It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:05 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 10:37 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am
Posts: 1247
I bought a Blues Deluxe Reissue a couple of months ago.
I mainly played it at home at living room level, which is volume max at 2 ... I rarely go higher because of the following "problem":

I play mainly Bluesrock, so the early breaking up of the clean sound into crunch sound above vol. at 2 is perfect for my music, BUT ....

I still wonder if something is wrong with it?

I heard about most players changing the speaker because the stock speaker sucks.
Well, I would think that Fender (famous for their awesome clean sounds) would build an amp in which the clean channel stays clean throughout a long range of volumes.

With my Blues Deluxe it's almost impossible to get a really nice, sparkling clean sound above clean channel volume of around 2!

In fact, at volume 6 to 7 I get a really fat crunch sound which actually beats the crunch channel by far!! Sounds great but if I play in a band, I have to turn the volume up on the clean channel and I would expect a pretty clean tone at about 50% volume. My Stageman Head and my Triamp can do it (both Hughes & Kettner).
I do get a clean sound but at volume 6 to 7 I get it clean at guitar volume down to 3 or 4, which is too low in volume playing with a band.

I don't use high output pickups. Most are American Standard single coils.

My question: is this normal for a Blues Deluxe made in Mexico?

Furthermore: I think it is pretty strong on the Trebles. With all my strats I have treble and mids not above 2 to 3 on the amp. All settings at 12 o'clock sound pretty harsh with the bass frequencies being pretty "wompy".
I know the "get gritty" problem from Hughes & Kettner (really bright sounding amps) but I wouldn't have expected it from a Fender Blues amp!
Unfortunately I could test it in the store at pretty low volumes only, which sounds pretty good but I don't see the point in owning a 40W tube amp when I can use it at volume setting 2 or 2.5 only.

At volume setting 6 to 7 I get almost classic rock crunch sounds (guitar volume full open)
Above 7 I'm in low gain rock regions with single coil strats.

_________________
Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


Last edited by Smokin' Frets on Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:21 am, edited 2 times in total.

Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:01 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:16 pm
Posts: 15
You can put a 12AY7 in V1 (replacing the stock 12AX7) and this helps some. A tapered volume knob to replace the stock linear volume knob is also reported to help. The ice pick treble is a result of the stock speaker as far as I know. Same issues are present on my US model.

_________________
1980 Fender Lead II (modified), 1994 Fender Blues Deluxe, 1980's Maya Les Paul copy, 1976 Yamaki acoustic with LR Baggs Element PU


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:13 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am
Posts: 1247
I just checked the sound with my 2 x12" Framus 8Ohm cabinet (2 x Celestion).
It sounds even brighter with that one!

I'll try my 4x12" 16 Ohm cabinet tomorrow (4 x Celestion G12H 30th Anniversary).

So, I guess changing to less aggressive tubes might really help with the gritty tone. The 12AX7 are known to be pretty aggressive (think "Cyber Twin" !!), right?

_________________
Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:28 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:16 pm
Posts: 15
Some folks are raving about the Fromel Mod's. Am considering these. Mine sounds great when I practice on my own, but not so much when at rehearsal level (loud).

_________________
1980 Fender Lead II (modified), 1994 Fender Blues Deluxe, 1980's Maya Les Paul copy, 1976 Yamaki acoustic with LR Baggs Element PU


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:42 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am
Posts: 1247
bmor62 wrote:
Mine sounds great when I practice on my own, but not so much when at rehearsal level (loud).


Yes, same with me!
But honestly, we are spending 700 bucks on that thing, I wouldn't expect to have to put in another 300 bucks or so to simply make it work. :(

_________________
Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:40 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Smokin' Frets wrote:
I bought a Blues Deluxe Reissue a couple of months ago.
I mainly played it at home at living room level, which is volume max at 2 ... I rarely go higher because of the following "problem":

I play mainly Bluesrock, so the early breaking up of the clean sound into crunch sound above vol. at 2 is perfect for my music, BUT ....

I still wonder if something is wrong with it?

