GreatwentI've been running into a lot of DRRIs in the past few years, not so much out on the road, as at jam sessions and weekend gigs on my off times. Every so often, I'll get invited to sit in on one, and I'm not hearing what you're hearing. Usually as guy will hand me a Strat or a Tele, or I'll have my old Strat with me, and on the neck pickup, or the middle p.u., I'll crank one of those Reissues up to gig volume, maybe '7' or '8' on the volume. In a dozen times at different places with different stock DRs, I haven't run into 'farty' or 'ice-picky'.Now, DRRI isn't a loud amp, so it won't compare to high gain amps in overdriven mids, and I think the SF Deluxes are a little ballsier with a good speaker, but I have yet to hear one of the new Reissues not sounding perfectly predictable.
If I bought one, I'd change out the speaker and re-bias, but the stock versions I've tried were very adequate for live work at a small venue.Maybe your pickups or the way you use your tone knobs on your guitar or even on the amp keeps you from finding the sweet spot. Fenders, especially Blackfaces or blackface copies, as in the DRRI, use settings that take some getting used to. Most people don't turn the tone knobs up high enough, and lots of players haven't got the hang of keeping the guitar volume at about '6', and then turning it up a little for more thickness, or digging in at the edge of distortion, then backing off to clean things up.Learning to use compressors in recording studios made me think a lot about subtle volume and tone variations in tube amps. That, and growing up with a blackface Bassman. It takes some practice to get comfortable with feeling the nuances of a blackface circuit, not really like any other amp.
Fender Stratocaster Guitar Forum. Home Forums Other Discussion Forums Amp Input - Normal or Bright Did the Fromel mod on my Blues Deluxe and Discussion in 'Amp Input - Normal. It's pure, clean and the reverb has gone from clanky to pure smoothness and depth. It even now sounds decent with my Les Pauls.
Strat a various,Thanks for your post!I think you're right about having to find the sweet spot via the tone knobs on my guitar and amp.Aside from the fact that the original power tubes were bad, and that the stock Eminence speaker wasn't that great compared to the Cannabis Rex or the Jensen C12K, a lot of this process has been learning how all these components work together and how to use them together.As I stated in my original post, the Fender amp that I have experience with and used extensively is a red knob Twin. I had that amp so long that I knew it inside and out and was comfortable with it. Also, the music that I had been making on the Twin was, for the most part, incredibly loud and didn't have anywhere near the subtlety of what is required of my latest endeavor. Part of the process has been getting over the awkwardness of having to learn to play quiet and not beat the crap out of my guitar (which was a strat, by the way, and not a tele). I also took a good bit of time off between projects and it's taken some time to not feel rusty and awkward in my playing ability, and that has exacerbated things as well.I was kind of naive in thinking that the DRRI would be kind of like a mini version of a Twin.
That's basically what I was looking for. An easier to carry amp that can deliver a Twin style clean tone, but something that can be turned up for some grit at a volume that won't kill anyone. The DRRI does have or can do a characteristic Fender clean, but it does it in a way that's completely different in how it feels than from what I was used to. So right off the bat, I had expectations about what the amp was going to be and what it was going to do for me. The fault is mine for not having researched it more or spent more time with one to begin with.
I just found what I thought was a good deal, and an ideal amp for a project, on craigslist and went with it.I have since learned to play using the volume and tone controls on my guitar more than I ever have. I've come to rely less and less on pedals, and more on the amps natural breakup and using picking dynamics and the volume and tone and my fingers to get different sounds out of the amp and it's been very rewarding. 7 or 8 on the DRRI sounds pretty great, but even at 22 watts it's still way too loud for what I'm doing. That's where the attenuator comes in. I dial in the dirt, and then I adjust the volume (and tone controls) to suit the environment I'm playing in. I have yet to play in a venue with my current project where the amp wasn't loud enough, or where it wasn't mic'd.Though things are sounding much, much better than they were in the beginning, I can't help but feel like I can get more out of the DRRI. More of what, I'm not exactly sure.
