Fender Deluxe Reverb...65 RI vs 68 RI

Neither, your late 70s Twin Reverb has something these 2 amps don't - MASTER volume - meaning you can get the preamp tubes cookin' nice and keep the volume low....

Those other amps you're asking about tend to only sound good/great when CRANKED, and you'd need that plus an attenuator for most home use....

 

I had the 65 reissue, great small tube amp. I like clean, and the tone at low bedroom volumes was wonderful, especially with some of its Reverb dialed in.

I sold it only because I also had a Roland Blues Cube Stage and did not need two amps so I decided to go with the bulletproof technology of the SS as opposed to tubes. I still miss it.

 

easterik, I've had both of them, and I ended up letting the '68 go and keeping the '65. It all depends on what you want from your amp. The '68 will break up a little sooner than the '65, and to my ears it also has a slightly more aggressive sound, in general.

I preferred the slightly later break up of the '65 and it's smoother sound (I have heard some people complain that the 65's treble can be "ice picky, " although I haven't had that issue on the "normal" channel, and with some careful eq'ing, I get a very nice sound out of the "vibrato" channel). Again, which you choose will depend on what you want from your amp.

 

I like the '65, I think it has a richer tone. I use an OCD and a Tumnus to give it some drive.

You might want to look into a 5E3 they can get some nice driven sounds.

If you're just playing at home or small venues check out a Egnater Rebal-20. Switchable wattage from 1 to 20 watts
6v6 or el84 or a blend of the tubes, gain and master volume. Great little amp. I got the head and I run it thru either my 1x12 or the 2x12 cabs with vintage 30's

 

I owned a 1964 and 1966 blackface Deluxe Reverb for about 20 years before selling.
Twenty years later, I'm playing again and looking at Deluxe Reverbs. I A/B'd the '65 RI and
Also the 68 Custom DR. I was aware of the stories of hiss associated with the 68, so played
both in person.
Thinking I'd take the '65 home, I surprised myself by choosing the 68 as the one I took home.
My 68 is dead quiet (no hiss), the two channels are in phase, allowing them to be blended like a 4 hole
Marshall or 5E3 Deluxe, and they are two distinctly different sounding channels.
Add in the reverb and trem on both channels and it's icing on the cake.
The 68 works and sounds like I'd wished my blackface DRs had sounded like.
My two cents....

 

You can play either of those DR amps on 2, and they'll sound great.

I have a '65 w a Celestion Cream that sounds amazing. I played a '68 the other day that sounded like Heaven. I wasn't able to play them side by side on the same settings, so I'm not going to speculate too much. I will say everyone listening to the '68 was almost in awe of how good that amp sounded.

By no means do you need to crank it to get a good sound. But if you do crank it, it will sound a lot like SRV and be loud enough for a club.

They get real loud real fast above about 4. I've never wanted for a master volume with mine, but if I lived in an apartment it would be a huge issue.

 

I owned an original 60's Deluxe Reverb. Thirty years later, I kind of missed the amp. I tried the 65 and 68 DRRI's, repeatedly. I almost decided on the 68, when I tried a Boss Kanata. I was surprised how close of a Tremolo sound I could get with the Katana. What won me over, was the Tweed like sound and Tape Echo. My first amp was a Tweed Deluxe and as a rockabilly player, I really use Tape Echo, not Reverb.

So, it really comes down to what you are looking for, from an amp. Both have their own sound.

 

why not try removing two output tubes in your twin first?
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/20713-ask-amp-man-removing-output-tubes-to-reduce-power

 

I prefer the '68. It just has THAT bloom you're looking for when it gets up to gig volumes.

I've played a few different '65s on a few different occasions, and just couldn't dial in that same magic that I get on my '68. Other people rave about the '65, so maybe I'm just weird or have had bad luck finding a good one.

 

Although I prefer tubes, try out the Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb also, just to compare and make choosing even harder.

 

I’m curious on the Celestion Cream - is it voiced more American or British?

 

I have no idea, but it's 90 watt, so headroom for days.

 

The '68, both channels have trem and reverb and each has a different tonestack for different tones. I like the look better also. It is cheaper. Better deal to me.

 

i used to hate fender amps, but i was at a rehearsal one day last year and the tubes in my ac30 fizzled out, so i plugged in to my singers 65 drri and loved it. loved it so much i bought it from him.
since then ive put in a rare eminence alnico 50 watt red fang, and it rules. the red fang takes longer to break up, so if i want grit i use a pedal.

 

I put that same speaker (alnico cream) into my PRRI SE (12"). Turned that little amp into a monster! It's so loud I have to use an OD pedal and the break up tone glorious!

edit: EC strat- it doesn't sound British in a black face Fender. Way different from a low watt blue.

 

Maybe as a home player and since you already have a Twin, how about a Princeton reverb instead? Same discussion about '65 or '68 I guess (or '62 Stapleton version too). I have the '64 Custom Deluxe reverb and was considering a Princeton as well. I can only ever use the Deluxe as a clean amp at home and most of the rehearsal places I've played at I still don't have it turned up enough to really break up.

It's lovely clean tone of course, but IMHO a Deluxe at home isn't much different to having your Twin with it's master volume (and possibly taking out two valves as someone else mentioned).

 

Okay, I understand now. Agreed, no 15 watt blue bark out of this. Creamy is a better descriptor, but it will break up with volume. Glad it improved your 12" PRRI. My buddy had one and got rid of it quick with the original speaker.