Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

Bass,Treble,Mid,Reverb,Speed,Intensity...What more do you need?

I primarilly use Strats and Strat Types. All single Coil.
I took out the first Pre-amp tube (12AX7) and have A Jensen Alnico 5 speaker. You can't use the first (Non-reverb channel) when you do this and your tube life will probably suffer. The Breakup comes alot earlier. I play Chicago Blues and this is the amp that I gig and record with. Also I keep an Xotic AC clean boost in front of it and constantly on. It takes pedals superbly!!!!

So far no probs. I keep it in a ATA case when travelling and giging.

No

Made in 2009.
Features: Pretty basic, but that's what I like. Great sounding reverb and Vibrato on Channel 2, treble, bass and volume knobs - er, that's it.
Jensen speaker is perfect for the tone I want, I suspect that people who switch speakers either bought the wrong amp for them or didn't give the Jensen time to bed in.
22 watts, but plenty powerful enough. Mike it if you are playing a big venue - it's easier to carry this in one hand and a mike stand in the other than to lug a bloody big Twin around.

Just lovely. I play mainly country, either very clean a la Knopfler tone or twangy and bitey a la Brent Mason.
Also dip into some progressive and folk/rock stuff with my "other" band.
For clean country tones this is the amp - even more so than the Twin IMHO. The Twin has more clean headroom, but for modern country you don't want to be 100% clean, and this has wonderful edge-of-breakup at about 7. For super clean, just mike it at 5. Twin is lovely too, but totally impractical - these days there's just no need for that amount of power in an amp.
In combination with the bridge pickup on my Musicman Silo, this is tone heaven - a touch of compression for more bite, or a TS-9 for crunch and you have the whole arsenal for country, surf, clean rock guitar or rockabilly.
Sounds pretty gorgeous with my Strats too.
Been playing 25+ years and this is the best amp I've owned, or played through.
Unless you are seriously into hot-rodding - the fact it has a printed circuit board as opposed to the original p2p wiring makes absolutely no difference whatsover. P2P has zero effect on tone, it just makes customising easier.
I love it, my band love it, the audience love it - that'll do for me.
Giving it a 9 as nothing is perfect and if I had one criticism, it is a little bit hissy on high volumes when idle - but live or while rehearsing you don't notice anything but the sweet, sweet tone.

Don't know - its only a few months old. Been fine so far.

Not needed it yet.

Just a great little amp - easily gigable, portable (I know, having lugged a Twin around for far too long!), the best of the best for that Fender clean.
When I was looking for a smaller alternative to the Twin, I thought about the HRDX and Blues Deluxe as I was worried this wouldn't be powerful enough, but firstly it is, and secondly it is about 100x better sounding than either of those amps, worth every penny more than I would have paid for one of the other two.
Great out of the box, if you want to customise it with new tubes and speaker - it's your money, but for what it's worth this amp sounds like it is meant to sound stock.

made in the early 90's, i had mine for about 5 years or so. all the main features were listed below in other reviews, but i have had mine modified like so: upgraded transformers from Allen Amps to handle 6L6's, speaker: Jensen C12N, but going back to C12K in 4 ohms, ohm switch, goes from 4 to 8, but will remove that once i get the C12K 4 ohm. way more than enough power for me, i play in the Arkhams, a psychobilly band from NYC. check us out @ www.myspace.com/thearkhams

here are the geetars i currently use:

Gretsch Electromatic G5129 (replaced Dearmond 2000's with Duncan Antiquity P90's) and G5120 (replaced Gretsch humbuckers with Duncan Antiquity Firebird pickups)
Gibson Custom Shop 1958 Les Paul Special reissue with 2 P90's and a wraparound
Tele w/ alder body, big fat All Parts neck, Duncan Antiquity mini humbucker in neck and Duncan Antiquity I telecaster p/u in bridge, and a bigsby vibrato
Danelectro six string bass from 10 years ago w/lipstick pickups

all geetars strung with .13-56 nickel wound D'Addario round wound strings
six string bass strung with standard D'addario XL strings for that instrument

it suits my musical style well! i have owned MANY instruments and amplifiers in the past and have come tro liking Fender Blackface Reissues the best. i had 6V6's in it for years, but they sound far more anemic than 6L6's even in the same amp and ratings and what have you.

i recently changed the transformer to Allen Amps TO26 and TP 35, had Jack from Rock n Roll amps set the bias on it and change some of the cap values, got a new set of JJ Tesla 6L6's, install an impedance switch that goers from 4 to 8 ohms, and neow she behaves somewhat like a vibrolux or similar! i am VERY happy with the sound now! it is not nearly as noisy at she used to be with the 6V6's in her. this amp has TONS of headroom for an amp this size. i took her on 2 gigs so far and she sounded bigger and bolder than ever. as for variety of sounds, there isnt too much, but then again, i know what works for me- a semi-clean amp with my geetars just on the brink of overdriving without actually being overdriven. its a very fine line, but it works for me very well! the clean channel (the only channel) DEFINITELY distorts at high volumes, but the distortion is VERY sweet! think of the sound you would hear on any surf, or british invasion record. any sonics/wailers garage rock record. a lot of rockabilly bands would KILL for this tone! stax/volt/motown/soul/r&b/blues/country bands would die for this sound, too! ska/reggae? hell yeah! i used to go for a lot more overdrive in my amps, and tend toward the hotter output geetars, but i since learned that with weaker pickups through a cleaner amp cranked more, you get that nice blend of tones! i also used to use mainly the bridge pickup of any of my guitars, but these days, i like the middle better, since its warmer and sweeter. all pickup selections come through VERY sweetly through this amp. would i need more power? NO. this amp is loud enough for any stage, more than enough for any studio, but i do like to get SOME sort of push in my tone. id give it a 7 before the upgrades and a 9 after.

used her live too long not to depend on her live. i gig with a backup, a vibrolux of recent years, the only difference is that the vibrolux is a LITTLE more distorted than the deluxe witgh the mods, but not all that much different.

never dealt with Fender, dont want to. with all the mods, i doubt this amp would be under any kind of warranty.

been playing 20+ years, i listed the geetars above, amp wise, i got a 79 Champ, 61 Silvertone 1482, 90's Vox AC15, 2007 Fender Vibrolux, 66 Fender Bassman Head. if she was stolen or lost, i would pry get an Allen Amps Sweet Spot, or something similar. i keep a close eye on gear at shows and make sure no one ***** with it! as for other products, every amp builder wants to build something like a DRRI, no one except a few boutique builders have come close. i chose this one when i was younger and wanted something to overdrive for garage rock and this excelled at that. neow it does that and clean beautifully. no wonder why so many geetar players want this one!

I bought this amp in 2008 because I wanted a light, portabl combo with a solid history. Its basic set up is a plus, and although some say it's not loud enough in a live situation I haven't had a problem. I needed something I could pick up with one hand and go.

It has two channels, I plug into the reverb channel which is 'bright' to say the least, but it cuts thru the sonic mud when needed.

I use a VG strat and a 1980 Suzuki Les Paul copy with Schaller Golden 50 and Dimarzio pick up replacements - the originals had a shocking sound.

I play blues and hard rock an I find this amp is great for that.

My effects chain is: old Italian 'Jen' cry baby, (Aussie) MI Audio Blues Pro Overdrive and old Roland Space Echo.

I used to use an MXR Distortion + but it just tended to bland everything out and I'm no metal virtuoso - I need that tone. The Blues Pro is brilliant because it doesn't mask the sound of the strat or colour it too much.

I don't get to crank this up often (I'm a flat dweller) but when I have I agree with another comment here that the spiky highs tend to disappear and you get that fantastic Fender tube distortion.

