# Fender Deluxe Reverb Hater's Thread



## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Disclaimer: I know I'm gonna be skewered for this...

I recently acquired a late 70's Deluxe Reverb and I hate it! I haven't hated an amp this much since my Matchless DC30! I literally get a headache whenever I play it for more than 5 min. at slightly above bedroom volume levels. I've probably owned over 50 amps and have only had this problem with this amp and the aforementioned Matchless. Some people will recommend a speaker change - I've tried a few different speakers and they didn't help. I'm sure some people will recommend new tubes - I don't think that's the issue (currently has fresh J/J tubes). I've tried using an attenuator - sounded like crap. I hate the idea of using a pedal to add gain or shape the tone, so that's out of the question. I'm not really looking for recommendations because I'm not spending another penny on this amp. I'm just ranting and I guess a bit pissed off at myself wanting one of these amps for several years, based completely on what I've read other say about it. It's not the first time I've shot myself in the foot like this, but hopefully will be the last (but I'm not holding my breath).

I'm gonna try to hold off selling it until I at least try a Strat through it to see if it makes a difference. Currently, all my guitars are equipped with high-power humbuckers.

Moral of the story: Don't buy an amp unless you try it out yourself first.


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

It sure depends on what your looking for, thats for sure. A good Deluxe reverb is all I'd ever need, but then again, I play clean, and use pedals for OD. If your expecting natural Overdrive from a DR, well that can be a problem.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> ... If your expecting natural Overdrive from a DR, well that can be a problem.


One of my big problems was just that - I was expecting decent natural overdrive tones at civilized volumes - big mistake! These expectations were based on reviews I read in the past and my previous experience with lower powered Fenders.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Deluxe Reverbs should be sweet. Some are better than others and your vintage may be a problem. I have an '82 and it's very ice-pickey. Those JJ's aren't doing you any favours either.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

WCGill said:


> Deluxe Reverbs should be sweet. Some are better than others and your vintage may be a problem. I have an '82 and it's very ice-pickey. Those JJ's aren't doing you any favours either.


If it's an '82, then it's a Deluxe Reverb II - totally different amp. I had one of those as well. The clean channel on that amp is very similar to the cleans on my current amp.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Circuits are the same.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

WCGill said:


> Circuits are the same.


Actually, if it was an '82, the circuits aren't even close. This is very well documented online.

The '82 is a Deluxe Reverb II, which means it had channel switching and master volume controls, but no vibrato. It was designed by Paul Rivera.

http://www.ampwares.com/amp.asp?id=61

The ones built before '82 had vibrato but no channel switching or master volume controls. They were not designed by Paul Rivera.

http://www.ampwares.com/amp.asp?id=60

Many of the Rivera-designed Fenders are infamous for being harsh sounding/ice-picky. I've owned a Super Champ, a Concert II and the aforementioned Deluxe Reverb II - all were ice-picky to various degrees.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Are you sure you didn't get one of these?


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

I'm not sure, I may have. However, I had the exact same complaints about the Matchless - too loud, too mid-rangey and not enough overdrive. I know my DC30 wasn't a lemon because other people loved the tones. I have a feeling the problem is with the user (i.e. me) and not the amp.

Second moral of the story: Don't automatcially assume you'll like something just because everyone else does.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

Most of the late seventies SF amps are equipped with ultralinear output transformers. These have an impact on the overall tone, Described by those that dislike them as brittle, ice picky etc. At any rate, they sound very different from their Blackface counterpart. However these later SF amps are well regarded for country, jazz, and clean playing styles. A BF Deluxe Reverb will deliver modest sweet bluesy overdrive, but nothing more.

Shawn.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

vds5000 said:


> One of my big problems was just that - I was expecting decent natural overdrive tones at civilized volumes - big mistake! These expectations were based on reviews I read in the past and my previous experience with lower powered Fenders.


I'm not sure what reviews recommended a DDR for overdrive at lower volumes lol. Even my Princeton Reverb at half the wattage won't do that. Heck, even a Champ at 5 watts is too loud to crank into overdrive in a lot of smaller rooms. A DDR might be recommended for overdrive at reasonable volumes.... in a club playing live. The wattage is well suited for that.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I know there are many players who get great tones with a well set up DR and humbuckers, but by far the ones I have owned (3 if you count the SupersSonic22 I now own) have all sounded best with single coils. Same for other Fender amps I have owned, a ss Princeton Chorus, 2 BF Pro Reverbs...even my VibroChamp, though it sounds great with humbuckers also, and gets nice grind at house volume.


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## Gizmo (Aug 7, 2008)

Is it possible that someone changed the 6V6s for 6L6s...This gives a fair bit extra clean headroom (tried it on my '75 but went back to the 6V6s)


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

"The '82 is a Deluxe Reverb II, which means it had channel switching and master volume controls, but no vibrato. It was designed by Paul Rivera."

Mine is an '82, but is not the Rivera-designed model, no "II" designation, just reissue Blackface. It's the same as the Silverface except for the useless boost feature.


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## stratele52 (Oct 25, 2010)

I agree with Rugburn, 

IMO, late 70 7ender amps are CBS made and they are not well build like early '70 witch are Blackface circuits or very close.
If most people like their Deluxe Reverb I'm sure it's because they are not from the late '70 area.

If you do some modifications at those late '70 amps they sound pretty good,


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

WCGill said:


> Mine is an '82, but is not the Rivera-designed model, no "II" designation, just reissue Blackface. It's the same as the Silverface except for the useless boost feature.


