Fender Deluxe Reverb vs. Twin Reverb?

Question

I really love the sound of the twin when it's cranked. I can get that Jack White/Clash tone with it. I played it a an uncle's house and am thinking about buying one but it's 80 watts! That's very loud! I've never played a Deluxe reverb before and it's only 22 watts. Better for me since it's not as loud, but will it sound just as good as the twin? The closest guitar shop near my house is 2 hours away and can't play it in person. :-(
Anybody have/played a Deluxe Reverb? Is it worth buying? My uncle also says you can remove a couple tubes from a twin reverb but idk if will affect the tone? His twin had all of the tubes so it was a full 80 watts.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Tube amps need to be driven if you want to get the sweet tone they're famous for. As you've discovered, a Twin Reverb needs to be played at ear bleeding volume to hit that sweet spot. Your uncle is correct about removing two of the power tubes to reduce the output...but you still have an amp that's so heavy that it feels like it's bolted to the floor.



The Fender Deluxe Reverb is often considered the perfect "club" sized amp. It has the desirable vintage Fender sparkle and crunch at a more sensible volume than the Twin Reverb. I use a vintage '72 Deluxe Reverb to gig in a country/rock band in small-medium rooms. When I played the outdoor county fair, it was miked through the PA. It's a great amp, but it all depends on what you're going to use it for. If you're just practicing around the home, you could go even smaller than a Deluxe.....a Princeton Reverb, for example. If you want to play metal with a band that gets into volume wars, you'll wish you had more power. The 35 watt Fender Vibrolux is a good compromise between the Deluxe and the Twin. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/68Vibrolux?adpos=1o2&creative=55281333121&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQiAwPCjBRDZp9LWno3p7rEBEiQAGj3KJicRxAdde9djQxQ1LzwNdaZbinAycMTVj2-lQKlzqsQaAmxY8P8HAQ



It really comes down to what you'll be using the amp for. If you intend to use the natural tube distortion, you really need to size the amp for the volume you'll be playing at.



Your question was "Anybody have/played a Deluxe Reverb? Is it worth buying?" Well, for me, the answer was, and still is, YES! Your mileage may vary......

Answer 2

Not the first time Twins have come up here (for a list of 429 posts, try this: https://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result?fr=uh3_answers_vert_gs&type=2button&p=Fender%20twin%20reverb%20amp



The Twin simply has more power than most will ever need, and will meantime punish you with a ridiculously heavy lift every time you want to move it (last time out, one of the guys compared it to being bolted to the floor). By comparison, the 'Deluxe, or the 'Super will generally sound better at a level that won't endanger your ears, damage the paint on the walls, or get you kicked out of the bar for rattling the ice in customer's drinks, all of which the Twin will do, if really "cranked".



I've used and abused Fender tube amps since around 1962, including Bandmaster, Bassman, Super R, Showman, Twin R, Pro R, and Deluxe R. I'll strongly recommend the "50 watt" guys, with just two main power tubes, rather than the "100 watt" guys with four. Best of that run: using two Super's on stage. One I wish I still had: The Deluxe. One that's still here: vintage Pro-Reverb, and sweet.



But. If going after it again, I'd more likely get something from the next gen, like the Hot Rod or Blues DeVille series, stuff like that. And the Mustang line is pretty impressive in its range of sound.



Then there's this guy: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/blackstar-venue-series-ht-club-40-40w-tube-guitar-combo-amp



Happy Holidays, eddie

Answer 3

Man the Twin is stupid loud. I've owned 3 Deluxe Reverbs and they are awesome amps. 2 were '65 reissues and one was a '68 reissue. Generally guys will use a Twin for the huge amount of clean headroom it has. A friend of mine tours with a national jazz artist and his rider demands are either a Twin Reverb or a Roland Jazz Chorus for that very reason, headroom. But he is playing huge outdoor festivals and arenas. I would have zero use for a Twin in any venue I play.