So far the only thing that's broken is the cable for the footswitch. I got it repaired no problem.

No experience with servicing thru Fender.

I also own a Gallien-Krueger 250ML which I use through a Vox cabinet. It sounds great for hard rock, but nothing like the warmth of the tubes.

I used to have a Bassman amp and I knerw I loved the Fender valve sound, I also owned a Mashall combo in the 80s but this amp is better for the looser style I play.

I would definitely replace this amp if it got stolen or whatever.

This is a classic 60s blackface circuit with 2 6v6 tubes, 22 watts, a tube rectifier, reverb and tremolo. The main differences between this and an original blackface are: the speaker , a printed circuit board vs point to point wiring, a ? cab vs a pine cab, differences in the components do to differences in modern and original component manufacturers, and a grounded wall plug on the reissue. As the original, this amp has no master volume or middle EQ. Each of the 4 inputs yields a somewhat different sound.

Positives: light weight, speaker cab does not sound boxy, 22 watts is great for recording, 22 watts is great for playing distorted classic rock when the amp is on 10.

Negatives: The lack of a bright switch on channel 2 is very annoying i.e. though it sounds great, bright is always on (this can be altered by a technician), 22 watts is not enough clean headroom for some situations depending on your drummer, your guitar, the style of music, and size of the band etc. (but if you use an external cab with 2 high wattage speakers the headroom can be improved). No master volume. No effects loop.

The strength of the amp is its lovely beautiful tone which derives directly from its simplicity . This means far fewer features than found on newer amps. That"s the trade off. Which is more important to you in your playing situation?

I'm mainly using an American Strat with 57 pickups which sound sweet and smooth. But for big rock sounds and volume on 10 I've used a Cort Triggs 2 semi hollow body guitar with much hotter humbucking PUs.

The Fender 60s blackface circuit (in its many variations) is indisputably one of the best sounding ever designed. I would imagine an original Deluxe Reverb sounds slightly better then the reissue but the reissue sounds great! This amp is famous for its sweetness (the 6v6 tube is unique this way) but the low notes are not as big and rounded like 6L6 tubes produce i.e. Fender Super Reverb or Twin Reverb amp. This amp is very versatile but at different volume levels. It goes from a classic clean country amp below 4 to a blues amp at middle volumes to a rock and rock sex machine at 10. At 10 you get power tube distortion with some tube rectifier sag at a volume level that is near perfect for a loud band.
All my other tube amps (newer Fenders, Marshalls, Epiphones, Peaveys) sound somewhat poor and anemic in comparison to this amp (though they do have other useful sounds and features). The Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue sounds infinitely more musical with much smoother and much more beautiful harmonics. I can't emphasize this enough! It sounds stronger, clearer, cleaner, and warmer. And its easier to EQ. Even with volume on 2 1/2 the clean sound is absolutely beautiful! Time after time I have played this amp and am amazed of its tone quality. I have never experienced this tone quality in another amp.

I whole heartedly recommend using vintage RCA power tubes and a Weber 12F150 or Celestion H30 speaker. Also quality preamp tubes will also make some difference. I like the (now no longer made) Ei tube which is way stronger sounding than the other modern preamp tubes I've tried. I have not tried any NOS preamp tubes yet.


Here are the results of my sound test comparisons:

Output 6v6 tubes:

Ruby - thin, weak, but pleasant.

JJ Tesla - aggressive, strong, dark, slightly muddled at full distorted volume, almost like 6L6s. ( I don't like these tubes at all because they don't sound sweet like 6v6s should.)

(new) Tung Sol - airy, funky (in a good way) at low volume, can lack authority for lead playing. (I like em though.)

old RCA - perfectly balanced at all volume levels , at 10 through a Marshall cab the amp sounds like champagne. (I love em.)


Speakers:

Original Emminence - deep tight bass, very Fendery, okay at low volume, ugly at high volume

Weber 12F150 (25 watt lite dope) - absolutely beautiful with snappy smooth high end, not a whole lot of a bass but extremely clear and balanced, with a Strat the sound is almost too smooth and beautiful. The 25 watt version tends to sound a little unpleasant when the amp is more than half way up. Because its only 25 watts I have never heard this speaker with the amp on 10. The 50 watt version might be even better for this amp.

Celestion H30 (Hellatone by Avatar) - warm, smooth, wide frequency spectrum with emphasis on low mids, and crisp highs, also sounds great with amp on 10. The speaker and amp seem to balance each other. However the bass is not as round and tight as from a more mid dippy Fendery type speaker like the Emminence. This British speaker takes a little of the Fender out of the amp.

2 Celestion GT-75s in Marshall cabinet - this combination does not sound good with the Strat but it sounds fantastic with the Triggs 2 humbuckers and the amp on 10. It sounds like classic power rock with tight solid bottom.

Celestion H30 and Celestion V30 through Marshall cab and also through Avatar open back front mount cab - this combination works great for the Strat and produces a full wide airy frequency range with highs and lows. Great smooth full sound.

Celestion H30 and Celestion GT-75 through Avatar cab - this combination works great for the Strat at medium volumes by producing a strong clean sound with a

I have had no problems in the two years I've owned it. My particular model was manufactured in the early 90s.

This amp changed my life!
I think I may actually be in love with it even though it's just an object.
This amp made me realize how weak and sad many modern consumer amp designs sound with all their features that rob the amp of tone and of how wimpy preamp distortion can be.
Also this amp made me always want a tube rectifier if possible. The tube rectifier just feels right in a way I don't know how to describe.

Having said all that its important to understand that the FDRR doesn't do everything and may not be the best amp for you or your band. Reality is no one amp does everything. For example, this amp is far far superior to a Peavey Classic 30 in construction, design and tone quality but I have to admit I enjoy the Peavey"s EL84 compression, clean sustain at low volumes and smooth distortion etc. in a way I can't enjoy the FDRR (by the way you could try the economical Weber Mass Lite attenuator if you want to get more out of the FDRR at lower volume levels. They work well). Also, I have not been able to get a real high gain sustaining lead sound (well somewhat on 10 but nothing with pure distortion and sustain) without using a Tube Screamer which I hate. And, I have not gotten a light distortion that sounds smooth like you would get with a Vox or Marshall. In fact I have been frustrated with this amp when it comes to mild distortion. The distortion on this amp is kind fat, raw and rugged to my ear and sounds best around full up. Great for certain things and not right for others.

The fact is a guitar amplifier is an instrument of equal or greater importance than the guitar (and the better place to spend more money). The amp will make you play a certain way and not play other ways.

I have found that I love the FDRR for bedroom clean playing/practicing and for studio recording. I also think it sounds absolutely great if you turn the amp way up and your style is a kind of Rolling Stones loose rock and roll feel or if you use the GT-75 speakers/Marshall combo and want to get AC/DC like distorted power. This may be what you want if you are into great clean tone or some classic, raw, loud rock styles, or for a sweet, less aggressive blues sound.

So, I love this amp more than any other I have owned but have found it useful only in certain situations. I have owned or played through the following tube amps: Pignose G40, Pignose GVRH 60, Marshall JCM 900, Marshall 30th Anniversary, 5150, Peavey Classic 30, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender 140 and Epiphone Valve Jr. In terms of pure clean tone the Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue is by far the best sounding amp I have ever played through and the others mentioned here don't come close.

I found this amp on e-Bay. The QC sticker says it was made in 2002. The seller disclosed that the cabinet had been cracked by one of the corner joints but that it was otherwise solid. This "feature" caused the price to go way down so I figured I'd take a chance that the rest of the amp was intact. Reissue features are pretty much the same as the older models. Two channels; Normal and Vibrato. Normal side has two inputs, Volume, Treb, and Bass controls. Vibrato side has two inputs, Volume, Treb, Bass, Reverb, Speed, and Intensity controls. The speaker is a 12" Jensen (8 ohms). There is also a foot switch for the Reverb and Vibrato. Overall good features for this type of amp.