I heard about most players changing the speaker because the stock speaker sucks.
Well, I would think that Fender (famous for their awesome clean sounds) would build an amp in which the clean channel stays clean throughout a long range of volumes.

With my Blues Deluxe it's almost impossible to get a really nice, sparkling clean sound above clean channel volume of around 2!

In fact, at volume 6 to 7 I get a really fat crunch sound which actually beats the crunch channel by far!! Sounds great but if I play in a band, I have to turn the volume up on the clean channel and I would expect a pretty clean tone at about 50% volume. My Stageman Head and my Triamp can do it (both Hughes & Kettner).
I do get a clean sound but at volume 6 to 7 I get it clean at guitar volume down to 3 or 4, which is too low in volume playing with a band.

I don't use high output pickups. Most are American Standard single coils.

My question: is this normal for a Blues Deluxe made in Mexico?

Furthermore: I think it is pretty strong on the Trebles. With all my strats I have treble and mids not above 2 to 3 on the amp. All settings at 12 o'clock sound pretty harsh with the bass frequencies being pretty "wompy".
I know the "get gritty" problem from Hughes & Kettner (really bright sounding amps) but I wouldn't have expected it from a Fender Blues amp!
Unfortunately I could test it in the store at pretty low volumes only, which sounds pretty good but I don't see the point in owning a 40W tube amp when I can use it at volume setting 2 or 2.5 only.

At volume setting 6 to 7 I get almost classic rock crunch sounds (guitar volume full open)
Above 7 I'm in low gain rock regions with single coil strats.


Your amp is working as designed. It is a "blues" amp. it is not designed to have a sparkling clean sound liek a Twin Reverb or similar amps. Yes, you can replace V1 with a 5751 or for less gain, a 12AY7. The best way to get a clean sound out of the amp is to turn the amp volume UP and the guitar volume DOWN. For everything you ever wanted to know about the BDRI, from tubes, to speakers, to mods, read this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=80142

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:43 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
bmor62 wrote:
A tapered volume knob to replace the stock linear volume knob is also reported to help.


Smokin' Frets is playing through the clean channel. The clean channel volume control is an audio taper pot, it is NOT linear taper. The MASTER volume is linear taper, but is not used when the clean channel is is use. The master volume is used only with the drive channel.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:44 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
bmor62 wrote:
Some folks are raving about the Fromel Mod's. Am considering these. Mine sounds great when I practice on my own, but not so much when at rehearsal level (loud).


Frommel mods are a waste of money. All the mods that make a difference in the BDRI are covered in the thread that I posted and can be done DYI at a cost way less than any commercially available mod package.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:48 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Smokin' Frets wrote:
Yes, same with me!
But honestly, we are spending 700 bucks on that thing, I wouldn't expect to have to put in another 300 bucks or so to simply make it work. :(


You don't need to. A simple tube change and speaker change to an Eminence Cannabis Rex will make a significant difference in the tone of the amp. The thread I posted details all the significant mods that I have made. You can do all or none of them and still improve the sound with one tube and a new speaker.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 6:39 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
Try input 2, it's attenuated. :idea:

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 7:04 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
shimmilou wrote:
Try input 2, it's attenuated. :idea:


I plug everything (including my Epiphone 1960 Les Paul Standard) into input #1 and use the guitar volume control. 8)

I have a 5751 in V1 right now.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 7:35 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
+1 for the 5751! Don't forget a 12AT7 in V3.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 10:36 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
shimmilou wrote:
+1 for the 5751! Don't forget a 12AT7 in V3.


I still prefer a 12AX7 as the PI.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:39 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
You're such a rebel! :lol:

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI, crunch sound clean channel above 2
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:50 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:33 am
Posts: 1247
bluesky636 wrote:
For everything you ever wanted to know about the BDRI, from tubes, to speakers, to mods, read this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=80142


Thank you so much, bluesky! :)

I steadily use the guitar controls and I work a lot with the volume control of the guitar.
I'm glad that the amp's "behavior" is normal. As I said, it fits my playing style.
I was just surprised, how early the amp goes into crunch.

I'll check your thread.
Thanx for the link! 8)

_________________
Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: