Fender Dual Showman Reverb

-1969 TFL 5000 D Edition. Played through an Orange OBC115 15" ported cab.
-Play Indie, rock, alternative rock, experimental post rock.
I love the reverb tank on this thing. You cannot find a cleaner reverb. The vabrato is okay. I don't really use it.

I tell you what's the best, You plug your guitar into the "1" jack on the Normal channel, and then get a short patch cable and run it from the "2" jack on the normal channel into the "1" jack on the vibrato channel. This gives you ultimate tone control as well as 2 gain stages. This is possible because the inputs on the front are actually parallel inputs so your essentially sending from one to the next! If this doesn't make sense, email forgottencharity@gmail.com and I'll explain. It will change your life!! Amazing rig

Quality is superb. This is a twin reverb in Head form. Cleanest 100 watts you'll ever get out of an amp. If you play with lots of pedals like I do, this is for you. Some fender amps have a great natural overdrive but that sucks the tone from pedals. This thing is clean even when cranked. I've never been able to turn it up past 3. NO LIE. Its loud. Never distorts. If you hear something distort, its gonna be your speaker distirting because you didn't match the ohms up right, or your speaker was blown before you hooked it up.

Mine is so old and it looks brand new. I tour with it and people ask me if its a new model that Fender put out and I laugh because this amp was made 14 years before I was born. Heavy, very heavy but thats a good thing. I know it won't fall apart

Calling fender and actually talking to a human doesn't happen very often. I do however work at Guitar Center so I have an in with the regional reps so they take care of me.

If you can get one, GET IT AND NEVER SELL IT! I have talked to people who still are brought to tears when think of how they sold theirs. You will never find anything like it. People say its very Surf-ish. I think thats a crock of crap. Idiots only say that because they read about how Fender made this amp for Dick Dale. Thats true, but his amp only sounded surf-ish because he played surf rock. DUH, I play indie rock so does that make mine sound indie-ish? Its very clean amp with bright tones so you can get whatever you want out of it and it will be loud and clean. Great amp

THis head was built in 1968 and has the 'drip rail' around the box. No master volume. The usual 60s fender knobs. I got this thing from ebay and it was mangled, but my tech Jim Walton in Philly put it together and this thing will likely last the rest of my life. Fender reverb back then was still way over the top as it is now, but this is a surf amp. I play Jazz and mainly clean style (strats, teles and some 7 string archtops-Ibanez, Gibson 175, Schecter Jazz 7) and this head with my single 4ohm JBL 15" speaker is THE BOMB! It NEVER distorts and my low string is tuned to a low A. Sounds like a bass player is with me! The bass will blow u off the stage, yet the tops of the chords ring clear. Nothing tops this amp and i have the Rivera Jazz suprema, Valvetech, Reverend Hell Hound, Polytone with RE Stealth 12 cab (the worst of the bunch), Hot Rod deluxes, Fender Pro Reverb (1966...killer amp as well) and 68 Vibrolux (nice also).

I play strats which now have dimarzio area noisless pups. All my fenders sound stellar as you would expect but it is the sound of my archtops which destroy anything else on the market today. The trend today is to have high powered yet lightweight amps for us geezers to haul around. I admit...moving this set up is not always fun or even possible...but when u play this next to the lightweight set up (Clarus/RE or similar) you immediatly understand that there is good reason these things are so heavy. When you are playing fast runs or complex chords, you feel those watts and that your amp wants to respond like a good dog. It has the power to handle ANYthing you can throw at it and never farts out, never sounds lifeless, never dull. It feels like your notes are shot from cannons. Its like the first time i plugged into my Marshall Stack nearly 40 years ago. VERY electrifing! You can get earthshaking rock tones also. I played a rock gig with only the single 15 and a boss gt6 and it almost rumbled the drums off the stage..and this was OUTDOORS! The power and the feeling of power is unmatched other than with a 100w stack. but the stack cannot come close to the versatility or clean sound of the fender set up. I love this thing. I never turn it past 4 or 5 and am not interested in trying to make it 'break up'. It is better on your back to have this head and a cab than to carry around a twin. You just have to make 2 trips to the car, but thats ok to have the big sound. I also prefer a 15 to a 12 now. I may make a cab with 2 15s at some point...but do not know how i would move it! Even at low volumes, you STILL get all the tone. I did not have this fully blackfaced. I still have the 'bias balance' circuit in there and still wonder what a real blackface showman would sound like. I cant imagine it being better...but my blackface pro reverb suggests that it could be, as that amp is orgasmic.

