Build Quality:4.9 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.8 out of 5 stars
Electronics:4.8 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.8 out of 5 stars
Value:4.9 out of 5 stars
Average:4.8 out of 5 stars

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Pros:

  • Fancy, great-looking design that is built to last
  • Quality components that guarantee the longevity of the circuitry
  • Mind-blowing sound
  • Versatile features and effects

Cons:

  • A bit expensive
  • You have to plug in the footswitch for the effects to work

In the world of musical equipment, there are certain devices that make history. They catch on right after hitting the market and remain as staples for the years to come. They are niche units both for musicians’ gear and hearts. Such pattern is quite common for amplifiers. Some of these bad boys made such a huge impact on the development of many different genres that they are not forgotten even now. One of those was, undoubtedly, Fender ‘65 Blues Deluxe. Its sound was so legendary that the brand had to come up with a reissue. That’s exactly what we are going to talk about today. Being an exact replica of the original, this vintage reissue has modern touch to it, making it compatible with today’s standards. Let’s discuss all the features of Blues Deluxe Reissue and find out, what are some changes in its features, controls and sound.

Features

As I have already mentioned, ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue is modified in a way that increases its reliability and efficiency. Therefore, the original phenolic parts panel is substituted with printed circuit board; the components of power and output transformers have the same values as the original, although the size and shape of some of the parts vary a bit. This 22 watt tube magic runs the duplicate of the original Jensen 12” Special Design speaker. This is the main reason why ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue is so close to its predecessor. It is equipped with Fender Special Design Valves, including one 5AR4, two 6V6GT, four 12AX7A and two 12AT7 tubes. Here we also have two channels, namely, normal and vibrato. Each of them has their own set of controls, guaranteeing maximum precision and adjustability. On-board reverb can be added to the vibrato channel, making your sound even more versatile. It is worth mentioning that ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue has two different inputs for each channel. Input 1 is a standard input for your guitar, while Input 2 has less gain (-6dB) and is designed for the instruments with high-output and preamp. Let’s discuss other jacks and sockets as well. Apart for four inputs, we have two inputs for internal and external speakers, respectively, as well as an input for the footswitch, allowing you to switch between channels and effects with your feet.

Controls

From what I have discussed above, you should have already figured out that Fender would not disregard the control panel either. When the brand puts so much effort in designing such a quality circuitry, it always strives to equip the amp with knobs that will be easy to understand and, thus, simple to tweak. This guarantees the satisfaction of the customers and makes sure everything about its device is convenient and flexible. ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue has the control panel which is visually appealing for everyone, including those who love order and neatness.

The front panel starts with normal channel and the dedicated knobs. Here we have the Volume encoder, which modifies the loudness of the channel and keeps everything in perfect shape; Bass and Treble adjust low and high frequencies in your signal. Next we have Vibrato channel. It has a bit more controls, but there is nothing too complicated. Similar to the Normal channel, Vibrato has Volume, Bass and Treble knobs with the exact same functionalities. Reverb takes care of the level of this effect, while Speed and Intensity alter the rate and depth of vibrato, respectively. And that’s it, there is nothing else you need to know about the controls. Just keep in mind that Power and Standby switches are featured on the rare panel. As you probably know, the former activates the device, while the latter warms up the tubes and is a handy feature during short breaks (plus it extends the longevity of the tubes).

Sound

Let me start off by saying that ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue is perfect for club-like venues, since it has enough power and headroom to handle the size of such stages. And when you add to the equation the versatility of this amplifier, you get a truly decent tool for small gigs. The Clean channel of this fella is reminiscent of the legendary sound of Fender, meaning the sweet tones with a lot of depth. As you plug in your instrument, you instantly hear the subtle mid-range and mesmerizing, thick trebles. You can easily step into the overdrive territory, but nothing too crazy. However, ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue still has quite a decent headroom for your clean tones to shine through the universe. Moving on to the vibrato channel, everything gets a bit more interesting and exciting. The Reverb here is ethereal, with a smooth segue from soft feel to a full-on reverberation. And the vibrato (which is basically tremolo) offers everything from subtle and slow movement to the crazy rhythmical senses. On the whole, ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue delivers the sound that has many different dimensions, as well as enough versatility for any kind of player. It is a perfect amplifier for blues, country, rock and surf players.

Conclusion

As you take your first glance at ‘65 Blues Deluxe Reissue, you immediately get the feeling that you are dealing with something extremely powerful. Its Wine Red Tolex is paired with a wheat grille, black panel and a handle for easy transportation. Such fancy design awakens the trust and the will to get to playing as soon as you can. Then you find out that it is a reissue of the original ‘65 Blues Deluxe and your expectations get even higher. Trust me, none of those will be undermined once you start performing. And it might even turn out to be better than expected. Get your hands on it and see for yourself what I am talking about. Good luck!

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