Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: USD 50 USED
Submitted 09/28/2009
at 11:33am
by Philip
Features
:10
I rate this a 10 only because the features it has works perfectly.
It has the basic few features, the only ones you'll ever need - eq, vloume contols, and reverb.
This is a 1964 blackface super reverb with stock speakers replaced and 2 12"s and 1 horn put in. I'm going to order 4 10"s to bring it to stock specs, but it still sounds great as is.
Sound Quality
:10
I'm using this with an epiphone sheraton II, and it sounds awesome! Thick, creamy tone on one setting on the guitar,and the exact opposite - twangy country tone on another.
Any style of music sounds great, but to drive this to distortion, you have to play LOUDLY. And I mean loudly. This amp will shake the walls and anger the nighbors. (the natural distortion produced sounds great though! Smooth and creamy)
Reliability
:10
The amp came to me with a bunch of buzzes and hisses, but it had beed sitting in someones attic for some time, so once I get it tuned up, I expect it to run for another 40 years!
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Fender probably doesn't support this amp anymore since it was made 40 years ago, and before cbs bought fender.
Overall Rating
:10
So, luckily enough, this is my first amp. (I'm 16) I know not many 16 year olds get a super reverb as their first amp, so I feel pretty lucky.
For 50 dollars, this is an amazing deal! These go at up to $2000, so if you see a good deal, snatch it up!
I could not be happier with this amp, and once I put some weber speakers in it, it should shine like it's 1964!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 06/27/2009
at 01:41am
by Gitpicker
Features
:No Opinion
Pretty basic - no master volume - 3 band EQ - Reverb and Tremelo on board. Really hard to get a bad tone out of this amp. If you like a lot of whistles and bells (channel switching, effects loop, etc.) this is probably not the amp for you, but it suits me fine, as it seems that most of the time amps that are loaded with features seem to compromise tone in order to offer them.
Sound Quality
:10
If you are looking for the "Fender Sound", here it is. No, it is not a Marshall, or a Vox, or a Hiwatt, or anything else. Its not a clone, its the original - accept no imitations. Starts breaking up early (around 4-5 on the volume knob), but never gets into heavy OD territory. This amp takes to pedals like a duck to water, and that is where magic happens. I have bought and sold over 70 OD and distortion pedals over the last several years, and I can count the ones that just didn't work with this amp on one hand. Pedals designed to sound like a Marshall will make this amp sound like a Marshall - for real. I have A/B'd my Super against a JCM 900, 800, and JPM through the same cab and have been able to nail the Marshall tones by using various pedals. If you like a lot of heavy bottom end (ala something like a Boogie set up for metal), this is not the amp for you. The bottom end is very tight and big, but not so much so that you can achieve crushing guitar tones. But prsence, sparkle and balls it has for days. And it is loud! I use a Hot Plate nowdays to tame the volume, and before that a Power Soak, but if you need volume, it is there. Final note - I built a 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Greenbacks (which really helped with the Marshall thang). IMO, the Greenbacks really helped to increase the versitility of the amp. All the clean tones are still there, but a little thicker (which I like - YMMV), and the heavier tones are way better - thicker, deeper, meatier, and the Greenbacks tend to breakup earlier than the original Jensons the amp came with. FInal note - this amp works extremely well interacting with a guitar's volume knob - I can run the amp at "10" and still get clean tones just by rolling my guitar's volume knob back.
FWIW, and in case anyone cares, I have used HB equipped guitars, Strats and Teles, as well as my personal favs, P-90's into this amp - all with great success.
Reliability
:10
As good as it gets. Yes, it is an old tube amp, so I take it to a shop every couple of years to have the tech go through it and replace tubes or caps as needed. Most of the time it doesn't need anything. I bought this amp in 1982, and played it 4-6 nights a week for over 20 years on the road and in house gigs. The only time it ever failed was one gig where a bandmate dropped it out of the back of a van, where it was on top of everything, so it fell 6 feet or so, and it landed on its side in the parking lot. Even with that, it made it to almost the end of the first set before it crapped out. Turns out that both power tubes (the 6l6's) were cracked at the base. So 27 years and couting is pretty good in my book.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Who knows, who cares. it is a 44 year old amplifier - I think the warranty has probably expired by now. But there are plenty of techs who dig old tube amps around, so service is not a problem.
Overall Rating
:10
I love this amp. I have owned a couple doxen amps in my day, most of them since I bought my Super, and not one has come close. I have played in country bands, metal bands, top 40 bands, blues bands, hard rock bands, classic rock bands, funk bands, and even a couple of short-lived jazz bands, and I have always been able to easily achieve suitable tones for whatever venue and style was required. Its a reliable workhorse and has the added "cool" factor of being vintage (I especially enjoyed it when Fender reissued the amp - I played a couple of gigs through one of those - nice amp, but not really in the same ballpark IMO).
FWIW - I bought the amp out of a retail guitar store in 1982 for $350, and the salesman threw in a brand new Power Soak to make the deal. That shop was really pushing Peavey amps at the time, and in hindsight, I think they just wanted the amp out of the store so they could sell more Peavey's without players coming in and comparing the two. Now these amps go for big $$ on eBay, so I am very happy I got in before the rush! But, knowing what I do about this amp, if someone stole it, or it was destroyed somehow, I would scraped up the $$ and buy another without thinking sbout it. It really is that good.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 02/05/2009
at 01:07am
by wade
Email: mwadevilg at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:7
I have either a '79 or '80 silver face Super Reverb. I know it's either one of these two years as it has 4 pots in the normal channel and the pull pot on the master volume. It's the 70 watt version(which I think is a little bit overated; it sounds more like 50 watts). I've owned this amp since about 1983 and it has been my prized possession in life. I wish I could have found something much lighter and smaller, like a grandfather's old watch, to lug around with me for the rest of my life but I just can't seem to part with this old workhorse. Being a very linear CBS amp it has never had the nice warm tone of an old blackface Fender but I have always found some flavor of the day effect pedal to put in front of it to make it sound good. This amp has never given me any trouble ever. I have never even turned it on properly. I just flip the standby switch and on switch at the same time to my friends utter horror. I tell them I've never let this amp warm up and it has never failed me. I just had the power tubes changed today (for the 1st time in 15 years) and it sounds sweet as it can for what it is. I paid $250 for this amp when I was 14 years old and I have never owned another amp since. I used to use the vibrato channel but as I've grown older I have found that I like the normal channel better( I don't like reverb or "vibrato"tremelo and the normal channel is a little less brittle as it has the only original tube in it-a 7025). I'd love to get my hands on some old genuine 7025 tubes and get rid of all the 12ax7 tubes.
Sound Quality
:7
I use a Les Paul and a Strat with this amp. The Les Paul has 81/85 emgs and the Strat is a HSS Deluxe. This amp has never suited my style of music so I put effects in front of it. When I was a teeneager I used a DOD FX57 American metal pedal to get that Dokken/Ratt/Ozzy 80's metal tone. Now I use a Radial Hot British Tonebone to get more of an ACDC tone. The clean tone of this amp is loud and noiseless but lacks a little of the warm character of a Blackface amp. As far as the distortion this amp produces naturally it would probably suit a blues player better than what I want. But as long as you put a good pedal in front of it you have a nice tube power amp to amplify the pedal's sound.
Reliability
:10
This is a beast. It has never needed any major work on it and I definitely neglect it. Like I said earlier I never let it warm up properly or shut it down properly. We took it apart today and looked at the filter caps(original to the amp) and they aren't even beginning to bubble. I've lived all over the country and have left this thing in non climate controlled storage in the summer heat and humidity of southeast Louisiana without even worrying about it. I do clean it up and it looks much better than what you would expect for how I treat it. I don't throw it around, but I used to roll it down the street in the middle of winter with 2 feet of snow on the ground in Erie,Pa to band practice a block away.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I've been playing guitar for 29 years. If it were lost or stolen I would be real depressed but I would buy something that suits my playing style(metal) more closely. I just love it because it's an old friend of mine. I don't hate it I just wish it had some kind of a high gain stage to it, but that's not what kind of amp it is. I wish I had a Mesa Boggie Road King. That amp is the end. Once you have it there really isn't too much else as far as versatility you could get.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 03/12/2008
at 10:16pm
by Mr. Hoon
Features
:9
This is an original (except for new caps/tubes/grounded three-prong power cord)August, 1967 Blackface Super Reverb with original Fender speakers that I picked up from a "little old lady" who had it in her basement for years. It was her dad's, and he used it to play pedal steel through in a church group(?!) I have been playing everything from jazz to country to rock for 37 years and have used a Jordan Trooper, a Fender Twin, a Traynor bass head, a Kustom Twin, a Peavey Bandit, and a Peavey Delta Blues (my current backup)over those years. None of them hold a candle to the Super Reverb. It can be everything I want it to be. I use a GNX4 in the reverb channel, and via an A/B switch, a Cry Baby and a Ibanez TS808 in the other channel. I purchased a Georgia Cases road case for it and I gig all over the place with it. It can fill a garage our an auditorium. Truly a great amp!
Sound Quality
:10
I play a 1974 stock Strat, a 2007 Fender Thinline, and a Larrivee LV-10E though the Super Reverb. (I run the acoustic into the reverb channel via a Zoom A2.) Overall, I get the variety of sounds I need. However, this isn't a Marshall, so you really can't G-R-I-N-D. But, for what I play, I don't need to be able to. If you crank this amp just a little, it will squeal with delight when you lean into it. I set the Treble at "4", the Mid at "6", and I crank the Bass on the reverb channels. I set both the Treble and Mid at "5" on the other channel, and the Bass at 10.
Reliability
:10
I have taken this amp all over the Mid-Atlantic for the past three years and it has been a rock. I keep the Peavey Delta with me in the trailer, due to the age of the Fender. However, I will continue to play the Super Reverb until it turns to dust.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I have never called upon Fender. I have only let the pros at AL&M in Norfolk, Virginia work on it to date. However, they are going through some transitions, so I am thinking about going back to Backstage in Richmond, Virginia for any future service. We shall see...
Overall Rating
:10
I have been offer $2,500 for this rig, but I made a promise to the little old lady who I got it from that I would love and cherish it as much as her father did. AND I DO! If someone stole it, I would hunt them down and beat them like a rented mule. However, if it ever dies, I will do my best to find another one.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 02/28/2008
at 11:09am
by chakarg
Features
:8
Este amplificador es un Fender Super Reverb del a??o 1974 Silverface, trae parlantes 4 x 10"/2 ohms (8 ohms each in parallel), dos canales con 4 entradas, el primero Normal: Brillo Sw, Vol, Treb, Bass - Vibrato: Bright Sw, Vol, Treb, Mid, Bass, Rev, Speed, Intensity - Pilot Lamp. No posee ning??n de cuestiones modernas como Effects loops o salida balanceada. Son 40w de puro sonido Fender. Creo que s??lo le faltar??a un switch para cambio de canal pero no es necesario ya que ambos canales son iguales salvo por el vibrato. Un control de Master o boost como otros modelos ser??a ideal.
Sound Quality
:10
No hay mucho que pueda decir de este equipo salvo que es el mejor equipo para tocar blues y rock. Poniendo el vol??men a partir de 8 en el canal de vibrato solo se necesita un cable para tocar. La reverb es celestial, muy ambiental como cualquier Fender y el vibrato suave y profundo a la vez. He tenido varios Fender (The Twin, Bassman) y Mesa Boogie (Mark II), he probado equipos de amigos de todas las variedades y creo que es el mejor. Con sus 40w se puede tocar en cualquier tipo de escenario, desde bares a estadios, no se necesita mas. Un equipo de 100w para tocar en un bar de 200 personas no se puede poner a mas de 2 de vol??men y esto significa no aprovechar en su totalidad el equipo. Poseo una Fender Strato Custom Shop ??56 y una Gibson Les Paul Standard plus y varios pedales (Wha Wha Vox, OCD, RC de Xotic, TS9 y Danecho) y pr??cticamente no se escuchan ruidos molestos y funciona a la perfeccion con las 2 guitarras. ES EL MEJOR EQUIPO!!!!
Reliability
:No Opinion
Lo he comprado hace muy poco y no he tenido problemas a pesar de ser un equipo de mas de 30 a??os.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Nada que decir.
Overall Rating
:10
No le puedo dar menos que 10 creo que es un equipo que sirve para cualquier estilo (sin pedales o con los pedales correctos) recuerden que son s??lo 40w pero con la correcta reamplificaci??n no se necesita mas que eso uno se puede escuchar mas que bien en un escenario por mas que haya 10 guitarras tocando, puesto en 10 de volumen no tiene rival.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 09/24/2007
at 01:03pm
by Sthebluesman
Features
:9
1966 Black Face Super
Great for blues guitar
2 channels
Used as a pratice amp in a bedroom but is way too powerful. Should be used in a small club a least.
Sound Quality
:10
I just wanted to add my two bits to all of the great reviews on this classic amp. I also have a 1975 Silver Face Deluxe that I am comparing the Super to. The Deluxe is very sparkly but does not have near the bottom end as the Super. My Super starts to break up nicely around 6 which is actually a little too much for a small club. This is definitely a concert, big stage amp. I am using a '57 reissue Strat with Texas Special pickups, plus a 1963 Telecaster with Texas Tele pickups. Both sound fantastic on the Super. The Super takes a little getting used to since the sound is a very tight, powerful clean sound and leaves little room for sloppy playing. If you listen to Luther Allison, I think he is playing a Les Paul through a Super. You can get an idea of the sound. Not a lot of sustain, just clean, clear overdrive. It will start to feedback some above 6. The CTS ceramic speakers are very strong and need a lot of power to drive them correctly. All but one speaker has been reconed. I put in the new cryo treated Tung-sol 6L6 STR's and they seem to add power. My preamp tubes are a mixture of JJ's (with balanced phase inverter in V6), and old NOS RCA 12AT7's, with a NOS Seimen's (supposedly Mullard made) rectifier.
Reliability
:8
I am a little concerned about moving this old amp a lot but it should be sturdy enough to take it. It had one bad 6L6 tube socket when I got it but I was able to make it work. I would definely take the Deluxe for back-up to serious gigs.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Will never use Fender customer support. Just find a good amp. tech.
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing for 37 years and just starting looking for some serious gigs in the New Orleans area. This amp is THE stage amp for just about any venue. I've seen some players put baffle boards in front of them because they are so loud. I have compared this to my Deluxe and I would use this one at big gigs. Actually I get an amazing sound when I play both amps together. They seem to blend perfectly into a different sound that is like neither one but a great combination. It's just a pain to haul both around. I would be very distraught if this were ever stolen. Luckily there are still plenty to go around but finding a good sounding one can mean trying several to find the right one. Put it this way, when I evacuate for a hurricane, the Super and the Deluxe are definitely going to be in the trunk even if I have to leave my family's clothes.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: USD 900
Submitted 03/21/2007
at 06:44pm
by redrose
Features
:10
This amp made between 1978 and 1981. It features the much boo-hoo'd ultralinear design with no tube rectifier. 70 watts instead of 40, line out, etc. However, the previous owner "blackfaced" it--modded the tone stack, removed the Master Volume, and so on. It breaks up between 3 and 4 like it should. Wicked loud and present, but perfect for a nice 200-capacity room upon breakup. Reverb, Trem, two channels. It's everything I need. Can't wait to play with the "line-out" in a studio situation. The tone knobs TOTALLY matter on this amp and radically alter your sound. I love that.
Sound Quality
:10
I'm moving to Nashville to do session work, and this is a nice chimey amp for the country lick, but it can get dirty and nail that Big Star 70's sound. The 4x10 config is ballsy here! When I bought this thing, it had some Jensen P10-R reissues installed by the previous owner; most of the late 70's Supers have some sort of replacement as Fender was really using crap stock speakers by this point. Anyway, the Jensen reissues are not recommended for this amp, or any other for that matter. I put some Eminence Legend 102's in their place. These are 20 watt AlNiCo's that compress really nice and make my Super the best amp I've owned in my 28 years of playing. At 3 or 4 with the Mids cranked and the Bass pretty moderate, I get a "dirty clean" that jangles with midrangey beef. At 10? Goddamn. I'm floored. This is what a loud tube amp should sound like when it's breaking up to the max. The reverb can go from subtle atmospheric juice to soaking wet Dick Dale to completely out-there ambient mush--perfect for recording. The tremolo is interesting--it's post-reverb so if you set speed on 1 or 2 and intensity on 9 while the 'verb in going strong, you can create the impression of a delay effect. Really cool. Again, can't wait to record with this thing!
Reliability
:No Opinion
I haven't had this guy for that long, so I can't really comment. But it's point-to-point. No circuit board madness like today's Fenders (even the reissues) but I still can't comment.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N/A...it's waaaaaaay used, and modded at that.
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing for 15 years. I own a Strat, a Danelectro, a First Act piece of shit that I got for free which I've been trying to unload on craigslist for, oh, I don't know, 4 months? Anyway...This is my main amp right now. Heavy as hell, but it's got wheels. I used to own a Hot Rod Deluxe...did the job, didn't break, but it was just a midrangey workhorse, not a real amp. I had a '65 Bandmaster--not my amp. Didn't have the jangle of this guy, and there was no reverb. Those things are cheap for a reason--they just don't feel as good as a Bassman or a Super. I've tried the new Fender Super Reverb '65 reissue--not happening. Crap speakers, and the sound is all wrong. Plus, the reissue is circuit board and lists for what, $1100, new? People rag on the 70's silverface amps, but a) they are point-to-point wired, b) they're vintage but still cheap enough that I'd take it to a gig without worrying about my museum piece getting stolen or jizzed all over by guy in the next band. (I'm that good.) And c) clearly, if you know what you're doing, you can transform even the least desirable silverface Super Reverb (which this undoubtedly was at one point) into a bitchin', loud 60's style amp for all seasons. In retrospect, I wish I'd talked the guy down a couple hundred if only for cosmetic reasons. But I still got a better value than the suckers paying 1200 or 1100 dollars for their new "vintage" Bassman or Super Reverb reiusses, to say nothing of the insanity of shelling out $1900 for a JCM800 reissue head! If you're going to pay 600 bucks for a Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10, do yourself a favor--save a little longer and find a 70's super that's been "blackfaced."
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: USD 200188
Submitted 02/14/2007
at 05:37pm
by Ron Aguiar
Features
:9
1966 anystyle- classic rock to jazz- I use an A/B box to make this channel switching- I keep a Tubescreamer on all of the time in the B coutput of the box and that goes into the first channel of the amp- when I step on tha A/B box it just like having a clean/overdrive channel switching amp and they each have separate EQ
Sound Quality
:10
clean souds are legendary with my A/B set up it is very modern every style is awesome through this if you can play loud enough to just turn it up to 7 or 8 it is ridiculously good- loves strats but is great with tele's and humbucker equipped guitars as well as my 59 Gretsch 6120
Reliability
:10
change Power tubes evry 200-400 or so playing hours and it is very happy- never needed anything else
Customer Support
:No Opinion
why would I contact Fender?this amp is 41 years old I don't expect anything from them but that says it all
Overall Rating
:10
playing over 40 yrs- I shave every cool guitar and a room full of Vintage amps as well as newer Marshalls & Boogies- I love this amp- I don't gig with it that much anymore but miles of smiles everytime I plug into it
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 02/11/2007
at 11:35am
by Stoneysblues
Features
:8
My Super Reverb was made in either 1966 or 1967. 100% American made and 100% all tube, tube reverb and tremolo and a tube rectifier. It was probably a closet piece or has been redone as none of the pots are scratchy and there are no funky noises coming from it. SR is two channel but I use the vibrato channel. As far as features are concerned this baby has all I need, reverb and vibrato (really tremolo). The EQ is very sensitive and the bright switch gives a humbucker guitar some nice high end. No effects loop, no headphone jack no crap. Plenty of power for small to medium club gigs, stick a mic in front for a big room. I see myself getting alot of use out of this old girl for gigs, practice and definetly recording
Sound Quality
:10
This amp can pretty much cover all the bases from pristine clean to raunchy overdrive. Thats overdrive of the highest order like when you hit a minor 7th you hear every note without mud. Metalheads and shredders won't like this amp as it doesn't have that kind of gain. Amp starts to breakup around 5 on the volume and I've found the "sweet spot" around 7 where she gets super touch sensitive. Hit a note easy its clean, dig in hard and she gets real warm and fat. I've played alot of high end amps while I was shopping for my ultimate blues amp and this one comes through 100% I may try some NOS tubes and a bias adjustment to see if it makes much difference but I'm very pleased with tones I'm getting from a Strat and Les Paul. The tone is very airy and warm with a Strat and my Les Paul can get pretty raunchy and fat with the volume turned up.
SR is very compatable with my analog effects but it sounds equally good with just a cord and guitar. I play blues and some classic rock and its perfect for my style.
Reliability
:No Opinion
Dependable I hope but I do have a Peavey Classic 30 for backup. Its not got quite the tone of the Super but its a great amp. When I play out it will be onstage for stereo effect
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with Fender. Guitar Center gave me a 30 day warranty that I hope not to have to use
Overall Rating
:10
I'm 35 and been playing since I was 15 I did take a 12 year break in there and been back playing about a year and a few months. I own a USA Fender Strat, a Epi Les Paul Standard+, a no name SG copy, and a 1967 Coral Hornet. As far as effects go I have a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Superfuzz, MicroVibe, a Keeley Java Boost, Ibanez AD-9 reissue, Boss Rotary Ensemble, and a Dunlop Classic Crybaby w/Fasel Inductor (highly recommended) all running through a Ernie Ball Volume.
I compared this to a Fender Bassman, a Vibrolux, Marshall Bluesbreaker, and a JTM 45 head. I could get all the bluesbreaker sounds pretty much with the Super but couldn't get the Super's cleans with the Bluesbreaker. Still want a bluesbreaker though for the look if nothing else.
If my Super were lost or stolen I'd scour the earth to find the perp. But I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: USD 1,300 USED
Submitted 10/03/2006
at 07:45pm
by smallville
Features
:10
I'll make this brief. I submitted a full review that got rejected because the program thought I was a robot. I'm not crazy, and not given to effusive reviews about anything. I've played onstage for years, in many bands, many many amps, vintage, new, big small, modded, or not. THIS IS THE BEST AMPLIFIER I'VE EVER OWNED OR PLAYED. It isn't even close. Sell the Honda, make ebay your homepage, and GET ONE! I've played in big jazz bands, combos, modern and classic rock bands, blues bands, zydeco bands, you name it. It's simple, point to point, old stock tubes, all original from 1964. WOW!
Sound Quality
:10
It's good with pedals, even those crappy digital effects. It's incredible for blues, and though a little noisy, wonderful for jazz. Suggestions: play with the knobs, they actually make a tone difference with this beauty. So does guitar knob twisting. Unlimited varieties of tone. If you can't sound good with this amp, its time for lessons, or a different instrument.
Reliability
:9
I've gigged with it twice in the month I've owned it. It was great with that big face and 4 Jensen C10Rs. It's very present without sounding brittle or steroidal (probably not a word). I always take a backup, something small, and pray I don't have to use it. These are all original tubes, so I expect some future problems. I couldn't care less. I'll gladly pay to maintain this jewel.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I don't know, so I won't provide a rating. The folks who sold it to me didn't misrepresent this amp though. Guitar Center was fair and not flaky.
Overall Rating
:10
35 years. I own a 58 stratocaster, a David Gilmour strat, a 53 les paul, 3 teles, a Heritage H-575 a Fullerton 57 reissue from 84. Amps include JCM 800 Marshall, Matchless Chieftain (2x10) Carvin Legacy 100 watt with 2x12 box. A whole studio of other stuff. I can't print what I would do to anyone injuring, or god forbid, taking this amp. As great as the Chieftain is, it's really no comparison. You owe it to yourself to find one, and try it. DON'T MOD IT. They did it right the first time. You might want to try new old stock tubes. Also Joe Torres looks like he has a recommended tube set you can by for one.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1,000.00
Submitted 05/30/2006
at 06:03am
by Anonymous
Features
:10
1969 early silverface. Most of you know the rest, ahh the reverb.
Sound Quality
:10
I dig single coil pickups. To help create my own sound I made a solid body guitar from scratch using Z90 Harmonic Design pickups. The guitar is made from one slab of Curly Big Leaf Maple (neck and body) so it leans to bright side tonally. The SR's controls are extremely versatile and will dial in your desired tonal needs. I'm 58yrs old and have been through lots of amps and guitars, I've come full circle. I began years ago with a 69 Vibrolux, new. My musical tastes have remained the same, the Blues, but my approach tonally has varied. At present a SR is perfect. Mine has 4 matched CTS AlNico's, Fender blue molded caps, AB763 circuit and unbeleivably, the original compliment of RCA tubes, testing new. I swapped the 5AR4 rectifier for a RCA 5U4GB to give me a little sag and according to Pete Cage of pete@audiocage.com this lowers the power a bit to 30-35 watts. Super Reverbs are LOUD. As stated in previous posts, nothing sounds like a Super Reverb, period. I have a black face Deluxe which is another great amp but the SR takes it to the next level. It's warm and big sounding, not the slightest bit boxy. The clean reverb drenched sound is nirvana to me. It's the quintessential Uptown Blues amp.
Reliability
:10
I carry with me a 1966 Bassman Head for emergency use. Not for the SR per se but for general use, including the PA.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
No
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I've been playing for 38yrs. I own a 58 Bassman, 66 Deluxe. I play a 53 Harmony Stratotone (customized uith string thru and 2 pickups). I'd repace the SR and the Deluxe in a heart beat. For open mikes I'll carry the Deluxe @35lbs and for a gig the Super Reverb @60lbs. The SR isn't insanely heavy but it's a bit to tall. When you have to carry it up any stairs it tends to want to clip the steps unless you lift it up a bit and that becomes uncomfortable. Lifting the Deluxe is less work weight wise and it will hang on your extended arm.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $300
Submitted 01/13/2006
at 05:46pm
by Edge
Features
:10
To say this was a super reverb, we'll just say that it read"super reveb" on the front. It was originally a master volume model-still is. I originally bought it with a missing transformer and no speakers. The other t-former was a top hat- so I bought another to match the set. I then bought the reissue blue alnico speakers. With the amp I recieved a two page printout of all the modifications that was done to it over the years. That is what this review is going to be about. The power section was fairly basic except you could switch out-with rebiasing- power tubes, and a triode switch. Man you could really do some low powered damage with these items!!!! The interesting part was how you could really make this thing sound like a marshall, even with the 6l6's in it. More of a high gain modded jcm800 when you used the master volume. But a few of the preamp mods really helped with this.
The pre-amp mods were pretty big also. It had the torres triple killer switch- never used very much, but the "Brown" setting was fun! The best part was a pull switch on the channel 1 treble was a tone cut out. This basically circumvented all tone controls and the reverb and tremelo. Very interesting, I used this most. It has a few others, but they increased hum and feedback when used, so I never really would use them.
Sound Quality
:10
I've had many different guitars. But with all super reverbs, you tend to pick up the strat all the time. With the amp hooked up to a 2x12 with g-12h's and the el-34's you couldn't help but use the LP custom. This thing could make Zakk Wylde cry for his mother. It could put out that much raw-hair on your neck standing up- distortion, and soooo detailed with the tone cut-out. And Man could you hit the ZZ lagrange sound, you could even bump that up a notch.
Noisy, you bet, this thing sometimes would sound like it was playing itself. But once you hit a note, it came along for the ride. Kind of like hitting the gas on a muscle car. It wasn't much for the corners, but flat-out heart acceleration, nothing has ever compared. As far as different sounds, this thing could make any sound you want, as long as it wasn't pussy!! I brought it into a guitar shop once to compare it to a new reissue. And the salesperson kept complaining about the noise, hum, dirtiness, and of-course all the exposed wood. But the shop owner came out and offered to buy it from me!! He played in an SRV cover band, and nothing he had could break through the mix. With this thing you had to fight to not leave them behind..