When i got this from Ebay...(NEVER ..repeat NEVER believe the descriptions by ebay sellers. I have not gotten a single amp out of maybe 20 that had accruate descriptions)...also speaking of ebay: Check your trannie numbers and other key items with the seller. If he fails to respond in ANY way, consider him bogus. Then when u are satisfied hope for the best but expect the worst as most of those folks dont really know what they have or what mods were done...ok..enough about me.
Anyway..i think this head may have been under water at some point. Jim Walton kept all the important original parts and made it sing. I dont expect any repairs for a good long time.

I have dealt with the Fender Customer Avoidance system in the past with other new products, and wont likely bother with them in the future.

I have been playing since the mid 60s. I play all styles..check me out at charlix.com.
I may buy a fender showman blackface if i see a deal someday. I would also like to try some different 15" speakers to see what works, but keep in mind you need a 4 ohm load with this thing and most popular speakers are 8 ohm. They say it makes little difference, but if an output trannie goes, you cannot replace it and have the 'same' amp. I love the tone of this thing, i hate the weight.

Head. 1976, 100 Watts into 4 ohms, 2 Channel, 2 inputs per channel.
Normal Channel: Bright Switch, Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass
Vibrato Channel: Same, plus Reverb, Speed, Intensity
Master Volume. Footswitch for 'verb and 'vib
All tube.

Good enough, but it would be nice to have some more. No distortion, so your going to have to get a pedal. No biggie.

So loud.

Without a doubt, the sound of this amp is unbeatable. It's the best clean sounding amp I've ever heard. If your looking for a vintage sound, this is it. I play it through a Marshall 1960b cab, it has some vintage speakers, don't know exactly. It's pretty hard to make this amp sound bad. I play it through a fender strat, sounds great. A little crunch break up at 10, but still amazing.

Mine is from 1971, not a problem. The original owner took great care of it. These amps are built like a tank.

Don't need it yet (knock on wood).

I've been playing for about 4 and half years, and I've done my fair share of research. It's taken me years to find something like this, and I'm so happy. If it was stolen I'd probably try my hardest to find it, and if all is lost then I'd try and find a new one. I love how this amp is so cheap and under rated. These days you have to pay thousands for a great sound, but with this you can get it from 4-600. Compared to a Marshall tsl/dsl 100, Orange Rockerverb, or anyone of those big name amps, this thing comes out on top. I kind of wish it had a distortion channel, but it's not a problem. There are a lot of great distortion pedals these days. If your thinking about buying, and are a perfectionist like I am, go for this thing.

Head. 1976, 100 Watts into 4 ohms, 2 Channel, 2 inputs per channel.
Normal Channel: Bright Switch, Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass
Vibrato Channel: Same, plus Reverb, Speed, Intensity
Master Volume. Footswitch for 'verb and 'vib
Purchased in 2007, had some problems which were fixed superbly by Butler Custom Sound in Lombard, Illinois.
Currently Using Tung Sol preamp tubes and TAD power tubes.
two speaker outs, standby, power. simple. Very Heavy. VERY POWERFUL. Running two 8 ohm Jenkins custom cabs (2x12 standard, closed-back and 2x12 Mahogany Route 61, open-back)it can blow your head clean off.

