Deluxe Reverb Reissue Mods/Upgrades/Experiences

Hello everybody.

I've got a deluxe reverb reissue and was curious to get other DRRI users opinions and experiences on any modifications or upgrades they've done to their amps.

I'll start off with my own.
Note: My main guitar with this setup was a '72 Tele Custom Reissue with a Glendale Bridge/Brass Compensated Saddles and a Fralin Blues Special in the Bridge and the stock Fender Special Design humbucker in the neck.

I purchased my DRRI used on craigslist to use in a project that required really low stage volume as the amp that I had been using, a Jeff Snider modified Sovtek Mig 60 (incredible amp), was just too aggressive for the delicateness of the new project (folky/indy rock). Prior to the Sovtek, my main amp had been a red knob "The Twin" which I thought was great for its powerful clean sound. I didn't use the gain channel in the Twin toward the end of its use, but used various overdrives to get the dirt I was after. I ended up selling it a few years ago. In the DRRI I was looking for a Fender amp with that classic Fender clean sound in a small package as I don't feel like lugging around a Twin sized amp, and all that power is overkill, and I was intrigued about getting an amp that I might be able to turn up a bit and get some nice power tube saturation at a level that wouldn't be too obnoxious.

I met the seller in a parking garage halfway between my home and his and I didn't audition the amp other than turn it on to make sure it had power.

I was excited when I got it home and plugged it in but was ultimately disappointed with its sound.

• it lacked low end
• its high end hurt the ears. very ice picky
• when pushed, it's breakup was god awful, no low end, farty, shrill, I could go on
• it didn't seem to like any overdrive/distortion pedal I put in front of it. I tried a Vintage RAT reissue, RAT II, HBE PowerScreamer, Maxon OD-808 Keeley Modded Blues Driver - all of which sounded shrill and the added upper mid range was awful save for the Blues Driver which manages to work decently in most situations.

I then proceeded to do a series of mods/upgrades to get it to sound like what I heard in my head.

• clipped the bright cap on the vibrato channel — an improvement. It reduced some of the ice pickiness and made the treble control a little more usable, but overall I was still unhappy.
• I purchased some THD Yellow Jackets thinking that maybe EL84's would be more the sound I was going for — again, an improvement. They shifted the frequency range of the amp so that it was much more pleasing. The low end was fuller and the highs much nicer, and it brought about a nice interaction between the tone controls. It also seemed to take overdrive units better, but it's natural distortion was still unfocused, farty, and one dimensional.
• I noticed an anomaly when switching between the 6V6's and Yellow Jackets and thought that maybe there was something wrong with the Power Tube sockets so I took the amp to my amp tech and it turns out the stock 6V6's were bad. Everything else was checked/biased and new 6V6's put in and the amp started to come alive. Overall it sounded better — more headroom, took pedals a little better, more depth, its overdrive was better, but still sounded a little shrill and lacked the overall definition I was looking for.
• I replaced the stock Eminence Special Design speaker with a new Eminence Cannabis Rex and another huge improvement. Immediately the amp sounded better across the board, and it sounded better and better as the speaker broke in. The Cannabis has somewhat of a dark sound, but it works with the Deluxe because it's a bright amp by nature. The Cannabis took pedals very well. The pedals that once sounded too upper mid-rangy now sounded all right. They broke up much better too and started have the depth and dimension that I was looking for but I wasn't 100% satisfied.
• I did some more research and was intrigued by the sound clips posted on youtube.com by Fendermusical of the DRRI, particularly the more overdriven tones, and by the clips done by ProGuitarShopDemos. They were using the amps with the stock Jensen C12K so I decided to try one. The Jensen C12K is my favorite so far. Right away it had a nice overall roundness and depth to the tone. It's not nearly as dark as the Cannabis Rex and it worked better with the pickup combinations on the '72 Tele which has been a problem. I could get one pickup or the other to sound good, but trying to use both or to switch between them was problematic as it was either too bright or too dark and I'd have to EQ the amp for each, but things evened out with the Jensen. It's overdriven tone is the most satisfying so far. The bass stays tight and consistent at all volume levels and the high end is the least shrill or ice picky so far.

So here is where I stand now:

I have since switched to using a 90's American Standard Tele which I have upgraded with a Budzguitar Purebred in the bridge which is an amazing pickup (the stock pickup was pretty anemic/awful), and a Fralin Unbucker in the Neck (love that Keef middle position twang/beefiness). The stock bridge and saddles are a piece of **** and doesn't have near the depth and range of the Glendale, but it will suffice until I can put together a Partscaster or possibly pick up a Road Worn Tele and move my pickups and parts onto it.

I have also picked up a Weber Mini Mass so I can start using more of the amps natural power tube overdrive and rely on the guitar's volume and picking dynamics for breakup/drive. So now I'm down to using an MXR Dynacomp, MXR Micro Amp and the Maxon OD-808. No more volume pedal and other overdrives. The Mini Mass is working out great. At 22 watts, the DRRI is still too loud to let me turn it up to 4 or 5 to let it start to breath for the project I'm in, and the attenuator lets me get that sound at a volume that I can use, and still retain most of that full volume overdrive and dynamics. Granted, there are compromises as I'm not getting the speaker breakup that I would at the unattenuated levels, but it still sounds quite good to my ears. I have also thrown the Yellow Jackets in there recently and they sounded great. Nice and chimey with a nice squishy compression that is really fun to play with.

