Guys you just dont get it this guy is showing us a very valuable tip that the guitar tones and volume are not glued on 10

This guy knows what he's talking about. Worth watching.

Yep, in agreement with the other posts. Best Blues Deluxe demo/review on KZfaq yet.I've had mine for just under 10 years and have always had a hard time describing the sound profile. You nailed it man.

man, this is seriously a convincing demo! talented playing and great tone! this is going to be my next amp thanks to this demo. thanks a bunch!

Thanks so much for your release Scott!! This is the best Blues Deluxe demo in KZfaq ever! Thanks mate 🙏!!

one of the most informative amp demos i've seen - not the canned big box retailer "read-the-specs from the mfg" demo - thanks very much - hope to see more like this from you.

I got my well used Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue today, and I love it. I have no issues at all with the tone. I simply turned off the bright switch and turned the treble to 5. It's loud as hell and the clean channel is all I want from it. I use a Boss ME-50 in front of it and the tones are absolutely glorious, much like with my 1972 Princeton. Just as sweet, but now with window shaking balls.

picked one up today, your review really helped me make the choice. I compared it to a fender deluxe reverb, a fender hot rod deville, and a vox ac30c2. This one was by far the best in terms of clean tone. It was very warm and was definitely the best choice

Good demo. Appreciate the insight on what you think sounds best. Most demos just run over what the knobs do. Good to hear from someone who actually uses the amp.

Glad to hear it - the reverb is actually pretty good on these amps. I definitely prefer the real spring reverb to a pedal/effects-based reverb. Mine has the footswitch but I've never plugged it in - I don't think that I've switched channels whilst playing the same song in over 20 years! (Usually if I'm going to switch from "clean" to "lead" channel, it is between songs).

This guy could’ve been one of the biggest guitar gear reviewers on KZfaq had he stuck with it. I remember watching this over 10 years ago and thinking how great he was on camera.

The best review I have ever seen so far

Best review and demo of this amp I've seen. Thanks for the tip about the tone settings on strats.

I was rehearsing in the studio with my band last week, and before i went in one of the amps broke down, I happened to know the owner of the studio and he rolled out this amp into the studio for me to use...... HEAVEN~~~~~~~~

Great video Scott! Very helpful. You’re very easy to listen to. You had me engaged from the start. I’ll be returning for more videos in the future!

Nice video and great explanations...I have the same amp (reissue) and totally agree with you on adjusting the tone/volume settings on the guitar to find the sweet spot of this amp. You're spot on when you said if you were at a store and tried this with a quality guitar without adjusting it, you'd move on to another amp to try. The trick for me is, let it warm up for a bit, along with my fingers, and once the tubes are cooking good, everything just falls into place where the sweet buttery tone really comes out.

Scott, had found myself breaking into a smile and really enjoying the video once you got into the play portion. The beginning was a bit longer than maybe necessary, but all in all, I really enjoy what you presented and the enthusiasm and some of the punctuation in placed in your description on tone. Thank you very much for the video. Take care.

Great review...great amp that sounds beautiful. I picked up a used one at a local GC for $499+tax recently. The amp is practically brand new with all of its labels/tags/protective stickers still on it. Basically, I couldn't pass it up. One question I have, and I don't even know how to describe it, is that I can smell the 6L6's "cooking" away, and they do glow pretty good (which I've seen on most other tube amps when pushed). It's nothing too crazy, but the smell is noticeable that I haven't really noticed with other tube amps I have. Has anyone else noticed this? I plan on opening it up soon and checking the PCB for any potential dark/burn marks and see where the bias settings are at...overall though, great review and you're spot on with the volume and tone settings....that too me is the art of playing. jj

This is probably the best amp demo video I've seen. Nice job!