After the Butler repair it is silent when standing on. With ANY guitar it delivers a superb, rich, complex clean tone. It was created for Dick Dale, so it IS surf, but the massive power creates such a rich and deep basic tone that it is also incredible for country, jazz, funk, and pop. Using the amp's tone controls, you can dial in anything from ice-pick cut to syrupy smooth, yet distinct, jazz runs. Muted notes hit like drum beats. With a good pedal board, you can make it sound just like a very sweet JCM 800, or the world's scariest tweed champ. The effective mid control can boost a standard strat up into humbucker territory. My guitars include a Les Paul Standard, Hamer Newport, Fender Strat (Lindy Franlin pickups), Yamaha SA2200 (an often passed over super-star 335 style guitar), Hamer Standard, DiPinto Los Straightjackets Galaxy IV. They all sound good and all sound different through this DSR.
The master volume control is NOT there to deliver plug-straight-in distortion. The only distortion this amp will make is the sound of your ear drums shreading. I usually play it at a volume of around 2.8, adjusting the master to room size. I also own a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue with ancient NOS tubes that I dearly love, but, Children, I have NEVER heard a more satisfying clean sound in my life than this Dual Showman through my Jenkins cabs. As heavy and difficult to move as the amp, 2 cabs, and pedal board are, THIS is my standard and what I use when I want my best tone. Even with all the great equipment out there today, I am satisfied and done shopping.

This is a very heavy 32 year old tube amp head which looked dirty and beaten up when I got it. I have confidence in my tech contacts and fully expect it to be reliable, but I will always bring a back-up. I might drop it!

I would not bother trying to get Fender to pay attention to this one.

Any number of modern features would be nice to have, like headphone jacks, adjustable output ohms, effect loops, auto biasing, channel switching, etc. etc. so I can't give this a 10. BUT it IS my favorite amp and I am not looking for anything else, so it would be unfair for me to give it less than a 9.
If it were lost or stolen I would look for another one. I have tried lot's of boutique amps, and some are superb, but not enough to tempt me away from this DSR.
I began playing the year the Beatles first came to America (pure coincidence). In the ever expanding pantheon of awe-inspiring tones available to the well-healed GAS sufferer, the DSR is the real deal - Galahad, if you will - Pure, strong, rich, deep, with classic built-in reverb. An unbeatable companion on the quest for that holy grail tone. You know, considering that with repairs and new tubes the thing cost me less than a grand - I'm giving it a 10!

This amp is a twin reverb without the speakers, sadly I don't have the original 2x15 cab to go with this amp that is the only thing soundwise that would differentiate it from a Twin.

This has components dated 82 so must be one of the last they made.

This model has the additional line/recording output and a pushpull master volume, has every feature I could want from an amp, some people may want an effects loop and channel switching, good luck! :)

Also of note it has Hum Balance and Bias Adjust pots so you get the bets of both, as some Silverface models only have Hum Balance as far as I know.

I use this amp in my house a lot you don't need to turn it up that loud to get a great sound I don't see the point in cranking a 135W ultralinear amp for distortion, you will melt voice coils!

Great recording and live amp has the power to be used anywhere half the time this thing doesn't really need mic'd up.

I use it with an 80's Tokai Breezysound, and it sounds really nice I'd never blackface this amp, play any chord on it and you get a wonderful rich sound full of tone, and it is very well balanced between treble and bass it has the Ultralinear output transformer so again blackfacing an amp like this would be a waste, silverface amps have a great sound all of their own.

The tubes in it look like the cheapest chinese 80's tubes you could imagine, but they sound good I think a lot of this need for super expensive NOS tubes is just people buying in to a fantasy, sure some do sound better than others but rule is, if you like the sound of your amp a lot trying to improve it won't get you very far.

This thing is heavy, but after 26 years of service has had hardly anything done to it I'd like to see that from a hotrod deville or some other PCB LED monster, don't get me started talking about the Red knob twins!!

This thing is as dependable as it gets!

I have other amps, 1959 watkins westminster, selmer treble & bass and three I built myself.

Best feature of this amp is you can get such a vareity of sounds from it, the only downside to this thing is that it is heavy but that is why it is so reliable.

Try and get hold of one of these amps, it can take any kind of music you can throw at it I'm not a metal guy so not sure how good it would be for that.