My curiosity won't be satisfied until I keep trying things that I think/hope might get me there. Part of it is my typical musician's obsession, as I know the search for the ultimate tone is endless, and part of it is curiosity and the fact that I enjoy tinkering. I've learned so much in the process like how to wire pickups, bias an amp, repair guitars, get certain tones etc., etc.Bryan'sFSRTele, this process has taken place over the course of about a year or so.
I don't have THAT much free time. I had both a DRRI and a mint BFDR for years. You've already found out the importance of power tube and speaker swap in this amp. The JJ 6v6 is a logical next step. Should bump up volume, headroom and bass. I've not found 6v6s to be the best tubes for solid bass, so some of this just comes with the design. The Weber 12F50 (50 watt) would be another worthy choice, more to my taste in that amp than the CRex, which I also like alot.The other thing I would try (but didn't back then) is swapping pre-amp tubes.
The stock stuff is basically crap. Anything NOS or better is worth trying. That said, I found only a speaker swap and rebias of the power tubes was enough to make the DRRI a worthy stage amp. Never felt the need to clip the bright cap, as the ice pick was due almost entirely to way cold bias from the factory and a lifeless speaker.
I had both a DRRI and a mint BFDR for years. You've already found out the importance of power tube and speaker swap in this amp. The JJ 6v6 is a logical next step. Should bump up volume, headroom and bass. I've not found 6v6s to be the best tubes for solid bass, so some of this just comes with the design.
The Weber 12F50 (50 watt) would be another worthy choice, more to my taste in that amp than the CRex, which I also like alot.The other thing I would try (but didn't back then) is swapping pre-amp tubes. The stock stuff is basically crap. Anything NOS or better is worth trying. That said, I found only a speaker swap and rebias of the power tubes was enough to make the DRRI a worthy stage amp. Never felt the need to clip the bright cap, as the ice pick was due almost entirely to way cold bias from the factory and a lifeless speaker. Toadman,Have you tried an attenuator?
I know not everybody likes them and there is no getting around the fact that it's going to be a little different than having the amp cranked as the speaker isn't playing into it the way it would at full volume, but I think the tone is still very usable. The mini mass is working out well for me. I can still get it to the point where the speaker is pushing a bit and the power tubes are cooking and it's a level that's still not unbearable.So, from what I've gathered here and from other posts, it seems JJ's are popular in the DRRI. I've gotten a hold of Bob at Eurotubes in the past in regards to my Sovtek and he was very helpful, though, I didn't ever end up getting any tubes.The full Deluxe Reverb tube package looks pretty reasonable and I think that's my next step.I'll keep you all posted!
Check the bias on that DRRI if you haven't already - can make a significant difference in sound. I've got a DRRI and a mint 74 SFDR. The SFDR has a weber 12F150 and rhe DRRI is an 01 with the Eminence speaker.
For a long time the SF sounded significantly better, but after fully breaking in the DRRI speaker, NOS tubes and proper bias it's much closer. I've also set up the DRRI with a compliment of Tung Sol reissue tubes and it sounds really good with those too and much cheaper than NOS. Lots of folks like JJ's but to me the ir 6V6 sounds more like 6L6 and overall lack some of the the traditional DR tone YMMV.And.I initially felt it was harsh/icepicky until I set it up properly - no need to clip bright cap for me - plenty smooth and warm now for me. I know this is an old post but it comes up high in google searches on Deluxe Reverb improvements so I'm going to add my 2 cents here.For the specific 'shrillness' I'd suggest these upgrades can help you:- Put a creamback 65 in that beast.
It will lower the volume vs. The stock Jensen P12Q, take a bit of the treble off the top, break up earlier and do better with distortion.- You used a weber attenuator, that can help you to get into the tube drive at lower volume. Another very nice option is to install a BrakeLite attenuator - it mounts right inside the back of your amp so you don't have to carry another item around. I have one in my DRRI and use at practice all the time. At gigs I usually don't use it because we are louder.- EQ pedals can be very very helpful. The search for the ultimate overdrive is fine and well but an EQ pedal can do a lot to make one OD sound like another OD.-Try different inputs on the amp.
