NAD - DRRI

Kebabkid

I've lusted over one of these for years but was always put off because I didn't think they'd have the headroom to handle gigs, plus I worried about the lack of an fx loop for my mods and delays etc but then found myself with a 3 channel, MIDI-equipped H&K whose clean channel only got used and everything else (overdrives etc) came off my board and went in the front end.

I saw this DRRI in Guitar Guitar, tried it with my board and was blown away. It's used but mint

The cleans..well, we all know what this can do (lovely, crisp jangle and chime) and my PRS and Strat love it. I knew it took pedals really well but I wasn't expecting my overdrives to sound even better and more defined. My OCD, Keeley TS-808 and Catalinbread Formula 5F6 sounded superb and when I stacked them, even better with barely any noise. The acid test was putting an 80s rock mini-board through it (thread on this - http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/28666/nhmmrpb#latest) and it's heart and soul is a Wampler Pinnacle. Jeez..it sung and took on a completely different character and the cabinet has some oomph and bottom end to it. Sorry to use this word again, but the sound was so defined and it's like someone's taken a blanket off of my pedalboard and the H&K clean channel was no slouch.

I hope I've got an "amp for life and as to the potential headroom issue, I'm not bothered and I'll mic up if it can't be heard or breaks up too early, but it sounds plenty loud for the functions and gigs I do! I even plugged my Taylor acoustic into one of the channels and it wasn't half bad. I still need to muck about with the input channels and see which one I prefer.
Sadly, there wasn't a Rev/Trem footswitch with it so I'm on the hunt for one of those.
EDIT: I've now got a proper footswitch for it and a red jewel light (my one had its one changed to bright sky blue and I didn't like it at all)

MatthewShreddery

Happy NAD!

I've been after one of these for years too

ICBM

If you find a pedal which sounds better through the Normal channel but you want to use reverb and/or tremolo, you can jumper the channels - plug the guitar and the dirt pedal into the Normal channel input 1, link input 2 to the Vibrato channel input 1 with a patch cable, turn the reverb and tremolo up further than you normally would, and use the Vibrato channel volume set low to blend in the effect. You don't want it too high since the two channels are out of phase, and the closer they get to the same volume the more it will thin the sound out.

You can also use this trick as a pseudo-parallel FX loop if you're getting most or all of the dirt from pedals. Do the same as above but go from Normal channel input 2 to the FX, then back to the Vibrato channel. Essentially it becomes a wet/dry rig in one box. If you're feeding the Vibrato channel with a pure wet signal the volume setting doesn't matter either.

If you can't get the right footswitch, any plain two-button latching switch with a stereo plug will work on the reissues since they don't have the dual-phono arrangement of the originals. The ones that won't work are any with LEDs, including the Fender ones from the red-knob/Hotrod/etc series.

Kebabkid

Thanks so much @ICBM for that really useful info and I wasn't aware of that with both the inputs and footswitch.

Someone on here also mentioned about putting the drives through one channel and the mods/delays through a different one.

stickyfiddle

Wonderful amps. Absolutely unquestionably the best amp Fender make for me. Good GAS

ICBM

... but I forgot to say that a substitute footswitch needs a shielded cable, or it will make the reverb very noisy. Some - eg Marshall - use unshielded cable.

And that if you're jumpering the channels to make a pedal that sounds buzzy though the Vibrato channel work, set the Vibrato channel treble low or off. The reverb doesn't need it.

noisepolluter

Good swag, boss! 

If you're using it to play out, I doubt you'll notice pedal fizz through the vibrato channel. At home-friendly volumes, I've found that putting pedals into the 2nd vibrato channel input is just fine (as it's slightly darker, as well as quieter), otherwise as ICBM says use the normal channel and jumper it for reverb. 

Ooh incidentally I'd be really interested to hear how you get along with the Catalinbread 5f6, I'd really love one at some point.

 

Kebabkid

Thanks guys and I had a good, loud play today and I didn't notice any fizz through any of the channels. Even the Wampler Pinnacle sounded ok, but I do whack the mids up on that thing.

