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Post subject: Blues Deluxe vs Deluxe Reverb RI??????
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:10 am
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I intend to buy one of these two amps Friday. I just can't decide which and the wife is pretty firm about not getting both! :evil: Any suggestions or opinions are VERY welcome! Power is not an issue with me as both are more than loud enough for me. I play mostly blues (Buddy Guy, BB King, etc.) and use both single coil and humbucker equipped guitars. HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! :(


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe vs Deluxe Reverb RI??????
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:29 pm
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crazyunclebill wrote:
I intend to buy one of these two amps Friday. I just can't decide which and the wife is pretty firm about not getting both! :evil: Any suggestions or opinions are VERY welcome! Power is not an issue with me as both are more than loud enough for me. I play mostly blues (Buddy Guy, BB King, etc.) and use both single coil and humbucker equipped guitars. HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! :(


The blues deluxe will be cheaper and has channel switching. It will also have more headroom, due to the rated output and tube type. However, the 2nd channel on the BD is not distortion, per se... just louder than the 1st channel.

Also, you get vibrato on the deluxe reverb.

The blues deluxe uses a pair of 6L6/5881s. The deluxe reverb uses a pair of 6V6s, which sound very different.

You can also combine both channels on the deluxe reverb by running a patch cable between both channels and only plugging into 1 channel. Adjust the mix between the channels with the volume knobs.


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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:36 am
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Hi. I currently own a Deluxe Reverb '65 Reissue and love it a lot. Here's why I picked it over the then available Hot Rod series - the clean "vibrato" channel was absolutely perfect. It is wired bright and is just that - bright and brilliant. So, for clean sound, I have loved this amp since day one.

The very bright clean sound really gets goin' when you drive the volume to about 5 or 6. Since it's only a 22 watt amp, you can get it to drive up some without the super excessive volume you'll get from the 40 watt amps. However, with the Blues Deluxe RI, you're blessed with a master volume and gain section, which I've recently fallen in love with.

Here's the negative side of the Deluxe Reverb - a lot of people have had some troubles with overdrive boxes in front of the "vibrato" reverb channel. Since it's so bright as a clean channel (again, it's just the way it's wired) an overdrive box is going to sound very fuzzy and very high in the treble side, which you can clean out some. (When I say fuzzy, etc., it's in comparison with the sound that will come out of the Blues Deluxe or Hot Rod.) The Blues Deluxe and the Hot Rod Series handles pedals very, very well. However, what I've been blessed with on the Deluxe is a drive sound that's very rootsy and not like every other overdrive out there.

Finally, I've recently been enjoying the sound of a Tweed Blues Deluxe in a local music store - I've even considered buying it. I love the sound it makes. I find it to be a warmer sounding amp than the Hot Rod Series, but if it's that original spank and fire you want, the Deluxe Reverb might be your ticket.

(P.S. Here's a list of the pedals I've used with my Deluxe Reverb: Tonebone Classic, Barber Direct Drive, Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer, Marshall Bluesbreaker, and Guyatone OD-2. All of them have shown me some really neat sounds, but it's taken me a while to get them to work the way I want with the DR.)


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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:20 am
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Thanks guys. I do appreciate the info and feedback. I spent several hours at my local GC A/Bing those amps. While each is certainly a great sound, I found that I preferred the features and sound of the Tweed Blues Deluxe. Obviously, that's just my ears for what I usually play--no slight intended to the DRRI. It was just a bit TOO bright for me. Even with a Les Paul it really emphasized the high end. I also like the master control on the Deluxe--a good feature for my situation. I had read elsewhere and in other posts here that the Deluxe responded very well to pedals and that also figured into my decision. Looks like Friday morning I'll be the owner of a Tweed Blues Deluxe! Thanks again for your responses.

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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:28 am
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Another advantage to the Blues Deluxe (I think, if its as similar to the Blues Deville as I think it is...) is that it doesn't require bias adjustment when you change power tubes. Just be sure to get a matched set of tubes, either a duet, or a quartet (and use 2 at a time). The bias on my deville is fixed, i think the blues deluxe is the same.

If you haven't already checked one out, the 2nd channel on the BD is NOT an overdrive channel, per se. It is louder than channel 1 and has more gain, but in reality, there is only 1 tube stage driving that channel, not stacked/cascaded gain stages like a marshall or a boogie, etc... You can turn the gain up and use the master to set the output level of that channel, but it will still be only "dirty" as opposed to outright high-gain distortion.

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93 Blues Deville 212
05 MIM Strat with 96 Am. Std. "Delta Tone" and Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups
98 Carvin Bolt with Dimarzio and Duncan pickups
Muzique.com Mini-Booster and MOSFET Booster
Ibanez TS-9 Reissue (TS-808 and flat-mid mods)


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:07 pm
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dta74,
Thanks for the info. I was aware of the single channel deal with the Deluxe. It constantly amazes me how poorly trained and informed MOST of the GC employees are. There are exceptions, but not many in my experience! Pretty much everything I learned about these amps has come from forums, chat rooms, web sites, etc.
I'm good with no cascading gain stage as the most I currently use is a Blues Driver. Dirty with an edge works fine for me. Can't wait til Friday! :D

PS: Do you mind telling me your background? I've read a lot of your posts and you seem very well informed on amps and electronics--just curious.

