Deluxe Reverb VS Harvard + Viewer Mailbag for April - ASK ZAC EP 22
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- Опубліковано 13 кві 2020
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After my amp videos on the Deluxe Reverb and the Fender Harvard, I had a number of requests for a head-to-head comparison of them. I also answer questions about brass vs steel saddles on Telecasters, good Tele-type guitars at a reasonable price, under $3,000 option for a bender equipped guitar, and why Leo gave the Tele a square neck heel, and the Strat a rounded one.
GEAR USED:
2019 Danocaster Blackguard (1953 Telecaster Style) with Ron Ellis 52T (Bridge) and Julian Lage (Neck)
danocaster.com/
Strings: Ernie Ball 10,13,16, 24, 32, 42. Made from singles I had. Nickel-Plated Steel. A non-pure nickel variation of the Rock-N-Roll set.
1965 Deluxe Reverb amp with Celestion V30 speaker
1959 Harvard with Jensen P10R
Axcess Electronics BS2 Buffer with isolation transformer (to deal with ground loop)
Live Wire (Guitar Center In-House Brand) ABY Switch (Copy of the Morley ABY) amzn.to/3b4fZXi #askzac #guitartech #telecaster
Thanks so much for the shout out/thank you here Zac. Unexpected and much appreciated.
And, unfortunately, you continue to rekindle my interest in building a Harvard. :)
BUILD A HARVARD!!
The Deluxe is the pleasant sound that everybody loves, kind of like Maker’s Mark bourbon. The Harvard is for those who’ve grown weary of the sweet stuff and seek out fine tipples of peaty single malt Scotch. They’re both great whiskeys, but one may require a broader palate.
Deluxe Reverb clearly on another level. I want one with your suggested upgrades. Thanks for being there for us!
My main gigging amp for many years has been an early silver face Deluxe Reverb. I love the sound of your Harvard and am now on the lookout for one of those. Great channel, Zac.
Really loved the mid content with the Harvard. That extra attack makes it jump out and theoretically sit better in a mix. 🙂
I am blessed to have a '77 Deluxe Reverb that sets in a Mojotone cab. I replaced that gargantuan output translator with the correct ClassicTone, and made other changes, including transforming a previously installed treble boost pot located on the backside of the amp, into a low midrange control, which just did wonders for the amp at low volumes.
The Road Worns were wonderful, especially the first two years ...
Sounds great through both amps! Thanks for the excellent vids as usual. I may try to make some steel saddles out of mild steel to see how they compare with the brass I have on there now.
I have a Road Worn Tele with replaced pickups and I couldn’t agree more. It has a nice thick neck with a resonant body with a lacquer finish. I put in Twisted Tele pickups and I love that guitar!
Thanks for doing this video with the Danocaster. They’re both really nice sounds. With the vintage 30 speaker, the sounds seem to me to have more common ground than differences. They’re like two different flavors of great.
Thanks so much Zac for the great content and information you provide us guitar players. I’ve been a fan of Keith’s channel for awhile too. I love that you guys have no gimmicky things going on, just reliable info and education. I raise a social distancing Beer to you both🍻
Really nice comparison, Zac. It inspired me to do a little reading on Harvards, to try to flesh out my understanding of what I was hearing. Thank you
These are just great Zac! You are doing a great job. Thank you. I look forward to each one.
Zak, I haven't commented before, but your channel is amazing. THANK YOU for the thoughtful unpacking and sharing of knowledge that I've been cobbling together for decades. Much appreciated.
My pleasure!
I really appreciate that you keep the volume levels in check so we can really hear the dynamics.
I try
Hey Zac, I'm a new subscriber to the channel and just wanted to say thanks for your content. Through you I've discovered so many great guitar players I'd never heard of and records I didn't know before. You've inspired me to pick up the guitar more lately, and it's your fault I just bought a Tele and Nobels ODR1! Thanks man, keep doing what you're doing. All the best.
Awesome, thank you! Thank you so much for being part of this community. Glad you got a Tele!!
Wow check that massive low end and EQ scoop on the deluxe....THE guitar amp 👍👍
Both amps killer.....hands down! Thank you Zac
I really enjoy your videos. They are always so informative.
