Fender Deluxe Reverb is the eel's hips

AstroDan · Post by **AstroDan** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:48 pm

I just traded a '73 Twin Reverb for this new Deluxe '65 reissue and can say this is the sound I've been hearing in my head as far as "that" Fender sound. That silverface was just awful; not sure if I had a bad one but could not make that thing not sound like shit no matter what mod, speaker/tube swap, setting, etc.

I'm just shouting out. I'm sure it's no secret, but this is a gorgeous sounding off-the-shelf amp. Pretty much done with vintage until I take a 2 year engineering course and win I Love Money 3.

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:31 pm

that's exactly how I feel about my '77 Super Reverb. Except for the tremolo that's wigging out.

Jeff

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:22 am

my deluxe has been treating me nice for almost 15 years now.

*feels old*

beefy · Post by **beefy** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:52 am

The thing about fender twins is there like playing a whole different instrument. you got to really work the guitar to not get them to sound like the Giorgia satellites. I think a lot of people buy them looking for a blues amp. I'm glad you like your deluxe , fender makes great amps.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:38 pm

Although I really dig my '76 Vibro Champ I've also really liked the tube amps Fender has issued and reissued since like '01 (i.e., Hotrod's/DeVille's/ Deluxe's, etc.).

Glad to hear you like the '65 Deluxe reissue so well. For my taste, there's nothing like the match-up of a well-built Strat or Tele and a genuine Fender amp.

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:09 pm

ipressrecord wrote:that's exactly how I feel about my '77 Super Reverb. Except for the tremolo that's wigging out.

Jeff

I heart super reverbs! I want one really bad, especially when I have a place where I can really turn it up.

chovie d · Post by **chovie d** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:19 pm

AstroDan wrote:I just traded a '73 Twin Reverb for this new Deluxe '65 reissue and can say this is the sound I've been hearing in my head as far as "that" Fender sound. That silverface was just awful; not sure if I had a bad one but could not make that thing not sound like shit no matter what mod, speaker/tube swap, setting, etc.

I'm just shouting out. I'm sure it's no secret, but this is a gorgeous sounding off-the-shelf amp. Pretty much done with vintage until I take a 2 year engineering course and win I Love Money 3.

vintage fenders still can be had for cheap and are amazing amps and amazing values. Unlike the reissues there is no pcb and they will last and can be worked on. i dont know...Im just not feeling the resissues..plus they cost more than the vintage!

beefy · Post by **beefy** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:40 pm

I love my twin reissure it was made in 1994. I really like the way it sounds. The last guy is probably right though you can get vintage ones cheaper than the reissues and are probably easyer to work on and hold up better. I've had to take my twin in to get it fixed twice at about 400 dollars every time It needs fixed. It will still be my favorite amp ever. but the last guy does have a point

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:16 pm

last time i was in to a tech for something i saw the guts of an opened up Hot Rod DeVille.

ribbon cables and SMT components everywhere and the tube sockets mounted directly to the circuit boards.

i pointed to it and he said that with modern Fender amps you send off for replacement sub-assemblies cos they're not serviceable except in the factory...right down there with Roland and Line 6 gear.

his advice was to never tour with a modern Fender amp unless you can bring a second as a backup cos you likely won't be in the same city long enough to get it repaired on the road.

apparently some of the so-called reissues are constructed similarly.

AstroDan · Post by **AstroDan** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:35 am

The PCB vs. point-to-point factor is the primary reason I got the silverface; I just haven't had good personal experience with repair. I've found a good tech who replaced all the apparent bad caps, but that Twin just never sounded right. I've heard good SF Twins, but in my limited technical opinion I feel that nearly every component probably should have been replaced, i.e. a total rebuild.

For example - and my ignorance shows with this statement - there could be one crucial part/resistor/capacitor that reads right spec wise, but 36 years of aging has got to have some kind of affect on the character on the overall signal chain. Like the tranny might read right on a Tran-o-Meter, but decades of sitting in some dudes damp garage could be responsible for that farty low end and pinched, ice pick treble. Or substitute transformer for any given part, same scenario. Plus there was always the typical crackle, hum, volume drop that I would have to tend to every six months.

I wish the DR were PTP for a techs sake (and I'm not thrilled the tube sockets are mounted direct), but I guess based on my own experience, I feel better taking a gamble with a "fresh" amp than spending $500 a year trying to fine tune the one I had.

So I feel there are incredible vintage amps that are simple to work on...I think I just didn't luck out with a great sounding one to begin with that wouldn't need a total overhaul.

Hope this didn't sound combative.

beefy · Post by **beefy** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:27 am

Didn't sound combative at all. Like i said my twin reissue will probably be my favorite amp ever. and that ice pick treble and cruddy bass is just how they sound. YOU DARE MOCK MY TONE. Just kidding. Who really gives a crap how the electronics are mounted as long as you like the sound of the thing that,s what,s important

Mudcloth · Post by **Mudcloth** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:36 am

RefD wrote:last time i was in to a tech for something i saw the guts of an opened up Hot Rod DeVille.

ribbon cables and SMT components everywhere and the tube sockets mounted directly to the circuit boards.
.

I've been working part time at a local amp repair shop learning from a zen master of tube amps. There is always a Hot Rod Deville, Pro Junior, Blues Junior or Deluxe in the shop. Always. Seriously. I try to stack them up together just because it looks funny.
Robot soldering keeps us very busy and in business. I can't tell you how many times somebody comes in and says "The light comes on, but there's no sound." or "I think my input jack and volume knob are broken."
We open them up and re-wire the input jacks and pots with actual wire. We hit every solder joint with new solder. If there was a timing belt in these things we'd replace that, too.
Just setting these little beasts down too hard will break those solder joints. If you own one of these amps treat it like a one day old baby.
When they work they can sound great, though.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:47 am

Mudcloth wrote:Just setting these little beasts down too hard will break those solder joints.

and that right there is reason enough to care how the components are mounted.

*puts on asbestos suit with titanium catcher's cup*

AstroDan · Post by **AstroDan** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:11 am

It does depend on the quality more than PTP vs. PCB. My Orange is PCB but is well designed and sturdy. And both of these amps sound stellar, so I'm definitely on the side that what it's mounted on has little to do with sound.

It does sound likely that my little Deluxe could break solder, so I think I'll be doing some going over soon...

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:25 am

pretty much all Mesa amps are on circuit boards, but they're not SMT and also go through human QC.

i think from the 70s thru the early 90s they were all soldered by hand, dunno about now.

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Fender Deluxe Reverb is the eel's hips

Fender Deluxe Reverb is the eel's hips

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