Fender Dual Showman Reverb

This is a mid to late 70's dual showman reverb with the pull master volume. Two channels one with the reverb and tremolo. The reverb tank is missing in mine however. 100 watts of thunder and clarity enough power to kill a small child. I use this amp 100% of the time live and at rehearsals.

I mainly use a 71 Gibson SG with a Burstbucker in the bridge position. For some reason on my amp the tone on channel one is much different than channel two. And I beleive this is because the master volume knob on channel two is wired wrong and it is constantly in the pulled position. Thus the boost feature is constantly activated on channel two. This is fine for me since I dont use the reverb for channel two and this gives me two different sounds. However I prefer the tone of channel one much better. Its just a big full sound that only a great tube amp can create. I run this head through a 60's two twelve Bandmaster cabinet loaded with celestions. The low end I get with this combo can be earth shattering while the highs are there in true Fender form. To get the amp to break up at a descent volume I use a Zachery Vex (Super Hard on). Its basically a clean boost that gives the amp a beautiful breakup and increases the lows and adds a wonderfull glassy feel to the highs. This pedal is made for this amp and takes it to a whole new level. I would say the gain or breakup level with the Z Vex activated would be somewhere in the classic rock area, or for something new it sounds similar to the Strokes or Jet type of tone. Its what the amp sounds like cranked but a little better. Anything beyond that I use a Fulltone Distortion Pro with the distortion knob barely on and the volume all the way up and I can get as radical as need be while keeping the tone of the amp true. I got this thing for free and it was down and out when I got it. I had it recapped and Tubed with Groove Tubes and it just sounds fantastic. The only thing I have noticed is that the tubes run real hot, but I havent had any problems. This may be due to the Pedals I am using. This thing loves effects and I have gotten pretty much any sound I want out of this amp without sacraficing tone. Im probably not using this amp for what most people buy it for. I think alot of blues players would love this amp for its clarity and sound especially with a Strat. One of the guys in my band has an Eric Clapton strat and it just sounds amazing running it clean into the Fender. I play mainly "rock" music, or whatever you want to call it this week, so Im here to tell you that with a couple of mods or the right pedals this amp can ROCK. I keep the channel volume on about 8 and the master volume at about 3. This seems to be the sweet spot for this paticular Showman. That will vary depending on tubes, guitar, ect, so it may not be yours sweet spot.

No problems so far but I have a good tech.

Wouldnt know

I love this amp and I would get another one in a heartbeat. If your out there trying to get one of these to break up try the Z vex or another clean boost. Ive owned alot of amps other fenders and marshalls. Obviously they all have there own sound but I prefer the fullness that I get out of this amp with the Bandmaster cabinet. Theres absolutely nothing brittle about the sound and its just rich and full as hell.

I bought this amp around 1980, it was "new", but with a discount. Later I have found out that it is built 1976. I have also found out that this was good for my kind of sound because it is a 100W, not the superlinear 135W that was the new amps in 1980. All tube, of course.

It has two channels, Normal and Vibrato. Both channels have volume, bright switch, treble, middle and bass. The vibrato channel also have reverb and tremolo. There is a master volume with "dirt" switch. I use it with a channel switch in the pedalboard, to switch between the two channels.
There is a great difference in sound between the two channels, at the same loudness. The normal channel is almost clean with the volume at 8, and the vibrato channel has a nice crunch distortion at 10. At this volume they almost have the same loudness.

I still have the original speaker with 2x15 JBL E130F. For practical reasons I have also built a speaker with only one JBL E130F. On that speaker I have taken the aluminium dome away and put a paper dome instead, to slightly soften the sound.

Some modifications: Reverb in both channels. One extra tube stage in the vibrato channel, with separate gain. As much distortion you can use, with a bluesy touch. After this modification there is a difference in loudness between the channels depending on the gain setting on the extra tube stage.

I intend to put in a second master volume, to fix the loudness difference and also get a cleaner Normal channel.

The amp is mainly used in my basement, and occasional gigs. It is extremely powerful.

I mainly use it with my homemade guitar, with two Gibson PAF -57 reissues, w coil splitter. I use a jim dunlop jazz3 pick.

