Fender Deluxe Vintage Modified?????

Yeah, I'm aware of the "repair" ability factor. However, I always worry about getting my vintage amps repaired. Could be that sometimes one just isn't sure, and gets hung up on it, so maybe it doesn't really sound different. However, it could be that sometimes it does sound different. Plus, in all my years, I've only met one guitar/amp repair tech that I've totally trusted. He is pretty well known in this part of the East Coast, so even knowing when he will be in the state can be tricky.
Another plus for a good reissue...

Easy to replace.;)
 
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I can't argue with that...that's why I play Fender Precision reissues ('51 and Classic '50s). Not that I would pay the prices asked for the genuine article.

We're lucky to have a retired Navy electronics tech here in town, and he knows his stuff. He's worked on my Silvertone, B15N, HD-130 Reverb and Carvin X-amp (the tube amps I've owned since he moved here). The last time I took the Twin Twelve in, he was inviting passersby in to check out "real point-to-point wiring."

You gotta love gear that was made to be repaired, rather than sent to the landfill.

Meanwhile, I've been playing the Band-Master VM again, and I think I'm in love. It's a great combination of what I love about Fender amps, including the ability to sound "chimey" on the lower strings.
 
ggunn said:
I don't get what you mean by "two output channels". A Deluxe Reverb has two input channels, but they are blended into a single channel of power section.

And FWIW, bridging inputs on an old (maybe a new as well) Fender amp will give you some phasing issues because the vibro/reverb channel goes through an extra gain stage and reaches the power section with reverse polarity from the normal channel. If you bridge the inputs and turn the channel volumes all the way up, it will be quieter than either channel by itself.

I use an A/B switch to switch inputs on my Deluxe. One channel is set bright and sparkly for my Strat and the other is set a bit dark for my LP.
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Well, I sorta meant that you get two different tones from the same amp, depending on what INPUT channel you use- so, in effect, two different output channels. At least that's what I THINK I meant, can't quite remember, now...

As for bridging the inputs (I DO remember what I meant by that- pluging your guitar into the far left most input, then "bridging" that channel to the second by plugging in a cable from the second input to the first on the second channel) it's not something I do on a regular basis, but I think it's cool that you can- and some folks love doing it. Vive la difference.


Using an A/B switch works, of course- but I am so fruit for tremolo that I use it as much as I can. And given that the two inputs on each channel have different qualities- the far-left is for higher output guitars (humbuckers) and the next one is for lower-output guitars (single coils) (or is it the other way 'round?) you could A/B your inputs to either channel.

As I said, Vive la difference. Whatever floats your boat.

And really, if the volume is lower if you do "bridge" the two channels, that can be good- perhaps that would allow you to drive the power tubes and get into their sweet spot, but play at a lower level. We don' need no estinkin' attenuators...
 
lpdeluxe said:
I can't argue with that...that's why I play Fender Precision reissues ('51 and Classic '50s). Not that I would pay the prices asked for the genuine article.

We're lucky to have a retired Navy electronics tech here in town, and he knows his stuff. He's worked on my Silvertone, B15N, HD-130 Reverb and Carvin X-amp (the tube amps I've owned since he moved here). The last time I took the Twin Twelve in, he was inviting passersby in to check out "real point-to-point wiring."

You gotta love gear that was made to be repaired, rather than sent to the landfill.

Meanwhile, I've been playing the Band-Master VM again, and I think I'm in love. It's a great combination of what I love about Fender amps, including the ability to sound "chimey" on the lower strings.
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I told you! And I'm willing to bet that we aren't the only ones with similiar taste in amps. I never even considered Fender an option because of the drive issues, but this thing completely changed my view. Fender really did something incredible with this amp. I'm snagging one now before they realize how good this thing really is.
 
stevieb said:
And really, if the volume is lower if you do "bridge" the two channels, that can be good- perhaps that would allow you to drive the power tubes and get into their sweet spot, but play at a lower level. We don' need no estinkin' attenuators...
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Actually, no. The cancellation effect lowers the signal level coming out of the preamp and therefore pulls down the drive level of the power tubes.
 
