Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb

The Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue is Fender's best take on the production line Deluxe Reverb amplifier as it appeared in its golden "blackface" era (so called because of the black face on the control panel) circa 1965. It's a 1x12 tube combo that puts out about 22 watts of power and runs on 6V6 power tubes. It's pretty standard in the Fender layout of two channels. The first channel (normal) has simple volume, treble, and bass controls. The vibrato channel (with its own separate inputs) has volume, treble, bass, reverb, and controls for vibrato speed and intensity. The amp is loaded with a single Jensen speaker as stock, and other than reverb and vibrato there are no onboard effects.

UTILIZATION

Getting a good sound out of this amp is pretty simple. It does the classic blackface Fender clean really well, and there's a reason so many players like and use these amps for a variety of applications. Dialing in each channel can be a tad difficult because on occasion the EQ tonestack might appear to not be doing a whole lot when you turn the controls. I find this more apparent on the normal channel than the vibrato channel with this particular amplifier. That being said, perhaps I'm just used to more modern amps and their tweaker mindset. Other than that, the controls react like you would expect and dialing in tones is not overly difficult. Most people run pedals into the front end of these anyhow, which will change your tone up anyway.

SOUNDS

This amp is meant to do one core sound... classic Fender clean. It's not going to offer any of the overdriven sounds that many players today desire. You can get some nice drive sounds by using a pedal in front, but this is the type of amp that is used for clean and clean only. There's no master volume, so in order to get any kind of tube breakup you would need to turn the amp up to 10, which isn't feasible in many places. It's a very clear sounding amplifier overall, great for funky or bluesy tones. I find it a little bit sparkly in the top end for true jazz tones (which to my ears should be darker and richer) but for those types of tones where you need a classic wiry sounding blackface style clean at a reasonable wattage point, you can't get much better than this amp.

OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think the Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue is a great amp for someone looking for great clean tones in a reasonable package. Many players like the tone of a Twin Reverb or Pro Reverb, but don't wish to contend with the huge size and huge volume that amps like that put out. For those looking for true vintage Fender cleans in a portable package, this is your amp. They sell new for about $1,100 which is a good deal considering the quality and tone that you're getting. If you're into Fender cleans and want something good for jams or gigs that won't blow your ears off, check out the Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue. You won't be disappointed!

Just about the most classic Fender amplifier that has ever been created. Fender has had quite a few solid amps such as the Blackface, bassman, Twin Reverb, and modern Hot Rod amps. This is one on the level as those classic amps that have rock n roll ingrained into the dna.

This amp is so colorful and rich with tonal flavor. It makes is hard to think about music without an amp such as this one. The tone that this contains coupled with a nice tubescreamer type pedal is just glorious.


Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Features:

* All Tube Amp
* Output: 22 watts into 8 ohms
* Speaker: 1-12" Jensen C-12K, 8 ohm Speaker with Ceramic Magnet
* Channels: Two Channels (Normal and Vibrato)
* Tube Driven Spring Reverb
* Tube Vibrato
* 2-Button footswitch
* Baltic Birch Plywood Cabinet
* Normal Channel Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass,
* Vibrato Channel Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass, Reverb
* Vibrato Controls: Speed, Intensity
* Covering: Black Textured Vinyl with Silver Grille Cloth

UTILIZATION

Details
Type Tube
Number of Channels 2
Power 22W
Speakers 1 x 12" Jensen C-12K
No Effects
Reverb
EQ Treble, Bass
No Amp Modeling
Number of Models 0
Number of Tubes 9
Preamp Tubes 4 x 12AX7, 2 X 12AT7
Power Tubes 2 x 6V6, 1 x 5AR4 (Rectifier)
Inputs 2 x Instrument (Normal), 2 x Instrument (Vibrato
Outputs 2 x Speaker
Footswitch I/O Yes
No Effects Loop
Height 17.5"
Width 24.5"
Depth 9.5"
Weight 42 lbs.

SOUNDS

Glassy, chimey, sparkling cleans shimmering with tone dripping for days are all words to describe the nature of a winning amp for decades. The tone with this amp will leave you satisfied but ready for more. Try this amp out with a nice Fender Stratocaster and you will hear the combination that this amp was made and voiced for.

