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Fender Studio Bass Club!

#41
gjesse said:
Anyone rocking a Fender Studio Bass amp, Super Twin, or some variant thereof? If so, reply and let's show em off!
Click to expand...

I finally got around to taking some pictures of my 1975 Fender Super Twin. The amplifier has been removed from its original 212 guitar combo cab and housed in a Mojotone Twin Reverb head cabinet. I'm actually the fourth TB owner of this amp, following easye, basshag, and emblymouse. For the record, I think they were all nuts to give this one up!

Here's the Fender Super Twin in its stock cab:

42723304630215660-M.jpg


Here's how the Super Twin looked when I got it:

f1-M.jpg


Pretty good, but I really thought that the amp needed to regain a little of its black-grilled, bad-ass, used-by-The-Nuge attitude:

FenderNuge-M.jpg


So, I swapped out the silver baffle for a black one, added a period-correct Fender logo, and now we have:

IMGP2321-L.jpg


The head is paired with a Fender 215 Pro cabinet, and it flat out rocks. The five-band EQ is extremely versatile, once you get the hang of it. Plus, you've still got the classic Fender tone stack. These two can do Motown thump, growly clanky live fridge cab (yes, I mean that in a good way!), and just about anything in between.

IMGP2311-XL.jpg


I'm still debating whether or not to put a matching cloth grille on the 215. It looks pretty good now so, odds are, I'll be too lazy to change anything... :smug:

IMGP2342-L.jpg


"It's like, 'How much more black could this be?' And the answer is, 'None. None more black.'"

IMGP2362-L.jpg
 
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#42
nice going Charley. it looks great. i wouldn't change a thing on the cab. the powdercoated perf steel grills hold up better on cabs than grill cloth does.

and i agree, IMO, the super twin and studio bass amps (especially coverted to heads) are probably one of the best kept secrets to get a fender tube amp with REAL FENDER TONE, but with some power behind it.
 
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#47
johnk_10 said:
nice going Charley. it looks great. i wouldn't change a thing on the cab. the powdercoated perf steel grills hold up better on cabs than grill cloth does.

and i agree, IMO, the super twin and studio bass amps (especially coverted to heads) are probably one of the best kept secrets to get a fender tube amp with REAL FENDER TONE, but with some power behind it.
Click to expand...

Thanks, John. That's high praise coming from someone who's built and/or collected some awesome-looking vintage Fender rigs.

You're probably right about leaving the cab as is. It's built like a freakin' cinderblock. When UPS dropped the 215 Pro at my door, the box looked like it had been through a war. Fortunately, the cab was fine and I haven't had a single rattle out of the grille.

As to gjesse's question about the extra controls: As john_10 mentioned, it is a bright switch. For some reason, though, my amp sounds brighter with it in the off position. I'm beginning to wonder if someone installed it upside-down! :eyebrow:
 
#48
gjesse said:
Charley Umbria, you ever use that distortion knob?
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Not if I can help it!

The distortion on this amp is so terrible that even guitarists won't use it. Boo-ya! :ninja:

Seriously, though, it sucks. The only decent sound I've been able to use it for is a really growly, cutting tone...think jazz bass with Rotos through an overdriven solid state stack on a 1970's live album. Even then, I only had the distortion set to 1 or 2.

There's a guy on one of the pedal steel forums who's removed the Super Twin's distortion circuit and uses the former distortion pot to adjust the amp's negative feedback, which allows you to get more power out of the amp (at the expense of higher signal distortion). That kind of mod is way above my pay grade, though! The OEM Fender footswitch for this amp does the same thing, but in one big jump. It's louder, but not terribly practical.
 
#52
mund1 said:
I tried to get the date of manufacture from Fender... this is their response "we are unable to accurately date any products manufactured prior to 1994". But they did email me a .pdf of the Owners Manual & Schematic. Don't know if you have these? If you need, let me know....
Click to expand...

Hi There, You can't imagine how happy I am to find this group. I own a SB since 2004 and let me say that for Me it is a precious beast. That growl man. It just keep putting a smile on my face when I play the first note at the stage. Beautiful feeling!

Hey Mund1, I'm keen to get the Owners Manual. Do You have any idea on how I can do it?

Sorry for the poor English.

Best Regards and Keep Rocking!!!
 
#53
Private message me your email... I'll send you the manual.

It isn't much of a manual, a few basic pages... but it's what shipped with the amp... : )

I have started a Facebook page for the Fender Studio Bass amp.. just a spot to drop in, upload a pic, share a story, etc... stop in, take a peek. It's a slow work in process....

If you're on Facebook, stop in... give it a like, trying to build the page up! : )

http://www.facebook.com/FenderStudioBass

Thank You...
Edmund
 
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#54
I'll check on that FB page-great idea.

Here's my "new" Fender Studio Bass head. Got it last week. It's been totally overhauled & is in pristine condition.
Pre amp tubes are JAN/PHILIPS 12AX7's. What's the view on these?
Pwr tubes are Svetlana 6L6's. I think all are NOS tubes.
Amp was found by the tech in amazing condition & he just repaired it cosmetically & checked it over & replaced what was necessary.
Pics
2012-06-05185644.jpg


2012-06-05185730.jpg


2012-06-05185607.jpg

Is the "blue" jewel light correct?

2012-06-06170620.jpg

Thanks JohnK10, for help in this. Yr site & knowledge is a treasure! I wish I lived near to see & hear your amazing collection.
 
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#55
rodl2005 said:
I'll check on that FB page-great idea.

Here's my "new" Fender Studio Bass head. Got it last week. It's been totally overhauled & is in pristine condition.
Pre amp tubes are JAN/PHILIPS 12AX7's. What's the view on these?
Pwr tubes are Svetlana 6L6's. I think all are NOS tubes.
Amp was found by the tech in amazing condition & he just repaired it cosmetically & checked it over & replaced what was necessary.
Pics
2012-06-05185644.jpg


2012-06-05185730.jpg


2012-06-05185607.jpg

Is the "blue" jewel light correct?

2012-06-06170620.jpg

Thanks JohnK10, for help in this. Yr site & knowledge is a treasure! I wish I lived near to see & hear your amazing collection.
Click to expand...

Looks Sweet... CLEAN! Bet it sounds even nicer than it looks...!
 
#60
Boot Soul said:
It is also cool to use the line output as a DI, by using a DI box such as a Countryman, (which is made to handle line-level inputs with no problem), and then send the balanced signal to a FOH/mix board. It allows one to DI their power tube tone, without needing to mic their cab.


Fantastic Amp!
Click to expand...

Wondering if I can use this line out feature & use any decent D.I. ?? Would I still get the power tube sound if using a "lesser" D.I. than a Countryman for example?
Only just got my Studio Bass, so am just finding out about it.

The "output tubes matching" feature looks interesting too ???
 

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