Reissue Blues Deluxe Review

Behold the Reissue Blues Deluxe - a vintage-style tube amp with “boutique” tone at a great price that many a pro rock, country and blues player has used to superb effect.

Features:	8.5
Sound:	9.5
Reliability:	9
Impression:	9
Overall rating:	9
Users rating:	9.7
Comments:	11

overall: 8.8

Featured review by: Drewlynch15, on august 15, 2008

Price paid: $ 649.99

Features: This is the Fender Blues Deluxe, this paticular model was made in 2007. It's your basic 2 channel tube, "tweed" sounding amp. It's got an on/off switch, a footswirch jack (a 2 button is included), an effects loop, a master prescence, a master reverb, a master volume for the "drive" channel, a channel select toggle, a master 3-band EQ, a drive knob that adjust the gain for the drive channel, a volume for the clean channel, a bright select toggle, and 2 input jacks; one for most standard guitars and a lower sensitivity one (-6dB) to clean up high output guitars. It's 40w all tube, 2 6L6 and 3 12ax7. And it all goes through a 12" Fender re-issue gold label speaker. At 40w all tube, it's probably more power than I'll ever need. I mainly play blues with this amp, it's great for that. Though this amp will never reach metal, with the right pedals it can play hard rock. I love the Fender spring reverb, also the best cleans in this price range. // 9

Sound: I mainly play Fender strats, an american and a modded MIM with a HB. The american and this amp push out some great SRV style tone, It's great in church bands, though I can not stress how low gain this amp is. I play a lot of punk/hard rock and with a Boss DS-1 I'm able to reach that quite easily. Mine tends to get quite noisy with the treble up and past 7/12. But if you tweak it just right that sweet overdrive hits the clean channel at about 5/12 for that great classic rock drive. Again the distortion isn't enough close to brutal. But for that amazing Fender clean and just enough drive it's great. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I haven't any trouble in just over a year with it (though I hardly go past 4/12). Though I did manage to stomp out the reverb Switch on the included 2 button footswitch (it was totally my fault). I wouldn't keep it wide open, it seems to rattle the tubes quite a bit. But if you take care of it you should have no problems. // 8

Impression: I play mostly hard rock and alone this amp is not good for that. But I also love SRV and electric blues and this amp does that perfectly. I compared this to the Peavey Classic 30, the reverb and the cleans sold me. What I loved most about is how good the effects keeps my tone true even when using lousy pedals. Though I do wish there was a site or store that sold the footswitch for this amp, so far no luck. If you like Fender amps with great clean and that world famous reverb this is the amp for you, just take care of the footswitch. // 9

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: jamesr, on august 19, 2008

Price paid: $ 699

Purchased from: Musicansfriend

Features: On the surface the Hot Rod and the Blues Deluxe are almost that same amps. Looking at their specs the only differences are the Drive channels (more gain on the Hot Rod), foot switch (reverb on the blues deluxe), and Internal Variable Bias control on the Hot Rod. Both are loosely based on the 59’ Bassman, which by the way is my personal favorite amp. The Blues deluxe has a little less low end then the Hot Rod due to different caps used in the preamp, it uses the preamp tubes a little different making different distortion, it shares the drive control on both channels so it is not as clean at higher levels on clean, and has a different reverb circuit. I think the blues deluxe sounds better out of the box, but with the Bias Control, the Hot Rod can be modded with different power tubes very easily. So if you plan on modding buy the Hot Rod. // 8

Sound: For reference I play an American Standard Strat. This is where Fender really shines. This amp, on the clean channel just sounds amazing by any standard. And considering most players have a nice pedal collection, that is all most need out of an amp. The amp is loud enough for any size gig. We always mic the guitar amps, so all you need is enough volume to hear yourself on stage. But this could carry most gigs on it's own. But one complaint is the volume knob really only goes from 0-4, not 12, after 4 it is almost at full volume. The reverb sounds great to my ears. It does have an effects loop to add more effects. Now for the most controversial topic, and the area the draws the most complaints from this amp, the Drive channel. This amp with produce great tube overdrive, but will not produce distortion. A lot of people buy these kind of amps thinking the Drive channel is going to sound like hard rock distortion. The overdrive sounds like The Rolling Stones or John Mellencamp, not AC\DC or Nirvana. That is where a good set of pedals come in. Most of those bands used distortion pedals to create their sound, I know a lot of players with Marshall Stacks that just end up using distortion pedals. I use an Boss DS-1 (seeing eye mod) and a MT-2 pedal, and with these pedals I can reproduce almost any sound from Led Zeppelin to Marilyn Manson. But it won’t do stuff like Korn or Slipknot, but for anything else this amp is hard to beat at it's price. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The blues deluxe is built very nice, and has details like the Fender name on the carrying strap. The tweed looks great with the chrome control cover and chicken head knobs. The overall look of the amp will attract attention. // 10

Impression: I have been playing for about 12 years now, and in bands for about 8 years. I play almost any kind of rock music, but mostly alternative rock. And this amp is just amazing. I can almost bet it is the best under $1000. I would buy another one if need be. The only amp I would ever consider trading it for would be a Mesa Boggie, but I would rather buy another guitar. // 9

Comments

[Bassist87]

I heard someone play one before. I would buy one in a second if I had the money!

[cow7]

isn't the hotrod deluxe like this only with more gain?

[Drewlynch15]

Yeah.The hot rod has 3 channels,clean,gain, and more gain. The blues deluxe sounds a lil warmer and sweeter in my opinion.

[ibanez_player1]

niceeeee amppp

[Pontius2000]

I've had one for almost 2 years, I like it. takes pedals very well. good clean and great reverb. and they're coming out with a matching 1x12 extension cab in about a month. I'm getting one as soon as it comes out.

[axejam123]

dude, for thick, sweet tone, nothing beats a fender. original all-tube insanity. all you need is a fender tube (i personally have a hot rod deville), a boss distortion/overdrive pedal, and a guitar. You will then reach a new, formerly unknown level of euphoria.

[Drewlynch15]

Yeah i forgot to mention the ext. jack.I've yet to use it,but i'm sure it opens things up a bit for the legally deaf.No but seriously,i'm sure the cab'll be awesome.Hopefully in tweed.

[MikeGale2]

I use my Hot Rod Deluxe in my Covers band and it gives me those beautiful warm tones that I spent years looking for. I just use the Clean channel with a Zoom G2 pedal for o/d and variations of clean tones. At 40 watts, it competes with any 100 of other makes.

[JilaX^]

Guys, do not go for this.

Find one of the old ones that look like Twin Reverbs or something. Seriously. I played one at this gig, eargasm tone without tweaking the slightest.

[jamesr]

First, this is not the hot rod deluxe minus the extra gain channel. The amp is different in almost every way.

Second I own this amp and it is the BEST amp under $1000 period. I have a SEM ds-1 and MT-2 infront and can play justa bout anything I hear.

[subopolois]

Pontius2000 wrote:

I've had one for almost 2 years, I like it. takes pedals very well. good clean and great reverb. and they're coming out with a matching 1x12 extension cab in about a month. I'm getting one as soon as it comes out.

where did you hear their coming out with an extension, **** im gonna get it. anyways i had this amp for about over a year now and you honestly cannot go wrong, yes the gains arent good at all, but the cleans are incredible. plus with the boss blues driver it sounds so smooth