Fender Deluxe

Charlie Paterno · From: Westerly, Rhode Island, USA

I have a 71 fender deluxe. Years back I changed the original speaker with a jbl- d131. I still have the fender blue speaker,but was wondering what affect if any does it have on how well the bass,treble rolloff work? Charlie Paterno

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

Hey Charlie. Speaker choice certainly will have a big affect on overall performance of that (or any) amp. I really transformed my Deluxe Reverb (I assume yours is also Deluxe Reverb?), similar vintage, with a Weber California speaker. Some speakers have higher highs or lower lows so if that's what you mean, yes, it will change how you set your tone controls. It won't actually change anything about how the controls work. It's just that a speaker with a lot of high end (like a JBL) will have you rolling off more treble, etc.

Hey----way off topic---my brother and family has lived in Westerly for, like, 30 years. He retired from the school system and his wife is a librarian at the public library. Nice area.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 31 December 2004 at 10:45 AM.]

jim milewski · From: stowe, vermont

I spent the night in the Westerly jail many moons ago

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

The bass should be better, and the treble roll-off will be smoother. All in all, the JBL is a very "sweet" sounding speaker. It'll probably sound much smoother than that (cheap) stock Fender speaker, and probably be more efficient as well!

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 31 December 2004 at 02:00 PM.]

Charlie Paterno · From: Westerly, Rhode Island, USA

Thanks guys,But it seems like there isn't much taper from 1 to 10. Once your at 3 or 4 it sort of flattens out. Jon, I seem to remember something in the paper about your brother. And Jim you weren't roaming those beaches were you?

Scott Appleton · From: Ashland, Oregon

The amp may have some weak tone caps or the eq
tubes may be getting weak. You should have a lot more noticable tone controll than you are indicating.

------------------
Mullen S12 Almost Mooney
71 Tele, Regal 45
Sho Bud S10 NP
Line 6 Flextone 3 + JBL D130, Nash 112

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

They used fast taper pots on the 70's amps for sure. Most of the gain on the volume controls is right up front at 3-4.

It's a dirty little trick manufacturers use to make you think the amp is way more powerful than it really is. A lot of amps out there hit full power at 2-4 on the scale, after that, no more appreciable power is gained. I was playing a new Fender amp in a music store yesterday, I could hit full-tilt power at about 3 with a Peavey Wolfgang guitar. Kids just love that! Makes it so easy to sell an amp tot eh average customer.
I remember selling Yamaha amps in the late 70's. A true volume control, at 10 it hit full power. But the average musician preferred the other amps we sold, thinking they had more power cause they were just as loud on 3-4 setting!
Specs and such are a game to sell equipment. I remember when I was attending audio school at Peavey in the late 70's, Hartley was talking about the spec game. "My amp has .001 percent THD but yours has .01 percent!". Well it is like he said, all things add in the audio chain. The best speakers were at that time 3-4 percent distortion! Add that to the power amp distortion figure and you could not tell one from power amp from the other! But low numbers would sell power amps!

[This message was edited by Ken Fox on 01 January 2005 at 10:33 AM.]

Andrew Buhler · From: Maryland, USA

That's interesting, Ken. In all the vintage Fender amps that I've had the volume taper has been all over the place. I had a 64 BF Concert that had a nice gradual taper, while my 69 SF Deluxe Reverb seems to max out before 5. I also have a 73 Dual Showman Reverb that has a very gradual volume taper.

Speaking of the Deluxe Reverb, I used to have a JBL K120 in that amp, but it would still distort at around 4 when playing steel--that amp just does not have enough clean headroom. It was nice for playing at home though.

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I think CBS amps did have a quick taper compared to Blackface amps.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

I read recently that Lloyd Green used a '65 Deluxe with a JBL D120 in it for the tracks he did on the Byrd's "Sweetheart of the Rodeo". I've got a '68 Deluxe with the D120 in it and I've even played steel thru it on some smaller gigs. Great for recording steel. Loudest 22watts I've ever had. Also, it's still to me the holy-grail amp for guitar. Those 6V6's have the best sound when they start to break up.

Brad Sarno

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Brad,
I'm with you on the Deluxe as a holy-grail amp. I have a 69 with an old Fane in it that is just perfect.

Bob

[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 01 January 2005 at 08:49 PM.]

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