Kebabkid

@noisepolluter - the 5F6 is a great pedal. As mentioned, I look to get my ovedrives from pedals and have loads of different flavours and gain types. The one that's alluded me for a while was a low gain pedal and I've had some good ones like the Xotic RC, Way Huge Pork Loin and the Liquid Sunshine V.3 but they were lacking something and this one nailed it. Be it a Valve or SS amp, it warms up the clean channel and adds a certain chime and sparkle too. The EQ on it is powerful and will really transform a sterile clean channel.

I have it set up with the gain on 9-10 o'clcock and I don't like it beyond 12 o'clock as you get that gnarly Neil Young sound but it's "crazy" horses for courses and if that's your thing, it does it. I can get that Tom Petty "clean with hair" sound, some crunchy Bryan Adams sounds with humbuckers and some really good funk sounds with single coils. It also seems to stack well with other overdrives.

Another thing about the pedal is that it has an internal switch and when engaged, the character of the pedal becomes more plexi and higher gain. It sounded good through my H&K but through a Fender...it's absolutely wonderful. If you can get to try one, I would.

richardhomer

I've said this before; the best looking amp ever.

Not only are the 'Blackface' cosmetics the smartest any amp has ever carried - there is something about the proportions of a Deluxe Reverb that look great too.

I want your amp. Fact....

monquixote

DRRIs are the bizzle. 

Happy NAD!

Kebabkid

Thanks guys and @richardhomer, my thoughts exactly. It really is a lovely looking, dainty amp. However, mine has a bright blue jewel light, which is nice but I prefer the red, original one and may need to change it.
My mate in the US is already sending me suggestions for speaker, transformer and baffle board upgrades!!! If it ain't broke.....

hubobulous

GONAD - Great Old New Amp Day ;-)

That's an awesome find and so glad the pedalboard works well with it. We might have to arrange an opportunity to both find somewhere to crank our amps.......

monquixote

I'd really like to try one of those DRRI heads they released recently.

DrJazzTap

Lovely amp, one on my list to be honest. Congrats

hotpickups

Surely 40watts should have plenty of headroom? I am presuming of course that this version is a 40watt amp?

monquixote

I think the DRRI is something like 22?

I played an open air gig today with my 25W H&K with the volume on 1 and the attenuator on 50% power and the soundman was whinging I was too loud

Kebabkid

@hotpickups - I think you're getting this confused with a Hot Rod Deluxe. The DDRI has 22 watts

hotpickups

Ah that'll be it. I use a 20watt tweed clone and never have a problem so far with headroom issues. You get the best sounds from an amp of such wattage IMO so I'm glad you think so too.

Kebabkid

hubobulous said:

U

GONAD - Great Old New Amp Day ;-)

That's an awesome find and so glad the pedalboard works well with it. We might have to arrange an opportunity to both find somewhere to crank our amps.......

Indeed D and we'll try and do that in 2015

noisepolluter

Kebabkid said:

My mate in the US is already sending me suggestions for speaker, transformer and baffle board upgrades!!! If it ain't broke.....

After having read some of the chatter on various guitar forums, I've come to the conclusion that most mass produced amps, and even some boutique ones, are subject to loads of modding. The more common the amp, the more modding threads. 

I've had the opportunity to have the DRRI wound up to rehearsal/gigging couple of times (hoping to properly get on that in the coming year), and on those occasions I honestly can't say I noticed any of the issues that compel people to start swapping speakers etc. The C12K sounds absolutely fine to me. Would something else sound even better? Possibly, but I can't be bothered to pursue it. 

The one thing I had to get used to really was how to get the best out of the 'blackface' type fender sound with pedals at home (having previously been used to a Blues Junior which is a lot more mid-focused).  When I first got the DRRI, I didn't think I'd even be able to switch it on at home, but given that it's got extremely low levels of circuit noise and a very usable taper on the lower end of the volume control, plus the incredible reverb, it's actually become my home practice amp as well.

Oh, and the other thing is that at home I usually use a tremolo pedal - there's an audible tick in the tremolo circuit, which I think you can quieten slightly by experimenting with things like choice of valve and internal lead dress, and some folks even swear by replacing the opto-doodad that Fender aren't allowed to sell in Europe so replaced with some other gubbins to make it compliant with eco regulations. Again, this is only a home volume issue - the trem sounds great (and the effect is also much deeper) when the amp's turned up.