Review Demo - Fender '64 Custom Deluxe Reverb
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- Read the review: bit.ly/Fender64...
From its “blackface” glory years (1963-1967) to the slightly less lusted-after “silverface” years (’68-’82) to the ’65 Reissue-series period (’93-present), the Fender Deluxe Reverb has boasted tonal flexibility and portability that have made it a wonderful all-around combo for everything from country to jazz, rock, experimental music, and beyond. Surprisingly, though hordes of players have long been willing to pay a lot for 50-year-old handwired DRs (unmodified blackfaces in good condition go for upwards of $2,500, while silverfaces go for $1,300 and up), Fender itself hadn’t offered a handwired Deluxe Reverb for more than 35 years-until this past summer’s unveiling of the ’64 Custom Deluxe Reverb.
The ’64 CDR boasts many of the qualities that make vintage DRs so desirable, not least of which are a completely handwired circuit with Mylar-and-tinfoil Astron tone capacitors (just like the originals), and a solid pine cabinet (verses the Reissue series’ birch plywood housings). Tweaks to the original recipe range from the cool but sonically inconsequential (heavier-than-normal vinyl covering, reverb-tank cabling with woven metal sheathing) to those that greatly expand the platform’s utility. Foremost among the latter “mods” is the fact that both channels can access the tube-driven spring reverb and tremolo circuits. (Interestingly, the latter is output-tube-bias as opposed to the photoresistor type found on most Fenders.) Equally impactful, while the bright channel (previously called “vibrato”) features an authentic blackface-voiced preamp, the normal channel has had the capacitors responsible for yielding brighter tones removed-a popular aftermarket mod for those looking for more rounded tones from instruments with pointed treble attack.
The ’65 Deluxe Reverb reissue-which has now been around longer than both the original blackface and silverface eras combined-has been a huge hit because it’s reliable, sounds great, and is moderately priced. But its popularity, as well as the scarcity of vintage units, will no doubt skew the perceptions of players who haven’t played a healthy vintage specimen.
Continue reading: bit.ly/Fender64...
I started out with a Fender "Champ" amplifier in 1960...accompanied by a 1960 telecaster in a beautiful beige color...Today I using a 2013 Mustang I amp for practicing, it sets beside my desk where I can fit in my wheelchair next to it. I'll always be a Fender guy until the day I die...!!!
that crystal clear, glassy, beautiful tone in the beginning!
I have This amp and love it. It makes me smile every time I play it. Nice review, thank you.
Do you gig it or play with a drummer at all? If so, can you confirm if it has much clean headroom?
@@adam-yk6yd also want to know this, did you get any info at all?
This amp is glorious. I just spent a day at Sweetwater shopping for a hand-wired amp. I went for the 64 Custom Deluxe Reverb first, and then tried some of the other so-called boutique amps. I tried the Tone King Imperial, Tone King Sky King, Morgan PR36, and a Friedman (which admittedly is a different style amp, more Marshall). Didn't get to try the Magnatone, however. In any case, Tone King Imperial had a lot of cool features that did not produce anything special in terms of sound - pretty boring actually. In other words, it was a whole lot of nothing. The PR36 Morgan sounded really transparent and clear but something was wrong with the reverb - lot of static when it was turned on (has to be sent back for repair). If the reverb was working, I may have purchased the PR36 head. In the end, I had to decide between the Tone King Sky King and the 64 Custom. I went with the 64 Custom - lighter and easier to carry and more dynamic then the Sky King, which after listening to for while you can notice that the sound is really compressed and a bit muddy or muffled. The 64 Custom can do just so much more in terms of dynamics and tone - it sounds glorious. Playing smooth or digging in - pure magic! I also have a Custom Western Noir Blues Deluxe. I can tell you that the Custom 64 is on another level in terms of sound and tone and dynamic range. Don't kid yourself if you think your 65 or 68 reissue can compete with this.
Thanks for your feedback and your story. I've never played an amp this nice before. I'm thinking about buying one. I was planning on getting a standard deluxe reverb reissue, but then discovered the beautiful tone of these hand wired deluxes. The tone isn't even close, the hand wired deluxes sound SO much better to me than the standards, almost two rock level. You posted this comment a year ago. I was curious if you still have this amp. If so, do you still love it as much as you first did, does it inspire you to play, and how do these hand wired amps handle pedals?
