Tell me about the Deluxe Reverb

[mcgannahan]

Hi,

I've been a member here for about a year and a half now, and I think I've only posted a couple of times, before and right after I bought a CV Tele back in June 07. At that time I also bought a SuperChamp XD which I really, REALLY like-- although I really only use the clean channel as I don't really groove on the "voices" that much. I play mostly clean, country twang type stuff, but I don't mind a little edge when it's needed. I guess an overdrive pedal is all I really need for that. Thing is, I'd kinda like something with a little more oomph, you know. The SCXD is great, but a little thin when I got together with some old buddies recently for some jamming.

I'd been thinking about snatching one of those Peavey Classic 30s I see on Craigslist all the time, but something is telling me I should stay with the Fender tone, since I know at the very least that I like that tone. I kind of don't want to waste my time on "almost perfect" if the perfect amp is only a couple hundred more, you know? No offense intended towards Peaveys here, and this is why I'm posting this thread, in the hopes I can justify my Fender leanings.

So I've been thinking about aiming towards a Deluxe Reverb 65 reissue. But I'm not sure, maybe there's something else in the Fender line up that would suit me better? I'm not looking for huge volume, like a Twin Reverb, and I admit to being quite unknowledgable when it comes to amps. My head is swimming when I try to follow threads on here! I guess my question is, would this be "the perfect amp".

Thanks for taking the time to read this, friends.

Rick

[strat a various]

You need to get to as many music stores and pawnshops as you can, try out amps. Get out to as many live music gigs as you can and hear some amps up close. You can't go wrong with DRRI for bluesy cleans and pedal friendly medium volume, but there are lots of amps out there.

[Lance]

The DR is probably the most perfect package of power, tone, size, and weight - that's why it's popular. As you already have an XD, what you'll be gaining is power. The amps have very similar tone characteristics...with the DR have a better bass response w/the larger speaker. A Classic 30 is a fine amp and is popular as it's very much like the DR for less $$$.....however, compared side by side, I've found the DR's tones just a bit better all around. Note, if you want loud, the C30 can get a bit louder than a DR w/o breaking up but that louder than I'd ever play at.

You can't really go wrong....just get the DR. There's a few tweaks to consider; e.g., increasing the bias, better tubes...maybe speaker swaps, etc. (research other posts on the site). It's certainly an amp that you'd keep forever.

[Cheesehead]

Love my 65 DRRI.

[stantheman]

I'm one of the ones who is not impressed with The DRRI.
I've heard all of the "cold-bias from the factory stuff".
IMHO any of the Silverface Deluxe Reverbs including "push/pulls" are Tonally superior to any of the DRRI's.

If it were my money and the choices were DRRI vs. Classic 30.
The "30" would win everytime.

If it were a Silverface Deluxe Reverb vs. Classic 30.
The "Silverface" would win everytime.

The only Fender Reissue I'm crazy about because everyone I played through is righteous is the Blackface Twin Reverb - it does everything a great Twin Reverb is supposed to do.

[ProToneThinline]

Originally Posted by stantheman

I'm one of the ones who is not impressed with The DRRI.
I've heard all of the "cold-bias from the factory stuff".
IMHO any of the Silverface Deluxe Reverbs including "push/pulls" are Tonally superior to any of the DRRI's.

If it were my money and the choices were DRRI vs. Classic 30.
The "30" would win everytime.

If it were a Silverface Deluxe Reverb vs. Classic 30.
The "Silverface" would win everytime.

The only Fender Reissue I'm crazy about because everyone I played through is righteous is the Blackface Twin Reverb - it does everything a great Twin Reverb is supposed to do.

I am also not a fan of the DRRI. I've had one for several years, and constantly struggled with it. I've done mods, swapped speakers, changed out tubes (even tried NOS tubes), re-set the bias, and still not satisfied. I think the tone is harsh, and the amp feels "dead". However, it does get points for reliability. I gigged with mine last night, probably for the last time. It's time to move on to something else.

Like strat a various said, you need to get out and audition as many amps as you can, to find the one that fits. Here are my suggestions (all are priced the same or less than a DRRI:

Fender Blues Junior
Bugera V22 (this is a cool amp for $350)
Egnater Rebel 30
Peavey Classic 30
Marshall Haze
Vox AC15 or Night Train

I recently played all of these amps, and all were pretty cool. Like I said, I'm going to ditch my DRRI, and will probably replace it with one of the above. I'm currenly leaning toward the Egnater. I have a Tourmaster, but it's just too much amp for what I do, but the tone and feel are both outstanding.

[stantheman]

I call this one "The Decider", take the DRRI and do whatever You want to do with it - rebias, retube, - everything but changing out The Board itself.

