Fender Deluxe Reverb: every version

Every version, how to tell them apart, how to date one, and what to check before you buy. 7 versions, 1963–present.

The Deluxe Reverb is a 22-watt, two-6V6, 1×12 combo with two channels, spring reverb and tremolo, and it has been in and out of production since 1963. The blackface AB763 is the reference circuit; the silverface amps moved to a 5U4GB rectifier and picked up small changes, the Deluxe Reverb II of the 1980s was a different amp altogether, and the '65 reissue and '68 Custom rebuilt the classic on a circuit board. Most questions come down to three things: which circuit it is, when it was built, and what has been replaced.

The versions, in order

Deluxe Reverb AA763 (c. 1963–1964)

Blackface

The first Deluxe Reverb drawing. Nearly the AB763, with a few values that were changed on the next revision.

How to spot one

Black control panel with white lettering, two channels (Normal and Vibrato), 1×12 combo.
Reverb and tremolo work only on the Vibrato channel.
Both phase-inverter plate resistors are 100 kΩ and there are no grid-stopper resistors on the 6V6s; the AB763 changed both.
Early panels read “Fender Electric Instrument Co.”; the wording changed to “Fender Musical Instruments” after the 1965 CBS purchase.

Specs

Power tubes	2 × 6V6GT
Rectifier	GZ34 (5AR4) tube
Phase inverter	Long-tail pair
Rated power	About 22 W
Preamp tubes	4 × 12AX7/7025, 2 × 12AT7 (reverb driver and phase inverter)

Deluxe Reverb AA763: amp page and presets

Deluxe Reverb AB763 (1964–1967 (and the first silverface amps))

Blackface

The reference blackface Deluxe Reverb, and the circuit most people mean by the name.

What changed from the Deluxe Reverb AA763

One phase-inverter plate resistor was reduced from 100 kΩ to 82 kΩ.
1.5 kΩ grid-stopper resistors were added to the 6V6s to prevent oscillation.
The reverb mixing resistor was reduced, so the reverb is less dominant in the mix.
The tremolo tube's cathode resistor went from 56 kΩ to 100 kΩ.
The tone stack's midrange capacitor value was changed.

How to spot one

Black control panel with white lettering; Normal and Vibrato channels, each with Volume, Treble and Bass; Reverb, Speed and Intensity on the Vibrato channel.
Circuit code AB763 on the tube chart: revision B of a drawing dated July 1963.
Fixed bias with a single bias adjustment pot (not a balance control).
Speakers as shipped were usually a Jensen C12Q or an Oxford 12K5-6; other makes also appear.
Hand-wired eyelet-board construction.
The same circuit carried on into the first silverface amps of late 1967–1968.

Specs

Power tubes	2 × 6V6GT
Rectifier	GZ34 (5AR4) tube
Phase inverter	Long-tail pair
Rated power	About 22 W into one 8 Ω 12" speaker
Construction	Hand-wired eyelet board

Deluxe Reverb AB763: amp page and presets · schematic redraw (Pro)

Deluxe Reverb AB868 (Late 1960s into the early 1970s)

Early silverface

The first silverface circuit: a 5U4GB rectifier in place of the GZ34, and the bias pot kept.

What changed from the Deluxe Reverb AB763

Rectifier: GZ34 tube → 5U4 tube
The cosmetics changed to a silver panel with blue lettering and, on early examples, a drip-edge grille trim; the first of these still used the AB763 circuit.
The GZ34 rectifier was replaced by a 5U4GB, which sags more and gives a slightly slower attack.
Unlike the larger amps of the period, the Deluxe Reverb kept its single bias adjustment pot.

How to spot one

Brushed silver control panel with blue lettering; early silverface amps also have an aluminium “drip edge” trim around the grille cloth.
Blue/silver sparkle grille cloth instead of the blackface cloth.
A 5U4GB rectifier in place of the blackface GZ34.
Still a single bias adjustment pot: the Deluxe Reverb didn't get the bias-balance circuit put on the larger 6L6 amps.
Drip edge alone doesn't make it an AB868: the first drip-edge amps of late 1967–1968 are AB763 inside.