Clean channel- who cares. I think it could do the clean thing, but once you get into a muscle car, you don't want to go the speed limit! The distortion was never a triple rectifier, but the brilliant way it went about doing it was breath taking
Reliability
:10
Never had to do anything to it. I bought it with out the t-former and speakers, and really made a gamble on it. The reverb and tremelo weren't even hooked up. They worked fine once they were. The reverb was some fancy thing that my amp tech loved. It works very nicely. Loaded it with an old set of sylvania 6l6's, and an old set of mullard el34's from my vox ac-50(you use thatr for your clean channel, with an a/b box). Bought 3 sets when I bought the ac-50, which still uses the originals.This thing was meant to be used. If I didn't it would probably break from disgust.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Who knows, I've never called Fender in my life. I think they use the same tech support team as Hewlett Packard, great if you speak the local dialect in India!!!
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I've been playing for 20 years. As far as other equipment I have owned-I'll say that I bought one of those amp modelling pedals(which was a lot of fun). And after going through the list of amps they copy, I've owned, not just played, every one on the list!!!I even have a '65 Super reverb that is bone stock- collecting dust(boring, and worth too much). If the other super reverb was lost(how do you lose a 80lb amp?) or stolen, I would cry and call my insurance agent, and not replace it. If the same happened to my frankenfender, I would tear up the old black face and make it sound as good, probably tear somes holes in the tolex wghile I'm at it.
To compare this to anything? I don't know a cross hatch of a heavily modded jcm800, a dumble overdrive, a Mless H/c 30, and there's still plenty of Super Reverb in there! If this could make the same sounds as my old JMI ac30 TB with the blu bulldogs, it would be the only amp I ever played on. And sometimes it's nice to play at lower volumes. My GainStar is pretty nice for that.v As far as rating on this amp, the results from everyone else is, it goes between "gawd look at that piece of shit!"- to "How much would you take for it?-I've got Cash!"
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700 used
Submitted 12/23/2005
at 10:04am
by Tony
Email: tdiddy67 at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:9
Just the basic stuff here, normal channel and vibrato channel w/bright on/off on both. I'm not really looking for a whole lot of features with this amp but I do wish it had an effects loop so I'll give it a 9
Sound Quality
:10
Playing with a US made Fender strat w/texas special pickups. Pedals are TS9 tube screamer, DOD stereo chorus (just to split the signal), DOD milk box (compressor), Boss NS-2 Noise suppressor. This amp has such a smokin tone. The clean is crystally and with a TS9 in front it has an exceptional warm/dirty blues tone. I'm a guy who like to have a lot of low end available in the tone and this amp has more than I'll ever use. This amp is very loud despite the low wattage. I usually keep the volume around 1.5-2. I'd like to crank it up to the sweet spots (around 5 I hear) but it's just too loud to play at that level all the time. If your looking for a hard rock/metal amp, well this isn't it. But for jazz/blues it's perfect.
Reliability
:10
When I got it, it was in need of repair, but since then it has been great. I'm not sure of the durability, but suffice it to say I wouldn't be throwing it around the back of a van or anything since it does have tubes. But it you treat your gear like that you're an idiot anyway.
Customer Support
:8
never dealt with fender directly, but there website contains user manuals and customer support. A lot of people overlook the fact that a company has a web page as a means of customer support and I find Fenders site adiquate, though sometime hard to find stuff you looking for (serial number ID and such).
Overall Rating
:10
This is my main amp. I'm not a gigging musician, just a guy who loves guitars, but this is a great amp to have.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: 500 (Euro) used
Submitted 11/14/2005
at 11:24am
by PDG
Features
:9
I"ts a 68 /70 silver face,no master volume,4 ALNICO original speakers(hoseshoe magnets),2 Cinch connectors for the footswitch, Export version with multitap input voltage selector, no alu trim around the grlle cloth. 2 channels but I use only the vibrato channel. I use it mainly on practice with some freinds and occasionally on gigs. Full tube including a 5U4GB rectifier. Power stage with a pair of 5881. could have more options that I would probabely never use.
Sound Quality
:10
Basically used with 2 strats (a Mexican standard and a "E"serie japanese), a Washburn J6 full hollowbody and a 1967 Gibson SG Special with 2 x P90 and short Maestro vibrola. Some stompboxes, including Phaser,Flanger, Chorus, a Morley optical volume pedal and 2 Danelectro Dan-Echo. Each guitar gives a specific beatiful sound that gives an incredible palette of sounds, depending the kind of music i play on each moment. Basically, i look only after clean sounds and never went above 4,5 on the volume knob. Above, my ears will not resist so LOUD it is for a 40/45 watts.Maybe an old VOX AC 30 could, gives better sonds but SO EXPENSIVE
Reliability
:10
I bought it 7 years ago,practises 5 days a week, never a major problem, but recently HUM became a little too high, so I recapped it completely, replaced the reverb tank, and now it's a dream to play with it. Capacitors were still originals!!! Such a way of building amps so strong and reliable can only be reached by handwired boutique amps today. When finished the recap job, I measured the properties and came to he conclusion that replacing tubes was not necessary. I did this maintenance job myself as engineer in electronics.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
No need! I found different schematics on Internet, found out the closest to my amp, and made some retrofit to the Blackface schematic diagram. There are enough infos on internet about those old workhorses.
Overall Rating
:10
I use it for 7 years now, and compared to my other amps, a delicious 64 Dynacord Bassking and a Faylon Studio 100, all tubes amps, this one is the most versatile, and easy to use. Also fits the boot of a standard european station wagon. Maybe too heavy, but all tube amps are heavy. Stolen or lost? let me get another one. I love the creaamy sounds that comes out this amp, and as a Shadows fan, you know now what creamy means to me. If I really need more power, I add the Faylon + a 2 x 15 speaker cabinet that gives me about 150 watts of pure valve power!!!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1200
Submitted 11/02/2005
at 09:43pm
by derek Holmes
Features
:10
1968. First year silverface. Wiwhat I think are alnico tens. All original bought it from the first owner. Man, what a great amp.
I removed many years of grime rebiased and changed the tubes , dusted off the foot pedal and entered tone nirvana. The first channel sounds kinda limited , but the second is the one I have been looking for. As others have said it breaks up at about 4, but prior to that it has the most melodic clean tone i have ever heard, This guy has some pretty still competition, an allen old flame for one. It is not better than the Allen. However it is a gem.
Sound Quality
:10
I use a G and L bluesboy semi hollow and a rickenbacker 360 through it. the Gand L was made for it, but the ricky really sings with the mids up full on the amp. Nice articulation, nice comreessed break up, nice rectifier tube sag, nice tone. A little heavy but the most portable half stack I've seen if you care to consider it in that light. No good for rap though. Ha.Not much good for metal either, but then neither am I.
Reliability
:10
Pulled the sovteks and rebiased it. Vaccummed the speakers and cleaned them with a bruch lightly. This thing has been used professionally since new and everything works. It has a few scuffs, but then so do I and it looks better than me.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
any competent tech can work on these, and in my experience loves to do so. Haven't bothered with the blackface mod, it sounds great stock, and I have the allen for asnything else. Play it with 2 12 celestions, but they didn;t add much bass response. These 4 tens were originally there to comepnsate for low power handling, but they are now irreplaceable in my mind.
Dont expect fender owes me a thing....
Overall Rating
:9
Been playing since before the internet. Played Marshalls for years. Now I write more often and this inspored. No need for any pedals other than a delay which has a sound surround element on this baby. Couldn't be happier with an amp for my style of country, folk bluegrass and some rock. Seems they are priced for what the market will bear. I have never played a blackfaced one and maybe they are substantially better. Howevrer I do not see how.
Bought a cover for it, if thats an indication of my view of this amp.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: $450.00 (Canadian) used
Submitted 07/12/2005
at 11:39pm
by Ihor Nedoshytko
Features
:10
Super reverb Made in 1974.
Definitely a very versitile amp. I play "mor" jazz and country/R&R.
2 channels, no switching, effects loops, headphone jack!
I wish there was an XLR balanced line out,. because it's easier to run into the general mix. I use all of the features including the tremolo and reverb unit, which at this time is not working
Sound Quality
:10
I use a variety of guitars with this amp, depending on the gig. I mostly use Strats and Teles, some of them hotrodded. I've been known to use a Lespaul and an Ibanez G.B. Single pickup archtops work particularly well through this amp1
Reliability
:10
I am a stickler for preparedness. I carry 2 amps just in case as a habit. But in the case of abreakdown, I carry a spare set of tubes in my gig back. Incidently,the has most of the original tubes that were in in when purchased in '74. Reliable or what??
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Most repairs were tube replacement and general checkups. The tubes I can do myself. Warranty is "N/A" since the amp is 30+ yrs old; or is there something I am missing or not aware of??
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
PLaying 30+ yrs.
If itv were stolen I'd mostlikely buy another, or one of those Hotrod DEvilles, or a twin.
I don't compare. I like what I like!
Other gear I have are a couple of Vox solid states, an old '63 bassman, a Guyatone copy of a Showman head. Each is good for it's particular use.
I jusy need to find parts for the reverb unit on the Super.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1000 used
Submitted 05/20/2005
at 12:43pm
by Matt in SC
Email: jazzmanmaxx_001<at>yahoo dot com
Features
:9
This is an update to my previous review (see the original a couple of reviews down - Matt in SC)
This amp turns out to be a 1968. Contrary to what I said in my previous post, the circuit is not AB763 even though the tube chart says so. Evidently Fender never printed any AB568 Tube charts, but used up their supply of AB763 on all these amps. It is one of the strange early silverfaces without the aluminum "drip edge" around the grille. Apparently, a bunch made it through without this feature. I am lucky enough to live near Mike Clark (of Clark Amplification - see reviews of his amps here on Harmony Central) and he worked on the amp for me. Mike offers fantastic amp service, and some of the finest tweed replicas you have ever heard or seen. He really knows old Fender amps. Mike dated the amp for me based on pot codes, transformer codes etc. He blackfaced the amp, installed a grounded power cable (no more shocks!!), recapped it, lowered the voltage to the reverb circuit, and put some NOS Philips 6L6s (circa 1976) in it. He used Sprague Atoms, and Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors throughout. I left the original RCA preamp tubes, as there is no issue with them. This amp was great before, but is absolutely unbelievable now!
Sound Quality
:10
This amp sounds fatter than any other amp I have ever played. Even at low volumes it positively exudes thick tone. I keep thinking about pulling the reissue Jensens out and putting Webers in, but it currently sounds too good to justify doing that. I use this amp to gig with a classic / southern rock band. My current setup is as follows - G&L ASAT Special Semihollow, G&L Legacy, or Yamaha SBG-500 > Peterson Strobostomp > Old Dunlop Cry Baby Wah > Barber Tone Press > Foxrox ZIM > Foxrox Captain Coconut II > Tonebone Switchbone > '68 Super Reverb for clean tones, and a 2002 Top Hat Emplexador T-50EM (into Fender Tonemaster 4X12 w / Celection Vintage 30's) for dirt. The Super is the ultimate semi-clean amp for my purposes. It is perfect for classic rock, southern rock, jazz and blues. What a great combination with the Emplexador! The Top Hat really has to be crankin' to sound its best even with the master volume, but the Super sounds great at any volume (sans master). I find myself using the Super with pedals at lower volume gigs and for practice, and on larger gigs, I use the Super for clean and the Emplex (straight in - no pedals) for dirt. The Switchbone makes life much easier. Forget the crappy cheap A/B/Y switchers.
Reliability
:9
As I said in my previous review, I always take a spare amp to gigs. In my current rig, that spare is the Emplexador. If the Super took a crap, I would run through the Emplex by itself for the remainder of the gig. Vice-Versa if the Emplex dies. I feel confident that this amp will hold up, especially since Mike Clark just gave it a thorough servicing. BTW - I always carry spare tubes and fuses too!!!
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Right.
Overall Rating
:10
I've played blackfaces that did not sound as good. A properly set up and serviced silverface Super (pre master volume) will sound as good as a more expensive blackface, IMHO. This amp absolutelt kills at gig volume, and still sounds great at more moderate levels. Perhaps the finest "clean" amp ever made. No joke. Get one. Believe the hype this time.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 03/01/2005
at 11:04pm
by Anonymous
Features
:9
I don't know what year, this is a silverface, tho. It has just enough watts for a nice gigging amp. I play jazz and blues on it, and it can do anything that doesn't have much to do with OD. What sucks is that you need to go to guitar center or something and pick up a $50 footswitch to get tremolo(they call it vibrato) to work.
Sound Quality
:No Opinion
I've used this amp with a Squier Affinity Strat, an Epiphone Dot, and an ES-135, all using clean sounds with the amp turned up to 5, just where it starts to saturate. With the strat, it buzzes, but with the Dot and 135, if you use a non-crap cable(monster jazz for ex.) it is absolutely silent. It sounds awesome for jazz, sweet and warm with just a touch of reverb. Great for surf and blues, too! Nice spekaers.
Reliability
:7
This amp has a tendancy to just go out without any warning and that really bites. I have to open up the back and see what's wrong, and it turns out there's some stupid problem with the bass pot or something. Maybe because it's CBS:) It went out once, but just because of neglect of regular servicing(the tubes died).
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
This makes a wonderful amp for jazz and blues, with a radically different, warm, less-distinct tone than an amp like a Polytone Minibrute, which I also use. The amp seems to articulate less than a polytone, but it makes up for that by warming the tone up noticeably. An awesome fuckin' amp!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1000 used
Submitted 02/04/2005
at 09:00am
by Matt in SC
Email: jazzmanmaxx_001 at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:9
1969 Super Reverb - Silverface - AB763 Circuit - JoLida 6L6s - All RCA preamp tubes. 4 x 10" speakers. Loaded with new Jensens (still have the originals). Normal and Vibrato channels. Footswitch for reverb and vibrato. Bright switches on both channels. Non-master volume. 40 Watts. Loud enough for any gig I will ever play. External speaker output. Dual prong AC cord - No ground. I've been shocked several times already. I will be replacing it with a grounded cord soon (hopefully before I suffer any serious damage). I will probably invest in a power attenuator (Weber MASS) before too long to really push those power tubes at smaller gigs. As many of you know, 40 Watts is LOUD.
Sound Quality
:10
All the fat tone you could ask for. This is not a metal or hard rock amp. I use this amp for all styles that I play - Blues, Fusion, Funk, Rock, Southern Rock, and Jazz. My setup consists of 1998 G&L ASAT Special Semihollow, 1985 Yamaha SA-800 (ES-335 Copy), or modded 1994 Fender Strat (JB Jr. in bridge), into Peterson Strobostomp Tuner - Barber Tone Press - Foxrox ZIM Dual Overdrive (VT and B9 Cards installed) - Fender Super reverb. Sounds killer with each guitar. I have arrived at a "base setting" that I use on the Vibrato channel that sounds fantastic no matter which guitar I plug in. There is NO SUBSTITUTE for these old hand wired all tube amps. The new reissues are not the same, maybe because of the PC Board construction or perhaps the new components are just not the same. Also very important- You cannot replicate the smell of an old tube amp when it is warmed up. I have owned several Boogies in the past and still own a '90s "The Twin" (Rivera design). None of these can hold a candle to the pure sonic euphoria I experience daily with this amp. It has the perfect tone for me.
Reliability
:9
I will always take another (newer) amp for backup, simply because of the amp's age. It has never broken down, but if it does, I will have it serviced in a heartbeat, no matter what the cost.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Warranty for a 1969 amp? Right! Never Dealt with Fender for anything. I doubt they would be much help with an amp as old as I am.
Overall Rating
:10
I have owned pretty much nothing but good quality tube amps (newer Fenders, Boogies) for the better part of 20 years, and until now, was never completely blown away by the sound of any of my amps. This one does the trick. I realize that a guitarist's tone is probably one of the most subjective matters in the known universe, but if you are a player serious about tone, you owe it to yourself to check out some old Fender amps. Contrary to what the purists will tell you, Blackface is not the only answer. To get a great sounding amp, do your research at places like www.ampwares.com/ffg and find out when the circuit changed in all the classic amps - not just the cosmetics. Then go out and PLAY SOME!! This will tell you all you need to know. Compare the "real thing" to the reissues. You will see the light. I did. If this amp were stolen, I would definitely seek out another.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: Tech Information
Submitted 01/24/2005
at 09:53pm
by Jimi F
Email: bluecountry<at>mchsi dot com
Features
:No Opinion
This is a technical update for all Silverface 1968-75 owners. It is very easy and inexspensive to change to Blackface wiring. First, Why is this important? The blackface curcuit allows for true tube bias with the adjustment pot in the chassis. All of the Silverface amps ( the 68 AB-763 curcuit I believe the only exception) do not allow this. They do have an adjustment pot but it will not help bias your tubes. Kendrick amps has a very good video that shows you exactly how to do this. Or take it to a local amp service and they will explain. Again this is not exspensive to have done. It will help keep your amp sounding sweet from Tube changes. Another tip, Try KT-66 Tubes (have all tube replacements biased) They are very musical and sweet break up. In my opinion the Super Reverb is one of the best Tonefull amps ever made. Yes, there are alot of great amps out there these days.But the Super can hold its own with most.
Sound Quality
:No Opinion
Reliability
:No Opinion
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A used
Submitted 11/07/2004
at 05:52am
by AG
Email: camel707<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:10
Silverface Super Reverb. Non Master volume. Made somewhere between late 60s and early 70s I guess. Mid control on the vibrato channel and no mid on the normal channel. The most beautiful reverb and "vibrato" you will ever hear. Replaced speakers - got 4 10" Weber California speakers in there now. This is not a bells and whistles amp, but those players seeking "tone" will understand that fender reverb is about as much as you'd want in the way of your signal anyway.
Sound Quality
:10
I think this might be the best model of amp ever made. The tone of these old Fenders really is that good. The 4x10 Weber speakers push a lot of air and the amp has this brilliance and character which just cannot be duplicated.
I was looking for a good clean amp which could get gritty at useable volumes a-la Mark Knopfler etc. Because I'd previously been playing a SF Twin - great amp in its own way - I was pretty unfamiliar with the whole tube rectifier/power amp breakup sound. I needed an amp for studio use but if I could play it live too then that would be a bonus. I also knew I wanted Fender tube tone - the Twin had convinved me of that. So I set about researching SF/BF champs, Princetons, Pro Jnrs, Hot Rods, SF Pros etc and decided I wanted reverb, tremolo, point to point and tube rectification. That narrowed it down to a Super or early Pro.
When I saw this abused old SF going for cheaps I knew I had to have it. I think the abuse was more physical because when I plugged in it was clear the old girl was well maintained inside. The volume of the amp increases dramatically from 1-4, then noticably from 4-7, then just a little from 7-10, with more (but not too much) compression and richer distortion. By the time you're edging over 5 the amp is LOUD. This is the ultimate amp for blues, country, rock, or anything where you require that edgy just breaking up tone at just the right gigging volume. The amp is so articulate and responsive. Dig in and you are rewarded with gritty breakup or back off for pristine cleans. Real Mark Knopfler territory! The amp almost begs you to lose the pick and attack those strings with your bare hands. The Fender Super was everything I was looking for in my tone and then some - the quality and fullness just blew me away. This is all you'll ever need for incredibly great tone!
Reliability
:10
When I got this super it had seen better days - the amp wasn't held in with screws and was kind of resting in the cabinet/on the top speakers(!). The amp was pushed into the cab so it wasn't siting flush to the grill cloth. The baffle was also well abused after what might have been a few botched speaker replacements. With a bit of searching I found all the parts and cut a new baffle and she was looking good once more. The fact that the tone was never short of breathtaking fairly well sums up the "reliability" factor. It's the good ol' nuclear war example - cockroaches, Fender amps and Keith Richards.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
After owning a really nice SF Twin a few years ago I developed a bit of a Silverface obsession. Not only do the you find some sweet sounding SF amps, but because they're not BF or Tweed, you're more likely to actually gig/tour with them rather than leave them in your studio. Fair enough too - could you imagine some tool spilling beer over your 55 Deluxe? I try to reguarly get out and check the 2 or 3 SF amps which can be found each week in my local free-ad magazine (Pros, Twins, Bassmen, Vib'lux etc). Admittedly, a lot of them are pretty bad - condition and tone. Even this one was pretty busted up and non-original when I found it going cheap. But the verdict has to be the tone - this one just blew me away. With a bit of TLC she's now looking like new (or NOS!) and is probably the sexiest 30-something female I know. I really think that SF amps are probably the best "gig" tone you can get - and they're miles above any of those Peavey Classics, Hot Rods, Blues/Pro Jnrs and '65 Reissues which pollute the market today. This amp is a real deal tone machine. All tube, point to point wired 40W, 4x10 dripping with tone and character. It don't get much better than this! Now excuse me I'm gonna go wail...
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1600 used
Submitted 10/07/2004
at 09:28pm
by Anonymous
Features
:10
1966 super reverb, 40 watts, you know the rest. no effects loop, etc. killer reverb and trem,you don't need anything else. 40 watts of clean power, or turn your amp up, guitar down and your set
Sound Quality
:10
been playing 38 years,this is best amp ever,at least for me, it's dead quiet. i play a custom shop relic strat. i a/b'd it with a "REAL " 56 STRAT, the relic sounded better. the super is 100% stock, with original cts speakers, it could not sound better.i use no peddles, its for grown-ups. if you love blues, mowtown, stax/volt
Reliability
:10
at present, i take a 1-12 boogie f30 as a spare, has a good clean channel, and is small, so far, no problems
Customer Support
:No Opinion
no comment
Overall Rating
:10
at it for 38 years, i also have a victoria bandmaster, played it for 6 years, but not since i go the super,great amp,but screw "warm and woody", i want soulful chime, and this amp has it in spades. it is my last amp. often copied, but never equalled, got to save up to buy another, hope you find one too
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US Trade
Submitted 09/10/2004
at 01:15pm
by Anonymous
Features
:9
1967 Super Reverb Amp
Blackface specs and all original except the grillcloth.
Sound Quality
:9
I'm playing a 1963 Jazzmaster through the SR. This amp works very well with the Jazzmaster, asuming I have the right tubes. The wrong tubes can make this amp very brittle and piercing. I occasionally use an old Big Muff and an MXR Flanger, which both sound excellent with the amp. Mostly, though, I just play clean. You can get a large variety of tones from this amp just using the bright switches and bass/mid/high knobs.
Reliability
:8
This amp is a solid piece of wood and its very reliable. I usually bring a few extra preamp tubes to a show just in case.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
None.
Overall Rating
:9
I've been playing for about 10 years and I've pretty much used old Fender amps exclusively. I like how they sound. I've owned an old twin reverb, vibrolux reverb, and this super... the super and the vibrolux have been my favorites. I think the combination of 4x10" speakers with the classic fender AB763 circut is a knockout. Just change the tubes for all the tonal variety you want from this fender amp.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1300.00 used
Submitted 08/16/2004
at 10:04pm
by michaell
Features
:8
66 Blackface....new grill cloth......two new speakers....RCA reverb and vibrato jacks changed to quarter inch jacks.No footswitch with the amp.
Sound Quality
:10
Blues. There is a reason this is the blues holy grail amp.
I play a Strat with LAce Sensors, a Strat with Noiseless PUs, and a Gibson archtop hollow body with Classic 57s.
This particluar Super Reverb amp does not distort as early as some I have played. I like a good clean sound to start with. If I really want to have distortion I will use a stomp box.
The Reverb is nice. The best of the six I tried.
I am amazed that the reverb sounda different from old Super to old Super.
Reliability
:No Opinion
Amp is almost 40 years old. My impression is that has been played but not abused. I always take a backup amp to gigs. Always.
Customer Support
:10
Have called Fender in the past about other isssues with guitars. Their customer service guy was great!
I have had a good experiences calling Fender support staff.
Overall Rating
:10
Been playing a long time. Play blues and R&B. I am a serious musician,lead my own band, and get paid to play.
A couple of years ago I decided I had to have a Super.
I thought the sound could be duplicated in a smaller more portable amp. It can't. The amp I own that comes close to the sound is a Custom Vibrolux Reverb from a few years ago. Great amp. But it is no Super.
Recently I had the funds.I shopped and compared and studied this for a few years. Every time I had a chance to play a Super I did. Mostly in music stores, sometimes at guitar shows, sometimes at vintage dealers shops. I thought a few years back that the reissue had the same sound. I was wrong. The blackfaced Super from the 64-67 era
does not sound like the reissue.
Here's a few tips that may save you some time.
Every old Super sounds like a Super, yet each has it's own sound and characteristics. This is because of their age. Tubes have been changed, speakers wear out, amp techs open them up and work on the inside. Some guys do modifications and they frankly don't know what they are doing.
Each old Super has unique sound characteristics.
My advice here is forget all the hype you hear from the seller, in terms of "new caps,certain tubes, certain speakers"...blah blah blah....Take the guitar you play the most, put new strings on it, get a real good cable for your demo time, and plug the guitar straight into the amp.
Let your ear tell you if you like the sound.
Then come back the next day and do it again if you can.
Be sure to play the amp at all volume levels....soft to LOUD.
I think you have to play any Super on at least 4 on the volume to make the amp do what it is supposed to do.
(This is a working man's amp, made to move some air and sound good at the same time!)
I got this one in a vintage store where I had 6 blackface to choose from..... 5 hours from where I live. I took about three hours to play and compare them all and make a decision.
Some "broke up" at lesser volumes. Some had more headroom.
Some were much louder at various settings.
Some looked pretty. Some looked ugly.
I chose the one that sounded right to my ear.
This is the key. Use your ear. They do not all sound alike.
Just because an amp was "worked on" doesn't necessarily make it better.
I don't for one iota of a minute buy the myth that a silverface amp can be "blackfaced". I think this is a load of crap.
If you are thinking spending $800.00 on a "blackfaced" silverface, do your self a favor. Find another $300.00 to $500.00 and get the real deal.
Make sure you get a three prong plug either on the amp you buy or INSTALL one. I got shocked by every Super Reverb amp I tried that had the old 2 prong plugs.
This amp has two speakers replaced and a new grill cloth, so it is NOT "all original" and "historically correct". I could care less about that crap. I bought this amp to play. I don't buy amps to resell and make a profit. I buy them to play.
Considering what I saw with prices ranging from $1,000.00 to $2,700.00 I think did real well.
I cleaned the back real well (was real dusty), blew dust off the back of the speakers, screwed down one side of the reverb tank, cleaned the tole,polished the metal parts. It looks like the ones that were priced closer to 2K than 1K.
If and when something sounds wrong I will take the amp to a reputable tech and perhaps let him tell me what he sees on the inside.
I have no desire or need to get inside it now. When I do I'll
let a pro do it.
The amp is heavy. Just under 60 lbs. Not 80 lbs like someone said.
The store owner packs them and ships them and packed up they weigh just under 60 lbs.
It is relatively big, but not ridiculously heavy. Not as heavy as a twin. Just pain in the ass heavy. To me, it is worth it.
Do not put casters on this amp. It is top heavy and will fall. I took a rusty set of casters off of this one.
In a year I will try to acquire another. These amps are no
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1200
Submitted 05/27/2004
at 06:04am
by Jake Petersen
Features
:9
Late 70s Super Reverb Amp. Versatile enough from country to blues and classic rock (all I ever need). Point-to-point wiring, 2 channels, vibrato and reverb. This is the rare 70 Watts version with the extra ?oomph?. Enough power for any club I ever played in.
