THAT is the tone I'm always chasing, even when I'm playing other amps. John, it's your best tone ever. It absolutely showcases your dynamic and melodic playing.
The major downside to these Fender Deluxe amps is that once you spend some time with one you realize that your $3,500 boutique amp is really just trying to sound like a Fender Deluxe amp. Or maybe a Fender Deluxe amp with an overdrive pedal.
And often to sound like a Fender Deluxe with a bit tighter low end and more headroom. Someone said you pay a lot extra for the smallest improvement (subjective) but that improvement can be worth a lot.
@@seamanjive There is on the Handwired 64, which is partly why they call it the Custom Deluxe, because it parts ways with the old circuit in that regard.
Living in Brazil and having not much access to Tube Amps, the first time I played through a Deluxe Reverb in a gig a was blown away. Sounds like magic when you plug a Les Paul and push it around 5.
The perfect amp imho. Beyond loving the tone the feel under the fingers of a deluxe that is cooking is one of the best things in the world. Vibrato channel vol 6, treb 6-5, bass 4 is my personal favorite setting.
@@RJ_HTx I ride the volume a lot but definitely use it full up a lot. I also use those gramma pads under the amp and amp shields. Those help a lot. But that is only in my band on medium to large gigs. More then the tone the way it reacts at 6 what really gets me.
@@RJ_HTx the Deluxe Reverb doesn’t really get any louder past about 4 or 5…you run out of headroom and you just get more saturation/drive. So at 4.2 you are pretty much maxed out on the volume…it just gets chewy and harmonic filled!! Go for it!!!
I don't care what anyone else says, the Fender DRRI is the greatest production line amp ever made. It's probably one of the longest running too. I think mine is from '97 or '98.
John, you’ve gotta try this setting from Justin Ostrander: Vibrato channel, Input 1, Treble 10, Bass 1. The Vibrato channel has more gain than the Normal channel, and since the tone stack is reductive, you’re essentially letting her rip. One of the best overdrive sounds you’ll ever play.
Welp, as they say here in the colonies: “It ain’t the arrow, it’s the Indian.” M’man, that thing’s just gonna sit there and hum until you start playing. What a lovely touch you have and you sure have learned where to make some wonderful choices. As a guy with “cool x-rays and great stories” I’m a fan of the Tonemaster deluxe with the 2.0 software. (I’ve got both versions but update REALLY improves the reverb taper. And best of all for us geezer types: It weighs almost exactly half of that box with a transformer and glass bottles!)
I always wanted Fender to release a Deluxe Reverb head so I could plug it into my favorite 412 and 212 cabinets. But Fender seems to prefer mostly doing combo amps.
Maybe a Fender Supersonic head as an alternative? Supersonic is based upon a DRRI for its 'vintage' channel, and whilst it lacks trem, it has an effects loop so you could use a pedal for that.
They used to make a deluxe reverb head. I saw a used one in GC a few years ago. You can still view it on sweetwater, but it was discontinued at some point.
Valid point. Although it’s out of his rig this summer, Trey Anastasio of Phish was using a blackface Deluxe in a headshell for clean with a vintage Trainwreck head for dirt.
Not sure if it’s been commented on but the reverb we hear is not the spring in the amp(and he’s in the effects-free Normal channel,) Cordy likely added it in post. And it sounds beautiful.❤
The ‘65 Deluxe Reverb reissue is the amp of choice for just about every touring jazz guitarist around. For years, having one got me guestlist invites to a lot of gigs! Jonathan Kreisberg, Gilad Hekselman, Nels Cline, Peter Bernstein, Brad Shepik, Steve Cardenas, Lage Lund, have all borrowed mine for UK gigs.
Beautiful tones. I have one and love having it around. I’m not on stages big enough to need it live yet but fun to crank up at the house and shake some walls.
I love my DRRI. It is my only amp. I had a mid tone knob added and changed the tone stack on the normal channel to be similar to a Super now I have two different feeling/sounding channels. Fantastic amp.
Great playing John!!! And tone is unbelievable beautiful !! Maybe everyone can now understand why pros used it so much both on stage and in the studio (modelers are ok but nothing to compare with this great tone imho)👍🏻👍🏻
I have the blonde tone master and it only makes me want to try the ‘real thing’ more, they sound great with a Strat/Tele and a blues breaker style overdrive.
I heard a deluxe tone master at a country show. I thought, wow that deluxe sounds so warm! I need a deluxe. Then I found out it was a tone master. And I’m a tube amp only kind of guy. The tone master sounded great.
Have a 72, 75 and TM. The TM is a no brainer - perfect live club amp and low volume home amp. My tube amps get played much less - mostly for recording or one off shows where I can baby them. Differences between the tube amps are similar to differences between the tube and TM. Burn in the speaker and enjoy.
I'm an Orange fanboy admittedly, but this is the amp I would buy if I needed Fender clean. You need to do this same "test" on the Vibrato channel, that is where most folks live, it has a little something more for whatever reason. Cheers JNC, thanks for all your videos!
I loved Vox-style cleans for a long time, then I found the DR sound and haven't gone back. It's even really good with some stacked overdrives as well. I think it would be my desert-island amp if I had to pick one.
