Fender Twin (The Evil Twin)
Model/Circuit Number: E45
Years of Production: 1995 – Present
Era:
Configuration: Combo
Controls: Black, forward facing w/ white labels
Knobs: Black skirted w/ chrome center, numbered 1 – 10
Faceplate
- Front: In, In, Vol/Bright, Gain, Treb, Bass, Mid, Vol/Channel – Gain, Treb, Bass, Mid, Vol/Channel – Mix, Reverb, Presence – Pilot Lamp
- Rear: Fuse, Power Sw, Standby Sw, Hi-Lo Output Sw, Effects Level Sw, Effect Send, Effect Return, Preamp Out, Power Amp In, Output Bias Adj, Output Balance Adj, Foot Sw, Rever Select Sw, Effects Select Sw, XLR Line Out, Ex Speaker Series, Ex Speaker Parallel, Impedance Sw
Cabinet
- Dimensions: 20 x 26¼ x 11½
- Hardware: Large Chassis Straps 5 5/8”
- Handle: Black Strap Handle
- Feet: Glides
- Corners: Corner Protectors
Covering Material
- Tolex/Tweed: Black Tolex
- Grill Cloth: Silver sparkle grill cloth
Logo: Grill mounted, raised, chrome & black script
Weight: 77 lbs.
Speaker
- Size: 2 x 12
- Impedance: Switchable
- Model: (For more info, check out the Jensen Replacement Speakers)
Effects: Reverb, Channel Switching
~Watts: Low: 25 watts ; Hi: 100 watts
Tubes
- Pre amp:
- Power: 4 x 6L6GC
Bias: Fixed with bias/balance adjustment pot
Rectifier: Solid State
Comments:
does anyone know where the current model is made?
Don’t know for ABSOLUTE, but I believe most Fender amps made after 1996 are made in Ensenada, Mexico. The amp on THIS page was made from 1994 to 2001. The next generation that was made from 2002 to around 2010 gas a tremolo circuit, one instrument input, and a different back.
The Twin Pro Tube I have was manufactured in 1997 in USA.
I own a 1997 Fender Twin amp (aka 94 Evil Twin). The sticker on the inside of the amp on the left states it was built in Corona, California.
As Dan said, the amp above is whats known by amp guys as the ’94 twin’, infact Fender used to call it that aswell. It was part of the pro range designed by Paul Rivera before he did his own thing.
It is a very differenent animal to the ‘evil twin’ which had the distinct red knobs. It is also very different to its replacement model.
The ’94 Twin’ is one of the most feature laden amps Fender ever produced, it has dual input, clean/gain and drive channels with switchable bright modes and presence control, full eq controls for each channel, valve driven long spring reverb, valve buffered rack effects loop, pre out/power in loop, mono/stereo 4/8/16 ohm output with series/parallel switch.
The clean is pure blackface, the drive was aimed at early boogie territory
…drive channel….Not very usable.
Not very usable for Metallica tones. An open-back combo amp is not designed for metal. You can get plenty of filthy grunge sounds. And of course, it takes pedals well.
Yes – not a good fit for metal. Use Marshall or something else.
I have read some other online opinions about the crunch channel that mirror your opinion. I however find the crunch channel very usable especially for blues rock and also punk-type distortion.
Yes, the model pictured is the 94 Twin, not the red knob Evil Twin.
The Red Knob Twin was never the ‘Evil Twin’. The 93 model was, as it looked like a Twin Reverb. There was an entire ad campaign designed around this.
Paul Rivera had nothing to do with the design of these amps, but they are very nice nonetheless.
Thank you.
The Red knob “The Twin” is not the evil twin.
The twin amp is the evil twin.
Why do you guys make this stuff up?
I have a vintage guitar player magazine where Fender advertised “The Twin’ as the evil twin
Are you saying “The Twin” is the original “Evil Twin”? I am interested because I own one in pristine condition (black face, black knobs). Can you email me a pic of that advertisement if you have a minute? Thanks. duhbearz44@gmail.com.
Thanks
I actually own this amp too. It says on the front of the label Made in the USA. The clean channel rules! The Spring Reverb is all Tube power too. I fell in love with that Woodsy sound immediately. Later on I began to experiment on the harsher distortion sounds. This amp loves vintage distortion pedals. It sounds like Jefferson airplane type bluesy sounds. Very clean. Also those nice Grateful Dead clean distortion leads. Long live the Fender Sound.
I have a ‘89 “The Twin” with red knobs that has been used less than 10 times and is in “like new” condition. Any idea what it’s worth?