The amp has a characteristic Fender tone, and suits my playing (I have almost never played on other amps). With the channel switching I get the option to use tube distortion instead of boxes. I play 70-80ies rock and some blues. Not "metal"style, but with the extra gain it is possible.

Most people who hear it think it sounds very good, and with a sound of its own. It's quite bright when distorted, so you have to keep the treble down, in my opinion. The clean sound is very good. The speaker give a very distinct sound too.

The tubes in the preamp is standard 7025, in the vibrato channel I have put two Telefunken ECC 83 NOS as replacement for the extra tube and the vibrato preamp tube. The distorted sounds sound warmer an'd more melodic than the 7025, which are good for clean sounds.

I toured Sweden where I live for some years in the beginning of the 1980ies. The amp has never broken down.

I have been playing since 1971, some years as professional.
Have my homemade guitar (somewhat Gibson Explorer style) and a Gibson SG -76, a Gibson Les Paul Special -59 reissue from -78. Effects: Colorsound Wa-wa, Small Stone phaser, MXR Stereo Chorus, Ibanez Commpressor and a Coloursound Tonebender, rarely used. Also have a Dynacord S62 tube tape echo, from around 1965.

1969, i was told. SF with no master vol. Bought it in 1993. Bought it for #120 without knowing or appreciating what it was. At the time, was playing into digi effect rack into amp standing in with bands playing everything from soul, reggae through to balls out rock. 2 channels normal & vibrato. I've never had this amp past 4 on vol.

Been playing clapton strat, TS9, wah 535 & JD Rotovibe last decade. Cliched strat strangling style of playing. Play mostly blues or rock nowadays. Sounds absolutely fabulous whatever i play. With reverb / vibrato & no pedals, had some great sounds playing with 60s soul band. Hendrix used these while touring US in 1968. Will do Hendrix off to a tee with a 4x12 cab & pedals. I have tried different speakers, but the best sound i've had is with a compact marshall 4 x 12 cab with G12s. People rave about the sound when i take it out for a gig. Have tried traditional marshall 4 x 12 cab and it didn't 'breathe' properly. Tried 2 x 12 eminence and sounded too hi-fi. Sold my 59 bassman because i'm so into the sound of it.

Treated it to a new set of Philips tubes (about 13 i think) when they were on a deal about 4 years ago. Don't want to tempt fate though, so i will say no more.

No dealings with them on this, howvere my 13 month old Bassman cooked a valve & a resistor & they didn''t want to know.

This amp was & still is very tatty, but i've never heard anything as nice since. I'm on the lookout for a 2nd amp, but in 6 months, nothing has taken my fancy with the exception of 1 or 2 custom shop amps. These were Fenders flagship products in the 60s, and it tells. Interested to hear one through the original 2 x 15 cab, but i have a knackered back so i don't think thats gonna happen ... I just got lucky with buying this one - didn't know what it was at the time, but as i've grown into a gear freak, i now know all about it. I've lost jobs, been round the world, started a family, taken on huge mortages, and i've come nowhere near selling it or even thinking about it, but don't want to tempt fate ... I don't know if i would buy one again due to ridiculous retro prices, even for later mv versions.

my amp was made in 1970.it has reverb and tremelo(marked vibrato).not to many features but im of the opinion that the more effects people try to shove in one box the more corners are cut at the expense of quality and tone.hte all tube amp has tons of headroom ive never turned it up loud enought o break up(with all four tubes in).you could play small to medium sized venues without being miked.

im using a fender knock off(with better fatter tone than any vintage strat i might add)thru a rat at low level dist for rythmm and a big muff for lead i have an a/b box after my overdrives with channel A going straight to the amp and chennel B going thru a plethra of effects and in to the amp.there are two channels normal and vibrato each with two inputs.both channels of my a/b are connected to the vibrato channel because i like and use the tremelo.i have my normal channel set up for bass.this set up is convinient for when im recording both bass and guitar by myself.this amp handles bass very well.i usually use this amp with two of the power tubes pulled out.you can get it to break up this way and the volume is more reasonable for home recording or practice.IF YOU PULL THE POWER TUBES YOU MUST ONLY PULL THE TWO OUTSIDE OR TWO INSIDE TUBES. ALSO THE AMP IS RATED FOR A SPEAKER LOAD OF 4 OHMS YOU MUST DOUBLE THIS IF YOU PULL TWO OF THE TUBES.IF YOU DONT UNDERSTAND WHAT I JUST SAID DONT SCREW WITH YOUR TUBES.