My first electric guitar was a 1973 Gibson Les Paul -- bought it used, in 1980, for $400. The amp I bought with it -- a silverface Fender Deluxe Reverb, for I think $250 used. Did not know what I had. Yes, the clean tone was glorious . . . however, turning volume past *2* was ear-splitting loud. Neither I nor my apartment neighbors would have ever been able to deal. I never heard a hint of breakup in tone, didn't know it could. And it weighed about as much as a car. I sold the Fender amp, won't even say what I replaced it with (junk in comparison). The Les Paul -- I still have it. 🎸😎
This sounds so good. I"m comparing it my head to your Helix tones and this is so clear, lacks what I sometimes find a bit 'whoofy' in the Helix and the top end is pure. No fizz/icepick. I'm pretty much ditching amp sim. Every time I switch on my valve amps they work WITH me and surprise me with how good they sound. Amp sims fight you, valve amps help you.
I’ve had the same amp for about 8 years. It’s fantastic! Primarily play my Gretch’s straight in with clean tones and some reverb. It’s honestly perfect. Only downside is the sweet spot of tone is a bit loud for home. I picked up a Yamaha THR30 for that purpose, which has also been phenomenal.
My love for Deluxe Reverbs is once again validated by the fact that your tone in this video is the most “different” and IMO, best tone I’ve heard on your channel. If you put an Eminence GA-SC64 it’ll be even better by a large margin
I’ve been a Fender amp guy FOREVER. I’m 59 now. Give the Deluxe the right OD pedal and maybe other pedals you like with the Strat and it will sing for you. I’ve been doing it for ages.
I wouldn’t call a Fender Deluxe Reverb “underrated”. 😅 I would love to have this amp. Unfortunately in the bands I play in it would be too loud if you want to go for that edge of break up sound, which is what I want. And it’s not even too loud for me personally. I just work with some musicians that can’t stand a bit of volume, while I am so used to playing (relatively) loud. I play quieter than ever and still I have to be careful. The Princeton would be a great alternative for lower volumes. But as much as I like the cleans of the Princeton, the edge of break up sound seems a bit too messy for me. And thus I never bought a Deluxe Reverb, even though I consider this to be one of the best sounding amps ever. 😕
One of the few serious regrets I have is selling the 1968 Deluxe Reverb I owned in the 80s. I sold it in the early 90s for like $200. I mostly use modelers now, but if I was going to go back to an amp, it would almost certainly be this one.
Beautiful sound! I missed out on electric guitars for most of my life because I bought a shredder guitar and a little Crate amp when I was a kid and I just didn't like the sound of it and at that time I was only playing chords anyway, so I played my acoustic instead. It wasn't until this year (and I'm nearly 50) that I bought a Telecaster copy and found out what playing with a great tone feels like. I'm still playing through the wrong amp (a Fender V2 Rumble 150 bass amp and a Zoom pedal) because it's all I have, but it's SO much nicer than that old setup!
Owned a DRRI since 2011, never felt disappointed even once. Plug a power soak between the amp and speaker and you can really let it sing at low volumes!
The Deluxe was/is my second amp after I realized that the Marshall Super Bass 100W with it's 4X15'' cab is a lot to carry around and a vintage shop friend offered a second hand Deluxe. Well, still love it even as I realistically moved to HX Stomp and whatever the place offers
I just had the Tonemaster version of this but still it was the best sound I ever had. I think this is the goat of guitar amps no matter what you plugin to it will sound just round, lush, beautiful and full.
The interesting thing is, I’m home in the states right now. My pops has a Deluxe Reverb Reissue and a Tone King Falcon Grande. I’ve been playing them both a lot for a couple weeks. The Deluxe Reverb wins hands down. Less options than the TK but one great tone is better than 3 mediocre or compromised tones. The DRRI is a great amp. I can okay for hours just clean and be inspired and it’s great with pedals too. All this from a Marshall guy.
Sounds so good. One of my main cover band presets on my FM9 is a 65 Deluxe Reverb. It breaks up a little more than I would want at times but live it gives it that little edge. Too many people on modelers get too-pristine cleans and it's just ice picky.
RecentIy purchased the '64 handwired modeI; haven't used it much yet but what I have I'm good with. It wiII require some breaking in as I'm used to a Super Reverb '73 I've had for 32 years that just sIays...but it's heavy, and I've gotten older.
The hand wired 64 Custom is a fantastic sounding amp. I have played it against my two 1961 Brown panels and it’s got me seriously wanting one now in addition to those two.
I have to say, you make that amp sound beautiful!!! I've been on an AC-30 kick for the last year or so and loving it, but I might have to revisit the deluxe now. Thanks ALOT!!!
I have both an ac30 and a deluxe reverb. I’ve explored a lot of amps and bought and sold many. But those two are the ones i will keep forever. Brother i recommend both, you will be in guitar heaven
All reissues of blackface style amps from Fender sound great on clean sound. What differentiates them from vintage Fender amps is that the old ones work also very well with overdrive stomp boxes. Reissues don’t glue overdriven tones so nicely and sound much thinner than their old buddies when you put a fuzz or an overdrive effect in front of the amp
I have the Tonemaster version. Love the possibilty to change watts depending on the room I'm playing and always keep the sweet spot from volume, treble and base. It's pretty close to tube version and in a band mix no one will hear the difference imho.
