Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb

[Legba-1967]

This is a short review of the Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb silverface amp. This amp sounds and looks amazing. It is a two channel amp but it doesn’t have a normal and vibrato channel like the 65 reissue or the original it has a vintage channel that is made to sound like the original and custom channel. The vintage channel is a little brighter to my ears than the custom channel. It definitely has that vintage tube amp sound. The custom channel has a modified Bassman tone stack with some of the highs removed. It sounds really good and is made to take pedals better with less negative feedback. Both channels have that true Fender amp sound that’s kinda hard to explain if you’ve never heard one but I think most people have. Also different between this amp and the original is both channels share the reverb and vibrato and I believe it has a lot more vibrato than the original or the 65 reissue. I had a 65 Princeton Reverb for awhile and the 68 has way more vibrato available than the 65 did. So whether you want a little vibrato or a lot this amp delivers. They are both switchable with an included vintage style foot switch. It is very touch sensitive and at 22 watts this thing gets loud and breaks up pretty good at higher volumes giving you that true tube amp overdrive. My four most used pedals are a distortion, a fuzz, an Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer and a Boss Blues Driver but this amp sounds so good by itself that I find myself rarely using them. I was using a Strat with Vintera 60s pickups but I traded that for my new Player Plus Nashville Tele and both sound just amazing through this amp. With the Nashville Tele I can dial it in to get loads of Tele twang or I can warm it up and get really good Strat tones. I absolutely love the look of the amp as my first real amp was a 70s Fender silverface Champ And this amp really delivers on the vintage look. I want to get the 68 Princeton Reverb and the 68 Vibro Champ to go along with this amp. Not that I need them I just want them.

 

[markal]

Back when I first started playing guitar again, about 9 years ago, I went into a GC m, went the used gear section and plugged an Ibanez AS153 into a ‘68 CDR. I was blown away. I didn’t buy either because I was still trying to figure out what I wanted in a new electric rig. But that sound has stuck with me. CDRs are fantastic amps. I may still have to get one eventually. Enjoy it!!

 

[RCinMempho]

That amp is on my wish list. It sounds perfect.

 

['64 Tele]

Congratulations.....I've had the same amp for about 5 years now.
Both channels are in phase, meaning you can either use an A/B/Y pedal to combine channels/switch channels, or
use the stereo out from last pedal on board (to run both channels at the same time), or jumper the channels (plug into first input on either channel, then take the 2nd input and run to 1st input of the alternate channel) then blend the two channels together.
This is kind of like a 4 hole Plexi amp being jumpered, or a tweed Fender 4 hole amp being jumpered.
Doing this is where the amp REALLY shines.

 

[jwp2]

I just ordered one, I can’t wait to try it out!

 

[SoK66]

Mine was noisier than a Russian tank crying for it's momma. Came out of the sealed shipping box with the five horsemen of the apocalypse, loud idle hum, reverb hum, hiss, A/C buzz, tremolo tick and a bad Custom channel input jack. Replacing the jack had no effect on the racket. Tubes were all OK, noise was circuit generated. Cutting to the chase, its power section and heater grounds were removed from the main PCB and grounded conventionally at the PT, the heater circuit was removed from the PCB and attached directly to the power tubes, the NFB resistor was returned to 820 ohms per AB763 spec, V3 was rewired to AB763 spec. The amp is now silent at idle, the tremolo tick is gone and it does a respectable job of being a Deluxe Reverb.

The conditions I noted are not uncommon on this amp model and the DR Reissue, however some don't have these issues. By all means try 'em before you buy 'em.

 

[Crobbins]

 

[Synchro]

I’ve owned one for years. It’s a great sounding amp. Mine got off to a rough start, but that turned out to be a set of defective reverb cables. The Custom channel has stronger midrange and sounds a bit different from the scooped sound of a classic Deluxe Reverb.

 

[Uncle Daddy]

Mine was noisier than a Russian tank crying for it's momma. Came out of the sealed shipping box with the five horsemen of the apocalypse, loud idle hum, reverb hum, hiss, A/C buzz, tremolo tick and a bad Custom channel input jack. Replacing the jack had no effect on the racket. Tubes were all OK, noise was circuit generated. Cutting to the chase, its power section and heater grounds were removed from the main PCB and grounded conventionally at the PT, the heater circuit was removed from the PCB and attached directly to the power tubes, the NFB resistor was returned to 820 ohms per AB763 spec, V3 was rewired to AB763 spec. The amp is now silent at idle, the reverb tick is gone and it does a respectable job of being a Deluxe Reverb.

The conditions I noted are not uncommon on this amp model and the DR Reissue, however some don't have these issues. By all means try 'em before you buy 'em.

Sounds like you got a good one. It's stories like this that makes me roll my own.

 

[zhyla]

I had a 68 CDR for a while. The noise was acceptable. But if there were a single mod to cut the hiss out I would have done it.

Traded it recently for a 68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb. While not entirely dissimilar, I like the Vibrolux a bit better. I like the bias tremolo much better (smooth like a Princeton, but plenty of depth too). The bright switch is useful. And mine at least is a bit quieter than my CDR was. Dunno why they discontinued it.

 

[jwp2]

I’ve always heard a lot of good about the vibrolux but never have played through one.
I did receive shipment n the CDR yesterday. Spent about an hour with it and am really digging it. I’m happy to say it is dead quiet!