Dissapointed...

[69 Son]

I've had the same experience with the DRRI, I'd trade that for the the Supersonic 22 in heartbeat, or the Super Reverb RI.

[EVOL!]

My issue with the DRRI is that when you push it beyond bedroom levels (above 3) the tone gets mushy. You can hear it in some of the Pro Shop Guitar dot com demos, especially the Malekko Ekko 616 V2 video (I know because I just listened to it). I have heard this complaint from other cats that use the higher end Fender Reissues. One other problem I had that pushed me to switch 100% to my Silvertone is that the tone was inconsistent. Some days I would plug in and wonder whose amp is this?! Again, have heard this from other Fender Reissue users. Is it the circuit board? Maybe. Is it the web blanket, craptastic Eminence speaker? That may be a huge contribution. When I get the will and some spare spending cash I plan to put a Weber Jensen copy in her.

 

I have not had any issues with pedals and this amp, but I have only used my Maxon OD808 and a Yardbox through her. Both sounded fine.

 

For the record I bough mine used in 1998 for a steal and it was the first big name tube amp I owned. Before that I had a Carvin XT112 that flat out died after five years of use and was using my Silvertone 1484 head through the Carvin's speaker & cab. This was before I had the head cleaned up and updated. The latest line of DRRI may have its own train car full of issues. They do come with Jensen speakers now (jerks!), but I think they are made in Mexico. Can someone confirm?

 

Sometimes I think about selling my DRRI, but what would I replace it with? I still need a good practice amp that can function as a back up in case my Silvertone is in the shop. Also, it hardly gets pushed above bedroom level and at that volume my Sheraton with Gibson 57s just sings with sweet highs and rich mids.

[chase1410]

My issue with the DRRI is that when you push it beyond bedroom levels (above 3) the tone gets mushy. You can hear it in some of the Pro Shop Guitar dot com demos, especially the Malekko Ekko 616 V2 video (I know because I just listened to it). I have heard this complaint from other cats that use the higher end Fender Reissues. One other problem I had that pushed me to switch 100% to my Silvertone is that the tone was inconsistent. Some days I would plug in and wonder whose amp is this?! Again, have heard this from other Fender Reissue users. Is it the circuit board? Maybe. Is it the web blanket, craptastic Eminence speaker? That may be a huge contribution. When I get the will and some spare spending cash I plan to put a Weber Jensen copy in her.

 

 

 

I had the same issue as well..I got it to about 7 and it was just..yuck...I get my Super-Sonic on Monday, so I'm hopeful to see how it compares...Until then I have my new El Capistan, to give me some company and fun..

 

When it comes to the Fender's Hot Rod Deluxe, and Deville....I don't know if a better deal can be had IMO.

[Dub-T-123]

I hope you like talking about stuff endlessly because you're my new El Capistan buddy

[Artie Owl]

I think you're finding that as a consumer when you're looking for reviews you're more likely to look for the reviews that favour your preference. Then when you get it you're more likely to find the negative stuff. Pretty common at least for me sometimes.

[charlie brown]

My issue with the DRRI is that when you push it beyond bedroom levels (above 3) the tone gets mushy.

 

 

Mushy??? Really?!!! Wow...I've never had that experience, with a Deluxe, or Deluxe Reverb...at least,

not with the old ones. Can't say, about the re-issues, though. Never played one of those, yet.

The '64 "Black Face" one, that I used, not that long ago, was anything but "mushy!" I used a '66

Epiphone Casino, my Les Paul Deluxe, and a Telecaster, through it. Awesome sounding, all!

Also, if "3" is "Bedroom" volume, they must have changed the pots, as the one I played was only on

4, and it was Way Loud! Even 3, on it, was way beyond what I would call "bedroom" volume. So, there

might be a lot more diffences, between the old "point to point" black face versions, and the newer

circuit board versions, than I thought. ;>b

 

CB

[ne14t?]

I thought this amp was supposed to be like THE best thing to run effects pedals into? Better take it back and get a Marshall :D

[charlie brown]

I still can't help, but wonder, if this particular DRRI has some "tube" issues, or

a less than stellar speaker.