This amp is a late 70's model with the push-pull Master volume, reverb and tremelo. It was apparently modified with super-hot tubes that aren't even available anymore, so it required a re-tube and biasing when I got it. It is played through a Bandmaster cabinet that takes great advantage of the wide EQ range available through both the Normal and Vibrato channels. It has all the features I need - If I want tricks, I use a toy - when I want pure sound, this amp cannot be bested. I give it a 9 because it does two things well: Sound and volume.

I use this amp primarily with my Rickenbacker 370-12RM, re-creating the studio sounds of The Byrds in live performance with The BYRDBRAINS. My original influences were all clean players, and Fender was the amp they used, so my first pro amp was a '64 Deluxe Reverb - if only I had it now! My point is, my style doesn't call for extreme volume or distortion of any kind, so this DSR is absolutely perfect. Power to spare, and the sound goes from a crystalline sparkle to a nice round jazz tone in nothing flat. It's quiet enough to use for recording and loud enough for medium venues without miking.

I bought the amp on E-Bay from a cat in Florida who had taken questionable care of it. It came with a 2x15' JBL-loaded cabinet that literally fell apart when I opened the box. The speakers were in great shape, though, so I didn't sweat it. The amp worked but had some obvious technical and cosmetic issues which have been addressed. While I would feel fine using it without a backup, I never do, just because... well, you just never do that. It has been super-reliable, though, and I never worry about what will happen the next time I turn it on.

You absolutely MUST have a tech that not only knows these inside and out, but one that is hip to everything that can be done to them, because it seems NO ONE leaves these things in their original configuration (why don't they just buy a hot, distorted amp to begin with and leave these wonderful amps the Hell alone?!?). So you need someone who can literally restore the original configurations, someone who has access to the tubes and everything else it needs to be properly maintained. Like calling VW to talk about your Bus, Fender would just laugh at you on your dime.

I've been playing since 1957 and have had the pleasure of owning a Fender Deluxe Reverb, a Super Reverb, a Bassman 125 and this Dual Showman Reverb, as well as numerous Vox and Peavey amps, most of which I still have. If someone stole this, I would put out a contract on the cretin, then scout out another DSR. I don't like the way gravity seems to pull harder on this amp than it used to, but there's nothing else about it that I don't love.
What I wish it had is several brothers and suitable conveyance for the whole family - and I wish I could remember how we used to daisy-chain them ala Ritchie Blackmore, the loudest man on Earth.

My amp was made in 1970, model TFL5000D. Dual channels,Vibrato and Reverb. Very suited for anything you want loud and clean. Get your distortion and 'color' from a pedal. The thing is a BEAST ! A real locomotive of tone, louder than anyone has a right to play! It weighs a ton...over 65 pounds, but, hey...

I bought the amp from the original owner. He had it with a large Bamndmaster(upright)Fender 2x12 cab made in 1970, not the usual 2x15 JBL cabinet that the Showmans were known for. The owner said that he bought it that way because the 2x15 cab was just too big and hard to transport.
I use this amp with a 335, a Hamer (USA) Artist GT, a couple of Strats, and a Heritage. They all are very well reproduced through this amp. When I want distortion and added sustain, I use a Mesa V-Twin pedal ( or a Tech21 Tri-AC) for that. And it stays clean at the highest volume settings. But like I said, it's loud. Loud enough so that Ted Nugent bragged years ago that he killed a sparrow that flew in front of his Showman during a Sun Festival concert as he hit a power chord! PETA, please forgive him!

When I got the amp, it had a 2-prong AC cord,and a bad input connection that made the amp intermittent.I replaced the cord,and fixed the connection, and the amp has been fine. I have since then replaced the (4) 6L6s, some of the 12AX7s, and the filter caps, and now it is bullet-proof! And even louder than before...
I did replace the original Oxford speakers with the new Eminence Commonwealth 12. These are designed after the vintage JBL D120F-series speakers, but they are not so "fizzy" on the top end.Better tone and projection,all but impossible to blow out.

The amp was made in 1970. I think that the warranty is up...