Sound Quality
:10
I mainly use it with strats and teles, but it sounds also killer with sgs. I did not try les pauls through this one yet.The sound ranges from Sound ranges from glassy fendery country twang to liquid Gilmourish lead tones (with a tube screamer in front). I can add some extra crunch by pulling the master volume pot. Not like todays Fender, Marshall and Mesa products, for which you need a PHD to operate.
Reliability
:9
This is a Fender silver face amp, known as the musician's workhorse, and built like a tank. No backup needed. Maybe some fuses, though.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with them.
Overall Rating
:10
I hate glowing reviews, but for me this amp flat-out is one of the most amazing amps I ever played ? and I played a lot of amps during the past 20 years. This simple vintage point-to-point wired silver face super reverb is all I ever need.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1200 used
Submitted 05/17/2004
at 02:10pm
by Memphistokid
Features
:8
My amp is an early 70's silverface w/o master volume modified to Blackface(although earlier Silverfaces sound hella nice with cleaner tones at higher volume). This thing just screams Blues and Rock. It can also be suited for Reggae, Jazz, Country, and other syles. This thing has 2 channels: Normal, and Vibrato (Vibrato channel has the tremolo and reverb controls). No channel switching or effects loops or headphones. I use this amp at home and on the road and the tone kills anywhere I go. Hell of a lot of power as I can't take the volume past 2 in my apt. Sweet warm tone after about 5 or 6 on the volume.
Sound Quality
:10
I use Fralin blues PU's in my american strat, as this thing is built for Blues, SRV, Jimi, Los Lobos, KWS, even Santana type stuff w/ the right equipment. Fralins got a reverse wound middle PU so the noise is cancelled when in postions 2 and 4 so I wouldn't know about the noise level. But in the club w/ the volume at 8 there is some hum... but not much. Amp has one hell of a clean sound but past 6 the thing kills you with its tube overdrive. Never heard anything better. The versatility is not bad but that's what effects and stomp boxes are for. This thing sounds so gooood that if you play it, you wouldn't want any other amp! Yep! It's that nuts!
Reliability
:10
I would gig w/o a backup as the guy I bought it from took extreme care of it. Warning! If you do gig w/o a backup, the tone is so good that you should back it up with another Super. That's what I'm savin up for, my backup super!
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with fender cause the guy I bought it from is an electrical engineer.
Overall Rating
:10
Setup is: Guitar>Captain Coconut 2>Analogman SD/808>Vox 847 wah>Super. If it were lost I would go on either a killing or a Bank robbing spree to buy another one. I ain't lyin...There's hell to pay for a heavenly tone. Everyone will love and appreciate the T-O-N-E!!! Compared it w/ a vintage 64 Twin Reverb...Both are definately worth breaking one of the comandments for but I liked the tube overdrive on the super. The Twin Reverb has the best clean of all the amps in the world...well that and the Vibroverb, and Vibroking. The thing that sets vintage amps apart from RI's is that if I do deciede to sell this thing, I can sell it for around the same price I bought it for...and if I wait long enough, even more. RI's, well most of em, will not!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 04/09/2004
at 04:31am
by Daniel
Email: none
Features
:9
Well my Super Reverb was actually made from an old 1970's Fender Tube P.A. head. It was made into a guitar head a few years ago. Point to point wiring, with the exact same circuit as the Super. It also has spring reverb as well as a master vol.
The great thing about this head is that it runs a linear transformer. Normally it runs 4x EL34L's at around 140 watts. However i am able to take to tubes out to give a rating of around 80 watts. Much better for smaller shows.
It also has a second channel with a Bassman circuit, however i never use this channel. I run the head with a 66 Bandmaster 2x12 cab.
Sound Quality
:10
This is the sweetest sounding clean you will ever hear. For distortion just add a TS9. I personally think that the Super channel sounds much fuller than the Bassman channel. I mainly play Rock so this suits me very well. The Super Reverb channel also has a bright switch which adds to the sparkle of the tone. I generally have the volume around 8 and then adjust the master accordingly. I have tried to find an amp with a sweeter clean tone but have not really come close. For all the lead buffs out there the TS9 sounds great.
Reliability
:10
Have never had a problem. This mod was done as clean as they come. I haven't seen anything similar but im sure someone has done something very close to this out there.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
If this was stolen i would not know what to do. It is not replacable. I was looking for amps for around 6 months and could not find anything which i was really fond of. Except the Super Reverb however they are very expensive down under. So i hunted around and found this on the other side of the country.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1000 used
Submitted 04/03/2004
at 04:40pm
by Karl T. Kawachi
Email: finforum<at>yahoo dot com
Features
:8
1966 "black face" chassis; 40 watts, all-tube; channel 1 - normal, channel 2 - vibrato and reverb, has middle tone control; 4-10" CTS alnicos - two are 1966, one each are dated 1964 and 1965; tubes, caps, and resistors replaced in Aug. 2203 by prior owner; perfect amp for my "oldies" - surf, soul, folk rock, psychedelic, British invasion, etc.
Sound Quality
:10
mostly single-coils: '62 Jazzmaster, '63 Jaguar, '67 Mustang, Strat (Mexican) w/vintage replacement pick-ups; also '72 Telecaster Thinline w/humbuckers, Mosrite Avenger (Japan) w/P-90s; very strong reverb - setting at "3" or "4"; volume at "5" or "6"; the Super has that "Fender sound" I identify with from my youth (mid-'60s) - extremely clean, clear tone without "muddy" bass or "shrill" treble; 4-10" speaker configuration delivers for all my styles
Reliability
:10
Based on experiences with other Fender amps, top-notch reliability; always have an extra amp or two around just in case
Customer Support
:10
Fender-authorized dealers and service facilities have done good work for me in the past; my amps all purchased used, so not under warranty
Overall Rating
:10
Purchased on e-Bay on a Buy-It-Now @$1000; many comparable B/F Super Reverbs went for $1200-2300 in recent auctions; I am not bothered by replacement of "original" parts (tubes, caps, resistors, power cord, speakers, grill cloth, etc.) affecting "originality;" playing for almost 39 years; have a gallery of "vintage" Fender amps: B/F '64 Tremolux, '66 Bassman, '66 Band Master, '66 Pro Reverb; S/F '68 Twin Reverb, '69 Dual Showman Reverb, '72 Quad Reverb, '76 Vibrolux Reverb, '70s Twin Reverb, Basmman 100; solid-state Twin Reverb; Silvertone tube amps (1482, 1483, 1484); Teisco all-tube heads (Checkmate 45 w/2-12" cab, 50, 55); other assorted solid-state amps; if lost or stolen, I'd put out an APB; would definitely look for another Super - this is one of my favorite amps, the other being the Vibrolux Reverb (more compact size), because of the power, tone, and on-board reverb; piggy-backs are cumbersome, the Quad Reverb and Bassman 100 (4-12" cabinet) are HUGE!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $250 used
Submitted 03/28/2004
at 11:01pm
by bad juju
Features
:8
A 2 channel( "clean & tube vibrato). One of the best--if not THE best reverbs you will ever hear in an amp--"surf city"! No "modern" bells and whistles--fx loop, xlr, etc., but, hey, it WAS modern in 1965! A very "sweet" clean lower on the dial, and mine gets a little "dirt" goin' at around "7", but we're talkin' "bluesy" dirt, NOT "metal distortion". If you really want that, though, Stevie Ray
put a tube screamer in front--and, well--you know what happened then!
12at7 pre, 2x 6l6 power tubes make 40 watts of club-filling sound--
the 4 10 inch alnico speakers push air almost as much as 50watt half-
stack from anyone else.
Sound Quality
:10
This is one of THE Classic blues amps, but don't worry--it will do
rock just fine. I have used my 1973 Amer. Strat>MXR DynaComp>Roger Mayer Mongoose Fuzz, and it was HARD ROCK...no doubt! I don't use humbuckers, but have heard others that LOVE what this amp does with them--very sweet & thick.
My amp is not noisy, but my old strat has the "60 cycle hum". If you kept this amp cranked all the way, a noise gate couldn't hurt.
Reliability
:8
I am a "hobby player", haven't gigged in years, so I have not used
this amp hard. It only broke once, and it was because I hadn't replaced the tubes in 5 years. No-one should gig without a back-up.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with Fender directly, and there is no warranty on a 39 year-old amp. Found an excellent vintage amp "guru" in my area, and
life is good
Overall Rating
:10
Been playing for 38 years--more "off" than "on". Been getting serious
for the last 5 years. I was given an old Vow semi-hollowbody in a car trade, but my first paycheck went to a new 1973 olympic white strat. The super reverb was my first "real" amp (besides a jerry-rigged silvertone amp wired into a 2x12 speaker cab), and $250 was a lot of money to me in 1975. But I ended up with one of the best amps america ever made. If it were stolen, it would be very difficult to replace, but I would try.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $600
Submitted 02/27/2004
at 10:22am
by Anonymous
Features
:6
I bought this amp for only $600 at a local guitar shop and the guy who sold it to me didn't even know the year. I wouldn't say I play a specific kind of music I just know when something sounds good. And to me this amp is only 50% satisfactory for my taste. I dont understand why they have two different channels when neither of them have any kind of distortion, and it comes with a footswitch so you can turn the vibrato and reverb off and on. The model I have does not have an effects loop. As always though, the clean sound is like no other I've heard. It's full and warm but I think could use more headroom.
Sound Quality
:6
Im mostly playing on an old Univox Mosrite copy with a DS-1. This amp picks up really nasty feedback depending the guitar. I'm the type of person who is into feedback but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. When playing clean, it does distort not even at five! When you turn the bass down it helps but then your sound gets really crappy sounding.
Reliability
:8
I really dont think I could depend on it without a back up. The guy who had the amp before me replaced the tubes and replaced some things on it. It hasen't had any technical problems that I've noticed and this is a pretty old amp i think so I imagine the news would probably even more sturdy.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:8
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 02/10/2004
at 09:07pm
by Jack
Features
:No Opinion
Combo Amp, 40watts output power rating. Blackface RCA/Fender circuit.Spring Reverb and tube Vibrato......cool and vintage styling.
Clean sounding amp with nice tone character, and typical Fender sound.
Four 10 inch alnico magnet Speakers. 2 channels...treb,mid and bass tone controls. A classic Amp for Blues and routes styles and even pop and Jazz.
Sound Quality
:No Opinion
What makes this Amplifier very interesting are the features combined to make a versitile, sweet sounding unit.
A large part of the reason that the Super Reverb (and Tweed Bassman)
sound so good is the output transformer(2 0HM)happens to have an interleaved winding, which produces a high frequency response, so the sonic result is great definition and tone.
Add to this, the clean character of the 12AT7 driven phase inverter in the Super Reverb, and 4x10 speakers....add some tube driven spring reverb.....and there you have it.
40 watts is also great as an output rating, as the 2x6l6 tubes get a good workout...which in turn lets the power section of the amp produce
character aswell.
There`s also a tube rectifier in this amp, which in my opinion really does add warmth and a little "sag" effect if the amp gets pushed hard.
A classic amp with great features.
Some famous players to favour this amp in live performance are:
Steve Cropper, nils lofgren, Robert Cray, Ronny Earl, Duke Robillard,
Wes Montgomery, Danny Gatton, Sherman Robertson, Tony Joe White, Larry Carlton, jimmy and stevie vaughan and countless others......
This Fender amp does alot, and has its tone in spades in my opinion.
Reliability
:No Opinion
Fenders are usually pretty good . A tube amp is always capable of failing though.....Just the nature of the beast.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
This reissue is pretty darn good to say the least.
Try one for yourself....just remember that the real test is in a band situation with noise around and the amp has to able to come through in tone, volume and character.
Vintage style Fenders are hard to beat for R&B and routes music etc.
If you want to rock it up...get a good pedal!
If you want British...get Vox or Marshall!!!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: (trade) used
Submitted 12/22/2003
at 12:09pm
by Anonymous
Features
:10
This is a 76 silverface in very good condition, with Vibrato, reverb, and master volume with two channels. never been modified.
i designed the webpage for the music store and as a trade he told me i could have anything on the floor. (Price tag on this was $875.) I have never had an amp sound so good and I've owned a few vintage. The store owner had a capacitor job done on it before i got it which i am told really does well with older amps that have lost their "oomph". Still has 1 original power tube working fine, but 2 new GrooveTube 6L6s. 4 original Oxford 10" speakers. Missing the footswitch.
Sound Quality
:10
Sounds best with semi-hollow Gibsons, ES135, 335, etc. with P100s pickups. Played my 82 Tele through it and although it sounds great, this thing was made to play a Gibson. All I can say is Wow.
I cant ever imagine needing any other amp- i can get raw as hell or clean as peach. I swear i can hear every individual string resonate when i strike a chord.
No noise whatsoever- no hiss, etc. but may be because of the recent cap job.
Reliability
:No Opinion
Havent used it long enough to tell
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Havent seemed to find a problem getting parts (i got casters for it immediately- the thing weighs 86 lbs!!!)
Overall Rating
:10
if this were stolen i would hang myself. I used to have a 72 Marshall super lead and it didnt even come close to this. It was a bit grungy when i got it, but it cleaned up very well with dish soap and water, the silverface got shiny again amd the front brightened up with a wet vac cleaning (the amount of nicotine that i lifted off the cloth grille grossed me out- must have been gigged with a lot!)
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700 used
Submitted 10/31/2003
at 08:25am
by Anonymous
Features
:8
This Super Reverb was built in 1964. As far as Features, it is pretty basic, althought Reverb w/ Temelo and a Mid Tone knob was pretty good for those old production day's. Since the good music was still formulating....
Sound Quality
:10
I play thru a 90's Corona built '52 re-issue Tele with a stock neck pu and a "Muey Grande" in the bridge. However, it doesn't really matter what guitar you play, this amp is the real thing! It must be something about total sq inchs w/4-10 speakers and all that Fender pure tone. I've heard/played on a '66 and evan a '65, but notheing can match this '64.
Reliability
:10
Hey the thing is almost 40 years old... But other than putting a multi tap output transformer in it, (4-8-16 ohms selector) and nos tubes, nothing else has been done or replaced!
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Have no need for the dealer
Overall Rating
:10
Been playing off & on for over 35 years have all kinds of old fender amps, have a Reverend 1x12, a Laney 1x12 but this is my favorite. Look for the oldest Blackface you can find, or go back even futher for a Tweed, '59 Bassman you will never be dissapointed!!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $650 used
Submitted 06/10/2003
at 08:11am
by Donald Vick
Email: donaldv at earthlink<dot>net
Features
:9
72 Silverface with MV, had it about 15 years I guess. Pretty straight foward amp with no bells or whistles, less one considers the tremalo and vibrato features as bells and whistles. This amp is heavy as all get out, and cumbersome, no fun to move around.
Sound Quality
:9
This amp does what its supposed to do, a great Fender clean with nice reverb. Mine breaks up around 4 if you dig into it, beyond 6 starts to sound ratty to me, but thats a subjective thing, other may like that sound. I have one of those Line 6 echo/delay thingys (the green one) that couples real nice with this amp. Kinda can dial in a nice Setzerish feel. If you want to play heavy with this amp it wont do it "standalone" You'll need a pedal or pre-amp of some sort to get heavy, though it always will seems to lack that heavy bottom end. This amp wont made for the stuff anyway, it predates metal. Having said that, I found that the old ADA-MP1 will give you what you need to get heavy, there is no effects loop on this amp so you cant toggle out of the ADA to the Fender, which kinda sucks. I tried several stomp-boxes ranging from the TS-9, Marshall BluesBreaker, Fabtone and always wind up going back to the ADA with this amp for the versatility. I've always used this amp with Strat style guitars, 94 40th Ann. Fender Strat, ESP Vintage Plus, some other ESP's and Fenders. Any quality guitar with quality pickups works well with this amp, to me anyway.
Reliability
:10
Just change the tubes out fairly regular and it should keep ticking, its only crapped out once in 15 years on me, and that was a tube thing.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with them
Overall Rating
:8
I've played 21 years, country to rock and even metal back in the 80's. Its a one trick pony amp, does the Fender clean thing, can get twangy and will give you some growl around 4-5, well thats 3 tricks, lets just say it does what a Fender amp is supposed to do. If it were stole I'd look into some of the re-issue Fender amps, maybe the re-issue Twin or the Blues Deville, lets just hope it dont get stole.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: 1700 (EUR) used
Submitted 06/03/2003
at 01:55am
by Markie Ray
Email: markie340 at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:9
It's a 1966 blackface Super Reverb, very hard to find here in Europe ...
It's not an amp with 1001 sound possibilities, but it sounds always excellent for any kind of root music at any setting. I use it to play blues, bluesrock, rock, rock 'n roll, ...
Don't use it with digital effects, get some good old pedals instead to keep the typical character of the Super.
It has 2 channels, 2 inputs per channel. Treb, mid, bass, volume, reverb, vibrato, speed. Nothing special, no whistles and bells ...
You can easily play the whole evening with one guitar at one setting.
Mine has 4 10" oxford speakers that sound incredible. I use it for rehearsals, at home and on stage. I don't need any backup. It isn't heavy compared to my silverface twin reverb with jbl's.
Power tubes are NOS RCA or svetlana (6L6 GC). Crystal clear, fantastic amp (think of Stevie Ray's song "Lenny" ...)
Sound Quality
:10
I will keep it very short : I can play "Jingle Bells" with this thing and still sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan !!! When I turn the tone knobs on my SRV Strat to 5 - 7 I get the creamiest, warmest jazz tones you could imagine. If I turn the tone knobs back to 8 - 10 it's pure SRV that comes out of this thang !
The ts-808 (original) adds just a little sparkle and bite to the original tone of the super reverb. I only use the ts-808 for a little volume boost (for solo parts) and a little more sustain.
So, If you can get a blackface super reverb, sell your car, your house and your wife and buy it because this is THE KING OF ALL AMPS ! It sounds great especially with single coils (strats), but also sounds very nice with my artcore ibanez guitar (es335 clone) with humbuckers. Definitely the best amp I've ever owned during the 13 years I've been playing. This amp is making jealous every single guitarist in the audience !
Oh yeah, don't even think your silverface sounds as good as a blackface model (even after bllackfacing it), because the real blackface models are i.m.h.o. sounding much better. I've compared my BF to a couple of SF models and they are all blown away by the BF. So, if you have to choose, if you've got the money and if you're lucky enough GET THE BLACKFACE MODEL.
It sounds AWESOME !
Reliability
:No Opinion
Well I've only had it for a few weeks but as many good ol' things, it is built like a rock. I think regular tube changing and servicing will take this baby in good health.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
This amp was built in 1966 ... warranty has expired a long time ago.
Luckily I've got a very good amp tech that keeps my amp(s) in top shape !
Overall Rating
:10
What can I say more good things than all the other reviewers have done ? No amp on harmony central gets this score (9.7) with this amount of reviews (78) (go take a look yourseld if you've got time) ... it's the #1 amp ... the amp of all amps ... the fender king ! I'll keep this amp for the rest of my life ... it's my pride and joy ! I would kill the thief ... so be warned !
I don't understand why fender isn't able anymore to build amps that sound as good as the old blackfaces. Technology has evolved during 30 or 40 years ... one should expect that also tone has become better and better ... but unfortunately the TONE of the new fender amps or re-issue models is NOTHING - and I really mean NOTHING - compared to the tone and character of the old workhorses (especially the blackface models). I don't understand how fender dares asking 1800 EUR (approx 1800 USD) for a re-issue fender super reverb ...
My advice : Get the real thing for less money and much more tone and pleasure !
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: nothing (I found it in the garbage)
Submitted 03/22/2003
at 06:38pm
by Santos Menendez
Email: smenendez at humed<dot>com
Features
:10
My Super Reverb dates from around 1969. I actually found this amp while driving around and scouting for good trash finds in my town. I actually thought it was a large suitcase, then I noticed the knobs, filthy grillecloth and a dirty silver control plate. I, of course, pulled it off the curb (along with a Technics EQ unit) and stuffed it in the trunk faster than you could blink. The amp was originally a butchered-up Bantam Bass amp, with a replacment baffle nailed in from the front, designed to hold a destroyed 15" 16-ohm speaker (a mismatch, of course-the Bantam Bass output tranny was designed to use an 8-ohn speaker). I restored the cabinet, found a complete early-70s Super Reverb chassis for very little money, restored and blackfaced the circuit, put the two together, along with a nice coupling of 2 reissue Jensen P10Rs (for the Alnico warmth) and 2 reissue Jensen C10Qs (for the solid bottom and sparkly highs), a new baffle with aged blackface-era grillecloth and a blackface control panel for that Blackface-era look. It has been making sweet music for me ever since the rebuild.
This amp is extremely versatile for me and my styles. I play surf music, early rock n' roll, 1960s rock, some blues and soul music. This is a very stately-sounding amp, it has so much sweetness to the tone that it makes your skin tingle. And it sounds great with humbuckers (I ran a Gibson SG through it, which mated beautifully with the Super), single-coils, etc.
The amp is a two-channel, real simple and with Fender's easy learning curve. I never understood the concept of over-complicated amp circuitry, especially in guitar amplifiers. I actually owned an absolutely mint condition Fender Super Champ at one time. The amp was an 18 watt powerhouse, it had circuit switching, a real gnarly lead sound, but it lacked one thing: the SOUND. It wasn't just me either; I lent the amp to a friend who is a Fender amp collector, and he essentially could not find the right sound on it, after hours of tweaking the knobs and fiddling. That is my feeling with all the modern amp makers, whether it's Mesa, Matchless, Line 6, what have you, you don't need the complicated circuitry to get an absolutely awe-inspiring guitar tone. I think you actually need a basic rig that won't fail you, that has no extra bells and whistles, and is simple to use. Oh yeah, you also need talent!!
There are no extra features I could wish for. If I ever needed any others, I always say, "GET AN EFFECTS PEDAL!!!" The amp has reverb and tremelo, a bright switch for each channel, and 40 watts that can make your ears ring. I use all the features on this amp nearly all the time, the amp has more than enough power for me, since I use it mainly for studio and small gig use, although it can be easily used in a larger venue with no problems. Let's face it folks, if Stevie Ray Vaughn can use this thing on stage, there is no reason why it can't be used at a coffeehouse gig or at your local bar-band gig. And it's about a 60-odd pound amp, so it's still relatively easy to haul around, at least in comparison to a Twin Reverb (and the Super moves more air to boot, with those four 10" speakers!), so even though it's not as easy to carry as my Princeton Reverb, it sees frequent use.
Sound Quality
:10
I'm primarily a Fender guitar player (that is, when I'm not playing keyboards, and this is a great keyboard amp as well!), and my axe of choice is a candy apple red 1962 Strat re-creation (not a re-issue, this guitar was actually hand-built by someone from OEM parts and has patent numbers on the headstock, uses real Kluson Deluxe tuners, etc,-it's about 99% accurate to the specs of a real 1962 Strat-a nice axe). I sometimes run my daughter's 1968 Pink Paisley Telecaster re-issue through it, and needless to say, both guitars have never sounded better. I consider myself a real "single-coil" guitar player, i.e., I play real trebly, old-fashioned music. I'm a big Buddy Holly fan, I love surf instrumentals, the Ventures, yet I play early Who, Kinks, Beatles, so I get a good aggressive tone, yet with that unmistakeable Fender tone. So it really does suit all those styles, and the amp really brings out the best in my instruments, and in my playing.
The amp is not noisy at all, very little hiss (carbon-comp resistors, of course, but you have to get a little white noise to get good vintage sound, especially since the resistors' values have drifted in spots and fatten the tone even more!!) and sits there at idle without a peep. It's got a three-prong plug installed, so no ungrounded amp hum (not to mention SHOCK) and stays quiet on gigs as well as on recordings.
The amp has a wide tone palette. Amazing for such a simple amp, but it goes from crisp tones at lower volumes (up to about four to five), starts breaking up with a nice growl above five, then goes to full-bore throatiness from about seven up to ten on the volume control. Now here's the nice part: my speaker compliment (I didn't worry about originality with this amp anyway, since it was a garbage find, and the original speaker and baffle were butchered up mercilessly) allows the amp to get that nice Alnico speaker distortion without farting out on the bass notes because of the ceramic C10Q pair coupled with the P10Rs. It was a gamble, since I never had a 4x10 combo amp before, but I figured I would have the best of both worlds, and it worked out exactly as I hoped it would. The amp has the classic Fender grind that you expect from the Super Reverb, yet it doesn't give out on the bottom end, which is real important if you're playing heavy surf riffs and you want every note clear as a bell. So it gets the great Fender tone at both ends of the volume spectrum, and the distortion is pleasing to the ears, and very musical.
Reliability
:10
This amp, since it was an exercise in clever recycling (trash-picking, that is), I had to go over the cabinet a number of times to be sure that all joints were solid and that there was no bad wood (it had apparently been stored in an open garage in a mud puddle, because it was damp, had tons of leaves and who knows what sitting inside the amp. Incredibly enough, the chassis worked fine--I cleaned up the controls, tightened the tube sockets, plugged in another speaker to test, turned it on and voila! worked like a charm. Same with the Super Reverb chassis I installed to make it a Super Reverb--worked perfectly from the get-go. Fender used to make top-notch product, regardless of what was said about the CBS era. Anything you can find in the trash that still works after it was beaten to shit (it looked like some kids owned it, since it had graffiti all over it, which thankfully washed off, and the bottom panel looked like someone hit the pine with a baseball bat), well, they get my vote! Besides, the Silverface amps don't sound bad at all, and with about ten dollars of parts, they sound like the Blackface amps, and are built with pretty much the same bullet-proof construction. I once bought a brand-new reissue Deluxe Reverb, and right off the floor, it needed new tubes!! The tubes were junk Chinese tubes, branded as Groove Tube, and the amp just seemed a little flimsy (pots felt cheap, baffle was cheap plywood, speaker was not as good quality, Tolex was wrong texture and gloss, and not applied as well)compared to the original run of Deluxe Reverbs ('64-82) which essentially sounded the same, and are still cheaper than a new RI. Same with the Supers, you can get a decent CBS-era Super Reverb for approximately half the cost of a reissue, modify it to whatever you like--go whole hog, make it as close to an original issue '65 Super, and you'll still be ahead by a few hundred dollars (at least), it'll be easier to fix (hard-wired, no PC boards in these old babies), and you can drop it off the stage every night for a week and it'll still work (I don't recommend this, though-instruments are for playing, folks, not for abuse, and I know I can't afford replacements, especially in today's economy), not to mention always hold its value. I can truly say I would use this amp without a backup, especially since I went over the circuit with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that all components, tubes, sockets, etc. were up to snuff and were able to get through countless gigs. And I can say that I would definitely use this amp on a gig without a backup because I HAVE NO BACKUP AMPS, unless I can mike my Princeton Reverb, but if not, oh well, air guitar time(or keyboard time, since I also use this amp for keyboards). But so far, so good, it's holding up well, no crankiness, works everytime I switch it on, typical Fender reliability.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
The customer support issue is moot with me. I'm my own customer support, I do my own repairs, I wield a mighty soldering iron, if I may brag, and I can handle a VOM without confusing or electrocuting myself. I actually called Fender once (once, only once!) about some amp issue, and the support specialist (it is to laugh...) rubbed me the wrong way with his nonchalance, and called me "dude" in the process! Now, here's the deal. I don't mind being called "dude" or "man" or whatever (no expletives, please, unless they're affectionate ones) when a friend talks to me, but I mean, this guy was on the phone with me representing his company!! So, I don't have a warranty on this amp, since it's about thirty-plus years old, and I'm glad I don't, since I don't have to deal with Fender at all (hell, my guitar isn't even a real Fender, even though you couldn't tell even with a magnifying glass, so I didn't have to deal with those DUDES for my guitar either!!). So, no opinion at all here, just a rant on calling people dude.
