Fender Twin - modern substitute?

[Iain Purdon]

My rock'n'roll guitarist bandmate loves his Fender Twin like no other. It gives him the sound he wants. (He's not a Shads player, except on rhythm.)

Trouble is, it's heavy and even he, like the rest of us, isn't getting any younger!

He wants something small and light that will cut it on gigs in exactly the same way

Is there a Fender Twin soundalike that isn't a sizealike or a weightalike??

All suggestions appreciated.

[Paul Childs]

Had one for years (The Twin 1994 model) and know what it's like to carry. I've carried it up and down a few stairs & fire escapes at gigs in my time but like your bandmate Iain it was the sound that I wanted and I found it very versatile soundwise.
I don't know why they couldn't have designed it with a handle each end so two people can carry it.
I wonder how many slip discs and hernias this amp has caused in its time?
Should be renamed the FENDER BACKBREAKER!

[Mike Honey]

Quick answer is no there isnt! I have played Fender amps for years and as I have got older they seem to have got heavier! I do think though that their solidity (weight) contributes to their sound.

I have now gone over to a vox valvetronix 80+, lighter, loud enough for what I need, and a very close sound, especially when played via the PA!

mike

[JimN]

Nothing light sounds like a Fender Twin Reverb.

Fender actually used to have their own solution to the weight problem: the Fender Showman or Dual Showman, which were piggy-back amps with either a single 15" or pair of 15" speakers in a separate cabinet from the head (the Showman amp was essentially a Twin offloaded into a separate cabinet).

As unlikely as it may sound, a Showman is far easier to shift than a Twin, because it can be taken in two goes at approximately half the weight each time. The amp head and speaker cabs are still heavy but not "awkward". Those who remember the AC30 Supertwin will be able to confirm the transport improvement (albeit at the cost of space).

Fender don't currently do the Showman, but they're around, s/h. Another solution is to decant the head into a separate, specially-made cabinet and continue to use it with the speakers still in the original cabinet. It's possible, but not essential, to seal off the control panel aperture in the main cabinet. It's probably cheaper than changing amps and the original appearance can be restored at any time.

JN (currently using a Kelly Treble-Bass 50 top and a 1x12 Carvin cab with a Celestion Vintage 30)

[dave robinson]

I had a Fender Twin Reverb loaded with JBL speakers between 1972 & 1990, though I stopped using it in the latter years because of the weight, switching to a very light Sessionette which didn't work out and acquiring a Mesa Boogie MKIII simul-class which was just as heavy as the Twin - killer sound though, from clean to whatever . . .

I sold the Boogie and moved back to Vox when I began to enjoy the nostalgia trip we are now on, but recently bought a Mesa Boogie 1 x 12 DC5, which has a Celestion speaker rather than the very heavy ElectroVoice that was in my MkIII Boogie. The sound for what we are doing is perfect and because of the quality in the tone controls can sound 99% Vox AC30 if you set it up correctly - (no treble and bass, just full MID), or a Fender Twin Reverb (plenty of bass & treble) as I remember it, as well as all the distortion you'll ever need ! It's easy to carry as it weighs nowhere near a Twin Reverb or AC 30 and it does the business. These are old but there are a few around, pure quality and I'd recommend you check it out.

[roger bayliss]

How about one of these

http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/p/916275 ... -twin-amp/

[Bojan]

Here's an idea. If you don't want to use a "backbreaker" amp like the Vox AC30 or the Fender Twin Reverb and want a smaller and lighter amp, which will need to be miked, you might as well get rid of the amp altogether and use an amp modeling processor directly through the PA. The smallest and lightest I can recommend is the Korg Ampworks . . . It does an awesome job of emulating Vox AC15, AC 30, Fender Twin, and other famous amps and it's really cheap. An even better, albeit slightly more expensive alternative, is a Vox Tonelab . . .

Both of these units use the same modelling technology that Korg uses in the Valvetronix amps, except you don't have to buy the amp, just the Valvetronix circuitry fitted into a small box that fits into you guitar case.

[pjr]

+1 on the Mesa Boogie gear. Does he have to have a 100 watt amp?

If not, try a Boogie F50, available as a combo or head. The clean channel is very Fender-like, very loud and the gain channel will give you all the dirt you need:)
I often use one at the North Notts club and it produces a respectable Shad's sound, especially since I modded the back end to EL34's.

Cheers,

Pete

[dave robinson]

+1 on the Mesa Boogie gear. Does he have to have a 100 watt amp?

If not, try a Boogie F50, available as a combo or head. The clean channel is very Fender-like, very loud and the gain channel will give you all the dirt you need:)
I often use one at the North Notts club and it produces a respectable Shad's sound, especially since I modded the back end to EL34's.

Cheers,

Pete

Mine isn't a 100watt amp, the DC-5 is a 50watt amp.

[petercreasey]

Your guitarist could always do what I did Iain....... get a strong young rhythm guitarist...... and get him to carry in
Take care