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Post subject: DRRI Fritz Mod + Bright Cap Removal = Perfect DRRI
Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 11:12 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:44 pm
Posts: 521
Location: Memphis, TN
I've had a DRRI for about 5 or 6 years that I really love. I think the sweet spot of the amp is with the volume between 3 and 4. It's still clean, but it's right at the edge. It's a huge, full tone that gives it just the right amount of harmonic content to create a lush, three dimensional clean tone and a platform that's just perfect for overdrive pedals. This volume level is perfect for rehearsing with the band or gigging, whether it's mic'ed up or not.
I realized pretty quick that overdrive pedals sounded fizzy and buzzy on the Vibrato channel and sounded amazing on the Normal channel. Problem is that there's no reverb on the Normal channel, wtf? So, I perform the Fritz mod and never looked back. That's been about 4 or 5 years ago. The amp gets played every day for practice, rehearsal, gigs, etc. It's my only high quality guitar amplifier, so it pulls all duties.
Lately I've been wanting to get a clean boost pedal for solo boosting. I need no extra gain, completely transparent, simply a clean boost for my solos. As the lead guitar player in my band, this is very important. I have been using the clean boost on my Fulltone GT-500 pedal, but it colors the tone slightly and it's been driving me crazy. I don't like it.
I wanted to try something a little different. I wanted to remove the bright cap from the Vibrato channel and see what differences there are tone-wise. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, I've just never took the time to do it. However, since I've been needing a good transparent clean boost, this would solve that problem as well. It would actually be better because I'm not introducing yet another component into the signal chain.
I remove the bright cap from the Vibrato channel and go down to my local Guitar Center and buy me an inexpensive ABY box. Since I'm not switching between two different amplifiers I don't need anything fancy. A couple of passive switches should do just fine. The results are nothing short of stellar. I can now switch between both channels and two different volume levels. I could even have two different bass and treble settings if I so desired.
I know that a lot of folks here know all about the Fritz mod and removing the bright cap on the Vibrato channel. I just wanted to post my results and maybe help to alleviate someone's reservations about performing either of these mods.
This amp is now exactly how I want it. Both channels are now useable for someone like me, a modern guitarist in a top 40 cover band. We play everything from classic rock to blues to country to what's on the radio right now. The Fritz mod not only allows reverb and vibrato on the Normal channel, but it also puts the Normal channel in phase with the Vibrato channel, so now both can be used together. I personally don't use it this way, but it is an expansion unlocked by the mod that could prove useful to some folks.
Tones: Now that the bright cap is gone, the two channels should sound identical, right? Well, not quite. I suppose it could be the difference in the tubes, but the Normal channel on my amp is a little thicker than the Vibrato channel. So now I use the Vibrato channel as my rhythm tone and the Normal channel as my lead tone.
Reverb/vibrato on the Normal channel, both channels in phase with each other, no more fizzy, fuzzy, unusable overdrive on the Vibrato channel. The Normal channel is slightly thicker, making it perfect for boosting solos. The Vibrato is slightly thinner for better clarity and definition for rhythm parts. I didn't think I could be happier with this amp until I removed that bright cap. It opened up a whole other level of usefulness.
DRRI + Fritz mod and bright cap removed = perfect Deluxe Reverb. And now Fender has put these features into their new silverface '68 Deluxe Reverb. I wanna try out one of those amps!
If anyone has any questions about these mods, how it sounds, how to perform the mods yourself, or anything at all, just let me know. I love DRRI's. I'm a huge advocate of the Deluxe Reverb Reissue. All they need is a few simple tweaks and they are an awesome sounding, extremely useful, fairly lightweight little all-tube combo. Classic vintage cleans and some of the best sounding spring reverb.

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI


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Post subject: Re: DRRI Fritz Mod + Bright Cap Removal = Perfect DRRI
Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:19 pm
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Roadie
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Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:06 am
Posts: 292
Location: SoCal
I purchased and fell in love with this on a Strat thru the DRRI (no mods ..... yet):

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/X ... dal_Review

http://www.bestguitareffects.com/xotic- ... ost-pedal/


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