Went to my local music store today to put a Deluxe Reverb thru the paces. The tone with my Tele was outstanding! I can't even begin to describe the richess of it. Two other customer's even commented on how good it sounded!With my Les Paul though, thing's broke up a bit to quick and got kind of "flubby" for my liking. I fully realize it's only a 22 watt amp (and a new one at that) and there's only going to be so much clean headroom. I'm not trying to level a building with volume, but once the speaker is broken in can you get a bit more clean headroom when using humbuckers, or would a tube and speaker change be recommended? Thanks.
Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
- Thread starter Mike M.
- Start date
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
well, breaking the speaker in isn't going to give you more clean headroom
personally, I think early breakup is a part of the character of the amp, but people try everything from rebiasing, new "harder" tubes, different speakers, etc .. to tweak the tone
BTW, I walked into a store one day, and saw a blonde Deluxe that looked so cool I had to try it. I grabbed a strat off the wall, and they sounded so good together, I ended up buying both.
you might be able to pick up some ideas over on the FDP forum - there's a whole DRRI section.
well, breaking the speaker in isn't going to give you more clean headroom
personally, I think early breakup is a part of the character of the amp, but people try everything from rebiasing, new "harder" tubes, different speakers, etc .. to tweak the tone
BTW, I walked into a store one day, and saw a blonde Deluxe that looked so cool I had to try it. I grabbed a strat off the wall, and they sounded so good together, I ended up buying both.
you might be able to pick up some ideas over on the FDP forum - there's a whole DRRI section.
Re: Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
There is no real way to get more headroom I'm afraid in that amp. We're talking the reissue, right? Look for a good used Pro Reverb and you'll have more clean headroom. 40 watts.
Of course, I should also mention that when I put a celestion greenback in my Tweed Deluxe, I did gain a slight amount of headroom. So, anything is possible.
A vintage 30 would probably give you a bit more cleanheadroom as well. Not a lot, but a touch. Especially considering the crappy speakers that come stock in the reissue.
You might email Ted Weber at www.webervst.com and ask him if one of his speakers might give you more clean headroom. Especially the California model. Very clean, very little speaker addition to the breakup. Some speakers add some break up of their own.
There is no real way to get more headroom I'm afraid in that amp. We're talking the reissue, right? Look for a good used Pro Reverb and you'll have more clean headroom. 40 watts.
Of course, I should also mention that when I put a celestion greenback in my Tweed Deluxe, I did gain a slight amount of headroom. So, anything is possible.
A vintage 30 would probably give you a bit more cleanheadroom as well. Not a lot, but a touch. Especially considering the crappy speakers that come stock in the reissue.
You might email Ted Weber at www.webervst.com and ask him if one of his speakers might give you more clean headroom. Especially the California model. Very clean, very little speaker addition to the breakup. Some speakers add some break up of their own.
T
TheArchitect
Guest
Re: Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
Did you use the padded input with the Paul? Pretty sure one of the inputs is padded with a resistor isn't it?
Did you use the padded input with the Paul? Pretty sure one of the inputs is padded with a resistor isn't it?
Re: Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
Yes, I did try the padded input on both channels, and it did give me a tad more headroom. Maybe I will try the Pro Reverb. I've never played thru an amp with 10's before so who know's, I may love it. Like I said it's not so much a question of volume, but there is a certain measure that I do want from an amps clean tone. Thank's.
Yes, I did try the padded input on both channels, and it did give me a tad more headroom. Maybe I will try the Pro Reverb. I've never played thru an amp with 10's before so who know's, I may love it. Like I said it's not so much a question of volume, but there is a certain measure that I do want from an amps clean tone. Thank's.
54stratlover
New member
Re: Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
Maybe try a used 70's deluxe reverd. earlier 70's had the blackface circuitry (from what i understand). one can find them for a decent price still.
Maybe try a used 70's deluxe reverd. earlier 70's had the blackface circuitry (from what i understand). one can find them for a decent price still.
midnite_man
New member
Re: Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
I unplugged the stock speaker in my DRRI and tried using a 2 X 12 cab with Celestion V30's and found those speakers to take away too much of the "Fender sound" from my Strats. I tried a Jensen C12N RI speaker in it once but didn't like it. So far the stock speaker, I believe made by Eminence, has sounded the best.
