Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker Black

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I was just able to review this amp at the grand opening of a new Fender dealership, and had the rare opportunity to compare it to a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and a Fender Twin reissue, head to head, using an American Deluxe Telecaster. I used the Twin as my base line for sound, since I have a Twin at home. The '68 Custom Reverb has an incredible low end sound when playing the bottom strings, much like my original '74 Silverface Twin Reverb. However, this amp, being a lower wattage, will break up at a lower volume than a Twin through the vibrato channel. The Celestion speaker it utilizes has a slightly slower response than the Jensen speaker in the '65 Deluxe Reverb, which to my ear, worked better for rock. The '65 Deluxe Reverb had more spank and twang which makes it, to me, slightly more suited to country, but the '68 Custom Reverb still has plenty of punch. The new "Custom" channel on the '68 can be overdriven at lower volumes, and had a great, clear, sound when not in overdrive. This "Custom" channel had a nice full, big sound, and can be switched in or out in place of the Vibrato channel, according to the Fender rep. Although there is no substitute for running an amp through the paces yourself for tone, Fender has come up with a great new amp that is distinctly different in sound than the '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue. My final conclusions on this amp are that if you play more rock than country, go with the '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Reissue. If you play more country than rock, go with the '65 Reissue. If you play both, I would recommend that you run through some of your hardest-hitting tunes on both to see which of these your ears prefer. They are both great amps--it just depends on which of the Fender tube amp tones you prefer. One thing for certain is that you get great full sound from both, as there is nothing "thin" about these amps. Fullness with clarity is what these amps deliver.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

