Vintage Tweed Sound & Style
An All-Tube Amplifier With A Few Modern Touches
Much to their credit, when the demand for retro sound equipment began to ramp-up in the early ’90s Fender was right on top of it — they released their super-cool “Tweed” series of all-tube amplifiers in 1993 and I bought one at a Music Expo that very same year.
Amazingly, a few years later I saved up for nearly 6-months to purchase the incredible ‘65 Fender Twin [see my review] but now, almost thirteen years later, that big, black Twin has been long since sold off, and the old Blues Deluxe is my guitar amp of choice.
It was the hefty weight of the Fender Twin that did it in.
The Blues Deluxe however, while not necessarily on a par with the Twin for sheer volume & sound quality, is a downright feather-weight in comparison, making it a pleasure to toss into the back seat of your car and haul into a club a few nights a week.
Warm Tone, Powerful OutputAnd these beauties are no slouch in the features department either — the Blues Deluxe sports modern channel switching [clean & overdrive channels,] old-school Fender spring reverb, an effects loop, three preamp tubes [12AX7,] two output tubes [6L6,] and then the whole 40 watts of power is pumped through a single 12“ speaker.
Now, admittedly, if you’re looking for some serious Marshall-style overdrive, well, you’re just plain looking in the wrong place, but for a soft, bluesy, rather crunchy overdrive and sustain, the Blues Deluxe absolutely sings. In overdrive it can easily break out from behind your average rhythm section, and in its clean channel it produces almost bell-like tones. This thing produces a warmth that you can only really find in an all-tube amp.
Pure & SimpleUltimately what I like most about Fender’s Blues Deluxe, and what brought me back to this little tweed beauty even after experiencing the lush performance of the Twin, is its all-inclusive nature… see, I’m a no-nonsense kind of guy, and having a good reverb, plus both overdrive & clean channels all in one amp means less luggage to haul from gig to gig — no extra cables, no extra stomp-boxes.
You just drop the Blues Deluxe onto the stage, plug in your guitar, and you’re ready to play. It’s that simple…
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May 13th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
This a great amp, Fender would be my choice every time.
September 7th, 2007 at 10:30 am
I have an original 1994 Fender Blues Deluxe. I’d be interested in a review of how the Reissue Version compares to the 1993-1997 Original.
December 17th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
i have been looking to buy one of these, and i was wondering if it stands out anough over a acustic drum set. i have a horible fear of trying to play and not being loud anough.
February 10th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Loud enough? It will cover just about anything short of a large stadium show! It is the loudest 40 watts I’ve ever heard, especially with an extension speaker added. Beautiful, shimmery cleans and a nice edge when cranked. I’m not a fan of the overdrive channel but it does have its place with some songs. I prefer to crank it on the clean channel to get that extra oomph and hit it with an overdrive pedal when I want to get into heavier territory. It’s easy to get a dirty sound but much tougher to find a great clean sound. You can always dirty it up with a good pedal.
I do recommend replacing the tubes with Svetlana 6L6 and Tungsol 12AX7 tubes. They really add to the bloom of the sound. Some like the original tubes, though, so tastes will vary on this.
It will cut through any mix.
August 14th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
THis is my favorite amp. The price is right. The sound is beautiful. I have had a HIWATT head, Marshall heads, an old 65 SHowman, and this amp is still my favorite. It’s light enough to haul anywhere. It sets up easily and it’s easy to mic up…nice reverb. I think everyone should have one. I play it for practice and for shows. It’s perfect for either…