Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb

Jag har haft min Deluxe Reverb i ca två år. Det har varit två felfria år utan några som helst problem. Deluxen är robust och tål mycket. Jag har laborerat fram och tillbaka med olika rör (ändrat bias kors & tvärs), högtalare osv och förstärkaren har tackat och tagit emot utan att protestera.

Tonen är helt ok, det finns mycket bas att tillgå och diskanten kan justeras till knivskarp alternativt dov. Originalhögtalaren är inte jättemycket att hänga i julgranen, den bytte jag ganska snabbt. Av de högtalarelement jag gått igenom passar Celestion Alnico Blue bäst.

En sak jag saknar som blivit mer och mer påtagligt under de senaste månaderna är en "Master volym-funktion". Rörförstärkare låter enligt min mening bäst när de får jobba hårt. För mig blir volymen nästan outhärdlig vid 3.5 - 4 på reglaget och då snackar vi tomgång. Tänk då hur högt det är vid 7 - 8 vid den s.k "sweet spotten" där rören, transformatorerna osv jobbar för fullt. Finns bra verktyg om man nu verkligen vill sänka volymen men låta förstärkaren jobba hårt, te.x en attenuaor.

Deluxen är lite "kinkig" med vilka overdrive/dist-pedaler man matar den med. Jag har gått igenom ett antal pedaler för att hitta de som jobbar bra tillsammans med förstärkaren.

Allt som allt är jag supernöjd. Såg rätt nyligen att Fender släppt en "head-version" av Deluxen, ett väldigt smidigt alternativ till combon.


Betyg: 4 av 5 stjärnor

I bought this one year ago, after having used a vintge 70s one in the studio for recording my album. Tube amp iso a must for me, as i only use analogue effects.

Sound: like most Fender tube amps, this sounds PERFECT. Clean all the way through volume level 4, slightly crunchy at 5-6, distorted after 7. This amp does NOT have a distorted/crunchy/overdrive channel, this gets done the old fashioned way, adjusting the volume level. I use it at 4, which is still clean, but very bright, but my sound is enhanced permanently using an Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS9) at 20% gain. I use the Vibrato channel, as i just love the reverb ( real spring reverb!) and i keep it at level 3. I don't really use the tremolo effect on the amp, i find it a bit too soft (using a Marshall tremolo pedal instead).

I use a Fender Jaguar and a Gibson LP, the amp sounds really perfect with both single coils and with humbuckers. When i switch from the Jaguar to the Gibson, i just turn Treble up from 5 to 6, and Bass down from 6 to 5.

I use it at home now, i don't play in a band these days. I use it through a Koch Dummybox Home (and a Vox mini-amp at rhe end) to play through headphones most of the times. I imagine that using this for small gigs, for me at leadt, would surely need amplification, as you cannot crank it up too much if you want to keep it sounding clean (as it does not have a Clean channel); so i would keep it at volume 4, which gives the sound i need, and amplify it (maybe with the dummyload!).

I'm not rating this 5 for features and handling as it is not really for everyone, anyone. No loop circuit for effects rig, no overdrive channel, the Power and Stand-by switches are in the back (but you get the hang of that in a coupke of weeks), and it is pretty heavy for only 22W. BUT that is all in the name of keeping it identical to the original Deluxe, and rhe result is pretty good, my guitars sound the same as through the vintage one that got me into Deluxe Reverb in the firrst place.

Skip all the pedals, and plug in. feel the magic.

This thing sounds rich, and for anyone not thrashing/tapping/screaming, this thing will pull off everything you throw at it. Neighbours will also be well aware of its arrival. There is more punch than any home needs, and is ideal for any mic'd stage.

The vibrato channel is annoyingly noisy/clicky unless the vibrato is off, but that is somewhat expected given that this amp-and-circuit design is not supposed to behave like a modern piece of kit. The reverb is delicious, and is often rich-enough at 3-4.

The 'normal' channel seems to play nicely with pedal-fx such as overdrive, wah, etc. just run 'treble' and 'bass' at 6-7, sometimes there is too much high-end. At low volumes of 1-2, it sounds sweet.

My reverb pedals tend to fall shy of this spring-reverb, which is re-assuring given the terms 'deluxe' and 'reverb' in the product name.

Now waiting for the neighbours to take a long-holiday so I can run the valves warmer....