OK..I have owned lots of Fender amps; old vintage types and newer models. So before I get into the "how does it sound" part, I have to tell those folks who complain that the Fender vintage reissues don't sound exactly like the ones made in the 50's and pre CBS 60's. Well DUH..of course they don't. You can't compare a piece of equipment that was built 40+ years ago with one that was made in the 21st century! The variables are endless. Even the line voltage in your home can effect how your amps sound. So with that out of the way, lets talk about the 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue.

I did indeed luck out. It takes a lot of force to crack one of these sepaker cabinets which would indicate that this amp took one hell of a knock. But the electronics and controls all work fine. The sound that I was able to get out of this amp was quite impressive. At 22 watts it will easily fill a large room. The normal channel produces that classic Fender tone with no frills. Very clean up to about 3-4 on the dial depending on the type of pickup your using. After that it starts to break up gradually as you increase the volume. With a Strat, I found the sweet spot at around 7-8. The Vibrato channel is brighter and depending on what type of guitar you're using will require some tweeking to keep it from making your teeth hurt. Not really an issue. The reverb is as lush as any Fender has ever produced. The vibrato was quiet at idle and appears to have a much wider range of depth and speed than any of my vintage amps had. This channel also does a mean clean up to about 4. Whether it is in the clean range of overdriven, this amp produces a rich full tone. It works especially well for jazz, blues, classic rock, and country. It is pedal and effects friendly. Both channels display outstanding pick dynamics and response.

For reference, I tested this amp with a American Strat, American Tele, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson ES-335, and a PRS Swamp Ash Special.

In spite of my previous rant about vintage and reissue amps, I think Fender did a great job in capturing the spirit of the old vintage Deluxe Reverb. The only weak link I found is the utilization of the Fender stock Grove Tubes. These tubes are designed to last, but sonically they suck. But even with these crappy tubes I still think the amp sounded pretty damn good and can't wait to here it after a decent tube job.

It got hit hard enough to crack the cabinet but all the electronics and controls sound and work great. That coupled with the fact that its seven years old make me give it a 10 here.

Never used.

I've been playing 42 years and have owned a lot of amps and have experimented with lots more. The 65 Deluxe Reverb reissue is a solid little tone monster. No, it doesn't sound exactly like the vintage model, but the vintage is no reissue either. They're both great in their own right.

I purchased this amp new in early 2006. I recently had to retube it and thought now would be a nice time to provide a thorough review as I could make the comparison between fresh from the factory with stock tubes and broken in with new, non-factory tubes. There are already over 250 reviews, and even with that high number of reviews everyone seems to have a slightly different take on the product. Hopefully I can offer something new insights as well.

By today???s standard the features are very basic. You probably already know the features are 2 non-switched channels, 22 watts of tube power, spring reverb, vibrato, Jensen C-12K vintage speaker.

2 NON-SWITCHED CHANNELS: The channels each have distinct sonic characters. The Normal channel is a little softer in the top end and seems slightly compressed as compared to the Vibrato channel. The Vibrato channel, as noted by many other reviewers, is much brighter than the Normal channel. The Vibrato channel is more dynamic (e.g., punchy) and has more depth than the Normal channel. I am not an engineer, but I suspect the 2nd gain stage of the Vibrato channel contributes to this deeper and punchier character.

POWER: A surprisingly powerful 22 watts. I primarily use my DRRI for in-home practice and at my church for contemporary Christian music, rarely needing to exceed about 2.5 on the Volume dial. I also occasionally play with a cover band for outdoor block parties or office parties in small venues, or I play for local community theater productions. Even in these situations I will rarely need to exceed 4 on the Volume dial. There is always plenty of power to spare, the amp stays clean throughout my required operating range and does not exhibit any audible distortion. I usually use the Vibrato channel and I only use Input 2 of either channel to keep the sound clean, especially with humbuckers.

REVERB: Very typical Fender spring reverb in the Vibrato channel. It is thick and at some settings it can be overwhelming or doinky. I usually set the Reverb between 1.5 and 2 and that is enough for my needs. When I want a huge wash of reverb I will crank it to the 6 to 8 range.

VIBRATO: Works well, and the sound is fat and thick. However, there is a low-level but audible and annoying mechanical ???tick, tick, tick??? that will be picked up by a mic. I know this is a vintage reissue amp, but really, this could be avoided. I deduct 1 point in the Features section for this one aspect of the amp that I find to be a true disappointment. After the warranty is expired I will send this in to a tech to see if this can be rectified with a component replacement.

JENSEN C-12K SPEAKER: This speaker appears to be well suited to its intended operating range in a guitar amp. Treble is crisp and bright but not harsh. The mid range is smooth and cuts through the mix but is not overly emphasized. The bass is firm, but not over-powering or boomy. The speaker responds well to the overdrive and distortion pedals that I use, as well as the modulation effects that I use. While the bass response is solid and firm, cranking the Bass control to 10 will not yield thundering bass. In those rare instances that I have really cranked the amp to ear shattering levels, the speaker has held up well and has not sounded stressed.

For a compact 1965 design, I rate the Features as a 9 after deducting one point for the Vibrato tick. Other features I might expect from an amp in this era might be a Master Volume control, bright switch or a tube driven effects loop. These would be nice to haves but certainly not critical.

I have not played through an original Deluxe Reverb so I don???t know if the DRRI sounds the same as the original or not. What I can say about my specific DRRI is that it in my opinion it delivers exceptional, articulate tone and it does an excellent job of implementing a benchmark sonic signature that we equate to a Blackface Deluxe Reverb. On a number of occasions other guitarists have asked if my amp was an original Deluxe Reverb. I feel that says more about the Sound Quality of this amp than I ever could!

Guitars include a Les Paul Standard with Burst Bucker Pros, American Deluxe Tele with SCNs or Godin LGX with Seymour Duncan Jazz and Custom Custom Godin variant. Overdrive tones come from an Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer, Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, Boss OD-3 Overdrive or MXR M-115 Distortion III. Other effects include Dunlop 535Q Wah, Boss CS-3 Compressor (with Monte Allums mod), Carl Martin Hyrda clean boost, EHX Small Clone chorus, EHX Small Stone phaser, EXH Pulsar tremolo, Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe, MXR M-135 Noise Gate (always on) and finally an MXR Carbon Copy analog delay. With this combination of guitars and pedals I can get virtually any sound I want.

Ok, fresh from the factory this is a bright sounding amp, especially the Vibrato channel. To deal with the brightness of the Vibrato channel I switched to pure nickel strings such as DR Pure Blues or Gibson Vintage Reissue on all guitars, I use only Input 2 and finally I turned down the Treble! I set Treble to 5 on the Normal channel, 3 on the Vibrato channel and Bass at 5 on both.