The Red knobs are ” NOT ” the Evil Twin. People think this but I have read quite a bit on this and the red knobs are mistakenly called ” The Evil Twin”. It’s the predecessor with the black face and knobs that is actually The Evil Twin.Contact Fender and they should confirm this.If not maybe they can clarify it a little more.
Cheers.
I have heard that “The Twin” was not the “Evil Twin” in the past, but without the caveat of the blackface and black knobs (which is the “The Twin” in pristine condition that I own). I am putting it up for sale so I want to make the accompanying information as correct as possible.
wrong about the red knobs, that is NOT the evil twin, the evil twin does not have red knobs, it was called the evil twin because of its unruly power. the original owner of an original evil twin.
So, is the “EVIL Twin” a “The Twin” with black knobs? That is the one I own. Or is it a simple “Twin”? Thanks
Hello Everyone!
I”m Eloi from Barcelona, Spain. I”ve just found out this website looking for info regarding a fender the twin. First of all, thanks for reading, if someone can help me I will apreciate so much. I”ve just purchased a twin amp (100w tube amp), the sound is great but the reverb do not sound, Do I need the footswitch to engage it? The same issue with the tremolo/vibrato effect.
Thanks!
The ’94 twin’ was not in any way designed by Paul Rivera, as is incorrectly promoted on the Internet. The only Twin amp Rivera ever worked on was the “Twin Reverb II” that was manufactured from ’82-’86.
We need to stop promoting price-inflating lies.
Paul Rivera had nothing to do with it. Paul Rivera departed Fender in 1985.
I bought a Evil Twin i 1999-2000 and I must say it is the best amp I have ever owned. I have only had to replace some tubes and the reverb tank in twelve years. I consider these items consumable like tires and spark plugs. The tubes would have to been replaced on any tube amp and most all reverb tanks fail eventually. The amp sounds great and has many pro features. I will keep her forever. Avoid the model with red knobs that loks otherwise similar. They are nothing but trouble.
The PR266 model I have was made in Feb 1997, made in USA indicated on the back panel. Yes, a very different sounding amp.
Thanks, Blakestyger, good eyes. Yes, my 1999 model sez “Made in USA” as well…… BTW, because this is a hefty amp to lift, I took out the electronics and made a custom head cab and mounted it in it. Looks original. I also made two other/more ext cabs to make travel/moving it mucho easier. Now my stack can be any combination of…. a single 2X12 cab….. TWO 2X12 cabs….. one 2X10 with two compression horns, and any of the cabs can be speakers- in- series for 16 ohms…… two speakers in stereo for 8 ohms per side…. or speakers in parallel for 4 ohms…. and those extra jacks on the rear allows for many variations…….. SWEEEEET AMP.
How do I tell how old my Fender Pro Tube Twin is: The serial # is CR-318976 and on the Q.A. Sticker it only has a hand written W.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks
Well it looks like a 1992 however the second character is off. Could it be a B? If it was a “B” instead of an “R” it would be February 1992.
How do i tell how old my ‘Evil Twin’ is
it’a a type PR 266 serial # CR 103 217 ??
Made in USA ….And it’s a Blackface..
Don’t buy the one with the button style bright switch, it is much deeper (the cabinet) and its cheap sounding. The actual 1994 models, which are rare, have a push/pull bright switch, a cabinet that is thinner by about 1 3/4 of an inch (the measurement from the front of the amplifier to the rear)…it also has a much better gain channel and speakers. They are $1000 used CDN, the new one is something like $1700 CDN and I’ve played one (and I own a 1994) and they are lame…
If you think its an “Evil Twin” also, you are wrong. Correctly, a person later in the thread identifies this amplifier correctly as the Red Knob Twin and its only Evil because its a bandaid and never functions properly. It is too powerful, too loud, hard to tweak and barky. The 1994 ProTube TwinAmp is simply put a properly voiced Mesa Mark IV with a blackface clean channel, which is a serious rig for blues, rhythm guitar in a rock band, and most metal (notwithstanding the ludicrous gain stages used in Death Metal etc….these can be achieved through power attenuation, an equalizer in the tube driven effects loop or through the use of a treble booster, tube screamer or any combination of effects pedals in front of the input channel. I use a wah pedal for a boost.
The 1997 model The Twin which I have also has the push/pull bright as well as a push/pull on the second channel volume knob for channel select if you are not using the footswitch. This amp needs volume at around 5 and a time to warm up before its shows its characteristic sound. Guitar volume to taste.
Yes that is considered,the 1994 Fender Twin amp, i have a 1997 Fender Twin amp also.From 1998 to 2002, i believe is when they changed the amp to that thicker cabinet,white push bright switch type.The 1994-1997 is the
“black face” Twin amp..i think they started in 1992? To 1997?
jhi there, I have one , the red butons , I have a question for you guys, the reverb funcion even without the foot switch? I dont have it, but If I move the amp IT make the tipical reverb rumble, so what its your opinion? gracias.