ggunn said:
True dat. My '64 Deluxe Reverb and my '67 Super Reverb still sound great. They require a little bit of maintenance from time to time, and both have had minor mods, but they are sill very much vintage.
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Gordon, those are two fine amps. I was greatly tempted by the 65 Deluxe Reverb RI after playing through one at the local dealer, but the cost and weight put me off. The best amp I've ever used that I didn't own is a '67 Super belonging to a friend.

didgijimmy said:
I never even considered Fender an option because of the drive issues, but this thing completely changed my view. Fender really did something incredible with this amp. I'm snagging one now before they realize how good this thing really is.
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As I mentioned earlier, I also have a Jazzmaster Ultralight, and it's another winner. All solid state (and the one and only s/s guitar amp I've owned) but it sounds like a good Super. It's amazing that people aren't standing in line to buy 'em.

Then there's my Blues Jr tweed NOS...I'm now thinking it may be surplus to requirements, even though it looks great next to my blonde 335 (!) and sounds good to boot. I've been hauling it to church for the Baptist Blues Band stuff, but I can get used to the BM VM. Its only drawback is the 50-lb speaker cab it's hooked up to now, but that can be replaced by a lighter one. I may end up with the BM 2-12 cab....
 
lpdeluxe said:
Gordon, those are two fine amps. I was greatly tempted by the 65 Deluxe Reverb RI after playing through one at the local dealer, but the cost and weight put me off. The best amp I've ever used that I didn't own is a '67 Super belonging to a friend.



As I mentioned earlier, I also have a Jazzmaster Ultralight, and it's another winner. All solid state (and the one and only s/s guitar amp I've owned) but it sounds like a good Super. It's amazing that people aren't standing in line to buy 'em.

Then there's my Blues Jr tweed NOS...I'm now thinking it may be surplus to requirements, even though it looks great next to my blonde 335 (!) and sounds good to boot. I've been hauling it to church for the Baptist Blues Band stuff, but I can get used to the BM VM. Its only drawback is the 50-lb speaker cab it's hooked up to now, but that can be replaced by a lighter one. I may end up with the BM 2-12 cab....
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I was watching a youtube video because I've been droolin over this amp. The Fender rep said that they chose digital reverb over spring because the spring would have increased the weight and increased the size of the head substantially. I guess they really had gigging musicians in mind with these so I'd be willing to bet the BM 2-12 cab is fairly lightweight.
 
didgijimmy said:
I was watching a youtube video because I've been droolin over this amp. The Fender rep said that they chose digital reverb over spring because the spring would have increased the weight and increased the size of the head substantially. I guess they really had gigging musicians in mind with these so I'd be willing to bet the BM 2-12 cab is fairly lightweight.
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Are you talking about the Jazzmaster? I discovered it when I was downsizing all my big honkin' amps (Music Man HD130 Reverb with a 2-12 cab, AND a Hartke 410XL for bass), two weighty Ampegs, oak cabinet Carvin (pretty, but oh so heavy) and I had just finished a long stint playing bass in a honky tonk band and hauling massive gear back and forth in my Matrix.

I read the reviews at Harmony Central and had my local dealer order one. I traded in a bunch of stuff (got a bunch of other stuff, too, like a Korg D888) and when the dust settled I had a JM for about $200 actual cash. It has 250 watts into a 2 ohm 12", and it looks fine at church or on the bandstand.

The reverb is just like the one on the BM, to my ear. I use it very lightly, but it adds a little shimmer.

Oh, yeah, and it has an excellent drive channel distortion. It really likes my Les Paul, but a friend has been plugging his Fishman Aura-equipped Martin into it, with very good results.

But my 335 was looking for a different partner, and it looks like the BM is it.
 
lpdeluxe said:
Are you talking about the Jazzmaster? I discovered it when I was downsizing all my big honkin' amps (Music Man HD130 Reverb with a 2-12 cab, AND a Hartke 410XL for bass), two weighty Ampegs, oak cabinet Carvin (pretty, but oh so heavy) and I had just finished a long stint playing bass in a honky tonk band and hauling massive gear back and forth in my Matrix.

I read the reviews at Harmony Central and had my local dealer order one. I traded in a bunch of stuff (got a bunch of other stuff, too, like a Korg D888) and when the dust settled I had a JM for about $200 actual cash. It has 250 watts into a 2 ohm 12", and it looks fine at church or on the bandstand.