After the stock tubes went bad I did some experimenting and ended up with a mix of JJ and Groove Tubes that I feel yields an excellent result:

V1 ??? JJ ECC83S Gold Pin
V2 ??? Groove Tubes Gold Series 12AX7-C
V3 ??? Groove Tubes Gold Series 12AT7
V4 ??? Groove Tubes Gold Series 12AX7-A
V5 ??? Stock Groove Tubes 12AX7 (Red Fender label)
V6 ??? JJ ECC81 Gold Pin
Rectifier ??? JJ GZ34
Power Tubes ??? Groove Tubes Gold Series 6V6-R, Medium Power Rating of 6
Bias set to 25ma

While the new tubes are nice and very noticeable improvement over the stock tubes, I never felt the stock tubes were so bad that I had to just dump them. I played them for 2 years and was never disappointed with the tone. When it was time to replace the tubes my goals were simply to tame the brightness of the Vibrato channel a bit, preserve the overall character and sonic signature of the DRRI that inspired me to purchase it in the first place and do so at a reasonable price. By using the JJ ECC83S Gold Pin in V1 and the Groove Tubes Gold Series 12AX7-C in V2 I have the added benefit of the two channels sounding even more different from each other than they did before. With the tube changes as noted above my DRRI now delivers a smoother, fatter and yes less bright tone that it did with the stock tubes. Yet it has retained that certain quality and sparkling clean tone that you instantly recognize as a Blackface Deluxe Reverb. I could not be happier.

With the stock tubes I would deduct 1 point for the overly bright Vibrato channel and a 12AT7 in V6 that does not appear to be balanced. With new tubes that are only slightly more expensive than the corresponding stock tubes though I have to rate the Sound Quality at a solid 10. I feel 10 is justified as to me tubes are like strings, they are consumable items and everyone will use different tubes for their own personal tastes and definition of Sound Quality. Given the wide variety of tubes available, it should really be possible for anyone to achieve what they consider to be a 10 for a Deluxe Reverb.

I have had no issues with reliability. I move this amp around a weekly basis. I treat my amp with respect and am always careful when moving it. I have installed Ernie Ball coasters on it to make moving easier on it and my back.

I have had little need to contact Fender Customer Service. On the few occasions I have e-mailed replies have been prompt and complete.

I never play loud enough to get power tube distortion. But, after putting in the new 6V6-R tubes I had to see what the fuss was all about! Giving the Volume dial a good twist, the sound stays sparkling clean up to about 5. After 5 the sound starts thickening up and is no longer perfectly clean, but you can???t really detect audible distortion per se. At 6 you start to get that bluesy break up. Finally around 8 the tubes really give in and distort as you would expect them to. The amp starts to really compresses, growl and sounds like it is being tortured and is on the verge of implosion. Ok, that is cool but WAY loud!!! Personally, I like to keep the amp clean, play at much lower volume levels and obtain overdrive tones from pedals. For all of the fuss about power tube distortion, I personally much prefer the sound of and control over the overdrive tones I get using pedals.

Would I purchase this amp again? This is a very difficult question to answer. I love this amp, but life is short and I may be tempted to try something else just because we can. While I am completely satisfied with this amp and love the tone, I would strongly consider the new Deluxe VM. It seems as though it would yield the core DRRI tone and vibe, but provide some modern conveniences such as an overdrive channel and a variety of effects that can be applied to both the clean and drive channel. With the modern features built into this amp I could eliminate the need for most of my pedals, and hence a pedal board that weighs as much as the DRRI.

I think the features have been mentioned a few times. Mine has a Jensen C12 speaker, Groove tubes. No mods except the removal of the bright cap.

Using a Clapton strat, an ash strat, a Yamaha semi hollow body, and a piezo-equiped guitar with humbuckers. It will growl with the humbuckers, and sing with single coils.Crystal clear cleans to about 4, then starts that nice, sweet, natural breakup that is extremely hard to find at such low volumes. It likes pedals, but not processors. It is quiet, but turn the boost up on the EC strat and it starts to hum a bit. I use a Rat in front of it for distortion, sounds great for classic rock. It really shines when playing the blues though. I haven't found a better amp yet for that creamy smooth break up. I also own a Princeton Reverb, Super Reverb, and Super Champ. My main amp is a Genz Benz all tube amp.

I think it is fairly reliable. yes I would be stupid enough to gig without a backup if some one was stupid enough to pay me to play.

Huh? All you will get on the phone is some kid in Arizona that doesn't even know where the factory is. Just deal with the store you bought it from.

I have been playing the same songs for 30 years, plus the blues. This amp is perfect for low volume settings, but is not a 5150. I compared a hybrid Deluxe the other day with built in digital effects and compared it to this. I was not really able to get the same breakup, not sure why, plus the reverb sucked on the hybrid. I paid 1200 dollars for this, plus I bought a Boss ME-70 to go along with it. I can get all the effects I want, plus some amp modeling too. This is the best sounding amp I own, and yes I have owned several Mesa's. Good amps, just depends on the sound you like.

If you're reading this then you'll know that this is a re-issue of the famous Deluxe reverb amp from the mid 60s. I bought this amp brand new in 2007.
2 of the best features are the tube reverb and the tremelo (called vibrato on the amp). The reverb is classic Fender spring reverb which sounds awesome, and the tremelo is that lovely recognisable shimmering sound. I use both of these features quite a lot.
The size of the amp is perfect, in my opinion. It is an awesome amp for club gigs and rehearsing. At bigger gigs my amp gets mic'd up through the PA anyway, unlike the old days when this amp was first introduced. You can carry this amp quite comfortably and it easily fits into your car.
The lack of channel switching does not bother me at all. There are plenty of other amps out there that have this feature.

As many people have said, this amp sounds great. Really really nice. The classic Fender sound I guess. Instead of harping on about how good it is, I will try and be critical and highlight some issues to consider.
- It does not have the clean headroom of other Fender amps (such as a Twin). I actually like this - it means that it breaks up sooner which is perfect for blues and rock n roll.
- It does not sound as good as an original blackface from the mid-60s. I have a 1964 Fender Bassman, and have played other 60s Fender amps. Those originals, when set up correctly, do sound better. It's a fact of life. For instance, I have found that the top end of the frequency range tends to be brighter and more pronounced on the original amps. I don't tend to play my deluxe with the treble control below 8, and that is with some bright sounding guitars.
- The tremelo effect sounds slightly different to the original amps. Quite hard to put your finger on it, but in my experience the frequency of the tremelo can reach faster speeds on the older amps.

My 1963 Fender Jaguar sounds great through this amp, as does my Les Paul Goldtop with P90s. Both those guitars are quite hot for single coils and by the time the volume control is on 4 it is really cooking and venturing into overdrive territory. If you would like to hear how this amp sounds, go to myspace and search for The Velocettes - a surf band from Australia. Both the guitarists in this band use the 65 Deluxe Reverb re-issue and you can hear them in action.
I'm giving it a 9 out of 10 because if you want to buy a brand new amp, you can't go far wrong if you are after the classic Fender sound.

I do gig this amp without a backup. Usually it is fine although I did blow a fuse in the studio recently. As with all tube amps you do have to be a bit careful and remember that there are delicate glass components nestling in the back of your amp. (I believe this amp has a total of 9 tubes!)
I must agree with the common complaint on these vintage re-issues. The back panel is pathetically thin. Obviously a cost cutting measure but Fender really should do something about this. My 60s Fender amp feels so much more solid and well put together.

I haven't had to use them, but I feel pretty confident that the Fender dealer who I bought it from would sort out any issues or problems if it was still under warranty, which I think is 1 year.

If this amp was stolen, I'd go out and buy another. It's the perfect workhorse amp for gigging and it also sounds fantastic in the studio too. It has been part of the Fender re-issue range for many years now and is obviously a good seller. It was a bit expensive, but then again I live in Australia and all amps cost more over here.
I guess it all comes down to the style of music that you want to play. For Blues, Soul/Funk, Jazz, Country and Rock n Roll this amp is absolutely ideal. It will handle most things that you throw at it, but if you are after a high gain amp for metal then maybe look elsewhere.

The features on this amplifier are pretty basic, two non-footswitchable channels, both clean. This is a reissue of a classic design, no effects loops.

It came with the stock Groove Tubes 5AR4,6L6, 12AX7's, and 12AT7's. I have since replaced all of these with EHX tubes, by choice, not necessity.