The reverb is typically still active even without the footswitch.
The one I have looks just like this one but under Twin Amp it says Professional Tube Amplifier Made in U.S.A. (instead of Fender Musical Instruments). I checked the quality assurance sticker on the chassis and it looks like it Says CHS written across both lines and then either a zp or zd written on the second line. This doesn’t make any sense as to all the info I am finding on the internet as to what the production year is. I love this amp but yes it weighs a ton so lately I am using my Traynor YCV40 for jamming here and there for much easier transport. Any idea what years this sucker is? I know I bought it around 2002 and or so from Long and Macquade.
Hi Chris, what you have is the ’94 Twin Amp, which had the “Professional tube…….” under The Twin Logo.
Are these amps still available and at what cost (in U.S. dollars, please)? After thirteen years of having a Fender ’65 DRRI amp, I’m finding it too limited for what I am looking for.
I just got mine (the ’94 Twin Amp with two inputs, not the one input replacement) at this vintage music/guitar shop here in Dallas called Shake Rag for $850, which is on the pricier side of things. I usually see them on eBay for $600 – $900, but the reason I’m OK with paying a bit more is because I was able to pay for it on layaway. I’m assuming these amps aren’t in the $1000-$2000 range because they’re from the 90’s and aren’t as vintage as all the Fender classics. They are an excellent, affordable, and versatile option for guitarists who want a performance level tube amp with the classic Fender sound but on a relative budget. I play mostly Post-Punk, Post-Hardcore, and Indie Rock, so the clean and gain channels are absolutely ideal. I’d actually recommend this over a Twin Reverb unless you only want clean and loud.
Yes this thread is very old but I just couldn’t resist posting a comment.
I own this amp. There has been so much confusion over what amp is the “Evil” Twin. I have done quite a bit of research on the subject. This amp, the ’94 PR266 Twin Amp, is the official “evil” Twin, it is a black face, and has been correctly labelled by Ampwares.
I suppose you could say the red knob Twin is also an evil Twin as so many people call it that. The 94 Twin was refered to as the Evil Twin in some of the Fender liturature. This was never the case with any of the other Twins. People incorrectly associated the nomenclature “evil” to the Red Knob because of it’s red knobs.
Thats ok. It doesn’t matter if you associate the Red Knob to the label evil but you shouldn’t try to correct people who call the 94 Twin the evil Twin as technically they are more correct than you are.
I own a Twin Amp purchased at Steve’s Music in Ottawa years and years ago.
It’s serial number starts with CR, which according to the Fender product dating website two letters represent the year and month of manufacture.
As you can see with my CR serial number, C=1992 but the second letter is supposed to represent the month, however, there are only twelve months in a year, hence it should end at L…so why does mine have an R?
…anybody?
Fender website said;;
All Fender amplifiers manufactured from 1990 to the present include a date code, printed on the quality assurance (QA) sticker on the back of the amp chassis. This black-and-silver sticker contains several lines for “sign-offs” on completion of sound and electrical testing. The final line contains a date code of two printed or handwritten letters denoting the amplifier’s production date by year (the first letter) and month (the second letter).
In the table below, for example, a “CE” date code indicates a production date of May 1992.
YEAR MONTH
1990 A January A
1991 B February B
1992 C March C
1993 D April D
1994 E May E
1995 F June F
1996 G July G
1997 H August H
1998 I September I
1999 J October J
2000 K November K
December L
i think, the error of many people is that; they read the serial number CR-XXXXXX
it is mentioned;
on the quality assurance (QA) sticker on the back of the amp chassis. This black-and-silver sticker contains several lines for “sign-offs” on completion of sound and electrical testing.
Sometimes the sticker is not present in the amp chassis, sometimes it is inside the cab just up to tube label
left side when you see of rear
my twin amp is the same model and this sticker is inside the cabinet.
According to Fender, the serial number “system” started from 1994 on, not 1990.
Also, everyone who says their serial number is CR-XXXXXX can’t be misreading it.
I am looking at a “Twin”, black face, with 2 inputs, 6 knobs in the first section, 5 in the second, and 3 in the last.
It too has a serial number staring with “CR-XXXXXX”.
Fender says that the fist letter is the year, and the 2nd letter the month.
Well then, Fender has some more explaining to do because that doesn’t work.
CR would be what? It’s not a misread, it’s right there on the sticker.
Or, does the first letter indicate month and the 2nd indicate year?
If so, then CR would be C=March, and R=2007.