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing keyboard since I was four and a half, and I have been playing guitar since I was fifteen (I'm 34 now, so you do the math). I have had a succession of Strats and Teles, and I actually bought and sold (or returned to the store) six strats in one year, that is, until I bought my current (hopefully last) one. I own a number of keyboards, my main one being a '66 Vox Continental, I have two Roland synths, a broken Moog Rogue, an E-MU Vintage Keys module (real nice), a Voce V-5 Hammond organ simulator coupled to a Motion Sound Leslie rig, some effects (a Big Muff, two delay pedals, a Vox wah-wah, an Ibanez flanger), a '68 Princeton Reverb (given the Blackface-era amp treatment as well--makes it easier to read the controls, and looks real nice to boot) and that's about it.
If my Super Reverb were stolen, I'd commit unspeakable horrors unto the thief, wipe the blood and gore off the Super, and take it home and keep playing. If it were lost, I'd probably build another one just like it (more trash-picking, anyone??). The Super Reverb is possibly one of the best examples of the Fender sound. It's thick, sparkly, yet it breaks up nice and juicy, with a great hefty grind. It's definitely not a one-trick pony like a Vox AC-30, which is itself a wonderful amp (but heavy as hell!!) or like a Marshall, which has to be set up by a good amp tech to sound exceptional (and the newer models are more hype than good sound, at least in my opinion), and although it's not for everyone's tastes and style, it suits most styles and tastes, and is more of a mature player's amp. You can go to a gig with this amp and a guitar, not plug one effect in the signal chain, and get a great sound out of it, song after song, that makes a listener sit up and take notice of your tone. I think that's what I love about this amp most of all. It needs little else to make a good player sound great, and it's the kind of amp that you graduate to as you become a more mature player, past the loud distortion and pedal boards and Marshalls and other excesses of musiciandom (is that a word?). It's simply plug-and-play, you dial in a great tone and you're on your way. It needs nothing else, just a player who is willing to grow with it and explore its tone palette and throw out the effects loops and digital modeling and other useless, overcomplicated nonsense of immaturity.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 12/18/2002
at 09:13pm
by John D. Constantinides
Email: johnconstantinides at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:10
A truly classic amp with the most of the features found on Twin Reverb and Deluxe amps. Whereas a Silverface model with the three popular options will be re-issued one of these days......
Sound Quality
:10
The actual '65 re-issue (essentially a faithful replica of the original Super Reverb made at the first days of 1965, just few months before the late Clarence "Leo" Fender sold the FMIC company to the mighty CBS Corporation), had all the characteristics of the original Super Reverb of the '60s and, despite the tiny 2-band EQ of the Normal channel (the Twin featured a 3-band EQ), the Super Reverb is almost perfect for many styles of music: from surf to blues and from country to rock, through jazz and boogie, this legendary Fender amp still remaining the favourite club amp of many "coffee-houses" in the United States, like the Twin and Deluxe Reverb amps of that same era.
Reliability
:No Opinion
I hadn't a particular opinion about the Super Reverb, because I don't have purchased one yet. It's almost hard to find a new re-issued Silverface Super Reverb in a local music store today. Silverface Supers are now collectables and were available as used gear only.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I didn't sent an e-mail to Fender to ask him to re-issue the SF Supers with the three different control layouts (the non-master, the master-volume and the master volume with the 3-band EQ) for those "Silverface" nostalgics who wanted a truly '70s vintage amp but can't find a brand-new '70s amp with the most modern features and innovations found actually on the re-issued '65 "Blackface" amps, so I don't have a customer support yet. But I'm sure that the SF era amps could be manufactured at the Mexican facility to eliminate the tooling costs, but the whole assembling (including the parts and the miscellaneous accessories) can be done at the Corona factory, who was chiefly responsible for the "Blackface" amp production.
Overall Rating
:5
It's an almost excellent amp, of course, but the limited tonal abilities of the 2-band EQ on the Normal channel didn't provide the sound as you did expect from a clean channel. But the Super Reverb had a crashing reverb effect that could be very fancy, especially when you plug in your good old favorite vintage Jaguar and Jazzmaster guitar to the Vibrato channel! You know, the master-volume Super Reverb with the 3-band EQ is by all points more versatile and had much many features than the non-master Supers, so it's almost sad to told that the SF Super Reverb, like the other amps in the classic Silverface range, was now out of production, the fact that the management team who owned Fender today, had decided to stop the Silverface amp production in the mid-'80s.....
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: (Trade-In) used
Submitted 11/27/2002
at 01:13pm
by Ed Chowen
Features
:5
I have a '67 Blackface. It's simplicity is what makes it such a great amp. Not a lot of features, bells, and whistles - but it doesn't need them. It is a beautiful piece of gear, my most treasured possetion.
Sound Quality
:10
I use a Strat and an SG. I play blues/rock/jam in a local band. The amp is simply incredible - I can't say enough about it. The tone is incredible - I use a couple of Tube Screamers and a ProCo Rat and can get just about any tone I want with this configuration. In bigger rooms the amp needs to be mic'd only for monitor reasons, really. In smaller clubs I just turn it up to 5 and wail. It is my dream come true.
Reliability
:8
The amp is 35 years old, and all original (except for tubes). The reverb has basically run out, so I may need to get a new reverb tank. I treat it like a baby - I've come to learn that if you take care of your gear, it will usually last.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
It is God's Gift to blues, rock, and country guitarists.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $275
Submitted 11/09/2002
at 08:05pm
by Will
Email: Omniscientcat<at>aol dot com
Features
:7
Amp is '67 Blackface Super Reverb. Everyone knows about the features by now, so there's nothing I can add. As loud as the amp is, I find it needs to be miked on occasion. The reverb sounds pretty good, but have never cared for Fender "vibrato." I play rock, blues and jazz. It covers them all pretty well. The amp's tolex was pretty well beat up when I bought it. I played it for years this way, agonizing over whether to leave it like it was, or refinish it. I finally decided that after getting it to SOUND great, I wanted it to look good. I took the cabinet to Larry Rogers, of Roger's Amps, in Charleston, SC. He did a Super (pun intended) job of recovering the cabinet, grill, and refinishing the face plate. And I added all new chrome hardware. He also had an original B/F foot switch, which was missing when I bought it. He told me that the speakers (original) sounded as good or better than those in his '59 Bassman, and exclaimed it was one of the best cabs he'd heard. On tip I would recommend. I didn't reinstall the casters on mine after the re-tolexing. I think it looks cooler without them, and more importantly, I think it sounds warmer resting on the floor. So it's heavy, small price to pay for such a great-sounding amp.
Sound Quality
:10
My main guitar is a '66 Gibson SG with a PAF humbucker in the neck position. This gives me a choice of the PAF or a single coil P90, or I can blend the two. Some don't like the sound of humbuckers through a SR, but I like it. The amp is pretty quiet, except I need to replace a noisy reverb tank. My amp begins to cruch when I turn it past 3. 3 is good for practice in the house. It cruches pretty well, but I use an early Big Muff when I want that sound. I also use an original VOX V-846 wah, mostly as a tone control, an original Echoplex, and an MXR Phase 90 occasionally, for added presence, keeping the sweep knob all the way to the left. Funny thing was I almost got rid of the amp. I never liked the way it sounded, and had never played another B/F Super to compare with mine. I thought everyone was crazy, because this amp had no tone, no soul, no LIFE. Something caused me to take it to a tech who knows these amps, and he informed me that the big caps needed replacing, along with a couple of smaller caps, and some resistors. I was skeptical. I just KNEW this amp was always going to suck. When I went in to pick it up, and he played it, oh my god. I was truly stunned. And it was MINE! I may buy another amp one day, but the SR will stay.
Reliability
:8
I've had this amp since '85, and only had to replace one small tube. As old as it is, I have come to trust that it's going to work every time I turn it on. I did have the big caps replaced (orange), and some smaller caps and resistors changed as well. The amp had all old RCA tubes when I bought it, and I have never changed these, except for the one that went bad, and I found an NOS RCA in a local repair shop. I know what other's say about changing power tubes after a while, but all I can say is that the amp sounds great like it is. It's strong, clear, powerful. Until the day one of those RCA 6L6's goes, they stay.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I've been playing for 25 years. I own an original VOX V-846 wah, an original Echoplex, an early Big Muff, and an MXR Phase 90 (I hate that sound, but used with the sweep knob all the way to the left adds a nice presence. I've played a lot of amps, and heard a lot of guitar players, most who have NO interesting TONE QUALITY. I guard my amp very carefully. I don't let anyone I don't know or trust know what I have lurking in my home. My only wish is that, as loud as it is, I wish it were even louder!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1000 used
Submitted 07/20/2002
at 11:41am
by Anonymous
Features
:10
1966 BF Super Reverb. My god, this thing is beautiful. It simply oozes tone, the reverb is sea-deep and the tremolo adds a nice touch to rythm and solos. I play mostly surf rock, with fortrays into just about everything else, and this amp does it all like a pro.
Sound Quality
:10
My main guitar is a 1970 (original, not a re-issue) Fender Strat, modified with a Floyd Rose bridge and a vintage DiMarzio humbucker in the back (hum-single-single). I generally set the action low so the low E string breaks up with enough picking force, giving me the ability to bring out subtleties in bar chords and trem picking. This amp is a master at bringing out the subtleties of a guitar and playing style. With my Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes overdrive in front of it, it sings. The tone is ultra-clear with no addded noise.
Before I bought it I was worried about the reverb. Being I play surf rock, I need DEEP reverb that doesn't get muddy. The Super Reverb has plenty of it (I generally set it at about '6' or '7' to get enough for most songs, and '8' for those which need "way too much" reverb. '10' is rediculous). The tremolo is smooth, and just like the reverb can be set to extremes.
When practicing solo, I keep the volume knob at around '2'. When jamming with friends, the most I've ever needed to turn it up to was '4', at which point I can ease the gain off my Hot Tubes box, as the low end will start breaking up around here. 40W of power is more than I'll ever need, and if I was recording with it, you can bet that two of those power tubes are coming out (so I could run everything else hot).
The other style of music I play is flamenco on my nylon-stringed classical guitar (a Yamaha). I was very suprised when I plugged this guitar in -- the Super Reverb sounds better than most acoustic amps! It preserves the tone of the nylon perfectly, even with the reverb on '10'. I haven't tried this at higher volumes, but at practice volumes, it's great for classical guitar.
Reliability
:10
When I got it, the tremolo didn't work. Turns out that was a loose wire that got knocked off in shipping. I re-soldered it and it works fine. I also replaced the filter caps, and rebiased the tubes that the previous owner had put in (which, suprisingly, were NOS RCAs!). The previous owner also never bothered to change the cord to a three-prong grounded cord, which caused slight buzzing with the reverb on. I put in a grounded plug, and now it doesn't buzz at all.
I've owned it for a year now and haven't had one problem with it.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I think the warranty expired some 30 years ago. If you're not comfortable with soldering, replacing tubes and capacitors and biasing, find someone who is -- just in case. I doubt you'll ever need it, though.
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing six years. I'm also an electrical engineer and vintage electronics fan, so I make my own pedals and like to tweak other ones. I can say that this amp is without a doubt the best piece of equipment (aside from my guitar, of course) I own. If you're not into the Tube Screamer thing (I'm not), pick up a Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes pedal. It sings. My pedal board consists of: EH Tube Zipper, EH Hot Tubes, EH Deluxe Memory Man, EH Worm, Analog Man Bi-compressor, RMC-3 wah. They all sound great with this amp (though not all at once -- that gets a bit crowded).
You'd have to be a olympic weight lifter to steal this thing. It's about 80 lbs (expect to pay around $200 in shipping on one of these). The previous owner put castors on it -- they are invaluble!
I really wanted a BF Vibrolux Reverb, but I couldn't afford the $2000+ prices on eBay. I can now say that I am _GLAD_ I didn't waste the money on one of those. The Super Reverb rocks. Period.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $800 used
Submitted 06/20/2002
at 01:19pm
by Mike Rhodes
Email: none
Features
:9
September 1966 Super Reverb ... mmmmmmm ... I play punk, blues, rock, etc. Enough headroom for anything you can imagine. No mods, all original except for reverb tank.
Sound Quality
:10
My '52 RI Telecaster with this amp = bliss. I've never heard anything sound better. My Anniversary SG also sounds amazing, just howls, with this amp. Totally different sound though, obviously with the humbuckers, but also just killer.
Reliability
:10
These things are tanks. Don't drop them, don't spill beer on the chassis, and it will be a lifetime amp. Just the standard maintenance, which is inexpensive on these simple amps.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Who needs it anyway?
Overall Rating
:10
If this amp were stolen I would hunt down the perpetrator and personally see to it that he never played guitar again. I've owned dozens of amps - boutique, Marshall, tons of Fender, Mesa, etc. - and nothing comes close to the sweet growl of this baby.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: gift used
Submitted 03/06/2002
at 03:04pm
by Adrian Darter
Email: heidrian2000 at aol<dot>com
Features
:7
This amp was made in the mid to late 1970s and is one of the rare 70watt versions. It was GIVEN to me as just a bunch of parts and speakers in boxes. The phenomenal staff at KENDRICK AMPLIFIERS in Texas put it back together, souped it up, and breathed new life into my music. These guys are PURE. After a couple conversations with Gerald Weber (owner) and Dan (engineer) I decided to go with a complete cap job and the whole '65 Blackface modification. It's a fairly straight-forward Fender amp with beautiful reverb and is a perfect match for any blues/blues rock application. I'm not going to get any modern hi-gain distortion here, but, hey, thats why I own a Trace Elliot Speed Twin.
Most Fender Supers are 40watts and thats probably a good output: at 70watts this amp is TOO loud for band practices in the garage studio (the sweet spot seems to be between 5 and 7 on the volume dial), but I do play an outdoor venue 3 or 4 times a year and I can't wait to tell the sound engineer that I won't be needing a mic!
Sound Quality
:10
I'm plugging into this beast with a '95 Fender Lone Star Strat. I've always thought highly of the Texas Special single coils, but I had no idea what they would sound like with classic Fender amplification. TAKE ME NOW, JESUS! I can hear heaven already anyway. I've found an application for every pickup setting and the amp is clean, clean, clean.
One of the reasons I sent this amp across the country to KENDRICK AMPLIFIERS for the modification is because they go through every stage of the amp looking for any slight deviation from normal specs. FREE OF CHARGE. They found several abnormalities and fixed the parasitic oscillations. This amp is probably better than new and there is absolutely no flaws in the tone anywhere.
Reliability
:No Opinion
The amp is built like a rock and I expect it to rock for at least another thirty years.
Customer Support
:10
If you've got an amp in need of a cap job or if you want to go the BF modification route like I did, you've GOT to consider KENDRICK AMPLIFIERS. I probably talked to these guys over the phone 15 or twenty times, NO KIDDING. You don't have to wait through an automated voice mail system and you won't run into a more upbeat crew than these guys, each time I talked to them they couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. Dan ultimately ran through a number of scenarios with me and he managed to explain the theory and cause/effect in a manner that I could easily grasp despite my minimal experience with tube amps. Obviously Gerald is world-renowned (he is like some kind of zen tone master when you talk to him) but all the guys who work there are straight up TONE FIENDS as well. I really can't say enough.
Overall Rating
:9
This amp provides exactly what I wanted: tone, tone, tone. Nothing fancy, just pure guitar signal with a little reverb. I tried all my pedals with it and then quickly removed each from the signal chain. "I'M STRAIGHT-JACKING IT JERRY, AND LOVIN' EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!" I've been looking for this tone for all my life without really knowing how to describe it. The dynamics floored me. It seems like I've got 10 decibles of volume in my pick. The articulation is like a laser, and the reverb is positively dreamy. Its a superior amp and I really want to thank KENDRICK AMPLIFIERS for their ability to transform my incoherent fragmented descriptions into the tone that I was looking for.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $800.00
Submitted 12/30/2001
at 09:14pm
by Anonymous
Features
:10
1967 Super Reverb. 4 new Jensen P10R's, all JAN NOS Tubes. Completely Recaped by tech and rock solid. Reverb/Tremelo
Sound Quality
:9
Killer tone...from blues to jazz to country. Amp can be soft and it can be loud. Uses 2 6L6gc and does not have the warm tube over drive that the 6V6's have. But with a nice Tube Screamer, you get that and the great clean! NO amp is perfect. This gets a 9
Reliability
:10
once you have the 30 year old amp serviced They are very reliable
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
This is the best all tubes giging amp any player could want. Will do he big rooms as well as the small. Its kinda heavy but for 4x10's your gonna have some weight. If don't have the speakers you wont have the tone. Much lighter then a twin!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: 900 ($450 american) (Australian) used
Submitted 12/22/2001
at 11:56pm
by Anonymous
Features
:6
Early 70s silverface,normal and a vibrato+reberb channel, bright switch and 2 inputs for each channel. Play rock/pop (originals half like weezer, bush, and half slower tunes "similiar" to travis/pumpkins). Use the amps for gigs/band practise/bedroom practise/in studio/bedside cabinet. Played it at an outdoor gig once, was a bit one directional but was loud enough if you weren't sitting to the side too much.
Sound Quality
:9
Use it with PRS C22 with the dragon 1s which are fairly trebly on the bridge, but excellent clean sounds can be achieved especially on the 2nd input with a bit of reverb. Also use a v-twin preamp for distortion, which this amp handles a lot better than other old fenders due to it having a much tighter bottom end (or so the engineer on our recording said). I think this is more so on silverfaces because they are more of a 'hifi' amp than an amp that breaks up nicely for blues etc. Depends what distortion pedal you have and how much time you have, took me 2 years to find a sound i really liked with a boss solid state distortion pedal.
Reliability
:8
little problems - the connector/jack thingos on the vibrato and reverb were bent out of shape and made popping sounds all the time until they were fixed. amp was making strange noises also for a while but they went away! NFI. gets carted around a lot so it has handled things pretty well.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Not applicable
Overall Rating
:10
playing 10 years - dont own much other good stuff. the other guitarist in the band has a marshall jcm 900 and a rivera 5512 - clean sounds on the rivera are pretty good, but i would say this amp is better - the other guitarist wanted to buy this super reverb
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1700 used
Submitted 12/16/2001
at 11:13pm
by Anonymous
Features
:5
2 channels, vibrato, no master volume, 40 all tube watts, reverb, incredible TONE.
Sound Quality
:10
this thing kicks,clean sound,lots of headroom, most of all amazing tone. If you need more volume you are either deaf or are playing arenas, it is very loud for forty watts. The best way to describe the sound of the super? listen to SRV's texas flood, that is exactly what it sounds like, if you plug in a tube screamer it sounds like the live version of the house is rocking. Many people buy these amps because they like SRV, if you are looking for that sound, look no further.(there is nothing wrong with wanting to sound like this, great tone is a good thing. If you do not want to sound like anybody else don't play guitar).I play a strat and this combination is orgasmic. With an Ibanez tube screamer it sounds great (the box's sound is modeled after the natural distortion of the super). However the amp's natural distortion (mine arround 6, maybe 5.5 on the volume knob if you hit it hard enough )is truly something amazing, so warm and fat, great sustain and TONE, unfortunately the amp at this volume will actually kill you, it is way too loud for normal home use. If you walk into a store and see one sitting there and don't have the money, DO NOT go near it much less play it, you will not be able to play the blues on any other amp ever again. Every other amp sounds like shit to me now. This thing is the greatest piece of equipment (of any kind) i have ever owned, really. Strongly recommended. After buying mine i had it retubed with Svetlanas,(these are great sounding tubes and they are not expensive) added a 3 prong cord ,had the caps changed and it was rebiased. Versatility? yeah right!, look elsewere, portability? don't even think about it this thing is HEAVY, features? not today! This amp is about one thing only, TONE! I have tried many amps vintage including Vibroverbs, Marshall plexis, Bassmans etc. The only amp i like as much as the super is the Bassman (but only the original,i feel the reissue is way off even with different tubes and rectifier)but it has no reverb, another plus for the super, as the reverb is the sweetest, fullest, warmest reverb you ever heard. This amp has the greatest tone in the world, so clean and warm. The distortion is incredible, you can hear every string in a cord even when it's being overdriven hard. You must get this.
I reacently played the reissue super and it sound better than any new amp i have ever tried, but not quite like my original, even though it has the correct sound for a black face fender super reverb. Maybe it's the new speakers or those awfull tubes it comes with, i don't know. I feel the original is worth the price difference, if low on cash, definately get the reissue, it does have the right sound.
Reliability
:7
Have had it only for about 2 years,and the only problem is a minor scratching sound that disapears as the reverb knob is turned to 0. When played, i can't hear the wierd noise. Old amps need to be checked well.
Customer Support
:1
WHAT?
Overall Rating
:10
if it was stolen i would first die then i would have to get another one as you will not be able to play any other amp after the super. I own all sorts of cool shit but the super is really one of my most priced posessions and i don't think i could live without it.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $650 + about $35 for parts used
Submitted 12/09/2001
at 11:03am
by Anonymous
Features
:9
(Follow up review)
Standard features of a '73 - '74 Silverface super reverb. Non-MV, of course.
This review is nearly completely about sound and the various mods I did so far to convert it to Blackface spex.
For what this hunk of 70's junk is, it has some great features and you wind up asking yourself "do I really need anymore?"
Sound Quality
:10
I'm using a mex. strat w/ lil' 59 pickup and two soon-to-be-replaced stocks. 7 pickups combinations w/ a push-pull switch.
Okay - I've heard a few blackface SR's and I haven't been able to compare directly, but I think a subjective survey can be just as good, y'know?
The first channel has a brightness mod on it that sort of makes it sound like a tweed amp, and it offers good contrast to the reverb channel bright tones.
Maybe it's just the pickups (though the ceramics still aren't great), but I find myself being able to get SRV and Buddy Guy type tones (esp. with the bright switch) and BIG, Meaty (full sounding) notes. Treble is sweet and can be dialed in with lots of prescence (which I really like to use). Reverb is great, but it clicks when it goes past 7 and loses some volume at that point. Not too bad.
Vibrato isn't super special, but it's great and very useful and inspiring.
Turned past 5 1/2, there's a great mellow breakup that gives you super full and domineering tones - without a distortion box!
I REALLY love the sound of this thing, only last thing to do would be to get a level bias control in there, which might make the tone even better. It sort of grows on you and makes you really enjoy clean and powerful sounds.
Definitely gets a high score here. Mods were an improvement but I can't compare it now to what it was before so I can't say it was a HUGE improvement. Just about perfect.
Reliability
:7
As with any old tube amp, it's got problems (that can be fixed!). Or more correctly WILL HAVE problems. But that's what you get. It's cheaper but it's less reliable. Can ANY 20+ year old tube amp get a 10?
Customer Support
:10
I'm rating my local dealer, which is 30th Street Guitars in NYC. They're really cool there.
Overall Rating
:10
Wonderful device.
It works great clean and really gets it out dirty. Volume is good, though I haven't gigged with it yet.
Truly, I cannot think of a better overall guitar amplifier (Marshalls are great for overdrive and sparkly clean, not really heavy clean, voxes are great for clean and crunch but old one make too much noise, boogies are too much $$$).
The Super Rev. (and maybe a combo bassman or a boutique amp in similar fashion) is really the perfect amp for country/blues/funk/rock n' roll/heavy rock/reggae/rockabilly/and even some electric classical. 4 X 10" speakers? PERFECT!!
Used by Albert Collins, Albert King, SRV, Steve Cropper, Danny Gatton, Chuck Berry, Bonnie Raitt, and a myriad of others, it really is great.
Mod it yourself and don't die and you will praise yourself and be very proud. Or get someone to do it for you. It worked for me and I'm actually content with the sound of something (for once!)
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $500 used
Submitted 12/04/2001
at 03:29pm
by Klint Ostholz
Email: BlausMir<at>Verkotzen dot de
Features
:6
I have a 76 or 77 (I think) Super Twin Reverb....It is a great sounding blues, rock or surf sounding amplifier. Simple untill you get to the augmented EQ. Lots of extra knobs that you can dial in hundred of tone variations from sweet or strange all the way to unbareable or annoying...BEWARE: This amplifier is very loud....I have a halfstack from Russia and this Fender makes it sound like a cricket....I only have used it so far in the studio...no live use...occasional practice...
Sound Quality
:8
I use a seventies Les Paul Special primarily.....The fender is capable of fattening up the gibson single coils on this guitar...
My particular Super Twin Reverb is terribly noisy sometimes, I am positive that it is due for a doctoring and a re-tubing....It has a knop labeled "distortion". I tried to use it and I concluded that the label should instead read "make your amp sound broken". No kidding, this is, I guess, a kind of distortion, but it is not the kind you would want to use...kinda sounds like you are trying to pump 1200 watts through a pair of Wal-mart headphones.......ugly...use a sans amp GT2....It gets me any clip or overdrive that I can think of just about.
Reliability
:No Opinion
I tell you what, regarding the reliability: I will get it serviced soon and tell you how long good performance lasts....though maybe that says more about the magician or oaf that gets to work on it...
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I don't call Fender.....they have crap to churn out of their newer, better, faster sheiss factories....(boycott new gear until they start to make better product!!!)
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I have played for a long time....interpret that however you like...If it were lost or stolen, I would always buy (not necessarily this model) another older Fender Amp....nothing sounds as cool as a Fender.
Nothing sounds like a Fender.....every guitar and bassplayer should have one or two......The tweed era bassman is maybe the best amp I have ever heard.....
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A used
Submitted 11/22/2001
at 12:28am
by Harry Kleinsasser
Features
:4
This amp was made in 1972.
Its is a silverface, I am disappointed in it, the sound is not pleasing, It lacks fullness and I would rather listen to a diesel truck. I had it into the shop, replaced parts, tubes etc.
When I tooking home I put it in the corner where it has sat for the last 20 years. The more I thought about it the more angry I got.
I checked the speakers, they had beed reconed found one reverse from normal polarity. Why didn't the tech catch it. Am truly wondering if he wasn't in a big hurry. I can preamp it, with a new fender deluxe, Thats the only way it sounds good. Any suggestions welcome.
Have thought about a blackface change over, I'm so dang mad at this thing. It stinks.
Sound Quality
:No Opinion
I use several different pickups and guitars, the noise level is there but the tone quality is thin and it would be an ebarassement to solo it.
Reliability
:No Opinion
Reliability, is good I keep trying it and putting it away. It always starts up.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I have read many good things about this type of amp, Mine isn't a good one.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 11/06/2001
at 10:30pm
by Anonymous
Features
:No Opinion
1969, silverface, cts spkrs, all original, i traded a dr z head for this amp. reverb a bit noisy, probably needs a new tube. reason i traded a new production amp for this is the versatility factor and the classic fender sound...
Sound Quality
:No Opinion
breaks up a bit early, but pure fender clean tone. i had decided to ditch old fenders, as i have had a few, because if figured that if i were going to have one amp, it would be a new one so i wouldnt have to work on it a lot... old ones need a lot of care, but i found a good tech nearby and decided to settle on what i really wanted... the tone is what brought me back to an old fender....
Reliability
:No Opinion
don know
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
i changed my mind about the older amps, at one time there was no way i would have one anymore, i tend to never have more than one or two amps and always wanted a new one, but no more,,, the older tones fit my style a lot better... you can only play one at a time and it is going to be an old fender...
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $650
Submitted 10/30/2001
at 06:58pm
by AKN
Features
:9
45 watt tube - 1973 - '74, 4 inputs (2 on each channel), speed & intensity for vibrato, reverb, M, B, T, & volume for 2nd channel. V, T, & B for 1st. My SF SR is around '73, so no master volume or crazy degenerate wiring (well, actually...). Bright switches on each channel.
