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Fender Super Twin Bass Head

#261
Kreken said:
Well, I can attempt an answer, although the currency and wage levels are different. I actually paid around $1000 for a Super Twin combo. On top of that I also bought a head shell for it, and had a full service with retubing etc done. Although this all added up quite a bit, it was still much cheaper than buying another similar vintage tube head (especially at almost 200 watts!).

For me personally the ST has ended my search for the perfect amp (admittetly along with my 1964 Ampeg B-15N). I'm currently selling off a Sunn 200S and a Music Man HD One Thirty. In my opinion, the ST is worth way more than what they sell for, and so as long as it sets you back less than a comparable vintage tube amp, you'd be getting a great deal.

Still, this is only my humble opinion, and not everyone has the same taste in amps. :)
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Thanks for the reply. I wound up picking up an Ampeg VT-22 that I'll be converting to a head.
 
#264
I can't attest to one sounding better than the other. I say snag the first version that comes along in good shape.
My Super Twin Reverb combo sounded pretty damn good as it was with 2 12's. In hindsight I wish I had kept the reverb unit, it sounded cool man:bassist:! I don't think it translated into more money when I sold the cab. This amp has a dedicated pre tube for the reverb not found in a regular Super Twin or Studio Bass.
 
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#268
My super twin has distortion, and is a lovely very powerful tube head, bonus round if you don't over do the head case it if fairly light too! Well light is relative I suppose, as compared to my Puma 900 or any class d amp it weighs a ton. Like 20 Pumas weigh less! Which is interesting, 20 Pumas makes for 18K watts!
 
#269
johnk_10 said:
Actually my Sound City sounds easily as good as any of my other tube amps, just a little different flavor. It has a big smooth low end and is super punchy. I'm running four KT88's in it and it sounds HUGE! The only way that I think that people get a bad opinion of them is that they must've heard one that wasn't running properly. Mine sounds almost exactly like a HiWatt 200.
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I have a Sound City 200 plus totally kicks a$$
 
#270
kosmicwizard said:
I don't think there was a "regular" super twin, there was a reverb version and a distortion version ... The super bass had neither. All 3 versions were originally combos, if you find "head" versions they have been modified. Cheers.
Click to expand...

(I think you mean the Studio Bass, not super bass.)

Absolutely. the Super Twin and the Super Twin Reverb have slighty different preamp schematics and the ST Reverb has a rare tube that's uneasy to find nowadays.
Both work very well for bass when chopped as a head only.
Chassis is the same width as a Twin Reverb (24-1/2").
I have also used my Twin Reverb as a bass head and it works very fine too.

I have removed all the distortion section in my Super Twin (though there was no need).
I have also improved the bias adjustment system for total hum cancelling, and the plate current adjustments.
This amp is incredibly noise-free.
The cabinet is DIY. See post #184 above.

Since this picture was taken, I have changed the front grill cloth to the correct orientation.

The parametric EQ is foot switchable, so it's easy to change to a pre-set tone like the good old-school P-bass tone in less than a second.

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#272
Hi, John. I wasn't able to read all the posts but very interesting. I plan on doing the same thing: I just bought a Super Twin and will be splitting it up into two parts; and changing components to the specs of a Studio Bass. I've wanted one of these amps ever since I saw the literature back in the '70s, when they first came out.

Mine's a project. The bias is screwed up, a couple of tube sockets (and resistors?) have been changed, and who knows what else?
 
#273
hey all you Super Twin/Studio Bass fans, I have not been back to this thread in a while.
I am thinking about venting my Studio Bass head to address the ever strange Fender "upside down" thermal design.

I know that I have seen side vents in the original Studio Bass combo's, so thats one route to try.
I could also vent the bottom and top in some way (possibly using the Marshall pop in vents ?)

I thought I would come here and see if any of you inventive, DYI guys might have an idea on how best to approach this challenge.

Thanks
 
#276
I'd start with the side vent's. And go on from there if needed.
If your amp is modified to a head only, does it have holes behind the front grill cloth?

Next stage would be to add a fan, but you'd have to be careful where you place it. The cooling needs to be uniform over all output tubes. I would avoid it if you can.

Mark
 
#278
I'm a sucker for projects, and I would jump on it if it weren't for:
1. I'm in Europe, >shipping costs...
2. I already have chassis for Bassman 100 (intent to build it up with 4x 6550, 200W) and a Ampeg B-15R chassis.
3. can't find the time/focus to finish stuff
Still, I'm tempted. Have a picture?

Mark
 
#279
I await my STR... I will definitely Re-cab the head. I'm a little worried about the 6C10 tube- those are not cheap! I've had bad GAS lately with tube amps. I got a Multivox Bass Combo, then a Maverick Bass Combo that I will pick up from the tech tomorrow, and now, after reading thus thread, I will pick up an STR on Sunday! Those low watt vintage combos sure are a gateway drug for tubes. I thought I was done getting amps when I started recording in the DAW, now after discovering re-amping...
 
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