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Post subject: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 1:48 am
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Hi All

Having got to a stage whereby I'm seriously happy with my Blues Deluxe I thought I'd share my Journey with it from purchase a couple of years ago.

I've known the amp since it was new in the mid-nineties, my guitar teacher had it and sold it to my best mate. My mate had it for around 12 years and used it sporadically along with his brother however as he is a bassist it wasn't ever used in anger or properly. Roll through to around two years ago at which point he's had it at his parents for way too long and I needed a practice amp so managed to acquire it for the sum of £200 (roughly $300) a very good buy I think you’ll agree!!!

Anyway, the amp had never been serviced or had a valve change, but as it was only a practice amp I left it as is until recently when I decided it was time to give it a bit of love.

So, I booked it in with my amp tech and had the following completed:

1 x New Harma STR ECC83 Cryo installed in V1
2 x New Harma STR ECC83 installed in V2 and V3
2 New Groove Tube 6L6GC-GE Re issue Super Premium matched pair for the output section

My amp tech also re-soldered a few dry solder joints in the chassis and generally looked it over.

Following that I got a very good deal on a pair of almost new Weber Speakers (£75 for the pair! Around $112) so I sold the 12A150 for £82 on eBay and installed the 12A150A into my Blues Deluxe.

Well, what can I say, the amp has gone from a classic fender type tone [(including the normal shrill treble and woolly/flabby bass) which although very nice, was a tad harsh and undefined on the bottom end] to a well-rounded amp with strong tight bass with rounded mids and a very smooth treble response.

The best way to give an overview is that I can turn it up to stupid levels without the normal piercing-ness which makes you squint (if that makes any sense!!)

The most cost effective thing I’ve done to it though was install silicon damper rings on all the valves which has eliminated around 95% of the rattling I was getting. Yey!

Hope this helps someone out there with their own Blues deluxe.

Cheers

Sacha

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 4:50 am
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Very cool. 8)

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:12 am
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Thought I'd post a recent pic!

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 9:37 am
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Sacha,

If you haven't already, you might want to check out my thread on mods to the BDRI:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=80142

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:47 am
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Nice post, Sacha.

I often wish I'd spent a bit more time and effort on my BDRI before trading it. It was a good workhorse with no reliability issues despite what's often said about this range. I just wasn't that keen on the tone, it was nothing like as good as the original 1990s BDlx I had the use of - but that one did keep crapping out.

Glad you're enjoying your amp.


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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:58 am
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Thanks Bluesky I'll check out your link tonight.

Hi Tom, yeah that doesn't surprise me, from what I've garnered from the Net the originals all had a great tone but you either got a god one or a bad one, as with so many things in life. Every time I played mine (when it wasn't mine) I knew it had something special about it, it was just, right. Hence why I eventually got my grubby little mits on it!

Never had an issue with it so far but I've only gigged it once which will change once I've modded it to accept an additional cab, see my other thread.

Gonna just enjoy it as a practice amp for the present although its going to be gigged by a mate on Saturday night whilst I'm gigging my marshall at a different venue.

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LP Std
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MP Jag
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Dano U2
Charvel SDI Lacewood US
Tokai V
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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 4:40 am
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Hi Sasha,

Thank you for sharing a really helpful thread. I'm thinking of putting a Weber 12A150 speaker into my Blues Deluxe. I want to keep the Fender sparkle and chime but loose the shrill from the stock speaker.

Looking at the spec, the 12A150 is 155mm deep with the bell cover - which may just about fit in the Blues Deluxe. Did you find that the 12A150A fitted with clearance between the speaker and values and amp chassis please? The photo you posted was taken before the chassis and values went back in so I was wondering wwhat the final fit was like.

I've noticed also from other threads, some guys have managed to fit a Celestion Gold in a Blues Deluxe - that speaker is even deeper at 165mm - did they have to remove the bell cover?

Many thanks
Mark.


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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:50 pm
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Hi Mark

Yep it fitted fine with no issues and is still in there. The 12A150 also fitted with no issues but wasn't quite as round sounding as the A. From what you want I reckon that you'd be happy with either the 12A150 or the A. They both reduce the glassiness and shrillness oft he treble in the amp and tighten the lower end. I reckon that the A is more vintage sounding and punchier than the 12A150. I personally prefer the A.