The footswitch controls reverb and tremelo on the 2nd channel.

Jensen vintage reissue speaker.

I use this amp in small venues, and in my home studio. It has plenty of power for these settings, even with a drummer that doesn't understand dynamics. I don't really play in large venues, so I can't comment on it's worthiness for larger settings.

I play jazz, blues, gritty/rootsy Americana jam type stuff, and whatever else comes to mind. This amp fits the bill perfectly for all those styles. If you're trying to hit the vibe of Sabbath, you could probably get close with the right pedals. If you want a more modern metal sound, this really isn't you're amp. I have an EHX Metal Muff that sounds great through this amp, but I wouldn't say that it sounds like a Marshall stack. It sounds like a great metal pedal through a Fender amp. Cool sound, but not modern metal.

For features, it has what I want and need- but it's pretty basic. No bells and whistles. I do wish it had a mid control and maybe an effects loop- but I probably wouldn't use it anyway.

I honestly have never played an original '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb, so I can't comment on how this compares to one of those. I do know this- I have played Marshall Plexis, Peavey Valve Kings, Fender Twins, Marshall JTM Combos, Fender Hot Rod Devilles/Deluxes, and Fender Blues Juniors over the past 20-30 years, this amp leaves them in the dust as far as richness of tone is concerned.

Notes just bloom out of the speaker. There is clarity, there is warmth, there is versatility. I don't use reverb very much, so for what I need, it's fine. Same with the tremelo- I rarely use it. The thing I love about this amp is it's simplicity. Turn a knob or two, get a great sound and go for it.

I play a Heritage H-535 with Seymour Duncan 59's, and a Fender Custom Shop Strat with GFS Lil Killers. My signal chain is a Dimebag Wah> Carl's Custom Guitars Univibe> Analogman modded Small Stone> stock TS9> Analogman Sun Face NKT 275 (high gain)> EB Volume> Boss DD20 into the amp.

I can conjure up practically any tone I wish with this signal chain. This amplifier loves pedals. The only thing I have to do when switching guitars is adjust the bass a little bit.

The clean sound is impeccable. It is THE clean sound that we all hope for. The natural OD that you get with cranking this puppy is beautiful, but for me and the venues I play- it gets pretty darn loud to rely on the natural breakup that this amp is capable of. I just use my TS9 and Sun Face for dirt, and I'm happy.

There is a little hum at idling speeds, but I don't think I've played a tube amp that doesn't hum or hiss a little. It will pop occasionally when switching to standby, but that doesn't bother me much.

Only my Heritage gets 10's, so I'll give this a 9 for sound quality. Out of the many amps I've played, this is my favorite by far. No, it probably doesn't stack up to an original 1965, but if I shelled out the amount of money it would take to buy and maintain an original- I'd never take it out of the house. This amp has a rich, warm, full sound that makes me smile. I never fail to get compliments on my tone when using this amp.

I always gig with a backup amp. It's just smart.

I've had this amp for about a year. The Fender footswitch was crap. I had to replace that, as it just stopped working. I bought one from Levy Tubes on Ebay- built like a tank and very reliable.

I bought this used on Ebay, it is a 2004 model. The day I got it, one of the preamp tubes blew. I'm guessing that shipping didn't set well with it. I had intended to switch out the tubes anyway, so no big deal. I popped in an entire new set of EHX tubes and have had no trouble since.

It's a tube amp, it will require periodic maintenance. To me, no tube amp is ever completely reliable. The sound they give us, however is worth the headache. No SS amp can compare to the warmth and life of a great tube amp like this.

I dealt with Fender years ago for a different amp. It was a bit of a hassle, so I had the amp repaired at a local shop at my own cost even though it was still under warranty.

It's been years, so I don't really know what they're like now. If I had a problem, I wouldn't even mess with Fender, or any large company. I'd just take it to my local guitar shop if it's something I can't fix myself.

I love this amp. It is my "go to" amp. I will buy another when I can. I just don't need anything else. I have tried Marshalls, Bogners, Dr. Z, Mesa, Peavey that are in (or somewhat close) the price range and they just don't have the mojo I found in this amp.

I would like to try a Fargen some day, but doggone it- I just don't understand how expensive alot of the boutique gear is. I'm a working musician with a day job and a family. I can't shell out thousands of dollars for gear. For me, this amp is all I want and all I need. The only thing better would be to have two. If you can't tell, I'd replace it if something happened to it.

This amp can cover alot of sonic territory and do it well. You can usually find one on Ebay for a decent and fair price. I have no problem recommending this amp above all others, unless you're looking for a metal amp. Some of the Peaveys are really quite nice for that.

2007 model. You can read about the features on the website or other reviews. It's a bit of a weird setup compared to modern amps in that it has two separate, un-switchable channels. This can be a pain because there is half of the amp that is not used at all. But if you know the history of these amp designs, it makes more sense. They used to use the two channels for two different instruments or for guitar and vocals. At the time it made sense and provided a lot of flexibility for musicians.

I finally bought this amp. I've had my eye on it for years, but had switched to Bass for a long time so had to buy stuff for that. I had a Fender Pro Junior for years that I hardly used cause it just sounded kinda small. Now I'm back playing guitar and had to get this amp, the sound is so sweet.

Here's what I like, 22 watts, ideal power I think for most practical band situations, 40 is too much, 15 breaks up before you want it to. The amp is fairly light, I like that. The two channels can be handy if you are teaching or sometimes I use a Boss LS2 as an amp selector using the non-reverb channel as a lead boost. This works pretty good. I also like the sound of coarse.

What I don't like, It's the only 22 watt amp in fender's line and I would have liked to have a boost or distortion channel built in, and a midrange control on both channels. There are no frills such as effects loop. It just amplifies sound and does a heck of a job at that on guitar.

I'll dock one point for lack of modern features.

I use this mostly with Tele's and Strat's and it sounds wonderful. That twangy fender sound. I'm sure you know the sound. I rarely tweak the EQ's and have them set pretty much flat, but sometimes add a bit of bass. I play in a band that plays Blues, funk and newer rock. It suits everything perfectly with the pedals I have. My setup is Guitar, Boss TU2, Boss AW2, Boss OD3, Fulltone GT500, 65 Deluxe.

This amp is plenty loud and stays clean, I have not really pushed it hard enough to break it up, that just gets too loud for me.

Bottom line, pretty straight forward sound as I expect.

Had a problem with mine in that the non-Reverb channel was alternating between cutting out, coming on full volume and playing normal. I took it back to the store, they fixed it. No problems. anymore.

Don't know, never dealt with them direct, but they have the most informative website. No reason to dock points.

Awesome amp. Sounds great as would be expected. Not great diversity of sounds, but this is easily remedied with pedals. In other words, only does one sound but does it very well.

Would definitely buy this again.

This amp has two clean channels, and two outputs for each channel. One output is high (for single coils) and one output is lower (humbuckers). One channel is normal, the other has vibrato (we all know thats really tremolo) and reverb...the tremolo is decent, the reverb is a wet dream, the stuff ALL pedal manufacturers WISH they could put into a stompbox. Both channels have seperate eq, bass and treble,,,NO MID POT, not presence, hence the 7 and not 10 rating...I love my DRRI but will NEVER EVER buy another amp with no mid control...I use an eq pedal as a ddri with a les paul for rock is USELESS without an eq pedal...it has a tone stack where the bass and treble both control the mids and that sucks...I am seriously thinking about having a mid pot added, its just a matter of clipping a resistor

With strats, this amp sounds unbelievable...just awesome pristine fender tone...with a semi-hollow you can get some great jazz tones and blues...with a les paul or SG AND AN EQ PEDAL you can get some great clean tones with this amp...its an awesome foundation for pedals...its natural overdrive/ breakup is not that good, fender is not known for her overdrive, so tubes with maximum headroom and pedals for ALL your dirt is the way to go///again if it had a mid pot it would have gotten a 10

Never had any issues what so ever, this amp always works, stays working for HOURS, never gets too hot...built very well...granted the tolex cab is kinda cheesy and the back panels are tolex covered cardboard, an amp stand will deform the back...but it always works!

never had to use it...

