1963 black face twin?
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1963 black face twin?
Could anyone provide insight into this amp? It appears to be a 1963 fender twin black face with a single 15" speaker, JBL, that is centered. From my research, it appears that this is a prototype amp for steel guitar players. It's also interesting that the tube chart says production number 4. Any insight would be appreciated. A family friends dad passed away recently and they found this.
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Stevem
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Re: 1963 black face twin?
If the front and rear chassis panels are original on that amp then it’s a mid to late 1965 twin reverb .
This can be confirmed by the Fender musical instruments labeling on front and rear.
Before 65 the company was called fender electric instruments before its founder sold it to CBS.
The first Fender combo amp to use a 15” speaker came out between 63 and 64 and was called a Vibroverb.
These amps were only 40 watts rms because those JBL speakers could only handle 60 watts at best.
This means Fender even in a pre-production amp would have never had them in a 85 watt rms twin reverb.
Besides that the output transformer in a twin reverb is designed for a 4 ohm speaker, not the 8 ohms of the JBL 15”
The Vibrobroverb however had the correct 8 ohm output transformer to match the 8 ohms of the JBL .
The twin reverb is called that because it had two 8 ohm speakers to handle that 85 watts better and to provide the needed 4 ohm load on the output transformer.
In short, that cabinet and speaker might be a leftover prototype, but the amp itself is not.
This can be confirmed by the Fender musical instruments labeling on front and rear.
Before 65 the company was called fender electric instruments before its founder sold it to CBS.
The first Fender combo amp to use a 15” speaker came out between 63 and 64 and was called a Vibroverb.
These amps were only 40 watts rms because those JBL speakers could only handle 60 watts at best.
This means Fender even in a pre-production amp would have never had them in a 85 watt rms twin reverb.
Besides that the output transformer in a twin reverb is designed for a 4 ohm speaker, not the 8 ohms of the JBL 15”
The Vibrobroverb however had the correct 8 ohm output transformer to match the 8 ohms of the JBL .
The twin reverb is called that because it had two 8 ohm speakers to handle that 85 watts better and to provide the needed 4 ohm load on the output transformer.
In short, that cabinet and speaker might be a leftover prototype, but the amp itself is not.
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
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martin manning
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Re: 1963 black face twin?
Should be easy to get the year of manufacture by checking the date codes on the transformers and pots, or perhaps the date stamp inside the chassis. See here: https://vintagefenderamprepair.com/blog ... date-codes Tube chart says OI, September, 1964.
Re: 1963 black face twin?
https://vintagefenderamprepair.com/blog ... date-codes
If the page referenced is correct, the "OI" on the tubes charts would denote September 1965
I once knew what the "Production" # was but cant seem to find the info.
But as Martin mentioned, look for the rubber-stamped code inside the chassis.
If the page referenced is correct, the "OI" on the tubes charts would denote September 1965
I once knew what the "Production" # was but cant seem to find the info.
But as Martin mentioned, look for the rubber-stamped code inside the chassis.
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martin manning
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Reeltarded
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Re: 1963 black face twin?
The knobs would be white too, that's Tux era BF.Stevem wrote: ↑Sat Oct 04, 2025 10:35 am If the front and rear chassis panels are original on that amp then it’s a mid to late 1965 twin reverb .
This can be confirmed by the Fender musical instruments labeling on front and rear.
Before 65 the company was called fender electric instruments before its founder sold it to CBS.
The first Fender combo amp to use a 15” speaker came out between 63 and 64 and was called a Vibroverb.
These amps were only 40 watts rms because those JBL speakers could only handle 60 watts at best.
This means Fender even in a pre-production amp would have never had them in a 85 watt rms twin reverb.
Besides that the output transformer in a twin reverb is designed for a 4 ohm speaker, not the 8 ohms of the JBL 15”
The Vibrobroverb however had the correct 8 ohm output transformer to match the 8 ohms of the JBL .
The twin reverb is called that because it had two 8 ohm speakers to handle that 85 watts better and to provide the needed 4 ohm load on the output transformer.
In short, that cabinet and speaker might be a leftover prototype, but the amp itself is not.
Pro Amp cabinet. Barry Richman uses a pile of them. 15 and Twin width.
Signatures have a 255 character limit that I could abuse, but I am not Cecil B. DeMille.
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Stevem
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Re: 1963 black face twin?
Yes correct you are,
but I was referring to just the blackface models.
but I was referring to just the blackface models.
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Re: 1963 black face twin?
The top amp in your post is different from the bottom amp in your post. Not only do they have different grill cloth (neither of which was used by Fender in the 1960s), but the upper amp has a "Fender Elect Inst Co" faceplate (used 63-early 65) while the bottom amp has a "Fender Musical Instruments" faceplate (used mid-65 to late-67 or early-68).
Fender came out with an amp called the Vibrasonic Reverb in the 1970s silverface era that was a 4x6L6 amp into a 15" speaker. But they never did that (AFAIK) in the 1960s.
To my eye, both of these look like Twin Reverbs that got new baffle boards to hold a single 15" speaker. Yes, it could be that a steel guitar player wanted such a change (they tend to like 15" speakers more than guitar players).
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If you're looking to authenticate the amp on the bottom, then "OI" on the tube chart would indicate "late 1965" and that matches the faceplate style. The all-black grill cloth is not stock, and the "Fender" logo on the grill is in the wrong place. Photos of the innards, and of the codes on the chassis (inside & out), and of the codes on all transformers will help pin down exact date of manufacture. The pots, too, will have date codes. Original electrolytic caps will have dat codes as well.
I would bet money it is a "Twin Reverb with replaced baffle for 15" speaker," and I would bet money the market will perceive the amp as such. I've seen a few alleged "prototype Fender amps" offered for sale, and the market was extremely skeptical of the claim (even though the amps were offered by dealers of high esteem).