2000 is K, 01-L, 02-M, 03-N, 04-O, 05-P, 06-Q, 07-R, etc….
Somethings not right with what Fender claims, or somethings not right with how serial numbers were assigned.
From what years was the ’94 Twin made?
What year did the “Pro Tube Twin” come out?
Did it replace the ’94 style Twin?
Also, when the “Pro Tube Twin” was out the ’65 TRRI was also out.
Confusion. 🙂
Also, CR can’t be mistaken for CE.
“Twin” amp, black face, started production in 1994, so it can’t be a CE March 1992 build, at least according to how the letters are to be read.
I’d like to know if Fender’s website is showing the month and year letters backwards.
UPDATE:
I called Fender directly and gave them my CR-XXXXXX serial number.
The Fender rep said that at times Fender serial numbers change meaning.
Hey, no surprise there.
He looked up the serial number and tells me that “CR” is the code for manufacture location, which in this case is in California, USA. And, it is an amp of the “’94 Evil Twin” design.
The numbers behind the CR gave him the month and date.
For my “Twin” it was built in November of 1999, and again, the serial number starts with
“CR-“, with the numbers 263701. The whole serial number is CR-263701.
Unfortunately, I don’t know how those numbers related to month and year of manufacture.
But, it does appear that “CR” may at least indicate that it is an “Evil Twin” design.
I have this amp and it sounds great except I am having a problem with the middle channel which is supposed to give some overdrive. It crackles, sounds fuzzy. Comes and goes. And by the way, I think it is the best sounding channel. Other two channels, clean and max overdrive are fine.
Suggestions to fix?
I am also having several problems finding information about my The Twin. The 1st is the date of production of my Fender “The Twin” aka “The Evil Twin”. The one with the Red Chicken Head Push/Pull pots. It is a Blackface,, Labeled “The Twin” on both the front and the back. Listed as being made in Brea, CA. Now the serial # Listed makes no sense at all. I have read this forum and tried using the listed guide for dating the amp,, but that doesn’t work. here is why. The Serial # is LO-72784 !! Nowhere is there any labeling with “CR” in it. Its Size is 26″ across, 20″ Tall (minus the Caster Height) and 10 3/4″ Deep. It IS very heavy,, about 70 lbs sounds about right. All the Pots are Are Red Chicken Head shaped Push/Pull Pots. Except for the Volume, Gain, Bass & Reverb. And unlike “The Twin” shown in the picture about. the panel is completely different and looks like all the pictures of The Twins with the Red Chicken Knobs.The first 4 pots Volume, (Treble, Mid which are Push/Pull) Bass. Followed by 4 input jacks, above all 4 inputs it says “Use Inputs for Channel 1 & Channel 2 Dual Channel Mode”, directly underneath that the 1st 2 jacks it says “Channel 1 Inputs”. Underneath the 1st 2 inputs it says “Use these inputs only for Switching Channel Mode”. The 2nd 2 jacks are listed for Channel 2 Inputs. Below the jacks is says, “Use These Channels Only For Parallel Channel Mode”. The next Pots are Gain (Not a Push/Pull), Treble Mid, Bass, Presence, Volume (all Push/Pulls) A channels Select Slider Switch for Channel 1, Both, Channel 2. Followed by the Last (non Push/Pull) pot for Reverb. Then a High/Low Power Switch, Standby/On, then lastly a Power On/Off Switch. Now,, I literally picked this amp up for a song. All it needed was new power tubes. But I have since replaced all the tubes. it has (5)12AX7’s,,(2)12AT7’s & (4) 6L6GC’s. The back Panel has 3 1/4″ jacks, a Pre-Amp Out, Pre-Amp In, Pre-Amp Thru. Then a Slider Switch Labeled Loop Level Slide Switch with 3 Positions, (Low -16dbv, Med-7dbv, High +4dbv). The Low & Med are underscored “Guitar”. It also has a Balanced XLR Line Out @600ohms (great For plugging directly into a soundboard! Along with 4 more jacks for the Foot Switch. Then the Speakers, An External Parallel, External Main, External Series. Followed by a 3 Position Slide Switch for the Speaker Impedence Settings of 4, 8, 16 ohms. Including in the back panel are 2 (screwdriver Adjustment Pots) for Output Bias Adjustment (for the Tubes) & Output Balance Adjustment. Now,,, since I have described just about everything I can about this amplifier. Is there anyone who can tell me more about it? Like when was it made? And anything else that would be helpful. This Amp is SUPER Loud! And I have never had it above 2!! In Clean mode it sounds as good as any Fender Tube Amp out there, super crystal clear, sparkling highs & and a nice deep mid & low sound. But In order to really let this “monster out of its cage” on channel 2. I have to use a Sholz Power-Soak! Which I then dial down to 1 notch above headphone level Then you can really turn this amp up to about 4 to 6, depending on the size of the room and whether you want to become deaf or not! The Power-soak really lets channel 2 Shine!!! When it is plugged in and the volume turned up,in the Pre-Amp Really comes through, the 2nd Gain stage (which is what made this amp so popular when it first came out) literally will transform the amp into any “Boutique Amp” you want!! This amp can sound like any amp you want it too. From a Marshall to a Boogie, to anything in between. And because of its massive power it can run any 4X12 out there with plenty of power to spare. this amp is really “one of a kind” and I have never heard any amp like it!! It is absolutely amazing!!! So any help that anybody can give me about this amp would be greatly appreciated! AS I would like to sell it,, as it doesn’t really fit my playing style. I have my eye on a Mesa Boogie Mark V Combo! Which will suit all my needs with its own 8 switch foot switch for my Prog-Rock style. So,, I welcome any comments about this amp….. I hope you can answer some of these questions. Is it rare? Is it worth $1k or more? Or anything else I should know? Sincerely,,,,, Jay
MUSIC GO ROUND:
Used FENDER “The Twin” Reverb Combo Amplifier
Fort Worth, TX $599.99
Phone: 817-763-8188
http://ampwares.com/amplifiers/fender-twin-red-knob-the-twin/
Is this the one you mean?