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Custom made all Koa Strat SSS
"FrankenStrat" P90s
Nashville Tele
Light Relic Baja Tele
Tele 1980s Vintage
Gibson Les Paul Special
Gibson Custom Shop "Montana Gold" J200
Fender "Blues Deluxe"


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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:31 pm
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Lets see, where to start....

No formal training. Former full-time (now backup) live sound engineer for the Lincoln Theatre, a 950 capacity live sound venue here in Raleigh www.lincolntheatre.com

Backup house audio engineer for the local Clear Channel outdoor amphitheatre.
http://www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/502

Still a 1st call soundman for many local bands and live music venues in town.

Been playing electric and acoustic since 1990.

Built 2 electrics from kits/parts (the carvin listed in my signature and a cheap tele).
Rebuilt the MIM strat listed with upgraded pickups, electronics and hardware
Have built 2 boost pedals from www.muzique.com (listed in my signature)
Have modified the following pedals: Ibanez TS-9 and SD-9, Boss SD-1, Boss CE-2
Currently building a 4-space true bypass loop pedal

In general, I'm good with my hands, brave enough to crack open something to see how it works ... usually able to get it back together and in working order (sorry bout that snowblower, dad).

Plus, a good friend and neighbor of mine owns a local electronic repair shop. Many thanks to him for putting up with my many questions: www.madscienceworks.com

If you have any other questions, I'd be free to answer here or thru email.

_________________
93 Blues Deville 212
05 MIM Strat with 96 Am. Std. "Delta Tone" and Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups
98 Carvin Bolt with Dimarzio and Duncan pickups
Muzique.com Mini-Booster and MOSFET Booster
Ibanez TS-9 Reissue (TS-808 and flat-mid mods)


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:29 pm
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dta74 wrote:
If you haven't already checked one out, the 2nd channel on the BD is NOT an overdrive channel, per se. It is louder than channel 1 and has more gain, but in reality, there is only 1 tube stage driving that channel, not stacked/cascaded gain stages like a marshall or a boogie, etc... You can turn the gain up and use the master to set the output level of that channel, but it will still be only "dirty" as opposed to outright high-gain distortion.


But a supplemental overdrive pedal will make it sound fantastic!


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Post subject: DR vs BD
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:23 pm
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Hi- i wonder if you already got your amp? I think you got a ton of great advice thus far. The Blues Deluxe is a mexican made amp and though I know they can make some great stuff (they used to laugh at the Japanese strats!)- I still think their products are inferior to the US made ones. I'm pretty sure the Deluxe Reverb is US. I too looked at the Blues Deluxe and it is tempting but seeing it next to an American tweed you can easily see the cosmetic difference. The mexican tweed looks a bit like hay next to the nice lacquer of the American bassman for instance. That is minor, of course there is no "drive" on the DR and there is on BD which is a very big difference. Also, the wattage is 22 vs 40 respectively. You can get drive the old-fashioned way of course and crank your DR to let the tubes warm up your tone. They are very different animals though and I do prefer the 65 DR but would love to also have the BD at hand. Maybe you could talk to your wife again? This time bring roses, better yet, diamonds. What did you decide on anyway? R U pleased?


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Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:14 am
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Well, I bought a Blues Deluxe! I preferred the sound which, to me, is less "sharp and piercing" than the DRRI. Yeah, I'd love to have both, but diamonds and roses notwithstanding, I'd have an "unpleasant situation" around here! :shock: The 40 watts of this amp is certainly way too much for home use, so I also purchased Groove Tubes conversion kit that drops the power into the 15-18 watt range---a little more manageable, but it still never gets above 3 even if I'm plugged into #2 input. I'm still fiddling around to get the sound I like with my different guitars. The amp really likes HSH Strat and LOVES the P90s in my Goldtop! I'm having a bit of a time getting a good overdriven sound with my Koa Strat loaded with Texas Specials--it stays pretty clean on the top end no matter what I do. I'm sure if I wack the volume way up it'll grind real nice but I'll also be meeting with local law enforcement if I do that! I haven't worked too much yet with my 3 pickup HHH Black Beauty Custom, but it drives the front end well so I think I should get some good tones there. I am running only a Blues Driver in front of the amp and have been told to try a Tube Screamer--maybe that will be next.
Conclusion so far: A reaay nice straightforward amp. Good looks, nice tone, plenty of power for gigging, and too much power for the house. It works nicely with my one pedal. So far, I'm a pretty happy guy! :D

_________________
Custom made all Koa Strat SSS
"FrankenStrat" P90s
Nashville Tele
Light Relic Baja Tele
Tele 1980s Vintage
Gibson Les Paul Special
Gibson Custom Shop "Montana Gold" J200
Fender "Blues Deluxe"


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:37 am
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Congrats.... a few thoughts, tips and warnings:

I generally replace the tubes in my deville about once a year, or more often if they start acting up (excessive noise, microphonics). This was with a schedule playing one night a week (4 hrs per week) for a year.