The reverb is just like the one on the BM, to my ear. I use it very lightly, but it adds a little shimmer.

Oh, yeah, and it has an excellent drive channel distortion. It really likes my Les Paul, but a friend has been plugging his Fishman Aura-equipped Martin into it, with very good results.

But my 335 was looking for a different partner, and it looks like the BM is it.
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I think you misunderstood me, and I may have been unclear. I was watching a video of the Bandmaster VM in which the rep said that though many sneer at the digital reverb of the Bandmaster and wonder why not spring, the reason Fender chose digital is because a spring reverb would have added more weight and increased the size of the head making it inconvenient. So, from this I gathered that they had gigging musicians in mind when designing the Deluxe VM and the BMVM head and cabinet, therefore I bet the BM cabinet would fit your convenience and aual needs.
 
Aha. Well, it works. Maybe I should have said, the Jazzmaster has the same reverb/fx as the BM.

In any case, I'm trying to work it all out so I don't have more heads than cabinets and vice versa. I really picked up the Band-Master so I'd have a 1-15 guitar amp, and I couldn't find a Jazz-King. I have the 1-15 because I traded off my Ampeg bass gear and ended up with a Hartke head and this cabinet -- then, of course, I found a 2-10 cabinet which weighs merely 34 lb, and, even though the 1-15 and 2-10 and head make a nice stack, it's all way too much and am I boring anyone yet?

So I had a 15" speaker box I wasn't using, and I wanted to try one with the 335.

But what the hell: I love new gear, and new sounds, and exploring and I'm probably happier than I would have been had I just bought a Jazz-King.

Maybe I'll just go open a Guinness.
 
lpdeluxe said:
Gordon, those are two fine amps. I was greatly tempted by the 65 Deluxe Reverb RI after playing through one at the local dealer, but the cost and weight put me off. The best amp I've ever used that I didn't own is a '67 Super belonging to a friend.
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Thanks. I bought the Super brand new in early 1968. My only regret in hindsight is that I traded away my 1966 Princeton Reverb to buy it. The Deluxe I bought about 10 years ago, and it has a sweeter sound with my Strat than the Super. It's a little bit modded; the twisted pairs connecting the terminal board to the front panel were changed to co-ax by the previous owner and I dropped a JBL K130 into it. It's my main amp.

I've also got a Mesa "Son Of Boogie" (a pair of 6L6's instead of a quad), an older Blues Jr, an MTI era SVT, an '81 Marshall 50 watt JMP, a very old class A Supro "Super" amp, and an old Peavey Mace that someone gave me (it's waiting for me to get around to rebuilding it). I heart tube amps.
 
Update:

Alright, decided to go buy from my buddy at GC (as guilty as I feel). He's snagging me the Deluxe VM for $520+tax (shipping should be free). So we're figuring $580 tops if we have to pay shipping. $800 amp for $580. He's putting in the order monday, so I should be able to post my sheer happiness with it in about 2 weeks.:D
James
 
That's great. I played the Blues Jr at church Sunday, couldn't wait to get back home to the Band-Master. Now I'm thinking I'll get a Weber cab + 15" speaker a month or so from now and see if that's the magic combination.
 
lpdeluxe said:
That's great. I played the Blues Jr at church Sunday, couldn't wait to get back home to the Band-Master. Now I'm thinking I'll get a Weber cab + 15" speaker a month or so from now and see if that's the magic combination.
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Yeah, I've never played through a Weber, but I know alot of people on here rave about Weber speakers. I don't foresee myself replacing the celestian in my DVM though.
 
Mine's the head version, so I'm fishing for a speaker cabinet. I plugged my Les Paul Deluxe into the Band-Master VM/Hartke 115 cab earlier, and it sounds terrific. I've been guilty of restricting my guitars to specific amps and it's a revelation to hear the tight LP mini-humbucker through that head instead of the rounder 335 tone.

I still haven't had a chance to play with other people through this amp. Last Sunday our "Baptist Blues Band" did Blind Willie McTell's I Got to Cross the River Jordan and the BM is 'way too much for that: I played the 335 through the Blues Jr.

It's all good....
 
