Fender Blues Deluxe

in terms of features, not too much. but, if you're considering this amp, you're really not looking much for that.
2 ch, 1x12 , od channel and bright button. reverb....

my setup: dano 56 u2 to a bunch of pedals to amp. i play anything from alt. rock to shoegaze, garage rock , grunge, you name it. although i'm not a blues player, it's easy to get an assortment of great tones through this amp.

it's awesome. i bought this after literally playing it for 5 minutes. it can crank out the power for a 40 watt amp. i have to put the drive up all the way, and it's a good sound(not really for you if you're into hi gain, but just get a pedal, like i did.....)

i love the reverb on this.

i bought this used, and i'm sure this must be one of the 90's versions. i have researched, but i'm not sure how old it is. mine just has some light tolex scuffing/ dirt for an older amp.

don't know... never had to contact fender over the years..

a damn good amp. i got it used, for what i thought was a good price, so i had to jump all over that deal.

it's certainly gig worthy. i think this amp will be very reliable.

i've been thinking about changing the speaker to a celestion v30.i saw one of these amps that had a lot of mods- rec. tube installed, all nos hi end tubes, and a new speaker.

1993, still 100% original.
400 usd from drunk Fender dealer (11 PM)

My stuff: Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster AM Deluxe...Cry Baby...Pro Co Vintage The Rat Distortion...Fender Blues Deluxe Amp.
I am playing alternativ rock. Something like Radiohead, Blur, Coldplay(but better then coldplay:). But I like old tube sound. This amp is one of best Fender Amps ever! Is like Ford Mustang. Classic look but with mega power. Clean chanel is like cold cristal water in mountains. Drive is like some Rolling Stone who looking for some fight. Drive id dirty but need to some booster. I think about The Rat or Big Muff. This amp is made for Fender guitars so if you are wonder of REAL sound of stratocaster or Tele so you should use this amp. Otherwise you don't know nothing about strats and tele. Was made only 3 (?) years so now it's a classic and special.

12 year for 1 hour every day. Still 100% original. Like new

but for what?

1994, 40W 1x12, 3x 12ax7's 2x 6L6's 2 inputs, FX loop, "master volume" channel, reverb, tweeeeeeeeeeD!

Channels aren't really actual channels, it's just some sort of boost. and there's a dumb delay when you step on the button, like the Hard Rock (cafe) Deluxe. as others said here, the circuit is Bassman-esque, so it's like switching between two old channels, one cranked high and one normal. But it's kind of usable. The FX loop is a big plus to me. The volume on mine doesn't jump from 0-1 like in the HRDlx. I just got this today from a friendly seller locally. It has the original tubes and they might need replacing, but the amp sounds nice.

The tweed is still very new looking and I'm thinking of putting something on it to protect it and also to make it a classy-lassy.Very attractive amp. Don't like the stupid vintage knobs with the dumb backwards numbers.

I'm using two different strats and a Epi LP Special with hot stock ceramic pups, the kind that everyone who plays this guitar loves.

The humbuckers can make the clean channel break up at 4-5 and the strat pickups can break it up at 6-8 (out of 12).
I like this better than the "similar" HRDlx. I used to have a Silverface Deluxe Reverb, but sold it because I hated the way the tubes overdrive, at least with my pickups. I'd describe the sound of this amp as a cross between a Super Reverb and an old Bassman. It has a nice sharp punchy typical 6L6 sound to it. Although it's 40W(alot in my book)it's easy to get it to break up if I want it to, and clean if that's what you need.

I use the drive channel along with a distortion pedal (Boss OS-2 Overdrive Distortion) and it really makes the amp crunch like a mutherfuckr. But you have to get the power tubes going a tiny bit, first. Nothing major, but the volume can't be on 2. 3-4 is OK.

Reverb is very nice, smooth. It works very very well and has long decay. It doesn't hiss.