I have to say that I bought this amp from an old aquaintance whose wife wanted it out of the house. I paid...$60.00 for the whole rig!!!
Probably the best deal I ever got on an amp, and I have a room full of 'em. This amp is the KING of TONE! And the reverb...

1969 silver-face Dual Showman Reverb head; two channels with bright switches, volume, treble, bass, middle pots; vibrato channel also has speed, intensity, and reverb controls; 85 watts, power amp section has four 6L6 tubes; aluminum gutter-edge trim and transformer codes date this to 1969; this is essentially a Twin Reverb chassis in a head cabinet.

typical clean "Fender" tone; I play "oldies" music, "surf" in particular; this amp is perfectly suitable for it; guitars include a "real" 1963 Fender Jaguar, 1970's Mosrite Avenger (Japan), 1992 Standard Strat equipped with "vintage" pick-ups, 1965 Silvertone Silhouette (Jaguar-style); I pair it with a 1-15" Eminence in a sealed Fender cabinet (29"x21-1/2"x11") or a 4-12" Bassman 100 cabinet on casters (40"x30"x17")

I have had this for five years and it has never had any problems.

local Fender dealer is an authorized service center; I have a dependable independent technician who has serviced my amps

Have been playing for 41 years; also own the following amps: Fender '64 Tremolux; '66 Band Master; '66 Bassman; '70s Bassman 100; '76 Vibrolux Reverb; '68 Twin Reverb; '69 Twin Reverb; '67 solid-state Twin Reverb; '67 Pro Reverb; '65 Silvertone 1482; '65 Silvertone 1483; Teisco Checkmate 45; Checkmate 50 (head); Checkmate 55 (head); Peavey Bandit 112; Heathkit TA-16; sold '65 Vibrolux Reverb, '66 Super Reverb, and Bassman (2) and Band Master (2) heads

My dual showman reverb was made between 68 and 70, since it has no master volume knob, it has all the origional tubes in it, and I've never before found a sound quite so satisfying.
the eq is quite sensative for passive, and the reverb is over-the-top cool! the tremolo sounds awesome, but I never have really used it.

I believe it's the 100 watt model, it doesn't feel like 120, and it blows my peavey bandit solo 112 outta the water.

this amp can go from blaring loud, chimey, sparkling or thick crystal clean sounds, to how I use it.

I boost the eq to the top, give a bit of a mid cut, less of a cut to the bass, hit the bright switch, and crank the volume to max.

I've started a hendrix style band where I'll start working for a wall of fenders, using stereo marshall or peavey 412ms stereo cabs.

since it is a fender, sustain is kind of out the window, so when I solo, I use an origional ts-9. I could ask for nothing else.

It blows away even the Marshall plexi!!

recently I've found a little buzzing though it, probbally a tube problem, I've just gotta replace a set of tubes, but keep all the origionals I can.

This thing was totally neglected for about 20 years, ever since my dad bought his fender super reverb silverface with master.

It was also used as a coffee table for a while...among other things, so this amp has easily been horribly abused and still sounds great.

I would rather have a backup amp of the exact same model, but I think I would gig with this amp alone. It's durability is nothing comared to peavey, but this thing is a trooper!!

never messed with fender customer support

I absolutely love this amp to death.

I've chosen it over over 10 other vintage amps, even a Marshall tsl 100.

I would probabally AB this with an equally overdriven Marshall plexi, but I've never before heard something that sounded this cool!

I wanna be the first to get a wall of fender stacks!!!!

This is an early to mid 1970's Dual Showman Reverb with the master volume pot. I use it for bass but I like plugging my Tele into it too. Mine was covered in brown paisley tolex when I bought it. Kind of weird but I've grown to like it (Looks like the carpet from a 1970s Vegas Casino). It has a Normal and a Trem/Reverb channel. The normal channel gets good beefy head room and the tremolo channel is the one that breaks up at higher settings. Reverb is a two spring that sounds pretty lush at normal settings but you dont lose yourself in swimmy springyness when you crank the verb "A'la 60's 4 spring". Havent got to try the trem out yet. I had a pedal from my friends 64 Super but it dissapeered. It's got 100 watts and it sounds like 600 watts. you can really hear (feel) the sub 100k, even at lower volumes. Bright switches all around and mine has a push pull master volume pot for even brighter tones. Very wide frequency range. 10 TUBES! This thing is HUGE!

