Fractal Audio AMP models: Super Verb ('64 Fender blackface Super Reverb, AB763)

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* EDIT: Up-to-date information is available in Yek's Guide to the Fractal Audio Amplifier Models *

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Super Verb: based on '64 blackface Fender Super Reverb, AB763 circuit

Another legendary Fender amp, with the famous AB763 circuit (same as Bandmaster and Deluxe Reverb). This time it’s a ’64 blackface Fender Super Reverb. We already discussed a Fender Super, the brownface 6G4. The Super Reverb has its own thing going. It sounds big, with lots of bass and treble. Super Reverb are sought-after to achieve the SRV sound.

The Blackface Fenders were produced between 1964 and 1967. Pre-CBS blackface Fenders are in high demand, and not as expensive as the Tweed and Brownfaces. The blackface name originates from the black tolex and controls panel. More information.​

Fender’s description of their reissues of the ’65 Super Reverb:
This faithful recreation of the legendary Blackface Super Reverb of 1963-1968 is a must-have for vintage enthusiasts and Stratocaster guitar slingers, but players of all styles enjoy its shimmering tone. The 45-watt Super Reverb’s medium output and stage-filling sound make it the perfect amp to crank up for club gigs or the concert stage. Features include dual 6L6 Groove Tubes output tubes, one 5AR4 rectifier tube, four 12AX7 preamp tubes, two 12AT7 tubes, four 10” 8-ohm Jensen P10R speakers with alnico magnets, dual channels (normal and vibrato), tube-driven Fender reverb, tube vibrato, two-button footswitch for reverb and vibrato on-off, black textured vinyl covering with silver grille cloth, and tilt-back leg.”​

Fenderguru.com:
The AB763 Super Reverb is a very popular Fender amp due to the huge tone, robustness and the pure tone from the traditional blackface AB763 amp design. The AB763 design is also to be found in some silverface amps between 1967 and 1969. The later silverface circuits were changed further by CBS to become cleaner, harder and thinner sounding, specially if one compares amps at the same volume and EQ setting. If you’re into sparkling clean tones, a silverface can do the job just as well as a blackface amp. The blackfaces have more growl and a distorted, cranked tone. It is heavy to carry with the 4×10″ speakers and massive iron transformers. The height also makes it difficult to carry, making you sweat when hauling it between gigs. It’s a big sounding amp with a potential for being very loud and bassy given the right (wrong) speakers. The nature of the 4×10″ speaker configuration is a directional tone with screaming treble right forwards and backwards and unfortunately little spread. A lot of deep bass is produced by the big cabinet while the important mids are fairly low, a scooped tone. Many players are stupid and increase the volume to compensate for the lack of spread and mids. This will introduce even more bass and sharp treble. Playing the Super Reverb is not supposed to be easy… Despite all the difficulty with this amp there will occasionally be gigs, perhaps outdoors or at a big stage, where the amp won’t hurt anyone in a radius of 3 meters. You are allowed to turn the volume beyond 4 where the amp comes alive. We remember these occasions as our happiest musical moments. The notes bounce off our strings and we are musically and physically connected with the amp just using the pick attack and guitar volume to roll back and switch between rhythm and solo. Perhaps a transparent boost pedal to take us into David Gilmour land with sustain, harmonics and a creamy tone. You can physically feel the dynamic response from one of the best vintage Fender amps of them all. But only if you know how to tame this beast.​

Fender sold these amps with several speakers. The first AA763 models in 1964-65 had Jensen C10r. Then there were CTS ceramics and alnicos as well as Oxford 10L6 in the blackface AB763 amps. In the silverface amps Fender continued with Oxford and CTS but also used Utah, Rola and Eminence. This is one important reason why two Super Reverbs can sound very different. In our opinion the Super Reverbs with Jensen and CTS are valuable as both collectors and players’ amps today. These speakers perform very well and one does not need to upgrade to modern, efficient speakers like for many other vintage speakers. The CTS alnicos are also very popular speakers even if they are little efficient. During the years the Alnico magnets get weaker too. The CTS Alnico require you to increase the volume a lot and you’ll see players that dial in their amps at 6 or 7 on the volume knob. With ceramic speakers this is enormously loud. With vintage Alnico speakers you will get more breakup from the amp due to their low efficiency. On the other hand, the CTS ceramics are known for their power, efficiency and full low end. They also have lots of sparkle and treble and are very good speakers in our opinion.”​