Ok? Now - put it beside an old beat to heck Peavey Bandit 65 and play through both.

[ASC67]

Both are nice amps ! classic 30 probably will have more clean headroom.

[EZchair Picker]

Two very different sounding amps. Try both and see which one suits you best.

[gaddis]

You need to try one and let your own ears be the judge. If you can only own one blackface Fender, the DRRI is the one to get. But different people have different tastes so you have to ultimately decide for yourself. I personally think its a great amp. Mine is totally stock and I have not rebiased or anything else.

[elmatt]

I have the classic 30 and feel it is a fantastic buy. However, it doesn't have the Fender clean sound/reverb that I look for... close but not quite. It is my back-up amp or something I use for Jazz (the mid boost is great with my Epi Sheraton II). However, I prefer it the the DRRI; to me they seem a little too bright and cold.

[strat a various]

Originally Posted by ASC67

Both are nice amps ! classic 30 probably will have more clean headroom.

C 30 does not have more clean headroom.

[ASC67]

Originally Posted by strat a various

C 30 does not have more clean headroom.

really

[dantonel]

Originally Posted by Cheesehead

Love my 65 DRRI.

+1

[Singin' Dave]

Get yourself a SFDR and smile every day.

[mcgannahan]

Originally Posted by Singin' Dave

Get yourself a SFDR and smile every day.

What is this?



BTW, I did stop by Guitar Center with a buddy last Friday and attempted to try out a few amps, including the Peavey Classic 30 and the DRRI. I say attempted because as soon as started wailing on the first amp the salesguy runs over and tells me to keep it down "so they can hear the intercom". I mean really! Like my friend said afterwards, I should have replied "I bet you don't say that to all the little shredheads that are in here every Saturday".

[ASC67]

Originally Posted by mcgannahan

What is this?



BTW, I did stop by Guitar Center with a buddy last Friday and attempted to try out a few amps, including the Peavey Classic 30 and the DRRI. I say attempted because as soon as started wailing on the first amp the salesguy runs over and tells me to keep it down "so they can hear the intercom". I mean really! Like my friend said afterwards, I should have replied "I bet you don't say that to all the little shredheads that are in here every Saturday".

silver face deluxe reverb..70's era

[stantheman]

Originally Posted by Singin' Dave

Get yourself a SFDR and smile every day.

Yep!!!

[Telenator]

Seriously, I don't mean to be a troll but, why not go out and play one and then tell us about it.

[strat a various]

Originally Posted by mcgannahan

What is this?



BTW, I did stop by Guitar Center with a buddy last Friday and attempted to try out a few amps, including the Peavey Classic 30 and the DRRI. I say attempted because as soon as started wailing on the first amp the salesguy runs over and tells me to keep it down "so they can hear the intercom". I mean really! Like my friend said afterwards, I should have replied "I bet you don't say that to all the little shredheads that are in here every Saturday".

Don't pay any attention to salesboys at Guitar Center. Take the amp to the amp room, and if a salesman interrupts your sound test, give him your credit card and tell him to go wait at the cash register. If you get a particularly stupid salesman, ask to talk to a manager, explain that you came to buy an amp and you want to test a couple at higher than whisper volume.
There's no point getting sensitive about the salespeople, they have to put up with nonsense all day long and they're not exactly highly trained. I don't want their respect, I just want them to beat Musician's Friend's price.

[TeleV]

Here's a good demo of a DRRI...hard not love this amp...but hey that's me decide for yourself

[mcgannahan]

Originally Posted by Telenator

Seriously, I don't mean to be a troll but, why not go out and play one and then tell us about it.

Read my post just a couple above yours. Anyway, I was more interested in other people's experience with the amp.

[mcgannahan]

Went to GC again last night and played the DRRI and the Peavey C30 side by side...

The DRRI definitely wins for clean tone. Really hard to beat that sweet tone, although the Peavey doesn't sound a lot worse. The tube reverb is probably superior in the DRRI, but I don't use a huge amount of reverb anyway, just a taste, so that isn't a big issue.

The Peavey on the other hand had a really nice, snappy overdrive. The boost was very nice too. The ability to switch between clean and overdrive with a footswitch, plus the boost really makes this one nice. Plus it's $300 less than the DRRI.

Overall, I'm thinking the Peavey would be the better purchase for the $$$, and although the clean Fender tone of the DRRI would be nice, I always have the SCXD to go for that I suppose.

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by mcgannahan

Went to GC again last night and played the DRRI and the Peavey C30 side by side...

The DRRI definitely wins for clean tone. Really hard to beat that sweet tone, although the Peavey doesn't sound a lot worse. The tube reverb is probably superior in the DRRI, but I don't use a huge amount of reverb anyway, just a taste, so that isn't a big issue.

