Shobud/Fender Deluxe Reissue question...........

Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

I am very much considering purchasing a new Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 Reissue amplifier. I play both telecaster guitar and E9th Sho-bud Pro 1 pedal steel. I will be using the amp to play small to mid sized clubs and will be playing about 50% tele, 50% steel. Although a Twin would probably be ideal for this situation, the Deluxe is much more in my price affordability range, lighter weight, and I can score a really good deal on a new amp through a Fender employee. Also, I love the way my old steel buddy Tex Adair sounds playing through his Shobud E9th steel through his old Deluxe with a JBL (his sound cut through a band just fine). I currently am using a Nashville 400, and I swapped the stock single coil pickup with a George L E-66. For a while, I was trying to achieve a more modern clean sound, but I have realized that I will never be satisfied playing through an amp other than an all tube Fender.

That being said, I would like to know what kind of speaker you would recomment me putting in this amp for my situation. I would want this speaker upgrade to increase the headroom for the steel, yet still sound good for tele pickin'. Also, for the type of speaker you recomment, let me know where would I be able to buy it. I would prefer buying a new speaker rather than dealing with refurbishing an old one. Also, with the new amp, would you recommend me re-installing the original shobud pickups. I want to go after a "Jimmy Day, Lloyd Green, Ralph Mooney, Tom Brumley" type sound. Thanks!

[This message was edited by Steve Leal on 16 August 2004 at 04:39 PM.]

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I would have the original pickup sent to Jerry Wallace to be rewound and then put it back in the guitar if you want the classic single coil retro sound. They come out great.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

well the first thing you will come to realize is how much more headroom the N400 has over the Deluxe Reverb.

For the Telecaster, the Deluxe Reverb is a good choice although lately, and I am a Fenderhead, I am looking seriously at the Peavey Classic series ( all tube ) amps and I just gotta say..these are really fine amps. The Tele' banger in our band plays thru a Peavey Delta Blues, 30 watts all tube with a 15" speaker..this is an awesome amp, clean and loud..

I have always had a Fender Tube amp in the barn and still do (Hot Rod Deville) but think that pretty soon I will also get one of the Peavey Classic series amps, 30 or a 50...compared to my 2x12 HR Deville..the Classic 50's with 2x12's or 4x10's is the winner...Geesh..I can't believe I said that..
These amps use 3 /12AX7's and 4 EL84's...

I did play thru a Hot Rod Deluxe (40 watts)for many years and I did do double duty ( Steel and Tele) with it for quite a while.It has excellent tone for both the Steel and Tele, my Carter has a Gearge L E66..

It should also be mentioned that I played thru a TWIN for about 20 years with a JBL D130. I was playing Tele's and a Sho-Bud Pro III. This was clearly a winning combination.Shame on me for selling not just the TWIN but the Sho-Bud too!

If the venue is small, approaching mid size, the Deluxe is a fine amp. If the venue starts to get a tad larger you may wanna' bring that N400 with you..

There is lots of discussion on many "Boards" about the smaller Fender amps, just realize that changing speakers and Tubes does not change the inherent design of preamp headroom, these amps are designed to get "HOT" at moderate volume...and they do...

good luck

t

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 17 August 2004 at 02:37 AM.]

David Doggett · Posted 17 Aug 2004 8:31 am

The classic amp for doing what it sounds like you want to do is the Twin Reverb. I'm assuming you play country tele and want a clean twangy sound, not rock/blues crunch and overdrive. Because of the way we use the volume pedal for sustain on pedal steel, you need lots more power in a steel amp than for regular guitar. It's not about volume, but about sustain. If you play no-peddle steel without a volume pedal this is not the case. For pedal steel I've tried a '50s Tweed Deluxe, a Peavey Classic 30, and a Delta Blues. Only the Delta Blues with it's 15" speaker had sufficient low end and headroom for pedal steel, and then only at low volumes. However, this might work fine if you mike the amp through the PA. A Classic 50 would be better. My problem is that I prefer 15" speakers for pedal steel, so the small Fender amps are out for me.

