Back to the 66 Deluxe...

hal · May 13th, 2008, 08:51 PM

I guess this is ok in this forum. Maybe it belongs in amp central.

I recently had my 66 Deluxe in for a tune up. Nothing that changed it--just new caps, some NOS tubes to replace bad ones, cleaning the pots, etc. I have never had that done and I've owned it since about 1970.

When I got the Deluxe it had at Radio Shack speaker. I changed it to a JBL E series. This was a popular upgrade back then. I still have that speaker in the amp. I had to replace the speaker cloth as well. Other than that it's pretty much original. I paid 100.00 for it.

So I get it home and run it with my Tele. Sounds amazing. I run through all my guitars with it and I'm loving it. The amp sounds killer with all my pedals. I A/B it with some of my other amps and I like the Deluxe better. So I start taking it to all my electric gigs--about 3-5 a week counting church. The other musicians are making positive comments about my tone. I'm loving it too, and I think I'm playing a little better. I'm remembering how I loved this amp when I first started playing.

So after several years of using a Dr. Z and and Goodsell, I'm back where I started. And loving my sound. Those amps are history now. I am having an A/B switch made so I can run two amps if I want, but I cannot forsee going to a gig without this amp ever again. I feel like I have gone full circle, come home, gone back to my roots--all of those corny sayings. And this has really taken me by surprise.

Anyone else out there have a similar experience? I have said this before but it bears repeating. If you can't get good tone out of an old Deluxe, you might need to sell everything and take up the violin.

Dennis68 · May 13th, 2008, 08:53 PM

Sometimes we have to walk the circle to realize what we started wasn't so bad at all. At least you had the right of mind to keep your Deluxe to go back to!

hal · May 13th, 2008, 08:55 PM

Yes. I could never sell it.

shoretyus · May 13th, 2008, 09:04 PM

Nope........ just never had another amp.

I have had new caps and stuff this winter. This thing has never sounded as good since 82 when I bought it.
I did ditched the Utah speaker for a Jensen out of a Leslie 125 ... great.

4 Strings · May 14th, 2008, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis68

Sometimes we have to walk the circle to realize we we started wasn't so bad at all. At least you has the right of mind to keep your Deluxe to go back to!

+1

That's why I picked the quote below...

Dennis68 · May 14th, 2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4 Strings

+1

That's why I picked the quote below...

Yep! I guess it's just human nature to explore. I should just buy a new tube amp today and be done with this never ending search for the next best thing.

May 13th, 2008, 08:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
hal Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 859	Back to the 66 Deluxe... I guess this is ok in this forum. Maybe it belongs in amp central. I recently had my 66 Deluxe in for a tune up. Nothing that changed it--just new caps, some NOS tubes to replace bad ones, cleaning the pots, etc. I have never had that done and I've owned it since about 1970. When I got the Deluxe it had at Radio Shack speaker. I changed it to a JBL E series. This was a popular upgrade back then. I still have that speaker in the amp. I had to replace the speaker cloth as well. Other than that it's pretty much original. I paid 100.00 for it. So I get it home and run it with my Tele. Sounds amazing. I run through all my guitars with it and I'm loving it. The amp sounds killer with all my pedals. I A/B it with some of my other amps and I like the Deluxe better. So I start taking it to all my electric gigs--about 3-5 a week counting church. The other musicians are making positive comments about my tone. I'm loving it too, and I think I'm playing a little better. I'm remembering how I loved this amp when I first started playing. So after several years of using a Dr. Z and and Goodsell, I'm back where I started. And loving my sound. Those amps are history now. I am having an A/B switch made so I can run two amps if I want, but I cannot forsee going to a gig without this amp ever again. I feel like I have gone full circle, come home, gone back to my roots--all of those corny sayings. And this has really taken me by surprise. Anyone else out there have a similar experience? I have said this before but it bears repeating. If you can't get good tone out of an old Deluxe, you might need to sell everything and take up the violin. __________________ Wherever you go, there you are.

May 13th, 2008, 08:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
Dennis68 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hudson Valley Posts: 757	Sometimes we have to walk the circle to realize what we started wasn't so bad at all. At least you had the right of mind to keep your Deluxe to go back to! __________________ -Dennis Last edited by Dennis68; May 14th, 2008 at 09:50 AM.

May 13th, 2008, 08:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
hal Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 859	66 Deluxe.. Yes. I could never sell it. __________________ Wherever you go, there you are.

May 13th, 2008, 09:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
shoretyus Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: canada Posts: 406	Nope........ just never had another amp. I have had new caps and stuff this winter. This thing has never sounded as good since 82 when I bought it. I did ditched the Utah speaker for a Jensen out of a Leslie 125 ... great.