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Pros:
- On-board reverb
- Great-sounding drive channel
- Usable effects loop
- Produces bright highs and authentic lows
Cons:
- Not very portable
- Not the most versatile amp
The more time passes, the more versatile the amp market becomes. More and more brands are coming out with new models and types of combos that quickly catch on among the musicians. This blast in newer production became apparent after the development of digital modeling and sound processing. However, some professionals still prefer those classic, vintage tones and always strive to find that perfect balance between old and modern. Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue is an amp of that ilk. It is an improved version of the legendary amp and features everything we loved about Hot Rod Deluxe but in a warmer manner. If you want to saturate your performance with vintage sweetness, continue reading as I discuss everything this bad boy has up its sleeve.
Features
Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue has everything one would need during a performance without those annoying and overwhelming features that no one ever uses. It is equipped with an all-tube circuitry: it has three 12AX7 and two 6L6 tubes in its preamp and power sections. This combo has 40 watts of power capacity, as well as a single 12” Eminence Special Design speaker. Blues Deluxe Reissue comes with 2 channels, namely, Normal and Drive that gives you a more scrupulous tone (more on that later).
It has an effects loop that allows you to connect your effects pedals to the amp and complete your signal chain. Its onboard Spring Reverb enhances the sonic possibilities even more and leaves a lot of room for versatility. Blues Deluxe Reissue is compatible with a 2-button footswitch which allows you to easily control the device on stage. And now let’s talk about all the sockets and jacks: it has two ¼” inputs for your instrument (the second one operates at -6dB), 1/4” Power Amp in and Preamp Out jacks for the effects loop, two ¼” parallel inputs for additional speaker (external and internal) and an input for the foot controller.
Controls
As I have already mentioned, everything falls in its place in terms of features. The same rule applies to the controls as well. Every single knob is straightforward and easy to grasp, turning the tweaking process into an enjoyable activity. Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to control this device with your eyes closed. So let’s dive into discussing what each of the control does on Blues Deluxe Reissue and make everything even more gratifying,
The top panel, where the majority of the encoders are located, starts with the Presence knob. This bad boy modifies the amount of higher frequencies in both channels and adds brightness to your tone. Reverb adds effect to your signal and intensifies it when needed. Master Volume sets the level of the Drive channel and makes sure that the output is even. Then comes a three-band EQ, represented by three knobs, particularly, Middle, Bass and Treble.
They adjust the mid, low, and higher frequencies in the sonic spectrum and allow you to elaborate your sound even more. Drive is a dedicated knob for the drive channel – it adds gain to your signal and enhances the strength of the overdrive. Volume, on the other hand, sets the level of the Normal, i.e. clean channel. Between these two knobs, you will see a Drive button which allows you to switch between the two channels easily.
Then we have the Bright switch, which adds brightness and shimmer to the high-end frequencies on both channels. Last but not least, we have On/Off toggle which feeds AC power into the device and Standby, which activates the tubes and cuts down on the warm-up time. The controls are responsive and accurate, with the only drawback being their weird distribution. But as I said, after a while, you will not need to look at the knobs to be in charge of this amp.
Fender Blues Deluxe Sound
It is always hard to articulate how something sounds, especially with the amps. However, Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue screams perfection and dynamics. There is something really special about the Fender tube amps that has been recurrent over the years now and this particular amp is not an exception. The clean channel is simply brilliant with warm, but shimmery highs, sweet mids and distinctive lows. The drive channel is not the most extreme distortion – it is more of a subtle overdrive that adds character to your sound.
If you utilize distortion heavily in your performance, you will not be satisfied with this channel. However, Blues Deluxe Reissue takes pedals wonderfully: it transfers their sound transparently but maintains the warm character of the tubes. The spring reverb is exactly what you would expect from Fender’s tubes, which means there is nothing much to say about it other than it is wonderful. All in all, Blues Deluxe Reissue operates without any noise and delivers spectacular results right at your feet.
Conclusion
To conclude everything said above, Blues Deluxe Reissue is the solution to all the problems that were present in the original version. It does not have any hum and the issue of overheating the tubes is completely solved. What is more, the features and sounds of this combo are complementary and when employed intelligently, give you ethereal results. You just have to plug it in and get to tweaking and that’s it! Good luck!
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This is an excellent review. Most people would never think of a Blues Deluxe as a jazz amp. But it has immense headroom on the clean channel. I’ve played my Joe Pass Epiphone Hollow Body guitar with humbucking pickups, and it sounds fabulous. There are different types of “clean” sounds. Some of the digital amps like the Roland Jazz Chorus, and some others, sound VERY different from the Blues Deluxe. Lets say that the Roland is dryer, perhaps more sterile to be negative, not as full-bodied or rich. Some jazz musicians like a very dry, uncolored sound. Others like tube warmth, and something other than a strictly neutral sound. The Blues Deluxe sounds grand with or without the reverb engaged. It’s like an artist’s pallet with all colors that you can mix just to your liking.