It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:31 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 24 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 1:19 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 9:11 pm
Posts: 16
Any of the years of manufacture better than another?

In other words . . . what's the best year(s) for a FDRI?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 2:06 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
Not sure of the year, Prior 05 seems right, but the best years seem to be the earlier ones that have the Ground Switch on the back. The oddity of that is that the ground switch is attached to nothing inside the amp. Just there for looks.

Maybe someone else will come by with the exact years those amps were made, but that is the easy way to tell.

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:28 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 9:11 pm
Posts: 16
That's funny . . . I had a Twin reissue that had a ground switch that wasn't connected to anything.
I had a DRRI from early 90's that I really liked. Shortly after Fender started building them.
Was wondering if there were any improvements over the years.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:48 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
No in fact I think the quality went down after 05ish. The 90's amps were better quality I think. Other than deleting the ground switch not much else changed, except for additions of a couple FSR models with special tolex and grill cloth colors.

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 6:50 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 9:11 pm
Posts: 16
Any significant changes in speakers used?

And what about the '68 Custom deluxe?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 11:36 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
No, the stock speakers still need to be changed

It does seem as if the solder joints have suffered a lack of durability since the mid 2000's
and the grid resistors also seem to be problematic.

I am so very glad to have a 1994 DRRI ! sounds amazing (swamp thang speaker and nos Tubes) and has zero issues, twenty years old and no doubt she's good for another 20 8)

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:47 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:55 am
Posts: 335
Location: australia
Hi Had mime since 05 And only Had to change out the Grid resistor,s Not the amps fault..That was From the Tung Sol 6v6gt Ri power tubes Going south..They where in the amp for just under two years..Eh 6v6 stock tubes Never did that.Use Nos Tubes Now.Great tone.Top amp.Played The amp every week for nine years And Its never Let me down. Till I put those Tung sol 6v6gt in.And they Blow on a check up On the Tek,s work bench..And i like the stock speaker After nine year,s of thump and Grind.Sound,s Pretty Good To me..


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:22 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
Which speaker in yours cliff?

_________________
---> "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: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 6:58 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
I'm sure Clifflee that these modern tubes are most of the problem with the grid resistors
So sad the Tung-sol RI 6V6 tubes started off so good and they sounded great too.
A bunch of guys here had issues and it seemed like it all hit at one time.

I bought a not working special edition (wine colored) with the alnico Jensen in it and the grid resistors were toast, couple of dollars worth of parts and she was up and running just fine.

Thankful for my drawer of old 6V6's !!! I have a fe matched pairs and some singles that could most likely be paired up too.

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:03 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
blues bondsman wrote:
I'm sure Clifflee that these modern tubes are most of the problem with the grid resistors
So sad the Tung-sol RI 6V6 tubes started off so good and they sounded great too.
A bunch of guys here had issues and it seemed like it all hit at one time.

I bought a not working special edition (wine colored) with the alnico Jensen in it and the grid resistors were toast, couple of dollars worth of parts and she was up and running just fine.

Thankful for my drawer of old 6V6's !!! I have a fe matched pairs and some singles that could most likely be paired up too.


+1 on the newer tubes. I have found only two that can take a beating and still have good tone...The TAD's and SovTeks. I know many like to bag on the tone of the SovTeks, but that has not been case I have found. The pair that came in my '66 Bassman, had a nice tone to em. I pulled them and replaced them with the TAD's. Better tone (better mids) and these tubes sound better the more I play em.

FWIW

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 3:30 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:55 am
Posts: 335
Location: australia
Hi Shimmilou Its Just the stock Jensen Speaker.And i know That not to many out there Like Them.Pretty Tight Speaker when new.And they are 100 watts.Be nice to try a 50 watt Speaker.Make the amp Jump a bit more.And Those Tung sol 6v6gt Do sound Nice.Maybe The newer Batch are Better.This Fella going to stick with Nos..I really Like The ones i have in the amp Now Radiotron Awv Aussie made 6v6gt.I read some where That they are Made with RCA Tooling and Parts..They do Sound Dam fine Too.Have Nice day Cheers From Aus..


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 6:47 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
Cool. Same here, the stock Jensen, and I like it also. I like it a lot! :D

_________________
---> "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: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 6:56 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:55 am
Posts: 335
Location: australia
They do Sound good,when you turn Up The volume.. :D


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:22 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
Obviously Tone is a very personal thing, however I will say that replacing my eminence Fender branded speaker from my 1994 DRRI with the Swamp Thang made Huge leaps forward in evening up the tone and adding depth in a HUGE way !
The low end is now articulate and not at all boomy or flabby, the top end shines without an ice pick in my brain so.......

In the same way that my 59 Bassman ltd did when I sold of the italian Jensens and put Weber signatures in it, it bloomed !
The last 59 Bassman LTD I owned however had been around a few years and the stock import jensens sounded great (with a retube using old USA tubes).

So in my little experience it seems to me that the Jensens deserve a good break in maybe ???

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: '65 Deluxe Reissues . . .?
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:02 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
Maybe. Almost any speaker needs a good break in period. As you said, tone is in the ear of the behearer (is that a word? :lol: )

And there are so many subtle differences with tubes, and surely certain tubes might sound better with certain speakers. The combinations must be near endless.

I did some tube swapping. First, settled on some GT (EH) output tubes and then started with preamp.

For 12AX7 - Tung Sol RI, Mullard RI, Sovtek, EH, TAD 7025 WA, TAD ECC83, GT-C, MB SPAX, Ruby, Preferred Series (TheTubeStore), JJ, RCA, JAN Phillips, Ei. Then 5751 and 12AY7 - GT, EH, JJ, Sovtek, GE, RCA, JAN Phillips, Siemens, and one that I think is a Japanese made RCA 5751(?).

The TAD 7025 was the best in V2, really rich in harmonics, articulate and balanced sound that was really clean and sparkly, yet easily pushed into smooth breakup with some volume. Then tried all of the same tubes in V1. V1 was more difficult to decide. I really liked the EH gold-pin 5751 (Cryo treated), very rich, warm and smooth, with decent sparkly highs. The Sovtek 12AX7A was very rich, clean and smooth, with decent highs. But, I finally settled on the Mullard RI 12AX7, which was close to the TAD sound in V2 to have the two channels fairly close in sound, with just enough difference to make it worth switching channels.

With many of the preamp tubes, the differences were subtle and I tried several of them a few times to really discern which was better for me. Now I have a great sound that I like, running the volume, bass, and treble of both channels around 5-ish, controlling the clean/breakup with the guitar volume, and switching with a cheap A/B/Y foot switch. Sounds great with single coils and hum-buckers. The normal channel is just a bit cleaner and smoother, and the Vibrato channel having a bit more grit in the mids when pushed.

Forgot to mention that the V1 and V2 tubes that I replaced, GT ECC83-S (JJ made) were a bit boomy and muddy sounding at volume. It was the same with the GT 6V6-S (JJ made), too muddy, too much like a 6L6 sound. The rest of the tubes are the stock GT. V3 - GT 12AT7 (EH), V4 - GT ECC83-S, V5 - GT 12AX7-R (Sovtek), V6 - GT 12AT7 (EH long-Plate), V9, the rectifier - GT 5AR4/GZ34 (JJ made).

_________________
---> "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
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 24 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: