When it comes to Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 vs 68, each amp here has its own devotees. Although both models are generally considered great, they offer different features and sounds. In general, people who like the sound of Fender’s Blackface amps will gravitate toward Deluxe Reverb 65, whereas people who want to use more pedals will prefer Deluxe Reverb 68.
Below, you can find out further about
– The design and build quality of each guitar amp
– The features and connectivity on each guitar amp
– The sound quality of Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 vs 68
– Which guitar amp that can produce louder sounds
– Whether you should go for Deluxe Reverb 65 or Deluxe Reverb 68
Contents
Fender Deluxe Reverb 65: Design
Although multi-function amps and digital modeling remain popular among musicians nowadays, there is also a growing number of guitarists who return to using vintage combos. This is due to the increased quality of outboard pedals, as well as the improved valve overdrive simulations which have become more realistic than ever before. See also: Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue vs Hot Rod Deluxe.
If you are one of those people who often say, you just need a good basic amp and a good drive pedal, Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 will make an excellent choice. This guitar amp offers superior sound and power, with a good set of features.
It is a good-looking unit which combines the Wine Red Tolex with a wheat-colored grille and black panel. It also benefits from a Jensen Alnico P12Q loudspeaker. From the looks alone, Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 is already very attractive.
The layouts on the front and rear panels look similar to the original Fender models. There are high-gain and low-gain inputs, treble and bass controls, volume controls, a level control for the spring reverb, as well as speed and intensity controls for the vibrato effect which is none other than tremolo. Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 has another channel which is effects-free, also with two inputs and treble, bass, and volume controls.
| Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 | Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 |
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|---|---|---|
| Best Offer | click here | click here |
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| Shipping Weight | 48.4 pounds | 48.6 pounds |
Fender Deluxe Reverb 65: Features
While the original models were made from eyelet boards, rectangle fiberboards, and soldered components, the modern versions are a lot more sophisticated. Modern guitar amps like Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 vs 68 now use single-sided printed circuit boards, ribbon connectors, and smaller boards for connecting the controls and inputs.
Some people dislike the idea of using PCBs for valve amps. This is because such set-ups are prone to heat issues. However, Fender has carefully constructed Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 by handwiring the valve base in order to keep the heat away from the board.
As a result, Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 is very reliable and durable. Although there is quite a lot of soldering and wiring inside the unit, the overall design is still clean and tidy. The AC heater supplies are raised and twisted in order to reduce hum.
However, note that Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 uses a valve rectifier. It will require a few minutes to ramp up the voltages and stabilize before it can perform properly. Once it is ready, though, you will be greatly impressed by the performance.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 65: Sounds
The sound of Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 is sugary sweet and clean, a reminiscent of the classic Fender Blackface sound from the company’s golden years. However, Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 also has some characteristics of its own. It has less aggressive midrange and very beautiful multi-layered treble, thanks to the high-quality Jensen driver.
It consistently delivers a tone that addictive and flattering. The low output wattage will allow you to push it to overdrive quite easily.
When we compare the performance of Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 vs 68, it is quite noticeable that Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 has a slightly bigger sound and more headroom. The clean sound is also better. Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 has a smooth overdrive with just a slight hint of edge, which makes this amp perfect for blues, country, and southern rock.
Increasing the volume won’t pose a problem to the sound definition. Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 remains clear and accurate at high volume levels. Hence, it is a great choice for gigs and pubs.
The reverb is superb, too. It is noise-free, and it has a vast enough range to provide soft, smooth ambience as well as full-on and energetic surf. The vibrato effect is good, able to go from slow pulses to almost LFO. However, you need to plug a footswitch before the effects can work.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68: Design
Now, we will take a look at Fender Deluxe Reverb 68. In contrast to Fender Deluxe Reverb 65, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 aims to revive the spirit of the Fender Silverface amps by combining it with some modern tweaks. So, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 is not exactly a recreation of the original models.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 has a vintage look. The front panel is colored in silver and turquoise, and there are narrow black lines that separate the control groups. It features a drip-edge aluminum grille cloth trim, on which you can find a tailed Fender logo badge.