Solidly built, 1 original speaker (3 eminence alnico's), and that's about it. It has a bright, thick, or mellow tone, depending on how one sets it up. Great features, no distortion (it comes naturally, of course). No extras or unneeded add-ons (just reverb & "vibrato").
Sound Quality
:No Opinion
I use a mex. strat w/ a lil' 59 bridge pickup (the others are going to be replaced soon). I picked this up about a month ago and since then it had some noise, but that was mostly fixed (loose grille, bad speaker soldering). I currently have the chassis pulled out and am about to do some mods on it, bringing the design more or less back to blackface standards.
Anyway, the sound it bright, loud, and clear. The distortion (past 6 on volume)is fabulous. Singing, sweet, and LOUD. I have a Mesa bottle rocket for more overdrive, so I don't have to crank the amp too much to get a good sound. The pedal, by the way, sounds very good with the amp.
Sounds are full and clear. I've have an Ultimate Chorus and have owned an old Gibson Invader, and this has more sonic fullness than either of them. I love the bright switches. Wouldn't get another amp without 'em. Excellent for any style, single coils are cool. Only thing is the noise (somewhat buzzy). Maybe its just the single coils, but I think something in the mix isn't grounded.
HOWEVER, since I haven't really modified my SR yet, I can't truly predict its new sound. I'll update this review when I can, but I don't want to review something that I haven't heard yet. Other people on this board have spoken favorably about their BF'ed Silvers, though.
Reliability
:7
It's old. It's tube. It requires fixin', either from yourself or a specialist. I took it in to the place where I got it to have it checked (it was emitting a crackling noise), and that helped. Ya gots ta look after it. So, I'll give it a 7. I don't think that any other 30 year old tube amp could really get a better diagnosis.
Customer Support
:9
From the shop where I bought it? Great. Why would you go to Fender with an old tube amp like this? The guy/girl who constructed it has long since retired.
Overall Rating
:10
If you're willing to commit to it, sky's the limit. It's like getting married. My other Gibson required 7591 (very very very very very rare tubes)and I...uhhh...divorced her. Take care of yer amp.
About the mods, I think that some were already done to my SR. I am by no means an expert at this stuff, and I hope it works out well. The supressor caps were already removed, some resistors changed. Looks like the process was started but never finished.
BY THE WAY, I played through 5 different SR's before deciding. One late 60's Silverface was great, but $1000 and I couldn't transport it. Another was a $729 Master Volume, which was a bit thin and had the "undesirable" circuit. Two others were blackfaces that truly were not better sounding than the amp I have now. Difference between BF's and SF's?
BF's: more bass, tighter, less bright, a little thicker sounding. More focused reverb.
SF's: CHEAPER, tight tone, brighter, and deep reverb.
ALSO, you can always modify the hand wired circuitry.
For anyone attempting to blackface a silverface, here are some tips:
1. Remember to discharge (ground) the filter caps - touch screwdriver to caps (preamp tubes?) and chassis.
2. Remove caps on the power tubes.
3. Compare schematics - change a few resistors around (47K's to 82K and 100K, etc.). Also capacitors.
4. Possibly upgrade the "chocolate drop" caps to new ones.
5. Change bias filter caps to bias filter cap (100uf@100V). Change another cap in the chassis.
6. There's a GZ34 rectifier in the AB763 circuit, a 5U4GB in the SF one.
7. Have fun and experiment.
I'd rather not spend upwards of $1000 on an amp, and it'll cost less than $50 and a few hours to modify a cheaper Fender.
Given the affordability, ease of modification (I hope!), and sound of this amp (4 X 10" speakers! Yay!), it gets a very good overall review.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $450 used
Submitted 10/30/2001
at 12:27pm
by HolyRoller
Email: klynam1 at home<dot>com
Features
:7
1974 Silver Face Super Reverb. This amp has the original alnico speakers - not ceramic. Push/Pull master volume. 40 watts.
Sound Quality
:8
If it doesn't sound good through a Super Reverb, I don't play it. Thick jazz, blues, country/gospel - that's for me. It does get noisy at higher volume, but new caps and biasing would probably help - mines all original. Personally, I think it adds to the mystique of playing live to here amps hissing and stuff. I've never had the honor of playing a Black Face Super Reverb, or even a non-master volume Silver Face. So I can't say how those sounds differ. One thing I do know: good tubes make a difference, especially the primary power tubes. Forget Sovteks or other "cheap" tubes. Get the best you can afford. (I play vintage RCA blackplates.) They make a HUGE difference in these amps!!!
Reliability
:8
I'm always worried about breaking a tube, but haven't yet. I've dropped, knocked over, kicked, banged, spilled and all that - it keeps coming back for more. I only have this amp and I NEVER worry about it not working. However, if I had the money, I would invest in a smaller (Twin or Pro Reverb) just in case lightning did strike.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
n/a
Overall Rating
:9
I've been playing for 23 years. I've only had three amps in my life, and two were Super Reverbs. I had an old cheasy amp when I was 10 but my Mom and Dad scripmed and saved to buy me a "real" amp: a 1976 Super Reverb. I played that amp without changing a thing until I was nearly 28, when I sold it to help move my family to Texas. But I never forgot that amp. The first one I found here in Texas I bought. And now things are alright again.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 10/22/2001
at 09:44am
by paul
Email: judejacob<at>yahoo dot com
Features
:6
This review is for both a 70's silverface and a 60's blackface. I'm writing this because of all the glowing reviews of these "remarkable" vintage amplifiers which I almost bought (I rented it).
Sound Quality
:6
First the seventies- noisy, dirty,ratty, reverb hisses like mad after 3, which is still too much reverb on this amp. It still sounds kind of cool though, you definitely get that classic sound, but the noise made me hate it, this amp gets a 5. Now the 60's- sweet tone, not as noisy, good growl, nice dirty distortion, made me smile, this one gets an 8.
Now I play mainly rock blues, and some jazz. Anything from srv, grant green, pink floyd, hendrix, etc. The blackface was great for these, the silverface needs some major work done on it.
Reliability
:No Opinion
I can't even begin to imagine how often the silverface will break down, the black face was in much better condition though.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:6
I've played 9 years and have gotten to a point to where I can fairly rate products and not be biased. I am a tone freak, and am always looking to upgrade if possible. I own a mesa nomad 100 2x12 combo, and though many vintage people will laugh, it sounds better than either the black or silver face. Here's my reasoning, I had them set up next to one another, and played each for awhile, the nomad has hardly any noise and is clearer than either one. Now admittingly, the black face has it alittle over the mesa in the clean department, but not enough to make me want to trade in such a versatile amp that costs 1400.00 for an amp that costs 1600.00, is noisier, and can only sound good when "cranked". For anybody checking out a vintage fender, you might want to look at the mesa nomad and maverick series, these are some remarkable amps, that are built alot more solidly. My mesa shines loud or low and has intelligent features to add to your tone. The sr's sound like warmer fender hotrods (which are good amps as well)IMHO. If you have any questions or comments other than "you must be deaf", feel free to write.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $350 used
Submitted 09/22/2001
at 08:53am
by Cliff
Features
:5
If you don't know the features on this one, why are you here?
Sound Quality
:10
BLues, and country live and breathe this amp. For that nostalgic, tube sound, this is it. True reverb comes from this unit like no other. The sounds are deep and mellow, and any pedal sounds good through it. I've had (2) early 70's silverface models, and of course, they were awesome. And heavy. And they don't roll well. And I'm getting older. And I sold them. I can get that sound, beleive it or not, through my Roland VG8ex, combined with my Peavey Profex, combined with my PA System. I wish that I had kept this amp for the sake of having one sitting in my studio. It is certainly a keeper from the value of collecting and great sound.
Reliability
:9
Well, 30 year old amps do have breakdowns, but these don't have many.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
For a combo amp the clean sounds of this are what others are measured by. IT IS THE ULTIMATE CLEAN COMBO.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700 used
Submitted 07/16/2001
at 04:57pm
by Dan Tirer
Email: dtirer at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:10
This is a 1970 silverface Super reverb. It was converted to blackface and was very well worth it. You know the controls. in 1, in 2, volume, treb, bass, mid//////in 1, in 2, volume, treb, bass, mid, reverb, speed, intensity. 2 channels. Can't switch between the two but there is a foot switch for reverb and tremelo. I play blues, jazz, and classic rock and this amp kicks for all of them. I like all the features and i don't really want anything else. It's powertful enough. 40W tube will blow u away.
Sound Quality
:10
Im using a strat, through a dunlop wah, ross compressor TS-808, amp. It wroks nicely, very smooth warm tone. It isn't noisy but can be a little with the pedals.the clean breakups up very nicely at higher volumes and sounds great. no distortion channel. this amp is to die for.
Reliability
:10
It's reliable to me. 30 years old and not a problem
Customer Support
:No Opinion
unlikely
Overall Rating
:10
Ive been playing for 3 years and this amp is one of the best ive heard. Most old fender tubes will do u good. There's always mesa bogie which sound wonderful, but i seemed to like this better and wasn't at a bad price at all.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $450
Submitted 07/03/2001
at 03:29pm
by Anonymous
Features
:5
Mine is a '66 Blacface Super Reverb. It does one thing; and it does it better than any other amp on the planet. It simply oozes tone. All you have to do is look at it and you can here the tone. Flicking the swtich to standby sounds phenomental. You can shake the reverb tank and it sounds good. No, it is not overloaded with features and does not need to be. The reverb and tremelo are all you need.
Sound Quality
:10
I have used all manner of guitars with this amp; strats, PRS Custom, Les Paul, big hollow body jazz guitars, hamers, high-end Ibanez, and everything sounds great. With the volume on 3 its a jazz players dream amp...crystal warm, and transparent. On 4-6 it a blues player's wet dream. Think Stevie Ray. 7-10 it's late 60's Stones...it's a gas gas gas!
Reliability
:10
Never a problem. Most 35 year old wish they were in such good shape!
Customer Support
:No Opinion
n/a
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
If somebody stole this amp, I would track them down, and stab them with my guitar until dead.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $750 used
Submitted 03/26/2001
at 01:48pm
by gdroland
Features
:9
Same spec as below... Made in June of 1964. ALL original.. WOW this is a blues amp all the way... (and rock and roll too!)..
4 Jensen C10R's - love them much better than any CTS or Oxford speaker.. and love them better than any ALNICO speakers.. the best..
Sound Quality
:10
Use a Custom Shop 57 Strat with little or no pedals.. from 1-4, fairly clean for 5-7, getting very thick and nasty, form 8-10 you can cut the sound with a knife... just like everyone says, enough bass to knock you over and enought treble to take your head off, and all at the same time.. very cream sound, nothing like it.. My sons has a 67 Fender Pro Reverb and what a pair these amps make! No one can replace this amp... the new curcuit board models don't even come close to this baby.. and oh the smell of an old tube amp.. this thing has been running for 36 years with only one cap job!
Reliability
:10
can I say, very dependable.. again 35 years with nothing mod'ed or changed (other than the caps), lets see a Peavey do that..
Customer Support
:No Opinion
won't go here..
Overall Rating
:10
Don't think I could find one as clean as this one and if I could, the price would be out of this world..
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $2500
Submitted 03/04/2001
at 11:14am
by bert krohn
Email: b_krohn at gmx<dot>de
Features
:10
1964 Super Reverb Amp.
I own actualy three guitars. A 82 Squier Strat, 62 Custom Tele an a amazing Heritage 575 Custom. I play Jazz, Rock n Roll, Alternative, Soul, Pop and all the Styles between theese.
Two channels, no switching, a reverb to die for and a fantastic tremolo. 40 watts, i use it for practice with tha band, at home i play a 22 watt Deluxe reissue, thats perfect for use at home.
The Super is an all tube amp with a tube rectifier.
ok, there's no channel switching.....try a H&K Tube Factor for sophisticated distortion at home, crank up the Super in your practice room. Most versatile amp, i've ever heard. I'll never give it away !
I own the one with ceramic speakers and they're perfect for this amp.
I payed $2500 for this amp, whats very cheap.........in Germany vintage gear is hard to get......they pay up to $3500 for an amp in good condition like mine !! Looks like an about 10 years old amp !
Sound Quality
:10
Amazing sound ....for every musical style. OK, metal shredderz wouldnt like this amp, but for all other styles it fits. No modern amp i know can duplicate the surf sound this amp offers. You know the music they produced for thr Italo western movies? Thats it and a lot more. It's been SRV's favorite amp and i know why.......i was never before that impressed on an amp.
Smooth, crispy, cleeeeeeaaaaaaaaan, warm distorted its always sounds great.....its a perfect amp, very dynamic, this amp leads you to profession......can't say enough good things about it !
Reliability
:No Opinion
N/A never used it on stage or on tour......
Customer Support
:10
I'm from Germany and the customer support is excellent. Write an E-mail and Fender will answer in about two hours.
Overall Rating
:10
I'm playing guitar for 16 years and i used a lot off stuff. When i was younger, other things have been more important than a good basic sound. The more knobs, the better the amp must be, i thought.....i was a very foolish guy....if this amp would be damaged or stolen, i would cry....no other amp is close to this one. Yeah, i like other Fenders too and i own an Engl Classic Tube 50, also a fine amp and i like my 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, but the Super is my favotite amp. I miss nothing on it. I think the Super ist the worlds best amp. Thats all i like to say........no, its not.....sorry for my bad Englisch !
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $525.00
Submitted 02/23/2001
at 10:30am
by Chris Smith
Email: none
Features
:10
'65 Blackface. I won't elaborate on what others have said.
Sound Quality
:10
All I wanted to do here is recommend a speaker replacement option if you need to replace your speakers. My CTS speakers were getting very tired and I wanted to replace them. I put them in a box and called Ampwares. Mark has a SR also and he made a recommendation after trying many different speakers in his. I settled on some Jensen P10R re-issues. They're made in the same factory in Italy as the originals. I had a Deluxe with a P12R so I wanted to go with the Jensens anyway but his encouragement helped my decision. These speakers improved the already great sound of my SR sooo much I strongly recommend them too. Ampwares had the best price I could find(I don't work for them but their service, responses, advice, and cummunication made them my first choice).
Reliability
:10
Excellent. I use it on gigs without backup. I recapped and retubed it.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
Been playing for 34 years. Our band plays original Blues/Rock. I have a '53 Tweed Deluxe I use for small clubs. I have various Fender(Tele, Strat, Jaguar, Jazz Bass), Rickenbacher, Dan-Electro, and Gibson guitars. I use a tube screamer, a Daddy-O, a few different delays(analog and digital), and a Cry Baby Wah. I gig weekly and have come to depend on my Deluxe and Super Reverb even though I have other amps. I have various bass and rack gear also.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: 200.00 CND used
Submitted 02/02/2001
at 12:04am
by James Anthony
Email: jimianthony<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:9
It's around a 68 because it has an aluminum trim around the grill cloth.
Sound Quality
:10
Some Stevie Ray Vaugnabie stuck a 15 inch speaker in it.The dummy used a car audio Piledriver? I'm putting a new baffle board in it and goin back to 4 tens.Probably the Eminence reissues cause they sound ok and they're cheap.Take out the last 12ax7 on the right looking at the back..You lose the first channel but the second sounds great.
Reliability
:8
Sounds great .I had to put in a new reverb tank.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Nobody takes anything used to Fender unless you are EC or famous.
Overall Rating
:10
I have been fulltime 29 years and owned every vintage thing around.I always go back to a twin or super.Nothing beats a Deluxe though!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $550.00
Submitted 01/28/2001
at 11:28am
by Patrick Thurmond
Email: thurmond<at>flash dot net
Features
:10
I mostly play blues, but like rock and a little jazz. Just take a little time to tweak the knobs and I can get pretty much any sound I want.
Sound Quality
:10
I play a Fender SRV strat and a 52 reissue Tele. This amp is a 1971 Silverface but I had the insides changed to Blackface specs. For clean and loud sounds this amp is just the King. The reverb is great but the tremelo on this particular amp is a little weak. I have several other Fender amps. A Deluxe Reverb and a Champ and a Kendrick Texa Crude but this is my favorite amp.
Reliability
:10
This amp is 30 years old, I've had it for 10 years and have not had any problems with it.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing for 31 years and this is the best amp I've ever had. While it may or may not be true that a Black face Super Reverb might sound better. It makes more sense to get a silverface and just have the insides changed to blackface specs because the difference in price is quite a bit. For clean, loud and fat tone this amp is just perfect for me.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $502$ used
Submitted 01/22/2001
at 08:53pm
by josh
Email: Pinkyy174 at aol,com
Features
:10
This was the exact amp I was looking for. its a 72 super reverb. awesome cleaness. You can pretty much play lighter blues and classic rock. its got your basic fender options (tremelo, reverb). its got all the features i would ever use. I use this amp for small gigs, im planning on getting two of them. the amp also has great break up. it was silver face but it is know wired blackface for a better tone quality.
Sound Quality
:9
i use a standard fender strat with noiseless picups. it suits me perfect cause I play blues. it has some hum to it when using effects (pedals). its very versitle, you can get a great tube distortion, and then a warm clean fender tone out of it. when turned up you can also get a great distortion.
Reliability
:9
I just got the amp and i trust it already (its fender why wouldent you). you can pretty much drop this baby off the grand canyon and it would still work.
Customer Support
:10
never any problems!
Overall Rating
:10
ive been playing a for about three years (im only 16) and this is the perfect amp for me. i realy hate nothing on this amp.
and all you blues fans should get one of these babys!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: (Free ( gift ))
Submitted 12/20/2000
at 10:42am
by Bob
Email: sixstring74 at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:10
Year of Production - 1966
I play mostly blues/rock
2 Channels (1 Clean and 1 with reverb and vibrato)
Cannot access vibrato without the pedal (don't have pedal)
I use amp for light gigging. Plenty of power for small place, but mic needed for the bigger ones.
Sound Quality
:10
I use a 1984 American Std. Strat, a 1961 strat, and a homemade strat w/ lindy fralin's. The amp suits my music style perfectly. Amp begins to break up at about 4 and sounds the best at 6. Mine gets a little noisy when you add effects but it is dire need of a tune up. I have been told that this will go away.
Reliability
:No Opinion
Haven't had it long enough to tell.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never had to deal with Fender for this.
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing guitar for 20 years. Pretty seriously for the last 10. I also play through a dual professional, with a ts-808, boss chorus, blues driver, delay, and a crybaby wah. If stolen, I would save up money for a while and try to get another one. I would kill the thief though.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $350 used
Submitted 12/07/2000
at 12:14pm
by Anonymous
Features
:10
This SR is a 1965 model. Blackface with two channels: clean and vibrato. Rated at 40 watts, although sounds like it pushes more. The natural overdrive comes on at around 5 on the dial. Beautiful,outstanding,awesome..... It has the "tone" period.
On a scale with all other amps I guess the features would be rated at a 6. But for me and my plaing needs it a solid 10.
Sound Quality
:10
As far as sound what more can be said...it's a 65 SR!! Blues machine extrodinare. With a TS-9 plugged in it gives you that little extra umph for the Stevie Ray stuff. Nothing short of incredible
Reliability
:10
I am in the process of doing the necessary tubes and cap thing. But this amp sounded awesome from the day I got it 6 years ago. I don't gig out but play it regularly. Not one problem...ever
Customer Support
:No Opinion
n/a
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing on and off for 22 years. I play a SRV strat(pick gaurd replaced with a "regular" black model) I have a Charvell strat type and a Les Paul copy(japanese) all these guitars sound great. I am more of a appreciator of sound/tone that I am a player. I own two other amps: and Acoustic 100watt tranny amp(sounds kinda good....I guess) and I have a early 50's National Valco tweed amp. This amp is also very cool indeed. As far as the SR it "WILL" be headstone when I die.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $500 used
Submitted 11/03/2000
at 10:52am
by Mick
Email: mwatson<at>chis dot com
Features
:6
Mine is a late '69 Silverface. Even though I've had this for six years, I've not checked into which circuitry it has. I've always assumed that it's not the coveted AB763, but then again, I never get past "5" on the volume, so who knows? It's got the standard workhorse Oxford speakers. In these days of channel-switching, tone-banks and on-board effects, there's not much here to excite the Gadget-Heads out there, but for me that's just fine. I bought this when I was really into stompboxes and effects - - mostly to make up for my lack of chops, confidence and imagination. Over the years, I've dropped off all of my in-line toys except for my trusty Ibanez TS-10 distortion box, which was a $25 pawn shop special. I built a footswitch for the reverb, but never really needed to use it in the middle of the tunes we play. So I've really got everything I need for the blues, rock, light jazz, and Motown-type stuff that we play. As others have stated here, this thing has power to spare. I wish I COULD turn it all the way up, but we haven't found a club that big yet for our little part-time 40-something band.
My only complaint it that for some odd reason this thing gets heavier every year. By the time I'm 50 it should be about 200 pounds (feels like about 75 now) and I'll need two Sherpas to haul it around.
Sound Quality
:10
Up until two years ago my weapon of choice was an unmodified American Standard Strat. Talk about your classic tone. Who's going to improve upon that? When I bought it, the amp had the original tubes in the power section. They were tired and mushy, so I had to replace them to get the pure Fender sparkle with the AS single-coils. After four years of this I picked up an Ibanez Talman with two lipsticks single-coils and a humbucker at the bridge. The lipsticks give me a little stronger top-end and as I dialed in the Talman-SR tone, the strat spent more time on the sidelines, until I finally quit taking it out of the case (I know, I know . . . how dare I replace a real Strat with a goofy-looking Talman! But the older I get, the more I realize that it's all about tone - - names mean less than what you can get out of it. Sorry.) With the reverb, TS-10, and various pick-up combinations, I get everything I need.
I should add here that I've played several Super Reverbs and they are quirky as hell in their individual tone. All four that I've played (ranging from '65 to '73) were different-sounding. My advice to any prospective buyer is that you really have to listen to the one you're thinking about buying before you plunk down the cash. This is not good news to the eBay crowd, but I call 'em like I see 'em. I never would have considered buying two of the four that I played. They were that different.
Reliability
:10
Never had a problem. One set of power tubes in six years is pretty good for me, though we only gig about once a month, so I shouldn't be wearing things out. I don't bring a back-up, though I do keep the old tubes on hand should the unthinkable happen.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Like they're gonna sweat over my 31-year-old? There are lots of good amp techs here in Seattle if I need anything.
Overall Rating
:9
I suppose if I had two thousand bucks that I couldn't think of any other way to spend, I'd trade up to a 64 Vibroverb. But barring that, I'm thrilled with my Super Reverb. I'm her man, she's my amp. Especially if I can hire those Sherpas as roadies. If you demand no less than natural, amp-cooking distortion, then this one's probably not for you: Spend the thousands for low-wattage Blackface or grab an old Marshall with a PowerBrake. If you live for pure-tube tone, I don't know how you can do any better.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $30.00 used
Submitted 10/14/2000
at 09:31pm
by Jonathan
Email: Sagiru<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:8
Mine is a Silverface Super Reverb... my best guess is that it is a '68, and the speakers appear to be Oxfords. No bells or whistle, just a fabulous tube amp.
Sound Quality
:10
I have several guitars, but mostly I play a strat through the super. I'm a blues guy who does a bit of country and rock on the side, so it suits me well. It has gotten a bit noisy as of late... probably due for some tweaking.
When I bought this amp (really, I paid $30.00! In a very seedy pawn shop...)there was a 30amp fuse in the slow-blow socket, and the transformer was melted to slag. Instead of using a 45-watt transformer, my tech wired in a 60-watt unit from a blues deville. Heresy you say...? well, you should just hear it, and talk about headroom. Yee ha! I have played big outdoor gigs, and not gone past "7". Check it out at: http://mp3.com/jonathanreynolds
Reliability
:8
Very very reliable. It has giged hard and never let me down... well, maybe once, but it got rained on that day. I did have to change the tubes recently... it was a shame. Several were original RCAs.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Ain't none. When I lived in Knoville I had a great tech. Now I'm in Cincinnati and could use a good tip on somebody who knows old Fenders around here... any leads out there????
Overall Rating
:9
World's best amp. Several people have asked me to will it to them. I used to run a jam and I have little doubt that many people showed up just to play my amp. If it were stolen, I would hunt the thieves down and kill them. They would probably be easy to catch... having blown out a disc or two trying to run with that amp... and that is the only defect with this amp. It weighs a ton! I may get to old to haul it around someday soon.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $200 used
Submitted 09/18/2000
at 07:08am
by Antonio Harres
Email: harresac at compuland<dot>com<dot>br
Features
:10
My Super Reverb was born in the late 60's. It was brought to Brazil
by a blues musician in the 70's. I bought it in a nightmare shape.
Thanks to Parts is Parts I was able to full retored it and put it
back to all its power.
Sound Quality
:10
I use it in my recording studio. It was used with Fender,
Gretsch, Danelecetro, Epiphone guitars with full satisfaction.
Reliability
:10
Never went out vfrom the studio and it works fine since the
restoration in 1998.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
The Febder Superreverb it's a classic. Ialso own Vox AC 30, Laney,
Marshall and Gibson amps.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1400 Blackface used
Submitted 06/18/2000
at 03:32am
by Jimi F
Email: J_F11 at excite<dot>com
Features
:10
You know the story, normal and vibrato channals,bass, mids,treble controls, reverb, vibrato speed and intensity controls. 10 for simplicity was looking into Mesa Boogie Tremoverb but just to darn many features. It is a nice amp but Nothing beats a Blackface Super Reverb IMO.
Sound Quality
:10
My Amps are a 1966 Blackface and 1968 silverface yes it is a true AB-763 Silverface the only thing I changed was I put the Blackface rectifier GZ in it (only differance between Black face and Silverface AB-763 circuitry). You know that tone that we all are in the eternal search for, well THIS IS IT! I play a 1957 reissue strat, and a lonestar strat. Both are very nice guitars. I play blues to class rock to jazz fusion this amp will do it all, only metal shredders would disagree. My amps have been fully checked out by Savage Amplification in Burnsville Minnesota, those guys are great. Both are extremly quiet and no clicking sounds on vibrato at all. they both break up nicely around five. These are the only amps that I have owned that sound outstanding alone.
Reliability
:10
Come on they are over thirty years old and still sound better than most everthing out there. enough said.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing off and on for around 20+ years now. I have just about every pedal that Fulltone and S.I.B. makes witch will make any amp sound great but with these amps you wont need mutch if anything at all. You have seen all the reviews, find one try it and YOU WILL LEAVE THE STORE WITH IT! For the record or your intrest my complete setup is as follows. Strats to Fulltone clyde wah, deja vibe 2,morley voulume,fulltone ultimate octive,electro harm.small stone phaser,fulltone fulldrive 2,S.I.B.Varidrive,electro harm. bigg muff,S.I.B.Echodrive,Fulltone choralflange with one line out going to ab switch to both super reverbs, the other out to Marshall JTM-45 reissue with a hoffman board and extra filter cap making it really a 50 watt tone monster. AWESOME RIG it even makes ME sound good! MUSIC IS THE DOORWAY TO THE SOUL share it with you family and friends.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700 used
Submitted 06/14/2000
at 11:48am
by matt
Email: parrothead2002 at aol<dot>com
Features
:10
I own a silverface super w/ no master volume, so i guess its from the early seventies. This is a really stripped down, straight forward amp that has all the features that i could possibly need
Sound Quality
:10
I use a fender roadhouse strat and an american standard tele through it. It seems like these old fender tube amps really come alive w/ single coil guitars. The amp puts out a great fat, bluesy tone that no new amp can give you. It starts to break up around 5-6 for that classic overdriven sound
Reliability
:10
fender amps are solid as a rock. 30-some years old and still tickin'.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
like I said, 30-some years old. I doubt fender would help much, but heck, I don't think I'll need their help
Overall Rating
:10
Overall this is the absolute best amp money can buy unless you are willing to pay over $2000. If it were stolen, I'd buy another one in a second
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $650 used
Submitted 05/21/2000
at 12:37pm
by Jim
Email: geetarjim<at>aol dot com
Features
:8
This is an early 70's silverface (before master volume or volume pull boost) I just got it last week at a guitar show in Nashville for $650. If you own a vintage Fender amp, you know there are not a heck of a lot of features on them. And for those of you who are not familiar with them, I'll go ahead and describe the amp and it's features. The Super has two channels, Normal and Vibrato (it's really supposed to be called tremolo). The normal channel has two inputs with a bright switch, and volume, treble, and bass pots. The Vibrato channel also has a bright switch, and controls for volume, treble, middle, bass, reverb, speed, and intensity. The reverb on mine might be original, might have been replaced, but bottom-line is that it sucks. I've heard lots of criticism about the reverb on Fender silverface amps, so ya never know. A previous owner internally installed a solid state rectifier and didn't just use a solid state plug. It's going into the shop this week to get that reversed for a tube rectifier.
