Features: 8The amp was made in Mexico. I bought it in 2004
Fender reckon it has three channels: clean, drive and more drive. I've looked at the circuit diagram and reckon it has one channel. It has an effects loop that I don't use.
It's reeeaal loud so I wish it could switch across 2 power ranges: like a 20 and 60 watt mode or maybe a built-in attenuator. Also, it's reeeaal heavy - Fender reckon 53.5 lbs (actually around 62 lbs). It should have wheels. I'm going to have to get the SKB case.
Specifications:
- 60 watts into 2 or 4 Ohms
- 2 x 12” Fender Special Design Eminence speakers
- 21” (53.3 cm) H x 24.25” (61.6cm) W x 10.75” (27.3cm) D
- 53.5 lbs (24.27 kgs).
- Three selectable channels (Normal, Drive and More Drive)
- Gain and Master controls in Drive channel
- Bright switch in Normal channel
- FX loop
- Fender long spring Reverb
- Two 6L6 Groove Tube output tubes
- Three 12AX7 preamp tubes
- External speaker jack
- Two-button Three-function footswitch for Channel select, Drive/More Drive select
- Chrome panel with vintage pointer knobs
- Internal Variable Bias control
- Black textured vinyl with silver grille cloth
- Cover included
I have a few of guitars - PRS custom 24, Fender Strat & Tele, Gibson Flying V and Les Paul. For single coil setup I set treble, middle and bass around 5 and tweek as required. For the humbuckers, I cut bass and middle completely and raise the presence. I play mostly at home on a timber floor so I have to cut middle and bass a fair bit. For concrete floors I up middle more and bass a bit.
As everybody says, this amp is loud and the volume is non-linear with most volume coming on line between 0-2. It's really too loud for home use (I got a good price and couldn't resist). Sounds great in a larger area or outdoors.
The clean is great and the drive is more usable that the Twin-Amp drive. Drive is an overdrive sound (like a Boss SD-1) rather than distorition. I didn't use the drive stting much as I preferred to use pedals (I've sold this amp now but just before I sold it I worked out how to get a really lovely drive sound out of the amp, put it on 3-5 rather than flat out. Sounds great at this setting at volume, especially playing the Les Paul. )
Fender make a great reverb. I leave the reverb on nearly all the time set to 3.
The volume pots are non-linear which means they get real loud from 1-3. Theoretically, this should give fine tuning across the 3-8 range i.e. where it is designed to be operated but I don't play this loud. Does anybody?
Amp is very pedal friendly.
Likewise, I don't get to hear the natural valve distortion sound at home. My rating reflects the great clean sound and reverb.
Reliability: 8
I usually, switch to stand-by wait 5 secs and then turn the amp-off. I don't know whether this makes any difference but I blew I fuse one time when I switched it straight off. Thats the only problem I had in the last year.
I guess it wouldn't be as reliable as a solid state amp (like Roland JC-120) but the construction seems solid enough and the amp well made.
Customer Support: 8
The amp didn't come with and amp cover. The Fender people were friendly enough but I still had to wait about two months for the replacement to arrive.
Overall Rating: 8
I've been playing since 1969. My electric guitars include: PRS custom 24, Fender Strat & Tele, Gibson Flying V and Les Paul. I have Boss: SD-1 (which I'm going to sell), DS-2 and OC-3. Electro-Harmonix Small Clone and Pulsar.
Somebody would need a fork-lift to steal this amp but I would probably buy a Fender twin or bassman if I were to replace this amp. (I ended up buying both and selling the twin. The Bassman being being far the best option).
I love the clean and reverb sound. Anything else I'll get with an effect box. Before I bought the Deville I was using a small marshall amp with a Behringer VAmp-2. It sounded OK but I really just wanted to be able to plug into a valve amp and play, without worrying about effects patches and such like. I tried all the V-amp emulations and decided that I liked the Fender Bassman. It is the most versatile for the variety of sounds I like. I couldn't afford a Bassman, so was in the market for a Hot-rod Deluxe. I was offered a Deville at a good price (for Australia) and went for it.
Nice tube amp great clean and reverb, drive OK too but to heavy, too loud and not of the same quality as the Bassman.
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