I'm so glad!
Lately I've been comparing by 1997 Deluxe BF re-issue to my 1969 Kustom C-8 (two 10's-50 watts). I like 'em both.
Terrific. The Harvard definitely sounded woody and more forward. Thanks for the comparison.
I really like the Harvard but the Deluxe Reverb has the classic Fender chime.
I've always been very intrigued by the Harvard because of Steve Cropper. I would like to hear one cranked. I'll go search for that on UA-cam. And yes, two great but different tones.
Goodness! Two very nice sounding amps right there. Deluxe more to my taste though, thanks Zac.
Zac! Great comparison here! Thanks! I must say, I like the Harvard better. To me the more organic sound does it for me. Perhaps it’s the simplistic circuitry that is more pleasant to my ear. Thanks a ton! 😃
Welcome
Zac ...truly enjoy your videos. I am amazed at your knowledge and dedication. Are you familiar with the Fender SuperSonic 22? What is your opinion vs a Deluxe Reverb?
Have not played through one. Maybe when things settle down, I can go play one.
I just picked up my Squire Affinity Telecaster. Put Tom Anderson pickups in it and I love the tone!
Tough choice...both sound amazing.
Thanks for posting this! I actually own a Victoria Ivy League (Harvard Clone) and a Headstrong Lil' King ('64 Princeton Reverb clone with 12" Alnico speaker). I find that the Ivy League is much stiffer and starts to become more pleasant around 6-7 on the dial when it starts breaking up. But that's too loud for me (and my band) and it's not clean anymore. The Lil' King is much sweeter at a lower volume, although less mids.
"Stiffer" is how I hear most tweed copies compared to the originals. Something about old amps makes them sound better, sometimes...usually?
Ik don't know if that's for more reissue tweed amps, Harvard amps tend to be tighter due to their design. Also I think Victoria has a decent baffle design, which is true to tweed construction. My 518 (Champ) sounds amazing. However: my Ivy League is a 2x10" which is obviously different to a single 10".
A lot of modern transformers have too hot of voltages too which will affect the sound and give more headroom and less squishiness. I have a vibrolux I built (Harvard circuit with tremolo) and it sounds fantastic. I would never describe it as stiff. Blackface amps sound stiffer to my ears. It is less punchy than a blackface. Sounds beautiful to my ears
Yes, both amps being tweed would be a more fair comparison. There are circuit changes in the Blackface era that make them different beasts. Love your channel Zac. Great pickin' Friend.
Thanks for the amp comparison. And now I gotta go find a Harvard. Have you tried any earlier tweed Deluxe's? I have a current crush on a 1951 TV front.
The earliest ones get more lo fi sounding. Still cool though
Loved it. I have those same two amps (each with newer speakers) and have had them side by side many times, and as long as nothing weird is going on with phase or grounding, another great sound is both of them together! Can you give a little more info about your transformer device, maybe a pic or link? I have a number of vintage amps I like to run 2 or 3 of at a time, and am always looking for ways to keep them quiet, in phase and sounding great as a gang. Thanks! (another good episode would be how to keep two Fender reverb amps running together and in phase!)
The 2 amps are stellar together! The company is no longer in business, but you can find them used. It is an Axcess Electronics BS-2 buffer/splitter
Amazing video and commentary, I’ve gotta say I love the Harvard for the bridge pickup and the ‘64 for the neck, I wonder what they sound like in stereo lol
They sound real nice together
Interesting. For the neck pickup and for chords, I preferred the sound of the Deluxe Reverb. It just sounded “bigger”. More low end, obviously, and the reverb gave it a nice space around everything. For the lead stuff on the bridge pickup, though, I did prefer the Harvard (bridge pickup through a tweed with 10”s is right up my alley).
I would LOVE to hear these amps pushed into breakup! You have convinced me that the Vintage 30 is the right speaker for the Deluxe Reverb, but I bet that can be a loud combination when trying to crank it a little. You could really peg that spring tank though to let it howl like I’ve heard your buddy Mr. Simo do. I would imagine that the Harvard pushes into breakup at a much lower volume, but does it get ratty and harsh like most small tweed amps do? Let’s find out...