I use a 72 P-Bass with flatwounds through my SWR Goliath II 4x10 and it sounds AMMMAAAAZING! Better than almost all of the high end super bass amps I've used in the past(Aguilar, Alembic, Ashdown). Lots and lots of low end, the kind of bottom you hear from a thunderstorm (really). I can get it from thin to fat, to really fat with just a few 1/4 turns. I replaced my Alembic f-1x rig with it, because I was crying to all of my friends that I needed a tube power section, and boy was I right. Power tubes make all the difference in the world. It sounds very Jimi Hendrix, but I can get some old funk and soul out of it "I love playing those old Jackson 5 basslines". It isn't very prone to break up. Probably the cleanest Fender I've ever heard. But when I do turn it up to 10 it gets a very chimey crunch which is very rhythmic and Trebely. When I in my Tele it sounds JUST LIKE James Gang (Funk 45). But on guitar I gotta keep the bass low or even off. Cool amp all around, very versitile.

Haven't used it for very long (couple weeks). But its been truckin' along for more than 30 years without me. It didn't come with a matched set of tubes but I will take care of that. You do gotta be careful with older pieces but, I like old gear, I like using old gear, even if it has some minor problems. If you learn to master these problems you will master your instrument and have the lifelong blessing of vintage tone.

I got it from Rockin Robin in Houston Texas. These guys are friendly, knowlageable about vintage gear (They got tons of it) and are willing to do anything to make you take home a peice of music history. When I was testing the Showman in the store it had a bad reverb tank. They went through thier stockpile and tried 3 reverb units until they found one that worked and matched the era. Very great experience. Plus, they told me if anything didn't work in the future they would take care of it toot sweet.

Iv'e been playing bass for 13 years and I've tried everything. When I go to the store and buy something it's not to aleviate G.A.S. I go to get a piece of gear that will last me a lifetime and sound like the things I hear in my head. This amp blows away all of my other rigs hands down. It mathes my room full of Fenders and I can attract whales with the low end this thing puts out. So if your tired of all of your friends droning on and on about how their SVT is better than time with thier wives and children, then plug in your Dual Showman and Blow their egos out the window.

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".

This amp was made in 1968. Basicly it's the same chassis as a Twin Reverb. Two channels both with Bright Switch, Volume, Tremble, Middle, and Bass, Reverb, Speed and Intensity on the Vibrato channel.
It put's out around 80 watts.
This amp has been had mods done to match the circuitry of a Blackface Twin Reverb.
I'm only giving it a 7 because compared to modern amps it doesn't do much. But what it does is excellent.

I'm using this amp with a '68 Epiphone Riviera, reissue Gretsch 6120-60 & '52 Telecaster, Heritage '80 Standard Gibson Les Paul, Rickenbacker 360-12 and National Lap Steel. I play rootsy rock, Grateful Dead covers, twangy country and swamp rock. I needed a loud clean amp with good reverb. This is the standard.

The amp is 33 years old! It looks brand new inside. The outside is in good shape as well. It's been loved. It's built like a tank.
I usually use a couple of amps, so there is a back up, but I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it alone.

I have my amp's serviced by local techs who are some of the best in the business. There is no reason to deal with Fender for this amp, unless I wanted some replacement cosmetics.

