In Which we Discuss the Fender Red Knob Twin

mattburnside

mattburnside

***hole. Major ***hole.
Played through one of these at GC (used, obviously) but the 1/4-power switch seemed to do a whole lot of nothing, and the GC drone did not take my pointing this out as his cue to begin bartering.

Experiences? Dallas Guitar Show is this weekend, you know.
 
Yeah, I've played through a few of them - mainly back in the 90s. They were pretty cool. They didn't grind as well as the Mesas or the Marshalls I used to have (the distortion was a bit fuzzier sounding), but they still sounded pretty good. If the price was right, I'd get one. I'm thinking of doing the Chicago Guitar Show again.
 
The rehearsal studio I used to frequent had one. I love those amps. I'd set it to clean with the tone controls all at 12 o'clock, and used a bunch of pedals for overdrive: Red Llama, Tube Screamer and Big Muff with a comp in front. Sounded awesome whichever pedal was used. If I ever had a need for an amp, that's the one I'd get.
 
Hey Ellen! A buddy of mine, who seems to have vanished up his own butthole, played an SG through the dirty channel of a Red Knob Twin back in the '90s and I remember envying his tone like crazy. Maybe it was that SG, or that Twin, or the fact that it was the '90s. The one I played (with a Tele) was kinda...fizzy sounding. He treated his gear like shit. Might need to buy one and drop it out of a moving car or something.
 
Suhnton said:
The rehearsal studio I used to frequent had one. I love those amps. I'd set it to clean with the tone controls all at 12 o'clock, and used a bunch of pedals for overdrive: Red Llama, Tube Screamer and Big Muff with a comp in front. Sounded awesome whichever pedal was used. If I ever had a need for an amp, that's the one I'd get.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I tend to rely on dirtboxes for my dirt because I don't want to dick with the FX loop for my delay and solo boost. Good news. Thanks.
 
I haven't played through one in many years (probably since college in the late 1980's..I really don't remember) and I didn't dig it back then.

Keep in mind I had shit tone unntil about 1995. :embarrassed:
 
mattburnside said:
Let's get down to brass testicles, Howard. If you were given the choice between a Red Knob Twin and, say, a '73 silverface twin...you would... what?
Click to expand...

funny you should ask.

we played in Brisbane, Australia for a week in the summer of '06. since i couldn't bring an amp, one was provided for me. an early 70s SF twin reverb. it was awful. totally roached out. so i made the production company switch out the amp for a different one. they provided me with a red knob twin, and i used it for the entire run. it was loud and clean and awesome. just don't use the distortion channel.
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
funny you should ask.

we played in Brisbane, Australia for a week in the summer of '06. since i couldn't bring an amp, one was provided for me. an early 70s SF twin reverb. it was awful. totally roached out. so i made the production company switch out the amp for a different one. they provided me with a red knob twin, and i used it for the entire run. it was loud and clean and awesome. just don't use the distortion channel.
Click to expand...

Okay, let's make things interesting: throw a Rivera-era Twin Reverb II into the mix. Where'z that fall in the grand Howierarchy?
 
If it's anything like the Rivera-era Princeton Reverb II, that I stupidly got rid of in 1990 (I keep an eye out for them on evilBay, hoping to get another one), I'd say pretty good. Nice cleans. Use the boost function, with the pull-boosts on the mid, treble, and bass controls, and and it has some good overdrive, without the fizz, the evil (red knob) Twin can have. Not super high gain, but still pretty good (sort of early JCM800, or Mesa Maverick [another amp I stupidly sold], depending upon how you set it up). Run a clean boost into them, while in the boost mode, and watch them scream! I remember one time, running a Chandler Tube Driver into my Princeton Reverb II, while it was in the Boost mode, and going nuts before a rehearsal (I was in a pop covers band at the time, so there was no way I could do it during band time) blasting away on Soundgarden's "Ugly Truth", complete with the feedback effects.

The Rivera Era Twin ought to sound pretty similar, but possibly a little cleaner, due to Twins characteristically having a fair amount of clean headroom. The only problem you're going to have, is that Rivera-era Fenders go for some serious bucks nowadays. That's why I've yet to get another Princeton Reverb II. At 800-$900 for one (I paid like $350 for mine used, back in late 1989), all I could say was, "nope!, not right now!" Rivera-era Twins go for a quite a bit more. But if you have a good lead on one at a good price, it's worth snapping up. IMO, besides the overdrive, they take pedals very well. The only hassle is the footswitch for boost mode, and reverb. They've always been kind of hard to find (although you can access both functions from the front panel). But, you could always do with out it, be patient, wait, and get one off of eBay, or mod another switch to do the job for you.
 
Last edited:
ellengtrgrl said:
If it's anything like the Rivera-era Princeton Reverb II, that I stupidly got rid of in 1990 (I keep an eye out for them on evilBay, hoping to get another one), I'd say pretty good. Nice cleans. Use the boost function, with the pull-boosts on the mid, treble, and bass controls, and and it has some good overdrive, without the fizz, the evil (red knob) Twin can have. Not super high gain, but still pretty good (sort of early JCM800, or Mesa Maverick [another amp I stupidly sold], depending upon how you set it up). Run a clean boost into them, while in the boost mode, and watch them scream! I remember one time, running a Chandler Tube Driver into my Princeton Reverb II, while it was in the Boost mode, and going nuts before a rehearsal (I was in a pop covers band at the time, so there was no way I could do it during band time) blasting away on Soundgarden's "Ugly Truth", complete with the feedback effects.

The Rivera Era Twin ought to sound pretty similar, but possibly a little cleaner, due to Twins characteristically having a fair amount of clean headroom. The only problem you're going to have, is that Rivera-era Fenders go for some serious bucks nowadays. That's why I've yet to get another Princeton Reverb II. At 800-$900 for one (I paid like $350 for mine used, back in late 1989), all I could say was, "nope!, not right now!" Rivera-era Twins go for a quite a bit more. But if you have a good lead on one at a good price, it's worth snapping up. IMO, besides the overdrive, they take pedals very well. The only hassle is the footswitch for boost mode, and reverb. They've always been kind of hard to find (although you can access both functions from the front panel). But, you could always do with out it, be patient, wait, and get one off of eBay, or mod another switch to do the job for you.
Click to expand...

Cool info Ellen. Im'a see if I can pick up an old Deluxe II or Twin II at the guitar show. The footswitch...yeah, that looks like an asswhip, but I can build one and use the lack of one as a negotiating point.
 
great amp until it breaks , then just throw it away.

these are so maligned someone left one in my friends practice space (the dual showman version)
 
Only if they include an appliance hand truck with purchase.
titan-appliance-hand-truck.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top