1974 Fender Deluxe Reverb Restoration, Part 2: Completion and Testing 

Rusty is quite pleased that you noticed his great contributions to our videos. He is a wonderful dog, nearly 16 years old, and he still chases the tennis ball for as long as you are willing to throw it. He also has a cat-sister, but she prefers to sleep on the couch in between meals and is far too lazy to chase anything, let alone a nasty old tennis ball. It's a lot like having a teenager around the house.......again.

Thanks, CD. I do occasionally sell one....or two, generally just to make room for new ones. If I ever croak, my wife will probably have a garage sale and sell them all for $10 apiece (she doesn't share my enthusiasm for old amps), so keep an eye on the obituary page...:)))

I still love your guitar playing sir and great job on this wonderful Fender Amp.!

I have a 74 identical to yours I use it for all my gigs.I absolutely love this amp.

I picked up one of these at an auction for $90. It has become my go to amp.

Thanks, BT. After the chassis tune up, the reverb and tremolo are both really stout.....and, as a wise man once said, "You can never have too much reverb". :)))

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2019....i found a deluxe reverb for 150$....it makes sound and has the pedal...i was lost with it until i remembered you and your efforts....i have much more confidence having watched your videos. i wish i could explain how much it meant to me to watch and listen to your work on that 74 silverface. i really ain't much on electronic know how... but when the box functioned at all and with the trem and reverb working,,,,i knew i had got lucky....it has the stock pedal,,,,,the blind squirrel finds a nut again............i'm 67 and don't try to contact anyone on youtube,,,,,,,,but if you could spare a minute or two to tell me anything about this fender amp i have,,,,you will save me hours of self instruction and fact finding before i turn it over to anyone who professes to have correct knowledge and experience. do you get new notices are is this message just ina line from 6 years ago? i promise to not grieve you with dumb questions,,,i am looking for a few heads up when i do get into this amp,,,in a couple of days........ i hope i didn't bore you and i need some one looking over my shoulder on this thing........i think it might be my best acquisition of my life,,,,,please uncle doug,,,,,i want to do this right,,,,,,,,,i need your help.......

Watching your channel is like taking a stroll through the 60's. Groovy Daddy "O", Great example of that amp.

You always do such a nice job of bringing life back into vintage amps on this channel. The world needs more techs like yourself.

I have no experience with Marshall amps, Frank, but I'll take your word for it. The GZ34 really is a great upgrade for these 5U4 amps.....I hope more people find out about this. However, they do need to re-check the bias due to the increased plate voltages resulting from the more efficient GZ34. Thanks for posting !!

Greetings, AR. I don't work on solid state amps, but I understand that the L5 is a real gem. Any amp preferred by BB King and Ty Tabor (check out "Over my Head" by King's X) has got to be good !!! The guitar I use in the workshop is a 1979 Matsumoku Vantage Performer VS-695 (it is pictured in the opening of the recent "Shock Hazards" video) with MMK-45 pickups. I rescued it from a pawn shop in lousy condition several years ago, and like a stray dog.....it ended up being a great "pet".

Yup! It’s that sound.

I love your videos. Thank you for sharing the experience and joy of "amp archaeology" with the world! :)

That's a great compliment.....thanks, JZ.

Very nice UD. That Jenson turned out to be a gem! I bought a pair of Jenson bookshelf speakers from Sears in the early 90's and I am listening to your vids through them and a Sansui amp my late father had that I fixed myself. I was learning as I fixed it. SDK 4(something)...465? power amp and two weeks later the rectifier. It sounds great! It is such an awesome feeling to fix something electronic ones self. I look forward to watching all your vids. God Bless You UD.

I love the Blues Jr. and have owned several. The Reverb is great, it's all-tube (increasingly rare with modern "tube" amps), 12" speaker, and the EL-84's are similar to 6V6's. The tweed adds about $70 to the price. I would hunt down a good, used one and save a bunch. The Blues Deluxe is a whole different beast.....bigger, heavier, louder (40W), and almost $800. I had one and couldn't use it at home at any volume level greater than 1 1/2 without the risk of divorce. For home use, I prefer the Jr.

You're making me miss my old 72 Deluxe something awful. Oh why did I ever trade it off. That sound takes me home. Les

That reverb sounds great! The new reverb tanks have a really long decay and you can't get them over 2.5 before everything gets swamped.

Beautiful. I love the fender reverb sound

WOW, the Reverb sounds Massive!

Nice work! I could listen to you all day. Thanks!

You're welcome, Daniel. Thanks for watching !!!

Thanks Uncle Doug, I love watching you do your thing! I'm not a tech but you got me heating up the soldering iron...Ha!

You're welcome, Dan. Thanks for watching.

Thanks, SS. It actually was pictured in the opening of the "Shock Hazards" video I posted recently. See the response to AR (above) for details. It's an inexpensive guitar (the harsh workshop environment is too risky for expensive guitars) but has the hottest, nastiest pickups in this sector of the universe. It came from a pawn shop in rough shape, but, with a lot of work (I also work on guitars), it turned into a real gem.

Really like your show I've learned a lot by accident.

Being "stuck" in the Virgin Islands must be a real "nightmare" :)) I went scuba diving in the BVI many years ago and it is a magnificent place.....you lucky devil!! Re the drilling of a stainless steel chassis, it is indeed one of life's greatest miseries.....somewhere between tax audits and root canals.....but the wiring is so much fun that it (almost) makes up for it. I'll keep an eye out for a silverface PR, and if I find one, maybe I can deliver it personally :))

very nice job Doug.! thx. for sharing so much info. that you've managed to acquire over time. why don't we all do this . many continued blessing for all the family!

Dear Uncle Doug. I’ve watched a lot of your videos, and you’ve impressed me with your tolex, amp projects and etc. a lot of guys will benefit from you. Well done, Uncle Doug. From a man that appreciates your safety and warnings. Btw, I’ve been a Marshall technician since 1978. And I’m still at it, including shocks….🤣👍🇮🇪 regards, from Ireland

Thanks for this series Uncle Doug, it gave me confidence to get inside my 1977 Twin Reverb and start learning more. I've given it a good cleaning, replaced a speaker, and replaced the filter capacitors so far (the ones in it had 1977 date codes on them and tested very poorly). I also loved the quip about the white paint. No joke, mine had white paint drips on the tolex when I got it. It must be some unwritten law or something.

Great video, classic amp!

nice patina on the metal parts, great tone also

Such a professional. Really great to watch your videos, Uncle Doug and Rusty!

Hey Uncle. Send that old amp up here to Longview and let me test it out for a few years. Ill get it back to you some day. I loved this one. What a nice find. When you send the amp send your old guitar too.

Great and helpful video. I too am finding bargains on old guitars and amps that often require many hours to restore to original condition (or as close as possible). It amazes me how many people neglect these "works of art" (in my mind anyway). My latest find was an all original 1978 Musicmaster Bass Amp (for less than $100). My biggest issue is becoming attached to these things after fixing them up when I really should be selling them to fund more finds...lol Gotta admit..finding the deal is 1/2 the fun and so many interesting people and stories behind each item I find. Love the videos.

My crazy old cat sleeps all day and then, just as we are going to bed, she starts tearing around the house like a lunatic......again, much like a teenager :))

Rusty says, "Back at ya, Ben". I tend to believe they are are more like 6L6's than 6V6's.....they literally pegged my tube tester. I'm actually glad of this, since 450V would probably be a bit harsh on a vintage 6V6. The volume and tone are excellent too !!! :)

My '73 Super Reverb is in similar shape as this Deluxe. When I got it, it had been black faced and had a GZ34 in it. The tech I took it too changed some things in the PI that had the result of making the bass much tighter which was great. I still thought it sounded a bit sterile though but then I decided to change the rectifier back to 5U4GB and rebias the tubes. I did not expect it to change the sound so much but it sounded heaps better. Now it is fat, warm and amazing. Best amp I have ever owned.

You're right, I forgot about the Kustom amp being solid state (and requiring a lot of work). If an ailing L5 showed up at the workshop door, I would try to repair it.....out of respect for BB :) You're also right about the inadequacies of my tiny little camera microphone and the alterations associated with uploading to YT. I can tell you that the sound you hear on the videos is often quite different from what you would hear "live". I always try to verbally describe the "live" sound accurately.

Thanks, Frank. It did turn out to be a very nice amp with minimal repairs.....more like an automotive 'tune up'. Good luck with your DR repair job. Which rectifier does it use? 5U4 or GZ34? I'm a firm believer in the GZ34.....it draws 1.1A less filament voltage, provides slow start up, with a little extra plate voltage (what a deal !), and thus might reduce the load/heat in the new PT. A re-bias is generally advisable to compensate for the increased PV.....but you probably already know this ;))

Your videos are so helpful! You're my best amplifier friend.

Looks and sounds really nice!!

Thanks so much, F86. I wish you did live in my neighborhood....at least then, ONE of my neighbors wouldn't be giving me the "evil eye" over all the "noise" coming from my workshop...:)

I will....thanks, Ben.

beautiful Amp! I have a 74 Champ silver face, wish I had the Deluxe Reverb. Very nice!

lol, Im stuck down here in the virgin islands.. no tube amps to be had so I built a 65 Princeton Reverb clone from a weber kit. Really hated drilling their stainless steel chassis. Came out pretty good but if you ever hear of a reasonable priced silverface PR .. give me a shout!

Very nice sound, great repair. Keep those video's coming.

That amp is the same vintage as me love it!

Thanks for the video Doug..love the reveals and teasers, fixing along with you! All the best to you and Rusty.

I have not tested a Greta, but they have a decent rating on Musician's Friend. Cost: $160, Power: 2W, Speaker: 4", Tubes: 12AX7 and 12AT7. For a little more money ($299), I would prefer the Fender Excelsior which has 13W and a 15" speaker, push-pull 6V6's, two 12AX7's, and a nice Tremolo. I have heard an Excelsior and was very impressed. I have no idea how they can produce this amp for such a low price (China). You need to check one out before buying a Greta to see which one suits you better.

A friend of mine just sent one of these over to me to repair. I think it's the same year, just a little younger A41489, same chassis style. He bought it new. It was reported to be "cutting out". Well, the rectifier was really loose and after inspecting it I discovered the plastic alignment peg on the bottom of the tube had a crack. Also, cleaned all the pots, sockets and tightened the larger sockets. This also had some rust on the nuts to all the input jacks. All the original capacitors were paper type in the doghouse, he wants to use it regularly so I should replace them. The inside was pristine, shows evidence that it was untouched by human hands since the time it was built - and the original owner attested to that.

Great video, Uncle Doug!

wonderful, great job

As a reverb hog myself I really needed that 10😊

I appreciate the insight. I've tested the vibrato connection as you suggested. I am 90% certain it is the caps.

Instant replay of the seventies, Doug, ( all our yesterdays).......magic...............Les.

nice repair very nice amp thanks

very nice amp ....and speaker!

thanks for part 2. it was a prato for effort

What a find unc, Rusty picked a winner.She's one of your best looking & sounding I think.And it shows by the confidence in your inspired playing (or was that Rusty).Reminds me of the Twin I had to put up for adoption about 25 years ago.Like you I've got plenty of other loved ones to take care of in between repairs and builds.Hey, love the cleanup, was that Jacks task.

Doug, The wires with the helical wrap of white wire can be seen in your amp right behind the pots in the dash panel. I was about to ask hat the deal with this is, since this is by far not the first time seeing it, but now we might get a definitive answer. Always figured it was to shield EMF, but?... You sure lucked into a nice amp here, and since you have been so generous with your electeonics information, here is a vinyl restoration tip. Instead of Armor All, give a try with some 303 Aerospace Protectant. It is a water based acrylic, UV protectant, leaves the vinyl (plastic, leather, etc.) clean and rich looking without any greasy film or glossy appearance. It also will not react unfavorably with some plastics or rubbers, and cause cracking or discoloration. Been using it on the car for many years and love it! Um, is there a mismatched tuning circuit in that amp? That guitar sounds a bit out of tune, dontcha know! Thanks again U.D., and thank Rusty for the excellent directorial skills.

Thanks, JF !!

Many thanks for this great video.

I just wanted to let you know I replaced the nationals that I asked about with gts that are almost the same as in this video. I tell ya I have a 1974 Gibson sg I have never heard a better clean or warmer tone from the amp or guitar before.i did find out that the groove tubes are from fender it says fender musical instruments on the box. Have a good day and make all the videos you want i enjoy them very much

Great tip on the sideways chassis installation ... Speaker bell ain't bad!! By the way ... One reason, in my opinion, that Fender went with the silver face, was to make it easier to see on a dark stage, of which, I have made money on many ... Getting a lot of distortion for being that low on the volume dial. But the articulation, otherwise, is excellent, as a Deluxe Reverb should be. BTW: You can take the output from the reVERB tank and run it into the NORMAL channel with the proper cabling. That way you can roll off some bass and increase the treble, for better control and crispness.

Hi Uncle Doug, I recently finished watching your rebuild of the 1974 Deluxe Reverb... it turned into a nice little amp. After I watched both parts last night, I found a video from Gerald Weber of Kendrick Amps about "re-blackfacing" a silverface amp, in this case, a '68 Twin Reverb. It was instructive to see the changes Fender did to these amps after Leo left the company... and seeing just how fast Fender reacted to the complaints coming from their dealers. Now, I understand that the Deluxe Reverb wasn't changed at all when it was redone to silverface cosmetics (although I think the cabinet went from pine boards (complete with knots) to plywood, and the baffle went from plywood to particle board). However, Mr Weber did mention that he completely replaced the caps on the amp during this process... why I don't know (the cynic in me thinks it may have been to charge more for the conversion, while my more practical side thinks it may have been necessary from his point of view). After watching this video I next watched one from your friend at El Paso Tube Amps where he works on a 30 or so watt Fender amp head (the front plate was missing, but I believe it was a silverface Bandmaster. The 6L6 power tubes were unbalanced causing one to run at around 400 degrees, while the other was running at around 320 degrees. As you probably know, he tried to address anything he thought might causing the imbalance, including new tubes... nothing essentially changed (although it did improve when he replaced the defunct filter caps...). The next day, he remarked that someone had reminded him that the "bias adjustment pot" actually was a bias balancing pot (Mr Weber did rewire the one on the Twin he was working on to restore it as a bias adjustment pot, but that was to convert the amp back to blackface specs.) After all this I wonder about what the takeaway was from all this video madness (yes, I don't have a life...) I guess it was the fact that (1) nobody knows everything, and all of us can learn from other guys. (2) everyone has a different take on repairing old amps. One more thing... when you were demoing the Deluxe Reverb, I plugged into my 65 Reissue Deluxe Reverb and compared the two... at first I was surprised to hear that mine had much better bass response (both tone controls were at "5") than what I was hearing from your demo... until I looked at my computer "Sound system" which consists of two 2" teeny tiny speakers. I don't think that a pair of 2" teeny tiny speakers are all that good at reproducing bass frequencies... Adios amigo, and keep that camera rolling! (give Rusty a pat on the head for me...)

You mentioned cleaning the tube sockets, what do you use/recommend for cleaning the sockets?

"Wow, get out the surfboards" LOL.

Hi UD, I just read all the comments, below. But I didn't catch what you had to fix on the Reverb..... I saw the Tremolo needed 3 caps... Thanks!

Nice project. Thanks for making this video.

3 thumbs down??? freakin cats using internet and trying to hate on rusty methinks..... thanks doug for sharing. such a joy to learn about the amps that made the albums i grew up on.. cheers

A great video! I have this model amp. Nice to see the inside workings. What is your opinion on the use ability of the AC electrical outlet mounted on the back panel? I have never used it. Could I plug in an effects pedal? Thanks for the video postings!

Watching your videos on this and doing research as I just recently acquired a 1979 "pull-boost" Fender silverface deluxe reverb. It sounds pretty good but it has a steady low level hiss when off standby and it sorta increases (though it sounds like a different hiss) when the normal & vibrato channel volumes are turned up (no input signal plugged in). I did find that V1 preamp tube to be microphonic and replaced it as well as the reverb driver (12AT7) was introducing noise static (especially on the pull boost, because this boost is utilizing the reverb circuit) and replaced that as well, which has helped things abit because I was also getting occasional static noises with the hiss, and the static noises are gone but the hiss persists. I'm about to pull the chassis and inspect whats going on inside, though I was told the power and filter caps were replaced. I also found that the power tube sockets are quite loose and need retensioning, so maybe this is another source of this hiss? I'm suspecting at this point that its a combination of the dirty & loose tube sockets, ground solder connections, possibly issues relating to the plate & screen resistors and/or some of the bypass capacitors (if they haven't been replaced). This is my first real adventure into a vintage tube amp though I do have soldering experience with pedal building/modding (yeah its abit different). I've done the homework on working safely inside and amp and properly discharging the capacitors.

Hi thanks for the vids again.on the reverb tank should the screws be tight or a little snug cause I have a '83 peavey backstage plus and the screw are really loose.

Nice job

I have a 1974 Deluxe Reverb just like this one. Like yours, the tremolo on mine does not work. Although I have fixed all the other issues and it sounds amazing, I really want to tackle the tremolo issue. What type capacitors did you use to fix your tremolo problem?

Great sounding amp. One of the guys i played with had a twin. That thing must have weighed 80 pounds. You'r doing great work and i'm learning a little about how things work. Too bad your dog is a slacker.

BTW thanx for answering comments so diligently and also, the bluish grey Jensen magnet cover looked so cool even w/o being in matching black, don't you think? You could paint the basket to match the cover... uh huh, right... cheers

Been watching these for the past couple days. I have a Rivera era deluxe reverb ii with a very faint reverb output, I am trying to diagnose and fix this myself. Your videos are leading me to suspect a capacitor, as I have switched out the tubes.

I had one a long time ago !

Uncle Doug, a huge fan of your videos. I watch them all. I have a 76 Silverface Deluxe Reverb and when I got it, it had very similar issues as the one in your video here. The reverb tank had a broken wire and fixed that. I was going to get another "roach" to fix the vibrato but before I did that, I wanted to see if you would discribe what you did to the vibrato circuit in this video. My amp has terrible ticking in the vibrato and it's weak intermitantly. Thank!

Doug! that is a great find without being molested; Who ever worked on it prior to you did a good job overall, I have seen a lot worse where the installer did not have a clue about soldering, not to mention incorrect parts and poor wiring.

Hi Uncle Doug, you've got great videos. I've got 74' Deluxe Reverb Silverface. It's been serviced regularly. But lately I've got some noise (microphonic effect) coming out of the speaker every time I switch the reverb on and the noise increases as I add more reverb. Should I try to replace the reverb tube or it could be something else, that cause that noise? Appreciate it if you can help to resolve this. Thanks

Excellent

I will get the thing in the near future. 1 to 3 weeks it looks like. plan on using that amp to show me how to build more. to ensure the survival of the species. they say they are getting harder to come by. enjoy your weekend uncle doug

Awesome, thanks for the cool tips! What kind of glue did you use to put the paper tube chart back in place?

Great video Uncle Doug. Coincidentally, I have a very similar amp - it also appears to be a '74 which I bought used. It has had the filter caps replaced like yours but otherwise looks pretty original. One thing I noticed is that if I plug in the speaker to the "EXT" speaker jack only, the volume is very low compared with the normal speaker jack. I cleaned the jacks with contact cleaner and inspected it inside and it all appears to the eye to be in order. Solder joints look good. I looked at the schematic but do not understand the switch designations. It looks like the main speaker jack is switched as it has an extra contact. Do you have an idea why this low volume thing is happening? Hope you are well. Peace!

You do us all a great service with your vid's; very entertaining as well. Keep up the good works. Do have a video on the proper use of an oscilloscope in trouble shooting amps?

Great Video! its easy to remove the baffle screws? I want to install a JBL E110 in my vibrolux

Hey Uncle Doug, again a great video, cheers :-) I have exactly the same amp chassis on the bench, same year, pretty great shape, but unfortunately the original cabinet and speaker is missing (and this chassis was installed in a completely mismatched housing with two massive 80W-celestions...). I´d love to build a new housing for this amp, but I´m struggeling to find the original measurements for a proper SF-Deluxe cabinet! There´s loads of infos about the BF, you can also buy BF-cabinets at TAD or other suppliers here in Europe, but no infos about the SF! Do you have an idea, where to get the exact measurements of this beauty´s cabinet?? Or could you maybe measure yourself and send me the most important measurements, that are not self explaining (e.g. width of the chassis)?? that would be ace!!! I´m thinking of building it in my own style, out of dovetailjoined pine, use my own grillcloth and probably use a Jupiter or maybe Weber or Jensen speaker... But `d like to keep the size of the cabinet as original as possible! I´d also probably attatch those Fender tilt-back-thingys, as I really like to tilt the amp backwards on stage (I always do it with my other amps, using beer boxes or whatsoever - sometimes that could end in weird accidents...). This buddy should become my new main-stage-amp, when finished :-) Cheers and say hello to Rusty :-)

Love to hear that DRIP.....🎸

Hey Uncle Doug, hope all is well. I just picked one of these up, same year. Is the GZ34 an acceptable drop in tube and are there any benefits to using it over the stock tube? Also, mine has a faint cigarette odor, any tips on safely deodorizing amps and cleaning tolex, etc…thank you for all you do, sir!

Yes my concern is the tiny speakers,I will check out that Excelsior which sounds like a wiser choice.How about the Fender Blues Junior or Deluxe with the tweed cabinet?

Man you do really great work! Great videos!

I know this is an old post. I have a question as I don't have a Fender amp, I have Marshall 20th Anniversary Series JCM 800 Full Stack w/white tolex, and I have two other DIY Marshall builds using the same 2204 schematic. Question: Can you explain the (green, red, and brown) wires that appear to have a 20 AWG White wire wrapped around them and grounded behind the Trem/Verb control knobs, and the other set similarly wrapped behind the 1st channel Tone knobs? What are these wires AND are they being shielded to ground with this technique? I only found this channel recently but I have watched perhaps 35% to 50% of your posted videos - very informative. I am considering rewiring my builds based on much of your teachings - maybe tweak values here and there. I may also mod one with a Tube rectifier to see if I get a better feel when playing my guitar leads - My PTs have the 5v winding. Thanks for all your information. :)

Hi Doug, I love your videos. One suggestion: please tune your guitar!

Nice Doug. What do you use to clean the chassis? I have been using alcohol and a brush. is that acceptable? Love your videos.

Thanks Doug for this, I have learned alot about these amps. I've aqwired a 74 silverface and would like to restore it. I have a few questions. Im getting the same problem with the popping and noise. It seems to work good then after things warm up good it goes bad. the speaker dies right off and if I wiggle the 7025 tube it pops and cracles very loud

Thank you for sharing!!

Hello! I just picked up a 74 Deluxe Reverb. It has a nasty high pitch squeal/raddle that gets worse with volume. Problem persists after checking and changing tubes, removed speaker I noticed cracks on the suspension ring so I tried a separate speaker but the problem persists. Not tubes or the speaker. Update, found a blown capacitor mallory 16 mfd 450v 021030 235-7945 E is the write up on it but couldn’t find it online.