The silverface Super Reverbs puts out 45 watts (blackface ones are rated at 40). I don't gig that much, so it's definitely enough power. Starts to breakup around 4 or 5. No effects loops. I never really use the tremolo, except when I'm bored. Not alot of features, but thats not why one gets a vintage Fender amp. Thats what the next category's for....
Sound Quality
:10
Amazing!! Thats the only word needed to describe the sound of a Super Reverb. I've had another one (a blackface) for quite awhile now, and this silverface sounds just as good. The speaker configuration is 4x10", giving a nice big round sound. I play blues mostly, using a varitey of Les Pauls and ES-335's (no strats here!!) and get a great smooth, creamy tone. This particular Super had Sovtek 5881WXT's installed, rather than the normal 6L6's to give it an even smoother sound. When pushed at high volumes, I get a very smooth, musical distortion. I've always been a Super Reverb guy and I always will be.
Reliability
:No Opinion
Can't say anything about it's reliability yet, only had it for a week. Hasn't done anything yet to make me think it might be unreliable.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Read above
Overall Rating
:10
This amp is perfect for all my needs. It just flat out, sounds great. Yea, it's big and heavy, but I don't usually take it anywhere.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $400 used
Submitted 05/05/2000
at 01:20pm
by Anonymous
Email: bianchilx at aol<dot>com
Features
:8
1972 Silver Face; no master volume; one speaker replaced with a Pyle Driver at some point. Some tubes replaced with Sovteks. I'm not big on all the specs.
Outside, this has been beat up a bit - small tears and nicks in the cover, new grill cloth. Inside it sounds great. I'm always amazed at how many sounds and tones I can get by just tweaking the settings on the amp or guitar.
Sound Quality
:10
I mainly use a '74 Gibson L6S with very hot original humbuckers. With that, the volume stays on 3.5/4. With a friend's Tele, the volume goes up to 4 or 5. I also have a $99 hollow-body Yamaha from (I think) the early 70's. The Super makes even this cheap guitar sound wonderful.
I love blues, roots & folk-rock. With this amp, all it takes is a guitar and a cord. My band, however, does more modern/alternative music. I stuck a Marshall Blues Breaker pedal in the line and the Super sounds more full than a Sovtek 100 watt stack I used to use.
In short, the Super is THE sound I've dreamed of since first playing guitar in high school umpteen years ago.
Reliability
:No Opinion
No problems so far. I just take good care of her.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
n/a
Overall Rating
:10
Amps and guitars are very subjective but the Super Reverb is me. I also played a '75 Pro Reverb with 2x12, the new DeVille's, and a few others. All nice but not what I wanted. The Super Reverb has made me a better guitar player because the sounds in my head are now coming through the speakers.
When I was buying this, the shop owner asked me to turn the volume UP because he wanted to hear it more. Then he handed me a Strat just so he could listen to that Fender-through-a-Fender tone. This is in a shop with $1500 vintage Vibroluxes. Hard to beat all that for $400.
Downsides? It's big and heavy. So what.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700 used
Submitted 05/03/2000
at 04:01am
by Pleun
Email: pa3hho<at>qsl dot net
Features
:8
Speakers and transformers in my amp are from '68 and '69 so it's a late '69 model. It's got the silverface looks, blue sparkle grill cloth, aluminium trim and a Fender logo with tail. It's a 40 watt all tube (even the power supply's rectifier)two channel combo with 4 x 10" CTS AlNiCo speakers. 1st (normal) channel: volume, bass and treble pots and a bright switch. 2nd (vibrato) channel: volume, bass, middle, treble, reverb, speed and intensity pots and a bright switch. The reverb on this baby is a (large!) spring reverb unit that's coming from the Hammond factory, later models don't have this sweet reverb spring any more. No modern features like channel switching and effect loops on this amp. Sound is more important than features, that's why I'm givin' it an...
Sound Quality
:10
Lot of people think that their SR is an AB763 (july 1963) circuit because the tubechart says so.. dream on! Mine probably is the AB568 circuit but still originally with a GZ34 rectifier tube. It had balanced bias rather than leveled. The sound was nice and clean (others say: boring), just like you'd expect your average seventies silverface Fender to behave. The '68, '69 and seventies SR's are *very* easy to "blackface" because they all still have a tube rectifier and use the same transformers as the AB763 (july '63) model. Especially the 2 Ohm output transformer makes that magic sound! I had my amp recapped and "blackfaced" (rewired to AB763 circuit), it's a MIRACLE! I recommend this modification to every '68, '69 and seventies SR owner! You will not believe your ears! Can't describe, must hear; MAGIC! The tone is awesome, lots of headroom, beautifull warm sustain, cruch to overdrive when volume set to 4 or higher levels and the reverb from the Hammond spring is soooo sweet! I know I've said this before, but now it's for real. There is defenitely no better amp than a blackface(d) Fender Super Reverb! I think though that it's only suitable for blues(rock), jazz, rockabilly etc.
Reliability
:8
It's very reliable because it worked fine when I bought it! If you buy a 30 year old amp, have a technician have a look at it! This amp deserves the best! Don't be proud that your amp is 100% original because it's stupid! (one should be ashamed!). Capacitors and resistors tend to loose their capacity throught the years and handsoldered points can become weak too. So if you want a good and safe (!) amp with magic tone, have it re-capped using Mallory blue caps (not available any more) or Spraque orange drops. Have al the wiring checked and use new preamp and power tubes (use a matched pair and don't forget to bias it again) and enjoy that 1963 tone again. If you have a '68, '69 or seventies model: HAVE IT BLACKFACED!! or at least have it rewired for leveled bias instead of dodgy balanced bias.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Although I'm sure they're doing a good job, everybody agrees that "new style Fender" sucks! Just visit your local tube-amp-freak, he can do better things to your amp than Mr. Fender himself
Overall Rating
:10
I'm a Dutch blues and rockabilly player. I liked my early silverface bandmaster, my early silverface bassman export, my late silverface bassman ten for the great always-clean 'n' punchy sound. I never experienced (or even heard of) the "blackface" sound. An (internet) friend of mine told me about this. He also got a silverface SR and got it blackfaced.. a world opening to me, incredible and magical! We've tested several blackfaced silverface SR's and also some blackface SR's. They all seem to have their own character but that's the great thing about USA handwired equipment. Even the blackface owners were pretty impressed by the silverfaces. One guy thought the silver was even better sounding than his own blackie! Anyway.. this is my last review for harmony central, as far as I'm concerned there's only one amp: SUPER REVERB. Never gonna sell it, I'm afraid I can't express here what I would do to the thief if it was stolen.
BTW: there are a lot of mods for the SR that can give you some extra boost and or tone. e.g. remove normal channel tube, disconnect vibratopot and tube, use 12AX7 instead of 12AT7 as PI (more gain, less tone though), use 12AU7 as reverb driver (better control) etc. Just check the internet!!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1100 used
Submitted 03/04/2000
at 11:08pm
by JohnnyGraphic
Email: Jyonemura at worldnet<dot>att<dot>net
Features
:10
This is a follow up review to my original review 10/4/98. I've had this amp for about 1 1/2 years. This is the perfect amp for what I was looking for in an amp. I play blues, rock & rockabilly. You can't get a million sounds out of this amp, but what it does do, it does it better than any other amp I've heard. 9 howling tubes! Clean for when you need it, twirl the volume knob & you get awesome Fender tube bite & distortion. I play in a cover band & cover quite a bit of territory. All I really need is a delay pedal (Dan Echo) & distortion (Full Drive). The reverb is just beautiful. This has more that enough power for just about any gig. If you're on a big stage, throw an SM 57 in front of the grill & put it in your monitors. Nothing else needed. Just as practically every other review noted, this amp has a very LOUD 40 watts. 4 x 10 CTS alnico's.
Sound Quality
:10
I play a '62 reissue Fender strat GHS Pure Nickel 11's, a newly acquired Gretsch Brian Setzer Signature model & a '73 Gretsch Country Gentleman-both with D'Addario 10's. All stock. I use Monster Cable. The amp is dead quiet, but the single coils pick up a lot of hum (what's new). This amp really responds well to what & how YOU play. So, the variety is really in your hands. Clean sounds up to about 4, then it gets a little edge to it. Volume on 10 is ideal for my strat. Back off the volume on the guitar or pick attack & the distortion cleans up a bit. The Gretsch get from 4 to 5 1/2 on the volume. Any higher & the feedback is uncontrollable. I am still totally happy with this amp. I've never heard a bad sound out of it yet. I had all of the capacitors replaced since my original review. The amp really is in top notch shape!
Reliability
:10
The amp is a very dependable piece. Just keep spare tubes, fuses & you're set. No need for a spare amp. I was a little disappointed in the first guy who worked on my amp, so I had Hal at Guitronics in San Francisco go thru the whole amp. He said that my amp reminded him of a Super that someone had kept hid in a closet for 30 years! This guy really looked out for my best interests! He told me exactly what was & what wasn't original. He replaced everything back to original specs/parts. He's a player too & understands the quest for tone that we all have. I also had him put casters on it. It's VERY HEAVY! He also suggested Tuki Covers for the amp vs. a full-on road case. It was a great move! My back is eternally grateful! If you're within an hour of S.F., GO SEE HIM! He's right around the corner from Guitar Center.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:10
The honeymoon is definitely over. But I still love it! You don't see this many exclamation points in any other review of any other amp. Been playing about 20 years. No other amps. Don't need any other. This is one piece I would run back into a burning building for...But, then I remember why BB King named his guitars Lucille. (There was a fight over a girl in a bar he was playing at, the place caught fire & he risked his life to get his $30 guitar out of there. The girls name was Lucille-He named all of his guitars since then to remind him not to do a foolish thing like that again!) The only thing I wish it had was someone who could run the sound system, tune my guitar, load in & out, get us more gigs, keep the drinks coming, tell the bass player to show up on time & keep him from hitting the bar during the song!!!...Wireless can be an evil thing.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: 600$ (Canadian) used
Submitted 02/16/2000
at 11:44am
by Francois
Email: none
Features
:10
It's a silverface model dating 74-76 with master volume. It's near mint with all the original parts. It has a wonderfull tremolo (called vibrato), great great reverb, two non switchable channels with two inputs each, one channel with volume bass and treble, the other with volume, treble, middle, bass, reverb. Speed and intensity for the tremolo. The super has four 10'' CTS ceramic magnet speakers and a footswith for reverb and vibrato. Ext. spkr out. 40 ''loud'' watts. It's all the features I need. For a 25 year old amp, it's hard to find more features than that.
Sound Quality
:9
I'm using this amp with a strat. plus and an Am. std. tele.
It suits my musical styles (Blues, rock, jazz, even disco and R & B) This amp is perfect for roots music. For metal it sucks. The speakers don't handle distorsion very well. With a tube screamer, it just sings My Daddy-O on the other hand sounds rather crappy through it. It just buzzes at high distorsion or farts at lower distorsion levels. With the master pulled out, it sounds a bit better but you loose some reverb. The reverb is absolutly gorgeous by the way. The vibrato too. There is almost no drop in volume contrary to my seventies twin and the sound is the best I have ever heard. Ok, so it sound like a ten for clean to moderate break up. But the speakers don't like distorsion and produce that farty sound that most people dislike about 70's fenders. They're made to be played loud and clean.
I'd give it a ten if it was a blackface or if it had better speakers and blackface mods done to it. I might eventually install some webers or jensen reissue alnicos. The average rating is high in this category but I have to be fair, it's not there yet. It would'nt cost that much to make i a ten though.
Reliability
:10
It's 25 years old and should last another 25.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:9
I've been playing 9 years and I love fender amps and guitars. This amp is versatile for blues rock oriented players but is not everyone's cup of tea. It doesn't cover every style. For what it does though, it's hard to beat. I got a great deal on it and with some mods, it could be as good has an early sixties super which according to many, is considered the holy grail of blues amps. As is, it falls just short. But for the price, you just can't get a point to point wired all valve amp that sounds better than this one when played clean.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1075 used
Submitted 02/14/2000
at 08:46pm
by Matt Wills
Email: matt_wills<at>sdleb dot org
Features
:7
This is a 1966 "Blackface - AB763" Fender Super Reverb 4 x 10 combo. The date code printed on the lower left hand corner of the tube chart reads "PD". The "P" stands for the year (1966) and the "D" stands for the month (April). The production number is stamped as "30". The preamp section has 6 tubes, 2-12AT7 and 4-12AX7's. Currently there are Sovteks across the board in this section. The power section has 2 sovtek 6L6's. There is a US made (manufacturer unknown) GZ34/5AR4 rectifier tube.
This is a two channel amp, "Normal" and "Vibrato." There is no Headphone jack. The footpedal allows one to switch off the reverb and vibrato. The vibrato channel has intensity and speed knobs to control the vibrato output. I purchased this amp knowing the features that it had and did not wish for anything more. Simpler is defintely better. There is of course no effects loop, and to switch the channels you simply pull the guitar cord out of the one channel and put it in the other. What more do you need?
I use this amp in my basement hobby recording studio. It is a very loud 40 watts, more than enough for my application. If I were to use this amp in a band or live situation, I would simply mic it and run it through the PA.
Sound Quality
:10
I am currently using this amp with two guitars: a 1993 Fender American Stratocaster loaded with Texas Special pickups and a stock 1994 Japanese Fender FotoFlame Strat. I play primarily blues, and this is without a doubt the holy grail of blues amplification. It makes a little noise, but less than a Marshall JMP or a Laney AOR. It is really much more quiet than I imagined it would be.
The Super Reverb is known best for its lush reverb and clean, full sound. It is brilliantly clean up to about 3 1/2 on the volume, and starts to break up nicely around 4. Above that, the amount of distortion and volume increases proportionately until the volume reaches about 6. Higher than that and the volume does not really increase. This is not a metal or even a hard rock amp. Blues, Jazz, country. . .This is the best sounding amp for these types of music.
Reliability
:10
This amp is 34 years and I would trust it in any situation. I plan on always having an extra set of tubes available. I'm funny that way.
Customer Support
:1
Never dealt with Fender never will. Customer support exists in the form of news groups and web pages of people dedicated to providing quality information to people like you and me. There is a plethora of information available on the net .
I have a pro service my amp. I would not trust just anyone to work on this thing, and I will not touch it. Tube amps can kill you.
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing for about 20 years now and have owned a variety of amps throughout my life. I own several other guitars, too many to mention, but my strats are my main guitars. I have a variety of instrument and vocal mics, and my hobby recording studio is built around a Roland VS-880.
I waited a long time to buy this amp. I have been in search of the "elusive tone" for years and finally found it in this amp. If the amp was stolen or found among the ashes of my house (God forbid), I would begin the search all over again. I have played other vintage Fenders (Dual showman, bassman, Twin reverb etc,) and nothing compares to the SR.
Even though I payed a great deal of money for this amp, it is worth many times that in terms of the satisfaction it brings. Smiles in a box. Also, I suspect that this and other Fender vintage stuff will continue to increase in value. As a second thought, I consider it a sound investment.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700.00 used
Submitted 12/03/1999
at 11:22am
by Raye Boals
Email: rcboals<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:5
Late 1975 model. Reverb, Vibbroto, 4 10's Alnico's. Complete rebuild Ruby tubes 6L6STR's. Amp put back to pre CBS Black Face Specs. Only feature lacking would be channel switching.
Sound Quality
:10
I play an American Standard Strat with Texas Special Pick ups, and a Guild DeArmond X-155. My music style is mostly Blues/Rockabilly and Vintage 60's Rock n Roll. SOUND! SOUND! SOUND! What this amp lacks in features is more than made up by the quality of sound. I wish I had bought a Super Reverb first. After owning several amps in my 40yrs of playing, the sounds this amp can make are superior all the way. It breaks up nicely at about 4 and stays with the creamy bluesey sound even when you crank the volume. For my style and what I play this amp is a 10+++. If you're considering one just read the reviews and then make your decision. You will not go wrong with the Super Reverb. IN MY NOT SO HUMBLE OPINION.
Reliability
:No Opinion
No problems so far.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
You kidding? Fender "The Multi-National Corporation" has prayer meetings every day to pray that all their old amps & guitars would just vanish of the face of the earth.
Overall Rating
:10
Playing 40+ yrs. Effects pedals Danelectro Dan Echo & Cool Cat Chorus,
Ibanez T-9 Tube Screamer. If this amp were lost or stolen I would definately get another one ASAP. The only thing I can think I wish it had was 4 10" JBL Orange Label Speakers. If you know of a set priced reasonably please email me.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: $1,300 ( Canadian ) used
Submitted 11/08/1999
at 11:53am
by Dave Brown
Email: dbrown<at>tstoverland dot com
Features
:9
I've been looking for a Super Reverb for some time and I finally found one that was in mint condition and wasn't priced like a Rolls Royce. Mine's a 1969 Silverface. I checked the date through the usual chassis hand stamps,transformer and speaker code numbers etc. The guy who sold it to me also said it was already Blackfaced and that turned out to be true when I had my tech give it a thorough ckeckout. Not only was it Blackfaced but everything was original except that one of the CTS alnico speakers was reconed at some point.The only work my tech had to do was replace the caps on the vibrato circuit. I had a complete retube done with tubes of my preference (Svetlana 6L6GC's were my power choice and my tech recommended Tesla preamp). The cabinet and grill are mint as well. Looks fabulous.
I don't need versatility so this amp has everything I require in an amp - medium power, reverb ( vibrato is handy but I don't use it much)The few other things I might use can be added as outboard.
Sound Quality
:10
This amp is about tone...especially for Blues player. I play in a working Blues/R&B band and this is a "holy grail" amp. I traded a '59 Bassman Reissue and a '63 Fender Reissue Reverb to get this thing.I liked the Bassman a lot (especially after I got the Fender reverb) but the Super Reverb kicks my tone to the next level. The Super is just sooooo SMMMOOOOOOTH ! The highs are warm but very clear and the lows are solid. The real plus for me, compared to the Bassman,is the way this amp handles midrange. Anything..amps, guitars, pickups, pedals etc that contribute to an overly midrangy tone (ie: even the slightest hint of "boxiness") drive me nuts. Even the Bassman did that to some degree.But the Super lets me turn the midrange up and benefit from the fatness without any trace of boxiness..even on my semi with humbuckers.And the Reverb is very, very lush.
I use two guitars on most gigs and they both love this amp. My favorite is my mid-80's Yamaha SA 2100 (335) semi. Its got a SD Seth Lover HB at the neck and a Classic '57 HB at the bridge. The Super just makes this guitar sing.Incredible versatility of tone. My other guitar is a former Strat Lone Star that I took the midrangy Texas Specials out of and replaced with Vintage Fralins. The Strat/Fralins and the Super Reverb define absolutely classic '50's Fender tone.It even has me playing "Walk Don't Run" by the Ventures again just to hear "the tone". I don't use much in the way of effects...just a Fulldrive2 to boost it a bit at lower volumes.
I've had it for two weeks and I've used it to both gig and record.The unanimous opinion of my band guys was that this amp has killer tone.And they have heard me with a lot of different amps. Even the drummer noticed.
The Super Reverb is everything that its reputation says it is. Although I'm a Blues guy I can sure envision this with a Tele doing fabulous country tone. Or great roots or classic rock. No metal though.If you dig great blues tone or simply state of the art vintage Fender tone you must get one of these. Not to discount the importance and tone of the Twin Reverb or the Deluxe Reverb ( both holy grail amps on their own)but I haven't played a TR or DR that gives me the same "vibe" as the Super Reverb.Maybe its the mid power (40 watts). Maybe its the 4x10 configuration ( my personal favorite). Maybe both but this is one gorgeous tone machine.
Reliability
:8
Hard to say but my experience with Fenders are that they are built to last.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
The amp's 30 years old. I think the warranty has expired.
Overall Rating
:10
If it were stolen I'd search again to find another mint one. Definitely worth the price.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: $700 (CANADIAN) used
Submitted 10/16/1999
at 10:32am
by DAVID BAILEY
Email: dondav<at>golden dot net
Features
:9
I AM THE PROUD OWNER OF A 76' SUPER REVERB. THIS HAS A 5U4GB RECTIFIER TUBE AS WELL AS 7025'S,12AT7'S & ONE 12AX7 IN THE PREAMP TREMELO REVERB STAGE AND RUSSIAN 6L6'S POWER. MASTER VOLUME CONTROL IS ALSO A PUSH PULL DISTORTION SWITCH. I HAVE SEEN THIS MODEL(ABOUT THE SAME VINTAGE WITH A BASS INPUT)CAN ANYONE CLUE ME IN? I NEVER USE CHANNEL 1, THIS IS RESEVERED FOR MY ACOUSTIC FRIENDS. I PLAY MOSTLY BLUES & R&B AND FOR THIS FORM, IT IS A KILLER TONE DOG. IF THERE ANY DISBELIEVERS OUT THERE SEARCH ONE OUT, AND PLUG IN, NUFF' SAID.
Sound Quality
:10
I PLAY A JAPANESE TELE (95') FOTOFLAME WITH SEYMOUR DUCAN VINTAGE 54'S NECK AND BRIDGE. STRUNG WITH FENDER 250'S 9'S. THE AMP WITH THIS SETUP PLUGGED INTO IT IS A LITTLE NOISY AND HUMS.THESE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT PRESENT WHEN I'M UNPLGGED. ANY IDEAS OUT THERE? I ALSO HAVE 2 EFFECT PEDALS. DANELECTRO DADDY-O & FAB TONE WHICH ARE EXCELLENT. AS FOR THE SOUNDS FROM THIS AMP.... WELL LIMITLESS. I GET NOTHING BUT COMMENTS ON MY RIG (PROUD PARENT THING).
Reliability
:7
I DON'T GIG, BUT HAVE JAMMED A FEW TIMES AND MY ONLY COMMENT IS WHEN TRANSPORTED THE TUBES WERE LOSS AND TOOK AWILE TO WARM UP. BUT NOTHING SERIOUS. THE OWNER BEFORE ME HAD THE AMP SERVICED WHICH INCLUDED NEW TUBES & OUTPUT TRANSFORMER LUCKY ME.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
NO WARRANTY, BUT AT THS AGE WHO CARES.
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I PLAYED IN A GARAGE BAND IN THE 60'S, HAD A GUITAR IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER SINCE. I PLAYED BASS AND PICKED UP THREE CORDS AND PLAYED THE HELL OUT OF THEM UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO. WHEN I DECIDED TO TAKE LESSONS, THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA, NOW MY TEACHER SAYS I SHOULD BE IN A BLUES BAND, WHAT A GREAT COMPLEMENT. SO BY THIS YOU CAN SEE THAT I SAW AND PLAYED, IF ONLY BRIEFLY LOTS OF EQUIPMENT AND I ALWAYS WANTED WHAT I HAVE NOW, EXCEPT FOR A RICHENBACHER 4001 BUT THATS ANOTHER STORY. JUST A COMMENT... PLAY FOR YOURSELF FIRST.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $600 used
Submitted 08/20/1999
at 11:37pm
by Goerge
Email: georgeg587<at>aol dot com
Features
:8
1965 Black Face Super Reverb. I just purchased this latest as a sister for my other '65 BF Super Reverb. This makes a total of three Supers (one silver and two blacks) and I can say without reservation that these are the best sounding amps I have ever owned. This amp was one of the best I have seen in some time for condition and originality of parts. I bought it from a pawn shop for a paltry $600. These things go for nearly $2000 in California. Like everyone else has said, keep them tuned up and checked out by a qualified tech at least once a year and these things go forever.
Sound Quality
:8
For those who are looking for an amp that works for blues, rock and country this is it. All you will ever need is a fuzz (for that rock) and possibly a wah pedal. I just like to plug in straight from the output jack of the guitar.
Reliability
:10
Reliability is its middle name. If you don't spill to many beers into the back and keep the tubes changed it will outlive you.
Customer Support
:2
Support from Fender? There is no such thing. Not that you will need it. You sit and listen to musak on hold until you forgot why you called in the first place. I have tried on numerous occassions to call Fender service and to this day I have yet to get anyone to answer the phone. I can recommend the web site and one of the discussion groups. I have been much more successful there. Jack Schwartz of Fender will reply to your requests expeditiously.
Overall Rating
:9
This amp is worth every penny you can spare. If you buy just one amp, I would recommend this amp.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $399.99
Submitted 08/19/1999
at 11:31am
by russ martin
Email: russell<dot>martin at pss<dot>boeing<dot>com
Features
:10
I am the original owner of this beautiful piece of equipment. I bought it in 1965 for $399.00. It is a very stock amp. I just had it reconditioned by a very thurough co. in Seattle called Bozotronics. It is a two channel revervb/tremelo amp that really has all the features it needs. I play rock and roll, and blues, and classic top 40 stuff if you twist my arm. I have had stomp boxes in the past, but keep comming back to the combination that works best, Guitar/cord/amp.
Sound Quality
:10
This is an amp that will bring back all the flavor of the year in which it was manufactured. I play nothing but strats through my amp, and weather its an american standard, or a strat plus, the sound is incredible. At a volume setting of 5 you can go from a clean sound, and just by rolling the volume knob on your guitar, you have a down and dirty blues sound. I have always miked this amp, and let the sound man fit it in with the big boys. Add a fuzzface, and a wah-wah, and you can play any sound from the 60's you can remember.....or have heard on MTV. This is a benchmark amp to which all others should be compared. It delivers the most with the least.
Reliability
:10
I changed the oil every 3k, and always rotated the tires, and this amp never even coughed for over 30 years. It started to blow fuses a while back, and I had it gone over by an amp guru here in seattle to bring it back up to snuff. I play it an average of 4-20 hours a week, and will never sell it. It was my first, my best, and my favorite.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I have never delt with fender. When they make a product that lasts for almost 35 years.....well what can I say. I know that no where on the amp does it say "MADE IN JAPAN" I make things for a living, and I am proud to be an american, playing an american amp.