The Peavey on the other hand had a really nice, snappy overdrive. The boost was very nice too. The ability to switch between clean and overdrive with a footswitch, plus the boost really makes this one nice. Plus it's $300 less than the DRRI.

Overall, I'm thinking the Peavey would be the better purchase for the $$$, and although the clean Fender tone of the DRRI would be nice, I always have the SCXD to go for that I suppose.

As the video shows, you gotta crank the DRRI up to about 7 to overdrive it.

But if you get a nice tubescreamer (I have a TS808), problem solved.

[Single-coil]

As the owner of 3 hand-wired Fender amps (TR, DR, PR), the DR is the one that I can use for any gig and it will sound great. Funk band with my pedalboard and Strat, R&B gig with the Strat or my 335 plugged straight in, jazz gig with my 335 and the amp makes the guitar have such depth. After all these hours of gigging and practicing with it, it is still breathtaking to hear the depth and clarity of its sound.

[ProToneThinline]

Originally Posted by mcgannahan

Went to GC again last night and played the DRRI and the Peavey C30 side by side...

The DRRI definitely wins for clean tone. Really hard to beat that sweet tone, although the Peavey doesn't sound a lot worse. The tube reverb is probably superior in the DRRI, but I don't use a huge amount of reverb anyway, just a taste, so that isn't a big issue.

The Peavey on the other hand had a really nice, snappy overdrive. The boost was very nice too. The ability to switch between clean and overdrive with a footswitch, plus the boost really makes this one nice. Plus it's $300 less than the DRRI.

Overall, I'm thinking the Peavey would be the better purchase for the $$$, and although the clean Fender tone of the DRRI would be nice, I always have the SCXD to go for that I suppose.

FWIW, I just traded my DRRI in on a C-30. The DRRI has a good clean tone by itself, but doesn't really sit in the mix all that well on stage. As said earlier, the DRRI doesn't hit the sweet spot until you're above "6". At that point, it was too loud to be useful for me. The C-30 hits the sweet spot much sooner.

Personally, I think the Peavey's reverb is better. The DRRI gets way too washed out unless you keep it at "2" or below.

As always, YMMV.

[Axis29]

I love my DRRI. I bought it used off Cragslist a couple of years ago and love it, love it, love it, love it.

I end up spending a lot of time on my SCXD at home, since I bought it. Simply because of volume constraints. But when it comes to live, there is no substitute for my DRRI.

I have compared my DRRI to a real 66 DR and the sound was amazingly similar. I have the stock speaker, but have JJ and RCA preamp tubes as well as some RCA blackplate power tubes. That and a bias adjustment are all I've done to it.


If I came across a good deal on a Silverface DR, I'd hop on it in a second. Not because I think it would really sound better than my DRRI, but because in the long run the value would be much higher.

[scantron81]

Originally Posted by ProToneThinline

I am also not a fan of the DRRI. I've had one for several years, and constantly struggled with it. I've done mods, swapped speakers, changed out tubes (even tried NOS tubes), re-set the bias, and still not satisfied. I think the tone is harsh, and the amp feels "dead". However, it does get points for reliability.

Originally Posted by ProToneThinline

FWIW, I just traded my DRRI in on a C-30. The DRRI has a good clean tone by itself, but doesn't really sit in the mix all that well on stage. As said earlier, the DRRI doesn't hit the sweet spot until you're above "6". At that point, it was too loud to be useful for me. The C-30 hits the sweet spot much sooner.

Personally, I think the Peavey's reverb is better. The DRRI gets way too washed out unless you keep it at "2" or below.

As always, YMMV.

You pretty much described my experience with the DRRI. It's such a good size, easy on the back, looks nice, but on stage, in the mix it just needs some help. I'm on the verge of trying NOS tubes. I've been thinking of doing a speaker swap to 2x10's. I've started running two amps on stage lately to help my tone.
It's not all bad, sometimes I'm very happy with it but when I go to a club and the sound guy wants me to keep my volume at "2" I know I'm in for a sterile night.

[EZchair Picker]

If you're set on the fender sound and don't need the volume of a deluxe reverb, the princeton reverb may hit the mark. I've had a PRRI for a few months now and it's "the fender tone" that I've always wanted. I used it for a while with my last band and it really sounded great every time. It mostly depends on how loud your band plays though.... I could definatley see it getting overpowered by a heavy handed drummer. The PRRI gets enough mojo going at lower volumes that you can play it at home and it sounds good as well. FWIW, I never really tuned into the sounds that the DRRI offered as I found it to be a little shrill and cold as some of the others have said.....but I do have a couple Classic 30s and they're my bread and butter amps.