I very much appreciate any advice you can give. Thank you so much for your time.
@@michaelarmstrong1730 did you buy one? :-)
@@goswo Never did. I wish I could afford one.
@@michaelarmstrong1730 I feel you deserve it 🙏
@@goswo You are too kind my friend. Thank you. I think you deserve one.
🎸🎛🔊
This videos sums up why I am a Fender amp guy.
WANT. I have always wanted a Deluxe Reverb with bias mod trem. So awesome.
When John talks or plays that fancy gee-tah of his, the money just flies out of my wallet!
Your playing is pure class
Nothing cleaner then a strat thru a fender amp. Obviously a tasty pair. Very rich and smooth sounds here
Best Clean Sound on the Planet. A Fender Guitar thru a Fender Amp. Makes you want to Play ( and practice ) for hours. - Michael Caz - NYC -
Really good demo, loved the way you showed and explained the amp. I'm convinced to buy one now.
I realize it's all subjective, and a matter of taste, but in my humble opinion it's neary impossible to beat a Fender amp.
That's actually not an opinion, it's a stone-cold *FACT!*
@@SeattleScotty Agreed. Also on the remote chance the amp may need a repair, the Fender schematics are easily obtainable. The boutique amp builders have a ring-tailed tizzy if you ask for their schematics.
@@SeattleScotty hahahaha right on. I just bought this amp - it's glorious!
Yes...Fenders are fabulous ! But...don't overlook the Vox AC15 and AC30, and also Mesa Boogie's, and also Polytones !! JMHI (I am a huge Fender fan...play a '66 Jag with '65 Fender Super Reverb...all original). Vox amps, even the new re-issues iterations, produce fabulous tones, with Fender, Ricks, Gibsons, and others !! Don't restrict your thinking !
I would agree, I’ve had my best times from Fender amps. My current is a ‘59 Bassman RI that I can’t get enough of. Hoping to upgrade the transformers and speakers soon, but just upgrading the tubes has been enough to make it the best amp I’ve ever played through.
John you place so nicely. All your tones are so clear. that intro was so beuty.
That intro was ridiculously good
Not that it matters but a 64 Deluxe Reverb did not have a Fender logo on the grille cloth.
What an awesome sounding amp. Getting one soon. I was trying out a cheap made in china guitar not too long ago, and I was scratching my head over how good it sounded. I mean it sounded incredible. Then I noticed the guitar shop guy plugged me into this amp - the custom hand-wired 64. The only other amp I would consider is a Morgan - sounds great with a lot of breath and air. But I hear the Morgan guy is something else!
"But I hear the Morgan guy is something else!" - he is indeed...!
Great demo. I'm a Fender amp guy through and through, but for all practical purposes -- I'm not hearing a double-the-price difference in tone from the '65 DRRI. Seems like it has a noticeably less amount of headroom than the '65 as well, which could be a deal-breaker (or deal-maker, conversely) for many guitarists. My '65 DRRI definitely doesn't break up as robustly at 4 on the Normal channel with PAF-style 'buckers, and if it did it would be a problem for my style of playing.
That being said, it's nice to have the option if you're a guitarist looking for legit and classic Blackface breakup at lower volumes.
Still, it's a beauty, like many classic Fender tube amps, and I know there's a market for its specs and construction so I wish Fender luck with it!
Matt Stottmann agree Matt. I'd probably try and drop in a solid state rectifier, but that kinda defeats the object.
Matt Stottmann I think this is fender getting wind of every boutique builder out there making their own version of a deluxe for twice the price and getting it since it’s handwired/small build etc, myself included, so I see this as Fender facing that market and trying to get it back. That said, with any amp, throw in a 5751 or a 12ay7 (nos) v1 and you’ll instantly increase headroom. Also, with a solid state rectifier, you can soften the PI with one of the aforementioned tubes, and you’ll soften the stiffness you get with a solid state rectifier but still maintain the low end clarity and thump lots of players dig
I definitely think you're right about Fender/boutique options/trying to get into that market. There's unquestionably a desire for a handwired DR from Fender -- people have been paying good money to have their DRRI's rewired PTP for a loooong time.
