Dirty Deluxe Reverb

[NealVossy]

I've got an early 70's SF Deluxe that I've recently replaced the speaker with a Cannabis Rex and replaced the power tubes with some GT 6V6s. Preamp tubes are alright as far as I can tell. The problem I'm having is that I have no headroom most of the time. Sometimes when playing the amp, I'm plenty loud and have great string definition and bite without being to gainy. Sometimes when I play it, I'm cranking it to 7 or 8 and I have like half the volume and a very muddy gain. I got this amp in above average condition for free a few years back, and at that time I had it re-capped and everything. Those few years back the amp wasn't seeing serious play at all. The amp formerly had 5881s, and I took it to a tech who examined my bias and let me know that I could throw in 6V6s without a problem. Any suggestions out there?

[garytelecastor]

Neal-I can't help you with the amp situation, but I do want to Welcome you to the forum. So....Welcome to the forum.

[Axis29]

I would suggest checking all of your tubes. A few years is about time to check power tubes for sure.

I think when it gets gainy and you begin losing headroom it's a preamp tube and when you begin losing power altogether, it's power tubes.... or at least that's where I'd start looking.

And the best way to check tubes is to simply put known good ones in place. A set of new producion 6v6's are only 20 bucks or so and a couple of 12ax7's will run about the same.

[jaydawg]

I think a little more info would help too. What guitar and pups are you using? And at what point is the breakup starting?

With my tele and some mid-6K Don Mare pups my silverface DR starts breaking up between 4-6 depending on how hard I'm hitting it. If your using a Les Paul I could see your DR breaking up between 3-5 on the volume control. I also bet the LP would lean to the dark/muddy side with a DR.

[Big White Tele]

I would agree with Jay, Any mods? If you post a few pics of the board someone might spot something. A lot of the little mods floating around could make that amp sound like that. But as mentioned,Tubes are a good place to start.

[jhundt]

The amp formerly had 5881s, and I took it to a tech who examined my bias and let me know that I could throw in 6V6s without a problem.

Yes, you could throw in 6V6s, but you would have to re-bias the amp or it would sound bad.

The way you worded it, it sounds like the tech did NOT install the 6V6s and rebias, but only gave you an opinion that the amp could take 6V6s. (BTW - 6V6s are standard in the Deluxe).

So it sounds to me like maybe the problem is that you put the 6V6s in there but did not re-bias.

[Tremo]

Originally Posted by jhundt

Yes, you could throw in 6V6s, but you would have to re-bias the amp or it would sound bad.

The way you worded it, it sounds like the tech did NOT install the 6V6s and rebias, but only gave you an opinion that the amp could take 6V6s. (BTW - 6V6s are standard in the Deluxe).

So it sounds to me like maybe the problem is that you put the 6V6s in there but did not re-bias.

+1, exactly what I was thinking. It's a fixed bias amp. If it's been biased for 5881s, and you just throw in 6V6s without rebias, the 6V6s will be running stone cold. You will get low volume and bad sound.

[Telenator]

Tell your drummer to calm down!

I have gigged a Dleuxe Reverb for years with no problems except overly aggressive drummers. Ruins it for everyone.

A Deluxe Reverb is a great amp but it has a pretty narrow "sweet spot" where you can best utilize it's dynamic range. If the group is too loud, or, not quite loud enough, the deluxe Reverb flounders a bit. Same reason I don't play tweed amps. They're even worse in this regard.