You should seriously consider getting a used Twin Reverb or a Pro Reverb. The blackfaces are out of your price range, and are not necessarily clean enough for pedal steel anyway. But the silver faces can be had for less than new small Fender amps, and they are great for pedal steel and clean country tele. You can stick with the stock 2x12 speakers for better cut-through, or replace them with a 15" speaker for a fuller sound. There are many SF Twins and Pros on the used market. The Pro is a little lighter and doesn't have quite the volume of a Twin (60 watts), but will still blow away any new small Fender amp. The 60 tube watts of my SF Pro Reverb with a 15" Jensen MOD speaker has almost the same usable headroom as my NV 400 with 200 solid state watts.

So I guess my bottom line suggestion is to look for a Peavey Classic 50 or a good used Fender SF Twin or Pro.

[This message was edited by David Doggett on 17 August 2004 at 09:34 AM.]

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

I definitely agree with Dave. I think you will be sorry you didn't choose a Twin. The Deluxe just does not have the gas for pedal steel and a single 12' speaker will make it hard to hear yourself, unless you are sitting right in the narrow cone of sound. You will get much better coverage with 2 12's or a 15.

I agree also that a used silverface would be preferable to a new re-issue. These old amps are still running strong or are easily brought up to peak performance with a little maintenance. Having owned both, I would say the re-issues are, at best, a reasonable facsimile of the old Fenders, but you can get the real deal cheaper.

Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

Thanks for all of the responses guys! I will consider everything you have said before I make my purchase. Because I have this connection with a Fender employee where I can get 50% off of list, I would really like to buy a new Fender amp through him. I am not worried about the amp having a printed circuit board rather than point to point wiring. I figure I could get the Deluxe for around $600 and put another $200 to replace the speaker. That is about all my budget will allow me to spend.

I could probably afford a Twin Reverb Reissue without replacing the speakers, but I was hoping to get a smaller sized amp that would do the job.

Yes, I am mostly playing tele for country, but I do like it when the amp breaks up a bit at higher volumes. If the steel breaks up a bit with the volume cranked, that would be ok. Maybe that is one of the reasons why I don't like my Nashville 400, it is too clean.

As far as getting a SF Twin, I don't really want to buy a used expensive amp and have to deal with getting it all fixed up, when I can get a new one for around the same cost (even if the sound of the SF is a little better).

I know that Fender is making the Steel King amp now, but I am really convinced that I want an all tube amp for the sound that I like (especially since I will be playing guitar through it half of the time).

Do any of you play steel through a Twin Reissue with the two stock 12" speakers? How do you like it?

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Hey Steve----first of all, do some forum searching because this subject has been kicked around a bunch. There are some things you can do to make that DRRI better.

I played a Twin RI in a rental backline and it worked out just fine. I enjoy the change of pace of playing thru 2x12"--it gets me thinking that I want a 2x12 rig but I know that the last thing I need now is another cab in my pad. I have to say, though, that I played a Twin RI in a rehearsal studio recently and simply never found a good sound in it. I think there's a good chance that the issue there was tubes--either crappy tubes or poorly biased ones--something I've read that these amps have a rep of leaving the factory with--biased cold, sounding sterile.
As I testified in a recent thread, my older Deluxe Reverb sounds really sweet for guitar and for small room steel. If you are religious about clean classic country steel tones then it is a questionable choice. But I'm very glad to have it for the smaller, more intimate spaces. And it can put out some sound. Not restricted to libraries.

Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

I ended up picking up an EVM 12L speaker from Ebay. I haven't received it yet, but it looked like it was in great condition and never reconed. I am going to buy the 65 deluxe reisue new and throw it in.

Thanks again for all of your responses.

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Good choice for a speaker. The studs may not be long enough for the cast frame speaker. I have D-120F in my 1966 Deluxe (non-reverb) model. It has a new cab with longer studs for the speaker, tilt legs and amp corners (not stock on the older Deluxe amps). Another thing that will help is a Weber Copper Cap rectifier and a set of JJ/Telsa 6V6 tubes. The Copper Cap just plugs right in where the old tube rectifier goes. It will add to your headroom as there is no power needed to heat the tube! You will need to re-bias. I did the Copper Cap to mine and have really enjoyed the amp more than any of my restorations! I used it this week end with a Tele. The steel player was running a 1967 Twin I restored (with an EVM15L reconed to 4 ohms). I had all the power I needed to keep up with him.

Steve Leal · From: Orange CA, USA

Thanks Ken. I appreciate the advice.

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