There was two of them in the backline at a gig I played, so I ran them in stereo. Didn’t push them so they were just running clean, and it sounded amazing. I did it with two AC16 s as well. Not sure which I preferred. Very different sound from both but the same kind of epic experience. Brian May was onto something.
the deluxe reverb is the perfect recording /home amp (along with the vox ac15/10 and marshall 1974) for many reasons: 1. it has a 12" speaker so no compromise there. 2.it uses 6v6's which are the best sounding power tubes 3.the onboard reverb and tremolo are amazing 4.it has great cleans with all guitars and it takes pedals very well it really shows what a genius leo fender was no other brand has such a friendly package vox amps are weird and trebly and marshalls want to bite your head off enjoy!
Best live sound I ever had was at a club in NYC that had a vintage 60s DR as part of its back line. They had other amps, but the sound guy actually directed me to this one and suggested I use it. I only had the volume up to about 3, so didn’t really get the amp’s breakup sound, but the clean sound was perfect, and my drive pedals never sounded so good! Got tons of compliments on my sound!
Fender guitar ->tube screamer->deluxe reverb That combination is absolute bliss. The tube screamer add in the mid range so you don’t need a mid control
Must have a reverb pedal on or a post production effect. But for those new to the amp, replace the first 12ax7s for 12ay7s and the amp smooths out even more and breaks up magically.
Nice video thanks. I recently sold off my Tonemaster DR, they just lack the mid high sparkle or shimmer of the actual valve versions- I found the same with the Twin Reverbs too.
The most underrated Fender Amp imo is the Vibrolux. I have 2 of the modern custom 68 ones and one from 1976 . For me it's one notch above the Deluxe Reverb.
I have the Tonemaster Blonde version and I'm happy with it. Indeed it's a great amp and my go to. In fact I gave away my other guitar amps to my friend / subscriber. That's how good the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb Blonde is. I know, mine's a Tonemaster, but still, it's a Deluxe Reverb in its own right.
A few weeks ago in one of your videos you mentioned that you liked the Joyo American Sound pedal, so I bought one off eBay ($38) to try out with my Deluxe Reverb. I thought it might be a good fit because it has a middle control, and thought it might give me some break up at much lower volumes, and as you mentioned these Deluxes can get pretty loud. I think it's a match made in heaven because the Joyo is trying to emulate Fender amps anyway. It gives you mid control and some really nice breakup. I think the Deluxe may be the best overall amp there is and with a few tweaks it can be amazing. 1) put a good speaker in it - Zac Childs recommends a Celestion Vintage 30, so I bought a V30 and it IS a huge improvement over the stock speaker. I had also tried a Weber which I found overly bright and too light, it broke up way too early. The Celestion V30 is great! Tighter with more mids. 2) Put good tubes in it. I have vintage USA made GE 6V6s, and an old USA made rectifier tube in it. They sound great and are better built (way more reliable) than the Chinese and Russian junk. 3) If you'd like a little less power and more compression try a 5Y3 rectifier tube instead of the 5AR4. Definitely mellows it out a bit. I've had this Deluxe which is an early 2000s 65 reissue for maybe 15 years... best amp I've ever had!
We recently compared a new Deluxe Reverb reissue with a real 1967 Silverface Deluxe Reverb (pre-CBS mods). The 1967 is stock except for a cap job, new tubes and a new Jensen Falcon 12 speaker. The reissue sounded great. But the original 1967 has a magical depth of tone missing from the reissue. My gigging amps are a Deluxe Reverb or a 5E3 (Tweed Deluxe) unless I’m using a lower wattage Rubicon RC-8 mini (another great amp).
John, try using the vibrato channel ... the reverb adds an extra gain stage. (I'm not advocating for one over the other, just mentioning the gain stage.) I own one of these and also a real 1965 Showman ... the normal channel on each is about the greatest clean sound ever.
The Showman thru the original oversized, closed back 2-15" cab with the JBL df130 speakers is too loud for most modern usage and certainly too much to carry, but it is quite possibly the sweetest clean tone ever produced.
I’ve played through Deluxe only at Jams. I really didn’t like it .Im sure I could tweek it to my liking if I had time with it. But I have played through a 68 reissue and I absolutely loved it. I believe it’s the Bassmen tone stack that I like . I do have a Fender Super Sonic 22 that I gigged in my last band. I haven’t been able to make the Dlx patch in my modeler sound good either. For clean tones I prefer Roland Chorus 120 in my modeler. Don’t most people plug into the vibrato channel. I don’t think I like the bright cap as well.
@@ksharpe10 Thanks, I'll check it but since I already own an HX Stomp and a ToneX One I'm looking for the best emulations of the Fender Deluxe for these platforms, Do you have any recommendations?
@@Alex_Martz Well for anything Helix for sure John Nathan Cordy the Wizard of the HX Realm. Tonex stuff Jason Sadites at least for the logistics of using it. I only have the FM9, But spent the better part of a Year, before I pulled the trigger on it about 2 months ago. G66 has logistics and samples, but lots of independents to, like Matthew Dale. Presets if buying CORDY, ToneJunkie for most platforms esp. Kemper. Hope this is what you wanted to know?
