I got a Deluxe Reverb

[JakeK]

Yesterday, my Grandma promised she'd get me the amp of my choice for an early graduation present. I was torn between a Vox AC-30 and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. I knew International Vintage Guitars wasn't a Vox dealer, and I wasn't ABOUT to go to Guitar Center.

I knew a Fender amp would sound good with my 1997SPC, so I went to International Vintage Guitars. I brought the 1997SPC, to be sure I liked it and to be sure it was what I really wanted.

David (the store owner) let me plug my Ric into a '65 Reissue Deluxe Reverb they had on the floor, and after about 20 minutes (and three different guitars, including my own) I was sold. It made such a sweet noise, and I couldn't help myself. David even told me they had one brand new in the box in the back room and he'd sell the NIB amp to me. I did a bit of negotiating, and got it for a good price.

About an hour ago, I got home, played a bunch of tunes, and I'll tell you, I am sold. After using my Fuzz Face and Danelectro Compressor, I am sold (can I NOT say that enough?? ). Tube amps are the best, and I think I went for the best one of them all! I don't need a heavy Vox AC-30, I have a Deluxe Reverb and I'm proud!

Anyone need pics? They'll be posted next week!

[kiramdear]

Awesome, Jake! Congratulations. Yay Grandma too! Now don't forget to come up for air, food and water once in a while

[jps]

Good choice on the DRRI amp. Fender amps are sweet sounding, especially the old ones, which your will be some day!

[jimk]

Good on ya, Jake. Congrats on the graduation, too.

JimK

[paologregorio]

Cool! Congratulations.

[whojamfan]

Cool for you dude, great amp, arguably best for your applications. Deluxes have a sweet sound, and the reverb is really good as well. Be carefull not to buy in to the "mod it to original spec" and "use only NOS tubes" banter that flies around on the internet. The fact is, the amp is built great, looks great, uses high quality tubes and components, and has an outstanding tone. There are companies out there that make tall promises about how they can turn the "normal" channels of these(and other) Fender amps in to Marshalls and AC30s. If that was even close to true, tons of people would have it done, as various configurations of Fender, Marshall, and Vox amps are probably the most desirable out there. Who wouldn't love a Fender Twin for cleans, and to footswitch over to a Marshall Plexi with that lush reverb on both channels? Seen a lot of good amps ruined by folks hoping to get a "do it all" amp.

If you like the Tube Screamer style of overdrive, I highly recommend the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. It's basically a TS 808 with a control that allows you to blend the dry signal back in to the overdrive to provide clarity and give you your bass response back. I own one, and for light to medium overdrive duties, it's hard to beat.

Since you are a guy who's all over the internet checking out gear, find yourself a used flight case for your Deluxe. Not only will it provide you maximum protection for your amp. You can put your amp on top of it when you play to get it off the floor so it is louder(yippee!), and easier to coax controlled feedback out of it. Don't buy one of those "flight cases" off of Ebay that dominate every category. I got a rack case that I sent back as soon as it arrived because it was a flimsy piece of junk. Real flight cases are crazy expensive new, but used, you can get them fairly cheap. Get a quality one, you won't regret it. Get yourself a Shure SM57 to mic the amp and you'll be able to play any stage that has a PA system and sound like a pro night after night. Enjoy

[winston]

Congrats Jake on the amp. Listen to Mike's advice. It is great advice and strangely enough it is also free.

[JakeK]

Thanks for the advice, Mike. I'm not the kind of guy who wants the new modern **** (IE Fender Devilles and VM series, Marshall JCM series, etc), I'm just up for the amp, it's sweet tone, and reverb. Anything else that can be added will be done by the pedal of my choice.

I mostly use compression so my guitar can stand out. As I've stated before, I use a Danelectro compressor, but I REALLY want a Janglebox. They're so expensive, though, but that would be the pedal of my choice, if I were to use any pedals at all. I also use a Fuzz Face. I don't know why, really, as I'm more of a rhythm guitarist. I use it to crank out those Kinks/Stones riffs that just itch to be used with Fuzz. I prefer Fuzz to overdrive anyway, and my Fuzz Face does just fine (but if I had the chance, I would switch to a reissue Vox Tone Bender).