This amp has so much potential and all you need is some creativity for style and you will have a killer tone that will rival most professionals. Add a nice analog delay to the mix and couple that with the reverb channel and there you;ll have a sweet rich ambient tone that will give more creativity that you can dream of .

OVERALL OPINION

One of the greatest amps ever to exist and that god they made a reissue of it. At new these amps come in at around $999 which is a great price for a classic amp. I would recommend this amp to any guitar player who needs probably the best clean tone in existence. The versatility of this amp is really endless. It doesn't have much to get in the way of the tone with just a few control knobs and a second channel for a reverb feature. This is a great classic amplifier.

The Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb is a tube based guitar amplifier with 1/4 inch inputs in the front. It has two channels and two 1/4 inch inputs for each. The first channel is the normal channel with volume, treble and bass knobs and the second is the vibrato channel with settings for volume, treble, bass, reverb, speed, and intensity (for vibrato).

UTILIZATION

The layout of this amp is simple and has the classic controls that originated in Fender and have now become ubiquitous on guitar amps. It is real easy to get a good sound on this amp - just turn it on and turn it up and sounds good! I don't have the manual to this so I don't know if it is helpful or not.

SOUNDS

This amp is great for just about any type of music, as you can get a variety of sounds and has a incredible clean tone. The effects are also top notch - the reverb is a real spring reverb and the vibrato is one of the best of its kind. This amp has become a classic because of these features and the inherent great tone and overall sound it has. I have only used this with guitar and that is what it is intended to be used with.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb for about two years. To me it is one of the best amps on the planet, as Fender amps from this time are really just some of the best amps ever made. The overall tone is great and the effects are some of the best of their kind. If you can get an original one of these, it will cost you a bit of money but is probably worth it as it is a great amp with a classic overall tone. This is one of my top choices for amps in a lot of different situations and I can't say enough about how much this thing cranks!

This is a classic 60s blackface circuit with 2 6v6 tubes, 22 watts, a tube rectifier, reverb and tremolo. The main differences between this and an original blackface are: a ceramic vs alnico speaker, a printed circuit board vs point to point wiring, a light weight cab vs a pine cab, differences in the components do to differences in modern and original component manufacturers, no tilt back legs on reissue and a grounded wall plug on the reissue. As the original, this amp has no master volume.

UTILIZATION

Positives: light weight, speaker cab does not sound boxy, 20 watts is great for recording, 20 watts is great for playing distorted classic rock when the amp is on 10.

Negatives: The classic 2 channel design is not very useful (I don't know why it was so prevalent), bright is always on on effects channel, 20 watts is not enough clean headroom for many situations depending on your drummer, the style of music, and size of the band etc.

SOUNDS

The Fender 60s blackface circuit is indisputably one of the best sounding ever designed. I would imagine an original Deluxe Reverb sounds slightly better then the reissue but the reissue sounds great! I recommend using vintage RCA tubes and trying a Weber 12F125 or Celestion 12H30 speaker. I'm sure there are other great speakers too. The oldest reissues use an emminence speaker which sounds bad at high volumes and should be replaced. The Jensen reissue speaker in the newer models is better.
This amp is famous for its sweetness (the 6v6 tube is unique this way) but the low notes are not as big and rounded like 6L6 tubes produce i.e. Fender Super Reverb or Twin Reverb amp. This amp is very versatile but at different volume levels. It goes from a classic clean country amp below 4 to a great blues amp at middle volumes to a rock and rock sex machine at 10. At 10 you get power tube distortion with tube rectifier sag at a volume level that is near perfect for a loud band.
All my other tube amps (newer Fenders, Marshalls, Peaveys) sound poor and anemic in comparison to this amp (though they do have other useful sounds and features). The Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue sounds more musical with much smoother and much more beautiful harmonics. It sounds stronger, clearer, cleaner, and warmer. And its easier to EQ.

OVERALL OPINION

This amp changed my life! It made me realize how weak and sad many modern amp designs sound with all their features that rob the amp of tone and of how wimpy preamp distortion can be. This amp made me love and always want a tube rectifier if possible. This amp has started me on a path toward getting better more vintage tone and seeking out simpler amp designs. The Fender Deluxe Reverb is one of the most recorded amps in history for good reason. The Reissue Deluxe Reverb sounds great! It may or may not be suitable for live use depending on style and volume since its only 20 watts.