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Author
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Topic: Any input on the fender blues deluxe?
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Alex Piazza
Member From: Arkansas, USA
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posted 09 May 2006 05:43 PM
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Im looking for an amp to play steel and guitar through. I want something clean enough at low volumes for steel, as well as something I can crank up a bit for guitar and get a decent tone. Ive got the deluxe reverb, it sounds good with the steel, however it gets a little to hot when cranked for guitar. the bottom end flubs out. Ive been thinking about stepping up to the 40 watt blues deluxe. Any thoughts? |
Stephen Gambrell
Member From: Ware Shoals, South Carolina, USA
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posted 09 May 2006 06:37 PM
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I've got one, and I love it for guitar. Straight out of the box, I couldn't turn the volume past "2" without some VERY un-musical distortion. I changed all the preamp tubes from 12AX7's to 12AU7's, which softened things up quite a bit. I haven't tried my steel through it, but I'm sure it'd sound pretty good, at low volume. I doubt if the speaker would hold up to high volume C6 pounding, though. The amp is LOUD aplenty, though! |
Ronald Sikes
Member From: Corsicana, Texas, USA
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posted 09 May 2006 06:54 PM
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Alex, I've got a Blue's Deluxe. I really like it for guitar,however when I tried it with my steel I couldn't get anough low's out of it.
Ron |
Michael Brebes
Member From: Northridge CA
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posted 10 May 2006 09:11 AM
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I've got a Blues Deluxe. Replaced the speaker with an EVM12L and has more drive and lowend. Handles steel without any problem. |
Jerry Hayes
Member From: Virginia Beach, Va.
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posted 10 May 2006 12:53 PM
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I've got a Blues Deluxe reissue 40 watter myself which is my main lead guitar amp, however, it sucks for steel! My Peavey Nashville 112 will blow it out of the park for half the cost........JH in Va.------------------
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!
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John Groover McDuffie
Member From: California, USA
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posted 10 May 2006 02:35 PM
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IMHO I like the Hot Rod Deluxe better than the Blues Deluxe. I'm not sure what the differences are other than the "more drive" feature on the Hot Rod, but even when n ot using that feature I always liked it better than the Blues Deluxe. For what it's worth. So try both. |
Greg Cutshaw
Member From: Corry, PA, USA
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posted 11 May 2006 05:16 AM
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I have tried my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe side by side with the Fender Steel King, Peavey Nashville 112 and Webb 6-14-E. The Fender has the most warmth and tons of bass oomph at practice volumes. I have to run the Presence completely off to arrive at a good tone so it's really not voiced for Steel Guitar. I doubt it would be enough volume for any kind of club gig. The Hot Rod reverb does use a spring reverb tank but is driven by a transistor circuit, not a tube, so it's not the quality of reverb that the Fender Deluxe has. With a RV-3 though, it sounds about as good as the Steel King at low volumes. Greg |
Lefty
Member From: Grayson, Ga.
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posted 11 May 2006 09:38 AM
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I have both the blues Jr. and the Hot Rod Deluxe. The Hot Rod has more clean headroom with 40 watts 6l6 tubes, switchable preamp. The Blue JR is a fine little class A EL84 amp with simple master/volume. It does not have much clean headroom. More intended for guitar studio or small venue applications, but a great sounding little amp with a good speaker installed.
Lefty[This message was edited by Lefty on 18 May 2006 at 09:29 AM.]
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Michael Brebes
Member From: Northridge CA
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posted 11 May 2006 10:47 AM
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Sorry, Lefty, but you must be talking about a different amp. The Blues Deluxe is 40W with 2 6L6 tubes. Very similar to the Hot Rod Deluxe. |
Bob Watson
Member From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
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posted 11 May 2006 08:44 PM
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I have played guitar through the Fender Blues Deluxe and it is a great guitar amp, but I don't know what it would sound like with a steel. Check out a Roland Cube 60. It has amp modeling and the Black Panel model, which I assume was modeled after a Blackface Twin Reverb, sounds great with guitar and steel. It also has amp models for a JC 120, Vox AC 30, Fender Tweed amp, Marshal stack, Peavey stack and Mesa Boogie. They all sound good for guitar, but the Black Panel is the best for steel. I have to admit that it really surprised me how good this amp sounds with a steel. I never thought I would say this, but I like it as much as my Peavey LTD. A few weeks back I played my Emmons Push Pull through my LTD on the first set of a three set gig, thought I would use the Cube 60 on the second set and ended up using it on the third set too because it sounded so good. Its not as loud as the LTD, but the gig I mentioned above was at a fairly good sized Eagles club and the Roland was more than loud enough for the room and it sounds good on both necks. [This message was edited by Bob Watson on 11 May 2006 at 09:00 PM.] |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
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posted 11 May 2006 09:51 PM
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"The Blue Deluxe is a fine little class A EL84 amp with simple master/volume."Lefty - that's the Blues Junior. Totally different low-powered amp, more in the Vox-style. The Blues Deluxe was an attempt to modernize the Deluxe Reverb-type, kicking the gain and power up. I'm a Fender guy, but these are NOT my favorite amps for *anything*. the Blues Deluxe/Blues DeVille and the Hot Rod Series are just too raspy sounding - like Fender trying to be Mesa, but not very well. If you want a high-gain amp for Steel I'd try a Soldano combo. Hmm...that's something intriguing *I'll* have to mess with.... |
Lefty
Member From: Grayson, Ga.
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posted 15 May 2006 02:52 AM
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Blues Deluxe ?????
Lefty[This message was edited by Lefty on 18 May 2006 at 09:30 AM.] |
Larry R
Member From: Navasota, Tx.
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posted 15 May 2006 07:34 PM
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Alex, have you tried a Hot Rod Blues Deville? It's a 60 watter with 2x12's. It's got great bottom, mids, and highs. And it's got a great fender reverb. |
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 15 May 2006 07:58 PM
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I used one of these amps for pedal steel at a rehearsal space recently. To be honest with you, it was by far the worst steel sound I've ever had. I couldn't dial anything in on that. Even my Boss GE-7 EQ shrugged its shoulders.  IMO, definitely not an amp for pedal steel, unless you're into a mid-high honk that breaks up at low levels. |
Geoff Brown
Member From: Nashvegas
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posted 17 May 2006 06:16 PM
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I bought a new Blues Deluxe in '94...the one with Tweed covering. I used it for guitar work. Didn't sound half as nice as it looked. Basically a Bassman circuit w/ an OD channel. I found the OD to be useless, going from nothing to paint-peeler between 1 and 3. Output tubes mounted 2" from the speaker. Cheap switches. The amp was a rattlebox. I was never able to isolate the numerous vibrations that came from the thing. The amp took up space in a closet until I sold it last year. Good riddance. I was surprised to see Fender selling a reissue of this amp. The Blues Jr., after a speaker upgrade is twice the amp, weighs less and is more portable. $300 gets a used one in nice shape. |
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