I play all kinds of music, the main styles I got this for are prog-type rock with very clean sounds, mild crunch, and heavy distortion. Everyone says you can't do metal with a so-and-so amp. ENOUGH! Metal is not the result of the right amp, it's just hot pickups, hot pedal in front, lots of amp distortion, and EQ'ing. PLus the way the guitar is played. yes you can do metal with this, just not with a guitar and a cord.

i just got it today, so I don't know. It's a PCB (printed cicuit board), and the components are cheap, but you know what? I just got one of those "workhorses" that everyone talks about, a Deluxe Reverb, and had to pay $200 to have it serviced. Fuck vintage stuff. yes it's easy to service, but you have to pay alot to service it and in the end you'll just sound vintage. Don't you want somebody to love, don't you need somebody to love. fuck that, it's boring. it's like it smells like mold it's so old.

never dealt with Fender, but I love their products

I've been playing for 13 years. If it were lost I'd be alittle upset because the one I got is in really good shape and it seems like a good price. They're reissuing them. I'd probably get a Hot Rod Deluxe because it does have a nice overdrive channel.

This is a commentary or retort to some of the users reviews and some more observations. I recently bought a Hot Rod Deluxe so I will compare them a bit.

As for the rectifier/sag issue. This was meant as a modern incarnation of the Tweed and I like it much better. I prefer the tighter feel, power and snap that a SS rectifier gives. IMO tube rectifiers make some/most amps sound mushy. I think there was a reason Sunn started using (2)GZ34 tubes and Marshall went SS. More power and dynamics.
As for classic Tweeds not all sound good. In fact very few do. Compared to a Hot Rod Deluxe. It's similar but the Blues is cleaner with more natural grit and the Hot Rod sounds dark and buzzy. The more you turn the Blues up the better it sounds and the stock Eminence lends to that gritty stressed character. I tried other speakers and always went back because it seems to have a more musical quality about it. It's not perfect but that cone distress and ocassional woofiness is part of it's charm. 5881's sound the best with SED's making it a bit sweeter. JAN-Philips were nice but I suspect thjose and any other tubes besides SED's or Sovtek 5881's need a bias kit installed. The amp's sound was designed around Sovtek 5881's and sounds it's best with them. If you want a gritty Fender Tweed tone with balls this is it.

So far it's been reliable. It can get real noisy with single coils. The jacks are terrible. They need to be replaced with switchcrafts. I honestly believe Fender should re-release this model, Possibly with better jacks, bias adjustment, and an extra follower for the tone section like a '59 Bassman to put that unused section to use.

Fender authorized support is usually pretty good.

It's not perfect but nothing is. It's built for Blues. I have to put this in the same category as Blackfaced Fenders and Marshall 1987 50 Watters. For a modern amp design it pretty much captures how a good amp should sound. It's noisy, sweet, sensitive, bouncy, chimey, fat, obnoxious and loud. I wouldn't have it any other way. Like a good guitar it inspires. After 5 it starts coming alive.

1x12" Laquered Tweed combo, 40 watts RMS with a 2x5881, 3x12AX7A tube compliment and reverb. Similar to a '59 Bassman control wise with a single channel with footwithable drive channel that uses it's own volume and master controls. Very versatile for a Tweed amp design without getting overly complicated. Easy to dial in. Stays away from that buzzing-bee preamp gain syndrome common with modern-amps which is a welcome relief.

Sound? Absolutely best sounding Fender Tweed I ever used. Fat, ballsy, and a great low-end and I mean great. My vintage Strat is so fat through it I have to back off on the bass and middle controls. Touch sensitive, harmonically rich and just plain nice. For Blues or Classic Rock look no further. Sounds equally well with a Strat or Tele. This is the Classic Fender sound and it does not get better than this. Tube brands make little difference too. Sounds great with them all. I have Jan-Philips in all positions.

No problems so far. Has a loose input jack which I'm told is very common.

No problems, no repairs.

Glad I stumbled on this amp and I'm looking for another one. It's everything I ever wanted in an amp. Can play it soft or loud with no compromisde in tone and nails that classic Tweed tone perfectly. It's well-suited to both a bedroom or a club.

