# 1981 Fender Deluxe Reverb II



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I don't know anything about these amps. I know that this one sounds much nicer than the ones I tried at capsule, but I'm not sure why - I had a really hard time understanding what the fuss was about with vintage blackface fenders (I tried 2 65 blackfaces and wasn't really impressed). I tried a few silverfaces, some tweeds and some champs, but my favourite was the Concert I went home with...


Anyway, I'm just wondering if this is the correct speaker. I also want to eventually look inside to see if it was modded. I don't think it is, since the previous owner builds amps and would have said something.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I am assuming this is a Rivera era amp?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Yes, but I haven't looked up what that means yet.

(I got it in trade). I thought it might be easy to move, but I think I might keep it now.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

So Paul Rivera, before he started his own Rivera amp company, was amp designer with Fender. I believe that any amp with a 'II' in the name was his design, as well as the Concert. Roughly '82-'86.

I doubt that is the original speaker. Fender amps almost always have had Fender branding on the speakers, there are exceptions of course but not from that era afaik.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Like Keto said, that is not the stock speaker. It came stock with a CTS.
Are you using the clean or the gain channel? I'm guessing gain, as that will be significantly different from the BF Deluxe. That channel with gain, master, and pull mid-boost was designed to compete with the higher gain (of the time) amps like Boogie etc.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

That is the not so fancy celestion found in the traynor ycv80 212 combo. 

Probably not stock.

Also i'd say swap the speaker, but you like it.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

jb welder said:


> Like Keto said, that is not the stock speaker. It came stock with a CTS.
> Are you using the clean or the gain channel? I'm guessing gain, as that will be significantly different from the BF Deluxe. That channel with gain, master, and pull mid-boost was designed to compete with the higher gain (of the time) amps like Boogie etc.


Is it worth getting the stock speaker back in it, or is there an even better alternative? I have to double-check, but I'll see if it'll connect to an ext. cab I have.

It doesn't do a very good job of high gain. However, I'm still not used to the way the controls interact, so I'll have to play with it a bit more.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Budda said:


> That is the not so fancy celestion found in the traynor ycv80 212 combo.
> 
> Probably not stock.
> 
> Also i'd say swap the speaker, but you like it.


I do like it. It sounds really nice, but there's usually some sort of consensus on what speaker _should_ be in there. Maybe one that'll handle heavier gain. I'm still on a hunt for that second amp in my stereo set-up.

For marshalls, someone here mentioned to pair a v-30 with an h-30 and it's been dead-on perfect for me.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

More info from wiki:



> The *Deluxe Reverb II* was introduced that same year. Output on the amp was diminished to 20 watts and a solid-state rectifier was used. The tremolo circuit was removed. Gain, master volume, and presence controls were added. And the two channels were made switchable as opposed to the individual inputs on the Deluxe Reverb. The Deluxe Reverb II was effectively a completely different amplifier, and it was discontinued in 1986. This was the so-called "Rivera-era".[3]


As for speakers, yes that Celestion is not stock. Those Rivera-era amps had Fender branded speakers. If I remember right it's called the Fender Blue Label speaker. As a replacement I'd consider the Weber 12F150, either the 50 watts if you want more headroom or 25 watts if you want that early break up. Personally, I'll pick the 50 watts. BTW, I used to own a Fender Princeton Reverb II which up to this day I have regretted selling. It's clean sound is like a junior version of my Twin.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

Don't bother with a stock speaker. Install a C-Rex and be done with it.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

For some reason I thought this amp was an '82 but reading up it must be earlier. Anyhow this is the stock speaker, no hell but better since I had it re-coned. A Weber 12F150 or 12A150 would be a huge improvement.


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## BMW-KTM (Apr 7, 2015)

A G12T-75 might sound good in that amp.
Most people consider it to be a Marshall-only speaker but it does Fender chime quite nicely.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

@WCGill the pics you provided are of an entirely different amp. The DRII was a totally different animal.

@adcandour this is the same amp as mine (that you tried out). Mine is an '82 or '83 though. Mine has the original speaker, I think yours doesn't. Mine has a Blue coloured Fender labeled speaker in it, probably a rebranded Celestion. The tech at Music Pro looked at mine and said that it looks completely original right down to the guts. I tried to take a pic for you but my phone camera is crapola.