I started playing in 1966. My first "real" amp was a SF Twin Reverb. I've owned lots of amps since then. Some great, some OK, some not so good. But I was always missing something. This amp has the sound I grew up with. I feel like I've come back home. I still have the JBL's from my first Twin. They're going in a cabinet for this amp.
If this amp was stolen, I'd go on a search for another. This amp is the standard for clean amps. Luckily, Fender made a lot of them and they can still be found for a reasonable price.

my amp is a 1973 or 74. They were made between 68 and 81. 72 onward has a master volume. The amp is really just a twin reverb in head form. nice reverb and tremelo. not too many features besides that, but what else do you really need? I use the amp for surf, rockabilly, punk, and weird sci-fi drag-racing jazz thing i do.
The amp is taller then most amps. just as heavy as a normal 1 x 12" combo. its 100 watts.
it wants a 4 ohms load. Right now i am using just a 1x12" cab and it sounds good through that. Im having a copy of a '64 dual showman 2x15" cab made. It should sound even better through that.

I play using a fender strat, and a danelectro hodad. It sounds great through both.
It can geat some what buzzy with the master volume on 10, i ussually keep it on 7 or 8 for clean sounds, lower for dirty preamp overdrive. Its best for making clean sounds. its not the most versatile amp, if your looking for a good clean sound you would want this amp.

the reverb can get real nice spashy sounds but for surf you need to get more splashy and you need a tone control. If you look on the back of the amp you will find the rca cables that connect the reverb tank. you can get rca to 1/4" adapters and plug in a EQ to get more tone control. To get more wet drippy sounds you can plug in a compresser. you will get instant dick dale wetness.

its been around since 1974, it has to be pretty solid. when i got it some one cut off the ground prong on the plug and tried to do something with the ground switch. an extra wire straight from the plug that was added for some reason was just hanging inside. If it had hit that chasis *ZAP*...i probaly wouldn't be typing this.
it was also dropped at some time. The power transformer was crooked. It still worked fine.

n/a

Ive been playing for 3 years. I use this amp with a fender strat and danelectro hodad. The pedals I use are danelectro: dan-echo, daddy-o overdrive, cool cat chorus, phaser, tremelo(for extreme tremelo, i use the amp for light), a home made a/b box and mosrite fuzzrite, crybaby wah-wah, and a proco ratt.
If it was stolen i would get another one.
a blackface mod can probaly make this amp sound even beter. for now it sound good anyways.

This 60 watt combo amp was made in 72' (oh no CBS !) Two channels (normal & vibrato) with two input per channel. No channel switching (none needed) The Vibrato channel has tremolo, both channels have reverb. This amp is all tube, 4 power tubes and 6 pre amp tubes. It has a non-stock Celestion 12" or 15" speaker.

I use this amp with a Ventures Mosrite, a Univox Hi-Flier and a Farfisa Compact Deluxe(organ). This amp has a very good clean sound. It does distort a little with the super strong pickups on the Univox. I use this amp for Surf, Punk, Rockabilly, and most other forms of Rock & Roll. It suits them all just fine. I use the amp with a reissue Fender Reverb Unit and Danelectro pedals. My only regret is that the tremolo isn't that strong but it might sound better if I replace the tubes.

I've giged this amp for about a year now and never had any problems at gigs. Once during practice I accidentally turned up the master to 10 and the individual channel volume to 10 and it shook the speaker so hard that a piece fell off. I taped it back on and it has been fine since

Never had to deal with Fender

Compared to other amps I love this amp the best. I've played many different amps and none had as good of a clean sound. I would buy this amp again if something happened to it. It is a little heavy but atleast it has wheels. I only wish it had those cool ass tilt back legs.

This amp is the loudest clean amp i've ever owned. By the time you turn it up loud enough to break up it could kill someone. Very warm classic Fender tone only louder. Great reverb and tremelo.

This amp has the classic Fender tone,only a lot louder. You really have to crank it to make it break up. I use a Strat with this amp using only the middle and neck pickups,and it is very responsive and snappy. It has more bass response than most bass amps.My bass setting never gets past 3.5 If you want distortion this amp is not for you,unless you build upon it with pedals like i do.

Never had a lick of problems with this amp. A one time setup consisting of new caps and tubes and i was set. It has seen a lot of use without a whimper. I use the amp to practice with 4 times a week and generally gig at least twice.

It's vintage equipment. If you have a good tech in your area your goo to go.

This amp fits all my needs.Loud and clean with tons of headroom and that classic Fender tone.