Overall things are sounding good. It seems that everything I've done so far has brought me closer and closer to the sound I'm after, but I'm still not quite there.

I was doing some recording into protools of my set up and experimenting with mics and mic placement and found that the amp is pretty sensitive in the low end. When the bass control is set a bit too high, it has a buzzy quality too it and when backed down to where it doesn't buzz, it doesn't have quite the depth I'd like. This was only made clear when listening back to the recording, and now that I've heard it, I can't not hear it.

So now I'm thinking that my first move it to get a set of JJ tubes and see how that goes. If that doesn't do the trick or in addition to the tubes I might try a new transformer, as from what I've read, the tranny has been one of the weaknesses of this amps design as it's underpowered. And in upgrading the tranny, I'm thinking of getting one that will allow me to use 6L6's or 6V6's to add variety to what I already have. I'm also considering trying a Weber 12F150 as it seems to be the most well regarded speaker upgrade for the amp and the descriptions of the tones I've read is what I'm going after, which is -

• tight, deep bass
• chimey top end
• smooth, focused overdrive
• organic, 3 dimensional
• punchy midrange

Currently, I've been really getting into the tones of Brent Mason and Brad Paisley and guys like that, though I don't play country music (I am, however, picking up chicken pickin' licks here and there to keep my chops up) or really listen to it much for that matter, I really appreciate those tones and am going for that kind of sound as it will work for what I'm doing.

So now my questions to you fellow DRRI users is, has anyone done a tranny upgrade and what tranny did you end up with? Are there any other mods that you've done that I might want to consider? If I end up getting a Weber 12F150, should I go light dope? What wattage?

I realize that with all the time, money and effort I've put into the amp I could have gotten myself a Dr. Z or David Allen amp and gotten what I'm looking for right off the bat. But I'm a believer in experience, and I've learned a lot along the way about how components work and interact, what I like and dislike, and what not to do in the future. I'm committed to this little 22 watt guy and I know he's got what I want somewhere in his little PCB constructed heart.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm hoping it will help those whom might be on the same path, and I'm hoping those whom have been down it can share their own experiences.

Thanks a bunch! - Andrew

 

strat a various,

Thanks for your post!

I think you're right about having to find the sweet spot via the tone knobs on my guitar and amp.

Aside from the fact that the original power tubes were bad, and that the stock Eminence speaker wasn't that great compared to the Cannabis Rex or the Jensen C12K, a lot of this process has been learning how all these components work together and how to use them together.

As I stated in my original post, the Fender amp that I have experience with and used extensively is a red knob Twin. I had that amp so long that I knew it inside and out and was comfortable with it. Also, the music that I had been making on the Twin was, for the most part, incredibly loud and didn't have anywhere near the subtlety of what is required of my latest endeavor. Part of the process has been getting over the awkwardness of having to learn to play quiet and not beat the crap out of my guitar (which was a strat, by the way, and not a tele). I also took a good bit of time off between projects and it's taken some time to not feel rusty and awkward in my playing ability, and that has exacerbated things as well.

I was kind of naive in thinking that the DRRI would be kind of like a mini version of a Twin. That's basically what I was looking for. An easier to carry amp that can deliver a Twin style clean tone, but something that can be turned up for some grit at a volume that won't kill anyone. The DRRI does have or can do a characteristic Fender clean, but it does it in a way that's completely different in how it feels than from what I was used to. So right off the bat, I had expectations about what the amp was going to be and what it was going to do for me. The fault is mine for not having researched it more or spent more time with one to begin with. I just found what I thought was a good deal, and an ideal amp for a project, on craigslist and went with it.

I have since learned to play using the volume and tone controls on my guitar more than I ever have. I've come to rely less and less on pedals, and more on the amps natural breakup and using picking dynamics and the volume and tone and my fingers to get different sounds out of the amp and it's been very rewarding. 7 or 8 on the DRRI sounds pretty great, but even at 22 watts it's still way too loud for what I'm doing. That's where the attenuator comes in. I dial in the dirt, and then I adjust the volume (and tone controls) to suit the environment I'm playing in. I have yet to play in a venue with my current project where the amp wasn't loud enough, or where it wasn't mic'd.

Though things are sounding much, much better than they were in the beginning, I can't help but feel like I can get more out of the DRRI. More of what, I'm not exactly sure. My curiosity won't be satisfied until I keep trying things that I think/hope might get me there. Part of it is my typical musician's obsession, as I know the search for the ultimate tone is endless, and part of it is curiosity and the fact that I enjoy tinkering. I've learned so much in the process like how to wire pickups, bias an amp, repair guitars, get certain tones etc., etc.

Bryan'sFSRTele, this process has taken place over the course of about a year or so.. I don't have THAT much free time..

 

toadman,

Have you tried an attenuator? I know not everybody likes them and there is no getting around the fact that it's going to be a little different than having the amp cranked as the speaker isn't playing into it the way it would at full volume, but I think the tone is still very usable. The mini mass is working out well for me. I can still get it to the point where the speaker is pushing a bit and the power tubes are cooking and it's a level that's still not unbearable...

So, from what I've gathered here and from other posts, it seems JJ's are popular in the DRRI. I've gotten a hold of Bob at Eurotubes in the past in regards to my Sovtek and he was very helpful, though, I didn't ever end up getting any tubes.

The full Deluxe Reverb tube package looks pretty reasonable and I think that's my next step.

I'll keep you all posted!