If you’re interested in learning more about Fender’s Twin Reverb vs Super Reverb amplifiers, you’ve come to the right post!
I’m no guitar expert, but I have played since 2003 and know a thing or two about this instrument!
So which is better, the Twin Reverb or Super Reverb?
If you’re into old-school blues, I’d rather suggest the Super Reverb. It can distort more easily and can even get into hard rock territory. But if you need super clean stuff and still prefer tubes, the Twin Reverb may be a better choice.
I’ll unpack this more in the following sections.
Legendary Fender Amps
An important thing to note about Fender is that they’re more than guitar manufacturers. The company has created plenty of guitar amps and even pedals over the decades. And, in particular, their amps have been pretty popular. No matter the genre, it seems that many play Fender amps at some point.
However, their amp models can be a bit confusing because they have a lot of different stuff. However, all of the standards were set back in the 1950s and the 1960s. Fender tube-driven amps these days all copy these old tones.
Fender has set the standards for traditional American amps. This is mostly due to the power amp tubes. While Marshall and Vox usually relied on EL84 or EL34, Fender stuck with 6V6 or 6L6.
This makes their tone less punchy and a bit scooped as some describe it. The sound has some smoothness while also including those ice-pick piercing overtones.
Twin Reverb Vs Super Reverb: Comparing Fender’s Models
One of the best things about Fender is that they still make some of the old models. Sure, they’ve changed in some ways, but they’ve also kept some classic traits.
This also goes for both Twin Reverb and Super Reverb. These days, you have the ’65 reissue Twin Reverb and the ’65 reissue Super Reverb as pretty popular choices.
But what are the actual differences between these two amps? Well, let’s dig and find out.
Twin Reverb
This one is a copy of the 1960s versions of Fender Twin amps. We’re looking at the reissue of the so-called Blackface. It’s an all-tube 85-watt combo amp bearing a pair of 12-inch speakers.
The amp comes with two channels, each with two inputs. These are normal and vibrato channels, each with individual controls and features. The normal channel comes with a 3-band EQ, volume knob, and a bright switch.
The vibrato channel has these same controls, along with reverb and speed and intensity of the tremolo effect. Yes, it’s a bit of an unusual effect.
On the backside, we have an output for an external speaker cabinet. This can really come in handy for some advanced setups. However, there are no other features like effects loops.
Because this is a tube amp, Fender’s Twin Reverb has a lot of headroom. This means that you can keep your tone relatively clean even if you go into higher volume settings.
However, it can really distort nicely with a booster or an overdrive pedal. The dynamic response in such settings is pretty decent. But even with such a setup, it somehow retains the classic Fender tone traits from the 1960s.
Of course, there’s also a spring reverb onboard. It has that atmospheric shimmering vibe to it. It’s especially pronounced when you engage the bright mode on either of the channels.
Overall, it’s an awesome clean amp and a great platform for pedals. Don’t expect much distortion. However, it can get those sparkling dirty cleans in certain settings.
Here’s the Twin Reverb in action:
Super Reverb
The Super Reverb these days has two versions. We have the Tone Master and the regular ’65 reissue.
Both are combo amplifiers. However, what’s interesting is that the Super Reverb comes with four 10-inch Jensen speakers. It’s as if you have a whole speaker cabinet with you.
The amp itself comes with 45 watts of power and two channels. The channels are the same as with the Twin Reverb. These are the same exact controls. And there’s even the same speaker cabinet output on the backside.
However, there’s an additional pair of jacks on the back. We have the reverb input and reverb output. However, this doesn’t have much practical value for a guitar player. Any attempts to turn it into an effects loop would be complicated and expensive.
Once again, we have an amp that comes with a lot of clean headroom. Pushing it over the edge is possible, although it distorts mildly. The tone has its own twist due to having 45 watts and four 10-inch speakers. However, in its essence, it’s still a super-clean Fender amp.
Here’s a deeper look into the ’65 Super Reverb:
And here’s how the Tone Master variant compares to the old Super Reverb from the 1960s.
Direct Comparison
Now, these two amplifiers seem to have a lot in common. For instance, we have the same types of preamp and power amp tubes. Twin Reverb has four 6L6s, while the Super Reverb comes with two of them. The only difference is the rectifier tube in Super Reverb.
Controls and overall features are pretty much identical. What’s more, you even have the tilt-back legs to put them into an angled position. However, the output power is different and we have different speaker configurations.
Nonetheless, in practice, these two amplifiers serve the same purpose. It’s either a great platform for pedals, clean tones, or for old-school blues tone.
If you’re into old-school blues, I’d rather suggest the Super Reverb. It can distort more easily and get that sparkle on higher volume settings. With an overdrive in front of it, it even gets to some hard rock territories.
But if you need super clean stuff and still prefer tubes, Twin Reverb comes as a better choice. Then again, practical differences between these two are nuanced.
If you like the classic Fender tone, you can’t go wrong with either of them. As I said, the only notable difference is that Super Reverb distorts more easily compared to the Twin Reverb.
This is especially the case with the Tone Master variant. It’s packed with an additional power attenuation feature. This means that you can lower its output power and crank it up at lower volumes. This brings more warmth and that organic distortion. What’s more, there’s even the emulated output on it, which can be super useful for live gigs.
Either way, both Super Reverb and Twin Reverb are awesome amps. You really can’t go wrong with either of them.
Conclusion
I hope this article has clarified some of the differences between the Twin Reverb Vs Super Reverb Fender amps.
And if you want to read more about amps on my blog, check out:
Lastly, if you have questions about this or another guitar-related topic, feel free to message me in the comments below!
One Response
Hi,
First of all I want to thank you for the excellent article you wrote, it cleared up some doubts I had about the two iconic Fender combos, and I would like to know if the Fender Super Amp 90’s is also in this category or if it is from a lower range?