its a vintage tupe amp it is going to break down on you. if you dont know anything about it take it to a tech and have them check to make sure that all the electrolytic capacitors are reasonably new have them check the bias and make sure you have good and matched tubes.if you found a good tech your probably in good shape after taking it to them to check it out. but not all techs are good.if you dont have extensive knowlege in working with high volage do not take your amp apart the capacitors in a tube amp hold a lethal charge even after the amp is unplugged.

this amp is god

I have two of these babies, a 1969 and a 1974. They are the greatest clean amps in the world. The reverb and trem are also pleasant....but nothing special. This is not a feature laden amp.

I play a PRS McCarty Indian Rosewood through my Fenders. It sounds amazing on both humbuckers and single coils. I love it!! Just a good pure clean amp. Very warm!

It's served me well for several years and it's previous owner for nearly thirty. I'd say it's pretty reliable!

Never had to deal with Fender ever. Maybe that's because their old amps never break down.

I've been playing for over ten years. I also use various high gain amps an A\B switch from the Fender cleans to the distortions on the other amps. Can't go wrong that way. I wouldn't want to put distortion pedals in front of my Fender.

I bought my first Dual Showman in 1992, to go along with my J-Bass. It was too nice and got stolen. The insurance company replaced it with another, but kept the paperwork - I believe it is an early 90's again, but has black buttons without the trim that my first one had. Use it strictly for bass and like the ability to mix & match the sounds of the two amps.

Use it maily in a jazz or easy listening setting, although it can give a punch when turned up and overdriven.

Amp has never broken down, although I sometimes get line noise from it if I direct-line from it to a large sound system. (Not sure if this is the amp's fault or the venue's lighting system, which seems to affect the noise).

Never had it repaired.

I've played for just over 30 years. I play a Fender American Standard JB and a custom fretless. For effects, I use a Boss ME8-B.

I bought my Fender Dual Showman Reverb in 1993. I believe it was made in 1977. This amp is very versatile. I've mixed and matched it with numerous different speaker cabs from 3x12 Kustoms to 4x12 Yamahas and it's always sounded great. I don't use effects aside from a couple of Rocktron boxes (Hush and Rampage) so its lack of effects loops has never bothered me. I consider it a "working man's amp". I use this amp primarily live, but have recorded with it also. It also has an optional vibrato effect/ footswitch that I rarely use. Very nice sounding however in the vein of the Ventures.

This thing sounds great. I cannot get the signal to distort without adding a box into the mix. The cleanest tone I have ever heard from any amp. People are consistently blown away by its resiliance to distortion. I use vintage Ibanez guitars (pre 1986), primarily a Steve Lukather model Roadstar with a George Lynch "Screamin' Demon" pickup in the bridge position. I play loud instrumental music inspired by 70's and 80's heavy metal with a little bit of post-rock noice thrown in. I can get great feedback and other sonic nuances out of this amp. The amp is perfect for the "loud/quiet" approach. Distorts beautifully with a box and rings clean and clear by itself, no matter the volume.

My amp breaks down about once a year. I attribute this to my own laziness/ lack of money of not properly matching the ohmage of my cabs to the amps abilities. Much of the info on the back of the amp is worn away, so I need to do some research as to wattage, ohmage, voltage etc. I'm a punk rocker at heart I guess. The amp was also modified at one point prior to my ownership to house 2 10 inch speakers in its chassis. The reverb springs have been moved from the inside wall of the grillcloth to the bottom of the chassis to make room. the speakers are no longer there, but two holes remain visible through the grillcloth as evidence to the modification. I would like to put these back in at some point to see what it sounds like.