As for the tube swap to increase headroom, I've done that in the past and while it does seem to increase headroom, I've noticed a simultaneous drop in overall volume on my amplifiers when I do this, which somewhat defeats the purpose. Do you know exactly why that might be?
Matt Stottmann those are lower gain tubes so it will lower the input signal. I find some NOS to be nice and strong though, otherwise getting a stronger 12ax7 V2 to keep the signal moving or using a clean boost just to give it a push. JJ6v6s are really robust too, almost like 6l6s so those are a little louder. I use a 12ay7 in the v1of my super and, though it lowers the volume, the tone becomes so sweet I work around it
Matt Stottmann
Good thing about hand wired you can swap the nfb resistor quick
That's why u hear the breakup sooner.
Easy easy to mod.
Look at the folks chasing down vintage deluxes and that's why fender put this out.
Don't we all want hand wired fenders????
Yes we do.
Simple and great.
Long lasting, modable, The best man
Desert island amp fo sho
John really does the best demos on youtube, and a damn good player.
I've always associated the sound of classic rock with some Bassman being recorded in the studio. But man, this fender when it was compressing with the les paul - that is the sound of Rock!
Reminds me of the real deal, I’d buy it if I didn’t have my 68 and a reissue ,the reissue has a considerable amount of cleaner headroom ,which is why i still have it..I love light amps so I’m not out of the picture yet .Great review as always John ..
Nice demo of how the amp sounds with all the different knob settings. Thanks!
Cool haircut. Thanks for demonstrating the amp with a pre-CBS Strat.
you make reviewing a lot of fun!
John!! You do realize that you have the greatest job in the world!! ??? :) Great demo yet again coming from a Fender Vibrolux owner and loving it!!
Beautiful playing and great Tone Beautiful sounding Amp thanks for all your great Demos John 😊🎸👍👍
My Strat does the same thing.Still love it
Great playing, John! The Strat sounded great. The Les Paul got muddy quick. I kinda wish they'd not added reverb and tremolo to the Normal channel. Still, a very cool amp. Thanks for the demo!
One of best amp I hear so far fender amp sound perfect
I had 65 reissue and now the custom 68 and the handwired 64. I can tell you the 64 la the best. The 64 is by far the best. Is the only that have the vibe and the right touch sensitive. Than the custom 68. The 65 for me is too plastic sound. I want to hold only my fender deluxe custom shop he 64!
Johnny B and a Fender 64 does't get much better!
Check out how lush this tremolo is. Guitarists and manufacturers need to stop confusing tremolo and vibrato, particularly fender.
Awesome amp and playing John
Sounds great!
Convinced this approximated the holy grail of blackface. It sounds good, but it is a one trick pony. I understand that’s it’s a reissue, but for $2600 IN 2019, one would expect an effects loop and power attenuation. I still have no idea what this amp sounds like since I cannot crank louder than 3. Not bedroom friendly. So, unless you are gigging every night or in the studio, this amp is very INFLEXIBLE!
Wize words!
Man, this amp sounds so sweet and smooth. I have a Fender Blues Deluxe Custom, and it sounds pretty good especially since it came with a Celestion G12 (comes with the custom series). But I think I will upgrade to this hand wire.
All other amps wish they were a Fender 64 DR
I wonder how it would sound with the tubes replaced? The stock tubes are all groove tubes
Cut the bass John!! The poor thing is farting out. The more you crank a DR, the less bass you want. BTW - this one sounds great - I have a vintage 1965 and it sounds very close.
some people like that sound
great playing
That drip... Delicious.
Can't wait. I own 8 amps.
Quote;;;;; Oh my God, it's the beautiful, "my amps blowing uo tone"" near 11:oo Great Amp, skilled Axeman = slick review....out
Oh this amp looks and sounds so sexy!
$2500? Built one myself from scratch - a 2 x 10" - with Mercury Magnetics transformers, bias trem, an epoxy turret board and all high-grade components for less than the cost of a printed-circuit reissue. My second build (did a Vibro Champ first to get up to speed) - not exactly the space shuttle. Feeling pretty smug just now - please forgive me...
Did you use a kit? Are there any online resources you can recommend with more info on building your own amp?
+Mike - eBay was my greatest resource - and RUclips. Almost all my components - speakers, cabinet, transformers, knobs, face plate, 2 x 10" baffle etc. were purchased at steep discounts from sellers on eBay - you'd be amazed how many people start projects they never finish and want to dump the evidence making them feel guilty every time they look at it. There are several high-end vendors of turret boards online - populated or blank (search AB763 if a DR is what you want to build) and most sellers will accommodate your individual preferences (carbon comp or metal film resistors or bias trem for example). All Fender blackface schematics are available online, and there are no end of tutorials (soldering, speaker comparisons, tips on filament wiring and grounding, etc) on RUclips - and the comments (like this one) are icing on the cake. No fish tastes better than the one you caught yourself, no corn tastes better than the one you grew in your own garden, and no amp gives you a greater thrill or satisfaction than the one you built yourself - trust me on this. I'm all about personal empowerment - Leo designed all his products to be easy to service, and if I can learn how to do it, almost anyone can. If you screw up - your screwup can be fixed - no babies will die. Be patient in both sourcing your materials and your build. Go for it - and best of luck to you!
Wanna build me a Fender Princeton Clone with a 1 x 12" Speaker ? ( upgraded components ). I am serious.
+Michael - I'm flattered, but the only reason mine was relatively inexpensive is because I work free for a slavedriver - me. LOTS of hours went into my build - I know I couldn't afford to hire myself to do what I did. You'd be far better off and come in for much less with one of Alessandro's rewires or something similar. I ADORE Princetons - my garage setup is two vintage blackfaces, one a Reverb and the other an Amp, as a stereo rig. Both take advantage of the stock external speaker jacks, so that two amps feed five speakers in all, including a vintage Fender 2 x 12" closed back cab. The stereo isn't set up as left and right, but rather as in and out, being that the Amp (with the 2 x 12") is situated in the center and the Reverb's speakers are positioned on either side of the Amp - that way the throb of the trem and delay give a wiiiiiiiiide sound instead of just ping-pong. Maybe other rigs somewhere sound as good, but I've NEVER heard a setup that sounds better to my ears in person. Just adding an outboard speaker is a good way to start getting that oh-so-sensual bigger (fatter without needing to be louder) sound - it's all about how much air you move, not how loud you get...
What about the cabinet? Any suggestions? So far, Pete Mathers pine cabinets have impressed me the most, from my online searches.
Distortion is not the forte of this amp. Sounds ike a lot of bees. I used to have one with a Hoffman conversion (point to point) and it sounded a little bit like the channel 1 of this amp. I much prefer the Princeton. And, btw, a ''Hand wired'' amp does not sound better than a normal amp. The difference is the quality of the components, transformers for ex. However,a hand wired amp is much easier to repair.
John, you put too much bass on this amp. This amp has big transformers and very good speaker, and specially this amp with two way EQ has a bit mid V. So you can really put bass on 3, and enjoy the ariose sound. Otherwise you will hear bright and booms without the mid. Just FYI
You mean the run of the mill '65 reissue does not have a pine cab?
nahhhh cardboard
@@sugarlife485 Which would be fine with you cause you probably play a Squire
@@zzubuzz i dont play guitar!! Im a bus driver here in nyc..cheers!
I didn't realise he was such a fan of grammar. If only I got paid $10 everytime he said "verb", I'd have enough to buy the amp ;-)
Crazy thing is, can get the same sound on a Boss Katana.
John, you are such a DAG! ;oP
I want one.
why didn't Fender but the knobs on the front of the Rumble bass amp.
Why does everyone who demos these amps need to play that Stevie Ray Vaughan shit??
I had a twin reverb 100 watts many years ago and I believe it had a master volume so you could turn the channel volume all the way up to get that great tube distortion without being super loud. How come I dint see a master volume on any of these re issues?
Dave B. Thanks. Hmm it was maybe 30 years ago I had a twin reverb and it was 100 Watts. So I could have swore it had a master volume.. and I was able to turn the channel volume up to 10 to get distortion while keeping the master volume low ... Don’t think my parents would have appreciated me turning 100 watt amp up to 10 to get the distortion. If I’m not remembering this correctly then how would you get distortion with a 100 watt twin reverb without it being. Super super loud. Just found an original twin reverb online at a local guitar center. 800 and change. Has a master volume. Lol I knew I was remembering that right!
mark smith Fender added that master volume on Twin Reverbs, starting in 1972, and it ran through sometime in the mid to late 80's. Purists hated it, parents loved it. Quite a few of them have been modified to eliminate the master, and make them more like the earlier ones. Myself, I was never a fan of the distortion it got, and used pedals to get a good overdriven sound out of the one I used to have.
Here's a short article from PG and Jeff Bober, explaining the circuit.
www.premierguitar.com/articles/19803-ask-amp-man-the-early-70s-silverface-fender-twin-reverb-dud-or-dynamo
tiny b Interesting article. Maybe I’m just being nostalgic but I remember really liking that twin reverb. I got into an acoustic phase and traded it for a nice acoustic guitar at the time. Wish I still had the amp. But to me the purpose of using a tube amp would be for that nice warm tube distortion without having to use a pedal that tries to recreate that tube distortion sound. Plus having the master volume allows me to get different level of distortion without blowing out the neighbors. I just remember playing my fathers original 1964 fender jaguar through that twin reverb and that amazing crisp warm tone
mark smith I think my issue was I was wanting my Fender to sound like a Marshall, as that seems to be the music I was trying to play at the time. I used either one of a Big Muff, an MXR D+, or an old Coloursound to get the sounds I was looking for, and had a great clean sound when needed.
I've thought of buying another used Twin for some time, and then realize that I already have a bunch of 100 watt amps that never get used anymore. No reason to add another.
You are right. I remember them from the 80's, had a MV, you could get some decent crunch out of them.
Great sound but didn't plug into bright channel...made me sad :(
he did
I have a vox ac30cch head and cab for sale..
To spend double on a hand wired amp is not a great bump in tone over the standard reissue. There is a need to mimic the vintage ones as trying to find one now that is all or near original is very hard. Fender is also digging a bit too deep trying to improve what is already a classic. Sounds good though.
I agree, they are asking way too much for what little of an improvement over the 65 DRRI it is. I mean you can just buy a used DRRI and take it to a reliable tech and have him rewire it for less than a new one of these.
at the store when I tried one for over an hour this one does sound a lot better than the 65 reissue to me, so much so that I completely lost interest in the 65. But it is very expensive, so I'm still thinking carefully about it. You have to try it in person and compare the two.
A/B’ed the two last night. The ‘64 sounds way better that the 65 DRRI! Don’t get me wrong - the 65 is nice. The 64 is just a lot nicer!
At the beginning of the video, is that just some lick or is it a song actually?
Thnx a lot, Awesome tone and playing!
Cheers!
It's called Lenny by Stevie Ray Vaughan
@@adam-yk6yd thnx Man!
The low E-string sounds like a bass perhaps because of the cheap speaker. In this price range the speaker is outrageous. They should have taken a Celestion blue.
Does anyone know if they’re planning this for the Super Reverb?
I want this amp¡!!!!!
Does anybody out there know if this amp has a annoying hiss? I'd like to buy one, but no local store has one in stock.
I like.
I didn't know strats came with 3 tone burst in 55??
Baek Lee refin,i think ,that's probably how he afforded it , he mentioned it before unless I've gotten him mixed up with someone else
yup. Factory refin in the 60s, I'm told.
It was refinn-ed in the 60s, I'm told.
Above 5 gets dirtier not louder. That's the deal breaker for me. Same problem I had with the Hot Rod Deluxe. Must get more power for a clean and loud sound. My Super Sonic at 60W can keep up. Although it's heavy even with a 1x12. I'd still have a Twin if I could afford the roadies to carry it.
Never heard of a dolly?
You had a problem with the HRD not being loud enough and clean? odd..
You can get a Matchless for that much money. While there's no beating the pure clean tone of a fender, the overdrive just isn't that great. A pedal has better overdrive.
That’s why you’d use an overdrive pedal for dirt… Show me a pedal that makes a Matchless sound like a clean Fender…
Really? DR cant keep up with a loud drummer?
The stock Jensen is only rated at 93dB… Replace it with a 100dB speaker if you want it to be louder…
stones dirt, you say? i say shirt dirt
Imo these really do sound better specially cranked however they are still overpriced ...
$2500?!?!? Yeah, good luck with that.
It's like telling Porsche good luck with its $65,000 boxer. Yes, the don't sell as many cars as Chevy but....
I just purchased one of these 64 custom deluxe amps. The groove tubes 6v6 rating of 7 are way too clean and sterrell sounding in this amp.switch to tungsol 6v6gt and got way better tone. I still may change my tone cap in my strat currently .022 may go to .05 or.1 because its so damn brite even with treble on the amp turned down. You will definetly turn your tone down on your guitar. Not sure if i like the jensen speaker but ok for now. I may reduce or clip brite cap on amp.just way too brite for me they shouldof put it on a switch.
no no no with humbuckers, sounded dreadfulwhen the gibson was used
I play my Reverend AirSonic RA (railhammer pickups) and Blues Junior and can get similar sounds.
$650 amp vs $2500 amp.
I want to add Reverend produces quality guitars. The price of the one I own doesn't come near to Fender's newer series guitars.
LOL no you can’t, not from a BJ.
I’ve had the Blues Junior and just played one of these ‘64s last night. Similar sounds yes, but no wah you couldn’t tell that the ‘64 is a much much better amp?!
Ugh, I absolutely hate the Fender drive circuit. The Tweeds sound so much more pleasing.
stock '55 Strat w/ a 3 colour burst?
Could be a refin
Then there's always a Clark Beaufort Reverb, which is superior in all ways to this amp. Sorry, Fender... you had your chance. You're letting everyone else build what you should have been doing all along in the first place.
xtc1957 they are doing well, they own charvel, jackson, and distribute gretsch for them , they are a multi international company with shareholders that demand profit margins to continually go up, blame capitalism
Oh, I know... the only thing lacking is product integrity and customer service. And seeing how these are the two factors that matter the most to the public who buys in good faith, I guess you might say Fender ain't worth a plug nickel.
and way more expensive
Call me crazy but I think the Les Paul sounded better through this one!
Crazy
I bought this amp 3 months ago,still haven't gotten it.And the low end on this,speaker sounds like shit in this video.
He had the Bass turned up way to high. The EQ is sensitive even though ist only bass and treble.
Hope your amp showed up by now...its been 2 years! What's your opinion of this amp? How do you think it handles pedals? Is it worth spending twice as much for it? Thanks bro.
A demo where dude is talking more than playing ain't a good demo...
wow the kid doesn't'know how the tone stack works
why are you calling it vibrato? you know better. educate don't represent the vendor.
In all honesty , for some reason I am hearing a lot of "Splatty tone and extreme flubby lows . This is the worst demo of this amp I have heard !
Oh no ! Not this guy again, where the he'll is greg koch..
Ragnar yohan he is over at wildwood, ragnar rock
those high volume sounds are exactly why I wouldn't buy a Deluxe Reverb (of any kind)...they're just too much of a one trick pony.
Mongul Corps huh? I love Fender amps...it's the Deluxe in particular that I'm not a fan of. I owned a silver-face Vibrolux and gigged with it for years, but any amp that can't handle humbuckers at at a half-reasonable volume without ugly, unusable break up has no place with me. if you like your Les Paul going to mush as soon as your amp gets above loud speaking volumes then that's awesome...me, not so much.
Premiere Guitar you should be ashamed of this video. The intro sounds absolutely horrible and does not represent this amp well at all.
.\
Playing (trying to) Rivera Paradise is plain WRONG...and you can't do it bro, so why try? NOT on a video we all have to see...!
I had to turn it down before you embarrassed me. Good attitude, but bad musicianship.
Now people who have money to throw away can spend $2500 on this junkpile amp with the same stupid Jenesen speaker that comes in the Mexican made Blues Junior. For $2000 more, the custom shop will throw their keychains at it a few times and leave a burnt cigarette. Then you can unload that burdensome $4500 from your itching pocketbook. They forgot to mention the added benefit of that cheap, lightweight Mexican wood they use these days - it relics so much faster than that expensive American birch. Next thing you know, they'll be selling you genuine Abigail Ybarra scatterwound pickups for $3000 - Scatterwound meaning she's like 94 years old and can't even see where the wires are winding. Go ahead Fender affectionado fools, spend your money making Mexico and Fender execs richer. Sorry, but this amp sounds cheaper than the POS reissue.