P.S.- I’m in love with that blackguard
I like both and both have their place. Nice vid.
Both amps sound great! Wonder what they would sound like combined?!?!? Wooh.
Hi Zac, One of my teles, a custom shop thin line, ash rosewood was very dark sounding with brass saddles. Installed “Callaham steel compensated and the guitar came alive
I prefer steel saddles
Thank You Zac for another great Video ! :) Can't wait for the next one, cheers !
More to come!
We have the same taste in amps!!
I mentioned my ‘65 Deluxe Reverb in a previous post - but my other favourite that I’ve owned for over 30 years, is a ‘57 Harvard. I had the original 10” Jensen rebuilt by Orange County Speaker some years ago - thanks to my [sadly missed] friend Don Randall and the wonderful Gary Sunda. However, I have that speaker safely stored on the original baffle, and have retrofitted a Celestion Alnico Blue 12”. Over the years, the Harvard has been my blues harp amp - and occasionally used with my Fender Esquire. I’m 70 this year - and my amp is 63 ... we’re both still going strong! When I filmed with Steve Cropper for our film ‘Leo Fender’s Telecaster - The Original Twang’ I told him he was the influence for my love of Fender Esquires ... and of course the old tweed Harvard. Thanks again Zac - for the interesting and informative posts on your channel. Just brilliant ...
I want to put a Celestion Blue in mine! Who made your replacement baffle? Where can I see your film?
Ask Zac I made the baffle myself - BUT the ‘blue’ is a tight fit in the Harvard, because of the depth of the magnet cone. If I could post photos on here, you’d see what I mean. I’ll try and email them to you if I can find your email address. I got the idea from the tech’ editor of the magazine I write for in the U.K. these done it with a couple of his tweeds. Our films are distributed worldwide by Hal Leonard - but I’m not sure DVD sales are popular anymore, as we now live in a ‘download’ world. I did send copies to Ward Meeker at VG, so he may have them still? I’ll try and post the UA-cam trailer later.
Ask Zac here’s one link - not sure which is which ... we made films on the Strat and the Tele ...
ua-cam.com/video/8A0XTZeOF9M/v-deo.html Here’s the other: ua-cam.com/video/ruvXCd1Z3RU/v-deo.html
This is one I can’t wait to see! :)
Enjoyed it So Much Thanks Zac !
Hi Zac, love this video and all your others. They are all must watch. Do you always use the round side of the pick when you play? Also, your preferred Deluxe Reverb speaker, a Vintage 30, sounds like it would work well in a Princeton (12") for the same reasons. Thoughts? I am surprised to find my Princeton with a 12" speaker as seeming to be much more directional than my Deluxe Reverb. Thanks again for all these great videos!
Yes, I use a medium pick, and the rounded part. I think the small cab makes the PR more directional. But a V30 in one would be great
@@AskZac thanks for the reply :) , I think I will try it out :) - I've just switched to using the rounded part of the pick , and it makes a huge difference taming those brittle highs on a tele
Great and informative episode as usual, Zac. Both amps are great, but I'm surprised at how much I like the Harvard.
Can't go wrong with it
The Harvard seems to have a more direct and what i call 'straight-no-chaser' sound like Steve Cropper's 'colonel formula' but the Deluxe Reverb has its own thing going on too.
Great video as always. Thank you for the shoutout and the shootout!
You bet my friend!
Yep, the deluxe reverb is the best sounding amp I've ever used.
I always ASS-U-MEd that the neck end was curved to maintain solid neck/body contact if/when the neck was bumped sideways to center the strings over the fretboard.
Hey Zac! Have you tried the new fender HW deluxe? And if not is there a contemporary deluxe reverb you'd recommend that's most comparable on your opinion to a blackface? I own a Victoria Harvard and looking to pair it with a deluxe reverb. Think that'll cover my tone needs. Thanks as always man!
Heard great things about the HW Deluxe!
Awesome Zac! Thanks!
You bet!
More barking from the Harvard but the deluxe as a sweet open tone both are marvellous amps..
I run a 6G15 reverb unit into a Harvard...best of both worlds...The right 10 inch speaker in that guy can get it sounding like a 12!!!
Have you ever compared a Harvard to a Tweed Vibrolux? I have always wondered if the 12AX7 added any juice or was the same (one half of the 12AX7 for tone, the other half for tremolo only = 6AT6 with no tremolo....?) Thanks for another great video Zac!
Not head to head, but they sounded pretty much the same.
I thought the vibrolux tweeds always sounded darker for some reason, but I never understood why.
I really like the sound of your playing along with the tone of your three amps and their speakers. To me they, and the Victoria Ivy League sound closer to each other than any other clones, reissues, etc that I’ve come across. Have you ever played through the Ivy League? Also have you ever played your Harvard through the Vintage 30’s or the Deluxe through the vintage Jensen P10r? If so what were your thoughts?
I have not played through the Ivey, but the clips sound great. I have not swapped speakers around as the P10R sounds great, and it has an RCA speaker jack.
Spanky tones from Harley Benton. From Thoman in Germany
Put some verb on the Harvard, won't be as far apart as people think. The 50's p10r's are phenomenal speakers and do great in this little box. Fresh recones sound fantastic. Deluxe amps sound great with Celestion Blues, makes them so much better. Plain Deluxe amps with 60's reverb tanks sound even better that Deluxe Reverbs. Get a little more bite.
What are you using to record this? Sounds great.
2 iphones
Hi Zac great video hope your doing good I would like to ask you what are your string size...
In this video, Ernie Ball 10,13,16,24,32,42
The 5F11 as well as 6G2 is said to be sounding similar to the Harvard, what are you opinions of the amps?
They are both fantastic. Very similar.
Hey Zac always love your vids, can you send me info on how to get a hold of Joe Glaser for bender info, I'm Canadian and hard to find up here I googled it but site is hard to get through thanks
www.glaserbender.com/ $650 I was off
@@AskZac $650 USD, that's only $1000 Canadian lmao frigging exchange
mrlobster111 sorry. Hope that gets back to normal soon!
Thank you very much indeed, Sir. *sorry for my English grammar. Maybe if I have the new American Vintage II guitars from Fender, I will use the 1975 wide range Telecaster Deluxe with your superb Deluxe Blackface amp & the blonde 1951 Telecaster with your tweedy elegant Harvard:)
My Opinion Would it be interesting to compare a Fender Blues Junior nos with a Havard .....but anyway cool comparison between These 2 cool old amps... Sounds are very different... Deluxe Reverb are more open and the Havard more direct.. Thats my Opinion... Greetings from germany... Thx Dragi
Thoughts on the Princeton (the Reverb Reissue, in particular)
They are great
Any opinions about the realibility on using vintage amps live ect. Should i get a reissue drri or a vintage deluxe reverb?
I always carry a backup to a paying gig. Vintage or new. My old amps are very reliable.
Hey, what do you think of the earlier tweeds, the early deluxes like the 5a3 or 5b3? I'd love to see a video on that. I just got a 5b3 clone. Really well done. It gives me goose bumps when I play and it's hard to stop playing once I start. The tones that come out of that thing are like a drug!
John Violette (like the flower, violet), love love love your tone! How about doing a basic pedal episode? Or have done that already?
On which pedals?
Ask Zac hi ZAch. I suppose what are your favorite pedals and what would make a good simple setup?
I need to do this
Smooth sounding deluxe
The Hiway 1 Texas Tele is probably the best Fender out of the box but, of course they stopped making it too😀
do you know anything about the Tele caster FSR Deluxe with reverse control
I do not
Both sound great. I like the Harvard best.
Good choice!
6:00 the roadworn are back in the current vintera series.
Would using an equalizer pedal "Harvard Up" a DR by increasing the mids?
It could get it closer
How are those pure nickel 10-38s treating you? I am trying them myself. I usually use daddario exl 120+ as well. I’m not sure if I’m liking the 10-38s so much. Very different
I am experimenting with 10,13,16,24,32,42 nickel plated Ernie Ball and really liking those. I like the 10 and 13 better
Ask Zac hmmm that sounds interesting. Too bad there isn’t a set of those already.
I agree
Ask Zac I could have sworn I used a heavy top light bottom set at some point but it doesn’t exist. Mandella effect I guess.
You should get your hands on a brown deluxe. Don't be afraid of clones!! They are great. Allen, mojo even weber have great possibilities.
I had a 1962 Deluxe. Not my favorite. Great amp though
@@AskZac yeah it's a rocker really. I saw a guy in a club using one. But he was driving it so hard thst he was draining the filter caps of all the juice. The amp would sputter and fart and sound like it was doing a melt down!! Kind of raw toned but very cool. I'm a drummer but my hobby is guitar and amps. Just am fasinated with tube amps!
I still say try stamped titanium saddles. More life and sustain than steel.
I love mids but....got to have verb👍
Buen episodio!!! Could a Princeton do what the deluxe does in terms of that sound identity? Thanks!!!
Yes, just a little smaller sounding. But similar
Yep
When I was looking for an amp, I tossed up between a Princeton and a 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb. I bought the latter due to the warmer tone (so I preferred the Deluxe in this shootout against a lovely sounding Harvard). But it was close, and I still look at Princeton’s with longing!
I think I prefer the Harvard.
Were you playing My Best Friend's Girlfriend Has Gone Country?
It's also puzzeled me why Leo Fender changed the neck pocket and neck heel from straight on the Tele and early P bass to curved for almost all other guitars that came later. It doesn't make sense from an economic point of view. But Leo did some other inexplicable things over his career that wasted time and talent and resources. But it made for some interesting reading and speculation.
Glad I’m not the only one musing over this! Yeh, it seems odd. Thanks, John.
Isn’t a Harvard a Princeton (of the same era) minus the reverb? Ace Frehley of Kiss recorded those early amps on a Harvard.
The tweed Princeton had only 1 output tube, and about 6-watts. The Harvard had 2 output tube, and was about 10 watts. Neither had reverb.
Ask Zac sorry, same as the 5F11 vibrolux minus the tremolo
I think that all of Ace's solos on the first Kiss album were Harvard. I love those recordings.
Rokrabbit makes titanium saddles
Harvard all the way. Thx
What are your thoughts on the Fender Vibrolux?
BF, SF, reissue, tweed, brown, which version?
@@AskZac I had two blackface when I started playing around 1980. I didnt think they were loud enough. Dont you wish you could go back in time and tell your 16 year old self what to do.
@@AskZac Ive only tried the blackface, out of the five, which would you choose?
@@davec629 I would love to have a 1962 brown Vibrolux, but had both a SF and BF Vibrolux in the past. All great amps, but I found the Deluxe to be a better match for me due to being a bit smaller, lighter and hits the sweet spot earlier.
So a Princeton Reverb would sit right in the middle?
In some ways, yes
But the Harvard would still have more mids than a Princeton
I've seen b benders used for 400 bucks
Throw a reverb pedal and a little delay on that Harvard!
Zac....would love you to show the way of how you would set up / tweak your Teles for the best playability??......neck relief/ action in particularly??
I need to do an in-depth episode
@@AskZac .....awesome ....
Tweed Amps always win!💪
Surprisingly...Harvard for me
Haha! I’ve got to stop watching you. It’s too much! I started with the Tonemaster comparison, and your assessment was identical to mine. I love the Deluxe Reverb. I’ve also got two vintage DR’s, albeit one is a 74, but my favorite is a ‘67. Then I see this. Well, I also have a ‘’59 Harvard! Don’t see many of them. I bought it in the early 90’s for a song and dance. Someone had painted it black, but everything was original.They’re kind of an odd bird in Fender history. It’s got a lot of headroom for a little amp. Very sweet sounding at lower volumes and really nice gritty singing tones cranked up. I love the Tele, but I’ve been taken over by the seductive wonders of the Les Paul, especially my R0. I’ve considered trying to restore the tweed on the Harvard. Anyway, I’m enjoying your videos. Thanks!
LOVE MY HARVARD!!!!
Harvard was more earthy and “punchy” to my ears.