Also, Mike, where's a good site I can find a flight case? I really want to have a stand for my amp, and I guess a flight case would work.

[jps]

... I'm just up for the amp, it's sweet tone, and reverb. Anything else that can be added will be done by the pedal of my choice..

Don't forget the tremolo on the amp!

[JakeK]

... I'm just up for the amp, it's sweet tone, and reverb. Anything else that can be added will be done by the pedal of my choice..

Don't forget the tremolo on the amp!

I'd never forget that, Jeff.

[whojamfan]

A proper flight case for that amp,(Anvil, Calzone etc), will run you around 400 bucks new I think. I bought an Anvil flight case for my Hiwatt DR-504 head about 14 years ago, and it was $349 at a discount new. I have never once regretted buying it, and has done a remarkable job of keeping the head safe and pristine. You can find used ones on Ebay sometimes, just look. Two years ago I found an ATA flight case for my 360/12 that was form fitted in mint condition. It's as about as good as it gets, and a comparable ones started at $450, and ones with as nice an interior and features were $100 and more. I paid $150 for this one, and am quite happy with it. Who knows, someday I may even use it!

Music Go Round is also another good choice. I bought a Roland JC120 for dirt cheap because the reverb wasn't working. They boxed it up and shipped it very inexpensively. Replaced the shorting tank wires, and the reverb works just fine now. Music Go Round also has a ton of used road cases, just go on their website and you can both look and purchase nationally. I'm sure there are others, like Craigslist, that can help you out, but I have no experience, so I can't recommend.

When people don't need these things anymore, you can get them less than half of the new price. Do not waste your money on a junk case.

FWIW, SKB makes a really good amp case designed to fit a variety of amps. I used one of those to ship an amp from Los Angeles to Norway a few years back and it worked great. I think those are around a couple of hundred bucks, but you can use them with any comparably sized amp, instead of a case made for just one.

Play loud!

[soundmasterg]

Thats a good choice Jake. At the local blues jam I go to, we used to use a couple vintage (slightly modified) Deluxe Reverbs exclusively until they got replaced by a Conrad Blues Jammer ( http://www.conradamps.com/Blues_Jammer_Literature.html) for the host because it is lighter and slightly louder, and the other cat stopped coming and now we get whatever amp someone else brings. Sometimes thats my AC30 though it is too loud for that venue to really get it cooking, sometimes it is another Blues Jammer, and other times its whatever shows up.

The new reissue Deluxe Reverbs are a good amp, with tones similar to vintage ones, though with the PCB they are a bit less reliable and harder to work on, but not bad. For what you are doing with the amp, its probably the perfect amp. Reverb and trem give you some good sounding features to the amp in addition to the base sound and they are mostly reliable.

The Vox AC30 is a different animal, and some day you may find yourself wanting to get that sound, as at full scream it sounds nothing like the Fender and is more organic and more aggressive at the same time, yet warmer sounding too. At clean levels, it is a chimey clean that is noticeably different than the Fender clean. It is also a much louder amp...probably almost 1/3 higher than the volume of a Deluxe Reverb at full song.

Enjoy the amp!

Greg

[wmthor]

Congratulations Jake.

My first tube amp (which I acquired in 2000) was a '77 Silverfaced Deluxe Reverb . Although I have yet to run the 660/12 through it, the 360, 1997, and 360/12 CW all sound great whenever I've plugged them into it. In fact, I've even run my 730S through it with surprisingly good results.

[collin]

Also, Mike, where's a good site I can find a flight case? I really want to have a stand for my amp, and I guess a flight case would work.

Nice score Jake! Solid choice, I love Fender tubes for clean tones..

As for the flight case, you happen to have a custom flight case company right here on the forum!

Contact forum member Robert Morris (user name: romo1950) . He owns a company that makes custom flight cases- Morris & Holmberg
http://www.morrisandholmberg.com/

I used to work there building cases---seriously, the best cases available, and I'm not just saying that. They will not be as cheap as a chinese case off Ebay, but with flight cases (and everything else in life) you always get what you pay for! They can ship out too.


-C

[whojamfan]

Nice looking cases there Collin! I thought they just made cases for guitars, but it looks like they do the whole deal. When their site gets back up I'll sure give them a look. RRF discount?