I finally set the Band-Master VM up in a room where I could open it up a little. A friend has a geodesic dome he built maybe 25 years ago, with a living room ceiling that reaches to the upper limit of the dome. It's acoustically open and live -- I've done a bit of recording in it, and everything usually sounds better there.

I set the BM up with the Hartke 115 cab and handed my beloved 335 to the owner of the dome, who proceeded to play blues for the next half hour. I didn't think I'd get it back!

Then we got down to business, and he got out his Martin flat top and I plugged my Les Paul Deluxe into the Band-Master.

Verdict: it's a great Fender clean amp. The digital reverb sounds "Fender" enough for me, and gives the sound a sparkle I like. As noted earlier, it's pretty over the top above 3 on the dial. The sound has a lot of personality, and the EQ works actively, as it does on better Fender amps. I tried the drive channel, but the clean sound is what I love.

If I were more rock and rolly, I think I'd like the distortion, but it's easier to set up my Floor Pod Plus for distortion sounds just because it's easy for me.

I'm really taken with it. It's a great evolution of the pricey vintage and reissue Fenders without, well, the price.
 
lpdeluxe said:
I finally set the Band-Master VM up in a room where I could open it up a little. A friend has a geodesic dome he built maybe 25 years ago, with a living room ceiling that reaches to the upper limit of the dome. It's acoustically open and live -- I've done a bit of recording in it, and everything usually sounds better there.

I set the BM up with the Hartke 115 cab and handed my beloved 335 to the owner of the dome, who proceeded to play blues for the next half hour. I didn't think I'd get it back!

Then we got down to business, and he got out his Martin flat top and I plugged my Les Paul Deluxe into the Band-Master.

Verdict: it's a great Fender clean amp. The digital reverb sounds "Fender" enough for me, and gives the sound a sparkle I like. As noted earlier, it's pretty over the top above 3 on the dial. The sound has a lot of personality, and the EQ works actively, as it does on better Fender amps. I tried the drive channel, but the clean sound is what I love.

If I were more rock and rolly, I think I'd like the distortion, but it's easier to set up my Floor Pod Plus for distortion sounds just because it's easy for me.

I'm really taken with it. It's a great evolution of the pricey vintage and reissue Fenders without, well, the price.
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It's great that you took a chance on the amp and it worked out for you. I had a minor adrenalin rush yesterday when GC called and told me that they had just gotten a DVM in. I called my buddy who works at GC distributing who is getting me the discount, he made it to the store today only to find out that they sold the amp yesterday after they called me. So, I told him to just go about the normal ordering process, so I'm back to waiting two weeks now. I was really pumped about getting it today though:mad:
 
Update: It has arrived

Haven't been on the board in a bit. Been crazy busy. But anyways, last night I finally got my Deluxe VM. I'm posting a short Honeymoon review since I only had a few hours last night to play around with it, but I'm every bit as impressed as I was at the store when I played it. The clean is flat out incredible, everything I would want and can't wait to play in in the Jazz combo. I really like to crank the volume on the drive channel but pull the gain way back to use this as a sort of clean boost for leads.
Drive channel gives a great range of tones, and I found it suitable for most blues and classic rock (again, haven't had alot of time with it yet). What's really cool is how adjustable everything is, I can tell a big difference just by turning the mids u one notch when adjusting.
I have to experiment more but I thought I was getting a heavier distortion at the local store than I was last night, couldn't quite get it as heavy as I would have liked for some more modern tones, but suspect I may need to tweak the eq a bit more. If not I suspect a good pedal will do the trick.
Loving the big knobs on this thing, makes fine tuned adjustments very easy, and the knobs adjust very evenly instead of reaching 80% of the volume at 2 like the Hot Rod Deluxes.
Got to play with the built in effects last night a bit too. The Delay is awesome, very much a tape echoe effect, and very usable. I don't use the chorus alot, but do enjoy getting a nice vibrato pitch shifting effect out of it, useful for Hendrix.
And finally, when this thing arrived I had to give Fender an A plus for attention to detail as far as what they include with the amp. I had a friend pick it up from GC and when I got home it was waiting with a nice black cover with fender logo, manual w/ some information on the tubes, heavy duty footswitch wrapped in plastic, Fender decal, and a 5 year transferrable warranty.
Will post more when I've spent more time with it.
Thanks everyone who posted and helped give me some information to my purchase.
James
 
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