Fender Twin Reverb vs Deluxe Reverb – My Experience

Author: Dedrich Schafer | Updated: | This post may contain affiliate links.

If you want a British sound, you go Vox. If you want an American sound, you go Fender.

These two amps represent and defined these distinct sounds. And while Vox had one contender with the AC30, Fender had two: the Twin Reverb and the Deluxe Reverb.

These two amps ARE the Fender sound. But just how do these two icons compare? Well, let’s dive in and take a look.

Fender Twin Reverb vs Deluxe Reverb

Fender '65 Twin Reverb

Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb

Design

Putting these two amps side-by-side, you would be forgiven for thinking that they are the same. While testing, I confused the two on a few occasions.

The only clear visual difference between the two amps is that the Twin Reverb is slightly bigger than the Deluxe Reverb. Other than that, they look almost identical.

Their control layouts are the same and both channels are named the same (Normal and Vibrato). Both amps are also available in the same black or wine red finish.

I like that Fender gives you this option. If you want the amp to have a vintage look to match its sound, you should go with the wine red finish.

If you are like me and prefer a more modern look, then the black finish is great. I am a little confused as to why the black finish is more expensive. I would think have a special finish like the wine red would be more expensive to produce than a standard black.

Another thing that I should mention is that the Twin Reverb is made with pine, while the Deluxe Reverb is made with plywood. While both amps feel sturdy and well-built, I am a bit concerned about how the Deluxe handles wear and tear over time.

The Twin is also much heavier than the Deluxe. It is sometimes even called “The Backbreaker”. So, be prepared for a workout every time you want to take this amp to a gig or band practice.

Controls

I mentioned that the control layouts are similar on both amps. Well, that is because they have similar controls.

Both amps feature two inputs on both channels. They both have an external speaker output and footswitch input at the back.

Both channels have a Volume, and the Vibrato channel has a Speed and Intensity control on both amps. The first big difference is with the EQ controls.

The Deluxe Reverb has a 2-band EQ with controls for Bass and Treble on both channels. The Twin Reverb features a 3-band EQ on both channels. I prefer 3-band EQs because they offer much greater control over your tone than a 2-band EQ.

The other difference is the inclusion of a Bright switch on both channels of the Twin Reverb. This means that the Twin has two voicing on both channels, which I feel gives it a lot more versatility.

Sound

The sound of these two amps is what made them famous. And if you think of the Fender amp sound, chances are you are thinking of one of these amps.

Both have that classic Fender sparkle and chime. They both have wonderfully bright highs, with buttery smooth lows, and those distinctly Fender scooped mids.

At 85 watts, with two speakers, the Twin Reverb is much louder than the Deluxe’s 22 watts, single speaker. But that doesn’t at all mean the Deluxe is soft.

You can still take this amp to any venue and it will be loud. In fact, plenty of guitarists like Eric Johnson use a Deluxe for live performances.

Turning up the volume, these amps start to break up quite nicely. Both amps just have this wonderful vintage crunch when you crank them.

The Twin Reverb’s Bright control helps to give it an extra boost when you need it. On high volume, the Bright control gives the amp a bit more growl.

But where I feel the Bright control really helps is on lower volumes. It just pushes the amp’s tone a bit forward, making it stand out more.

With the Bright off, you still have a lot of brightness, the tone is just a bit more mellow and rounded. This is great at higher volumes if you don’t need to give the amp a push, like with jazz or blues.

The Vibrato channel on both amps is equally impressive. You can have a slow, pulsing or quickfire, tremolo-like vibrato, and everything in between.

The Vibrato channel also has some more dirt to it because of the extra gain stage the reverb requires. This means that you can get a meaner drive sound through the Vibrato channel.

As for pedals, both amps have no problem with a pedalboard running through them. I even tried a few digital pedals since those tend to be trouble sometimes. But no, both amps handle digital pedals just as well as analog.

Some might say that you should only use analog pedals with these amps, because digital sounds terrible. Honestly, as long as you don’t use a cheap digital pedal, you aren’t going to notice a difference. The audience certainly won’t.

Which Amp to Choose?

The easy answer is both. Both of these amps are simply fantastic, and choosing one over the other is impossible.

The long answer is it depends. The Twin Reverb is slightly more versatile than the Deluxe and its sound is a bit more rounded.

But because of its size and weight, it might be too much of a hassle to carry around to gigs and practice. And unless you play at huge venues, it will probably be too loud for most.

I would say that the Twin Reverb is the perfect studio amp, and the Deluxe Reverb is the perfect live amp. The Twin can be kept in a studio where it doesn’t need to be moved too often, while the Deluxe can easily be carried around.

If I had to choose between the two, I would probably choose the Deluxe. It just makes more practical sense for an average guitarist.

My Pick

I think the Deluxe Reverb makes more sense for most people. Aside from the lower price, it offers a more manageable size, higher portability, and the ability to achieve desirable tube-driven tones at lower volumes.

Why Choose a Fender Amp?

Fender’s legendary tube amps have been mainstays of live stages and recording studios for the better part of a century.

 Most guitar players are familiar with the Fender logo thanks to its appearance on some of the most famous guitars ever played. The image of Jimi Hendrix wielding his Fender Stratocaster like a deadly weapon is indelibly etched into rock history.