@johnnathancordy Deluxe Reverb's are my favorite small amp. So versatile. You have to try jumpering the channels. I think this really unlocks the tone options of this amp. You can get tones very similar to the higher-powered fenders. Try this setting: Vib Vol4 T10 B1, Norm Vol6 T1 B10. Sounds big like a Bassman. Also, a classic mod is to remove the V1 tube. You get more gain in the vib channel. Take that a step further by replacing the V6 phase inverter tube with the 12AX7 you pulled out of V1. So good❤ Shameless plug: i have TONEX captures of everything i described above of my 1966 DR on ToneNet under the username MusicTech. They are DI captures sent through IRs of the cab loaded with a Weber 12F-150. Those IRs can be found on ToneHunt along with other speakers i tried in that cab.
Often, amp reviewers (on Anderton's etc) will compare the amp to a Fender. Ergo, Fender amps are the gold standard. When I bought my BDR it was head and shoulders above others that I tried, with the exception of a Deluxe Reverb that cost half as much again. Since then, I've bought a 1999 Laney LC30II that I think is as good as my Fender, and a 1989 Peavey Bandit, that's different, but still a fantastic gigging amp.
I’ve only played a Deluxe Reverb several times and it’s always been with the stock Jensen. And I’ve actually spent probably hours researching speaker replacements and complimentary pedal configurations for this amp which I don’t even own.
I tried a DRRI upgraded to a Jensen Jet C12/50 which sounded so much better than my vintage DR which has some unmarked 70s CTS speaker. Tight but pronounced bass and sweet highs. My amp was lacking bass response. Anyway, just saying I think a speaker search is worthwhile in my book... although you might want to get the amp first. :)
If I use a single channel amp, it is a Deluxe Reverb Reissue. It's just hard to beat a Blackface Deluxe Reverb for clean to edge of break-up tones. If you want those slightly broken up tonez just be aware that it's going to be loud.
Trying to wrap my brain around the fact that Cordy had never played a Deluxe
Probably not all over the place like here in the USA.
That’s an excellent point. Anyplace I go to play a guitar there is usually a DR sitting right there
I'm trying to wrap my head around using reverb from his software and not the amp
Genuinely cannot be true.
And that he’s in the normal channel using some digital hall verb with the bass on the amp over 4.
I think that is the best tone I’ve heard on your channel.
Same feeling here. This is _the_ tone.
THAT is the tone I'm always chasing, even when I'm playing other amps. John, it's your best tone ever. It absolutely showcases your dynamic and melodic playing.
The major downside to these Fender Deluxe amps is that once you spend some time with one you realize that your $3,500 boutique amp is really just trying to sound like a Fender Deluxe amp. Or maybe a Fender Deluxe amp with an overdrive pedal.
that's a good thing!
And often to sound like a Fender Deluxe with a bit tighter low end and more headroom. Someone said you pay a lot extra for the smallest improvement (subjective) but that improvement can be worth a lot.
@philipmarsh3522 I used to gig a DRRI...there IS NO reverb on the normal channel...
@@seamanjive There is on the Handwired 64, which is partly why they call it the Custom Deluxe, because it parts ways with the old circuit in that regard.
Agreed
Living in Brazil and having not much access to Tube Amps, the first time I played through a Deluxe Reverb in a gig a was blown away. Sounds like magic when you plug a Les Paul and push it around 5.
Is it loud enough for gigs?
@@petarzutic1165 On 3/4 is enough, reaching 5 you get that edge of breakup sound
@@arthurgoncalveslima4879 Wow that sounds great, and who doesn't like a little breakup 🔥
Some of the best tone I’ve heard on your channel. Such a great amp. Glad you finally got hands on one
I like it too. As a mostly clean player I get tired of all the youtubers running distortion all day long. I do love that almost break up sound though
@@csharp57 agreed. cleans and pushed cleans are some of my favorites too. I like em all, but those really do it.
The perfect amp imho. Beyond loving the tone the feel under the fingers of a deluxe that is cooking is one of the best things in the world. Vibrato channel vol 6, treb 6-5, bass 4 is my personal favorite setting.
Volume 6 ? I can’t really go pass 4.2 playing live. I am guessing Volume 6 with guitar volume half way.
@@RJ_HTx I ride the volume a lot but definitely use it full up a lot. I also use those gramma pads under the amp and amp shields. Those help a lot. But that is only in my band on medium to large gigs. More then the tone the way it reacts at 6 what really gets me.
@@RJ_HTx the Deluxe Reverb doesn’t really get any louder past about 4 or 5…you run out of headroom and you just get more saturation/drive. So at 4.2 you are pretty much maxed out on the volume…it just gets chewy and harmonic filled!! Go for it!!!
Now Cordy, dial in the Stomp Deluxe and stock cab to match what you heard. Pretty please!
I don't care what anyone else says, the Fender DRRI is the greatest production line amp ever made. It's probably one of the longest running too. I think mine is from '97 or '98.
That's the SOUND, and the reason why the muses are not moved by simulations . . . . .
the speaker and room sound is a simulation................................
Wait til you turn bass down to 1 or 2, treble up to 10 and volume up to 10. Credit goes to Justin Ostrander for that tone tip.
