At our favorite music store...

[Bill Ashton]

...."in the heart of New England," sits a blackfaced Fender Super Reverb amplifier on consignment. Tag shows a price of $1299 if I remember correctly. When I looked at the coding on the tube chart, very clearly...maybe too clearly?...it was stamped "OJ" which translates to a 1965 production amp.

A "real" 1965 Fender Super Reverb for $1299???

Not museum quality like Sandy's, but not a road dog either...like the Deluxe Reverb sitting there (keep at arm's length)...since April...for $1999. So I say to myself, presuming its working, what is the problem?

So I look on eBay and find that those old ones that sell are going for a grand or less, making this one actually not that much more being a "bird in hand" you can try out and no shipping the gargantuan thing. Yes there are a bunch hovering around $2K, but they ain't selling.

So I ask myself, whats up. Is the SR not desirable? Too heavy for its power out? I recall this amp with a Telecaster is a thing of beauty, the sound of the angels, perfect for almost any genre...its the Derek Trucks amp, it can't be passe...can it?

The amp has been there a while. Is this a function of the economy?

 

[twocorgis]

...."in the heart of New England," sits a blackfaced Fender Super Reverb amplifier on consignment. Tag shows a price of $1299 if I remember correctly. When I looked at the coding on the tube chart, very clearly...maybe too clearly?...it was stamped "OJ" which translates to a 1965 production amp.

A "real" 1965 Fender Super Reverb for $1299???

Not museum quality like Sandy's, but not a road dog either...like the Deluxe Reverb sitting there (keep at arm's length)...since April...for $1999. So I say to myself, presuming its working, what is the problem?

So I look on eBay and find that those old ones that sell are going for a grand or less, making this one actually not that much more being a "bird in hand" you can try out and no shipping the gargantuan thing. Yes there are a bunch hovering around $2K, but they ain't selling.

So I ask myself, whats up. Is the SR not desirable? Too heavy for its power out? I recall this amp with a Telecaster is a thing of beauty, the sound of the angels, perfect for almost any genre...its the Derek Trucks amp, it can't be passe...can it?

The amp has been there a while. Is this a function of the economy?

Hard to believe that a Super Reverb's out of fashion. :roll:

It sure hope it's a function of the economy Bill. I'd like to sell mine for what I have into it, as it's just too nice to really use, but it's a tough sell. It's been on CL for a while now, which I pretty much figured on. I've had a lot of compliments, and a few tire kickers, but nobody with real money yet. I'm not really desperate to sell it though, so I'll hold out for my price.

 

[Default]

Maybe it's a function of bad backs?
I wanted a Super for the longest time. Maybe it was the idea of 4 speakers or maybe the idea that it was the classic gigging blues amp.

 

[Bill Ashton]

Yes, the only thing that could be heavier to schlep into the gig than a Twin Reverb is probably a Super...that oddball size could make it a knee-buster :wink:

 

[Walter Broes]

A Super Reverb is *lighter* than the average Twin Reverb! (slightly smaller transformers, and most twins have speakers with huge ceramic magnets that weight a ton!)

It's a great price for a great amp - I've played Super Reverbs for more than 10 years, and still have one. Bigger amps are out of fashion, that might explain the price on the one you saw?

 

[Jeff Haddad]

Yep, it's the out of fashion angle. It seems the lower-powered amps are peaking in value now. If that amp is straight, it's a heck of a value. It seems even Vibrolux Reverbs are too powerful now. Everybody wants a Princeton Reverb (I see blackfaces listed for $2k+) or maybe to a lesser degree, a Deluxe Reverb. As a non-gigging guitarist, I can't speak from experience but I imagine the sweet spot on a Super Reverb is too loud for the average club gig.

Plus all us old farts need the smaller, lighter amp to schlep around.

I've got a silverface Super Reverb and I put my Bandmaster Reverb in a repro SR cab w/ 4 Weber ceramic sig 10's - it's my bedroom amp :wink:

 

[Walter Broes]

I imagine the sweet spot on a Super Reverb is too loud for the average club gig.

Depends on the size of the club, doesn't it?

A lot depends on what speakers are in it - put four efficient speakers in a SR, and it's a P.A. system for a big room, with inefficient speakers (what they used to come with originally..), it's not that bad, but still pretty loud.

 

[Telenator]

Vintage Super Reverbs have a great rep as "blues amps" and since there isn't much happening in the blues scene these days, I think the values, (like all vintage gear) are sliding rapidly. People don't have the money to spend on this stuff now. A few years back, I sold a dead mint 1967 BFSR for $2400. It was "museum quality" though.

 

[Default]

Probably right on the too loud for the room angle. When Dave tried to record my vibrolux, he had to put the amp across the room from the mic, because he could keep the spl under control. :?

 

[tele4tone]

I'll agree with the too loud thing. I was asked to turn down my 30 watt 2-12 Risen amp. We are a trio and we play hard rock. It was too loud?!?!? I use alnico speakers. hmpphh I was mad. Everyone else had half stacks. Super Reverbs are great but too big for any room I play.

Jeff

 

[RussB]

I just think it's the economy. If you think it's too loud or too heavy, you're too old! :lol:

 

[killdeer43]

If you think it's too loud or too heavy, you're too old! :lol:

No matter the music and no matter the age of the listener, too loud is....too loud. I hate it when my ears bleed! :shock:
Rachmaninoff or rock and roll, Beethoven or Chuck Berry, I can appreciate it more when I can actually listen to the music without pain.
This isn't a new thing with me....I've always been this way. :wink:

My dos centavos,
Jose