As I am the 3rd or 4th owner of this fine piece of equipment, no warranty is available. I have it serviced by an independent "vintage tube amp" guy who scolds me every time for not taking care of it.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years. I should be better than I am at this point. I own to vintage Ibanez guitars ('79 Iceman and '84 Steve Lukather Roadstar). I use generic nylon medium pick and Rocktron distortion/ noise reduction. If I lost this amp, I would most likely upgrade to something a little more modern/ more known for good natural tube distortion such as Soldano or Marshall. However I love this amp because no one else can get my sound! If anything I wish it had more power, but again I might attribute this to my own lack of knowledge behind bringing out the best of the amp. When I bought this it was all I could afford. In hindsight, $275 was steal. If you're looking for a unique sound, this is your amp. Mix and match with different guitars, cabs etc. You'll never look back.

My amp was made in 1976(135 watts). The amp has two channels a normal and vibrato. The only thing it lacks is a master volume.

I am playing a Strat with Seymor Duncan pickups. The amp is fully clean but I use a tube screamer as my main distortion.

The only thing it needed when I bought it was tubing and it needed to be biased.

This is the best amp I have ever played through. It can give me enough crunch and can give me the warmest clean tone.

I bought my Dual Showman Reverb new in 1977 (the 135 watt version) and it has been my main amp since. It sounded a little stiff and too clean in the beginning, but as time went on it developed an incredible sound. I haven't used anything else since. In spite of some reviews, it can be very impressive as a high distortion amp. As with any other Fender, it depends mainy on the tube choice. I've has some Groove Tubes in it for the last 15 years. They're still holding up fine and the amp never fails to get people snooping around behind it or making offers.

I personally like it best with Strat's and Tele's. Also impressive are Gibsons with P-90's, Firebirds or any other Gibson's with mini humbuckers. Full sized humbuckers sound great through the amp if it's set on a clean setting, but with a distorted setting it tends to leave you wanting just a little bit more of something. I don't know what. I had a friend plug his Les Paul Cutom into it and he though it sounded incredible. I though it was just ok, so I guess that's just a matter of preference and what sound you're after. The amp doesn't have any hum or distracting noise.

I've never had a breakdown with the amp and don't even consider dragging a backup along. The only drawback to the amp is that with the head sitting on the cabinet, the vibrations can cause the small leads in the reverb tank to short out. I've heard it from several people since it's happened to me. I've recently put away the large 2x15 cabinet and mounted the amp chassis in a twin cabinet. It's much easier to get around and sounds beatiful. I didn't mind lugging around the old settup when I bought it, but I was 19 then and 44 now. Big difference.

I've never had to call or write to Fender about any of their amps I've owned over the years (quite a few). I think they're all reliable although I have no experience with anything they made after '77.

I would give this amp an overall rating of 10. Wheteher you play country, blues or rock it can do the job providing you pick the right tubes for the purpose. Fender amps are the true chameleons of the industry, which is why they're's so many Fender amp modifications posted on the web. They can sound just about any way you want with a little inovation and knowledge. I bought this amp after I literally threw away a '68 Marshall 50 head that melted every time I used it.

This baby is the cleanest, loud amp that you can buy! It has a wonderful,shimmering clean tone and the great vintage Fender reverb. It also has excellent tremolo with speed and intensity controls. The "tweed" sound doesn't get any better than this! If you want distortion, you will definitely need a good pedal, because this baby does not break up (and isn't supposed to break up). The Dual Showman Reverb was the same amp that they put in the legendary Twin Reverb. The nice thing about it is that you can use it with whatever speakers you like (10, 12, 15's). Also, have you ever carried a Twin Reverb? Trust me, You don't want to. This is much more manageable.

I use a Fender American Strat, and a Gibson Les Paul Studio with it. They both sound great through it. I use a Line 6 distortion modeler with it, which gives me any light to heavy distortion sounds that I need (you can program four into the pedal footswitchs). The amp is powerful, with lots of headroom (85 watts RMS, all tube), and very warm. The best for jazz, blues, R&B, country, and classic rock.

It's never broken down on me. Super sturdy. But it is an all tube amp, so take care of her, and she'll take care of you!

We have an excellent tech in town. I've never had to send it to Fender. Some new tubes, and I had to replace the reverb tank last year (finally, it's a '68).

I've been playing twenty five years. I've played Marshall, Peavy, Line 6, Mesa Boogie, Matchless, and Fender. I would replace it if it were stolen or lost. I love the reverb. It is the best clean sound that i have ever heard! Very warm, clear, and 'tweedy".