Does anybody make a Super Reverb (or similar) clone?

[kakerlak]

I have a friend that bought a supposedly refreshed SF Super Reverb and is thinking about ditching it b/c it's given him a lot of trouble. I think in the few months he's had it, the output transformer has been replaced and it now has some sort of intermittent noise issue.

I'm of the opinion that Fenders are usually pretty rugged old amps and that he's just unlucky w/ this one, but I also can't fault him for wanting a brand new point-to-point tube amp of some sort. He's been looking at some EL84 Dr. Zs, but I told him he'd miss the Fender sound.

I did some internet checking for him, but I'm not too well versed in new boutique stuff. I thought Kendrick made a 4x10" Bassman and that you could add reverb to any of their combo amps, but their lineup looks completely different than I remember it. Looked at Victoria's offerings, but a lot of their stuff seems reverbless and I got confused, lol. I don't think he wants to mess with a separate reverb tank, though they sound good.

So, parameters are point-to-point 4x10s, 2x6L6, w/ tube Reverb. I don't think a Super Reverb circuit copy is necessarily a must, but I know my friend will miss the Super sound if he goes w/ an EL84/34 or 6V6 amp, something with 12s or something w/o Reverb.

 

[Jeff Haddad]

No affilliation with either, but here's two:

http://www.alessandro-products.com/working_dog/html/rottweiler.htm

http://www.allenamps.com/oldflame.php

I've not heard either amp, but use an Alessandro attenuator and have had David Allen repair a Bassman head of mine. I don't think either model has vibrato.

I think Dr. Z makes something close also.

 

[taabru45]

more food for thought.... http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/m ... 95290.html

 

[Sal]

The few Victoria amps I've played are golden. While they don't have anything with 4x10s the Victorilux model can be had in 3x10s or 2x12s.

35 watts, reverb and trem. I'd love one too.
http://www.victoriaamp.com/amps.html?model=victorilux

Or maybe the Victoriette with 2x12s at 20 watts:
http://www.victoriaamp.com/amps.html?model=victoriette

 

[mad dog]

I can recommend David Allen's amps. His Old Flame is the closest to SR I think. I've not played it, but am really enjoying an Allen Encore head now.

Vero made some very SR like amps, not cheap. Heard a few of them, and they're wonderful. Didn't Holland make a SR equivalent?

MD

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Kak: this is the current eBay Search String for Super Reverbs. Any new(ish) boutique dupe is going to cost as much or more than what's on the eBay market.

OTs usually fail for a reason. Provided the underlying problem was fixed when you friend's OT was replaced, all the financial heavy lifting has been done ... other than the power transformer, the most expensive part in the amp has already been replaced.

A decent tech ought to be able to fix an intermittent for a lot less than the bath your friend might take selling his - and 'fessing up to the noise problem - and buying another ... any of which may have undisclosed problems of their own.

Our member Valcotone once did an experiment with duplicating the preamp of a Gibson GA40. He concluded that so much of a vintage amp's tone has to do with the interaction of all the old parts ... I guess I'm saying that I question whether a new clone, no matter how diligently somebody tried to copy the original circuit, would sound exactly the same and, if that's what your friend wants, I wonder if maybe he wouldn't be better off sticking with what he has.

 

[RussB]

Fender still offers the Super Reverb