Fender Review: Blues Deville

History:

Purchase: Bought second hand from a guitarist who had and was using live, both the 4x10 and 2x12. He sold me the 4x10 for £400 (~$600). It sounded fantastic and I knew the moment I heard it that it was 'the clean sound' I was after. Previously used a Marshall VS100R which was not bad.

What I Like About This Fender Blues Deville: 1. The fat clean sound - can't beat it. 2. The cool tweed/chrome retro look. 3. Classic, all valve Fender quality. 4. It is unquestionably THE blues amp.

What I Do NOT Like About The Fender Blues Deville: Other than the valves (which cost a fortune if you get decent ones), it is difficult to service. It is heavy and just big enough to be a little awkward when climbing stairs etc.!

Fender Blues Deville Quality Rating: Excellent build quality. Preferred the old leather handle rather than the slightly cheesy plastic one, although it is very sturdy.

Review Summary: This really is the best blues/jazz amp around for the money. Larry Carlton and Robben Ford etc use Dumble amps which sound great, but not really that much better than the Blues Deville. I play a Tele and a 335 (copy) and both these guitars suit this amp completely - the fat clean sound from the semi is superb. I also use a GT3 effects unit which requires strange tone settings on a combo, but the Fender takes this in its stride also.

Rating of this Fender product: 5

This Fender Blues Deville Guitar Amplifiers Review Submitted By: David M

Review Date: 2001-08-01