Why not buy a 70's DR if you're on a budget?

coyotemorgan · April 1st, 2005, 11:05 AM

I've been looking for a new amp for under a $1000 for a while now and was all set to order a Reverend Kingsnake, and then I started looking at "vintage" Fender amps and prices and found that you can get a SilverFace Deluxe Reverb in pretty good shape for as little as $650 on the net, here or at gearpage or Ebay., or a Princeton for a few bucks less. If needed, for a couple hundred bucks you could get a great new speaker and a tune-up. These amps sound great, they're well constructed, their ptp wired. So i'm wondering, is it the cosmetic thing that stops people who want a good blues/rock/country amp that stops people from buying the DR's or is there something else I'm missing? Some enlightenment would help!

coyotemorgan · April 1st, 2005, 11:08 AM

Actually, I should mention I did buy the Traynor 50W last week but am going to return it. It's just too aggressive for my tastes, the sound too coloured, especially in the upper range. I put a Mullard into the V1 on this amp and it actually sounded worse in the upper range!

lewy · April 1st, 2005, 11:34 AM

I can't think of any good reason not to. The DR seems to be one amp that never had any dodgy models. People even speak well of the later SF ones with the pull boosts and stuff.

I bought '69 a few months back and love it to bits.

Tim Swartz · April 1st, 2005, 11:53 AM

No brainer IMO.

$1000 for a new amp will get you some mass produced item with a very limited life expectency.

$1000 for a '70s Fender means an amp that will out live you and your kids. Buy the DR for $700-$800, get it completely serviced; all electrolytics, any drifted resistors and tubes if needed. Install your favorite speaker. Done, enjoy!

And here is a real nice bonus; If you buy the new amp, in 10 years if it is still even working it will be worth maybe 1/2 of what you paid for it. That Fender, however, in 10 years will have at least doubled in value.

There are also good deals out there on used booteek amps that may fall into your price range, but they will not have the value appreciation of the Fender.

lenny · April 1st, 2005, 06:17 PM

yep, i agree too. if you are prepared to do a little maintenance, and possible "once over" on arrival (judging by your comments you are ), i think they are definitely a better amp than most anything you can get new without going "boutique" for substantially more money (like double).
i just got a '71 dr, it's really sweet. mine has a ceramic (i beleive) old early 70's jensen, and jj tube set where i told him i wanted lots of breakup, and WOW.
it's friggin LOUD and sounds great.
local shop owner had it listed at 1100, but they had a fire two doors down and he sold it to me "fire damaged" for 550. it doesnt even smell like smoke , so can you say ...
HELL YEA! ? i can :)

stephent2 · April 1st, 2005, 07:10 PM

In the last 6 months I've bought two '71 SFVRs. first one for $845 shipped (had RCAs and the footswitch) and the second '71 for $718 shipped, both all original and that's the best amp money I've spent. (except for a 1956 Magnatone Triplex 180 i bought for $150).

If I had the $$s and the storage space I'd buy every nice silverface Fender amp I run across.

35watts, 2x10s, that reverb and tremolo,...what's not to love?

EMan · April 1st, 2005, 10:29 PM

I bought my '72 DR off ebay a few years ago for $500.

Was kinda 'rough' looking, but the chassis was virgin. A trip through the 'car wash', new tank, tubes, caps, and a V30....it was as sweet as they come. Now that JJ makes those indestructable 6V6's, your excessive Plate voltage issues are a thing of the past.

I sold mine for $650 without the V30, bought it back for $550, put the V30 back in...kept it a couple of more years, and just recently traded it for a new American '52 Reissue Tele. Talk about an amp with karma!

Oh, and BTW, I had bought a '72 Super Reverb and a '79 Twin Reverb (UL) in about the same time frame. Both required about the same minimal repairs, and were both great sounding amps.

