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While newer makers have changed up the output formula in many ways, and added other bells and whistles, the similar preamp stages in these two classic mid-'60s Fenders have found their way into countless new designs. Those with just treble and bass will lean more Deluxe Reverb, but they are largely similar otherwise-the Deluxe generating 22 watts from two 6V6s, the Twin 85 watts from four 6L6s. Mid-'60s Fender Twin Reverb & Deluxe ReverbĪlmost any amp that boasts a "blackface tone" will use elements from the Twin Reverb's preamp stage, especially if it includes a midrange control. Many makers add a midrange control to the Top Boost circuit, but this doesn't change the amps' lineage all that much. Modified elements of the AC30 are also found in footswitchable multi-channel amps like Mesa's TA-30 (and deleted Maverick model), and Orange's AD30HTC. Z Z Wreck, 3rd Power Dream 40 AC, Bruno Underground 30, and several others.
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Basically, any time you find a guitar amp with three 12AX7-style preamp tubes (excluding any extras for reverb, tremolo, or effects loops), both Treble and Bass controls, and four cathode-biased EL84 output tubes with no negative feedback (often colloquially referred to as "Class A"), chances are it pays homage to the original AC30 Top Boost.Īmong several such suspects are the Blackstar Artisan 30, Matchless DC30/ SC30/ HC30, TopHat King Royale, Bad Cat Black Cat, Divided by 13 RSA 31, Morgan AC20/ AC40, Valvetech Heyseed, Dr. With the Plexi models of the late '60s and others that followed, Marshall changed a few details in the preamp to make the amp brighter, as well as making a few other alterations (eventually dropping the tube rectifier too), but a good 85 percent or so of the circuit remained easily traceable to the original Fender 5F6A schematic, including essential elements such as the cathode-follower tone stage, long-tailed-pair phase inverter, and fixed-bias output stage with negative feedback.Įven as Marshalls evolved through the "hot-rodded" amps of the late '70s and '80s-the 22 Master Model amps-which carried master volume controls and, often, cascading-gain preamp stages, the foundation remained solidly 5F6A-based, as do many of the company's most popular models today.Īlongside the tweed Bassman (and therefore Plexi-derived) circuits, the AC30 is one of the most-tapped of the boutique amp era, while still appearing in many mass-manufactured guitar amps as well. virtually lifted the entire tweed Bassman circuit part for part, value for value, although they had to use more readily available British- and European-made components, which changed up the formula just a little. Such was the impression of former jazz drummer and London music-store owner Jim Marshall and his cohorts Ken Bran and Dudley Kraven, who used the 5F6A Bassman circuit as the foundation of their own JTM45 amplifier in 1962.