Thanks for the comments. I didn't know that you could basically rebias this amp - interesting. I'm getting ready to do a series of "How to Make Your Blues Deluxe Reissue Sound Better". I'll have to mention that - that would certainly add to the versatility of the amp.

dude nice! these demos are pretty cool man thanks for posting them i enjoyed it. I really like the tube screamer with fender amps like your twin. its really hard to beat cause the sound is so blues that you cant go wrong. thanks

Just as an FYI for anyone shopping a used one- I bought mine used off Craigslist for $425. I would agree this isn't going to make an ideal heavy metal amp- but one of the bands I'm playing in right now plays heavier, Sabbath-inspired riffs, and I'm able to get those sorts of tones with a distortion pedal and by playing through an external cab (4x12 in my case). The cab really thickens up the tone. When I first demoed this amp (with just my Tele and a cable)- I loved the clean tone and the reverb and really liked the "classic" distortion sound- my only real concern was that it didn't seem to have a ton of low-end. However, I've come to realize that the tone of this amp, which may seem a bit "tinny" when I'm just playing on my own, actually sits perfectly in the mix EQ-wise when I'm jamming with bass and drums- and really cuts through. Amps that really boost the low-end can start to sound muddy to me as they compete for more and more frequencies with the bass guitar. This amp stays out of the way of the bass and doesn't muddy things up where it doesn't need to be anyway. Also, this amp sounds a lot better turned up a bit from where he's got it in this demo.

You bought a £750 Fender valve amp, as a PRACTISE amp!? You, good sir, are a real man!

thanks for the great insight and great playing too . I had a twin as well, sold it cause it was breaking my crown jewels , now playing a Hot rod deluxe for over ten years it does the job .

I like to hear this guys comments. He seems very professional and knowledgable. We could all learn a little something from a seasoned, and gigging musician.

Playing with the tone knob at 10 and wondering why it's trebley?

Thanks Scott, was thinking of getting one of these and hey presto, just ordered it!! Nice playing too buddy.

@hendrixexperiencedig Thanks for the kind words :) Tubes can cost anywhere from $40-$400 - it all depends on what sound you want. Think of changing tubes kind of like changing computer monitors - you can get bigger sounding, more colorful, etc. JJ Tubes are a solid, dependable brand that is low cost.

great playing, great review and u are such a fun guy! I wish all the reviews of musical instruments and equipment were like this

Thanks for probably one of the most in-depth reviews on the net for the Blues Deluxe Reissue. Also thanks for using a "high-end" guitar. It becomes difficult to determine the quality of the amp if you demo the amp using lower end guitar if things sound muddled or poor. Thanks for the post.

Glad you liked it! As for how I adjust it, I don't know that I have a "system" I just sort of keep tweaking until I dial in the tone that I want. Funny story: my 5 year old played with the knobs one day to "play a trick on Daddy." He dialed the treble/mids to 5 and the bass to 8. It sounded *awesome* - I loved it! And I didn't need to use the tone controls on my guitar. When I moved it to a new room, I couldn't reproduce that same tone and I went back to the tone controls on the guitar

Played my new amp again last night at rehearsal. This time we placed it behind the drums, tilted it up a bit, used a Rat Distortion, clean channel, tone knobs all on 5. The results.... everyone in the band was blown away. AC/DC, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Hendrix and even Lynard Skynard...it was pure tonal bliss. Even my picky bass player said, "Wow, you've really improved. You sounded incredible." and he had the amp pointed right at him all night. It wasn't me that improved. It was the amp!

Great Demo! It's nice to see a quality demo video when shopping around for gear! Keep up the good work, and lets see some more demos!

Thanks for the comments - glad you liked :) I don't have one with the tube screamer but I will get one. I have 2 or 3 of them with different mods - I just need to sit down and demo! Love my TSs :)

Great review my Deluxe is coming in a couple of days. My 75th Commemorative telecaster is waiting patiently with my tube screamer ❤️ new subscriber✊

@ScottWhigham A slight problem with the amp. After a few weeks of use I'm getting a little rattle. Sounds like something is loose. I will try to resolve tomorrow. Wish me luck. It seems that I'm not the only one. But a little tightening of either a board or the actual tubes will help. I still love the sound, it is a fantastic amp.

Great review! Nice to hear someone who shows what the viewer/listener/musician wants! I'm looking to get one myself and gladly you're positively encouraging me xD

Thank's for the Vid. I have one and did'nt like the sound but then learnex that by lowering the bias on the trim pot and replacing the speaker with an Alnico Jensen made it sound much more like a Fender amp should.