More CR info:
It is interesting that the CR represents California. I have two of the Evil Twins,(long story on how that happened) Black face, 2 input, black knobs both with the CR-XXXXXX serial number.
The weird thing is that one states on the front plate under the power light “Made in USA” and one does not. The serial number for the Made is USA is earlier.
The plot thickens?
Ed
My two cents… BossDan s right and TT is confused. BossDan didn’t say you are misreading CR. He said it isn’t a date code and that is correct, it is NOT. So, if you are trying to interpret a date from CR then you are wasting your time. The date code as Dan said is on another sticker. My serial# is CR-258122. My date code is “JC” (1999 March).
Ytsejam777,
I am a fairly new owner of a Fender Twin (“Twin Amp”) myself. I also love this amp and I am rebuilding my pedalboard around it to use all the sounds of the channels. Both “The Twin” and the “Twin Amp” are bad ass but not one and the same. The “Twin Amp” referred to mostly in this thread is the amp AKA as the “Evil Twin”. The link to that Twin Amp manual is http://support.fender.com/manuals/guitar_amplifiers/94_Twin_Amp_manual.pdf. The link to “The Twin” manual (yours) is http://backlinerentalnederland.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Fender_The_Twin.pdf. You sound like you already have the manual though. At any rate, I think these amps are both worth used $700-$900. I do like the Twin Amp better because it has basically three switchable channels…channel one has clean and switchable to add gain and than channel two is separate with its own gain. The channels all sound awesome. I like the three levels of gain with no stomp boxes involved. I also have played with an external master volume to allow to crank up the channels a bit. I can’t really tell you anything more about your amp that you haven’t already mentioned but I will mention how I am looking at setting this up. I have an MXR univibe/chorus (to add slight texture to a otherwise very linear tone) and Dunlop dual inductor wah in front and an EQ and delays in the loop. The amp reverb only like 1 sounds mostly natural to me. Pretty minimal and sounds pretty awesome. Mostly matter of taste but I think the added EQ at least is essential.
I’ll add my 2 cents to old thread since I am the original and only owner of a PR266 p\n 049049 SN 273704, I believe it was made in 2001. There is no Made in U.S.A. printed under power light and it says Professional Tube Amplifier vs. Fender Musical Instruments. The manual shows the Made in U.S.A. power light. There is no date code in my amp, just the initialed inspection sticker and the label for Corona CA. noting the tube layout, part number, and it has some signed mark but I can’t tell what it is. FWIW, I believe the CR in the serial number stands for Corona not California as TT mentioned. From what I’ve read this (94 Twin, PR266) was the Evil Twin even though many believe is was the red knobbed version. It’s heavy and LOUD, I’ve been trying to rehome it for awhile, but I haven’t been trying too hard because I like it. I may retube it soon with some JJ’s from eurotubes.
Gents. Let’s put the Evil Twin controversy to rest. I have a PR266 with documentation from Fender stating that the “94” Twin Amp is the ONLY Evil Twin… The model came out in 94 and continued for a few years before tremolo was added. At that point it ceased to be referred to as the “Evil Twin” according to Fender….
It has the push pull knobs as opposed to the push switches.
