65 DRRI users - the Normal channel

BintyTwanger77

I've discovered recently how much I love the tone of my pedals running them into the Normal channel of my DRRI.

I stuck to the vibrato channel for everything for ages, but I'm getting far better tone for my pedals with the Normal. It is darker than the vibrato channel but, maybe because it's a simpler circuit, it seems to have more punch and bite. It can be brightened up a bit by turning up the highs on my EQ pedal if need be, but the darker tone on this channel balances the hifi sheen from my Strymons perfectly, and I think my dirt pedals sound better. I absolutely love the tone I'm getting.

I still plug into the Vibrato channel, though, but straight in without pedals. It doesn't need them.

So how many Deluxe Reverb owners are using the Normal channel?

MattFGBI

You should try an AB pedal so you have both. 

BintyTwanger77

@MattFGBI That had crossed my mind.

ICBM

Patch the two channels together. Guitar (and pedals) into Normal channel input 1, Normal channel input 2 to Vibrato channel input 1. They are out of phase, but it will only be apparent when both are set to very close to the same volume.

Or you could blend the clean Vibrato channel and Normal channel with pedals by going guitar > Vibrato channel 1, Vibrato channel 2 > pedals > Normal channel 1.

Jimbro66

Yes, the normal channel sounds good. The vibrato channel has the equivalent of a permanently on bright switch. If you want that channel to sound very much like the normal channel, but with the option to use the reverb and vibrato, you can simply snip one leg of the 47pF capacitor C10. Lots of 65DRRI owners do that to tame the treble of the vibrato channel. Don't do this yourself unless you know how to safely deal with the stored high voltages in valve amps.

You can also do as @MattFGBI suggests and use an AB pedal to switch between channels or an ABY pedal to give the option to combine channels.

The vibrato channel of my 65DRRI has been modified so that it sounds even less like the normal channel so an ABY pedal is very effective.

BintyTwanger77

I like the Vibrato channel pedal free, sounds really sweet. I have reverb (and soon, trem) on tap pedal-wise, so that won't be an issue when using the Normal channel.

Jimbro66

ICBM said:

Patch the two channels together. Guitar (and pedals) into Normal channel input 1, Normal channel input 2 to Vibrato channel input 1. They are out of phase, but it will only be apparent when both are set to very close to the same volume.

Or you could blend the clean Vibrato channel and Normal channel with pedals by going guitar > Vibrato channel 1, Vibrato channel 2 > pedals > Normal channel 1.

Two nice ideas as an alternative to channel switching