 

Chase...did you get to run it, along side, other's of the same model? Or, was it a

"sight unseen" purchase? I'm really curious, now, by all the descriptions, and "issues,"

expressed here. A lot of which, seems total contrary, to everything I've experienced,

with the Deluxe and Deluxe Reverbs. But, again..they were the old ones. So...???

 

Edit: Sorry, I just re-read your initial post, and see that you got it

from AMS. So, I guess you didn't have a change to test it out, much less

with other's. Bummer!

 

CB

[stein]

I may be repeating myself, but it is worth saying:

 

I have heard many a DRRI and origionals and have owned a few or the origionals. They really ARE 2 different sounding amps at levels of playing with the band, and only sound close when at low volume.

 

But, I also have to point out, that I have used and heard MANY different speakers in the origionals, and the speakers that I have seen the DRRI's come with do NOT sound good or work good with the origionals.

 

Being more specific, the reissue Jensen c12n is very much a brighter sounding speaker than the origional, with a VERY peaky treble. While no DELUXE ever came with it stock, those that have had the origional speaker replaced with a C12N do sound very good, but you can NOT replace a real C12N in a fender with a RI C12N and get the same results. The origional blackfaced amps can be very bright, and the match with the RI C12N just doesn't go well because of that.

 

The charm of the Deluxe Reverb is that it can be almost a different amp depending on the speaker you put in it. A low wattage low sensitivity speaker will give great breakup and overdrive, and putting in a high wattage speaker will make it so it can keep up with nearly any situation like a lil' powerhouse.

 

The speakers I like best are the Weber celestion copies for the loud version, in particular the one made to replicate the old marshall bass speaker like Hendrix used. (I don't have the model name, but I could find it if anyone cared). For low powered speakers in Fender amps, the Weber jensen copies, even the sig sreies, work GREAT in every amp I have heard them in and react like the origional Jensens.

 

Also, I have found that the BASSMAN RI and the BLUE DELUXE and the DRRI all have the same family resemblance kind of tone and have the same kind of harshness when they are cranked, and I say because while I have not had or messed with the DRRI, the BASSMAN RI and the BLUES DELUXE have both responded greatly to the quality and choice of the power tubes.

[EVOL!]

Mushy??? Really?!!! Wow...I've never had that experience, with a Deluxe, or Deluxe Reverb...at least,

not with the old ones. Can't say, about the re-issues, though. Never played one of those, yet.

The '64 "Black Face" one, that I used, not that long ago, was anything but "mushy!" I used a '66

Epiphone Casino, my Les Paul Deluxe, and a Telecaster, through it. Awesome sounding, all!

Also, if "3" is "Bedroom" volume, they must have changed the pots, as the one I played was only on

4, and it was Way Loud! Even 3, on it, was way beyond what I would call "bedroom" volume. So, there

might be a lot more diffences, between the old "point to point" black face versions, and the newer

circuit board versions, than I thought. ;>b

 

CB

 

 

Right. The originals were tone machines. The RIs get mushy. Also, bedroom level for me is ~2. Above 3 you are getting to band rehearsal level. 4&5 were my gigging levels. I did install tilt back legs to give girly ears a break & to blast myself in the face ;) . One thing i do like about these models is that after ~7 it doesn't get louder, it just gets dirtier. Like the neil young trick. Almost nails le noise, minus the clarity of the recordings vs the mushiness of the RI.

[Silenced Fred]

Right. The originals were tone machines. The RIs get mushy. Also, bedroom level for me is ~2. Above 3 you are getting to band rehearsal level. 4&5 were my gigging levels. I did install tilt back legs to give girly ears a break & to blast myself in the face ;) . One thing i do like about these models is that after ~7 it doesn't get louder, it just gets dirtier. Like the neil young trick. Almost nails le noise, minus the clarity of the recordings vs the mushiness of the RI.