Wikipedia:
“The Super Reverb is commonly used by blues guitarists due to its ability to deliver loud, warm tube distortion through its four 10" speakers.[3] It is also known as having a scooped mids tonality, meaning that there is less midrange and an emphasis of sparkly treble and full, round bass frequencies.”​

By the way, the Super Reverb is very similar to a Pro Reverb. Cliff:

"A Pro Reverb is basically identical to a Super Reverb except for the speakers (and faceplate)."

"The Blackface Pro Reverb, model AA165, was virtually identical to the AB763 Super Reverb except for the speakers and tone stacks. If you use the Super Verb model and set the Tone Stack type to Blackface you'll basically have a Pro Reverb. Set the Mid control fairly high to emulate the fixed 6.8K mid resistor. I'd say around 7 or 8."​

The amp has 6L6 tubes, is 40 watts, has low and high inputs and a Normal and a Vibrato channel. We’ve got models of both channels.

Fractal Audio models of Fender amps are always based on the input with the highest input level. To get the equivalent of using the lower input, set Input Trim to 0.500.​

Cliff:

"I modeled the Super with V1 pulled as most people pull V1 so the amp has more grunt. Turn down the MV to make it cleaner."

"The Super Reverb model is "Diaz Modded". IOW, I pulled V1. This gives the amp a lot more gain so it's not surprising you're getting breakup at around 1.5. You can un-mod the model by turning down the MV Trim to around 0.5."​

It has Volume, Bass, Middle (not on Normal channel) and Treble controls, a Bright switch, and controls for reverb and vibrato. This is an amp on which the “Magic Six” settings work well: Volume 6, Bass 2, Middle 3, Treble 6 (6, 2x3, 6). And Bright switched on.

Note that the range of the controls on this amp is 1 to 10, while the model's controls range 0 to 10. Here's a translation table, created by forum member Barhrecords.​

The amp came with 4 10” speakers, just like a Bassman or Concert. We’ve got stock cabs of Super 2x10 and 4x10 cabs. You can also the use the 4x10 Bassguy cab.









 
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I wasn't even aware of this Fender amp model in the Ax. I get that you cannot call them Fender on the unit, but it would be nice, if all Fender models had a common 'first name'.

Gotta try this one out.

I actually wish, Ax had more Silverface models. I know they are not the Fender models the tone gurus appreciate, but they are the Fender amps, I grew up with, and I have always liked them for their crystal cleans. I like the SilverFace Twin in the Ax a lot. I had a friend in high school who had a SilverFace SuperReverb. It was a fantastic amp (though my frame of reference for great guitar sounds were less at the time)
 
I wasn't even aware of this Fender amp model in the Ax. I get that you cannot call them Fender on the unit, but it would be nice, if all Fender models had a common 'first name'.

Gotta try this one out.

I actually wish, Ax had more Silverface models. I know they are not the Fender models the tone gurus appreciate, but they are the Fender amps, I grew up with, and I have always liked them for their crystal cleans. I like the SilverFace Twin in the Ax a lot. I had a friend in high school who had a SilverFace SuperReverb. It was a fantastic amp (though my frame of reference for great guitar sounds were less at the time)

Agree. I have three vintage SF Fenders and all are great amps: Dual Showman, Twin Reverb, Princeton Reverb.
 
Still have, and love playing, a '64 Super Reverb. Just an awesome sounding amp, especially when you can get the volume in the 4-5 range.
Same here.. still have my '64 that I've had for 25+ years.. when you can turn them up loud enough, they are a fantastic and versatile amp with a few good pedals.
 
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