Yup I always ran my Vibrolux with bass on 1 1/2 , treble on 7 , volume around 7-8 , glorious 😊
It's perfect. Loud enough for any gig and clean as the day is long.
John, you’ve gotta try this setting from Justin Ostrander: Vibrato channel, Input 1, Treble 10, Bass 1. The Vibrato channel has more gain than the Normal channel, and since the tone stack is reductive, you’re essentially letting her rip. One of the best overdrive sounds you’ll ever play.
Welp, as they say here in the colonies: “It ain’t the arrow, it’s the Indian.” M’man, that thing’s just gonna sit there and hum until you start playing. What a lovely touch you have and you sure have learned where to make some wonderful choices.
As a guy with “cool x-rays and great stories” I’m a fan of the Tonemaster deluxe with the 2.0 software. (I’ve got both versions but update REALLY improves the reverb taper. And best of all for us geezer types: It weighs almost exactly half of that box with a transformer and glass bottles!)
Thanks Jake for the loan to John, for demoing. You always have such Great Gear.
I always wanted Fender to release a Deluxe Reverb head so I could plug it into my favorite 412 and 212 cabinets. But Fender seems to prefer mostly doing combo amps.
They did release a head a few years ago in small quantity.
Cut the bottom off?
Maybe a Fender Supersonic head as an alternative? Supersonic is based upon a DRRI for its 'vintage' channel, and whilst it lacks trem, it has an effects loop so you could use a pedal for that.
They used to make a deluxe reverb head. I saw a used one in GC a few years ago. You can still view it on sweetwater, but it was discontinued at some point.
Valid point.
Although it’s out of his rig this summer, Trey Anastasio of Phish was using a blackface Deluxe in a headshell for clean with a vintage Trainwreck head for dirt.
Not sure if it’s been commented on but the reverb we hear is not the spring in the amp(and he’s in the effects-free Normal channel,) Cordy likely added it in post. And it sounds beautiful.❤
I was thinking the same thing. I’m hearing reverb and he’s on the dry channel.
He most likely runs the amp through a Loadbox and adds FX afterwards
The ‘65 Deluxe Reverb reissue is the amp of choice for just about every touring jazz guitarist around. For years, having one got me guestlist invites to a lot of gigs! Jonathan Kreisberg, Gilad Hekselman, Nels Cline, Peter Bernstein, Brad Shepik, Steve Cardenas, Lage Lund, have all borrowed mine for UK gigs.
The stool is a missed opportunity for sponsorship so iconic 😂
There are a lot of famous records done in the studio with DRs. When I go to try out new guitars a Deluxe Reverb is my amp of choice.
Just recently picked up a used 65 DRRI and absolutely love the tones! Can’t beat it - the best!
Try the Julian-Lage-Setting: Treble and Bass around 2.
Oh yeah . . . . .
I think he uses channel 1, the non reverb side
@@rescd4 Yes, he does.
Or just use your guitar tone knobs.
@@BeefNEggs057but that's just a treble cut.
Beautiful tones. I have one and love having it around. I’m not on stages big enough to need it live yet but fun to crank up at the house and shake some walls.
I love my DRRI. It is my only amp. I had a mid tone knob added and changed the tone stack on the normal channel to be similar to a Super now I have two different feeling/sounding channels. Fantastic amp.
Great playing John!!! And tone is unbelievable beautiful !!
Maybe everyone can now understand why pros used it so much both on stage and in the studio (modelers are ok but nothing to compare with this great tone imho)👍🏻👍🏻
John holy smokes I think you just sold a bunch of KLines and 65DRs. Those were some killerest Strat toanz ever
Fenders are known for clean sounds, yet they sound so good when they break up.
I have the blonde tone master and it only makes me want to try the ‘real thing’ more, they sound great with a Strat/Tele and a blues breaker style overdrive.
I heard a deluxe tone master at a country show. I thought, wow that deluxe sounds so warm! I need a deluxe. Then I found out it was a tone master. And I’m a tube amp only kind of guy. The tone master sounded great.
Have a 72, 75 and TM. The TM is a no brainer - perfect live club amp and low volume home amp. My tube amps get played much less - mostly for recording or one off shows where I can baby them. Differences between the tube amps are similar to differences between the tube and TM. Burn in the speaker and enjoy.
I'm an Orange fanboy admittedly, but this is the amp I would buy if I needed Fender clean. You need to do this same "test" on the Vibrato channel, that is where most folks live, it has a little something more for whatever reason. Cheers JNC, thanks for all your videos!
Sounds great. If I could only have one amp for the rest of my life, it’d be that one
I loved Vox-style cleans for a long time, then I found the DR sound and haven't gone back. It's even really good with some stacked overdrives as well. I think it would be my desert-island amp if I had to pick one.
My first electric guitar was a 1973 Gibson Les Paul -- bought it used, in 1980, for $400. The amp I bought with it -- a silverface Fender Deluxe Reverb, for I think $250 used. Did not know what I had. Yes, the clean tone was glorious . . . however, turning volume past *2* was ear-splitting loud. Neither I nor my apartment neighbors would have ever been able to deal. I never heard a hint of breakup in tone, didn't know it could. And it weighed about as much as a car.