Ive been playing for about 6 years, have a few amps, a strat, les paul, SG, and ES-335...a room full of stompboxes...and I am more picky about my tone than I am my playing unfortunately LOL and the drri will please most...the cleans are so clear and pristine and the amp reacts to pick attack very well, great dynamics...although the cleans are pristine, with humbuckers and NO mid control it takes a LOT of tweaking of the bass and treble (tone stack) to get the amp close enough to your ideal tone so that an eq pedal can be slightly tweaked to add some mids...at least for rock...if your a jazz guy than a humbucker straight to amp works!!

65 reissue fender deluxe reverb made in USA, all valve, two channel (normal and vibrato both are clean), reverb and tremolo on vibrato channel. i bought this in feburary 2009, recently been made.
the only thing i could say i would want more in this simplistic amplifier is possible a middle adjustment in between bass and treble, just for a little more versatility. (it's bigger brother has bright switches and a middle adjustment - but for what i do the this amp is fantastic, it just would have made me put a 10 if it had a middle adjustment)

i use a 72 reissue telecaster with singlecoil and humbucker. i play alternative experimental music, so i was really after the amps glorious testicular melting tones and letting my pedals do the rest. when i was looking for an amplifier, i nailed it down to either the hot rod, supersonic, or the deluxe reverb...the tone of this amp leaves both of those other poses behind a couple of miles/kilometers. the amp has a slight hum when idling and pops when turning it onto standby, that's why i am giving it an 8.5. (harmony central doesn't have an 8.5 so i'll round it up)

i had it for a week and a bit and then it blew a fuse (but i think that was protecting the amp from a surge, but i am not so good at the electronic side of things either, i could be wrong) 0.15 cents later and it was up and running, no problems since.

I have not delt with the fendoids as of yet but i have a 5 year warranty, so i'll give them 10 for that. (lets hope i don't need to use it)

i have been playing maybe 7 years now (i am an 18) and have remained a minimalist in my thinking over that time, hence my lack of equipment which is: a digitech whammy, digitech synth wah, boss DD-20, ernieball jr volume pedal, cry baby, Korg DT-10 floor tuner (owns the bosses tuner by a long shot) and a radial tonebone classic distortion pedal. I don't have much equipment but i have experience (playing in the opera house on the 16th of March) and this amplifier pushes my buttons. I give it a nine just because giving it a 10 would be unrealistic and bias.

I knew about the features of this Amp before I bought it. Reasonable for what the Deluxe Reverb is made for: Fender Sound. You don't need more knobs to get what you want. A Channel switch wouldn't be bad, but I can do it with an additional A/B/Y footswitch. Would prefer the power / stanby switch on the frontside. Overall Features: Enough to get what you are expecting.

Sound is something to discuss about. For me it's brilliant and superb. Pure Fender Clean at reasonable volume settings and legendary Fender Crunch if you want at higher volume. Other may say you can't compare it with a vintage amp. Ok, I don't wanna compare it. It gives me exactly what I want, sounds also brilliant with Tubescreamer and other effects. For me a "must have" Amp. I rate it 9 because of the too heavy reverb at low knob settings. Reverb at 3 is already too intense for most sounds.

For now, I wouldn't gig with it without a backup because I got 2 Deluxe Reverbs in between 14 days and both blew up.
The first blew the fuse after 2 hours of playing, the second became very microphonic after playing some hours during a band practise.
Now I am getting the 3rd one and hope it will work. If not, ......

The local dealer (Musicstore Cologne) was very accommodating and replaced it immediate. Hope the 3rd will arrive this week. It's a shame that two brand new 1000 Euro Fenders blew up in 14 days. Where is the legendary Fender quality? Had never contact to Fender.

If it is working one day, I would rate it 9, but for now I can't and have to rate it weak. A great sounding amp with classic features, 2 independent channels, you can switch between with an external A/B/Y footswitch, classic Fender Clean and amazing Crunch at higher volumes. 22 watts can be very loud. And also reasonable for playing at home. Quality? Will wait for the 3rd one. Fender, quo vadis?

amp made in 2006 American made in CA
plays clean and overdrives well
2 channels, normal and vibrato
nice if it had seperate midrange control
22 watts Tube Power!
very loud and clean
footswitch for reverb and tremelo

PRS McCarty
Fender American Strat
great for classic rock
vintage overdrive sounds fat
very clean until tubes break-up than gets smooth and fat

would not use without a backup because it is tube.
had numerous problems with amp including humming and other distracting noises. problem was cold soldier connections and poor quality transformers. Also reverb was too sensitive, could not go over 3 or it was excessive.

I took amp to a specialist who upgraded the transformers and chokes with Mercury Megnetics and fixed soldier connections. Cost was $400.
I know that sounds excessive but now this amp sounds the way fender should have built it. I would put it up against any amp at any price. It sounds fantastic. Reverb can be adjusted up to 10. Sound is pure and fat. Also, put RCA gray plate power tubes in. Cost was $200.

I've played for over 40 years and grew up on original fender amps.
I know the sound, its in my blood. It took me several years to finally duplicate it. I bought the stock reissue for the cab and chassis, speaker etc. I knew that I would have to modify the insides in order to make a true sounding ' 65 deluxe. If you can find a good used amp buy it and have it modified. The stock setup is of poor sound quality and components. The speaker is fine, Jensen just like the originals. The tubes are poor and are mismatched. Like I said cab and chassis,are the only thing resembeling the originals.

Great for a vintage style amp. If you need other controls or effects, use an outboard pedal. This amp is built to do one thing really well - generate a sweet tone.

I use an '84 japanese strat with a blue lace sensor in neck, single coil in mid, red lace sensor in bridge. I almost always use the blue neck pickup, it sounds fat and warm through this amp, with increasing crunch as the the volume know goes up. The amp is pretty clean to about 4 on the dial.<br><br>The only other amp I've played that sounds as fantastic as the DRRI is a mesa dual rectifier. I used to have a princton chorus, the DRRI blows it out of the water in every catagory. A+ sound, cannot overstate that. Very versatile, except for metal or something really hard.

Only had it a short time, if anything goes wrong, try the rectifier tube or output tubes. Deluxe reverbs run the 6V6's really hot and they tend to burn out quickly. Also, if your amp blows fuses it's almost definately a shorted tube.

I got mine for $450 as a 'scratch and dent' b/c it had a bad tube and someone returned it as broken. Their loss my gain. The deluxe reverb is one of the best guitar amps of all time, if you can afford one and want fat, classic tone - get one.

My DRRI is a 2003, bought used. I am an amateur not a professional...so the features of the DRRI are perfect for me. EQ of Treble and Bass on both channels, plus the ability to have reverb and tremelo. Only thing missing could be,perhaps a drive button to dirty up quick. But if I really wanted that I probably would probably bought a Hot Rod.

I have a wide variety of guitars, but seem to fall back to a strat most of the time, playing classic rock...the sound, especially the wonderful clean channel was good stock. Then I put in a full set of Mercury Magnetics, and now sound is amazing. The amp now has a presence and warmth, open...really sounds great. Tons of headroom, so it doesn't really break up until cranked.