If your DR has the black faceplate but wasn't a "II", it was indeed the last of the SF circuitry. I believe "those" amps were largely made in '80-'81. Obviously, some could have been put together in early '82 as well.

To the OP, it certainly is possible that you've inherited a turd. Unfortunately, QC was not high on the CBS Corporate's priority list at that time. That being said, the very best sounding amps I've ever owned all came from that period...a PR, DR, and VR. I'm not overstating things when I say I've owned A LOT of the verb-equipped Fender amps and the hands-down "winners" were all late-SF. I don't know why that was...the ones I had were just GREAT sounding amps. As always, YMMV.

Anyway, it's unfortunate (though I certainly understand) if you're unwilling to spend any more on the amp. Like you, I usually try a spkr and/or tube swap first and hope that I generally like what I'm hearing. Failing that, a complete service (including cap replacement and rebias) may be required to get it sounding right. New caps and a rebias can make a BIG difference in the overall fidelity of your amp. I typically have my tech rewire the the bias balance pot to BF-style adjustment as well so I can do power tube swaps and play with that feature on my own.

Regardless, if you don't care for this particular amp and feel it's simply not for you, selling it certainly shouldn't be a problem. You are also correct about the lessons learned in this case: "Tone" is almost entirely subjective AND some amps just sound better than others. Hence the wisdom of a "try before you buy" approach whenever possible.

Steve


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

1968-1982 "Silver Face" Deluxe Reverb


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## Phlegethon (Dec 18, 2009)

vds5000 said:


> I'm not sure, I may have. However, I had the exact same complaints about the Matchless - too loud, too mid-rangey and not enough overdrive. I know my DC30 wasn't a lemon because other people loved the tones. I have a feeling the problem is with the user (i.e. me) and not the amp.
> 
> Second moral of the story: Don't automatcially assume you'll like something just because everyone else does.


I think the problem isn't with you .. I would say that the problem lies in getting the voice you want with an amp using your current stable of gear. example: my emg loaded ibanez RG has a very particular voice, and in order to use it to its potential I have to be careful about what I plug it into, and the settings I use(the settings I use for my other RG are vastly different, it's a passive pickup equipped seven string)

best thing I can recommend is to start by making a list of what amps are ideally suited for your style, what amps can be tweaked with their tone controls to suit your style, and ams that are totally inappropriate for your style. try to eliminate personal bias about tubes/ss/modelers, and use specifications of the amps in question to build the list .. you'll get a wider variety of candidates this way IMO. then, test the amps out and eliminate them from the list one by one. at first, don't worry about which one does something better than another, and focus on "does it do what I'm testing it to do?" 

now that you have your smaller list of amps that do what you need/want them to do (no matter how well or poorly they do it) sort through those ones doing the same thing you did the first time, but start dropping the ones that are placing at the bottom of the list. if you're looking for an amp that does nothing but vintage cleans, then a mesa boogie mark V will get crossed off of the list if it's compared to a fender twin. this list is meant to me a relative one: a mark V will have great cleans but won't be performing on the same level as the twin is (although it will be very close) and it also has features you DON'T want (the high gain channels). 

and while I'm mentioning it again at risk of turning blue in the face, don't allow personal bias to creep in. just because something doesn't seem to do what you want it to, doesn't mean it can't do it or outperform other candidates that have more ties with a style due to image, like rockstars and marshall stacks. disregarding other guitar player's opinions is also important as well .. if you listen to traditional wisdom you might pass on a guitar/amp that would fit you as perfectly as something can because it doesn't "look" like it can do something. the 24 fret pointy shaped shred guitar might have a neck carve that works with your hand so well it could make jazz chords a breeze. by the same token, using a semi hollow with PAF's may just be the ticket to getting a harmonically rich, cutting sound for a heavy metal band to stand out in live playing without EQ problems


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I have a 72 DR that has been blackfaced. I won't trade it for yer 59 Lp... love it love it love it. But I mostly play tele pretty clean. It takes a very loud drummer for me to turn up past 3. Distortion does not come from the amp... It can @ 5 but I never go there. I did put an old Jensen in it though.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

keto said:


> I know there are many players who get great tones with a well set up DR and humbuckers, but by far the ones I have owned (3 if you count the SupersSonic22 I now own) have all sounded best with single coils. Same for other Fender amps I have owned, a ss Princeton Chorus, 2 BF Pro Reverbs...even my VibroChamp, though it sounds great with humbuckers also, and gets nice grind at house volume.


I think you hit the nail on the head. I've never ever been a big fan of humbuckers through Fender amps. I just assumed that things would be different with the Deluxe Reverb. The irony is that part of the reason I sold my Fender Start was to get a Deluxe Reverb.




shoretyus said:


> I have a 72 DR that has been blackfaced. I won't trade it for yer 59 Lp... love it love it love it. But I mostly play tele pretty clean. It takes a very loud drummer for me to turn up past 3. Distortion does not come from the amp... It can @ 5 but I never go there. I did put an old Jensen in it though.


Hahaha - funny, I don't recall offering my LP for your DR.

In any case, I think this amp is gonna be gone.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

vds5000 said:


> I think you hit the nail on the head. I've never ever been a big fan of humbuckers through Fender amps. I just assumed that things would be different with the Deluxe Reverb. The irony is that part of the reason I sold my Fender Start was to get a Deluxe Reverb.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow, that sold quick!


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