Amp sounds great plenty of volume for most situations. Takes pedals really well. Tubes rattle from vibrations, a few tube dampeners do the trick.Reverb created a lot of feedback at any level. Put a tiny layer of foam under the tank and feed back is gone. Do these mods and you will have a great amp.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I purchased this amp about 7 months ago and could not be happier that I did!!! It is everything I could want out of a classic fender 1X12 and much, much more! To me, this amp is like the perfected version of the 65 DRR: it's not as harshly bright (in fact, I love the warmth that the Celestion G12V-70 provides especially since I'm a strat player), and it breaks up a little easier so that though you may not receive quite as much of that legendary amount of infinite headroom, you don't have to crank the volume to ungodly levels in order to get rockin, fat, tube-distorted tone. Both channels are amazing and tonally unique in their own ways. The Vintage channel gives that crystal clear clean tone that you can only get from a fender, but sounds great when pushed to breakup. The Custom channel with bassman tonestack is equally as incredible, giving you that divine fat punchiness, which is perfect for pretty much any kind of blues and rock. I also love the tube driven spring reverb and vibrato, which you can use on both channels (another significant upgrade to the '65). As for the complaints about the amp blowing up, or tube vibrations and reverb tank causing unpleasant squealing , I have experienced virtually none of that. And even if I did, loose tubes and reverb tank vibrations are easy fixes that anyone can do. This is an incredible amp which can handle pretty much any genre of music you throw at it (save for perhaps heavy metal). Please do not let those few quality complaints case you to pass up on one of the best amps out there today.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I LOVE this amp. I was going to get the '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, that is one very sweet sounding amp as well. But then I tried the '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb and it was an easy choice, '68 CDR! The 68 CDR actually gives you 2 channels that have different tone stacks for different voicing, PLUS you get reverb and tremolo on both channels. The '65 has 2 channels of the same tone and one channel is dry only. That amp could work as just a single channel amp and it would be just fine. Still, the '65 black face DRR is mighty fine sounding amp too. For me the '68 CDR silver face is the tone winner. Fender has had some construction issues with these as I too had to return a new CDR because it stopped working on the second day. But I wasn't about to give on a great sounding map. Guitar Center quickly sent out a new one and I returned the faulty amp at my local GC store. Very easy no problems. These new Fender amps are as sensitive to tubes as the original hand wired units. Bad/faulty tubes are the biggest reason for buzzing, humming, squeals, etc... If you get those kinds of things, then get some high quality tubes and start swapping. Like any all tube amp of vintage design there can be some background hiss, but it's very light, and to me it sounds like all tube amp. Yes, these amps make a loud POP when you go to shut the amp off and you engage the "standby" switch first, as you should. This is an inherent design in the Fender amp circuit. The same thing happens with the '65 DRR, and even with the hand wired vintage versions. Fender really should fix this though. It's not the 1960's any more. The tones are fantastic, and with 2 channels that have their own eq's you can tailor the amp to what you like and the guitars you are using. The "custom" channel is based of the Bassman circuit and it's a bit darker/warmer with more mids. The "vintage" channel is more like the '65 DRRI with the 'brightness' turned down. Another aspect of the '68 silver face amps is their increased touch sensitivity. These amps respond beautifully to subtle touches on the strings, very very responsive. It helps you play better as it's sensitivity reveals more than other amps can. Power tube break up are what the 22 watt '65 black face and '68 silver face deluxe reverbs are famous for. The '68 breaks into power tube distortion sooner at lower volume than the '65. Both give great sounding tube distortion tones with the '68 having a bit more. As with nearly all Fender amps the '68 loves any pedal you put into the input. I run a Fultone Fuldrive 2 for light distortion and/or boost, A Bogner Ecstasy Red for moderate to heavy distortion, and a Wampler Triple Wreck for that thick and saturated high gain tone. With these 3 pedals I can get nearly any distortion tones I want, and then there are the beautiful chimey clean tones of classic Fender. Along with those pedals I also run TC Electronic "Hall of Fame" reverb, and TC Electronic Flashback delay. Both are great pedals. The reverb on the '68 is great and be dialed from light to nearly surfer. I have the reverb pedal so that I can add verb variations to the amp if or when I want to. It's good to have options, and as I said this amp loves it. If and when you get one you should check the power tube bias to make sure it's not set too cold. Often, amp manufacturers set the bias on the colder side, which helps the tubes last longer, but may not be the best tone one may like. I warmed up the bias on my '68 as it was on the cold side from the factory and it warmed up even nicer than when out of the box. Finally, the Celestion 12" speaker in the amp is excellent. It has a nice mid range bite and controls the high end nicely and doesn't let the high end get brittle. It makes for a darker/warmer sounding Fender tone. For those that want more high end players have swapped in all kinds of different speakers to get what they prefer. I decided to stay with the stock speaker as it sounds so good and has a great build quality from Celestion.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I've known that I wanted a Deluxe Reverb for quite some time, but a good vintage unit is a little more than I can afford. After owning this model for a few weeks now, I can say with absolute certainty that this model has satisfied my craving for that legendary Fender tone while making its own unique mark on the legacy of this amp line. The Vintage channel gives you that classic "blackface" tone that does start to break up a little earlier than a vintage DR, but this is easily adjusted to taste via the bias pot or some preamp tube swapping if you so desire. As advertised, the Custom channel produces that thick Bassman tone that gets beautifully dirty as you increase the volume. It complements the tone of the Vintage channel nicely. Both channels take pedals without issue, so fire away. The shared reverb is oustanding and brings its own flavor to the tradition of the Deluxe Reverb. When cranked, it becomes just as lush and atmospheroic as you would expect from a Fender reverb unit, but I find it noticeably less spanky and "clicky" than the classic vintage sounds we are all familiar with. This might be a turn-off to some, but as a player who personally is very much influenced by the surf rock sounds of Dick Dale et al, I can tell you that I am 100% a fan of this modified sound. The reverb takes on an almost choral quality that is hard to put into words - the best way I can think of to describe its sound is as "singing." The shared tremolo sounds fantastic and is nothing short of what you would expect from a Fender amp. One last note: I've seen some people complain that this amp is too noisy for recording, but I have had zero issues. It has a slight amount of hiss that is to be expected from a tube combo, but nothing that would prevent you from using it in the studio.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I traded a Mesa Boogie deuce, for this and have "no" regrets. This could be the best quality and best sounding Amplifier ever made by Fender USA. Get one quick before they're all gone. The Celestion speaker will never need to be upgraded as this combo's sound, is almost perfect. Two guitars can be played out of this at same time. Both channels are special, lots of bass, mid and that great Fender verb sound. -----"wow."

