jmac said:
I'm looking into buying a Fender DeVille 2x12 60 Watts, tubes.
My band isn't very loud, so I'd like to know if the guy's comments are valid.
What are your thoughts? I may be buying an amp by thursday, so I'm a little anxious about making the right purchase.
I wouldn't buy it if I were you.....
My drummer is pretty loud, and I'm not exactly known for playing ultra-quiet, and I don't like those amps because they're just too loud. I'm used to twin 6L6 amps with 10's (I have a 2X10, 3X10, and 4X10), and the promotor-provided Deville's I've played occasionally when circumstances kept me from taking my own amp were cleaner, louder, and "stiffer-feeling" than my own amps.
Also, the overdrive channel is pretty useless unless you like full-on buzzsaw grind, and isn't exactly voiced for bright single coil pickups, the IC driven (instead of tube-driven) reverb is weak and undynamic and tends to dissappear in the band mix, ànd the Deville series isn't exactly known for reliability, great design or serviceability, and I'm being mild saying that. I think the main succes of those amps is that they look kind of like a bassman or tweed twin, have the Fender badge, are cheap for a tube amp, and seem like a great deal on paper.
I think you'd be much better off with a 65 Deluxe reverb reissue and a nice overdrive pedal, or even a Blues Junior amp if you're not a loud player at all.
Don't be put off by the Deluxe Reverb's 22 Watts - the reissues are plenty loud, have that classic blackface Fender amp tone, great classic Fender reverb and tremolo, and they're a whole lot easier to shlep around than the big and heavy 2X12 Deville.
I'd shop around a little more, read up all you can on the www, and try before you buy - but I wouldn't recommend the Devilles or even Blues Deluxes, I just don't like those amps at all.