Man, what a confusing mess. But thanks to you all for clearing up alot. I have the single input version, PR449, with CR-319505, P/N 057110. Not sure when the heck it was made, but I’ve had it for awhile now. It doesnt get alot of use right now, burned three resisters in the effects loop out of it. Been using my Hiwatt instead, I would REALLY love to find out as much as I can. Thanks all.
I have to Agree with TT, RL & Joe.
I have just purchased an ‘Evil Twin’ PR266 p\n 049049 SN 260xxx (several digits ‘lower’ than TT’s ’99 model) which would put it’s year somewhere between ’95 & ’99. I have also read elsewhere that Paul Rivera designed the E45/PR266 circuit in the late 80’s, so this would appear to be of the Paul Rivera design also.
My twin looks identical to the picture above on the Ampwares page, and has the 2 inputs, as well as the 6, 5, 3 knobs on the blackface.
Again, there is sooo much conflicting info out there I’m not sure what to take as ‘Law’ though i have given all of this info to Fender and hoping for an answer soon.
I’m not too fussed on whether this twin is ‘Evil’ or not, but I would like to know;
– Year of Manufacture (also how to tell this from serial)
– If it is definitely of Paul Rivera design
– What contemporary 2nd Hand retail value is in $US (though mine is located in Australia and is 240v)
UPDATE: According to both Fender Australia & US – The ’94 Twin Amp I bought is indeed an ‘Evil Twin’ (aka Twin Amp) and was manufactured in August 1999 according to the serial number. Apparently it is NOT a Paul Rivera model.
The schematics Fender sent me the link for are available here: https://fmic1.zendesk.com/attachments/token/usJjQjqGURbrwqepnlVHyH16E/?name=Twin+Amp+%28%2794+Twin%2C+Evil+Twin%29+Schematic+and+Layout.pdf
The ’94 Twin (as pictured by Ampwares) has 2 inputs then 6 x 5 x 3 pots.
However, the schematics above (Twin_Pro_Tube_Amp_SchE45.pdf) appear to be for a later model Twin Amp (NOT an ‘Evil Twin’), as they show the number of Pots on the Blackface are different. It has a single input jack, 4 x 5 x 4 pots, and push buttons for Bright switches on the face instead of the push/pull pots, as pictured here: http://img.audiofanzine.com/images/u/product/normal/fender-twin-amp-2002-2010-762.jpg
The link under it for the manual (Twin Amp.pdf) is correct and indeed for the ’94 evil twin (matching the picture).
In Short – Ampwares are confusing the issue by showing a Picture of the ’94 Twin Amp (aka ‘Evil Twin’) and linking the correct manual for it, BUT the Specs listed, and the linked Schematics underneath the picture (Twin_Pro_Tube_Amp_SchE45.pdf) are for the ‘The Twin Amp’.
If your Amp is a Model PR-266, was manufactured from ’94 to 2001, has the 2 inputs, 6 x 5 x 3 pots (with Push/Pull bright) on the Blackface, then it IS a ’94 Twin Amp (aka Evil Twin).
If it was manufactured from 2001 onwards and has a single input jack, 4 x 5 x 4 pots, and push buttons for Bright switches on the face instead of the push/pull pots, it’s ‘The Twin Amp’ (aka ‘Pro Tube Amp’), NOT an Evil Twin.
I have no idea about the Paul Rivera as the info seems conflicting.
The one input Twin that came after the 94’ two input Twin was essentially a Sunn amp under its chassis.
I’d argue the 2000 (2001?) single input Twin had a better High Gain channel but I like the Vintage Gain (Bassman style) channel on the 94’ and find it a more versatile amp overall.
After reading all of this I STILL have no clue when my amp was made. Is it a Twin or an Evil Twin? I STILL do not know. LOL.
Hi,
Does anyone knows the exact function of v1, v2, etc…
I have a PR 266 Model CR-099158 with blackface push-pull knobs
Professional Tube Amplifier Made in USA
I cannot determine the year of manufacture (don’t really care)
I want to obtain the correct footswitch…anyone know for sure?
Hello Jeff. Reading from the sticker on original new version Fender ftsw (rounded, hammered gray/ black NOT an old aluminum one): 3 – button – gain/channel/reverb ’94 Twin Amp P/N 099-4065-000
About Evil Twin dispute I claim authority as a current (not once upon a time) owner of 4 versions of Fender Twin:
1971 Quad Reverb, a Silverface Twin Reverb inside the 412 cab; 1988 Fender THE TWIN Red Knob 4 inputs, 3 front rocker switches; 1997? Twin Amp PR266, full blackface, 2 inputs, imped. select switch, no FX loop level knobs in the back, no tube problem LEDs THIS IS THE VERY EVIL TWIN!!! and lastly 2004 PR449 with tremolo, 1 input, 4-button ftsw, FX knobs and LEDs in the back – not evil until I manage to rebuild the gain channel to Prosonic specs. Good-by, gentlemen!