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

Pick this amp up from my local GC a few months ago. I can't stop playing it. It's got that classic fender tone that everyone loves. Having two channels on it is great, but for the most part I stick to the vintage channel. It's the best clean amp I've ever played through. Maybe it's just me, but this is what clean tones should sound like. I like to dial in the volume knob so that it just starts to break up a little bit when I play really hard, and there's plenty more volume and crunch if needed. This amp doesn't require a single pedal, save for maybe a clean digital or tape delay for when I'm playing ambients (tc electronic flashback). Fender spring reverb is the best. I preferred this model to the '65 reissue as I thought it sounded a bit warmer and I like the silver face look as well. Loud enough to gig with? Without a doubt. Quiet enough for home use? It can be and for me it is, but if noise is really an issue I might try a Princeton. There's a bit of tube rattle when I hit the third fret on the low e, but other than that no problems and it will probably be a simple fix when I get around to it. I honestly can't get enough of this amp.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I LOVE this amp. I was going to get the '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, that is one very sweet sounding amp as well. But then I tried the '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb and it was an easy choice, '68 CDR! The 68 CDR actually gives you 2 channels that have different tone stacks for different voicing, PLUS you get reverb and tremolo on both channels. The '65 has 2 channels of the same tone and one channel is dry only. That amp could work as just a single channel amp and it would be just fine. Still, the '65 black face DRR is mighty fine sounding amp too. For me the '68 CDR silver face is the tone winner. Fender has had some construction issues with these as I too had to return a new CDR because it stopped working on the second day. But I wasn't about to give on a great sounding map. Guitar Center quickly sent out a new one and I returned the faulty amp at my local GC store. Very easy no problems. These new Fender amps are as sensitive to tubes as the original hand wired units. Bad/faulty tubes are the biggest reason for buzzing, humming, squeals, etc... If you get those kinds of things, then get some high quality tubes and start swapping. Like any all tube amp of vintage design there can be some background hiss, but it's very light, and to me it sounds like all tube amp. Yes, these amps make a loud POP when you go to shut the amp off and you engage the ""standby"" switch first, as you should. This is an inherent design in the Fender amp circuit. The same thing happens with the '65 DRR, and even with the hand wired vintage versions. Fender really should fix this though. It's not the 1960's any more. The tones are fantastic, and with 2 channels that have their own eq's you can tailor the amp to what you like and the guitars you are using. The ""custom"" channel is based of the Bassman circuit and it's a bit darker/warmer with more mids. The ""vintage"" channel is more like the '65 DRRI with the 'brightness' turned down. Another aspect of the '68 silver face amps is their increased touch sensitivity. These amps respond beautifully to subtle touches on the strings, very very responsive. It helps you play better as it's sensitivity reveals more than other amps can. Power tube break up are what the 22 watt '65 black face and '68 silver face deluxe reverbs are famous for. The '68 breaks into power tube distortion sooner at lower volume than the '65. Both give great sounding tube distortion tones with the '68 having a bit more. As with nearly all Fender amps the '68 loves any pedal you put into the input. I run a Fultone Fuldrive 2 for light distortion and/or boost, A Bogner Ecstasy Red for moderate to heavy distortion, and a Wampler Triple Wreck for that thick and saturated high gain tone. With these 3 pedals I can get nearly any distortion tones I want, and then there are the beautiful chimey clean tones of classic Fender. Along with those pedals I also run TC Electronic ""Hall of Fame"" reverb, and TC Electronic Flashback delay. Both are great pedals. The reverb on the '68 is great and be dialed from light to nearly surfer. I have the reverb pedal so that I can add verb variations to the amp if or when I want to. It's good to have options, and as I said this amp loves it. If and when you get one you should check the power tube bias to make sure it's not set too cold. Often, amp manufacturers set the bias on the colder side, which helps the tubes last longer, but may not be the best tone one may like. I warmed up the bias on my '68 as it was on the cold side from the factory and it warmed up even nicer than when out of the box. Finally, the Celestion 12"" speaker in the amp is excellent. It has a nice mid range bite and controls the high end nicely and doesn't let the high end get brittle. It makes for a darker/warmer sounding Fender tone. For those that want more high end players have swapped in all kinds of different speakers to get what they prefer. I decided to stay with the stock speaker as it sounds so good and has a great build quality from Celestion.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I was geeked when I saw the ad in Guitar Centers circular that Fender had re-issued the Silver Face Twin, Deluxe Reverb and Princeton Amps. Way back in 1973, I was the proud owner of a 1972 Silverface Twin and was hooked. I loved that amp, but sold it like a dummy a few years later. After that I was on a quest for tone, like most guitar players are and finally came back to Fender amps in 1997 when I purchased a Hot Rod Deville. I liked it, but it wasn't a Twin. In 2008 I purchased a 65 reissue and was in love again! Only one problem, I'm in my late 50's and the Twin can kill you lugging' it to gigs! That's why I jumped on the Deluxe Reverb and I couldn't be happier! Fender has really hit a home run with this amp. At only 42 lbs, I no longer dread the drudgery of the hardest thing about gigging! The tone this amp offers is shear bliss. It's all I need for any venue. I can't decide which channel sounds better, the Custom or the Vintage. They both offer their own distinct sweetness! This amp is so pretty and looks beautiful on stage under the lights. I still have my Twin. I won't make that mistake again! Anyway, great job Fender and thank you for all the years of joy your amps have brought to millions!

