Fender has created some of the guitar industry’s most famous and recognisable amps. Whether it’s the Hot Rod, Pro Reverb, Deluxe Reverb or Twin Reverb; Fender has released dozens of models that have satisfied countless working musicians and, of course, some of music’s biggest stars.
Fender’s amps are also synonymous with the “American” guitar sound. In fact, you could argue that Fender was responsible for coining the term. American-sounding amps typically have a broad frequency response, making their lows deep while their treble frequencies are vibrant and articulate.
As Fender amps need no further introduction, let’s compare two popular Fender amps: the Fender Pro and Twin Reverb.
| Features: | Fender ‘68 Custom Pro Reverb | Fender ‘65 Twin Reverb |
|---|---|---|
| Cost: | £1,349 ($1570) | £1,849 ($2157) |
| Max Wattage: | 40 Watts | 85-watt |
| Control Panel: | Bright Switch, Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Reverb, Speed, Intensity | Bright Switch, Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass |
| Weight: | 35 lbs. (15.9 kg) | 64 lbs. (29.03 kg) |
| Type: | Tube | All Tube Amp |
Fender ‘68 Custom Pro Reverb
Fender’s original Pro Reverb was considered as being a great all-around stage amp and remains a relative bargain among vintage Fenders. Fender’s newer and reconfigured ‘68 Custom Pro Reverb both adds and subtracts features to better suit the needs of contemporary players, and there’re significant differences between the original Pro and this newer edition. Where the original was a 2-channel 2×12, the new version is a lighter and more compact 1×12, with a single channel, adding a midrange control. The Custom Pro Reverb is still 40 watts and most of the features remain the same, making it a logical next step up from the popular Deluxe Reverb.
Design
Fender’s ’68 Custom Pro Reverb is as handsome that you’ll see. Fender has revisited the styling from that specific year, combining blue graphics on a silver control panel added with a silver and blue sparkle grille cloth.
The amp’s grille has an aluminium ‘drip edge surround’, a distinctive feature that appeared between 1967 and 1969, with 1968 believed to be the only full year of ‘drip edge’ production. The rest of its construction is a typical 60s Fender, with a solid ply cabinet covered in thick black Tolex.
Inside the chassis, the electronics are a mix of hand wiring and PCB. There’re two main circuit boards: one behind the control panel supporting the control pots and switches, and the larger board which holds most of the preamp, power amp and power supply components.
Meanwhile, just like the original, the valve bases are all chassis-mounted and hand-wired, keeping heat away from the PCBs that vastly improving reliability. There’re three 12AX7 and two 12AT7 preamp valves, along with a pair of Groove Tubes 6L6-S valves that provide the power.
The ’68 Custom Pro Reverb is a one-channel design, based on the classic Fender ‘Vibrato’ channel, with two input jacks, a Bright switch and an added midrange control, which is something that wasn’t on the original. There’s a level control for the traditional valve-powered spring reverb, together with Speed and intensity controls for the valve-powered tremolo effect, which sits after the reverb in the output stage, modulating volume via the grid bias.
Sound Quality
Taking the reverb higher still takes you to surf city, with a lot of delay and ping-pong oscillation nailing the Dick Dale tone. The tremolo is equally reminiscent of dark, brooding slow pulses to Bo Diddley stutter at full speed.
Fender’s original Pro Reverb’s coveted blend of medium headroom, 6L6 clarity and the squashy dynamic response has not only been retained but enhanced, with a wider dynamic range on the ’68 Custom giving a reduction in negative feedback and some clever work on the transformers.
The amp stays clean until around 4 on the volume control, after which the output stage distortion builds from a fine chime at around 4 or 5, to a toothsome crunch when the volume’s maxed out.
Fender’s original Pro Reverb could sound a little mushy when driven hard, however, the ’68 Custom’s Celestion Neo Creamback adds extra definition.
Overall
In short, Fender has done a great job re-imagining one of their real unsung ‘60s combos as an amp that’s probably more useful for most modern players than a detail-perfect reissue would have been. It does a brilliant job of capturing those iconic black-and silver-panel tones at a reasonable price while being presented in a lighter, more convenient package.
Fender ‘65 Twin Reverb
When talking about some of the most iconic guitar amps of all time, Fender’s Twin Reverb is definitely one of the first names that come to mind.
The Twin Reverb has been beloved by so many guitarists around the world. This amp is still a dream of so many guitar players. It’s no wonder why Fender came up with a reissued version, which brings a bit of modern touch but essentially brings the legendary design back.
Design
Regarding the design characteristics of the base, the reissued version of Fender Twin Reverb isn’t much different compared to the original. Just one look is enough to see that there’re a few significant visual differences between the original and the re-issue. More importantly, things are quite the same on the inside as well.
In the preamp section, you’ll find four 12AX7, with the power amp relying on 6L6 tubes. There’re four of them, which is the main reason why the tone remains crystal clean even if you crank the volume all-away up.
When it comes to the amp’s physical characteristics, it measures around 26.5 inches in width, which is no wonder considering that it comes with two excellent 12” Jensen speakers, giving an impressive dynamic response and really shining in hi-end registers.
Sound Quality
If you’re looking for the ultimate in clean tone, then go no further. Fender is the clean standard, bar none, and the Twin Reverb 65 is the definitive clean amp. Like its original, it’s a no-frills, no-fuss amp, giving 85 watts of beautiful clean tone. Unfortunately, there’s no drive channel with this amp. You’ll get a normal mode and a reverb/vibrato mode. However, the clean tone that comes out of the amp is absolutely heavenly!
For those who want distortion coming from saturated tubes, you’re out of luck, although that’s not bad, considering it’s the reason this amp has had such success is that it takes pedals very easily. In fact, you may consider it to be a “tone canvas” that provides a base clean tone which you can color in a variety of ways using your own pedals.
Probably the biggest difference between the Reissue and the original is that the reissue uses a solid-state rectifier as opposed to using a tube rectifier. While this might turn off tube amp purists, there’s logic to using a solid-state rectifier, as it keeps the cost of the amp way down.
Conclusion
Here are some pros and cons of both amps.
Fender ‘68 Custom Pro Reverb
Pros
- Huge clean tones
- Its effects sound great
- A decent build
Cons
- Could be considered too loud for most modern players’ needs
Fender ‘65 Twin Reverb
Pros
- Has a respectable amount of headroom
- Classic US-style cleans and Fender drive
- Makes for an excellent platform for pedal freaks
- Reverb and tremolo are great
Cons
- Power-scaling would’ve made it more versatile
- It’s more expensive