Overall Rating
:10
If you can find one snatch it up. I have been looking for another in the same kind of condition mine is in, but havent had much luck so far. I saw one in a guitar show for $2500.00 but was not able to part with that much at that particular point in time. It is hard to put a price on happiness, and this amp has been making me and others happy since 1965.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $384.00 used
Submitted 07/23/1999
at 12:53am
by Gary Silkwood
Email: silky at nemonet<dot>com
Features
:9
Late '69 Fender Super Reverb. 40 Watts. 2 channels. 4-10" CTS Alnico Speakers. Pure Tube Tone. Reverb and Vibrato (tremelo). Bass, Mid, and Treble knobs, speed & intensity for vibrato. Simple. That's all I need. This amp is probably my favorite amp I have ever owned. Found it in a Music Shop. Gave $384.00 for it. Wouldn't take 3 times that for it. AB763 circuity (blackface). Silverface cosmetics. No Master Volume. Up to about 5 -6 on volume, it's clean and warm. Over that, true overdrive kicks in that is warm and round. Nothing like a blackface Fender tube amp for this kind of sound. SRV in a box. Sparkling highs and tight puncy lows with the 4-10's. Sometime does not have enough power to compete with a bass amp with 300 watts or a hard-hitting drummer, but you HAVE GOT TO PLAY THOUGH ONE OF THESE THINGS TO BELIEVE THE TONE!!!!! Deep Lush Reverb (tube driven). Amp is all point to point hand wired.
Sound Quality
:10
Play mostly classic rock, country, some blues, Motown, 50' & 60's, etc. Very versitile amp. Will need to be miked on stage in bigger venues, though really a loud 40 watts. To me, this is the amp to own. Not heavy like my '77 Twin with JBL's (another awesome amp though) Clean till about 6, then warm tube overdrive. Very quiet amp. Great harmonics. You owe it to yourself to try one.
Reliability
:10
Have just had a speaker blow on me. I guess that's not bad for a 30 year old amp. Will take it to an amp tech and get speaker reconed and have complete amp gome through (filter caps, tubes, three prong cord added, wiring, everything) After this is done, I would have no problem gigging it wiht out a backup. Been playing Fenders for 24 years now and this is the first problem I have ever had. You keep them serviced as they should be, they will last forever.
Customer Support
:2
Fender??? Are you kidding? Amp is 30 years old. No support anyway.
Overall Rating
:10
Been playing for almost 30 years. 24 of those years, I have been playing Fender equipment. Bought a new Telecaster and Fender Twin Reverb in 1975. Paid $800 for both. Still have the Tele. Just recently purchased a '77 Twin with JBL's. After I picked it up the first time, I remembered why I got rid of the first one. I would buy these blackface circuitry/silverface cosmetic Fender amps all day long for $384 a pop. The best buy in music equipment today. Blackface sound without the blackface pricetag. If something happened to this one, I would not be able to rest until I got another one just like it. No doubt. Try one and see for yourself. Super Reverb or Twin with JBL's - you can't go wrong!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1050 used
Submitted 06/07/1999
at 07:59am
by Richard Lansky
Features
:7
This is a follow-up to a submission I made almost 3 years ago--it's down at the bottom of this document if you wanna see the original--figured it might be worthwhile for some of you to get a review with the benefit of tons of gigs, tune-ups and wear and tear on the amp, especially since so many people review amps here right after they buy them and are still in love with their new purchase.
My amp is '67 SR, all original everything--even the pots. This is simply one of the best purchases of ANYTHING I've ever made. Every single time I turn on the amp, I get pleasure from the sound and it puts a smile on my face--I will never, ever sell it.
Sound Quality
:10
I still can still just plug the guitar into the amp (I play a recent strat with Duncan Antiquitys in it) mess around with the knobs on the amp and the guitar, and get an amazing variety of blues and rock tones. The reverb on this amp is one of my favorites on a fender, because you can actually use a lot of reverb effectively. On a BF Deluxe, turn the reverb to 4 and you're already past the usable range, but on my SR, you can use the reverb to put a beautiful finish on your tone, and have a lot of room to manuever.
I usually run through a matchless hotbox and nothing else--gives me every possible overdrive tone I could want
Reliability
:10
When I was gigging 4x a month, I serviced twice a year, and everything has been fine. Svetlana 6L6's definitely make the amp sweeter sounding, and I've had assorted GE and Phillips NOS preamp tubes in since the first "here's an old fender--go ahead and tighten her up" tune-up the week I got the amp.
Never had a problem, never gigged with a back-up, never even carried a spare tube with me. I have flat-out faceplanted this amp, and she didn't even look the worse for wear, let alone sound worse.
Best way to keep an old fender sounding new? Play it a lot--these are workhorses, meant to be played all the time.
Overall Rating
:10
Take the time to play a lot of fenders--find the right one, because these are old, used amps, and there's a wide range of quality between identical models from the same year. I got a great one that draws raves (and requests to use for gigs and recording) from my pro friends.
Like I said earlier, every time I've plugged in for 3 years I always take time to enjoy how sweet the amp sounds. I just can't pay a higher compliment.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $275 used
Submitted 01/18/1999
at 02:30pm
by TJ Weger - Madison, WI
Email: xlesd2b<at>excelonline dot com
Features
:8
1972 Silver Face that's been modded to BF specs. No master volume. Two channels. Channel 1: 2 inputs, V, T and B controls. Channel 2: 2 inputs, V, T, M, B, Reverb, and for the trem circuit, Speed and Intensity. No channel switching. 45 unadulterated, big, fat, beautiful watts. Loaded with two Carvin Vintage 10 ceramic mag speakers for a fatter, chunkier low end and mids, and two MojoTone 10" alnico speakers for the sweet top end they give (some say comparable to a mid-60's Oxford). Weighs a ton, but worth the extra work.
Sound Quality
:10
I use an assortment of guitars, pretty much covering the basic four food groups (Strat, Tele, LP and 335) without costing me my first born. I use a '95 G&L Legacy, a '97 G&L ASAT Classic, an '83 Ibanez Artist AR300 w/coil taps and a '78 Ibanez 335 Artist semi-hollow. They all sound AMAZING through this amp. I wish I had the mod done sooner (I've had the amp since 1987). What was I waiting for!!!???
I play the entire spectrum: from polkas (hey, it's Wisconsin, after all) to blues to crappy, late '70's wedding band covers, but this amp is a blues/funk machine from heaven. The optimal signal path is Guitar -- cable -- Amp. Period. No loops, pedals, outboard what-cha-ma-call-its or crap-racks. Just great, freaking tone!
Reliability
:9
It's solid. I feel pretty good about it's reliability. I have a good friend who's a technical wizard with this stuff, in case it needs work.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with 'em. I call my friend.
Overall Rating
:10
For what I paid, I might as well have stolen it. Modifications (speakers, tubes, BF-mod, etc) have added an additional $250, but still well below what I would get if I were to sell it (which isn't going to happen in this lifetime, so please don't ask).
I also own an '83 Twin II (Rivera-designed Fender Twin), and a BC-60 Roland Blues Cube, which I use for the wedding/polka band because of the extra versatility.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1,200 used
Submitted 12/26/1998
at 05:56am
by David
Email: mdsport at aol<dot>com
Features
:9
'67 BF with the original CTS Alnico speakers. I retubed my amp with RCA blackplate 6L6's and NOS RCA's elsewhere -- it had already been serviced with new caps, and I added a 3 prong cord. SR's produce a very loud 40 watts as you'll note from other comments. The sound you get from 4 10's is really hard to improve on -- lots of headroom and not as beamy as 2 12's in a Twin, for example. The "Normal" channel does produce a slightly different tone to my ear -- more tweed-like , perhaps? I use it when I'm going for a raw, unaltered vintage sound. No bells and whistles on these amps, which is why they not only sound so good but are also a joy to use. Supers have more than enough power for almost any gigging situation, and miked, I can't imagine why you would need more power unless you're playing metal or a lot of Blue Cheer covers! In that case, don't buy a Fender anything. Otherwise, SR's are extremely versatile, reliable and durable amps. The only potential drawback is the weight -- 60 lbs. without casters can be a load. If you're gigging a lot, I advise you to get a road case with casters -- particularly if you've aqcuired a nice, clean amp and seriously wish to keep it that way.
Sound Quality
:10
I'm playing a '56 Strat, '54 tele and a '67 ES335 with a Klon Centaur box and occasionally a 12 year old Tube Driver. I run everything through an old analog Roland echo/chorus unit I've had since 1980. Just a TASTE of echo sounds incredible, yet really not noticeable enough to detract from the pure tone of the amp and instruments. Musical style -- blues, rock, slide. Switching from one guitar to another does require some careful tone adjustments on the amp, which I've become accustomed to and can now make very quickly -- but this is after having patiently experimented with each guitar. Tone settings for my Strat may be 8/treble, 4-6/mid and 5-6/bass. Plug in the tele and the settings go to 6/4/4 and the 335 sounds best at around 7/5/5. I only use the bright switch with the 335 -- way too much high end through the Alnicos and Fenders otherwise. The amp starts to break up nicely around 5 and with the Klon, it really starts to breathe above 6. Sparing the flowery descriptions of tone, I can tell you that this amp, with a good guitar, will give you a nice big grin from ear to ear. Creamy tone reminiscent of the idols that got you hooked on playing in the first place. However, the 4 10's can be extremely unforgiving if either your instrument or your technique is flawed -- you'll hear every string, every rattle, buzz and hum. A side by side comparison between this amp and a '66 Vibrolux reveals a far more open and bright tone from the SR -- partially due to the inherent differences between Alnicos and ceramic Jensens. I love both -- but after playing through the SR the Vibrolux sounds a little darker and not as big or open sounding. I like the Strat best with the SR and the tele sounds best thru the Vibrolux if you like that fat, round Stone's crunch.
Reliability
:10
There is nothing more reliable than a BF Fender amp, period.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I wouldn't even bother. Find a good amp tech locally or choose one of the shops that will handle shipping.
Overall Rating
:9
I placed a premium on finding an amp that was super clean, in original condition and I wanted the CTS alnico speakers. It took some time and money, but to me, it was worth every penny. I've seen them recently priced as high as $1,700 for 9/10 condition and as low as $900 in the various Web classifieds -- you can mod a silver face to BF specs and probably get one for $600-$750 in fair/good condition. I've been playing since 1965 and these old amps hold a special place for me because I played through them when they were new. It wasn't uncommon for garage bands in the 60's to kick all of their gear over ala' a Who finale, with the reverb cranked to finish off a version of "My Generation" -- I must have chucked my Deluxe Reverb off an amp stand 50 times and the damn thing was simply indestructable. For me, Fender amps are simply the best ever made and I'm currently looking for a 3rd and final amp -- a BF Deluxe. I have two amps - the SR and a '66 Vibrolux. Guitars I mentioned earlier, and while I'm playing vintage stuff, I have no doubt that this amp would compliment any well-made modern guitar. Final thought -- it may sound silly, but don't overlook subtle tone adjustments on your amp when searching for the perfect tone and try a set of heavier strings (.10-.52)if you're using really light gauges. The difference can be amazing, particularly when you've taken the time to acquire one of the best guitar amps ever made.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700 used
Submitted 11/29/1998
at 03:26pm
by Geoffrey E. Stich
Email: Stichfam<at>pacbell dot net
Features
:No Opinion
Price Paid: US $$700 used
Features: 10
This is a Follow up to the critique I sent in on 8/29/98 and 5/22/98 for a late 70's, (70 Watt rated) Fender Super Reverb.
I just had the amp worked on by "Sal Trentino Electronics" from Marin County, Calif.
He did an absolute thorough job and went through everything with a fine tooth comb, including properly re-wiring the speakers, putting in a custom wiring harness with nodules connecting all on one piece (much better then the center ring hook up) and other things.
The Amp couldn't sound better!
Some things he detected were: The Bass control response wasn't wired correctly thus depleting full response, the Master volume connections were wired backwards; thus not getting full benefit but compression instead, Some Reverb mis-match saturation problems, Master volume abberations from the manufactures design, vibrato thumping and other things.
He corrected all of this and changed the rectifier tube circuit to a 5AR4, which gave it about 20 more watts of power.
He knows his stuff and is very thorough ...
This Amplifier turned out to be real Winner!
I haven't played it yet in it's modified form but I'm sure it is an improvement over what it was before, which wasn't bad.
Upon just testing it out it in my room with my Les paul Custom it sounded much more fuller, tighter and punchier.
Sal says that the 70 Watt Super reverb could potentially be one of the best amps ever!
"There's nothing that can't be done" ...
The following is a previous critique from 8/29/98:
I have played it with several of my bands now on the gig and it sounds very adequate: cuts, has good definition, sounds full and sweet and has extra headroom.
Sometimes, depending upon the Guitar it can sound very bright with brilliant highs, maybe sometimes too brilliant,depending upon the room.
The breakup point is around 4, like most Super Reverbs, and sounds pretty smooth with just the right amount of grit.
(Bye the way, the distortion is more fuller now and looses the "airy sound" it previuosly had before.
... Sal recomends using a single coil pickup guitar for the overdrive since Super Reverbs are sort of tailored for this sound and compatability. You sort of get that "Seattle Grunge" sound - Ha!)
Has bite too, especially with a Strat or Tele.
The mid range control has more influence then on other Fender Amps I've played thru.
The Reverb can be Sea deep! (Now it is better attenuated)
It amplifies even the slightest subtleties, including pick and string noise.
It is more powerful than a lot of other Super Reverbs since it is rated at 70 Watts. (I found this to not be the case ... It was modified before and really had about 33 Watts of power but was still loud. Now it's up to about 55 watts)
Someone had put in a rectifier tube circuit in it (GZ34?).
Originally there was none.
This amp is perfect for playing the "Blues", has a nice bite and smoothness and brings out every nuance.
This Amp especially sounds good with auxillary speaker cabinet combinations like Fender Dual Showman 2 X 15 cabinets or a Vox Super Beatle cabinet, or even hooked up to a couple of Bandmaster 2 X12 external cabinets.
The cabinet appears to be a little bigger then some other earlier Super Reverbs.
Presently, I have two Oxford 10" speakers from an old Vibrolux and two Webber 10"s adding up to 2 Ohms.
My styles are: Blues, Jazz, 60's Style Rock n' Roll, Classic Rock, Rockabilly, Surf, Psychedellic, 12 string Rickenbacker stuff and related.
I mostly play an asssortment of Gretsch Guitars, Gibsons, Fenders; such as Strats, Jaguars, Mustangs, ... Guild Starfire III, Mosrite, Rickenbacker 12 string, Gibson Barney Kessel, Les Paul, Hagstrum and related.
I play in three Rock bands at present and a few variety bands ... and recently been using this Amp quite a bit.
Sounds great indoors and outdoors.
I always tape my gigs for reference, etc.
Would like to swap Live Jam tapes with interested parties ...
Sound Quality: 10
Humbuckers have more than enough power. Have to tu
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $430 used
Submitted 11/16/1998
at 08:02pm
by Alpine Jennings
Email: rolijen at concentric<dot>net
Features
:6
I got a good deal on this amp but I had to spend bucks on it to get it back into perfect condition. It is now PERFECT. 1966 Super Reverb. 4 x 10" speakers. Black faceplate. 2 channels--Normal and Vibrato. Reverb on the Vibrato channel. No effects loop, channels not switchable. 40 watts all tube--9 tubes! (GZ34 rectifier, 2 x 6L6 power tubes, 12AT7 phase inverter, 4 x 12AX7--vibrato driver, reverb return, reverb driver, vibrato channel preamp, normal channel preamp).
No fancy features. Very basic amp. Its main feature is TONE!
Sound Quality
:10
Sorry for the 10 rating, but this amp earns it every time I turn it on. I play blues, classic rock, and a very little country. It is 33 years old and low noise. With the volume between 4 and 5 it starts to break up--you know that Fendery, glassy edged sound. Very nice. Get SRV's "Texas Flood" album out and listen. Every song--That's the sound. You'll need an overdrive pedal. The reverb is deep and lush--MUCH better than most modern amps.
The best thing about the sound of these amps is the definition of every individual note. You'll hear every note in a chord. It's unbelievable. You have got to try an old Super Reverb. I love mine.
Oh, it's a VERY loud 40 watts. You've just got to hear one of these.
Reliability
:10
32 years old and still going strong. Looks great. Have had it almost 5 months and wonder why I waited so long. They're getting expensive. I got this for a good deal but had to put a little money into it to get it in top shape. No frills, but, built like a battleship. Quite heavy (although not too bad--about 60 lbs. Lift a Twin--ugh--boing--hernia city).
This is my main gigging amp. Sold ALL my other amps to get this and fix it up. Definitely worth it.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
No need. Warranty expired 31 years ago. Not to worry--I service my own equipment. Don't mess around inside a tube amp unless you know what you're doing. It can kill you.
Overall Rating
:10
Been playing 22 years. Loves are classic rock, progressive rock, and blues. Have owned many amps. I have had good and bad amps from Mesa, Peavey, Ampeg, Sunn, Vox, Marshall, Univox (puke), Traynor, Garnet. I have never had a bad Fender amp. I am hooked on this Super Reverb. Famous last words--I'll never part with this one. (I said that about another Fender amp and this one puts that one to shame).
Kids, it just doesn't get any better than the Blackface era ('63-'67) Fender amps, especially the Super Reverb. Another poster here said, "Try one and know." He is right. I did, and I am glad I did.
Along with a great guitar, this amp is truly the other half of a beautiful instrument. Am I gushing. I'll shut up now. E-mail me, I'll send pics and answer any questions you may have. Good Luck!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $500 used
Submitted 10/14/1998
at 07:37pm
by Joey Gaspar
Email: SKEW999<at>aol dot com
Features
:10
Around 1970's. very versatile form older classic rock to all out blues(what i use it for) 2 channels, reverb, non-reverb. all the efects, loops, jacks, i t ahs. I can't think of a feature it doesn't have that i want. around 50 watts, pleanty of power for a harp and guitar player. use at clubs , festivals outside, etc.
Sound Quality
:10
great for blues. Vrey little hum every once in a while. gets form very clean to fairly distorted by cranking it up.
Reliability
:8
Yes reliable. I would definatley bring it to a gig without a backup, vrey sturdy, in good conditon. nO, never had a problem with it.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Nevr had to call fender!!!!
Overall Rating
:10
Been playing a lot of harp adn it is the ultimate amp, i would be carefull aout buying a modified one though becasue te circuts off get blown. Stay way form twins to!!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $1150 used
Submitted 10/04/1998
at 01:12pm
by J.Y.
Email: JYonemura at worldnet<dot>att<dot>net
Features
:10
1967 Fender Super Reverb. Black Face. All Tube. Reverb & Tremolo(Vibrato). Normal & Vibrato Channel. 40-45 watts(?) 4-10 inch speakers. Original Fender(Jensen) speakers. No effects channel/effects loop. Plain, straightfoward screaming amp. An EXTREMELY LOUD 40 watts. This is a very versatile amp, for what I need it to be. For a musician covering alot of bases, it may not be your cup of tea(or mocha, or whatever you're into.)
Sound Quality
:10
I play a 73 Gretsch Country Gentleman & a '62 Vintage Reissue Strat. The detail is awesome and the clarity is beyond belief. Used to play thru a tweed Blues DeVille with the 4x10's. That amp 'broke-up' alot and the clean wasn't very clean. The Super Reverb amazing and TIGHT! I play rockabilly & blues/rock. This is THE PERFECT amp for this type of music. Top end and punch. It is just a little noisy. Every now & then it makes a 'fffvvvt' noise (Maybe tubes?) This amp has a wonderful tone from the bottom all the way to the top volume settings. The Treble is at 9, Mid at 8, Bass at 4 & Reverb at 3-4. Surf sounds are at '7'. Tremolo is hardly used. Guitar on 10 for solos and about 8 for rhythm. Clean channel goes creamy at about 6 or 7. This amp is VERY sensitive to pick attack. Lean into it and it starts to scream. This is a very 'forward' sounding amp. Play it at home at 5 or higher and you'll need plugs (So will your neighbors) 3 is comfortable. In a band, 5 to 6 will cut thru a small combo band. 9 if you're on a large stage. You won't get the mega distortion for some styles of music. Clean with a touch of FENDER bite. For real distortion, I use a 15 year old Boss Super Overdrive pedal. Nice, but the amp picks up the hum from the pedal. I also use a Boss Digital Delay for SLAP & Echo for my Rockabilly stuff. (Wish I had a Roland Space Echo like Brian Setzer!) I've noticed that this amp picks up alot more detail from the pedals so I've had to redo my settings on the pedals. Very interesting. If you've never played thru a vintage Super Reverb, then DO IT! Your life will not be the same afterwards. I was thinking about a 12 step program, but then I just had to buy it!
Reliability
:No Opinion
Fairly new amp (to me). However, as soon as I bought it, I had a local vintage amp tech work on it. He said everything is original. However, it did have a solid state rectifier. That was replaced with a tube rectifier. The power tubes (Mesa) were replaced with Svetlana's. The power cord was replaced with a 3 pronger. He said that all the other capacitors were original. He did replace a few bypass capacitors etc that needed it. All the filter caps are still orig. The amp must be fairly reliable to be 30+ years old and still have all the original guts! However, I haven't brutalized it...yet. So I can't really judge on reliability. This is also a very HEAVY amp. No casters. I'm going to get a flight case soon. I know other giggers who rely solely on this amp and gig over 200+ dates a year! Time will tell.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
No need yet. No warranty. Minor repairs when I bought the amp. Only a few bucks for parts and labor.
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing for about 20 years. 3 years professionally. Never have had a problem with Fenders. I've had Peavey's(yuck) & other Fenders. I've played thru Mesa's & Marshalls(Nice, but not 'the' sound I was looking for). Old Fenders have that 'vibe' and the reverb can't be equalled. I just wish it was lighter. I would buy it and an old Bassman with a 2 x 12 cabinet. That's probably all I'll ever need. Occassionally, I'll hear other players that have amps that have fancier sounds, and it pretty neat, but, in my book, they're just 'toys'. Every guitarist that has ever impressed me, Brian Setzer, Tommy Castro, BB King, has always been a 'pure tone' type of guitarist. They all have a very 'recognizable' sound. Relying on very few, if any, effects. Connecting with the audience by 'saying something' comes down to tone and what you do with it. If you mask it with effects, your message will also be masked.
Yes, this IS an expensive toy. After all, I don't NEED it. Just WANT it. But there's a reason why they're being snatched up. Fender just doesn't make it like this anymore. I've tried the Vibro King. Very nice sounding indeed. But the Super Reverb was less expensive. Also, the VK comes with cheap tubes and the speakers are prone to blowing just like my Blues DeVille. Ask any Super Reverb owner. I guarantee...
This is it!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $250
Submitted 09/19/1998
at 10:14am
by Dan Hanson
Email: dleehanson<at>AOL dot com
Features
:10
I believe this amp is a '65. I bought it used in '75 for $250. I've been playing for around 25 years and have been through many amps. I have always come back to this one. It's the second Super I have owned. As a 17 year old IDIOT I traded my first BF Super for a UNIVOX STACK! (The worst amp ever made, by the way.) I have played every style of guitar you can think of but have settled into a blues/rock/country(not modern country) kind of style. I fingerpick a lot and the S/R is great for that kind of style because of it's stellar clean tone. For those unfamiliar with this amp, it has two channels(normal and vibrato, four inputs, reverb and vibrato. I play on weekends and this amp has seen pretty steady action for over 24 years. You can't say that about too many products so that says a great deal about the quality of Leo Fender's design and manufacturing. The 40 watts is perfect. I play in clubs and outdoor gigs in the summer and I've never been let down by this amp. I always bring a Reissue Deluxe as a backup but I don't need to. This S/R has NEVER failed me. I play with my volume at 3-4, treble on 5, mid at 10, bass on 4, reverb on 4 and I use the vibrato once in a while because it sounds so cool. I use a few stomp boxes in front of it : Way Huge Red LLama overdrive, and Boss DM-2 analog delay. I also use a Tubescreamer and everything only enhances the already good sound that emenates from this amazing amp. I am very opinionated about this amp but it's based on years and years of playing in all kinds of situations. So younger players take note of what we say and benefit from our knowledge.
Sound Quality
:10
I use the amp with a Clapton Strat (Gold Lace Sensors) and a G&L ASAT. There is no noise. The amp breaks up at 5 or 6. Great overdrive. I'm sorry, there is no better overdriven sound than a BF Fender amp cranked up. If you disagree you are simply wrong! The amp suits my playing style perfectly but there is no style of music this amp can't handle.
Reliability
:10
I can depend on this amp like I can depend on the sun coming up in the morming. I, of course, keep it maintained. NOS GE tubes. New caps etc.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I have found the current Fender regime to extremely respectful of Leo Fenders products. They are also knowledgeable about most makes and models. I have only had to have the amp serviced to make it better!
Overall Rating
:10
If this amp were lost or stolen I would stop playing until I found another one. Period. This amp is my most important (and most loved)material possesion. There is no comparison to another product unless you're talking about a comparable Twin, Deluxe, Bassman etc I can't remember why I originally chose the Super Reverb. I think I liked the way it looked. Of course, it's heavy as hell going up the stairs but it's worth it!
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700 used
Submitted 08/29/1998
at 04:43pm
by Geoffrey E. Stich
Email: Stichfam at pacbell<dot>net
Features
:10
This is a Follow up to the critique I sent in on 5/22/98 for a late 70's, (70 Watt rated) Fender Super Reverb.
This Amplifier turned out to be real Winner!
I have played it with several of my bands now on the gig and it sounds very adequate: cuts, has good definition, sounds full and sweet and has extra headroom.
Sometimes, depending upon the Guitar it can sound very bright with brilliant highs.
The breakup point is around 4, like most Super Reverbs, and sounds pretty smooth with just the right amount of grit.
Has bite too, especially with a Strat or Tele.
The mid range control has more influence then on other Fender Amps I've played thru.
The Reverb can be Sea deep!
It amplifies even the slightest subtleties, including pick and string noise.
It is more powerful than a lot of other Super Reverbs since it is rated at 70 Watts.
Someone had put in a rectifier tube circuitin it 5AR4.
Originally there was none.
This amp is perfect for playing Blues, has a nice bite and smoothness and brings out every nuance.
This Amp especially sounds good with auxillary speaker cabinet combinations like Fender Dual Showman 2 X 15 cabinets or a Vox Super Beatle cabinet, or even hooked up to a couple of Bandmaster 2 X12 external cabinets.
The cabinet appears to be a little bigger then some other earlier Super Reverbs.
Presently, I have two Oxford 10" speakers from an old Vibrolux and two Webber 10"s adding up to 2 Ohms.
My styles are Blues, Jazz, 60's Style Rock n' Roll and related.
I mostly play an asssortment of Gretsch Guitars, Fender Strats, Jaguars, Rickenbacker 12 string, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Guild Starfire III, Mosrites and related.
I play in three Rock bands and recently been using this Amp quite a bit now.
Sounds great indoors and outdoors.
I always tape my gigs for reference, etc.
Would like to swap Live Jam tapes with interested parties ...
Sound Quality
:9
I use Fenders, Gretsch and Gibsons mainly.
Humbuckers and single coils.
Humbuckers have more than enough power. Have to turn down the Master Volume ...
The distortion is seedy with grit and compression. Actually very nice for a natural Fender sound.
Even my "Gretsch Tennessean" will distort very nicely when pushing this Amp.
Eg: The other day I was playing it outside and almost got "Clapton - "Cream - "Sleepy Time Time" tones from it! ... Clipped just right and cut through.
This Amp I thnk more and more is really Special!!!
If there is a ground problem though ... Watch out!
It will really bring out a Buzz!
I could amost say that this amp could become over sensitive becasue it has so much sensitivety and gain; but with the band it seems to just blend in fine.
Reliability
:10
I sure can depend up on it.
It's a Fender workhorse!
All I have to do is make sure the tubes are all in good working order and other routine maintenace.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I work on the amps myself.
Overall Rating
:9
I've been playing since 1965.
I also own a Fender Twin(Quad) Reverb, Fender Dual Showman, BandMaster and a Vox Super Beatle with two cabinets.
I'm still learning about it and know one of the Transformers had been changed and may experiment and replace it with an original.
