?s sonic landscapes, I?d like to give you my first impression of the Amp.

First, some details for those of you who have not seen this Amp ?in person?.

Features:
40 watts of output power
Four, 10? Jensen P-10R AlNiCo speakers
Two, 6L6GC power tubes
Four, 12AX7A tubes
Two, 12AT7 tubes
One, 5AR4 tube rectifier

Height: 24 7/8 in.
Width: 25 1/8 in.
Depth: 10 * in.
Weight: 63.8 lbs.
Sound: LEGENDARY

The over-all vibe and appearance of the Amp is astounding. Especially to a lover of vintage Fender amplifiers, and even more so if you dig the ?Blackface? era as much as I do. The front panel looks much the same as a vintage Super Reverb does at first glance. On the back panel, however, a knowledgeable Fender fanatic will immediately notice a design change. The power cord is no longer hard-wired into the amp. It has been replaced with an IEC power socket. I applaud this decision by Fender; I think it makes good sense to have an easily replaceable power cord (You never know when a clumsy drummer is going to drop a 16? crash on your power cord). Of course, this arrangement also makes it easy to misplace, so be careful!

As with many of the other reissue designs this one has a printed circuit board (PCB) signal path as opposed to the point-to-point (PTP) wiring of the original design. It also uses a ply-wood cabinet instead of the original solid pine finger-joined design. Along with the PCB signal path, and the ply-cabinet, the transformer, pots, and several other internal workings are also not the same as an ?original? Super Reverb. Does this mean that the amp will sound different? Sure it does. Does it mean the amp sounds bad? Hell no! Let?s face it, the 60?s are over. Things have changed. Some for the better, and some for the worse. However, in my opinion the ?new? Fender company was somehow able to capture the true feel and sound of the 60?s era Super Reverb in this reissue using modern design and hardware. I was able to dial-in an amazing and familiar ?blackface? tone the instant I took the Amp off Stand-by. Thank you very much Fender, for a job well done!

I am going to put this amp through its paces by using it live this weekend. I plan to put it to the test on the music it was ?made? for; blues, funk, soul, and rock. I?ll update this post after I?ve had a chance to get to know this Amp better. Although I can tell you now that after only a few minutes it felt like an old friend. If you are already familiar with the blackface sound you will have no problem getting to know this Amp.

04/23/01

With high expectations and childlike eagerness I brought the Super-Reverb RI to the gig this weekend. Don?t you love bringing a new piece of gear to its first gig? It makes live performance even more exciting than it already is. Now I?d like to give you my observations of the Amp?s performance on the job.
Before I get started with the Amp, I should tell you about my Guitar/Effects set-up so we can establish a ?ground-zero?, and hopefully you?ll be able to decide if the tones I experienced will apply to your situation.
Although I primarily use the ?dry? amp sound, I run my Strat?s signal through the following effects, in the following order: Stratocaster>Vox V847 Wah>Boss CS-3 Compressor>Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer>Boss OC-2 Octave>Boss CH-1 Chorus>Danelctro Dan-Echo Delay>Amplifier.
I plug into input #1 on the Vibrato channel. I like to have the amplifier set so that it is just beginning to break-up. With the power tubes working to make the amp slightly dirty I am able to roll-off the volume on my guitar for clean-clean tones, and I add the Tube Screamer when I need more gain. I was able to achieve power tube break-up with the Super-Reverbs? volume set at just over 4. (I use a medium-output single coil pick-up, the Fender Custom Shop Fat 50?s.) I ran the rest of the controls at the following settings: Treble, 5; Middle, 4; Bass, 4; Reverb, varied from 0 to 4. The stage volume of the amp at this setting was perfect. I had no problem competing with the drummers? volume and cutting through the mix when I wanted to. The amp has a full and rich sound. I noticed that the amp?s tonal range is broader than that of my black face Fender Pro-Reverb. The Pro-Reverb has a more ?even? tonality when you play a scale from the low-E string to the high-E string. The Super-Reverb has a more dynamic range when you play the same scale; the lows are ?lower? on the fat strings, and the highs are ?higher? on the thin strings. Combine that with the fact that the amp has terrific touch sensitive dynamics throughout its entire frequency range, and what you have is an all-around amazing amplifier! Keep in mind that this is an ?off the shelf? amplifier. This is the first ?non-boutique? amplifier that I have taken to a live performance and been completely satisfied with. I have no plans to alter the amplifier from its stock configuration. I think Fender has outdone all their previous efforts with this reissue.
Concerning the amps built in effects; I didn?t use the amps? vibrato, so I can?t give you a fair assessment of that feature, but the reverb is very useable and sounds very much like the usual black face reverb I?ve heard on many vintage Fenders.

It's Fender. These amps have never let me down.

Never needed the company's help.
I use my own tech for repairs.

Most of you reading this who have been playing for a number of years have come to realize that most of your ?tone? is in your hands. What you are looking for in an amplifier is a dynamic and responsive instrument that can reproduce all of the nuances of your playing. Even if you are relatively new to the guitar, and just beginning to learn about tones and the importance of a quality amplifier, you will benefit from the responsiveness of this amplifier because it will make you a better player.
If you are looking for an amp that will help you reproduce the traditional and familiar sounds of classic Blues, Funk, Rock & Soul music, and you don?t want to have 2K tied up in a boutique amplifier, look no further. This amp has the sound and the versatility to take your music wherever you want to go.