FENDER Tweed Deluxe - is this the one?

[DUKEn 23]

Hello fellow tone chasers.

Here I am, trying to discover which direction to take.

I want a low wattage amp; between 14w to 20w). I will be using it in small venues, 150, 200 people gigs. I want to uset in full blast to take advantage of them tubes. I don't use pedals, just picking dynamics, amp and guitar controls.

I need a guitar amp that gives me a good clean headroom and, when pushed hard "drips" a tight but bluesy natural overdrive. I really need to ear the metal strings and the guitar wood ressonate.

I ask you then, is the FENDER TWEED DELUXE this kind of amp?
Thank you all for your time.

P.S. - I play trough a Epiphone Dot Studio - bone nut, PAF like humbuckers and full electronics re-wiring.

[sliberty]

Definitely not. A Tweed Deluxe has VERY little headroom, and when it breaks up it is the exact opposite of tight. It gets quite flabby and mushy. Some like that tone (Neil Young), but its not at all wha you described.

[DUKEn 23]

Thanks for the heads up. Any sugestions in the "low wattage" Fender Universe?

Cheers

[sliberty]

Since you asked this in a Fender forum, I'll assume you prefer the Fender sound and recommend a Deluxe Reverb or a Blues Junior.

[DUKEn 23]

Yep, i do prefer Fender Tone, even though i´m not fundamentalist about it. I did considered the MARSHALL 18 watts for a little while but, something was missing. "It's not you... it's me" kind a thang...!

All things considered, the amp i'm chasing around has to be very touch sensitive, good clean headroom and scream when called upon. The tube clipping overdrive tones have to be very musical... I do love Roy Buchanan but cannot detach my feelings for Peter Green you know...

[Firestorm]

Maybe something in the Princeton Reverb "family?"

[billyz]

Firestorm, beat me. A Princeton rev with 1x12 or a deluxe rev . Or build a Princeton rev with 6l6 output tranny and vibrolux rev power tranny.

[M Fowler]

the amp i'm chasing around has to be very touch sensitive, good clean headroom and scream when called upon

Never heard a Fender do that! I suggest a 22w 6V6 JCM800 Marshall circuit.

Mark

[billyz]

Roy was known to make good use of a vibrolux rev. I've gotten good Peter green tones from a pro reverb and bandmaster rev .

[Baxtercat]

...'headroom', etc?
Why such low wattage then?
When I saw Peter Green he was using SF piggybacks [Showman amps or some other Fenders]. It was a bigger room however.

[Just saw Billy's post. Yes to that.]

[DUKEn 23]

You where right on the money. I was really distant from what I was looking for. Budget wise, I always kept myself from the blakfaces... but its the only way to go I suppose.

I talked to a friend who works as an electronic engineer; he has a small amp repair shop who specialized in vintage tube amps. If I can find a reliable schematic of the late 60's Fender Deluxe Reverb, I probably ask him if is up to the task.

Will any one of you good people point me in the direction of a good schematic of the amp in question?

I will most certainly be building a head with diferent impedances output (for external cabinets). With simple circuit: No trem and no reverb. I will be adding instead a truebypass loop effects after the preamp stage.

Is it possible to design a tone control pot that controls the amont of gain in the preamp stage?

Advices will be most wellcome.

[jelle]

Changes like that really change the tone. in fact, any change will. For blackface tone, I would get a blackface. I can find blackface super reverbs via craigslist for about 1200. If you can build a decent one for less, I would be surprised. Google will show you great reliable schematics, the ones from fender.

Another great option might be a well built JTM45, I like the ones with lower voltages, like 400v.

Have fun!

[jelle]

Another thought, if your buddy has a shop like that, then it will be fairly easy to try out some amps, which might give you more insight as to which amps you like best. This is what I would do before I would spend 500 to 1000 bucks on parts for an amp I had little experience with.

Now, if you run across a black or silverface amp you like the response of, that is as much more secure way of getting the tone you are after.

Hope this helps. Jelle

[DUKEn 23]

Good pelope, thank you all so much for your insight. It truly tells me that I still have a long way to go. As someone, someday, said: it's so much about getting there... it's the journey you endure during your quest. Point taken brothers, point taken.

I must carry on and experiment, listen and discover what's already out there.

Here's a link that shows the work of my friend John: the LEONIDAS VICORIOUS 14 and 24 watts combo. Give me your input about what you (or so I hope) will ear.

http://leonidasamplification.blogspot.p ... us-14.html

Cheers.

[jelle]

Cannot listen to it here on.my phone, but that is a nicely built tweed deluxe amp. I hope you can try some good blackface fenders in Portugal. Have fun!