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

What amp would you buy if you want a clean, rich tone for vintage jazz favorites, a little "bite" for Chet-style country & western and a little 50's-60's rock, and you play ES-165/175 Gibson archtops and a '62 single coil Guild Starfire III? The '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb's Custom ("blackface") and Vintage channels handle this eclectic mix of music styles and guitars to produce the tones I'm looking for. It easily has enough power for small venue performances with a band, and it is light enough for this 72-yr-old to haul it around. However, I'd wish for a master volume control to get the combination of tone, natural amp drive and amp volume set just right for the performance environment. The amp handles my simple delay pedal well as an input to the amp, but it would be useful if the Fender folks could include an effects loop that follows the preamp stage. I took delivery at a local GC store and had none of the "broken amp" problems encountered by some other reviewers. Glad I bought this jewel.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I love the sound and concept of this amp, but it just doesn't work, I've returned 2 in the last month , out of the box both had noise issues, reverb issues and a massive pop when turning off the bypass switch ( really loud pop , not the normal pop you can get sometimes from any amp )

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

This is an amazing little amp with astoundingly rich tones. The 68? deluxe is much warmer, with a bit more bass than the 65?. This amp harbors an extremely rich diverse pallet of tonal options between the two channels. I would definitely suggest this amp to any player of any style, that being said, this amp is probably best, at least in my opinion, for cleaner playing styles. If you are a reverb fanatic, it should be noted the 68?s reverb is not quite as intense as the 65'. The amp does produce a small amount of tube hiss, and the reverb when turned up can hum a little, but this is nothing that isn't normal in a fender tube amp. Some negatives: It took me 3 tries before I found a functional amp. The first amp, ordered from a different company, came with an extremely loud hiss (white noise) and it sounded like a hair dryer was going off in the background; the preamp tubes were probably damaged during delivery. The second amp was ordered from GC and the box came opened and severely roughed up. In both cases I blame shipping and rough handling and there was no fault on the amp suppliers. GC was great on exchanging me a new amp and I couldn?t be happier. Most people don?t have the money to buy high dollar boutique amps, such as two rock. So as a broke college student it?s refreshing to find a good quality tube amp that won?t give me intense buyer?s remorse and drain my bank account. This is a good amp and packs a punch, if your budget isn?t super high, then this is the amp for you.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I have always been a Fender (tube) guy having used a vintage '69 Twin, vintage super deluxe, a 64 Bassman as well as an old Super Six. When looking for an amp that was more portable for me, (trying to get a lighter amp without losing sound quality) I was leaning heavily toward the '68 Deluxe Reverb. I had actually made my mind up UNTIL I plugged into the 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb. The Bassman channel sold me the minute I plugged in. Exceptional amp. I play in a nine piece band with 4 horns and my concern was it was only 22 watts. Don't be afraid it is more than plenty. I'd recommend this to anyone and have actually.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

Very simple to use controls that delivers great Fender tones. I use some pedals and was concerned that there was no effects loop, hog wash! This Amp delivers and is all you need from home to performance. SRV and Hendrix are alive and well and waiting to pop out of this Amp. Quite simply, this Amp is butter, in a fat-free world.

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

It's got a great a clean sound. The overdriven sound nails that late 68 Peter Green tone, but it doesn't seem nearly as warm with my overdrive pedals. That being said, stick a good boost in front of it, work your volume controls and this amp will sing!

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

This amp is a studio necessity, The best clean there is, and it breaks up right around 5 on the volume.
Wonderful clear breakup with all the tones still in tact!

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

I had to return 2 in a row. First one had a loud ticking sound when using vibrato (probably OK at club volume - but unusable for home recording) - and the second one howled when the reverb was turned up past 4. Thanks goodness of GC's great return/exchange policy. Assuming you get a good one, they sound great. But make sure to play-test it in a quiet environment!

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

Received my 68 with a bum pedal switch input jack. Took me forever to find what was bogus but Guitar Center did and set me up with a new one (return swap), which seems to be working fine. Guitar Center saved the day but Fender should be concerned. It would have been so easy to catch this with a more effective testing system. Whatever, I still love it. Garomotz

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

This amp has tone for days and takes pedals well. The sweet spot is around 4.5 to 5.5.. Yes it work well on low volumes also. Just buy it

Comments about Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb 22W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion G12V-70 Speaker:

Still learning the amp but it was immediately noticeable how much better it sounds than my Blues jr.(which sounds fine)