I sold the Fender amp, won't even say what I replaced it with (junk in comparison). The Les Paul -- I still have it. 🎸😎
Wow! Great tone brother!
This sounds so good. I"m comparing it my head to your Helix tones and this is so clear, lacks what I sometimes find a bit 'whoofy' in the Helix and the top end is pure. No fizz/icepick. I'm pretty much ditching amp sim. Every time I switch on my valve amps they work WITH me and surprise me with how good they sound. Amp sims fight you, valve amps help you.
nothing beats the immediacy of analog
I’ve had the same amp for about 8 years. It’s fantastic! Primarily play my Gretch’s straight in with clean tones and some reverb. It’s honestly perfect. Only downside is the sweet spot of tone is a bit loud for home. I picked up a Yamaha THR30 for that purpose, which has also been phenomenal.
My love for Deluxe Reverbs is once again validated by the fact that your tone in this video is the most “different” and IMO, best tone I’ve heard on your channel.
If you put an Eminence GA-SC64 it’ll be even better by a large margin
Gorgeous tone and playing. I got mine a couple years ago and could not be happier with it.
I have a Fender Deluxe Reverb that I play a LP and a 335 through and the the sound is amazing. To me Fender black face amps are my go to amp.
I’ve been a Fender amp guy FOREVER. I’m 59 now. Give the Deluxe the right OD pedal and maybe other pedals you like with the Strat and it will sing for you. I’ve been doing it for ages.
Gorgeous tone, even on the ultra-clean settings. The strat just comes to life paired with this box.
No digital solution can create this sound !
Unfortunately I have to agree. Emulations have come a long way and create a good approximation of this sound, but there’s still something missing.
I wouldn’t call a Fender Deluxe Reverb “underrated”. 😅
I would love to have this amp. Unfortunately in the bands I play in it would be too loud if you want to go for that edge of break up sound, which is what I want. And it’s not even too loud for me personally. I just work with some musicians that can’t stand a bit of volume, while I am so used to playing (relatively) loud. I play quieter than ever and still I have to be careful.
The Princeton would be a great alternative for lower volumes. But as much as I like the cleans of the Princeton, the edge of break up sound seems a bit too messy for me. And thus I never bought a Deluxe Reverb, even though I consider this to be one of the best sounding amps ever. 😕
One of the few serious regrets I have is selling the 1968 Deluxe Reverb I owned in the 80s. I sold it in the early 90s for like $200. I mostly use modelers now, but if I was going to go back to an amp, it would almost certainly be this one.
Treble at 6, Bass at 2 and volume at 6.. Crunch heaven 😀
Beautiful sound! I missed out on electric guitars for most of my life because I bought a shredder guitar and a little Crate amp when I was a kid and I just didn't like the sound of it and at that time I was only playing chords anyway, so I played my acoustic instead. It wasn't until this year (and I'm nearly 50) that I bought a Telecaster copy and found out what playing with a great tone feels like. I'm still playing through the wrong amp (a Fender V2 Rumble 150 bass amp and a Zoom pedal) because it's all I have, but it's SO much nicer than that old setup!
@3:02 Looks like the tremolo bar got away from you right there 🤣
Tones aside, that was some of the nostalgia beautif playing ive ever heard. Well done sir!❤
Owned a DRRI since 2011, never felt disappointed even once. Plug a power soak between the amp and speaker and you can really let it sing at low volumes!
The Deluxe was/is my second amp after I realized that the Marshall Super Bass 100W with it's 4X15'' cab is a lot to carry around and a vintage shop friend offered a second hand Deluxe. Well, still love it even as I realistically moved to HX Stomp and whatever the place offers
Absolutely gorgeous! I was saving up for a Princeton but might have to save more for one of these
I just had the Tonemaster version of this but still it was the best sound I ever had. I think this is the goat of guitar amps no matter what you plugin to it will sound just round, lush, beautiful and full.
The interesting thing is, I’m home in the states right now. My pops has a Deluxe Reverb Reissue and a Tone King Falcon Grande. I’ve been playing them both a lot for a couple weeks. The Deluxe Reverb wins hands down. Less options than the TK but one great tone is better than 3 mediocre or compromised tones. The DRRI is a great amp. I can okay for hours just clean and be inspired and it’s great with pedals too. All this from a Marshall guy.
Love that old Hymn J.. God bless you bro!
Great version of Danny boy. Your chord voicings are fabulous!
Reached maximum tone on 8!! Every time I think I should explore different amps I stop myself because my DR sounds so magical.
Great review. Absolutely loved your playing John, and the tone was beautiful
Sounds so good. One of my main cover band presets on my FM9 is a 65 Deluxe Reverb. It breaks up a little more than I would want at times but live it gives it that little edge. Too many people on modelers get too-pristine cleans and it's just ice picky.
Best tone I've ever heard you use on your channel.
Man , that amp sounds great, but I have to say some of the chords you play are total ear candy, just beautiful..
RecentIy purchased the '64 handwired modeI; haven't used it much yet but what I have I'm good with. It wiII require some breaking in as I'm used to a Super Reverb '73 I've had for 32 years that just sIays...but it's heavy, and I've gotten older.