Despite the classic appearance, you will find a typical modern set-up in the inside. There is a PCB build whose layout is more-or-less similar to that of Fender Deluxe Reverb 65. However, there are notable differences. Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 use Schumacher transformers with different shapes, and there are also some other minor tweaks in the electronics.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68: Features
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 offers a custom channel that can access the global effects, along with a new voicing which is said to be more pedal-friendly. Instead of a vibrato channel, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 has a “vintage” channel that has a more traditional voicing.
This particular guitar amp model is designed to break up earlier than its sibling, Deluxe Reverb 65. So, don’t be surprised that Deluxe Reverb 68 can’t be pushed as much, though it still has decent power and headroom. This model is also said to have reduced negative feedback, which will allow greater touch sensitivity.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 originally uses a light-dependent resistor which contains cadmium sulfide. However, this material is restricted in some countries, such as those that adhere to the EU RoHS legislation. In order to ship Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 to such countries, the company has developed an alternative design.
The alternative design uses additional analogue components that are placed on a sub-PCB to do the job of the photocell arrangement. Some people complain that the alternative design may bring undesired noise into the circuit. However, there is no such problem when Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 vs 68 is tested. The sound remains clear and lush.
The original models in the Silverface era used a wide range of speakers from different brands, such as JBL, Oxford, and Utah. However, none of them ever used a Celestion speaker. So, it is quite intriguing that Fender has paired Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 with a Celestion G12V-70 speaker. Again, this reminds us that Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 is not a total recreation of the Silverface amps.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68: Sounds
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 feels very flexible to use. The ability to use tremolo and reverb on both channels has greatly increased the versatility of the unit. This makes the all-time classic gigging and recording amp a lot more practical than ever before.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 doesn’t have a bright cap. Many people who buy vintage models tend to cut the bright caps off the volume pots, so the company has decided not to include a bright cap in the first place. As the effect, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 is pedal-friendly right out of the box.
The vintage side of Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 has less brightness and less headroom than Fender Deluxe Reverb 65’s vibrato channel. So, this amp may be not sufficient in certain situations. That said, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 still has a sweet spot in the moderate volume range between 4.5 and 6, depending on the guitar that you use. In that range, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 can deliver a wonderful sound with clean dynamics, suitable for all kinds of rock, blues, and classic pop applications.
Meanwhile, the custom channel is notably more gritty than Fender Deluxe Reverb 65′ normal channel. It has a Tweed-like character. If you fully max the level, you can hear a Neil Young vibe that is flabby, compressed, and ugly-yet-pleasing.
Nevertheless, the on-board reverb and tremolo effects are good. They have classic sounds that will somehow push you to play your guitar in a particular way. Due to this unique characteristic, it is fair to say that Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 is not just a tool to amplify your guitar sound; instead, the amp is also a musical instrument that can influence your performance. While not all people like that, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 is great for certain applications.
Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 vs 68
| Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 | Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Offer | click here | click here |
| Key features | - 22 watts of pure, clean power compresses and overdrives so sweetly when cranked up! - One 12” 8-ohm Jensen C-12K speakers offer incredible clarity and note separation. - All-tube Fender reverb and vibrato offers spacial ambience and a legendary array of tones. | - The addition of reverb and tremolo to both channels give this amplifier a vintage vibe with a modern twist - The Bassman tone stack on the "custom" channel gives modern players greater tonal flexibility with pedals - Greater touch sensitivity by way of quicker gain onset and reduced negative feedback |
Conclusion
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In general, Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 is more recommended. It has more power and more headroom. It is great for a wide range of applications, including gigs and pubs. On the other hand, Fender Deluxe Reverb 68 is quite flexible and practical to use, but can’t be pushed up as much.