Pro verses Twin

Q

Hi Steve,

I love the sound of the East Coast setup with the Pro. After listening to your playing through stock (even relative stock) Fender amps I had a couple of questions as I aim to navigate some new roads tonally.

The headroom in Twins have been overwhelming to me. I have a stock 68 Super that has gotten too heavy. I like the darker tone of the Super compared to most Twins and I have heard a a middle ground between a Twin and a Super in a 68 Pro I just picked up..

I wondered what you thought about the difference between stock Pros and Twins, generally (tone, headroom, breakup especially with humbuckers), and what the 15″ speaker in the Pro gives you compared to the 2×12 setup (I’ve heard similar results in Pryor’s use of a Deluxe, I think, with a 15″ that sounded glorious also).

I hope that’s not too vague and I appreciate any insights you have. Your tone(s) has/have always been incredible. .

Many, many thanks,
Jon.

Jonathan, MA

2 Thoughts on Pro verses Twin
    11 Oct 2022
    4:22am
    Comment:

    For clarification, my comments will be based on the Brown Pro and BF Twin Reverb I use when I’m lucky enough to carry my own production.

    You’re on the right track with the “humbucker” comment, because you’re giving the amp a job, using it for a reason.
    The Brown Pro with humbuckers is the lick, breaks up nice, plenty loud but playable, and as long as you don’t use too high power handling at the speaker it’s in the same Goldilocks Zone as a Bandmaster, Bandmaster Reverb, or Tremolux (maybe).

    The 2x6L6 Brown Fenders are all pretty similar in the pre-amp different transformers, rectifiers, and speakers is what separates them functionally, “use this not that” depending on the material, room, volume requirements or restrictions.
    The Basic Brown Fender thing for me is Dickie and Duane on Blue Sky. That’s a brown Super. Just a tick under the Pro for volume, a little more gain and sag with the tube rectifier, and 2×10 instead of 1×15.
    Anyway, the Pro is in the Blue Sky ballpark. And that is NOT a Twin.

    I use a Twin Reverb when I need volume and headroom, either for effects or more hi-fi acoustic guitar.

    With as much power as a Twin makes you have to be a little careful with speakers, I have JBL’s in mine now specifically to handle effects, fuzz Mutron Octave etc.
    You can get way with a softer prettier speaker with a Pro or Bandmaster.
    I like the early 60’s Jensen C15N. Lucky for me, nobody else does, so you can still find them reasonably priced.

    Anyway, I think those two amps serve completely different needs.
    And the best I can do with the Brown Pro means lowering the voltage, using a sweet, beat up speaker, and doing whatever else I can to get away with turning it up.
    Twin’s the opposite for me. I use them both but they’re good for different stuff.
    I recommend the lower power alternative. more fun.

      13 Oct 2022
      3:13am
      Comment:

      Thank you for this! Gold in insight. I wish you would write a book!

      Looking forward to hearing you all in NH soon.

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