Don't quote me on this...but what I was told about this amp was...

In the late 70's Fender was getting killed by Mesa Boogie. So Fender hired Rivera away from MB. He only stayed with Fender for 2 or 3 years. During that time he designed some amps from the ground up as well as dabbled a little bit in some other amps. The details are a bit sketchy on which were Rivera designs and which were designs that Rivera only had a little input into. Pretty much anything from 80-83 that has a II after it had at least some input from Rivera, which is why they're so completely different (control wise) than the same models without the II after it. Master volume, drive channels, push pull mid boost etc.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

FWIW the british made celestion 70/80 speaker you have is a pretty darn good all 'rounder. No need to change it if you like it, its British flavour might be part of the reason you prefer the sound of this amp.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Another good Celestion for Marshall type and even high gainers is a British made CL80. I can't vouch for current production. I stumbled across a NOS Brit one after reading about how good they were, and took a chance on it. Really couldn't be happier.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

JBFairthorne said:


> @WCGill the pics you provided are of an entirely different amp. The DRII was a totally different animal.
> 
> @adcandour this is the same amp as mine (that you tried out). Mine is an '82 or '83 though. Mine has the original speaker, I think yours doesn't. Mine has a Blue coloured Fender labeled speaker in it, probably a rebranded Celestion. The tech at Music Pro looked at mine and said that it looks completely original right down to the guts. I tried to take a pic for you but my phone camera is crapola.
> 
> ...


@JBFairthorne Ha, that explains why the cleans are so nice - your amp (from what I can remember) is a bit easier on the ears though - I don't know how to explain it exactly, but it just seemed like your highs were more balanced. What is the wattage of your speaker there?

@mrmatt1972 Although I prefer marshalls, I'm trying to keep this amp fender-y. I traded a Marshall for it to get a different flavour. I am only playing this amp clean, since I don't like how it handles my dirt pedals and the gain on it is only 'okay'.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Another one the Rivera designed amps is the Fender 'The Twin'. Also most of the amps with red knobs were designed during that time.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I'm not sure of the wattage of the speaker...but let's assume if it's original, it's probably in the 25w area as the amp is rated for 22w. I would say definitely no more than a 40w speaker if it's not 25w. In your position, I might consider swapping some speakers around if you had access to some. It couldn't hurt the value of it being that it's not original anyhow. I wouldn't go out and buy a new speaker for $300 though.

My advice...take it to that guy. He'll look inside for free and tell you if anything else has been done like caps etc.


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

Those old red label seventy 80s are a great speaker. Currently my favorite speaker is an old well broken in seventy 80. I think the red labels were made in the UK as opposed to china for the later versions

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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

mud_guy said:


> Those old red label seventy 80s are a great speaker. Currently my favorite speaker is an old well broken in seventy 80. I think the red labels were made in the UK as opposed to china for the later versions
> 
> Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk


Do you play clean or dirty? If dirty, are you into the amp's break-up or are you using pedals? If pedals, which ones?


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

adcandour said:


> Do you play clean or dirty? If dirty, are you into the amp's break-up or are you using pedals? If pedals, which ones?


Mainly on verge of breakup or amp dialed up and control breakup with guitar volume. It's the only speaker I tried that made my traynor ygm3 reissue sound good dimed and at lower volume (every other speaker farted out at high volume). Here is a clip showing how the speaker changes with volume (pardon the repetitve riff)





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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

mud_guy said:


> Mainly on verge of breakup or amp dialed up and control breakup with guitar volume. It's the only speaker I tried that made my traynor ygm3 reissue sound good dimed and at lower volume (every other speaker farted out at high volume). Here is a clip showing how the speaker changes with volume (pardon the repetitve riff)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interesting...it sounds super warm with that amp. I won't get that out of my fender though.

Thanks for posting that.


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

adcandour said:


> Interesting...it sounds super warm with that amp. I won't get that out of my fender though.
> 
> Thanks for posting that.


Yes. Keep in mind that was in a closed back 112 cab in a carpeted basement. No eq adjustment post recording.

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