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Headroom wise you you might get away with clean unmiked at a fairly restrained pub gig/blues jam depending on pickups and playing style/band.
Recently I had the circuit modded slightly (basically copying the new 68 custom deluxe to have reverb and tremolo available on both channels, and put them in phase to blend/stack them properly). Effectively this has made it a lot more versatile and pedal friendly especially at lower volumes, as you have full control over the amount of brightness. Look up my post on the Fritz mod if you want to hear about in in excruciating detail. I took it to a guitar and amp tech to have the mod done and it was cheap and (according to him) quick and easy. I left the negative feedback resistor alone as I wasn't interested in earlier breakup, and had also heard this could increase background noise.
More recently I swapped the stock speaker (Jensen C12K) for an Eminence Cannabis Rex. Largely out of curiosity and happened to get a great deal on the forum. Again, very happy with the result - the overall sound is nicely balanced and clear. The previous speaker was OK but seemed to go from muddy at low volumes straight to harsh and clangy at higher volumes. Again, more in recent post if interested.
I was pretty happy with the amp for a few years before making these changes. Now I've done them it's become my only amp for home and playing out and have sold my other valve amp - absolutely delighted with it.
Is yours an US model then? Is there a difference in quality between the US and mexican built?
The eminence always gets good reviews and glad it works well in the deluxe reverb. SO the speaker is nice and balanced now. Have you got it into the sweet spots at gigs yet? i guess 6-8 on the volume?
The other channel has a capacitor on the volume control to brighten it. The lower the volume, the brighter it is - at low volumes it can make a lot of drive/distortion pedals sound harsh and fizzy. A lot of folks disable the bright cap. The Fritz mod is the other way of getting round it.
The gain/breakup on both channels seems to be pretty much the same (though I think I have a different brand of preamp valves in one - just not replaced the other yet). When jumpering the two channels together it's as I assume you found with the 68 - fatter and louder with both together than individually. If you have more of the brighter channel dialled in it's brighter overall, and vice versa, with less difference in brightness the louder you go. Equal amounts of both seems to work really well especially with drive pedals.
I was originally planning to get an ABY box but found I was happy just blending the two channels.
Not tried the 68 but from everything I've heard it's a virtually identical amp with a couple of different components, different speaker and slightly different wiring. Should be just as solidly built I'd have thought.
I found volume 4-5 and digging in got the amp growling nicely even with a strat/tele but then again I don't go in for lots of gain. I've not had the new speaker long and haven't gigged it yet so we shall see. On paper it's more efficient which may mean more headroom but it's a different manufacturer so could work out the opposite!
thanks for your input so far.
any difference between the us version
Did anyone buy guitarist mag a while ago when Simon law tested a load of different speakers in the deluxe? Can't remember which one was his fav. Think they where all celestions
True, but I remember a post on here when an amp tech opened up the amps and found they actually used the same components and similar (or even the same) pcb. So you are probably not getting any more quality from the USA, just a higher price.
If there is any difference in quality, I would expect the Mexican ones to be slightly better - the Hotrods are, compared to the earlier US ones.
Trumped...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
At home, I tend to use the normal channel as the trem channel is too bright, but that lacks the reverb. I like the idea of having the two different channels, so I'm going to go for a resistor clip type mod for mine.
I'd really like to try an alnico speaker in it some time.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Also do recommend trying a Cannabis Rex speaker.
PA Hire and Event Management
I'm not so keen on the Fritz mod as I use an ABY at the moment to push different non-reverb sounds to the Normal channel. I've tried a Cannabis Rex in my friends DRRI and it sounds really good, definitely on the shortlist for mine!