New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

[erksin]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

You guys both have some crazy ideas on pricing. SFDRs go for 800-1200 from what I've seen. At that price it will cost you more to get a vintage unit and have it modded than to get one of these. I hear people say all the time that they wouldn't pay over X for a silverface amp but they've been going up in price.

There is a big difference between SFDRs - especially the '68s from the rest. The '68 drip edge/black line model is a blackface amp with silverface cosmetics. Still had a pine cab, etc. Highly desirable amps to a lot of collectors.

 

[nedcronin]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I live in the Northeast and SF Fender Deluxes have just been going up and up. Princetons & Vibroluxes too. I bought my 68 blackline / drip edge Super a couple years ago for 900 bucks, but even the big amps keep going up in price now. I recently saw a 68 Deluxe in a store near me, they wanted 1800 bucks and it was missing a back panel and didn't have the original speaker. It was still a great sounding amp and I asked if they would take a cash offer of 1400 on it, no dice. The 68 fenders are top notch sounding fenders IMO. Most of the amps are identical to BF amps except for the cosmetics. People have been snatching them up for the past few years and that has led to some drip edge hype. I thought these new reissues were priced a little less than the 65 DRRI, is that the case?

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I should have known there was a time when Silverface would become a big thing - they've been undesirable for a lot of years.

I'll admit, the 70's were a time for Fender to start cutting back on the quality and that's why blackfaces have the reputation they have, but silverfaces were still great amps by any standard (vintage or modern). Heck, I bought a '69 Super Reverb for pretty cheap and with some work it's turned out quite nice. Still, the fact that you can easily service these P-T-P amps over the PCB based stuff these days makes me question why folks feel that's a better way to go unless the PCB stuff is cheaper and in this instance, any average silverface (noted, not drip edge - because those prices are ridiculous) will be more competitively priced than these newer products Fender is releasing.

Drip edge is really a gimmick. With silverface cosmetics and blackface guts I can understand the appeal to a certain degree, but they're collectors items only and the price reflects that. If you're into vintage Fenders and want a good deal, just get a later silverface amp and call it a day. Your pockets will thank you. Heck at the prices drip edges are going for, you can get an earlier blackface model and still save some money (because simply they were more abundant).

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I find it funny that really all they have done here is change the faceplate, grille cloth, and add trim to a DRRI and sell it for a couple hundo more. Same amp on the inside, people. Nothing to see here.

Wait what?

First off, it's the same price as a DRRI - 1k. Second, there are a bunch of features that the DRRI doesn't have, including global reverb/trem, modified normal channel, and a new speaker. I think it's a great deal.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

There is a big difference between SFDRs - especially the '68s from the rest. The '68 drip edge/black line model is a blackface amp with silverface cosmetics. Still had a pine cab, etc. Highly desirable amps to a lot of collectors.

I'll admit I didn't know that it was so valuable. My knowledge of drip edge era amps is more focused on the high power heads. I thought they changed the DR early into the silverface era.

 

[Matt42]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I'm in the market for a SFDR, but I think I'll likely stick to an early 70's vintage model over this reissue. The reissue looks cool, but I'd imagine the price on a 70 or 71 would be about the same as the reissue ones, and I'd rather have a cool piece of vintage gear than a reissue. I'd love to buy a 68, but they go for a lot more than the early 70's ones, they are honestly almost as much as blackface ones.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

Another option, if you want a brand spanking new vintage amp is to try and find one of these used for a couple hundred less, then have an amp builder gut the PCB and replace it with a 65 spec PTP board. Luckily, this new reissue comes with handwired tube sockets and good transformers.

For a few hundred, the reissue could be turned into a 65 spec. But who knows, maybe the stock amp's new features makes it worth keeping??

 

[Bludave]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I don't know one fender from another but it looks cool. What's drip edge mean?

Drip edge means it has an aluminum frame around the grill cloth. I am
Pretty sure they only did it in late 67 and 68

 

[Bludave]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I'm in the market for a SFDR, but I think I'll likely stick to an early 70's vintage model over this reissue. The reissue looks cool, but I'd imagine the price on a 70 or 71 would be about the same as the reissue ones, and I'd rather have a cool piece of vintage gear than a reissue. I'd love to buy a 68, but they go for a lot more than the early 70's ones, they are honestly almost as much as blackface ones.

That's a good decision. The RI are almost as much as a broken in used silver and the diver will sound so much better. The drawback to it is if it is untouched it will more than likely need a cap job, tubes and whatever else to get it to sing!

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I just noticed this.....which ships in September 2013. Fender Vintage Modified Series version of a 68 'drip edge' Deluxe Reverb, with some updated features.

I've always liked the look of pristine silverface amps, and my 74 Pro Reverb has a blue jewel lamp just like this reissue......it looks better than a red light against all the blue accents on the amp.