Each of the 4 inputs is different. For drive sounds you'll do better on the non reverb channel. If the amp is too loud, try plugging into the #2 input on either channel if you were using #1. It will be 6 db lower.General upgrades I made that are more 'function' than sound related.1) For gigging, if you want to keep your amp nice a D2F Cover is good. If you get one order it with a bottom strap. The amps tend to slide out of the cover otherwise if you lay it on it's back for transport.
If you prefer a full 'bag' around your amp, another awesome cover maker is Studio Slips. D2F is a foam filled cover, Studio slips is a fiber filled cover or clamshell bag.2) On all the '65 X-reverbs, I always replace the crappy metal feet that scratch the hell out of any wood surface they sit on. A set of Rubber feet is $5.and well worth it. It also slightly cushions the amp when you sit it down.3) Tilt-back legs - you can put 14' tiilt back's on the Deluxe reverb and it's VERY handy for jams, small clubs etc. It's not hard or all that expensive. I wrote a review on Amazon that includes the instructions for how to install them. 'Search on Fender Accessories 14' legs' and see the review by JohnnyGuitar.4) Store the footswitch - If you tend to make one setting for Reverb and Tremolo, and leave them on - you might want to make or buy a shunt plug that can turn them both on.
Then you can leave your footswitch in a drawer. You can buy these on reverb.com or e-bay if you search on 'Always On plug for Deluxe Reverb'.
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Or make your own with a stereo (TRS) 1/4 plug.5) Want to use both channels of the amp? A Twin City Bones ABY switch is perfect for it. You need an AB that can swap the polarity on one channel because the two channels on the DRRI are out of phase.
If you use this switch, you can plug into the switch, put an overdrive after the switch and into the non reverb channel, run clean into the reverb channel, and have clean(A), Dirt (B) and Solo ( A+B). And can independently set tone and volume for clean vs. Dirt.Happy jamming! I thought the Jensen in mine was a bit too shrill. A friend of mine was using a DRRI but wanted to try a G12H30 in his, so I gave him one. He told me I should try it too, so I did, and I liked it better.I also changed all my transformers to Mercury Magnetics.
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Just trying something new. I don't really know how much difference in the sound it made since it is really difficult to A/B check it, but it sounds fine, and I am comfortable knowing that they are heavy duty and that my arms are getting bigger from the extra weight.
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So, I have a reissue Fender Blues Deluxe, which by and large is a great amp, and currently my main gigging amp, but there are a few shortcomings.most notably, how the volume pot on the clean channel (I pretty much use Clean exclusively, and get my OD/distortion from pedals) goes from Off to about 4.sometimes, I need to have it at about 1 or 2 for certain gigs, but it seems to just bypass lower volumes and go from silent to moderately loud (I'm thinking it's a linear taper pot and maybe it should be an audio taper?). Anyway, I'm aware that there are some mod kits, etc.
Available, and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with these, or can recommend any particular kit/company/website? I think it's a great little amp, but it has the potential to be a lot better with the right kind of mods. Also, does anyone have any advice as far as switching out tubes/speakers? Specifically, what brands/models of tubes and/or speakers will be an improvement, and how will they change the sound?Thank you very much for any help! Easy mod to replace the clean volume pot.
Definitely worth it. I did it to my old hot rod.Hot rods and blues deluxes are very similar. The mods on this page will work with a blues deluxe too.Also the easy reverb mod (one snip and its done) and the twin style tone stack mod are worth doing.While you are in there, upgrade the screen resisitors to a higher wattage too, and fix em in place with a gob of silicon (thats all described on the page too).Don't bother doing any changes to the eq cap values. Ive messed wit hthem in a blues junior also, and found that stock sounds best to my ears.As far as tubes go, jjs in the power section and tung sols in the pre is a sweet set up.But the biggest difference will come from a speaker swap.
Those gold fender/emi speakers are rubbish.Have a look at an eminence cannabis rex if you want bluesy/jazzy cleans, or a texas heat if you want more headroom and fatness.
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