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Fender Super Twin Bass Head

#21
ok just found a super twin sounds awesome just ordered up some new tubes. I am gonna have a head cab made, was wondering how a fender bassman style cab converted to 6 10's (aka ampeg svt) would sound any ideas? will post pics when I am done with it. Also may sell my SVT MTI era head if this sounds as good as I think It will
 
#22
i think that you're going to love it. i've always referred to them as a '2/3rds SVT'. if you go with 6x10's, it would be best to get 12 ohm ones so you could have a total load of 4 ohms. personally, i like them with 2x15's, and IMO two Eminence 3015's would be great with it. they're lightweight, with great power handling and high sensitivity 100.8dB 1w/1m, so you'd get the most out of it. i went with JBL K140's just cuz they're my persoanl favorite sounding 15.
 
#30
johnk_10 said:
it fits in a dual showman or a showman head box. bandmaster and bassmans aren't wide enough.
Click to expand...

Excuse me if this is a stupid question, do you know if a super twin reverb chassis would fit into a showman head box also? If not, can you take the reverb tank out and make it fit? I don't really need the reverb but I found one that has already been put inside a custom head box but I'd rather put it into a more traditional blackface looking head than the one it's currently in.
 
#36
What is your opinion of the Distortion/Boost features? I was going to modify my Studio Bass head (also chopped from the combo cabinet) to include these features, but it is a bit tedious and I've yet to try a bass through a Super Twin to know if I really want these features. I do have a remote footswitch for a super twin which also bypasses the EQ section, but without the EQ the bottom end is just too fat (if you can imagine that)!
 
#37
I see these amps on sale every once in awhile. Is it easy to remove the amp section, and just plop it into a, say, bassman head box? Edit: Never mind . I see a Showman head case is the answer.
 
#39
I found a Fender Studio Bass head that is in REALLY rough shape, it looks likes a piece of crap, but I bought it because I saw this thread and thought to myself, I will make it as nice as I can. The previous owner asked me if I wanted it with or without a matching sextet of Groove Tubes 6L6GE's, there is a $300 difference, so I told him without. Did I do the correct thing? I am thinking I will go with J/J tubes from Eurotubes because they have always treated me right. What tubes can go in this head? I can't see me going the NOS route, but I may consider the Shuguang KT66 if they are WAY better than anything else for this head. I personally am thinking about getting J/J 6550's, since I had a MESA/BOOGIE BASS 400 (non-plus) with J/J 6L6's and currently have J/J KT88's in my Ampeg SVT II (non-pro). I didn't like how comparatively thin the 400 sounded, but I just don't know if that was because of the lighter transformers, etc. etc.

I have all of my big shows covered with the SVT and an 810E or 215E or both (if needed), but since my SVT is a non master volume, it is too clean to do my small gigs, this is what I bought the Studio Bass head for. It will do the job won't it? Are you certain that it can only do an 8 Ohm load? I understand that with the factory Eminence 15 this would be the case, however, wasn't the reason most players cut of the head portion in the first place was because they wanted to hook it up to bigger (and thus lower Ohms) cabs? I would love to have the option of having an 8 Ohm output, but since my cabs are 4 Ohms each it doesn't help me at all if it can only do 8 Ohms. :help: Thanks for your time, and the links earlier in this thread. Cheers.
 
#40
Yeah, I think you did the right thing by saving the $300.00. You can get new GT 6L6GEs online for about $80.00 a pair. Might as well start fresh, especially if the rest of the amp is in "REALLY rough shape". I use Sovtek 6L6WXTs in my Super Twin head (essentially the same amp) and they sound great. You can get them for $35.00 a pair; less if your amp tech buys them in bulk, like mine does.

I use my Super Twin with a Fender 215 Pro cab and, volume- and tone-wise, it's useable even in a living room jam seting. Of course, the sanity of moving 150 pounds of amp and cab for a living room jam is a whole `nother question... ;)

If you're looking for SVT-style power tube distortion at low volume, you probably won't be happy with the Studio Bass. You can get some good preamp tube breakup by cranking the "Volume" knob or hitting the input with a hot signal. However, to my ears, that distortion sounds much different from an SVT running WFO. With a passive P-Bass, I get the best results using a good distortion or overdrive pedal in front of the amp and setting the volume dial at abour 5-6. I've been using an SFT and Barber Deep Fryer, but I want to try a VT Bass to see if I can get some of that missing SVT tone. You will, however, have clean headroom for weeks.

As far as the impedance goes, the Studio Bass can handle a variety of different loads, but someone with more expertise will have to chime in on that. However, if you hook up both of your 4 ohm cabinets in SERIES, it should give you 8 ohms.

First, though, take the amp to a good tech and have him go through it top to bottom. It'll be money well spent... :bassist:
 

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