Four 6L6s on a Super Reverb Type Circuit?

[The New Steve H]

Talking with my buddy, who dreams of a Super Reverb sound (without vibrato), with about 80-100 watts and lots of clean headroom. I got a question.

Is there any reason I can't run 4 6L6 tubes off a Super Reverb style preamp? I know I would have to change the rectifier and transformer and so on. Is it possible to split the outputs from the phase inverter and run them to 4 tubes instead of 2?

Also, if you like a really punchy sound with clean headroom, is it best to go with diodes, or is a rectifier tube still a good idea? I would think tube sag would limit dynamics and add tasty compression, but I don't really know what I'm doing. I don't want to end up with a solid state sound. Maybe I could back up a tube with diodes and have a switch to cut out the tube at will?

One other thing: can we get away with 100 watts into a 4x10 with 25-watt speakers? I know 4 times 25 is 100, but I don't know if there are peaks that go beyond the ratings.

Thanks, whoever recommended Merlin Blencowe's book. I am trying to get up to speed.

[eddie25]

Yes, it's very possible. I think that's pretty much what a Twin Reverb is.

I don't know the numbers off the top of my head, but I'm fairly sure there's no tube recto that would feel good handling the type of current that a 100 watt amp would need, at least by itself.

About the speakers. I think you would be fine, but people will debate this.

[The New Steve H]

I don't know if a Twin is really what he needs. I keep reading that they blow the walls out of small venues.

I didn't have any idea there was a limit on tube rectifier wattage. I figured you just paralleled them or...something.

I guess I should have looked at the schematic for the Twin before asking my questions. I see what you're saying. Wow, I just invented the Twin Reverb. On the up side, it's comforting to see that I had the right idea.

Now I'm wondering what accounts for the sonic differences. I have read that the Twin has more bass and less of a sweet sound. The circuits are so similar, I'm wondering if the solid state power chain for the Twin has anything to do with the sound.

I also have to wonder if I could build him a Twin-style amp and fix it so he could switch off two of the tubes and get the best of both worlds.

I believe my friend's concept is that you get yourself as much clean headroom as you can and then make your pedals supply the overdrive and whatnot. I'm just afraid it will sound sterile because it's never under any strain.

[jaysg]

Audition a BF Showman amp. There's only a tone stack cap difference. They used to be $300...dunno about now.

[The New Steve H]

Looks like $1000 on Ebay.

What's the appeal of a Showman?

[tubeswell]

Looks like $1000 on Ebay.

What's the appeal of a Showman?

It started out as the amp Leo personally designed for Dick Dale. IIRC the tale I read (at some stage) was the Leo Fender was at a Dick Dale gig where the latter kept blowing up speakers in his amp. So Leo got together with Dick and the two of them came up with an amp that worked for Dick

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... =2&t=37401

[The New Steve H]

Guess I better find out who Dick Dale is.

[chopstuck]

If you want a 100w Super Reverb look no farther than the:

Fender Quad Reverb 4x12 100w

and the

Fender Super 6 Reverb 6x10 and 100w

Bring a roadie These things were Fender/Rhodes heavy.

[Gibsonman63]

I don't know if a Twin is really what he needs. I keep reading that they blow the walls out of small venues.

I have 1972 Super Reverb (non-master volume, blackfaced) that will blow the walls out of a small club. There is not a huge difference in volume between 45 Watts and 100 Watts, plus with 4 10" speakers, the Super Reverb moves a lot of air.

I believe my friend's concept is that you get yourself as much clean headroom as you can and then make your pedals supply the overdrive and whatnot. I'm just afraid it will sound sterile because it's never under any strain.

Speakers will have a lot to do with that as well. The loudest, cleanest Fender I have owned was a Blackface Twin equipped with JBL speakers. Too clean for my taste, but I traded it of to a guy who played Rockabilly and he loved it.

The Showman will certainly be loud and clean as well. You can pickup a Bassman 100 or even a Bassman 135 on the cheap and use it for loud and clean and they aren't much different schematically from the showman. Very simple amps with big iron. I have seen some guys in the Dumble section with nice Dumble-like builds from the Bassman 100s.

For some Dick Dale tracks that you have probably heard before, check out the soundtrack to Pulp Fiction.

[Milkmansound]

Check out the tweed twin. It's got dual rectifier tubes, and a 4x6L6 output for a clean 100W

It will definitely melt the hair off the back of your head.

[The New Steve H]

The Quad is interesting.

I talked to other guitarists today, and they confirmed the claim that the Twin is extremely loud, so while I am in no position to judge, it sounds like a lower-wattage amp might be the way to go.

My friend says he loves the sound of a Bassman and Super Reverb played together, so now I'm wondering if there's a way to get an effect like that from two channels in one amp.

It's a lot of fun trying to decide what to build.

[chopstuck]

If your friend likes the two amps together, it may be partly to the different response of the 4x10s and the 2x12 speakers in the separate cabinets. The best way to get the ability to blend them is to have a PA for each cabinet. Or simpler yet to have both amps.

[The New Steve H]

He likes the Super Reverb (4x10) played alongside the Bassman. Not the Twin Reverb.

[Reeltarded]

BF twin is a loud amp, but not crude. Dual Showman.. now that's ugly.

[tubeswell]

Guess I better find out who Dick Dale is.

Misirlou (with The Wedge in the middle of it)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UmmbF1Zyvk

Nitro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xymVxcLQVT8&NR=1

Pipeline with SRV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWw55XhT ... re=related