Hoping someone sees this and replies 🙂
I have the 94 as well. Channel 1 at times sounds like it’s not getting enough signal and distorts/very short sustain. Defly not ice clean as it should be. Channel 1B (aka channel 1 + gain) and channel 2 don’t have similar issue. I’ve rearranged tubes and still no fix. Any thoughts??
Make sure you’re moving the right tubes to the right places. Clean the sockets with Deoxit, it’s not cheap but it’s good. Maybe a V2 issue?
V1: 1st gain stage for all channels.
V2: 2nd gain stage for the Vintage Drive Channel.
V3: 2nd gain stage for Channel 2.
V4: 2nd gain stage for Channel 1; 3rd gain stage for Vintage Drive Channel & Channel 2; effects loop return amplifier.
V5: Reverb Driver.
V6: Reverb Return Amplifier.
V7: Linked to the Preamp Out/Power Amp In.
V8: Phase inverter.
Updating my previous comment with tube designations as well.
V1: 1st gain stage for all channels. 12ax7a
V2: 2nd gain stage for the Vintage Drive Channel. 12ax7a
V3: 2nd gain stage for Channel 2. 12ax7a
V4: 2nd gain stage for Channel 1; 3rd gain stage for Vintage Drive Channel & Channel 2; effects loop return amplifier. 12at7
V5: Reverb Driver. 12at7
V6: Reverb Return Amplifier. 12ax7a
V7: Linked to the Preamp Out/Power Amp In. 12ax7a
V8: Phase inverter. 12at7 (Should be Balanced for phase inverter use)
Mine is CR-245836 but to me it just sounds like crap.
Hi, I just have a short question. Since you all seem to be very much into the topic you probably can help me finding out the year of production of my Twin (The Twin, red knop). Its serialnumber is LO-117725. I could not find out anything about Serialnumbers beginning with LO… Paul Rivera did not have anything to do with the “Design“ of this amp, or did he?
Thank you very much!&
I’m in Adelaide and have The Evil Twin, 2 x inputs and marked either ie 1998 May or le 2001 May can’t work it out.
Anyhoo, it’s been sat in my studio for two years unused, it’s for too loud for the house plus i like to play in stereo using a couple of Roland Cube 30s, it’s up for grabs if there any peeps in this part of the world interested.
I bought it around 6 years ago for a three piece i was in, we packed in and so the amp has just been sat there, it needs a home.
Hello Lee…my names Larry…I have the “Evil” Twin also and Love it…don’t know if you still have yours…but looking in my Manual there is a way to lower the output by removing the 2 inner power tubes..Left to right #2 and 3…then put the impedance switch to 8 ohms if it’s on 16 ohms (half the tubes-half the impedance) this will give you 60 watts RMS in the OUTPUT HIGH setting and 15 watts RMS in the OUTPUT LOW setting…this is not my idea
but from my Fender Twin manual that came with the amp…It is a PR266 bought New in 2001 serial CR######
I own a pristine condition blackface and black knob “The Twin” that I love. It is heavy and LOUD! It does have a switch that reduces wattage from 100 to 25 watts. Also, you can remove the 2 inner or the two outer 6L6 tubes to further reduce wattage to about 15 watts which makes it much more manageable at home. Does anybody know if all Twins have the ability to reduce wattage in this way?
I know the PR266 I have does that. This should also work for other amps that have pairs of power tubes.
I thought removing the 2 inner tubes was the only option to reduce power to 25 watts on The Twin. Sorry don’t know if other Twin amps have this feature.
I had one of these amps and it was THE BEST I have ever owned. In 1994 I paid around $1200, maybe a little more. The drive channel was ok but I did prefer the Ibanez Tube Screamer that I had and mine did come with wheels, which was GREAT for gigs……..together with my 1991 Strat, I found the sound I had been looking for…….At the time I had never seen or heard one and it was when the “DeVille” was probably the most popular intermediate amp. I was upgrading from the Blues Deluxe, the smaller version of the Deville. I turned every amp in the store to the same level, had pretty much decided on the DeVille, when my life-long salesperson asked, “have you heard the twin?”. Before I turned it on, I put all the levels the same as every amp I had tried and I could have sword the building was gonna fall down! It was among the first batches of ‘Evil Twins’ available. And I miss it terribly. Glad they still make it. I’m surprised they’ve never done, at least to my knowledge, a reissue of the Vibroverb-SRV’s choice of amp.