Beginner guitarists might be surprised to learn that Fender made more than just guitars. After all, their biggest rival, Gibson, are best known for making Gibson guitars.

However, unlike the other big guitar builders of the dawn of the electric guitar era, Fender also made amps. This is likely because Leo Fender, the company’s namesake, wasn’t a guitar player!

Fender was an electrician and inventor, and his first foray into musical instrument manufacturing was the Fender Radio Service, which built, hired, and sold radios and PA systems.

In this way, Fender amplifiers - after all, a radio or a PA just does for radio waves and voices what amps do for guitars - actually predate guitars.

Fender knew that his revolutionary electric guitar would need an amp appropriate for the instrument. Some early guitar players plugged straight into PAs or home stereos, but Leo Fender designed amplifiers for his instruments.

The Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb both owe their popularity to the period of heightened post-war innovation at Fender Musical Instruments.

This was their “Tweed phase,” when the company draped their amps in a tweed-like cloth covering, giving them a distinctive look and a superior sound to just about every other amp on the market.

Fender amplifiers were, for the first wave of guitar players, the original sound of electric guitar.

This tone, chiming, clean, and with plenty of volume, changed music as we know it. If you’ve heard early American rock and roll, jazz, surf music, or electric blues, the sound you’re thinking of is likely a Fender tweed amp.

This is where the Deluxe Reverb and Twin Reverb are so popular. They capture the volume, power, looks, and sound of the old-school Fender amps that defined an era.

The other thing guitar players, particularly younger players in the modern era, love about Fender amps is how well they respond to pedals. Some amplifiers only work well with some pedals. Some (like some Marshall amps) don’t take pedals well at all.

All the classic Fender amplifiers react very well to just about any tone-shaping pedal. Overdrive? No problem. Modulation? Easy! Echo? Fender virtually invented spring reverb, no trouble at all.

The classic tone and willingness to play nice with just about any pedal you can think of keeps Fender’s amplifiers at the forefront of the market to this day.

Although some modern players might prefer their DAWs and plugins, for many of us - myself included - you just can’t beat the sound of a genuine tube amp and thick, dense wood.

It’s all about getting your dream tone out of your head and into your ears. Fender amps help do that.

Verdict

The Fender Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb, the choice of countless guitarists for six decades.

I have a feeling that we won’t be seeing these two legendary amps going out of style any time soon, and honestly, that thought makes me happy.

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About Dedrich Schafer

Dedrich is a guitar player, songwriter and sound engineer with extensive music production and studio experience. He mostly listens to classic rock and punk bands, but sometimes also likes listening to rap and acoustic songs.

14 thoughts on “Fender Twin Reverb vs Deluxe Reverb – My Experience”

  1. All the 60’s & 70’s twin and deluxe reverb amps sound great , be it black or silver face . There is really only one choice when it comes to buying a guitar and amp and that choice is Fender !

    Reply
  2. Adore my Deluxe Reverb (think it’s reissue ~1972?). Sweet spot is around setting 4. Blues Tubes & Celestion Vintage. Having useful life of 20 years, gotta have capacitors replaced – ALL of them – even the pea-sized ones. My had master volume put on Twin Reverb. That amp long gone. IMO, the ” Twin” only appropriate for the big stage.

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  3. I have a 61 Twin (no reverb) and a 68 transition model, still sporting a black face.
    The 61 was quite modified when I got it. That gave me the go ahead to experiment. It now has a pair of Yellow Jackets in it lowering the power to 15 watts. I then doubled the resistance of the speakers by loading two late 60’s Celestion alnicos. Virtually this is a Vox AC15 Twin without a tube rectifier. Great sounding amp.
    The 68 is stock as far as I know. Both have their place and tone. I am so fortunate to have these amps but as I get older, they get heavier!

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  4. I have the Silver Face reissued “68 Custom Fender Twin Reverb” and an original vintage drip edge Silver Face 1970 Fender Twin Reverb. Both having their own character and sound. Both powerful, and loud amps. But I prefer the 1970 vintage. I would put that amp up against any of the new amps out there on the market today.

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  5. Mike I bought a new Twin in 76 and immediately sold the Jensens and loaded 2 JBL’S. That was one screaming beautiful rig. Traded it in 78 for a Marshall 1/2 stack which I still have. Love the Marshall but really regret letting that Twin go. I get my Fender fix with Princeton now. Wonder if you have my old twin?

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  6. I have both , Twin and Deluxe plus their Princeton… Each has their place… Each has their own distinctive sound and totally rock… The three greats in my opinion and I’ve played since 1965…

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  7. I’ve had my ’77 Twin for 20 yrs now, and weight be damned I’ll keep lugging it!! Interesting enough, the undercarriage is marked “Experimental #1” which even has my amp tech stumped. It was missing the Master Control so I had him throw one in. I also got a more midrange preamp tube as well as an extra bass one. This amp purrs at low volume and when it is let loose look the duck out!! Great article, thanks!

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  8. Very interesting observation. I currently have a mid 70s Fender Twin with JBL speakers in it. It can get mean and then it can get MEAN, if you know what I mean! I have played through a Fender Deluxe before and it will be my next purchase. I play a ‘74 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, a ‘73 Fender Telecaster Custom, and a ‘95 Fender Stratocaster with Lace pickups. Going to swap the lace pickups out for ‘62s soon. Thanks for your input.

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