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Post subject: Blues Dlx RI vs Original
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:07 pm
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Having been lucky enough to be able to borrow a friend's old (98 ish) BDlx for several weeks to give it a proper try out I have now got my own BDlx reissue at home at last, and ...

... well I'm a bit underwhelmed: the drive channel hasn't got that old time sound of the original - it's way more driven and fuzzy like a Hot Rod Dlx. I didn't get it for that.

I'm wondering if it'll loosen up and lose some of that 'artificial' sounding saturation as it's worn in over time, till it acquires the truly vintage sound of the old BDlx I've been borrowing. Basically, I want less drive.

Or have Fender f*cked up the BDL to try and make it more modern? (Why would they?)


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Post subject: Re: Blues Dlx RI vs Original
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:48 pm
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Tom De Ville wrote:
Having been lucky enough to be able to borrow a friend's old (98 ish) BDlx for several weeks to give it a proper try out I have now got my own BDlx reissue at home at last, and ...

... well I'm a bit underwhelmed: the drive channel hasn't got that old time sound of the original - it's way more driven and fuzzy like a Hot Rod Dlx. I didn't get it for that.

I'm wondering if it'll loosen up and lose some of that 'artificial' sounding saturation as it's worn in over time, till it acquires the truly vintage sound of the old BDlx I've been borrowing. Basically, I want less drive.

Or have Fender f*cked up the BDL to try and make it more modern? (Why would they?)
The speaker needs a proper break-in period.


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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:55 am
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Yeah but I'm worried it'll distort more with time ... or will it just get warmer, less edgy? Just now I can only turn up the drive control to about 3 before it gets too dirty for my taste.


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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:06 am
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Tom De Ville wrote:
Yeah but I'm worried it'll distort more with time ... or will it just get warmer, less edgy? Just now I can only turn up the drive control to about 3 before it gets too dirty for my taste.
I believe the tubes on the BDRI are the blue groove tubes.They are designed to break up earlier,around3-4 i believe.If you want more headroom then you can put in the white groove tubes like the HR has.I dont know if you will need to rebias them.


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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 5:33 pm
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My BDRI purchased in Jan. had White Groove Tubes as did two floor models I've seen. My only complaint is that it is tight sounding with a very sharp attack and ice-pick highs especially when turned up. I am hoping it'll smooth out over time, I did try two sets of power tubes (EH and Winged =C=). The Winged =C= tubes seem to sweeten it up a little but I'm still hoping that it'll get better as the speaker breaks in. I'm a "hobby player" and only get to really crank it for a few hours over the weekends, so it's gonna take some time. I do get an hour or so on it most weeknights but the volume doesn't go past 2 or 3 then.

Prior to getting mine I did play through a new one that was gigged with for about two months, and it was very sweet, not harsh or shrill at all. :D


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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:11 pm
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SwamperGene wrote:
My BDRI purchased in Jan. had White Groove Tubes as did two floor models I've seen. My only complaint is that it is tight sounding with a very sharp attack and ice-pick highs especially when turned up. I am hoping it'll smooth out over time, I did try two sets of power tubes (EH and Winged =C=). The Winged =C= tubes seem to sweeten it up a little but I'm still hoping that it'll get better as the speaker breaks in. I'm a "hobby player" and only get to really crank it for a few hours over the weekends, so it's gonna take some time. I do get an hour or so on it most weeknights but the volume doesn't go past 2 or 3 then.

Prior to getting mine I did play through a new one that was gigged with for about two months, and it was very sweet, not harsh or shrill at all. :D
Yep,it will break in after a while.I know it took mine a little while.Sounds like the tube choice really helped too. It is a really sweet sounding amp.


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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:49 pm
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Both our BD RI's also came with the white Groove Tubes.

Was the first thing to get junked in the amps, the Groove Tube's (rebranded SovTec's) are not so good sounding a tube. Though quite reliable.
The amps also seem to come biased a bit cold from the factory, probably to extend tube life.

Replaced them with JJ's and Jan Philips, and biased to correctly match the power tubes in use.

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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:10 am
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peterp wrote:
Both our BD RI's also came with the white Groove Tubes.

Was the first thing to get junked in the amps, the Groove Tube's (rebranded SovTec's) are not so good sounding a tube. Though quite reliable.
The amps also seem to come biased a bit cold from the factory, probably to extend tube life.

Replaced them with JJ's and Jan Philips, and biased to correctly match the power tubes in use.
Thats really interesting about the white groove tubes, cuz i bought mine brand new and it definately has blue ones which i understand break up sooner and i know the white ones were in my HRDX that i had.Must bethey just grab the closest oneswhen they manufacture the amp,geez.


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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:00 am
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GT 6L6 coded by the colour of the lettering on the tube, is that right? The '98 Bdl has red (so did my 212 Deville) and the new one has a sort of lellowish sticker with GT logo etc in red/orange.

Does the R in GT 6L6R stand for red, by any chance? That's what's printed on the label.


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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:10 am
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Maybe you could borrow the '98 again and swap all the tubes into yours for a test?

That'd be kind of interesting really.


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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:26 am
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Would be interesting if a someone from Fender could jump in and clear up what the tube's color code for the amps actually means to us (as the listeners) !

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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 12:17 pm
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peterp wrote:
Would be interesting if a someone from Fender could jump in and clear up what the tube's color code for the amps actually means to us (as the listeners) !


Absolutely!


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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 12:20 pm
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SwamperGene wrote:
Maybe you could borrow the '98 again and swap all the tubes into yours for a test?

That'd be kind of interesting really.


It really would. I've got both amps here side by side ... so it's just a case of plucking up the courage to get in there! (I hate changing tubes over!)


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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:04 pm
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Tom De Ville wrote:
peterp wrote:
Would be interesting if a someone from Fender could jump in and clear up what the tube's color code for the amps actually means to us (as the listeners) !


Absolutely!
If you go togroove tubes website it explains their rating system.The blue means it distorts early, soft attack with a wider range of distortion,white is normal ,made for the best all around playing and red gives you the most headroom and the most dynamic.


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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:54 pm
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Thanks, the Groove Tube website is quite interesting, but the plot thickens: they have the BDL matched to GT-6L6 GC tubes on one page, but these don't actually exist on their products page. On the label inside my new amp it says it should take those 6L6 GC tubes, in the owner's manual it says 6L6B and in the amp itself there are 6L6R tubes. So is there any difference in the sub-species, once we've sorted the colour-coding?


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