I bought this used, so I didn't know the baggage I was picking up...broke a reverb wire, and a few other electrical issues after changing tubes. But finding a great amp tech solved that!

Haven't dealt with the company on this product.

I am a gearhead, and love to listen to different amps. In addition to this amp, I own a EL-84 based Carvin (Bel-Air) that I really like, as well as a Epiphone Valve Jr. This amp, with the addition of the Mercury Mag transformers make it the greatest. Even without the new trans, I would venture to say that this, or the new Princeton from Fender, are probably the best all around amps for the money for a mid-priced amp. I'm sure for real tone junkies, you could try the more obscure boutique models, but for my money, there is nothing like the sound of the clean channel on a DRRI, cranked! If you really want to take that to the limit, add Mercury Magnetics to the mix.

When bought new Amplifier was very Basic;
On, Off, Stand by
Volume, Treble, Bass

*Please bear in mind the Amp has been COMPLETELY PTP Hand Wired and Upgraded since I bought it...We added a Heyboer T-40 Out-Put Transformer to the AB 763 Circuit.
*All Comments made are about the Deluxe PRIOR to the Conversion
*NOW THE AMP IS BEAUTIFUL! A REAL DELUXE BLACKFACE*
_______________________________________________________________________
Now the Amplifier is Upgraded
The Year is a 2007
Ceramic Speaker(Jenson, Pretty Sad)*Upgraded to a Texas Heat*

That's where this Amplifier really takes a hit...
No Headroom to speak of...
Lousy Cleans...
Overdrive is Weak and Muffled (Blanket over the Top of Cab Syndrome) Muddled Notes...
Small Box Sound Syndrome...
Ice Pick highs, Brittle/Lousy Bass...
Excessive Reverb...
Vibrato Limited...
CHEAP QUALITY! Shame on you Fender! "This is no Reissue!"

Pops when you go to Standby
Blows Pilot Lights
This Amp makes me very nervous/back up needed for certain!
Amplifier should sell for $550 Very Over-Priced...

Fender is ****** at Customer Service... Their EGO is Huge and needs to be deflated a bit for certain! All they are concerned about is taking your money and not the product they are selling...That's quite obviuos trying to sell this 65 Deluxe look-a-like as a Reissue...

Very Poor...A good Amp to "wank" on in the Garage or room...Hardly worth its PRICE$$$! Sound is horrible for a Fender Amplifier!

Purchased new in 2008. All tube with tube rectification. Two separate, non-switchable channels. (Does anyone out there remember how amp makers once touted channel-switching? Today that's just a given.) Channel one is the darker side and has only volume, Bass, and Treble controls. Channel 2 is slighty brighter sounding and in addition to the same controls it also had reverb and tremelo. 22 watts is loud enough for me.

I play a 1999 Fender American Standard Strat, 1999 Gibson Smartwood Les Paul, 2008 Fender American Standard HSS Strat through a Fender Bassman LTD, Marshall JCM 2000 DSL-100 w./1960BV 4x12 cab and effects including Ibanez TS9, Tube King and various Boss and MXR pedals.

Everything sounds great through this amp. The sound is bright and crisp, great for jazz, country and pop. To compare, I had a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe that could really fill a room with nice tone, but this amp has even better clean tone with more edge and definition. I like it even better than my Fender Bassman LTD. It is the best clean sounding amp I have ever played. The minute I plugged my Les Paul into it I new it. Breakup is nice especially with the TS9. The Tube King sounds great with this amp too. By itself the amp's crunch is vintage, but a little too harsh and nothing to write home about. The reason you buy this amp is for the snappy, world-class clean sounds.

The power jewel light died but it doesn't seem to affect the amp's operation at all. I have never had a Fender product break on me in any serious way, but after this small glitch I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I have never needed support. That's how good Fender quality is!

I really love the sound of this amp. Although I am not a professional musician I have been playing guitar for 25 years and I wish I had bought a silverface Deluxe Reverb when I was 12. That amplifier, a Marshall, and some type of Fender tweed would have been the only amps I ever needed! I could have saved thousands of dollars in the long run by just sticking with the tried and true. Imagine how successful the auto companies like GM, Ford or Chrysler could be if they did like Fender and reissued their coolest cars. This amp is the equivalent to a brand new 1965 Mustang! I guess I'm just a vintage kind of guy.

bare bones... volume, treble, bass. Perfect for me because I use floor effects.(VOX Tonelab LE, Digitech Hendrix purple pedal, and BOSS loop. I wanted to get away from an effects loop and any effects in general. A 5 because really bare bone features (deserves a 1 by 2008 standards) BUT a lot of different tone can come from the smallest turn of a nob (very sensitive).

I have 2 Ibanez (one with active EMG), a swamp ash studio Les Paul, and a Garrison acoustic(company now owned by Gibson). I have been playing for 20 years and have gone through many amps to finally find this tone and sustain. It is my first tube amp but I have had 100 watt Marshall 1/2's + the VOX100ADVT(tearable feedback) , Peavey, Crate(= crap). This amp does not have the balls of that stuff and I agree with the people that say the loudest of drummers will walk all over it. But hey, I knew this before purchase(because I played it at the music store along with many other amps). Works great for me for home studio recording and small gigs. For a 1 12" combo the tonality can't be beat! Does not matter only 22 watts... will make you def(but it hurts sooo good). I have volume about 4-5 sounds great! By far best sounding and most versatile amp I have ever owned.

No problems. Just take care it it, let it warm up and cool down in standby before and after playing, don't let it get cold(during transportation and storage), keep covered, you should be good.

Hopefully I wont have to find out so far so good.

Ever since I have gotten this amp my girlfriend hates me! She yells at me "you love your guitar more than me just go be with it". I say "baby, you are right...later". WARNING may cause stressed relationship and jealousy. Seriously though after 20 years of playing and experimenting with 100's of different sounds and tones I have found this amp to be very inspiring. Sounds great! I cant stop playing! Play this amp every day if you get one.

minimal features, that's ok

great-at first. now I have to bring a brand-new, 1000$ amplifier to the repair shop. What IS that sound it's making? ouch.

THE BRAND-NEW RE-ISSUES (2004-6) Apparently I'm not the first w/this noise/horrible sound problem. As far as gigging with an amp that might break down mid-show, no way. And I love my 1996 Fender Blues Deluxe so much, I thought this amp would compliment for a long time.

What support?

All I wanted was a great Fender amp in return for my thousand dollars...

2007 Reissue. Features already listed. Everything I need. I started in 86' with a 67 Sunn Coliseum ...then went through the 80's shred phase with a gazillion preamp tubes, etc, even had a half stack which was insane. I finally remembered my favorite tones were from the Sunn ...why??? Simplicity, vintage circuit, basic preamp, turn up the output tubes. So I decided on this. Some say the controls are limited, I disagree, the controls are very interactive ...treble and bass work together. Onboard Reverb is as good as it gets, vibrato is cool ...not the best ...but enough for me, saves buying a pedal. I really can't see needing more. BONUS ...you can get killer tones with minimal fuss, covering a wide variety of genres ...from oldies to classic to modern ...and that is what it's all about ...for me anyway!!! Definite 10. I think this amps main strength is it's versatility.

My Setup: Heritage LesPaul < MXR VanPhaser 90 < Homebrew PowerScreamer < EH MetalMuff < Barber Tone Press < Boss DD3 < AMP

I retubed the amp and clipped the bright cap on the verb Channel. Brimar 6v6GTY(brown base military), RFT ECC83, RCA 12ax7a, Mullard CV4024, JAN 5AR4 Rectifier. Stock tubes were servicable...rebranded by fender ...just like groove tubes does. These were the Chinese WA series that are much better than earlier versions ...actually decent for current production...good backups. Replaced all with NOS which DOES make a huge difference to my ears.

