Anyone use a Deluxe Reverb for non-pedal steel?

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 19 Apr 2001 8:52 am

I'm selling my Boogie Mark 1 Reissue (see Buy and Sell if interested) and am thinking that I'll replace it with a Fender Deluxe Reverb (probably a '65 reissue, can't afford a vintage blackface, even the silverfaces are too high). Anyone used these for non-pedal steel? I plan to use it with my Stringmaster and also Gibson 335, Daneletro etc.

I don't think it's relatively low power will be an issue for me, as I rarely play outside my house.

I'm looking for a great clean tone that warms up as the volume increases. I think the Deluxe Reverb might be that amp.

Opinions?

Bill

John Hanusch · Post by **John Hanusch** » 19 Apr 2001 9:45 am

Bill, I don't think you can go wrong with the DRRI. It's an investment. I don't have one myself, yet, but do have a vintage & love it. Best thing to do if possible, with any amp - take it home for a day or so & try out as many (same & different makes/models) as practical, tweak those knobs & get the one that sounds the best to you. But, don't even, plug into a Twin Reverb unless you want to shell out a couple hundred more & lug around another 30 lbs.

[This message was edited by John Hanusch on 19 April 2001 at 10:54 AM.]

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 19 Apr 2001 10:02 am

Thanks John.

I wish it were easy for me to take home amps for trial runs but in my case this is impractical. It's one of the reasons I'm leery of buying off eBay etc. I figure that with a reissue the quality should be pretty consistent, whereas the older ones vary in terms of their sound. And I am aware that a vintage model is superior in construction and sound to a reissue, but I think the reissue should be good enough for my purposes (unless there's someone reading this that has a nice vintage DR they'd like to sell me for the price of a reissue!).

WRT the Twin Reverb, I hear you. I have a Boogie combo now (too heavy for me) and used to own a non-master silverface Twin with JBL D130s. That was a nice amp and served me well playing 5 nights a week for a couple of years.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 19 Apr 2001 10:42 am

Hey Bill were'nt we playing through my Deluxe Re-issue when you were over at the house last??
If not than; yes I had one and around the house for a while, and is what I played my Stringmaster and Deluxe through and it was perfect and sounded awesome for that.
Ricky

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 19 Apr 2001 3:38 pm

I use a 1973 Deluxe Reverb myself and am very happy with the sound. I've been using a Pro Junior, but I missed the reverb, and the Deluxe Reverb has a bit more power, resulting in a bit more "oomph" to the sound.
If you truly are looking for a lighter, low powered alternative, a less expensive option might be the Fender Blues Junior. It's 15 watts through a ten inch speaker, with reverb (like the Pro Junior but with reverb). Plenty of power for bedroom playing.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 19 Apr 2001 4:35 pm

Don't pass up a Princeton Reverb if you see one. It's essentially a single channel Deluxe Reverb with a 10" speaker. You might find a SF or a late 70's SF with the pull boost for less than $500. The pull boost has no effect if it's not kicked in, and these amps are point to point wired.

Other good choices might be a 70's DR II or Princeton Reverb II.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 19 Apr 2001 5:39 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

I like the DR best because it has enough power to play with a band that plays at fairly moderate levels. In other words, it's fairly "gigable" (should I ever get a call

I also think the reverb is superior on the DR to say a Blues Jr. I also prefer the sound of DRs to the Pro Jr and Blues Jr, which I've tried (with standard guitar) and didn't care much for.

The Princeton is a cool amp but for me it is not as versatle for guitar and lap steel in the long run (I tend to keep things a long time, so I want to make a choice I can live with for awhile). If anything, I'd want to step UP from the DR to a Vibrolux or something like that. I've also though about the Hot Rod Deluxe but the reverb isn't very good on those (decent blues amp though).

Bill

PS Ricky, I think that was a DRRI I was playing through at your place come to think of it. That was a great lesson. And you'll be happy to know I've improved a lot since then!

