# Most common amp in Nashville



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Getting ready to leave Nashville today to head back home from my first visit to Nashville. Spent alot of time on Broadway and second ave at the clubs and honky tonks watching old country, new country and blues bands. As well took a tour backstage at the grand ole oprey and the ryman auditorium where they were getting ready for a Derek Trucks concert.
In all the stages I saw the amp I saw on most stages was the Deluxe reverb. Almost every stage had one and the grand ole oprey stage had 3. 
I played a custom shop tele through a 68 Deluxe reverb (real not reissue) at the guitar center and it was an amazing tone. It was actually my first time playing through an actual vintage deluxe and I was quite surprised how much better sounding than the reissues.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

On this side of the pond it will be a Fender amp of one kind or another. They are losing market share since everybody and their sister have gotten into the amp business but they still are the favourite. In Canada, Traynor is likely close but runs second to Fender. And why not, Fender make excellent amps and have done so for decades.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

In his tube amp handbook, Aspen Pittman lists the Deluxe as one of the half-dozen most desirable amps. It has a lot of "just right" elements to it, one of which is that pushing it to levels suitable for a small-stage gig puts it into the sweet spot. Were it a more, or a less, powerful amp it might not be so well appreciated.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Find it odd that you'd be surprised that the original DR's sound better than the RI's. I'd find it odd if it were the other way around, frankly... ;^)


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

DR Z, Morgan, have got real popular in the country music.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

deadear said:


> DR Z, Morgan, have got real popular in the country music.



And strangely enough in all my travels of Nashville, up and down Broadway, 2nd ave, etc, then the grand ole opry I did not see one morgan, drz, tone king (which I have) or any other boutique amp. It was pretty much all Fender. The other popular amp that I saw a few of on the honky tonk stages were Mesa Boogie. There were a couple other brands of which I can't remember but none of the popular boutique amps that often get discussed, bought and sold here and on TGP.

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gtone said:


> Find it odd that you'd be surprised that the original DR's sound better than the RI's. I'd find it odd if it were the other way around, frankly... ;^)


No I would expect that the original DR's would sound better but I didn't expect that much. I did buy a DRRI once, had it home for 2 days then returned it. To me, it was just horrible sounding in every way. When I plugged in to the 68 DR at guitar center I so badly wanted to bring that amp home.
Although it would never replace my Tone King Galaxy as I rely on a clean foundation. But the DR nailed that slightly broke up hair on the notes tone I love. It was a silver face that sounded like it had been black faced. The price on it I thought was ridiculous at $2,100 US.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

That is so right. There is so much about the all around size and specs of it. It's so versatile like Mark says.
I have seen it on lots of jazz stages as well. Sound levels are a little less so the DR's clean sound is the attraction. Larger stages are mic'd anyway so size isn't really an issue. 

Fortunate to have gotten in the early 80's for diddly squat but it has been a work horse for me. 
I was recording last night with my Gretsch direct with no pedals. At one point I remember thinking .. f*** it doesn't get any better than that.. ( the sound,not the playing ..) 



mhammer said:


> In his tube amp handbook, Aspen Pittman lists the Deluxe as one of the half-dozen most desirable amps. It has a lot of "just right" elements to it, one of which is that pushing it to levels suitable for a small-stage gig puts it into the sweet spot. Were it a more, or a less, powerful amp it might not be so well appreciated.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

There is so much involved with the speakers in them. I watched a vid last night where the guy compare the original Oxford against a whole bunch of others. Quite a difference. His goal was to store the original speaker for collecting reasons. I hated the oxford.... bla bla 



guitarman2 said:


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Forgot to mention the other amp of I noticed but Just a couple on the Grand Ole Opry stage and a couple in RCA Studio B, which is mostly a museum anyway, although some recording still goes on there, was Ampeg.
In Studio B there was an Ampeg solid state Bass amp and a tube ampeg guitar amp. Look strictly like museum pieces. On the grand ole opry stage there were a couple ampegs that looked like they get some use. Although primarily DR and Twins on that stage there were a couple other brands, I imagine to add some variety.


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