Also... that back panel is not structurally sound at all, if something bangs into the back of the amp at the right place, you risk snapping off the center "key" pin of the power tubes. They'll still work if otherwise undamaged, but removing and replacing them becomes a chore, not to mention risky if you get em in wrong. Figure on about $35-45 a pair for replacements, depending on your source. I've been using JJs and Sovteks with good results.

If you transport it at all (home to practice or gigs), be sure to check the power tubes, make sure they're seated securely in their sockets. Because they hang down from the chassis with no retainers, they're being held in with pressure / friction on the tube pins only.

You'll probably notice that the vol knob for the clean channel is very touchy, goes from silence to way-past-bedroom-volume in an instant. This is a circuit design issue, not a bad pot. Learn to love it!

The tube screamer will be a bit smoother than the blues driver, but will have that famous mid-hump eq response, not as flat as the BD.

To get the EQ flat on the amp, turn the bass and treble all the way down, and the mid all the way up. Not exactly flat, but as close as you're gonna get in a guitar amp. (this has been proven with simulation software and confirmed by my tech who's an E.E.)

_________________
93 Blues Deville 212
05 MIM Strat with 96 Am. Std. "Delta Tone" and Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups
98 Carvin Bolt with Dimarzio and Duncan pickups
Muzique.com Mini-Booster and MOSFET Booster
Ibanez TS-9 Reissue (TS-808 and flat-mid mods)


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:04 am
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dta74 wrote:
You'll probably notice that the vol knob for the clean channel is very touchy, goes from silence to way-past-bedroom-volume in an instant. This is a circuit design issue, not a bad pot. Learn to love it!


Haha, thank you for stating this as I was going to get the volume pot replaced.

I don't like that I can't push this amp though. Even in live settings, getting it past 2 is really loud. Any recommendations for a attenuator?


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Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:13 am
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if you think 2 is too loud... the worst i've seen was getting my amp back after witnessing a local superstar (grammy-nominated too) play my blues deville at an open mic night... seeing the volume on 6. Granted, he was playing Van Halen....

go to ebay, search for "fender volume box"

get one of the $10 versions, basically a small box with 1 volume knob... put it in the effects loop (or at the end of your signal chain if you're actually using the loop). As you turn the pot, it shunts the signal to ground, essentially becomes a master volume. You can crank both channel volumes and back off the overall level with this box.

This is also easier on your power tubes, as you are turning down the volume BEFORE you hit the power stage, unlike an attenuator box like a THD HotPlate which forces you to run the power tubes at high volume then shunts the speaker level signal thru a series of resistors.

I borrowed a friend's one time and it worked pretty well. But honestly, I'm not looking for power tube saturation out of this amp. If I wanted that, i'd play the deluxe reverb or a 50 watt non-master marshall... at full volume... :-)

_________________
93 Blues Deville 212
05 MIM Strat with 96 Am. Std. "Delta Tone" and Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups
98 Carvin Bolt with Dimarzio and Duncan pickups
Muzique.com Mini-Booster and MOSFET Booster
Ibanez TS-9 Reissue (TS-808 and flat-mid mods)


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:18 am
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I'm excited for you and know how much fun learning about your new amp is gonna be. It's like rolls vs bently- you can't go wrong. I got a new "vintage" tube screamer with a return to some of the original electronics that made the 1st ones so sweet. It was modified by analogueman for a bit more money and this was to tweak the tone even more so-more fat and round i believe. whether or not this mod really puts my TS above the others out there i really cannot say but i think most of us are tinkerers at heart or else we wouldn't be in this forum. I'm using it in front of a 65 DReverb reissue and have fun dialing in with an american ash tele but haven't really found the "sweet spot" yet. i've had a bit more difficulty with my strats and prs which will take a lot more tweaking. I'm not familiar w/ the GT conversion kit- at lower wattage, do u get tube break up at lower volumes? is it like a power attenuator (marshall air brake) or something completely different? i'm not trying to be a wise guy but was there any thought given to a lower watt class A-type amp or perhaps you didn't find one w/ the specs/features u wanted? either way-i'm jeaolous and hope u have a blast w/your new friend. maybe some flowers at the very least for the little lady?


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:24 am
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the GT conversion kit is like the THD yellowjacket: an adaptor that plugs into the tube sockets, and allows you to run EL-84s... at about half the output...

However, you negate the design of the amp by doing this... you lose the effectiveness of having the correct tubes, output transformer and speaker coupled the right way...

I sold mine after trying them out and leaving em in the box for a few months...

http://www.groovetubes.com/SUBSTI-TUBE_ ... _P1778.cfm

BTW... I paid less than half the listed price for the THD version. And ended up selling em (with almost new tubes-- less than 5 hrs use) for about $60 on ebay.

_________________
93 Blues Deville 212
05 MIM Strat with 96 Am. Std. "Delta Tone" and Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups
98 Carvin Bolt with Dimarzio and Duncan pickups
Muzique.com Mini-Booster and MOSFET Booster
Ibanez TS-9 Reissue (TS-808 and flat-mid mods)


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