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Saturday, July 9, 2011

Tech Talk - Fender Super Reverb Blackface vs. Silverface


The Fender Super Reverb was a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1963 and was discontinued in 1982. This was essentially a Fender Super amplifier with built-in reverb and vibrato. The original Super Reverb amplifiers were all tube design and featured spring reverb. There were two different designs, distinguishable by the color of the "face" or front control panel. Super Reverbs from 1963 through 1967 had "black face" panels.

From 1968 until its discontinuation in 1982, the Super Reverb had "silverface" cosmetics and circuitry. Early models in 1968, while cosmetically "Silverface", did contain "Blackface" circuitry.

* 40 watts into 4x 10" 8-Ohm Jensen speakers (wired in parallel for 2 Ohms)

* Silverface models: 45 watts (power increased to 70 watts in 1975 and was given a Master volume with pull-out boost circuit and a solid state rectifier. Changed to 135 watts RMS in 1978 with an additional Mid control pot for the Normal channel and a Line Out jack socket.) Silverface amps made between '68 and '72 were emblazoned with "Super Reverb-Amp". After 1972 this was changed to just "Super Reverb".

Tube (valve) complement:

* 4 X 12AX7,
* 2 X 12AT7,
* 2 X 6L6,
* 1 X 5AR4/GZ34 RectifierTube for blackface amps and 5U4GB for silver face amps

* two channels: Normal and Vibrato, with Bright Switch

* Height: 24⅞" (63.2 cm)
* Width: 25⅛" (63.8 cm)
* Depth: 10½" (26.7 cm)

* Weight: approx. 65 lbs.

* A "Boost" control and a master volume were added in 1975.

* A Mid control for the Normal channel and a Line Out jack socket were added in 1978.

* Super Reverbs produced between late 1980 and 1981 have blackface cosmetics and a silver sparkle grille cloth.

* Master volume has a pull-out pot for distortion.

1 comment:

  1. I just want to comment, aside from the particular speakers that you may encounter in the Super Reverb, I've personally had 2 Blackfaces and one Silverface. A 65 a 66 and a 68. Their circuitry are identical and they are almost identical in sound (again except possible different manufactured speakers). The amps that are compared here are a 67 AB763 and an 80 AA270 circuit.
    Blue sparkle grille cloth w/ aluminum frame (68-69), w/o aluminum frame (70-81)

    # A "Boost" control and a master volume were added in the mid seventies.

    # A Mid control for the Normal channel and Line Out jack were added in ~1978.

    Fixed, adjustment pot (AB763) or balance pot (all others)

    40 or 70 (late 70s models) Watts

    ReplyDelete