Muddy Waters, Albert King, Jimi, Gary Moore, Pink Floyd, Vintage Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, Southern Rock, 70's Classic Rock/Walsh/Eagles. You will not get these tones with modern amps...just my opinion. This amp is probably the most recorded amp in history and is capable of a huge variety of tones.

I too experienced the "ice pick" highs which i prefer to think of as a "THIN high end" that needs "more body and rounded out". I found the simple solultion ...TURN IT UP!!!! Seriously!!! Up to 3 or 4 the highs dominate and it is very high endy ...but man ..turn it up above 5 ...my fav is 7 ..and the ice picks are gone and replaced by fat, gutsy, smoothe glass rock. When I do play at 4 or below I use the Tone Press to smoothe out the highs and give sustain at the lower volume ...huge difference ...but nothing beats crankin up a tube amp. The Retube I did is what I was hoping for. My god ...those Brimars are tanks!!!

Brimar 6v6GTY: Smoothe, smokey, liquid ...like the searing sunlight blazing through a hazy cloudy day all dressed up in a warm british tweed jacket. Really does a great job of smoothing out the piercing highs. Works for me. REVERB Tube: Replaced with Mullard cv4024 ...tames the brightness and wetness in the verb just a lil ...before 2 on the verb was tops ...now it's 4. Preamp Tube: I switch between RCA and RFT. BUT mostly use the RFT for V2 ..don't use ch 1. The RFT is a very aggressive tube for rock and singing blues ...the rca is awesome too ...but offers it's own sound ...bigger bass, more scooped, smoother.

This amp is extremely versatile to me ...the cleans are out of this world ...just kick on a power screamer or metal muff and I have a 3 channel amp. Can go from Albert King to Pink Floyd to Vintage Priest without touching a knob ...just kickin on the powerscreamer or metalmuff. Awesome setup for me. I don't use the boost on the metalmuff and keep the dirt around 9 oclock. The screamer is between 11:00 and 1:00. I use the metalmuff for hard rythme ...hate it for leads. Screamer for rythme/lead. When muff is on i can kick on screamer or just the boost on the screamer ...wow. How's that for versatile. So with clean, muff, screamer I have access to 5 diffent gain levels at the touch of a foot.

After 22 years playing ...started with the basics ...went through the 10 tube preamp phase and rack **** ...back to the basics now.
I am happy again. Pure tone, beautifull tone. OH ...dynamics ...my volume knob is back ...keep it around 5-7 for clean and 7-9 for leads. HOMEBREW powerscreamer is awesome. Very transparent, your tone shines through ...just adds scream, no mid hump. Maybe the traditional tubescreamer with it's mid hump is good for strats ...never liked it on my les paul.

Had it for a year now ...and no problems ...so I won't rate it

Never dealt with them.

Love it. Perfect? No! Nothing is!!! After gear binging I am back to the basics and love the tone i have now. Again ..any amp has a sweet spot on the volume ...this amps sweet spot is around 7.
To all of you out there with "ice pick" issues....turn it up.
I know people swap out speakers and stuff ...I can see having another speaker for low volume ...like a cannabis rex to smoothe it out at low volume ...but the stock jensen c12 when hit hard is killer, gutsy and smoothe. With my setup i can cover vintage blues, high gain blues, classic rock, vintage metal. Definitely would buy again.

Mine is a 2008 model. It covers all I need it too, jazz rock blues R&B country.

I use either a strat or tele, and a minimum of pedals...typically an OD followed by a clean boost. The Deluxe sounds AMAZING using this arrangement. It has a great sounding Jensen C12K 100w speaker, I tried several others but put the Jensen back in. I've owned many many quality amps and this is a favorite.

So far so good. All my Fender amps have been dependable.

Never needed.

Been playing for 30 years, gig often but not professionally. The Deluxe is currently my 'go to amp', choosing it over several boutique units. Can't say enough about the Fender tone, the lush reverb & tremolo, the ability to 'cut through', portability, and vibe in general. Love this amp. I did put in better tubes and biased it a little bit 'hotter'.

As described by others, it lacks some contemporary features BUT this is a '65 REISSUE : If you want new gimmicks get yourself Mesa 5:25 !

I run my GR-33 synth or sometime the vocal through the channel 1 and guitar into the channel 2.

It sounds as a small mini-TWIN (that is a reference Fender clean amp):

So, this is a classic FENDER sound and that's where it shines. I paid almost $1500 for my combo made in 2003 and I do not grumble, while a bunch of spoilt american kids criticize below ??? Get another unit guys, you have 30 das MBG that do not exist in Switzerland ... and please stop criticisms, please. Even my BAD unit (from France) sounds great!

If your DRRI sounds bad (or thin or flubby) then something is WRONG with that specific amp or maybe the loudspeaker ??? mine is NOT perfect as it was never optimized by a professional - so it is too bassy and I could surely replace tubes with better ones, yet trust me what I say ??? it sounds fabulous already as it is (sure I???ll improve it further some day when I find time and a good tech).

In short it sounds dynamic as on old records that we all know and adore, period. It likes all the pedals, and I have them all: Keeley, Tubefactor, ZenDrive, modded BD-2, Route 66, Morley, Fulltone OCD, Tonebone ... even Vox ToneLab or Digitech's EX-7 !!!

I have some 20+ guitars from Les Paul to Strat and Variax and acoustics and synths and ... whatever (I play since 1960), so it souds great with all of them - as a Fender classic sound: this is NOT a Marshall stack or nu-metal monster, nor is it Mesa Boogie 5:25 or H&K 4 channel - digital effects Statesman or $10'000 custom OD Dubmble !

BUT: With a ZenDrive pedal it sounds like $10'000 Dumble !!!

You can hear it on youtube under Davor & TshaCoo - it sings :-)

I play it now for 3 years and have never had any problems. I use the light 11.4 kgs Laney LC-15R as a back-up (with EL-84 tubes). I may buy the Princeton Reissue now !?

In Europe Fender is useless. I wouldn't even know how to deal with problems, but my local store is fine: I paid $1400, so it better be good store keeper: for that mone I could have bought one in the USA and replace the transformer ... next time I guess.

I play since 1960 and used to own or use even now any great amp (or guitar) on the Planet : from Gibson GA-15RV to Fender Basman, Prosonic combo or Champ and Champ-Cyber or boutique Cornford combo or Marshall ???60 double stacks or THD Univalve with an exquisite collection of valves ??? I will also mention my effects collection: the Roland VG-99, GR-33 and any other decent box like EH Tube EQ or Smooth & Slim box or VHT Valvulator 1 that reduces the impedance of my guitar signal ...

In brief, if you want THAT breaking clean-crunchy Fender sound TEST ONE in the store as they may vary in quality. Add the very best pedals, and use the best guitars you have: you'll love it !

For more contemporary designs try Mesa 5:25 or any Hughes and Kettner or even Peavey Winsor Studio or Epiphone Valve Junior ! For clean jazz header try any Polytone or any Fender non-tube 100W combo !

Straight Forward 2 Channel w/ Normal Channel and Vibrato Channel
All the "Features you need"
That's it really...Plain and Simple is always best.

It's good Fender Sound...Takes Pedals Good too
The Reverb is a little MUCH I'd say...I use nothing above #3 on the dial
Great Jenson Speaker...Good Complete Range
Don't like the Popping Sound going back on standby...

So far so Good...Blew the Pilot light on three different Amps when I first turned them on...Replaced the light bulb and no problem sense...Go Figure?

Fender's always been Rude...

Decent Amplifier...probably won't last as long as a Vintage Deluxe
But decent none the less...