All of the comments below refer to a 1993 model Blues Deluxe in
tweed.

This is a reissue amp (sortof) that is "all tube" although the
pre amp inputs and pre amp outputs go through solid state
buffers (read: opamps). Basic features, but this is a "blues" combo.
Panel features: 2 inputs, (clean, not so clean) Volume, Drive, treble, mid, bass, reverb, master volume, presence. On and Standby switches and
also has preamp in, preamp out and footswitch jacks. 12" speaker, its
an Eminence "specially designed" for Fender. Tube compliment is three
12ax7s and two 5881/6l6GC.

Using this setup with a Les Paul, it is nice at playing blues... it
could really use a better speaker. It does not have that real vintage tone,
even though they have tried to emulate the circuit, but with a solid
state power supply there is no "sag" and plate voltage/bias setup is
such that the tubes are very linear. Fender tries to overcome this
by matching this circuit with a severly undersized output transformer
to get that vintage tone (this is my opinion after having a good
look at the amp (more on this later))... they should have gone with
a larger output tranny, but I am sure cost was an issue.

This amp is pretty clean on the clean channel, but it does tend
to have a lot of internal noise with the volume up if the
12ax7 tubes (the first two gain stages, actually) are not chosen
carefully. Using a 5751 or a 12at7 in the first stage can calm
this down dramatically... using a very hot tube can put the "no
input" noise levels over the top at high volume.

I do not use the drive channel too much (if at all) and therefore
have no real comments on it.

Again, a speaker change is in order for a better tone out of
this amp. A Jensen P12N (even a new one) is a good option, as
finding an original is costly, and the Utah's are even more.
A vintage Fane would probably also fit the bill.

I have read various things on this site about reliability of this amp.
I will state what happened to mine (and also a friend of mine with a
HRD) and what I did to fix it, and also give some notations on this.

Preliminary: I used to be an electronics tech and I am a EE. I do
have a clue. At least sometimes. Well, maybe.

I purchased this amp used, and it worked fine. After several hours of
play it started to hiss and pop (loudly with no input)... common
problem, I figured bias has/was dropping, or the "flyback" diode was
arcing or dead. Well, the "flyback" diode was gone (that diode that
connects the plates of the 6l6's to ground... due to the solid state
power supply). After changing that and checking a few other things
I fired her back up. Still pop'n. I go back in and start to read
about this on the net. I find out there was a bad run on the resistors
that Fender recieved for this amp (some of them) and they have a
tendency to go bad. Hrmph. I start checking... of course, they look
good... to make a long story short, a _huge_ number of resistors and
ALL coupling caps on this amp were showing signs of intermittent
problems under load. I ended up changing almost everything.

It works fine now, but what a job. As I mentioned I have a friend
that has the same problem, and their tech told them the same thing.
(most of the resistors are bad, caps are failing, etc)... what a
nightmare.

My advice: when it starts to fail, bring it to a competent tech,
have them replace all plate resistors and all coupling caps, and
then check all PS caps under load. Then make sure to check the two
diodes from the plate to gnd of the 6l6's under high voltage spike
test. These will only fail at working voltage (not overvoltage,
mind you, but this will not show up under a standard DMM test).
After that you will have a good reliable amp.

In Fender's defense, I have read that they found out about this
problem later on, and fixed it... this was reported to only impact
the early BD and HRD. Mine is a 1993 model.

Didn't call them, it was 8 years out of warranty when I picked it up.

I have not been playing guitar for long, but have been a sound tech
for some time.

If it were stolen/lost I would look for an affordable Bassman or a real tweed. Right, like that would happen. I may look for another,
but a HRD may be a better choice with the larger output tranny.

I like the looks of it, and it is capable of nice tones, but I would
not give more than $300 for it, in mint condition.

This is a '94 Blues Deluxe, purchased from a seller on Ebay in 2004.

The amp is a very basic reproduction of the well-known Fender Deluxe, with a second overdrive channel. It's got an effect loop, and you can use it with an external cab if you like. It's got 40W of power, and is very loud.

