NAD - DRRI

ICBM

I honestly think that while there are many worthwhile mods and some stock amps which are inexplicably fitted with components which unnecessarily strangle the performance, a lot of it is driven by the belief that nothing mass-produced can ever be good enough.

Speakers are the area most manufacturers seem to cut corners on, probably because they are the single most expensive component - but they're also the single most important component! Luckily Fender picked a perfectly decent one for this amp. You're right, there are possibly better speakers, but the C12K is not at all bad and does suit it very well.

Bellycaster

Nice Amp @Kebabkid

I bet you're like a kid in a sweet shop today, enjoy!

:-)

Kebabkid

You're right guys. There's plenty of well-documented mods for these amps from US sites and replacement stuff from Mercury Magnets, particularly the transformers.

Speaker mods seem to favour Weber (lightly doped), the Cannabis Rex or Guitar Warehouse do a G12C (75 watts) that seems to find favour with a lot of people.

Whilst the cabinet is pine, I've been told the baffle board on these is chipboard or plywood and replacing improves the speaker performance. Snake oil?? Dunno but I'd be nervous about doing anything until I've gigged it for a while and even then, if I did have anything done, it would have to be easily reversible, just in case it wasn't for me.

Of note, one of my favourite guitarists, Steve Lukather,  used a Paul Rivera -modded Deluxe Reverb for the first Toto album and so the sound you hear on songs like "Hold the line" are supposedly coming from a DR.

Kebabkid

monquixote said:

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

Yeah, they'd be interesting with your choice of cab.

ICBM

Kebabkid said:

Whilst the cabinet is pine, I've been told the baffle board on these is chipboard or plywood and replacing improves the speaker performance.

The cabinet materials do make a difference, although nowhere near as much as the speaker. Original 60s Deluxes used particle-board baffles, so that's quite likely what the reissues do, although I've never checked. Many other Fender amps are ply. Ply would be best, in fact - solid wood isn't a good idea for a baffle really, because of the risk of splitting along the grain from the large speaker hole to the edge.

Kebabkid said:

Of note, one of my favourite guitarists, Steve Lukather,  used a Paul Rivera -modded Deluxe Reverb for the first Toto album and so the sound you hear on songs like "Hold the line" are supposedly coming from a DR.

In which case there's no certainty it sounded anything like a stock DR. Even if it was close to stock, Lukather was a big effects user so it's unlikely most of the sound comes from the amp. I always thought it sounded like some sort of Boogie or something.

Kebabkid

ICBM said:

Kebabkid said:

Whilst the cabinet is pine, I've been told the baffle board on these is chipboard or plywood and replacing improves the speaker performance.

The cabinet materials do make a difference, although nowhere near as much as the speaker. Original 60s Deluxes used particle-board baffles, so that's quite likely what the reissues do, although I've never checked. Many other Fender amps are ply. Ply would be best, in fact - solid wood isn't a good idea for a baffle really, because of the risk of splitting along the grain from the large speaker hole to the edge.

Makes sense @ICBM - cheers for that.

As to Lukather and the DR - you're right. He has that Lukather sound on it and it's gainy and sounds nothing like a stock one, even if it were wound up. I'll see if I can dig up any more info as to what he had done to it.

bigfuzz

massively regret selling mine.. never replaced it with any decent since. classic problem of finding the £££ to buy another...

57Deluxe

Yes, great amps - the Super Reverb is a DRRI but in HiFi quality tone!

Richardj

I'm sure my one was made out of ply.  When UPS smashed it you could clearly see the construction.  Pretty sure the baffle was ply too.

Kebabkid

@Richardj - this is from the Fender website

Cabinet Material: 7-Ply 5/8" Birch Plywood

Richardj

Kebabkid said:

Whilst the cabinet is pine, I've been told the baffle board on these is chipboard or plywood and replacing improves the speaker performance. 

It was a bit heavy to be made out of pine.

Kebabkid

Cheers @Richardj - my mistake