As a final thought of I were you I'd email weber direct and ask wheat hey would recommend.

Cheers

Sacha

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89+91 Strat+Dlx
MIM FSR Strat
LP Std
MIM Tele
Tele Lite-Rswd
MP Jag
Homebuild Colt
Dano U2
Charvel SDI Lacewood US
Tokai V
Hondo II LP Jnr
Martin 00028-EC
Hand-made 000 acoustic

Marshall DSL100H/TSL100/MA100H
Fender Bls Dlx
Bugera V5
Orange Micro-terror


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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:34 am
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In my experience flabbiness is the defining characteristic of the Fender Special Design speakers. Putting a decent speaker in any of the lower end Fender amps is often the easiest and most noticeable improvement you can make. Thanks for mentioning your impression of the benefit of the damper rings. There seems to be not very much info out there about these items.

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:44 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Putting a decent speaker in any of the lower end Fender amps is often the easiest and most noticeable improvement you can make.



The 'higher end' Fender amps usually benefit from a speaker swap as well.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 1:57 am
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As noted, these amps suffer from a poor stock speaker...other wise, they are fantastic sounding with a speaker swap and changing of the preamp tube lineup. I went with the Jensen C12K 100 watt speaker in my Blues Tweed Deluxe Reissue and HRD 212 amp.


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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 7:30 am
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Update:

Why in the h*ll did I say that I’d never had an issue whilst gigging it! Ahhhhhhh

I used it the other night at a smaller gig in preparation for a weekly gig I have at a larger venue which mikes up my amp through the PA. I was having trouble getting a full sound from my Marshall stack (DSL100H and 1960A) as I wasn’t really able to open it up too much so a thin sound was evident for our first half of the set which is all lighter rock stuff. The heavy stuff was fine as I wound it up a bit.

Anyhow, at the smaller gig my trusty little Blues Deluxe started switching channels on its own, a common problem from what I can find. Lucky I had my Marshall half stack in the car ;)

So back to my amp technician, £50 later, and I now have a fully functioning Deluxe (resistors changed) with the 4 ohms output sorted. I’ve also just purchased a 2x12 cabinet from Thomanns:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g212_vintage.htm

So I’ll test it with the Blues deluxe (hopefully this weekend) and post some pics along with my results.

Cheers all

Sacha

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:06 pm
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Another update:

The Blues Deluxe sounds awesome with the 2x12 extension cab but.....

Now that the Weber 12A150A has broken in I've decided I don't like it for the following reasons:

1. Although the shrillness has gone so has the sparkly treble which makes a fender amp a fender amp

2. Although I only use the clean setting with pedals it's breaking up too much with the Overdrive I'm using. And not in a nice way, at least to me and the rest hips my band

3. It's too mid sounding for my liking

4. I find that the clarity has gone

So I dropped in the old Fender eminence speaker and hey presto, I like the amp again!

I think that, as much as I don't want to admit it, I'm more a fan of ceramic speakers rather than Alnicos.

Anyhow, I'm happy again and will be trying the new/old speaker in conjunction with my 2x12 cab.

Cheers all

Sacha

_________________
89+91 Strat+Dlx
MIM FSR Strat
LP Std
MIM Tele
Tele Lite-Rswd
MP Jag
Homebuild Colt
Dano U2
Charvel SDI Lacewood US
Tokai V
Hondo II LP Jnr
Martin 00028-EC
Hand-made 000 acoustic

Marshall DSL100H/TSL100/MA100H
Fender Bls Dlx
Bugera V5
Orange Micro-terror


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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:35 pm
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I truly believe if you went with the Jensen C12k 100watt speaker ..which is a (ceramic) speaker, you would find everthing you are looking for. The Jensen will bring out the best in your Blues Deluxe for that Classic 6l6 Fender sound.

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Post subject: Re: Original Blues Deluxe - my journey
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:42 pm
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Cheers I'll check it out

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89+91 Strat+Dlx
MIM FSR Strat
LP Std
MIM Tele
Tele Lite-Rswd
MP Jag
Homebuild Colt
Dano U2
Charvel SDI Lacewood US
Tokai V
Hondo II LP Jnr
Martin 00028-EC
Hand-made 000 acoustic

Marshall DSL100H/TSL100/MA100H
Fender Bls Dlx
Bugera V5
Orange Micro-terror


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