My even try to re-hook up the solid state rectifier section again for comparison.
I like this Amp very much!
It stood the test of time already.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $600
Submitted 08/12/1998
at 09:51am
by Ken Truitt
Email: sagres<at>alaska dot net
Features
:10
Two channels, Normal & Vibrato, four 10 inch speakers. Vibrato channel has reverb, both chanels have a bright switch. This amp is rated at 40 watts, but its the loudest 40 watts you'll ever experience; plenty of clean headroom before it starts breaking up. It starts breaking up with the volume at 4-6 (depending on the tubes). Many of the reviews for this amp hype its tonal versatility (all true) but I haven't seen one review mention one of the coolest versatility tricks about the old Fender Blackface dual channel amps. If you're like me, you sometimes would like the crispness of a digital delay but recognize it would be tonal herasey to put a digital effect in front of one of the ultimate tube-tone machines. Do this instead: plug guitar into the "Vibrato Channel" input "1"; use the Vibrato Channel input "2" as a "send" to your digital effect's "in" jack, plug the digital effect's "out" jack into the amp's "Normal" (the other channel) channel "1" input. Viola! You now have a parallel effects loop, you can dial as much of the wet signal in (or out)while maintaining your pure analog tube tone.
Sound Quality
:10
I use the Super with an '89 Fender Deluxe Strat Plus. I replaced the Lace Sensor pickups with "Velvet Hammer" pickups that Aspen Pittman was distributing for a time (they basically nail the '54 strat tone). This setup is perfect for classic rock, blues, country, pop, and just about anything. The clean sound (volume 2-4) will send shivers up your spine and its why people search out this amp and other tube gems. Turn it up to around 5 and it nails the "Hey Joe" and "Little Wing" just-barely-breaking-up-if-you-lean-into-it sound. From 6-10 the volume doesn't really increase, the distortion just gets thicker. The fully dimed sound is musical and usefull for that Eric Clapton "woman-tone." The only amp I liked better fully dimed was a '59 Fender Tweed Twin which is one of the other "Holy Grail" tube amps and pretty good company. Also, true to vintage tube amps, the Super is very dynamic (touch sensitive) at high volumes, lean in hard and it breaks up more, back off in your attack (or with the volume knob of your guitar) and it gets cleaner. You can make this amp sound like just about any other amp with the appropriate stomp box in front of it. I regulary use a TS9 tube screamer and the combination is heaven--the tube screamer sounds just like this amp when its turned all the way up, only I can get that sound with the volume set at 2/3. I've run other distortion boxes in front and have been able to get a Marshall sound (Vintage Rat) a Matchless/Vox sound (Matcheless Hotbox). The 4/10 speaker combination, IMHO, is more transparent than the 2/12 of a Twin Reverb. The 12's in a Twin Reverb tend to put in an artificial mid-boost (which is cool if that's what you're after), whereas the Super's 4/10's allow your guitar to speak more unencumbered. I hate to sound like most of the other reviews for this amp, but it is about perfect in every respect, unsurpassable clean tone that turns into great classic distortion as you turn the amp up. It doesn't do super high gain on its own like a Marshall JCM 900, but its capable of getting that sound with the right stompbox.
Reliability
:5
This amp is as reliabe as any old tube amp is or can be. Which is to say you have to keep an eye on the tubes and always carry spares because they can go at anytime. And when they do you're out of luck unless you've got backups. Other than that this amp will never die a natural death. As long as replacement caps and transistors are available this amp will live. That's the beauty of the old point-to-point construction of these amps. Just about any good tech can get these working and really make them sing. The amp isn't really stock anymore--most tube amps from this era aren't as the paper capacitors will generally have deteriorated by now. The caps have been replaced with new orange poly-pro caps. I replaced the CTS speakers with Kendrick Black Frames. The amp tech who worked on it will never forgive me for that as he thought the amp was perfect when he finished with it. It appeared to me that the CTS speakers weren't original as the soldering job on them was real sloppy which is atypical for these amps. The Kendrick speakers are a good choice, the Mojo Tone 10's are also excellent and I've considered switching to those. I prefer either to the Fender Reissue speakers.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I'd like to get a footswitch so I could operate the tremalo (it works, I just never use it) more conveniently, but last time I checked I couldn't get one from Fender. But perhaps that has changed, I just haven't bothered checking with Fender.
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing off and on since I was in grade school (20+ years now). I would buy one again if I could afford it. The only reason I have one now is I found one in great shape at a great price. I don't think I could afford to replace it if it ever got stolen, but I would sure try. I would only consider owning another amp if, for some reason, I wanted something different. I don't think its possible to get a better sound, just different, at this point. I also might consider getting something smaller for times when I don't need tone descended from the gods (i.e. practice). The amp wheighs a ton and something smaller with the similar god-like-tone would be nice. I also own an '86 Fender Princeton Reverb II which fits the bill for smaller, but it doesn't have the magic of the '65 Super.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $Straight trade in with Vibro-King used
Submitted 07/21/1998
at 01:38am
by Sam T.
Email: Otisrush21<at>yahoo dot com
Features
:10
Early 60's black face Super Reverb, two channels, normal and vibrato channel. For normal, 2 inputs, bright switch, volume, treble and bass control, and for vibrato channel, 2 inputs, bright switch, volume, treble, middle, bass, and reverb, speed and intensity control for tremolo(Fender calls it "Vibrato") function . It came with original Jensen speakers, they are P10-Rs, all are functioning properly. Tubes were old and I should have replace them soon, though, when I got it, this amp was equipped with Sylvania tubes. GZ34 for rectifier, 6L6Cs for power amp, three 7025s, two 12AT7s and one 12AX7. Those tubes are old and looked kinda burnt out, they still got one of the sweetest tones you can ever expect from this amp. I think this amp is versatile in a way. Basically, this amp is a good working horse. 40 watts of output, enough volume, and lots of head room, yet, breaks up nicely and overdrives smoothly. Clean, yes, overdrive. So I'd say, you can play blues, country, and some others. Of course, not for heavy metal or hard rock, but not impossible. It's an open back amp, so you know what kind of style of music this amp will suit. Reverb seems a little brittle, but I think it's just springs in reverb tank needs to be replaced. No effect loop, no bells and whistles, and it doesn't give you lots of variety of sound like new amps do, but if you are thinking about getting this amp, would you even expect bells and whisltes? Just plug your guitar in and play until you spill your guts out. That's the way to play through older amps, I think. Anyway this amp has what I really want. Simple and sounds so good.
Sound Quality
:No Opinion
I have built myself a Strat from Fender and Warmouth parts. It's pretty much my own custom Strat. Got Texas Speacial pick ups(soon replacing them with Lindy Fralin pick ups). I was using a Vibro-King before this Super Reverb, though, Vibro-King sounded nothing like older ones and it was such an aggressive sounding amp. I traded it in for Super Reverb. I didn't have to pay a penny for it. Basically I lost money by trading Vibro-King for Super Reverb, but I'm a musician, I go for the sound over the value of this and that.Anyway I'm a blues musician, and this amp has the perfect sound for it. You know a lot of blues guys are using Super Reverb. That prooves how great this amp sounds. It seems like there is no problem with filter caps or bad connections. Volume pot needs to be cleaned up since it makes noise when I turn it, but other than that, this amp is in mint condition. The sound this amp offers...basically the sound you expect from "Fender" amps. The real thing is what I'm talking about. Clean, smoothly overdriven, and some fat overdrive sound too. I don't think there is anyone out there expecting to get heavy distortion sound out of this amp, but if you do want heavy distored sound, get a pedal. No matter how sweet and great this amp is, there is a limit to what it can do and what it can't do. So if you are after Fendery clean smooth overdrive sound, this is the one for you. It's only rated 40 watts, and this amp breaks up above 4. But the way you set EQ on this amp can change the characteristic of break up dramatically, so it depends on how you set it. You know what this amp offers now, and it's your turn to offer something for yourself through this amp.
Reliability
:10
It's an old amp, so if you are an amp collector, keep it in your closet, if you are working musician, it depends on condition of your Super Reverb amp, but I'd say you can depend on it. Like I said, it's a good working horse and it keeps going and going. This about it. I think this amp was built in 1963 or 1964 (speakers are dated 1963), and it's already 1998! It's an old amp. It's older than me, but still working and sounding good. My amp is very reliable. It takes abuse(loading in and out, moving around etc). That's the only abuse you can do to an amp. If you get an old amp, it's almost neccessary to take it to get it checked out. You don't want your amp to have problem right on the stage on big night. Spare some replacement tubes and fuse. And if you can afford, get an another amp that suit your style. Just for backup. And if you get through the night by using spare tubes and spare fuses, first thing before your next gig, get it checked out. There is always some kind of reason for those old amps to go wrong. So if you do regular maintenance, like I do, you can depend on this baby.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never had to deal with customer support. I don't even know if this 30 some years old amp is still eligible to get customer support from Fender. Maybe.
Overall Rating
:10
I'm a musician, and I was always looking for an amp that suit my style, taste, and all the things I want. Here it is. I got it. It's got the sound I want, it's got the feature I need, and no other craps to kill my sound. Sounds great, and reliable. What else can I ask for?
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $900 used
Submitted 06/22/1998
at 04:51pm
by Anonymous
Features
:No Opinion
1965 BF Fender Super Reverb. This is exactly what I want in an amp. I've become fed-up with distortion channels, effects loops, etc. Two channels of pure tone heaven.
Sound Quality
:10
I play Blues, Rock and Country. I traded my Hot Rod Deville for this baby. It smokes that amp shamelessly. I've been playing along time, and I've wasted a lot of money trying to get "the" sound out of some of the newer amps, and for me it just didn't work. I walked into a local guitar store, and there it sat -- almost in perfect condition. The FIRST note I played on this thing convinced me that I HAD to buy this amp. I would recommend it to anyone playing in the styles mentioned above.
Reliability
:10
I had it checked out right after I bought it. It recently had a cap job, and the guy who worked on it said that there had been some resistors replaced. I had him replace the power cord with a three pronger. I've gigged with this thing several times now and have become the envy of every guitar player I've come in contact with.
If you buy an amp this old, you need to have it checked out!
Overall Rating
:10
Compared to the Hot Rod Deville and some of the newer Fenders, this thing blows them away. There's something about the "feel" of the amp that just can't be replicated. By that I mean that when you play the note, the pick attack "feels" perfect. On some of the newer Fenders, the bass response (Hot Rod, Blues Jr., etc) is really weird. On the Super, it is really clear and buttery. I know these things are getting really expensive, but I would recommend to anyone who is in search for a great sound to pick one of these up before they are out of this world in price.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $699 used
Submitted 05/22/1998
at 12:53am
by Geoffrey E. Stich
Email: Stichfam at pacbell<dot>net
Features
:10
This Amp is very versatile for the styles I play which are: 60's style Rock n' Roll, Blues, Surf, Jazz, Rock a' Billy, Country, Classic Rock, 12 string Rickenbacker "Byrds" folk Rock stuff, Dixieland Jazz, etc.
Has an incredible amount of power, almost too much with extra headroom, even out powers my Fender Twin Reverb at same settings. Sounds thicker fuller, punchier, boomy, tone controls are very effective, even the middle control in the Vibrato channel.
It seems to have alot of twang and brilliance and fullness compared to the other four Silver faced late 70's Twin Reverbs I was deciding upon in the store but it was kind of bright but that had to due with the tubes in there cause when I changed then it mellowed out a little.
It seems to have been worked on for there is a rectifier tube (5AR4) in the pre-amp section; yet the tube chart shows no rectifier tube ... and one of the output transformers looks too new like it had been custom changed?
Says 70 Watts RMS - 2 Ohm load on back.
Inside is also an old yellow sticker that says "Sam's tube Amps" repair and modification from San Francisco (Sam Newcomb).
Anybody have any information about him?
As soon as I recieve my complete two 10" speakers from Weber, I'm going to use it on the gig.
I invite any correspondace, information, advice or anything else you want to share about this Amp.
This might be real winner?
The line output jack, tube matching and hum balance jacks in the back have been completely taken out. All that remain are holes.
Has the classic Fender Vibrato when switched on. Sounds very thick and full.
I'm replacing the speakers with 2x Oxford 10"s pulled from a 1966 Vibrolux and 2x Weber C10N's I have on order.
The speakers that were in there were 4xMojo Alnico 10"s.
I maybe wish it was a little less bright and punchy but I haven't tested it out with the band yet.
As far as testing it out with my strat it is almost too bright/or microphonic for my ears but sounds good with my Gibson Les Paul Custom yet very powerful and loud even at low settings, and really nice, well balanced and compatible with some of my Gretsch guitars (brings out the highs and twang!
It has a Master Volume but no push pull.
I would like to know more about it, year when this particular Super Reverb came out and maybe other shared view points and possible mods I could do if decided upon?
I just got it and still learning about it but feel it may have an amount of potential for it is more powerful then most Super Reverbs yet has that quaility.
Sound Quality
:9
So far I've used a mid 70's Les Paul Custom with new Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickups and sounds really rich, full very, loud and bity yet sweet.
Right now sounds a little too bright, clear and/or punchy with my Fender Strats, almost too hard on the ears unless I roll off the treble but may cut just right with the band.
Not noisy be very sensitive and you can hear every pick attack or string rub.
It seems to have an extreme amount of power and alot of head room even on low settings. Maybe needs some work to attenuate it a little?
It does have fantastic rich reverb and twang though.
Haven't turned it up yet really loud, until I recieve my replacement speakers in full.
Reliability
:10
I think I can depend upon it because it is a classic Fender "Workhorse" like all the other Fender Amps I've had.
All my Fender Amps have stood the test of time and always sound great more or less with proper maintenance, tubes, etc.
Customer Support
:1
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing since 1965. Had almost every model of 60's Fender Amps and others at one time or another.
Really favor Fender Twin Reverbs (60's and 70'), Dual Showmans, Bandmaster piggy back amps, Pro Reverbs, Super Reverbs, Deluxes ... Reverb, Tremelo qualities.
I also like Vox Amps like Super Beatles, AC 30's and the like and Gibson - Reverb and tremelo amps.
Also Marshalls and similar for overdrive sounds.
My main rig is an early 70's Twin Reverb (Quad Reverb) Amp with stock Fender Jensen speakers or JBL D120's; with sometimes external speaker cabinets like Vox Super Beatle Bottoms or Showman or Gibson Atlas cabinets with 15" speakers for extra fullness.
I also have a1965 Fender Dual Showman and a Bandmaster piggyback.
I've played a lot of Super Reverbs which are in my opinion fantastic sounding amps but this one seems special probably because of the extra power, headroom and fullness; but still it is too new for me to really form a solid opinion.
Only time will tell.
Haven't put it through the "Yeager" test drive yet with the variuos live band situations.
I'm also intereted in swapping live jam tapes.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $75.00 used
Submitted 05/16/1998
at 09:31pm
by Brandon Quesenberry
Email: caseyq at swbell<dot>net
Features
:9
Bought this Silver face S/R in 1996 from a pawn shop in Durham, NC. for , are ya ready for this??,,, only $75.00 !!! Did not have to replace anything, just plugged it in and let it rip!It's I believe, a 40 watt, with the original Fender blueback 4X10 speakers. Plays alt-rock, blues, darn near any type of music imaginable with great clarity. Not sure of the year, most likely a 1979-73 make. This amp is extremely loud for it's 40 or so watts.
Sound Quality
:10
We use this amp with a wide variety of guitars, strats, les pauls, hollow body electrics. Great sound with most any guitar. The reverb and trem are about the best of all the amps we own.
Reliability
:10
Like I said, it was bought in a pawn shop with all original parts, including tubes. We just replaced most of the power tubes this year, and the sound quality really improved.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never used any customer support or reapir shop for this amp...haven't needed it to date!
Overall Rating
:10
If I could find ten more like it (including the price!!) i'd buy 'em all. Hard to beat this amp.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $700.00
Submitted 05/15/1998
at 05:05am
by Mark Moyer
Email: msmoyer<at>desupernet dot net
Features
:5
I am 41 and have been a guitar picker since my 12th birthday. I have owned scores of amps; Tweeds, black faced, Peavys, Gibsons and one Mesa Boogie. Each time I was never satisfied. I wanted more of this or less of that. I ended up trading and trading. Enter the Super Reverb. I really wanted a Black Faced Super Reverb but at $1000.00 to $1400.00. Well, I decided to go with the Silver Face. I found my '73 in near mint condition for $700.00. The first thing I did when I got it home was to open it up and convert it to the AB763 black faced circuit as per Weber's instructions. The improvement in sound was monumental! The Reverb was not quite up to snuff so I looked at and compared my circuit to the AB763 schematic. I found that the cathode resistor on the reverb driver was a lower value with no bypass cap. I removed the wayward resistor and installed the correct parts. Now the Reverb is as it should be, full deep and lush. The next thing I was going to do was re-tube it, it has the original R.C.A. tubes all around, but I have heard that the chocolate drop caps in my amp were tone robbers. I ordered a set of filter caps and the orange drop caps from Hoffman amps in Fla. I installed them and fired up the amp. WOW, what difference that made!!! It was like the amp had been wrapped in a blanket and then suddenly removing it. Can you say SPARKLE! It turns out that the tubes were just fine, it was the tone sucking caps that were giving me a muddy tone. The next thing I did was move one wire to add the Reverb and Vibrato to the Normal channel.
Sound Quality
:10
I have only one guitar and that is my beloved PRS CE 22. My band plays the 60s through the 90s scene. I play 95% of my stuff clean. The Super Reverb(post mods) is the amp I have been searching for all these years. The four 10s and 45 watts are what I have been searching for. The amp is clean at low volume yet mean when you lean into it with the humbuckers. Perfect. The amp is extremely quiet, unlike the new Fender Vibrolux and Mesa Boogie DC3 that hisses and hisses. It about drove me nuts.
Reliability
:10
I play it daily.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:10
One more thing. I have read that a different set of speakers would improve my tone. I can not imagine how. The stock Fender/CTS alnicos sound great to me. Do not hesitate to buy a non- master volume silver faced Super Reverb amp. Get one and convert it to the AB763 specs as I did. Guys let me tell you I went over mine with a fine tooth comb. I checked the voltages at every point in the amp and I can honestly say that without exception they are within 5% of the AB763. I did all of my own servicing so with the initial cost of the amp and the parts I have $735.00 in this amp. Compared to a black faced at over $1000.00 I would say I got a bargain. Do not get me wrong, I would take a black faced Super Reverb in a heart beat at the right price. I just have never seen one at the right price. In conclusion I feel that my Super is the best sounding amp I have ever owned. It is perfect for my situation. Mark
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $400.00 used
Submitted 05/03/1998
at 07:21am
by Denny
Email: dennisbegle at kreative<dot>net
Features
:10
Stanard features for this 1974 Silver Face Model: Two channels, one with effects( reverb, tremelo & 3 band EQ) Bright tone switches, foot switch for reverb and tremelo. All tube, point to point circuitry, 4 10" speakers, tilt back legs, removable casters. Power rated at 45 watts RMS. This amp is "Nationwide"
Sound Quality
:10
I use a Reissiue 57 Strat with Lindy Fralin Vintage pickups for the Retro" stuff and a "JD" Tele for Blues and Country. This amp has all tone that any axe man could ever need. Sparkle in the clean high tones, warmth in the mids, and clarity in the lower bass tones. There is plenty of "ass"in the volume dept. I have had a couple of mods done to it by Callaham Guitars in Winchester Va. The effects were added to the non effect channel, and the Silver Face circuit was removed and replaced with that of a Black Face Model. The amp saturates at about 5 in the second channel and has a great Bluesy sound, with the mid control up to about 8, treble at 5 bass at 3. The 2 band EQ channel is better for more rock,having a little more edge to the tone. The amp is perfect for Blues and Vintage Rock. This amp is used with a Mesa Boogie DC3 on a Morley ABY switch.A Boss effects rig is used as well as an Alesis Nanaverb. I use the S/R for the clean sounds and the Mesa for the "Balls to the Walls" stuff. Very little noise in either channel at any volume. The Super Reverb is one of the best amps ever made!
Reliability
:10
Like most Fender products Rock Hard and Bad to the Bone!!!
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never had to deal with Fender direct
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing for a long time. I bought this from a friend who was the original owner and used it only as a hobby. The amp was put in a closet and never used. I picked it up 4 years ago and it looks like it just came from Fender. I would buy another S/R if I had the bread, it is a super amp. The only negative comment is that it is a Heavy puppie to carry around! Thank goodness for the casters.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $250.00 + caps, tubes and labor used
Submitted 04/28/1998
at 01:44pm
by Bob Craver
Features
:10
Typical '60s Fender-two unswitchable channels, one w/ volume and various tone controls, the other with tremelo and reverb. Mine came w/ the old square magnet (actually a kinda U-shaped magnet) Fender speakers. Mine was made @ '68-i do remember seeing ads for that amp w/ casters as a regular feature being offered the next model year. Why the whining-it's a half stack in a box w/ just one strap on the top of it. I want to say it was 40 watts-but an incredibly loud and clean 40 watts. For when it was made, this amp was rife w/ features.
Sound Quality
:10
It's hard to describe sounds, even w/ words like"big tanky thonk"-but thats about as accurate as it gets... It sounds kinda like a Twin thru an open back 4x10 cabinet. The reverb was typically lush and the tremelo (though it made that ticking noise they make when they get old) deep. It didn't begin to get dirty sounding until it hit 6 on the knob, and by that time it was REAL LOUD! This amp specifically did not endear itself to small club owners. I had a solid state rectifier and big-bottle RCA tubes in it-i wonder if that had anything to do w/ its over-efficientcy??? A good fuzz or overdrive could take this thing from country clean to"kissing the sky" at the touch of a button.
Reliability
:10
I got this amp @ '91 for $250.00 and had the tubes and caps replaced-other than the ticking noise in the trem it was pretty flawless. It always behaved well, but it's kinda big to move around w/out casters.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
n/a
Overall Rating
:9
Boy do i feel like a putz for trading this-i wish i still had it (but not in place of the amp I traded it for). You could really fill a big room w/ this amp with no problem-the four speakers really fill the air w/ sound. I think I might hold out for an old Blackface Super (cuz I'm a snob), but i think I really want another one-i just don't have room for it. If you have a strong back i highly recommend one-it's way easier than moving a half stack (it's only half the parts), but provides the oomph along with that "upfront" Fender clean sound.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $850
Submitted 02/27/1998
at 08:02am
by Eric Philippsen
Features
:10
Been playing 35 years. Everything. Old timer. Own or have owned all of 'em. Marshalls, Boogies, Fenders, Peaveys, etc. I suppose the "personal preference" argument has to be considered but I'm telling you, play a Super Reverb and know. After all this time it still wows me to no end. Standard features. For a listing of them read other reviews
Sound Quality
:10
Stratocaster. Tele sometimes. Volume on 4, treble on 7, mid and bass on 3. Reverb on 2.5, no temelo. Anywhere, any gig. All kinds of music. Straight jazz, country, surf, rock, metal. (Hey, if you want to play, be able to play it all. Distortion? TS-9 Tube Screamer. Nothing else. Sorry. A Super Reverb is it.
Reliability
:10
It's always there. Done a cap job. New tubes when needed. In the preamp section I replaced the 250pf and .01 caps with silver mica and .02 respectively. (Very common, almost standard, mod). If you thought a stock Super Reverb's tone was killer, that little $5 mod puts you in heaven. Replaced power cord with grounded one.
Customer Support
:5
This really isn't applicable. Just make sure that you have a good amp tech. Jesus, there are plenty of people who repair two amps, hang a shingle, and then call themselves restoration experts. When in doubt send it to Kendrick.
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
Like I said previously, I own or have owned them all. Better yet, I've played all of them on untold #s of jobs. I'm telling you, own a Super Reverb and end the search for the Holy Grail. Versatile. Tone. The prices reflect it. Suggestion: Get a blackface if you can. If not that, get an early silverface and have it converted to BF specs. Watch out for master volume ones. Never have liked them. Finally, get a road case. Yeah, heavy. Don't care. Protect your tone generator. One last thing. Lots of guitarists have sat in and played my equipment over the years. EVERY one of them has come off the stage, stood in front of me and said (while gazing back at the amp), "Nice amp." They know.
Reverb.
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $600
Submitted 01/24/1998
at 02:10pm
by Ryan Hull
Features
:10
This amp has plenty of power for many forms of music. It is a all tube 4x 10 combo. It is very versitle in the fact that it sounds great for jazz, blues and rock. I like the 2 chanels with 2 inputs a piece. 1 guitar can have no effects and the other one can have effects. I use this amp in the jazz band at school and it has lots of power and it has more to spare. I wish it had a distortion. I run a Danelectro distortion pedal and the sound is just great.
Sound Quality
:10
The amp sounds really great for a 1969. My Epiphone Sheritan II just sounds very brutal and my strat sounds great as well. It suits my needs and my music styles. The amp gets very loud on volume 3 and extremely loud as the volume increases. I like the Reverb and Vibrato and the rate at whick you can control how much you want. The clean channels are very clean. My distortion pedal run through the amp is just amazing and very full sounding.
Reliability
:10
I have only had the amp 2 weeks and it is very reliable
Customer Support
:10
I bought it from a friends guitar store and he stands behind what he sells and he is very good at getting parts
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing for 13 yrs and I have looked at amps for blues and jazz and rock and this one sounds good no matter what you play. I love the warm sound and the reverb and the vibrato. I have played peavey and creats and they just didn't have the warm sound I like and I like the vibrato. I am very pleased with it
Product: Fender Super Reverb Price Paid: US $725 used
Submitted 12/23/1997
at 01:09am
by jarichte@indiana.edu
Features
:10
Amp is a '66 all-tube blackface super. for those unfamiliar with super's (can't believe that you would be unfamiliar), it peaks around 40 watts, has 4-10" speakers, is a two 6L6 push-pull amp with a gz34 recitifier, has normal and reverb/vibrato channels, and is the workhorse amp for rock and blues. since i am a roots rock (ala paladins or the red devils)/blues (ala hollywood fats) guitarist, this amp has all i need. i use no effects than an occasional chandler echo (a digital echoplex) to let the amps tone ring through. there are no additional features i would want--how can you criticize perfection. the amp has more than enough power to cut through a band and fill a small club without going through the pa.
Sound Quality
:10
my main guitar is a '64 gibson es330 (a thinline hollowbody with two original p-90's) and this amp/guitar combination sings. since acquiring the amp, i have been amazed at how both my tone and playing have stepped to another level. the amp begins to saturate at "3" on the volume and is at a comfortable level of saturation/volume at "4" or "5". I've also used my 73 SG and 87 americ. standard strat (with texas specials) through it with great success--esp. the strat. the amp works well for the blues/roots rock/surf type vibes that i find myself doing. suits my musical style well. the amp recently had a filter cap job and sounds tight. i did have some preamp crackling related to faulty plate resistors, but this was easily remedied. it is a quiet amp except for some grounding noise associated with the amp still not having a grounded plug. distortion is typical for a great fender model. actually, comparing this amp to the supers i've played or personally seen, it's one of the best.
Reliability
:10
yes, it's an amp i can depend on and i'd use it without a back-up. part of the key, is not letting little problems go unmaintained--something unwise to do with a vintage amp.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:10
for a guitarist of 15 years and a fair amount of experience in the search for the perfect rig, this amp is a bona fide winner for roots rock and blues. and considering it looks mint, has great sounding kendrick blackframe speakers in it (i agreee with gerald weber, the stock super reverb speakers suck--the kendrick really opens up the tone a lot), recently had a filter cap job and new tubes, the $725 i paid for it was a steal. could have easily gone for a thousand elsewhere. if you encounter a blackface at around this price, snag it.