I know it's another PCB amp made in Mexico, but it looks to be a pretty nice version of a Deluxe Reverb. It'll probably be too limited to even find one in a showroom.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-68-C...314?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3610be92

[edit] I'm glad to see it's got handwired tube sockets and upgraded transformers. That's a big plus.

Other Features: Modified Deluxe Reverb all-tube circuitry, shared reverb and tremolo
on both channels, “Vintage” channel for traditional silverface operation,
modified “Custom” channel with Bassman tone stack, reduced negative
feedback for greater touch sensitivity, hand-wired tube sockets,
custom-made Schumacher transformers (like the originals), genuine
Fender tube-driven spring reverb, genuine Fender tube-driven tremolo
(“vibrato”), 1968-style Silverface aluminum trim around silver-turquoise
grille cloth

Are you sure the RI's are made in Mexico? I was under the impression that the non RI's were made in mexico but it would be news to me if the RI's were as well. Perhaps someone else can confirm either way as well....

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

Are you sure the RI's are made in Mexico? I was under the impression that the non RI's were made in mexico but it would be news to me if the RI's were as well. Perhaps someone else can confirm either way as well....

The DRRI, SRRI, and TRRI are all made in Mexico, among other Fender amps.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I should have known there was a time when Silverface would become a big thing - they've been undesirable for a lot of years.

silverfaces were still great amps by any standard (vintage or modern).

No, they weren't. Terrible amps. Sounded like **** . Numerous design diffeences that equate to complete tone turds you cannot remedy to any appreciable measure with a fewe caps and resistor changes. the late TE 60'S/ eARLY 70'S PRO'S AND bASSMANS ARE HIDEOUS AMPS, AND NOTHING CAN FIX THEM.. The exceptions have been listed. You'd do much better with a modern boutique amp.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I also recently saw a limited Fender BF Deluxe Reverb Head that is available now. That I would be interested in, you could pair it with whatever speaker cab you'd like. Strange that they are reissuing the Silver Face amps now, since the public seems to be so down on the originals (although in my opinion they are hit and miss, some had rat's-nest wiring jobs, but some models are quite nice).
Al

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

The reason the silvers are becoming more popular is because the guitar world knows more about how to improve them, not to mention the original blackfaces skyrocketed in price.

68-73/74 are the good years for silverfaces. After 74, they botched up the circuits too much with master volumes, ultra-linear transformers, and a general cheapening of the amp.

Another reason silverfaces got a bad reputation was that far too many weren't maintained in the 80's, and had terrible sounding speakers. Once the 90's arrived and people knew more about tube amp maintenance, cap jobs, replacement speakers, and undoing some bad CBS choices........silverfaces became more understood.

While we could still find silverface Fenders for $250 - $750, the idea of having a tech rewire it to blackface specs, changing the speakers, and biasing with it high quality tubes, brought silverfaces up to the quality of 90's boutiques and old blackfaces in healthy condition.

I've had my share of vintage, modern, and boutique replicas of Fenders, and the bottom line is doing things exactly as Leo had designed it, then using the best speakers available. That's the formula that's best.

I don't hate modern Fenders at all, but tone for tone, a perfectly healthy PTP Fender sounds richer, fatter, has a better feel under the fingers, and is more musical. On the other hand, an unhealthy old Fender will sound crappier than a modern reissue. Amps need servicing, and there's no excuse for not doing it with an old amp.
These modern Fenders will probably go the way of broken VCR's, TV's, and stereos......to the dump.

 

[Jolly_Rancher]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

How do you figure that??

Crack open an old Fender...any era really until the early/mid 80's and you'll see handwired tag boards loaded with Allen Bradley, Mallory and Sprague parts, USA made paper bobbin transformers as well as CTS pots, switchcraft jacks and switches, high quality USA made tube sockets and even high quality wire.

I have to ask...whats cheep about that and if you know what amp builder used better parts??

I know they're great quality compared to the new-fangled stuff. But, for example, their low-end vibro-champ which used cheaper parts is a masterpiece compared to today's low-end blues jr.

 

[cstony111]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I got excited when I saw a photo online because my first amp was a 68 or 69 sliverface Vibro Champ brand new for my first band in junior high school. Not a very good choice for a band since my friend's father bought him a new silverface Bandmaster. I learned at the first garage practice that when you turn a Champ all the way up to be heard against a Bandmaster...the amp starts smoking and goes dead. There was a 60's TV show "My Three Sons" where one of the sons blew up his Champ at band practice too.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

Ugh, let's just get one thing straight: THESE ARE NOT REISSUES. They are part of the "Vintage Modified" series, not the Vintage Reissue series.

Basically this is a 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue with a modified channel and Silverface cosmetics. Has very little in common with any 1968 amp.

 

[FOOLSGOLD]

Re: New Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

I have a 78 VC, a 76 SR and now I got a brand new Custom 68 Deluxe Reverb on the way as I type this. I love Fender stuff from all the eras it has been around.