08/26/2014
I've been on the fence about this amp since it came out. I very nearly ordered a hand-made boutique vintage Deluxe Reverb head from a favorite amp builder that costs considerably more. I am also in progress of revamping a '65 Deluxe Reverb re-issue more to vintage spec (which will vastly improve it's tone). As you can see, the new combo is sitting atop a Speakermaker 212CV cab and there's a Mojotone Deluxe Reverb head cabinet there to the left. My intent, of course, was to pull the '68 chassis and make it a head. But when I took the new Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb combo out of the box, plugged in my American Tele and strummed a few chords...well...good heavens. The new Celestion V-type is complex and beautiful and the design Fender put into this amp is spectacular. I had reasoned I would need to make some circuit mods and, at the very least, re-bias and re-tube the '68 with some Tung-Sols...but now I don't know. This amp, as it is out of the box, is sweet! That doesn't mean I won't be experimenting more...additional speakers and parts are on the way...but if you've been on the fence like me, or are looking for a sweet, reasonably priced tube amp, take the plunge now...the water is ever so refreshing!