Vintage Tweed Sound & Style
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 was lucky enough to purchase one that very same year.
Amazingly, a few years later I saved my hard-earned money for nearly 6-months in order to purchase Fender’s iconic ‘65 Fender Twin (see my review) but today, going on thirteen years later, that big, black Twin has long since been sold off, and the old Blues Deluxe is my guitar amp of choice yet again. It was the hefty weight of the Fender Twin that did it in.
The Blues Deluxe, while not necessarily on a par with the Twin for sheer volume & clean headroom (hell, this thing was built for dirty blues, and at that it excels,) feels light as a feather 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 Output
No slouch in the features department, the Blues Deluxe sports modern channel switching (with both clean & overdrive channels,) old-school Fender spring reverb, an effects loop, three preamp tubes (12AX7,) and two output tubes (6L6) with the whole 40-watts of power pumped through a single 12“ speaker.
If you’re looking for modern high-gain madness you’re just plain looking in the wrong place, but for a soft, bluesy, crunchy overdrive and sustain, the Blues Deluxe absolutely sings. In overdrive mode 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 of tone that you can only really find in an all-tube amp.
Pure & Simple
Ultimately 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…
January 20th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Whoa. Anyone worried about volume need not worry, PERIOD! This is one loud little amp. It is decidedly “old school” meaning that you’ll have to rely on your guitar’s volume pots to control the drive, tone and volume. Think, “Old School Fender” rather than modern. I’ve been playing Fenders for 30 years. This model is the absolute BEST thing that Fender has released in all that time-owing to the two channel operation, excellent reverb and true Fender tone. I compare it to my Blackfaced Bandmaster in terms of tone and “feel.” With a Tonebone Classic for overdrive on the clean channel it’s a dream rig. Go get one!
February 28th, 2009 at 7:10 am
some one was wondering about how loud it will go.well whats say this it could probly blow the windows out of a house.i can never stand to crank it up all the way.it gets realy loud for a 40 watt amp but to the human ear 100 watts only sounds like double the amount of 10 watts.but i realy love the fender blues deluxe you can realy get any sound you want out of it with the help of a nice pedal.