April 1st, 2005, 11:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
coyotemorgan Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Location: Toronto Posts: 147	Why not buy a 70's DR if you're on a budget? I've been looking for a new amp for under a $1000 for a while now and was all set to order a Reverend Kingsnake, and then I started looking at "vintage" Fender amps and prices and found that you can get a SilverFace Deluxe Reverb in pretty good shape for as little as $650 on the net, here or at gearpage or Ebay., or a Princeton for a few bucks less. If needed, for a couple hundred bucks you could get a great new speaker and a tune-up. These amps sound great, they're well constructed, their ptp wired. So i'm wondering, is it the cosmetic thing that stops people who want a good blues/rock/country amp that stops people from buying the DR's or is there something else I'm missing? Some enlightenment would help!

April 1st, 2005, 11:53 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tim Swartz Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan - Tweenst the Great Lakes Posts: 1,904	I'm with you 100% No brainer IMO. $1000 for a new amp will get you some mass produced item with a very limited life expectency. $1000 for a '70s Fender means an amp that will out live you and your kids. Buy the DR for $700-$800, get it completely serviced; all electrolytics, any drifted resistors and tubes if needed. Install your favorite speaker. Done, enjoy! And here is a real nice bonus; If you buy the new amp, in 10 years if it is still even working it will be worth maybe 1/2 of what you paid for it. That Fender, however, in 10 years will have at least doubled in value. There are also good deals out there on used booteek amps that may fall into your price range, but they will not have the value appreciation of the Fender. __________________

April 1st, 2005, 07:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
stephent2 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA. Age: 57 Posts: 2,628 20 Photos	Vibrolux Reverb! In the last 6 months I've bought two '71 SFVRs. first one for $845 shipped (had RCAs and the footswitch) and the second '71 for $718 shipped, both all original and that's the best amp money I've spent. (except for a 1956 Magnatone Triplex 180 i bought for $150). If I had the $$s and the storage space I'd buy every nice silverface Fender amp I run across. 35watts, 2x10s, that reverb and tremolo,...what's not to love? __________________ ".. Pine cones go in here (points to still), party liquors comes out here and proceed to here (mouth). Fights begin, finger prints are took, days is lost, bail is made, court dates are ignored, cycle is repeated". -- Earlie Cuyler, Squidbillies

April 1st, 2005, 10:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
EMan Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 939	Me too! I bought my '72 DR off ebay a few years ago for $500. Was kinda 'rough' looking, but the chassis was virgin. A trip through the 'car wash', new tank, tubes, caps, and a V30....it was as sweet as they come. Now that JJ makes those indestructable 6V6's, your excessive Plate voltage issues are a thing of the past. I sold mine for $650 without the V30, bought it back for $550, put the V30 back in...kept it a couple of more years, and just recently traded it for a new American '52 Reissue Tele. Talk about an amp with karma! Oh, and BTW, I had bought a '72 Super Reverb and a '79 Twin Reverb (UL) in about the same time frame. Both required about the same minimal repairs, and were both great sounding amps.

April 1st, 2005, 11:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
coyotemorgan Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Location: Toronto Posts: 147	Actually, I should mention I did buy the Traynor 50W last week but am going to return it. It's just too aggressive for my tastes, the sound too coloured, especially in the upper range. I put a Mullard into the V1 on this amp and it actually sounded worse in the upper range!

April 1st, 2005, 11:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
lewy TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 34	I can't think of any good reason not to. The DR seems to be one amp that never had any dodgy models. People even speak well of the later SF ones with the pull boosts and stuff. I bought '69 a few months back and love it to bits.

April 1st, 2005, 06:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
lenny Banned Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New Haven, CT. USA Posts: 3,219	yep, i agree too. if you are prepared to do a little maintenance, and possible "once over" on arrival (judging by your comments you are ), i think they are definitely a better amp than most anything you can get new without going "boutique" for substantially more money (like double). i just got a '71 dr, it's really sweet. mine has a ceramic (i beleive) old early 70's jensen, and jj tube set where i told him i wanted lots of breakup, and WOW. it's friggin LOUD and sounds great. local shop owner had it listed at 1100, but they had a fire two doors down and he sold it to me "fire damaged" for 550. it doesnt even smell like smoke , so can you say ... HELL YEA! ? i can :)