Silverface Twin Reverb on Gumtree

bigfuzz

http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/1974-vintage-fender-twin-reverb-amp-amplifier-jbl-great-smiths-and-stone-roses-sound/1096899263

If I didn't live in a shoebox flat, this would be mine... 

MatthewShreddery

uh oh... PM'd...

gusman2x

So much amp for the money

ICBM

It looks to be in extremely good condition as well, unless it's been very professionally restored. Mostly they got gigged to hell and back and are usually looking very old and worn now.

I wouldn't take the lack of the second JBL or it being reconed as a problem, the fact that it's got one at all is an upgrade.

Obviously the usual caveats apply about internal condition and having a professional check-over for safety and reliability - at the very least the potentially hazardous mains voltage selector needs to be properly internally disabled.

MatthewShreddery

@ICBM - what caveats are they?

I'm going round his house tomorrow to have a look at it - what should I look out for? (besides bottles of chloroform and gaffer tape)

(I really should buy you a pint or two for all the help you give on here)

Gassage

No I musn't. This is the bargain of the yr.

bigfuzz

Gassage said:

No I musn't. This is the bargain of the yr.

now i'm questioning why i posted on here and didn't just buy it myself!

ICBM

MatthewShreddery said:

@ICBM - what caveats are they?

I'm going round his house tomorrow to have a look at it - what should I look out for? (besides bottles of chloroform and gaffer tape)

lol

Difficult to check without taking the chassis out - mostly bad previous repair work.

Randomly mismatching power valves are often - but not always - a warning sign. Chemical crusting or staining on the undertray behind the small reverb transformer will indicate a cap leak at some time, but not whether or how well it has been repaired. Extra drilled holes in the back, missing or mismatching screws…

Hum, crackling and random changes in volume aren't a great sign but are not always due to anything serious.

The good news is that at that price, it could actually need a bit of work and *still* be a fair buy. It would have to be quite seriously buggered for it not to be. Hopefully it isn't cheap because he already knows that!

MatthewShreddery said:

(I really should buy you a pint or two for all the help you give on here)

If you buy it and it turns out to be a bargain, I accept beer by Paypal .

bigfuzz

@matthewshreddery i'll take a beer to seeming you're a fellow londoner

MatthewShreddery

@bigfuzz - I'm not a Londoner

So I'm popping over to check out the Twin. 

After asking some questions here are the answers I got:

Recently serviced. May need re-bias as he's just changed the power valves.

Never modded (apart from that red speaker)

Not renovated - just happens to be in great condition, so I'm guessing it's not been gigged too heavily, or just well looked after.

Hardly any of the caps have been changed - not sure what to make of that.

He says it's a bit noisy, but the hum can be dialled out and it goes away when he uses the amp outside of his house - perhaps his home electricity is contributing to the hum?

Footswitch doesn't seem to work but the reverb and tremolo can be dialled with the knobs anyway.

I think this all sounds pretty good, I just hope I don't buy a complete lemon as I've not had a great deal of luck with amps in the past.

ICBM

That all sounds pretty good. Not having been fully re-capped is a potential issue - it's certain to need it very soon if not already, at that age - but the hum sounds like it's not due to that. Check the mains earth connection - if possible, open the plug and check it before you even turn it on at his house, just to be sure!

The footswitch could be a broken cable or a poor contact in the RCA jacks - but if the tremolo can be made to work without the footswitch, then the amp *has* been modded, since it shouldn't!

These amps are not bias-adjustable, as stock - you get a power valve balance control but no overall bias. Not usually an issue, and easily modded if you prefer.

MatthewShreddery

I believe from his email that the footswitch will turn the reverb and trem ON but not OFF again.

I'll take my screwdiver with me to open the plug, if openable, 

Is a full re-cap a big job?

Thanks

Gassage

MatthewShreddery said:

I believe from his email that the footswitch will turn the reverb and trem ON but not OFF again.

I'll take my screwdiver with me to open the plug, if openable, 

Is a full re-cap a big job?

Thanks

£150 ish from memory.

bigfuzz

@matthewshreddery not actually a londoner myself either, just under the illusion that there's a better music 'scene' down here

hope the amp visit goes well, itching to find out the result. full review is a must if you do buy it

Gassage

I hope someone buys this. (to save me from doing so)

MatthewShreddery

So... I bottled out of the purchase.

It's been an expensive period, having bought a Fender DRRI and a Marshall Plexi reissue I think I'm all set for amps TBH.

There's a lovely Jaden I've got my eye on too so need the gas funds...

Somebody please buy the Twin as I'm gonna keep looking at it wondering 'what if...'

ESchap

Damn, my sister lives not far away from it.  However, as she's a midwife her idea of what constitutes a good Twin, may be somewhat off the mark. It really is a bargain this, someone buy it and save my sister the indignity of trying to lift it into her car boot.

Pigknows

Hi, this is my amp,

It sounds great and it's just in really nice condition. 

I had it serviced late last year and the tech said that, though he would have expected to change the caps, he didn't need to as they were fine - if it ain't broke and all that.

I took it in because it had suffered from a ticking trem, but the tech sorted that for me.

The slight buzz/hum is not really a problem, and is only really noticeable when playing solo at home (wall supply at my house not the best anyway). It's just a bit noisier than my other Fenders, and is worse with the bright switch on. I dare say it could be eliminated if someone put their mind to it. 

Haven't spent much time messing with the footswitch. It doesn't seem to be reliable. I just set so that the reverb and trem both work and then use the dials. 

Not a bad thing it didn't didn't sell today as I was playing it again this morning and was considering keeping it. 

I have a couple of really busy weeks ahead of me so I've decided to pull the ad.

If I decide to readvertise, I'll let you guys know.

Thx

ESchap

Welcome aboard @pigknows. ; Lovely amp.

Pigknows

Thanks ESchap, good to be here. 

Having a bit of a clearout of my studio in the next few weeks. 

A few vintage Musicmans, Ampegs, a Brown Princeton, and a few other bits,

No photos yet, but when I sort them all out, I'll put a post in the amps for sale sections.

Cheers 

ICBM

Pigknows said:

Hi, this is my amp,

It sounds great and it's just in really nice condition. 

I had it serviced late last year and the tech said that, though he would have expected to change the caps, he didn't need to as they were fine - if it ain't broke and all that.

I took it in because it had suffered from a ticking trem, but the tech sorted that for me.

The slight buzz/hum is not really a problem, and is only really noticeable when playing solo at home (wall supply at my house not the best anyway). It's just a bit noisier than my other Fenders, and is worse with the bright switch on. I dare say it could be eliminated if someone put their mind to it. 

Haven't spent much time messing with the footswitch. It doesn't seem to be reliable. I just set so that the reverb and trem both work and then use the dials. 

Not a bad thing it didn't didn't sell today as I was playing it again this morning and was considering keeping it. 

I have a couple of really busy weeks ahead of me so I've decided to pull the ad.

If I decide to readvertise, I'll let you guys know.

Thx

Welcome!

Now that you've read this thread this will not come as any great surprise, but you've done the right thing. This amp is worth substantially more than you were asking, and although before we knew you it would have been nice for one of us to get a bargain , it would be unwise to sell it for as little as that. You certainly couldn't expect to pick up another as good for that sort of price.

Also, don't ever feel that it's "too much amp" for home playing, or that you're "not doing it justice" or anything - they sound fabulous at low volume, and as long as you can physically fit it in your house or lift it when necessary, it isn't too much amp.

It's probably worth getting those minor issues sorted, it doesn't sound like it will be expensive.

Don't sell the brown Princeton too cheap if you're going to either! That's a very desirable amp these days.