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 20 Apr 2001 12:03 am

Yeah Bill I thought I still had that amp when you were here.
Hey pal; I bet you Have improved; your an extreamly talented musician; and have a real nitch for the Steel Guitar my friend.
Have fun and let us know what you come up with.
Ricky

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 20 Apr 2001 1:09 am

For an inexpensive lap steel amp, I personally prefer the Peavey classic 30 (not 50). My main gripe with the Deluxe is the high cost and low quality of 6v6 tubes that are generally available. The Classic 30 is about the same size and weight as a Deluxe, is about twice as powerful, and there are plenty of excellent EL84 tubes out there.

The ultimate lap steel amp is the THD Univalve. At a list of less than a grand, it is a deal, outperforming many amps at two or three times the cost. Check it out: http://thdelectronics.com/products/index.html

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www.tyacktunes.com [This message was edited by Dan Tyack on 20 April 2001 at 02:10 AM.]

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 20 Apr 2001 6:25 am

I have both a Deluxe Reissue and a Classic 30. To my ears, they really sound very different depending on the guitar. I like the Peavey for rock lap steel playing with my older Melobars and Electar guitars. For everything else, though, I love the sound of my Fender. With either my Console Grande or my Stringmaster, the sound of the Fender can't be beat to my ears.

The only problem (if you can call it that), is that I couldn't get enough stage volume from the Deluxe on some outdoor amphitheater type shows. Without enough soundcheck time to get it right, the sound got lost against the roaring stage volume of the guitars. At the time, I talked to Mike Brown at Peavey who suggested a tube amp of theirs called the Ranger. I never did get a chance to try one out but, from the literture he sent, it looked like it could well be a great non-pedal amp. Anyone ever get a chance to try one of these?

David Biagini · Post by **David Biagini** » 20 Apr 2001 7:04 am

I often play my Stringmaster through a Victoria 20112 (tweed Deluxe replica) and a Fender reissue reverb tank. The tweeds don't sound exactly like the blackfaces but they both use 6v6 power tubes and I love the sound of 6v6's! You can always replace the stock power and preamp tubes with NOS - I prefer GE 6v6's but the RCA's are also good.

The bottom line is I think you'll be happy with a Deluxe.

thurlon hopper · Post by **thurlon hopper** » 23 Apr 2001 8:27 pm

I have a blonde re-issue 1965 Deluxe and a
Peavey Nash. 1000 and for playing in my basement, i really like the Fender. Full
range sound plus excellent reverb. If you
have to compete with the rigs that most
guitarists use you need more watts than the
Deluxe has. MHO TJ Hopper

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 24 Apr 2001 11:28 am

Umm, I saw Greg Leisz playing his nonpedals through a Deluxe Reverb last Friday (yes, I'm bragging).

yeah, he sounded ok.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 26 Apr 2001 10:36 am

Picked up the Deluxe Reverb Reissue the other night. This amp sounds great with my guitars!

One note: Up until a few months ago, these amps shipped with an Eminence speaker, which a lot of people complained was too bright. The newest models have a Jensen speaker (as mine does). I was able to compare both side by side and each has its merits, but I decided to go with the Jensen. I probably could have made some tone control adjustments and have been happy with the Eminence too. BTW the list price went up $100 bucks on the new ones...

Bill

johnely · Post by **johnely** » 4 May 2001 1:03 am

Bill, Ricky, and all

The Deluxe is overall my favorite amp of all time. I've used it on most recordings, and here in Hawaii, it would be a fantastic live amp since most of the music here is low-volume with no drums. The only problem is they go for around $1500 here!

My '63 Vibroverb Reissue works great here, but can't match the smoothness and rich bass of a Stringmaster thru a Deluxe. I am amazed, though, that the Vibroverb's 2 10" speakers can deliver such low-end warmth and richness. And the reverb is the best I've ever heard.

Aloha all, John