MXR 10 band EQ. I have a room full of amps/heads including the Blues Deluxe. With the eq you can set the amp up fr a specific guitar or single coil and the eq for another. Hit the switch and bam. You got your wanted tone.As a bonus it also has volume and gain so it can be used as a od or a clean boost for solos. I have 3 or them. I run my B deluxe into a 2x12 cab with Celestion Golds. No break up at all and also run a DR Z brake lite. The B deluxe is a loud sucker and I can now get good breakup at bedroom levels. Also, running clean through a cab. I do not even use the od channel but instead opt for pedals. YES you can play VH and hard rock with pedals.Sound great with a old RAT or any OD. Just bypass the internal speaker.

Thanks! I like mine a lot. Thanks for commenting!

Great vid Scott, very good info, I did a vid of my B.D. right after I got it(so that the prior owner could hear it)but w/a cheap cam, the audio was poor. I have 2 other amps I gig with but the B.D. has done a great job when I needed it. Great Chops Bro! Keep Rockin!!

Wow I’m glad I found this video. I hated the way my strat sounded on my blues deluxe. I always just resorted to using a telecaster on this which I preferred. But now I’m going to take this advice

I bought my FBDR based on this video. Mine was also very ice picky as well when I first got it, but an attenuater changed all that. Now it sounds like 1958 Deluxe. No kidding.

I love you man.. just love you. Love your enthusiasm, your playing and such a great amp review. Great!

Everyone wants to change out the speaker. I own a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue and I play a USA Fender Telecaster HS through it. Turn the knobs on the amp. Turn the knobs on the guitar, before running out and changing the speaker. The thing was engineered in USA and built in Mexico by people who know what they are doing.

I liked the "tinny" sound

Very good video ! I love the clean tone in the guitar ! No compressor , distortion, overdrive and others ! I like Delay and Reverb effects ! Thank,'s Scott !

@leavittobeaver Which problem? It's been a while since I recorded the video but I don't remember having any problems with the amp.

I just ordered a brand new one, I don't want to have to repair or replace tubes or speakers. I tend to take care of my stuff and with a tube amp, I just wanted a new one. But anyway, I loved your enthusiasum about this amp. I've gone into a guitar center and played this one a dozen times before I bought this one and every time I loved the sound of this amp. Thanks for the review.

Very super pro demo job on this amp....now I know there's a reason for the tone knob...after 63 years.

I love your playing man, and your review and opinions are pretty understandable, but it would have been amazing to have a clip towards the end of the review where you just jammed for a couple minutes on the amp!

Try the following amp settings: Bass and treble at 12'o clock, put the mids up to about 3'o clock. Gain and master: I always put the gain down to 0 and the master full (power tubes), then I start to bring the gain in slowly and I actually use the gain knob (pre-amp tubes) as a "main" volume. This way the power tubes makes it sound thick and warm. Try putting a tube screamer over it....

This was great! I adore the SRV and John Mayer kinda sound, so I've ruled out a Fender amp over a VOX for the warmer sound. I don't know which amp to go for, but the Blues Deluxe looks and sounds sweet!

This amp sounds much much better when you really push it. Turn it up to at least 6 to get the tubes hot and the drives really get grittier. The normal channel turned up with the bright switch on and the bass up to 10 & high & mid about halfway with a tube screamer will really give you a great modern clapton tone with all the control at the guitar knobs. The volume control alone will run you from relatively clean to super sustaining drive. I fucking love this amp.

Great demo. Sums it all up well. Keep talking! Talk needed to explain the best ways to bring the most out of a classic amp.

I have a 93 Fender Blues Deville in the UK modded slightly from a reputable LA supplier which tidies up the wiring and input sockets etc. Nobody I meet says anything other than it is a great amp, takes pedals well and it likes Strats and Teles. Looks very tatty but what a vibe And it is also great at any volume. Also try plugging a Big Muff start in the Return socket - bliss!!

Sure - it's going to be a week or so before I start. The focus is going to be about how to make little tweaks to the amp that do not push costs into the $1000-range. I plan on talking and demoing things like (a) how the various tube manufacturers are so different (Tung-Sol vs. Groove Tubes, for example), (b) how swapping out the stock speaker to something more robust can make a massive difference, (c) how to make it get clean tones even when you dial the clean channel up to 6 or 7, etc.

@Life4Guitar Thanks for the kind words :) Glad you like yours. The drive channel - well, I never really used it that much either. I prefered pedals (no surprise: I *am* a guitar player)!

Interesting note - Jeff Beck currently uses Fender Pro Junior as a stage amp. He used it in Madison Square Garden. So, 15 watts seems enough if used properly let alone 40 watts.

Thank you, love your playing, wish I could find a teacher who played like you!

Thanks for the tips, I have played one before briefly and loved it, I am going in this week to bang on one with my strat and les paul and then decide whether to take it home or not...but I am already 80% sold....good review bro!

Talky McTalky starts playing at 4:30

This morning i saw a second hand telecaster deluxe with a fender blues Deluxe 40watts sold as a pair for €1250. Salling them because there not beïng used. Wow it realy sounds good, great demo.

guitars have tone knobs for a reason. why do people have issues using their guitar's controls? So many extra tones are available and you can roll back the tone and keep the treble up on the amp for when you do want the tinny ice pick country sound. The volume is very useful as well and many overdrive pedals have their sweet spot with the guitar volume backed off a tad. I know guys who have gotten rid of gear because they didn't want to have to deal with adjusting their guitar controls. It's silly. Some guys even change out their pots instead of backing them off a bit so they get that backed off tone from a lower value pot on 10. Seems like OCD to me.

hi scott absolutely great review and playing i own this amp and its great for the price bought mine used as well . its nice to hear other peoples reasons for buying their equipment may bring up some points to potential buyers that they otherwise may not have thought of.

Love my Blues Deluxe Reissue. The amp is plenty loud enough at 40 watts for anything I do. In fact, it's even a little too loud. I play with a 20 person jazz band and set the volume around 1.75 or 2. My strat sounds great through it but I really love the tone I get from my PRS. I run the EQ flat mostly and it gives me this huge round sound. The distortion isn't great but I run a Fulltone OCD with it anyway. If you get it, try running a distortion pedal with the amps distortion. You will get a real nice sound.

Great comments - thanks!

Im 11 years late with this but thanks heaps for this vid and nice playing too!

@ScottWhigham that's fine, i had the master on about 3 and drive up on 12 but just got loud and not that dirty. i shall continue to explore, and if not get a tube screamer as that seems to get the sound i want.

It sounds great,thanks for really detailed demonstration,it sounds really good for funk sounds too!

Hi Scott, I have much the same direction as you only difference in being a Telecaster guy more than a Start, love the Tele twang! Your review is both enjoyable and informative, thanks. Do you prefer the TS9 or the TS808?

You're welcome :) Thanks for the nice comment!

that's how a practical demo video looks like... congrats Scott.

I have a 66 Twin and a Blues Deluxe. I use mostly a 61 Strat. I find my Twin has more mids. I bought Deluxe for the same reasons as you. The Deville is too bright for me. I recently bought a Mesa Boogie DC 5 for $500. Its now my main small club amp. Blows Deluxe away. My Twin is for bigger shows and recording now.

@ScottWhigham Of course I wasn't suggesting that he used a Pro Junior alone, it was miked with a Sennheiser e906 going through an enormously powerful PA. I was only saying that lower wattage amps have the ability to produce as good a sound as their dinosaur brothers, and can be used not only for smaller gigs and venues but for big concerts as well. Of course if you don't have a nice PA, in my experience 15 watt is rarely loud enough, it usually depends on how big and loud the crowd is :)

@Akastunzz That's very kind of you to say - thank you :) I love so many folks - Anson Funderburgh, John Scofield, Johnny Winter, and Charlie Hunter come to mind!

Great review. Thanks. Would love to see more gear reviews.

Thanks for the comments - glad you liked it :)

Thanks :) It is a really nice amp to my ears - especially for the price! Pair it with a Tube Screamer and you get some great, classic sounds.

Your absolutely right about having to "massage" this thing. It really doesn't have much just on it's own. I gave up on it and got a Deluxe Reverb and it has cured all my ails. I could plug the deluxe Reverb in and at whatever tone settings I had gave me favorable results. The Blues deluxe also had brittle, ear peircing treble. But I play a tele to so that contributed, but have had no problems with that on the Deluxe Reverb. Good demo.

The playing was worth waiting for!

@andycwelch87 Oooooh - hmmmmm... I don't know. Probably had the dirt on 6 or 7. It's been awhile since I recorded this. I'm usually pretty good about telling what my settings are though so maybe it's in the vid? Dunno though :(

"I like that classic Fender look, it just looks so classy"

Hi Scott, great review! Very clear and complete. You gave me some good ideas.Five stars.

@fitipaldi90 Thanks for the kind words :) There's no way to know which is "better" for you without playing through both. Both are amazing amps IMO - you can't go "wrong" with either. I'd probably pick the Blues Deluxe if I made the decision on Sunday-Weds or, if it was Thurs-Saturday, I'd go with the Hot Rod :) (All joking aside, they aren't massively different sounding - both are great amps)

I recently compared this and the hot rod deville iv. There was absaloutley no competition, the blues deluxe (for me) blew it out of the park! Couldnt have sounded warmer, more open (like it was breathin) whereas the hrd was very tight and thick. I really love the amp and slightly disagree with the vid, however its about personal preference so you do u man! Grrat playin!! 😁

sweet man that sounds great. i just bought the blues deluxe reissue and with a tube screamer this thing really cooks.

Hey good job, is the best amp review i have ever seen. I need to make you some questions... I have a maxon od 808 (like TS 808) and a mexican strat, I play blues and rock/hard rock do you think that this amp is for me? or you prefer hot rod deluxe? do you think that with a TS it will still sounding thiny? Scuse my bad english hahaha

Excellent demo! Really informative! Kudos from Spain!

@VlastaStevanovich By the way. It doesn't matter what Jeff plays through. He is a great guitar player. That's all that matters.

Would have been nice to hear the tube screamer with the clean channel.

Very nice review and USEFUL!! Thanx a lot! I used to have this amp 5 years ago and now I just bought it again yesterday (new). I agree with every word you say. I'd like to add that it's hard to use drive and clean channel with the same settings. At higher volumes, I prefer to use a Diablo for the rocksounds to get a nice warm overdrive or really dirty rock sounds, depending on pickup selection. I think, nothing can beat that combination: Blues Deluxe + Okko Diablo. Thanx for your video, Scott!

Thanks a lot, that's what I call a review. The thing i don't get is if there's any difference, except for the more drive channel, between this amp and the hot rod deluxe

@RavianArp Yeah, hehe - 40W is LOUD, isn't it?! Have you tried the Blues, Jr? It's only 15W and has a greattttt tone to my ears. Which attenuator did you go with?

I found with my USA Strat I do a LOT with the tone knobs, regardless of the amp. As a kid with Charvel-type guitars, I always thought, "what is the point of a tone knob? it's either up, or it's mud". Strat is a different beast - virtually unlimited sounds. Great overview.

Been playing strats and jr's all my life, I knew this all my life.

@CaptainErn I know it has the effects loop but I can't remember where it is placed. I don't really use reverb much so I don't think I would've looked it up.

@CaptainErn The loop is between the preamp and the reverb. I wouldn't suggest distortion in the loop, though. Distortion and overdrive pedals tend to be more effective when you put then in front of a preamp. But, there really aren't any 'rules' so if it sounds good to you in the loop, then it is good. :-)

Owned many tube amps (Oranges, Nearly every Fender model, Marshall’s, even a high end Dumble ODS Clone)... got BDRI in a trade thinking I would flip it... it is Awesome... currently in a Mayer phase and this nails that tone probably better than any amp I own. Who knew?

G'day mate, your review was really helpful thanks! Do you know if this amp handles fuzz pedals very well, in particular a fuzz face. Also do you think it is too loud for just a bedroom amp? Would i be better looking at a blues junior? Thanks again