The hand wired 64 Custom is a fantastic sounding amp. I have played it against my two 1961 Brown panels and it’s got me seriously wanting one now in addition to those two.
I have to say, you make that amp sound beautiful!!! I've been on an AC-30 kick for the last year or so and loving it, but I might have to revisit the deluxe now. Thanks ALOT!!!
It’s nice but there’s nothing like a Vox. Pure magic imo.
I have both an ac30 and a deluxe reverb. I’ve explored a lot of amps and bought and sold many. But those two are the ones i will keep forever.
Brother i recommend both, you will be in guitar heaven
@@marcospintor1333there is something about running two amps. I currently have a several amps and as soon as you plug in two , the magic begins....
All reissues of blackface style amps from Fender sound great on clean sound. What differentiates them from vintage Fender amps is that the old ones work also very well with overdrive stomp boxes. Reissues don’t glue overdriven tones so nicely and sound much thinner than their old buddies when you put a fuzz or an overdrive effect in front of the amp
I d love to hear you get some lead tones from this amp. From all the demos I have heard you made it sound so nice and round. Cheers mate!
Happy to hear that clean sound has not jumped the shark.
I have the Tonemaster version. Love the possibilty to change watts depending on the room I'm playing and always keep the sweet spot from volume, treble and base. It's pretty close to tube version and in a band mix no one will hear the difference imho.
There was two of them in the backline at a gig I played, so I ran them in stereo. Didn’t push them so they were just running clean, and it sounded amazing.
I did it with two AC16 s as well. Not sure which I preferred. Very different sound from both but the same kind of epic experience.
Brian May was onto something.
Thank you for that beautiful rendition of Danny Boy. It almost made me cry.
What a tone ! What a playing 😮 from italy
the deluxe reverb is the perfect recording /home amp (along with the vox ac15/10 and marshall 1974) for many reasons:
1. it has a 12" speaker so no compromise there.
2.it uses 6v6's which are the best sounding power tubes
3.the onboard reverb and tremolo are amazing
4.it has great cleans with all guitars and it takes pedals very well
it really shows what a genius leo fender was no other brand has such a friendly package vox amps are weird and trebly and marshalls want to bite your head off
enjoy!
Best live sound I ever had was at a club in NYC that had a vintage 60s DR as part of its back line. They had other amps, but the sound guy actually directed me to this one and suggested I use it. I only had the volume up to about 3, so didn’t really get the amp’s breakup sound, but the clean sound was perfect, and my drive pedals never sounded so good! Got tons of compliments on my sound!
That was a nice F#
Fender guitar ->tube screamer->deluxe reverb
That combination is absolute bliss. The tube screamer add in the mid range so you don’t need a mid control
Beautiful playing, John
Must have a reverb pedal on or a post production effect. But for those new to the amp, replace the first 12ax7s for 12ay7s and the amp smooths out even more and breaks up magically.
AB763 is the definitive blackface circuit found on many Fender amps.
You should definetly play it more often. Amazing playing, you are a solid musician - Great!
Justin Ostrander has some great content on the Deluxe.....a Les Paul with P90's is glorious through this amp
Nice video thanks. I recently sold off my Tonemaster DR, they just lack the mid high sparkle or shimmer of the actual valve versions- I found the same with the Twin Reverbs too.
The most underrated Fender Amp imo is the Vibrolux. I have 2 of the modern custom 68 ones and one from 1976 . For me it's one notch above the Deluxe Reverb.
agree, but I have a 65 vibrolux reverb
Game changer. Suits your style so well.
I have the Tonemaster Blonde version and I'm happy with it. Indeed it's a great amp and my go to. In fact I gave away my other guitar amps to my friend / subscriber. That's how good the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb Blonde is. I know, mine's a Tonemaster, but still, it's a Deluxe Reverb in its own right.
All of the smaller black/silver face amps have that character and I love them
A few weeks ago in one of your videos you mentioned that you liked the Joyo American Sound pedal, so I bought one off eBay ($38) to try out with my Deluxe Reverb. I thought it might be a good fit because it has a middle control, and thought it might give me some break up at much lower volumes, and as you mentioned these Deluxes can get pretty loud. I think it's a match made in heaven because the Joyo is trying to emulate Fender amps anyway. It gives you mid control and some really nice breakup. I think the Deluxe may be the best overall amp there is and with a few tweaks it can be amazing. 1) put a good speaker in it - Zac Childs recommends a Celestion Vintage 30, so I bought a V30 and it IS a huge improvement over the stock speaker. I had also tried a Weber which I found overly bright and too light, it broke up way too early. The Celestion V30 is great! Tighter with more mids. 2) Put good tubes in it. I have vintage USA made GE 6V6s, and an old USA made rectifier tube in it. They sound great and are better built (way more reliable) than the Chinese and Russian junk. 3) If you'd like a little less power and more compression try a 5Y3 rectifier tube instead of the 5AR4. Definitely mellows it out a bit. I've had this Deluxe which is an early 2000s 65 reissue for maybe 15 years... best amp I've ever had!
I gotta try a V-30 out. I put a Eminence Alessandro GA 64 and love it. but........
