Fender Deluxe Reverb...

M

MattP-90

New member
Hi there guys!

I have posted before (but forgot my username and just signed up again) about stuff and the nice folks on here are always very helpful and knowledgable and stuff... I wondered if anyone had any advice regarding the following issue;

I have a Fender 65' Deluxe Reverb (Reissue, 4yrs old approx).

My dilema is that I LOVE the spring reverb sound (and the look and vibe of the amp)... It is amazing, but DON'T like the sound of the amp its self. I know fender amps are bright, but this takes the p*ss. It has a very 'harsh' and 'abrasive' characteristc.

I wondered if anyone could suggest another fender amp with the same lush spring reverb, but that sounds characteristicaly different to the deluxe reverb. i.e. warmer and fuller sound. OR if anyone owns a deluxe and thinks mine mabye needs some new tubes or mine is faulty...

Any advice?

Cheeers!
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

You could try changing the tubes or speakers...that usually has a pretty dramatic impact on the tone. Personally I wouldn't know what tubes or speakers to recommend but maybe somebody else will chime in.

Other than that, I always have to recommend Fender Bassman heads. They look like Fenders but they sound like big bassy boxes of rock and roll glory.

-X
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

get yourself a better speaker. i use a cannabis rex, with jj power tubes and a strong recto tube. bias the amp fairly hot so there is about 425v on the tubes and you should be ready to go. mine is an old '66 but i think you can get good tones from the new ones with the right set up. i typically run my treble at 6 and bass at 3 with the volume at about 7. if you are running the volume lower then reduce the treble and raise the bass. if its mids that you are lacking replace that 6.8k resister with something higher like 10k or more.
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

Get the schematic, find the 47pF bright cap on the volume control, and clip it out. Observe standard safety procedures...
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

Have you tried other Fender amps, including other Fender Deluxe Reverbs? Doing the latter would help you determine whether or not there's something wrong with your particular amp.

It's also possible that you don't like the sound of a Fender amp.

- Keith
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

What gitar(s) are you using? What pickups are in the guitar(s) This will all have an effect on your amps sound.

The Deluxe Reverb is one of Fenders best amps (not the RI, but the original). What made them so desireable is the low wattage of 22 watts gave you the ability to get a good cranked tone and still be at a reasonable volume level. The big problem with the DR is once the volume gets over 5 or 6 they tend to get muddy and the bottom gets kind of farty sounding. This can be fixed by putting in a different speaker. A lot of people witll use a Celecstion G12H30 or a Vintage 30. The V30 is rated at 60W and the G12H30 is rated at 30 , so the logic is a higher output speaker will give the amp a lot more headroom and will hold the bottom a lot better. IMHO A Jensen speaker out of a Twin would be better. I just feel that a Celestion tends to make the Fenders sound to Marshally. I have even considered putting a 15" Jensen or Altec in my Deluxe, but seeing as I haven't been using it much I decided to leave it alone!

If you are looking for a more modern sounding amp maybe a Hotrod Deluxe or Deville would be a better choice. These amps are channel switching and offer some larger variations in tonal choices. IMHO the DR is a better sounding amp though so I would agree that comparing your DR to anther would be the firdst thing to try to see how it compares. Then go from there!
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

+1 to cutting the bright cap. Other than that, a new speaker will do more than new tubes.
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

the deluxe reverb is a killer amp. i'd go for it.
there are some ways to get rid of the unwanted treble.
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

Wow - thats a lot of advice! - I'll have to think about trying some of those things...

My guitars are a 62' Reissue Tele (With Texas Special in the bridge and a 50's style PAF called a Fender Dragster in the neck... Very Keef') and a Gibson Les Paul Standard 05' (Stock).
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

I managed to compare my DR to a friends... Not side by side, BUT i'm sure his sounds better!

I think I will take the amp to my local repair guy and just ask him to check it over...
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

ES350 said:
Get the schematic, find the 47pF bright cap on the volume control, and clip it out. Observe standard safety procedures...
Click to expand...

forgot about that. that should be the first thing you do right there
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

That little cap doesn't sound like much, but it will definitely put an edge on the tone that hard to get rid of any other way...clipping it out will void your warranty, so consider that before you do it (although you only have a year left anyway). If you haven't worked on an amp before and don't know safety procedures, take it to a tech---no joke.
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

Get a great speaker...not a differant amp.

Get a Celestion G12H30. It'll make all the differance in the world and make the DR both louder, clearer and at the same time it'll have better sound when used with distortion or overdrive.

The stock speaker is nothing special at all.

Get a Celestion G12H30.

My own DR's are my favorite amps of all time, but I've modded both extensively:

1. less negative feedback
2. reverb on both channels
3. one channel hotter for Strat or Tele pickups
4. one channel clearer for clean tones or Humbucking pickups
5. Marshall tone stack instead of the Fender tone stack
6. More drive from the reverb recovery circuit
7. etc.

Lew
 
Last edited:
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

What is your treble on? I usually play mine on 5 or less. When I first got it about 2 months ago it was very shrill and too bright especially with my EJ strat. Now I play the strat with guitar bridge tone on 6 and the amp treble on about 4 or 5.
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

Broke said:
What is your treble on? I usually play mine on 5 or less. When I first got it about 2 months ago it was very shrill and too bright especially with my EJ strat. Now I play the strat with guitar bridge tone on 6 and the amp treble on about 4 or 5.
Click to expand...

My treble is always on "10". "5" or less would be much to "dark" sounding for me. I keep the bass at "5" or less, depending on the pickups. For humbuckers I'd probably go less than "5".

I'm not afraid of a little treble...I want to hear what I'm playing. LOL! So many guys get a flat, dull sound onstage...I think it might be because they're shy.

Lew
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

Maybe your is different somehow. No one is afraid of treble, just that too much is ear piercing and basically a terrible tone. No tube warmth. The main problem I have with it is that the treble cuts out all the bass makes my low strings sound thin and shrill.
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

for lower volume settings i might run the treble at 5 or 6 with the bass at 4 or 5, as i crank up the amp i turn the treble up and the bass down. with the volume on 8 id probably be close to 9 or 10 on the treble and down to 2 on the bass. the more you turn up the amp the more bottom end and thickness comes into the tone so you can turn the highs up with the bass down and still get a nice meaty tone
 
Re: Fender Deluxe Reverb...

jeremy said:
for lower volume settings i might run the treble at 5 or 6 with the bass at 4 or 5, as i crank up the amp i turn the treble up and the bass down. with the volume on 8 id probably be close to 9 or 10 on the treble and down to 2 on the bass. the more you turn up the amp the more bottom end and thickness comes into the tone so you can turn the highs up with the bass down and still get a nice meaty tone
Click to expand...

Exactly. That's the voice of experience guys.

As I turn the amp's volume up, I also turn up the treble and turn down the bass.

Lew
 
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