One other thing worth mentioning, when it was time to replace the tubes, the guy I had bought every guitar and amp from since I was 16-33, recommended a different replacement tube that made the sound a little smoother but at the same time brighter and with a bit of extra punch when I got up to “Gig volume”………GREAT, GREAT AMP!! Mine was made in the USA, had the ‘pull for bright”, black knobs, etc. Anyone else just have the ‘feet’ or did you get the wheels as well?? Just curious……..
I can’t believe all this talk about the “94-Evil Twin” and no one mentioned one of it’s BEST FEATURES, (External Tube Biasing). This was one of the main reasons I bought one of these amps new in 2000, power reduction and external tube biasing.
I”ve just bought a used fender the Twin amp (100w tube) after reading some posts here. The amp is awesome, it’s the sound that I was looking for in many years, after trying blackstar, Engl, roland…The issue is that the reverb and the vibrato/tremolo effects do not sound, I don’t know if it’s a problem of the amp or I need to by a footswitch in order to engage both effects (which I wouldn’t understand as reverb always works without a pedal on/off footswitch). I would appreciate any comments on that. Thanks!
I kinda skimmed through half of this discussion, so forgive me if it’s been said, but for some potential clarity on the prefixes – I’ve read that “LO” serials indicate the amp was made at the old Sunn amp factory in Lake Oswego in Oregon, and “CR”‘s were build at the Corona facility.
I purchased what appears to be the imposter “Evil Twin” with the Red Knobs. It is a clean, excellent condition closet queen. It was made in the USA, Brea CA. Name on Inspection Sticker: Ramnick Patel. Hand written date code letters are not legible. Why Fender cannot provide info to estimate a production date for this model by the separate serial number sticker is somewhat strange.
I would also like to know the reason why Fender decided to manufacture buckets of “Blood Red Knobs” to install on Twin Amps that according to some couldn’t compete with original, black knob “Evil Twin Amps? “Certainly wasn’t any component weight savings going on with the red knob amps because my amp weighs 77 pounds. I paid $100.00 for the amp with a fitted cover; owner seriously wanted it out of his house and kept dropping the price until it fit my budget. Out of 1-10 it’s a 9.
Hello ampwares experts. I have an early 90’s Red Knob ‘The Twin’ amp. I am trying to get to the bottom of an issue with it. When plugged on either low or high power with no guitar connected the amp is almost silent. Very faint transformer hum.
As soon as I plug a guitar into any input jack I get a very noticeable buzz that get worse with volume control on either the amp or guitar or both.
It does not matter which channel I plug into the buzz is very noticeable making the amp pretty useless.
I have checked all connections I can see, speakers, Checked valve seating, jacks, changed guitars had 4 different and 5 different leads. All to no avail. The buzz is there whenever there is a load.
Checked the bias and balance all were perfect. Can anyone advise how I troubleshoot further.
Cheers
Spart
Hello everyone , i need help. I got one of these and i cant meke the reverb work. I send it to repair but the guy who did it says that need the pedal to turn it on. He change the reverb and fix Some other stuff. Thanks for your answers
I am working on one of the later years “The Twin” amplifiers. This thing is the worst design in just about the history of amplifiers. This one has a bad footswitch jack in the back and the Volume pot on ch 2 is bad. In order to replace the volume pot it requires completely disassembling and removing the main circuit board. Its a 4 to 6 hour job. If you see a good deal on one of these POS amps , run…
well all your bull taken into account. I have a red knob evil twin I bought in Nashville in 1986 when I purchased it the owner said it was evil because, with the wheels, the amp would fall easily and at around 100 lbs, it was evil but this is a American 1985 evil twin it will destroy marshalls and mesa’s.
Brand new sovteks tubes in my PR266…unbelievable powerful crystal clear sound…
What total confusion reading many of these posts. First off, the 94 Twin (same amp built until 2001) is nothing more than a “The Twin” that came before it missing a few features and controls with an added front panel that looks like an old blackface Twin. I have been inside both amps and would recommend the earlier “The Twin”. The circuit boards and wiring in the “The Twin” are neater and more heavy duty, especially the power section board. Both amps are a good design in having the tubes stand alone in the chassis and not attached to the circuit boards. Secondly, the Red knob, Black knob thing is meaningless. Fender used red knobs on a bunch of amps in the late 80’s then switching to black knobs later on in the 90’s. The 1987 Red knob “The Twin” is identical to the 1993 Black knob “The Twin” apart from maybe small part changes to save cost as the run evolved. I would take a Red knob “The Twin” over a 94 Twin or Evil Twin as some call it any day. Just for fun I did some googling and easily found that Clapton, Cropper and Robben Ford used Red knob “The Twin’s”. Couldn’t find any big names that used the 94 Twin. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19431/lot/4341/