The configuration is two 6L6C/5881 power tubes with three 12AX7 preamp tubes. It has shared bass/treble/mid tone controls, a master volume for the clean channel, and gain/master for the overdrive channel.

All in all, it doesn't have a lot of features - but what it does do, it does quite well.

I have used both single- and dual-coil guitars with this amp, and it sounds somewhat thin using single coils, which is to be expected. That's just how a Strat sounds through a Deluxe. With humbuckers, the sound is appreciably fatter, and actually a bit more pleasant to my ears.

The amp is practically noiseless, which is surprising for a 10-year-old amp. There is no hum or hiss until you turn the amp up very loud, and even then it is controllable by the guitar's volume knob.

The clean channel, with any guitar, is to die for. This is the classic Fender open-back amp sound that so many guitar players like. You can make it squawk, sing, or grind just with your fingers - it is very touch-sensitive.

As you turn up the clean channel to the 1/2 way mark, the amp opens up and the power tubes start to clip. The amp is at its absolute best at this point - some of the most wonderful overdrive can be had in this fashion. The amp is very, very loud at this setting, however - too loud for most club stages.

The overdrive channel shares the EQ section with the clean channel. The EQ also seems to come before the gain stage, so one must be careful with the bass settings to avoid the sound of the amp becoming too farty on the low end. It works far, far better with a powerful dual-coil guitar - there isn't much gain there to work with. But this is a "Blues" Deluxe, not a "Metal" Deluxe, no? If you need more gain, put a Tube Screamer in front of it. (I did.)

The overall sound quality of this amp makes me question why people even bother with transistor amps. The sound is that much better.

The reverb on the unit is pretty good. From 0-3 it seems adjustable, but there doesn't seem to be much difference between 3 and 12. It's your classic Fender spring reverb, which is very distinctive.

This is a proven design and is not likely to break down any time soon. As noted in other reviews, the input jacks are soldered onto the mainboard, but I've never had a problem with jacks like these, even on amps that get gigged every night. As long as they're sturdily attached to the chassis, too, it's fine.

There's little chance of this thing breaking down just on the spur of the moment, so I'd take it and nothing else to a gig.

Fender will probably be in business for some time coming, so I don't see any problem getting parts or service from them. Since the amp hasn't broken, I've never had to deal with Fender directly. The parts I need for it (tubes, speakers) are always readily available and reasonably priced.

This is a great, versatile amp, and I recommend it to anyone who doesn't have incredible volume requirements. The amp is definitely not a metal amp, but with the right kind of pedal in front of it, can take on any character you'd like it to, practically. Because it's small, portability lends a lot of value to this amp to the gigging musician. I highly recommend it.

If it were lost, I would immediately purchase this exact amp. I can't think of another amp in this price range that would even remotely come close.

It compares directly to the Fender Pro Junior I have. The PJ doesn't have reverb or an OD channel, but the sound is similar. The PJ overdrives much sooner on the clean channel because of its configuration. The BD is simply a larger, deeper sound, because of the greater power and larger speaker (12").

For $340USD, this amp is a fantastic, toneful value. Highly recommended.

Check out the other 4,000 reviews! Basic 40 watt, single 12 tube combo amp.

Used it with a stock 71 tele, homebrew chambered tele w/ neck bucker and p-90 style bridge pup, stock strat with Lollar pups, stock 67 335 and a few other guitars. This amp is stock with original tubes & speaker. I was disappointed at the lack of clean headroom. Typical Fender tone. Reverb is pretty much useless over 2 1/2. Clean channel is decent, but the drive and more drive channels are utter crap. I borrowed this from a friend ( who dislikes it immensly by the way ) thinking it would be a great amp for running stereo with my Roland BC-60 Blues Cube. Actually, it worked very well for that purpose. I quess I expected it to surpass the Roland. To my surprise, the Roland held it's own and in some way's sounds better than the Fender. Again, with a speaker and tube upgrade, it would be a better amp. As is, I'll take the solid state Roland. I never thought I'd be saying that, but the ears don't lie!

