what are the tonal characteristics of a 64 and a 68 deluxe reverb?

[norman]

i am looking for a tonal comparison between these two amplifiers and please assume that the tubes and caps are of equal freshnsess etc. just fishing for some experienced ears thank you.

[PdotDdot]

I have a 64. Although I cannot compare to a 68, perhaps describing the 64 will help if others reply. Think Derek And The Dominoes. Granted, Clapton used a Champ but the sound is roughly the same. Hope this helps.

[McPhaul]

Originally Posted by PdotDdot

I have a 64. Although I cannot compare to a 68, perhaps describing the 64 will help if others reply. Think Derek And The Dominoes. Granted, Clapton used a Champ but the sound is roughly the same. Hope this helps.

Have you ever played a Tweed Champ? Nothing at all like a Blackface Deluxe Reverb.

Blackface Deluxe Reverb is big, ballsy, round and can get a nice breakup but really lets you hear wood and glass. 12" speaker gives nice bottom end.

Tweed Champ is pinched, much more mid forward, with much less clean headroom and because of the 8" speaker really has no bottom.

Sorry I can't help with the difference between the 64 and 68 though.

[kennybro]

I've had both. They sounded quite similar to me (with the same speaker). I've now got a 90's re-issue blond. It sounds very similar too.

Each example is a touch different, no matter what the year, mid 60's to about 70. The speaker type really makes the huge difference in the sound; much more than the amp circuit, which didn't change significantly from the blacks to the early silvers.

[Ward Pike]

The 68 is cleaner (less THD) but also sounds a little tiny bit more choked. At least those have been my findings.

[re-animator]

the deluxe reverbs didn't really change that much from the switch to silverface. i think a lot of the SF DRs actually have the same circuit as their blackface forerunners. it depends on the amp, and you can check it by serial number online. if the circuit is a silverface circuit, they can usually be changed back to original specs fairly easily. its basically just a few caps and resistors.

in general silverface fenders are just a bit brighter and cleaner (some would say harsher and more sterile). some of them have slightly different tremolo circuits.

[nedorama]

Agree. Post 1970 a lot more changes, but the Champ, Princeton and Deluxe lines were mostly spared the maladies of the CBS line.

Both would be worthwhile additions; the 64 will just cost you 50% or more as a premium above the 68.

[norman]

thanks ya'll. these last two opinions are consistent with what i am finding. i have both and did some serious a/b-ing today using an external cabinet. the silver seemed to have higher headroom and was brighter though it's high, end in general, seemed not as sweet as the black. silver seems louder. vibrato and reverb sound a bit better (whatever that means) in the silver. anyway thanks again for sharing your findings.

[The Real MC]

Didn't the blackface DR have a tube rectifier?

[norman]

they both have tube rectifiers but different tubes. all the other tubes are the same comparing the tube charts stuck to the inside of the chassies.