 

My Sunn does that at about 5, just gets dirtier, not louder. We played a large cafeteria, and I was on 3 and could be heard clearly. I love this amp

[charlie brown]

Right. The originals were tone machines. The RIs get mushy. Also, bedroom level for me is ~2. Above 3 you are getting to band rehearsal level. 4&5 were my gigging levels. I did install tilt back legs to give girly ears a break & to blast myself in the face ;) . One thing i do like about these models is that after ~7 it doesn't get louder, it just gets dirtier. Like the neil young trick. Almost nails le noise, minus the clarity of the recordings vs the mushiness of the RI.

 

 

Do you think it's the stock speaker, or tubes? They say (whoever "they" are),

that circuit boards "bleed" more than P to P, so maybe(?) you lose some tone, there?

How different are the resistors and caps, in the reissues? I wonder how much difference,

that would make?

I'm (obviously) not an electricion, so please pardon any of my "dumb questions." However,

like other's have mentioned...I'd almost bet, better tubes, and a better speaker, would

improve the reissues, a LOT!

 

CB

[Enmitygauged]

Before you give up and I know the situation sucks but you might try swapping the tubes out for some smaller tubes this will give you higher gain at a lower volume. Just a thought

[EVOL!]

Do you think it's the stock speaker, or tubes? They say (whoever "they" are),

that circuit boards "bleed" more than P to P, so maybe(?) you lose some tone, there?

How different are the resistors and caps, in the reissues? I wonder how much difference,

that would make?

I'm (obviously) not an electricion, so please pardon any of my "dumb questions." However,

like other's have mentioned...I'd almost bet, better tubes, and a better speaker, would

improve the reissues, a LOT!

 

CB

 

I am not en electrician or electrical engineer either so your guesses are as good as mine. A complete overhaul of the amp (tubes, caps, and speaker) might bring it to tonal bliss levels. For what I paid for her this wouldn't be too bad an idea. For someone purchasing it new, not so sure. At that cost you could have someone build you a P to P wired Deluxe Reissue copy.

[bluesguitar65]

I think you're finding that as a consumer when you're looking for reviews you're more likely to look for the reviews that favour your preference. Then when you get it you're more likely to find the negative stuff. Pretty common at least for me sometimes.

That is pretty much it and is so true. I thought the 65' Deluxe Reverb RI sounded great! Great blues amp played pass bedroom levels IMHO. :)

[damian]

Deluxe Reverb.....My first amp,,hmmm..

[milod]

Damian... the DR was my first amp, too. Swapping for a much bigger tube amp was a mistake in retrospect.

 

I don't know about the newer ones, but there are a cupla factors even beyond any potential hardware differences.

 

First, when I got mine just about the switch of the year from '65 to '66, I'd been a folkie, so all I knew was that I needed "loud." Tone wasn't something "we" really were looking for as much as volume. OTOH, as young players tend to do, the "brand name" of Fender was important, too.

 

Second, I was using relatively light flatwounds, as were the other guys in the band. I don't know what some others were using. But they took a lickin' and kept on tickin' with some pretty raucus playing. But again, we're talking about running through the reverb/trem channel with just a bit of reverb added. Period. No stomp boxes in '66, anyway, at least not with groups I was in or around. Fuzz, courtesy of "I can't get no satisfaction," was considered, but...

 

Finally I was watching a bit of cable TV music vids the other night and couldn't believe the technique some "rockers" were using. I can see how breaking strings can be a greater problem for some pickers. Bang, bang, bang bang in 8/4 time (I said that with a big grin) through some sorta fuzz. Yeah, not all, but most bands in the late '60s weren't going there, anyway. I can see how there might be concerns of "muddiness" from some amps if one is going that direction.

 

If I could have my old DR back, I'm guessing I'd do about what I did later with my big tube combo that's too heavy to comfortably pack. I'd play the reverb/trem channel, add a tiny bit of reverb and just enough trem to thicken the sound and otherwise go clean and let the eq and guitar controls handle the overall sound - and that's a lot. The big mama has a "bright" switch too, but I never used it.

 

m

[MrNylon]

I backed a lot of lead guitar players using the Twin or the Super Reverbs. They had some of the best sounds going. Now with so much being run through a PA, they're even better.