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| Fender Super Reverb | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fender Super Reverb |
| Manufacturer | Fender |
| Introduced | 1963 |
| Type | Guitar amplifier |
| Power | 40 watts |
| Speakers | 4×10" |
| Tubes | 4×12AX7, 2×12AT7, 4×6L6GC (typical) |
Fender Super Reverb The Fender Super Reverb is a tube guitar amplifier introduced by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in 1963, notable for its four-10" speaker configuration and reverb unit. The amp gained prominence across genres through use by artists associated with Blues, Rock and Roll, Country Music and Psychedelic Rock, appearing on recordings and stages linked to entities such as Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, and Columbia Records. The design lineage connects to earlier models produced by Leo Fender and later influenced designs from manufacturers like Ampeg, Marshall and Vox.
The Super Reverb debuted amid a period of rapid innovation in the 1960s equipment market, contemporaneous with releases from Vox AC30, Marshall JTM45 and boutique builders supplying acts on bills with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Early promotional efforts coincided with Fender's corporate changes involving CBS and dealer networks in Fullerton, California, and the amp's reputation was bolstered by studio use at facilities such as Sun Studio, Abbey Road Studios, and Gold Star Studios. Over subsequent decades the model evolved through reissues reflecting shifts in manufacturing tied to events like the Trans-Atlantic vinyl boom and the vintage gear revival promoted by collectors associated with Vintage Guitar Magazine and dealers in Nashville and Austin, Texas.
The Super Reverb employs a tube-driven design featuring preamp tubes (commonly 12AX7) and power tubes (commonly 6L6GC) arranged in a push–pull output stage, mirroring topology used by amplifiers from Fender Rhodes era gear and sharing circuit philosophies observed in units reviewed by publications like Guitar Player. The amp integrates a tank spring reverb driven by a long-tail pair reverb driver and a recovery stage, designs also implemented in devices from Accutronics and rigs in studios such as Sun Studio and Electric Lady Studios. The phase inverter, bias configuration, and output transformer selection draw comparisons with circuitry used by Fender Twin Reverb and early designs influenced by engineers who worked at Rickenbacker and Gibson.
Over time the Super Reverb appeared in original 1963–1969 blackface editions, later silverface versions after Fender's corporate transition, and numerous reissue runs. Notable iterations include the original 4×10" blackface model used by session players at Motown and Stax Records, the silverface variants produced during the CBS era, boutique reissues manufactured in facilities associated with Corona, California and limited editions promoted through distributors like Sam Ash and Guitar Center. Modded and custom-shop variants reference heritage components from makers such as Jensen (speakers) and rebuild work performed by technicians linked to shops in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Chicago.
Typical control sets include separate channel Volume and a shared EQ with Bass, Middle, Treble knobs, Presence control, and spring Reverb level, reflecting control philosophies seen in amplifiers used by artists on labels like Motown and Sun Records. Additional features present on some variants include a Bright switch, Standby and Power switches, and an effects loop implemented in certain reissue models, features comparable to designs from Marshall and signal-chain practices used by session engineers at Capitol Studios and Abbey Road Studios.
The Super Reverb is renowned for a lively clean headroom, chimey upper mids and a punchy low end produced by its quartet of 10" speakers, tonal characteristics sought after by performers in Surf Rock, Country Rock, and Blues Rock scenes. Its spring reverb and harmonic content have been exploited on records released by Atlantic Records, Blue Note Records, and Columbia Records, and the amp's breakup characteristics and responsiveness to dynamics align with playing styles associated with artists signed to Sun Records and producers working at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
Performers and engineers have employed the Super Reverb on influential recordings and tours, including session work for artists on Capitol Records and live rigs used by acts appearing at venues such as Fillmore West and CBGB. Notable users span players associated with The Byrds, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix-era engineers, and session guitarists who recorded for Stax Records and Motown, contributing to albums archived in collections at institutions like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and discussed in periodicals such as Rolling Stone and Mojo.
Common maintenance tasks include tube swapping for preamp and power sections, bias adjustment for 6L6 outputs, speaker reconing or replacement with units from manufacturers like Jensen or Eminence, and reverb tank servicing using parts from suppliers linked to Accutronics. Modifications range from adding attenuators referenced by builders in Portland, Oregon and Skokie, Illinois to tube-driver mods and speaker changes inspired by players associated with scenes in Nashville, Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles. Skilled technicians for restoration are often connected to networks around the National Association of Music Merchants and independent repair shops cited in Vintage Guitar Magazine.
Category:Guitar amplifiers