I've been through an utter butt load of guitars and amps over the last 30 some years. Most have gone long ago to pay for rent, food and other vices. Now that I'm an old fart, I want to have few nice guitars and a few nice amps to cover my various foray's into the blues I love so much. I was hoping this would be low cost solution to get me by for a few years...and it certainly could be. But, I'm pretty dissapointed at the tone of this amp. I was hoping it would kill the solid state Roland...but NOOOOOO. Either the Roland is an exceptional solid state amp or the Blues Deluxe is a pretty poor example of a tube amp. Not quite sure yet.

I bought this amp new at Rondo Music in Union, NJ in 1997 (?) on the recomendation of a salesman. Features ? It has a Reverb, two channels and an effects loop. This is my workhorse amp, I use it for everything, practice and gigs. Since I'm pretty much an old school guy and really only care for a basic setup. this is the amp for me.

I use a recent vintage Gibson es135 most of the time. I also use a Dillion gold top Les Paul clone with P90's. I play mostly old school rock and blues and don't like alot of stuff between the guitar and amp. I can crank it if I need to but when we gig it gets run through the PA. I've never really dimed it but it's pleanty loud for what I do. The other guitar player in the band loves this amp and says it has the warmest sound he has ever run across.

Now this is something I can realyy atest to. Last summmer we played an outdoor gig and just as we were doing the sondcheck a huge storm blew up. Heartbreakingly the amp got soaked and I thought it was gone.
It recovered somewhat when in the next day but was never really the same. I took it to the amp guy at Toobz which is part of Raritan Bay Guitar Repair in Freehold, NJ. When he got done It sounded 100% better. I guess what I'm saying is you can't kill this Amp!

Who knows? I never needed anything done until the above incident and it was LONG out of warranty.

I started playing when I was 14 and I'm now 55. I have owned a lot of stuff over the years. In addition to the es135 and Les paul clone mentioned above I also have a tele, a very old Kent and some acoustics. I use a little kustom tube amp to annoy my wife with when she's trying to watch TV and a Peavey Classic 30. What would I do if this was stolen? I'd hunt the thief down and kill him! I love this amp. All I can say is the best sound I ever heard is a Gibson (or Gibsonlike) Guitar through a Fender Amp. I doesn't get any better than that!!!!!!!

One great sound.
Shared EQ - always bad. But, not as bad as others!
Goofy control layout - white letters UPSIDE DOWN from the front on chrome. IMPOSSIBLE to see without putting your nose on the tweed.
Doesn't weigh a ton.. Like my MB Nomad 55
Almost TOO loud, in fact it is for rehearsal in a small place, barely have it cracked. Looking forward to gigging with it so I can turn it up, that is if I can make the Mesa stay home...

Playing seriously about 10 years, mainly Les Paul-ish HB-equipped guitars, tele and strat as well. I brought this amp a) because I needed a practice amp and b) to help out a friend needing cash... I feel bad for him because it sounds GREAT!!!! as long as you don't need metal distortion.
Out of curiosity, I added a Torres BIAS adjustment kit, and this was the best thing I could have done. Setting the bias a bit 'cooler' to 29 ma made this thing just SING. (it was a bit over 30ma stock). The only reason it gets a 9 is those darn shared EQ controls...

These have a rep. for having bad solder joints. This one has been (I was told) gone through by a tech. and the bad joints fixed. They still look pretty bad, like 5-year-olds did the assembly. But, my Mesa Nomad is not much better. Seems as dependable as anything else with the care you need to give a tube amp.

never needed any so can't say. Got a schematic download for free though, guess that's something

I love this little amp and I'd cry if it disappeared. Not made any more, and I hear the Hot Rod Deluxe is NOT the same animal at all. I had a Peavey Classic 50 (nice amp, but not like this), Line6 AX2 (nice in the studio, doesn't cut through gigging), and gig with a Mesa Boogie Nomad 55. I'm glad I bought this AFTER the Boogie, 'cause I'd probably never have bought the Boogie if I'd heard this first (maybe that's bad....)