Now, when I added to that V30 2 X 12 cab a Marshall JCM2000 50 watt amp....the Strats sound great and with plenty of headroom. I just got the Marshall/V30 rig not too long ago and am really diggin it, but I'm not taking anything away from Fender amps like the DRRI, Super Reverb, Twin Reverb, and so on. Those are great amps, too (real nice reverb effects on the DRRI and DeVille), but kind of a one-trick pony.....I have to set the volume on them at a sweet spot to get that pure Fender on-the-verge-of-breaking-up vibe, and that sometimes gets pretty loud. I use a volume box with the DeVille pushing 60 watts. 40 watts would probably be just right in a Fender amp like that, but that's just the way they were built from '93 through '97.
I unplugged the stock speaker in my DRRI and tried using a 2 X 12 cab with Celestion V30's and found those speakers to take away too much of the "Fender sound" from my Strats. I tried a Jensen C12N RI speaker in it once but didn't like it. So far the stock speaker, I believe made by Eminence, has sounded the best.
Now, when I added to that V30 2 X 12 cab a Marshall JCM2000 50 watt amp....the Strats sound great and with plenty of headroom. I just got the Marshall/V30 rig not too long ago and am really diggin it, but I'm not taking anything away from Fender amps like the DRRI, Super Reverb, Twin Reverb, and so on. Those are great amps, too (real nice reverb effects on the DRRI and DeVille), but kind of a one-trick pony.....I have to set the volume on them at a sweet spot to get that pure Fender on-the-verge-of-breaking-up vibe, and that sometimes gets pretty loud. I use a volume box with the DeVille pushing 60 watts. 40 watts would probably be just right in a Fender amp like that, but that's just the way they were built from '93 through '97.
Re: Questions for Deluxe Reverb users.
You know one thing that I never liked was that the padded input was darker (there's an impedance difference), seems to me since you'd want the hotter input for a lower gain instrument (say strat compared to an LP) that since the start is brighter and the LP is warmer that you'd want the LP (lo input) to be a bit brighter, and the strat (hi input) to be a bit warmer ... but they have it the exact opposite. Nothing intentional of Fender's part, but still, at least shave off some hi end on the hi input (which is what they did one some amp's that had normal, bright channels ... they just rolled off highs on the *normal* channel ...of the BF DR had .033uF caps for the mids, while the BF DLX (no reverb) had .047uF caps, some had a 47pF cap across the volume control on one channel also (I think it was the normal, as opposed to vibrato channel) ... anyway, that .033uF cap, subtle as it may be is part of the BF DRs sound ... not sure what they SF DRs had, I think they were .047uF though, maybe not? I noticed that the preamp plates in those run at about +165V unlike the bit higher (+190V) of the more *headroom friendly models*, now that in itself probably doesn't mean that much, plus if the PI is getting smacked hard, well that will just push the power section into clipping earlier.
More than likely the lower gain preamp tubes will help you, at least in regard to reducing the preamp voltage to your PI and power section. A plus there is that lower gain preamp tubes have a bit more give to them. It won't do wonders, but it will help out more than a speaker will, and are cheaper.
Scott_F said:
You know one thing that I never liked was that the padded input was darker (there's an impedance difference), seems to me since you'd want the hotter input for a lower gain instrument (say strat compared to an LP) that since the start is brighter and the LP is warmer that you'd want the LP (lo input) to be a bit brighter, and the strat (hi input) to be a bit warmer ... but they have it the exact opposite. Nothing intentional of Fender's part, but still, at least shave off some hi end on the hi input (which is what they did one some amp's that had normal, bright channels ... they just rolled off highs on the *normal* channel ...of the BF DR had .033uF caps for the mids, while the BF DLX (no reverb) had .047uF caps, some had a 47pF cap across the volume control on one channel also (I think it was the normal, as opposed to vibrato channel) ... anyway, that .033uF cap, subtle as it may be is part of the BF DRs sound ... not sure what they SF DRs had, I think they were .047uF though, maybe not? I noticed that the preamp plates in those run at about +165V unlike the bit higher (+190V) of the more *headroom friendly models*, now that in itself probably doesn't mean that much, plus if the PI is getting smacked hard, well that will just push the power section into clipping earlier.
More than likely the lower gain preamp tubes will help you, at least in regard to reducing the preamp voltage to your PI and power section. A plus there is that lower gain preamp tubes have a bit more give to them. It won't do wonders, but it will help out more than a speaker will, and are cheaper.