We recently compared a new Deluxe Reverb reissue with a real 1967 Silverface Deluxe Reverb (pre-CBS mods). The 1967 is stock except for a cap job, new tubes and a new Jensen Falcon 12 speaker. The reissue sounded great. But the original 1967 has a magical depth of tone missing from the reissue. My gigging amps are a Deluxe Reverb or a 5E3 (Tweed Deluxe) unless I’m using a lower wattage Rubicon RC-8 mini (another great amp).
Beautiful tones and equally great playing, John!
You say you're going thru a Fractal Load Box
Care to share the the rest of the signal chain? :)
Great tone, man. I'd love to see you try match it with the FM3. Just to see it's possible. Or not possible. :-) Can you do that, John?
I had my bright cap removed and it was SUCH a good idea
Is it mostly to handle overdrives better?
@@eric2892 it’s for not losing high frequencies at low volumes
@@WhataDayDan So removing the bright cap reduces highs? Is it too harsh at low volumes with the bright cap?
@@eric2892 it was painful, especially with single coils
Makes drive pedals sound harsh so I had mine molded to switch out, sounds miles better
John, try using the vibrato channel ... the reverb adds an extra gain stage. (I'm not advocating for one over the other, just mentioning the gain stage.)
I own one of these and also a real 1965 Showman ... the normal channel on each is about the greatest clean sound ever.
The Showman thru the original oversized, closed back 2-15" cab with the JBL df130 speakers is too loud for most modern usage and certainly too much to carry, but it is quite possibly the sweetest clean tone ever produced.
I’ve played through Deluxe only at Jams. I really didn’t like it .Im sure I could tweek it to my liking if I had time with it. But I have played through a 68 reissue and I absolutely loved it. I believe it’s the Bassmen tone stack that I like . I do have a Fender Super Sonic 22 that I gigged in my last band. I haven’t been able to make the Dlx patch in my modeler sound good either. For clean tones I prefer Roland Chorus 120 in my modeler. Don’t most people plug into the vibrato channel. I don’t think I like the bright cap as well.
It is a must have amp for the collection if you can afford,one !! I built one years ago with a turret board from the US .. Why did I sell it .....
Please, play again " O´Danny Boy"!🙂
Listen to Bill Evans play it . . . .
try the "magic 6" setting. vibrato channel. volume on 6, bass on 2, mid on 3, treble on 6.
Gorgeous playing
Test the vibrato channel by itself and also do side by side comparisons with the closest sounding from Helix and ToneX
Matthew Dale did a Comparison with the Fm9 Fractal/axe. It is a very GOOD VIDEO.
@@ksharpe10 Thanks, I'll check it but since I already own an HX Stomp and a ToneX One I'm looking for the best emulations of the Fender Deluxe for these platforms, Do you have any recommendations?
@@Alex_Martz Well for anything Helix for sure John Nathan Cordy the Wizard of the HX Realm. Tonex stuff Jason Sadites at least for the logistics of using it. I only have the FM9, But spent the better part of a Year, before I pulled the trigger on it about 2 months ago. G66 has logistics and samples, but lots of independents to, like Matthew Dale. Presets if buying CORDY, ToneJunkie for most platforms esp. Kemper. Hope this is what you wanted to know?
@@ksharpe10 Yes, thannks!
@johnnathancordy Deluxe Reverb's are my favorite small amp. So versatile. You have to try jumpering the channels. I think this really unlocks the tone options of this amp. You can get tones very similar to the higher-powered fenders. Try this setting: Vib Vol4 T10 B1, Norm Vol6 T1 B10. Sounds big like a Bassman.
Also, a classic mod is to remove the V1 tube. You get more gain in the vib channel. Take that a step further by replacing the V6 phase inverter tube with the 12AX7 you pulled out of V1. So good❤
Shameless plug: i have TONEX captures of everything i described above of my 1966 DR on ToneNet under the username MusicTech. They are DI captures sent through IRs of the cab loaded with a Weber 12F-150. Those IRs can be found on ToneHunt along with other speakers i tried in that cab.
Often, amp reviewers (on Anderton's etc) will compare the amp to a Fender. Ergo, Fender amps are the gold standard. When I bought my BDR it was head and shoulders above others that I tried, with the exception of a Deluxe Reverb that cost half as much again. Since then, I've bought a 1999 Laney LC30II that I think is as good as my Fender, and a 1989 Peavey Bandit, that's different, but still a fantastic gigging amp.
Bro, you should play a Princeton ( if you haven't already), I feel like it would compliment your playing really nicely.
I’ve only played a Deluxe Reverb several times and it’s always been with the stock Jensen. And I’ve actually spent probably hours researching speaker replacements and complimentary pedal configurations for this amp which I don’t even own.
I tried a DRRI upgraded to a Jensen Jet C12/50 which sounded so much better than my vintage DR which has some unmarked 70s CTS speaker. Tight but pronounced bass and sweet highs. My amp was lacking bass response. Anyway, just saying I think a speaker search is worthwhile in my book... although you might want to get the amp first. :)
@@eric2892 yes! It’s on my watchlist :)
That is unbelievable, particularly when you get it cooking,
If I use a single channel amp, it is a Deluxe Reverb Reissue. It's just hard to beat a Blackface Deluxe Reverb for clean to edge of break-up tones. If you want those slightly broken up tonez just be aware that it's going to be loud.