Specs

Power tubes	2 × 6V6GT
Rectifier	5U4GB tube
Phase inverter	Long-tail pair

Deluxe Reverb AB868: amp page and presets

Deluxe Reverb A1270 / A1172 (1970s (varies))

1970s silverface

The 1970s silverface Deluxe Reverbs: darker reverb, and from about 1977 a pull Boost on the Volume.

What changed from the Deluxe Reverb AB868

A small capacitor (about 2,000 pF) was added across the reverb-recovery grid resistor, cutting some top end from the reverb.
A pull Boost switch on the Volume control arrived around 1977.

How to spot one

Silver panel with blue lettering and blue/silver grille cloth, without the aluminium drip-edge trim of the earliest silverface amps.
5U4GB rectifier, two 6V6GTs, about 22 W, 1×12 at 8 Ω.
A small capacitor (about 2,000 pF) across the reverb-recovery tube's grid resistor trims the top end of the reverb.
Amps from about 1977 have a pull “Boost” switch on the Volume control.
Still a single bias adjustment pot, not a bias-balance control.
The panel went back to black around 1980, and the original Deluxe Reverb was discontinued in 1982.

Specs

Power tubes	2 × 6V6GT
Rectifier	5U4GB tube
Phase inverter	Long-tail pair
Rated power	About 22 W

Deluxe Reverb II (1982–1986)

Black panel, channel switching

A different amp under the same name: two switchable channels with Gain, Master and Presence, and no tremolo.

What changed from the Deluxe Reverb A1270 / A1172

Rectifier: 5U4 tube → Solid-state (silicon diodes)
Rated power: About 22 W → About 20 W
The Deluxe Reverb II dropped tremolo, went to a solid-state rectifier and about 20 W, and added switchable channels with Gain, Master Volume and Presence.

How to spot one

Two switchable channels with Gain, Master Volume and Presence controls, replacing the old Normal/Vibrato layout.
No tremolo.
Black control panel.

Specs

Power tubes	2 × 6V6
Rectifier	Solid-state (silicon diodes)
Phase inverter	Long-tail pair
Rated power	About 20 W

Deluxe Reverb II: amp page and presets

'65 Deluxe Reverb reissue (1993–present)

Reissue

Blackface looks and AB763 values, on a printed circuit board.

What changed from the Deluxe Reverb AB763

The reissue keeps the blackface values and cosmetics but moves the circuit to a printed circuit board.
The speaker is a Jensen C-12K rather than the Jensen C12Q or Oxford of the 1960s.

How to spot one

Blackface cosmetics and AB763-style circuit values, built on a printed circuit board instead of a hand-wired eyelet board.
Ships with a Jensen C-12K speaker.
Reverb and tremolo on the Vibrato channel only, as on the original.
The front-panel controls sit on their own board, joined to the main board by ribbon cables and push-on connectors.

Specs

Power tubes	2 × 6V6GT
Rectifier	GZ34 tube
Phase inverter	Long-tail pair
Speakers as shipped	Jensen C-12K
Construction	Printed circuit board

'65 Deluxe Reverb reissue: amp page and presets · schematic redraw (Pro) · '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue vs Fender Deluxe 5E3

'68 Custom Deluxe Reverb (2013–2014 on (varies))

Reissue (modified)

Silverface styling, reverb and tremolo on both channels, a Bassman-style tone stack on the Custom channel and less negative feedback.

What changed from the '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue

Silverface drip-edge cosmetics instead of blackface.
Reverb and tremolo on both channels instead of only the Vibrato channel.
The Custom channel gets a modified Bassman-style tone stack, and negative feedback is reduced.
A Celestion G12V-70 speaker instead of a Jensen.

How to spot one

Silver-and-turquoise faceplate with aluminium drip-edge grille trim, styled after 1968 amps.
Two channels, “Custom” and “Vintage”, and both get reverb and tremolo.
The Custom channel uses a modified 1950s Bassman-style tone stack; the Vintage channel keeps the traditional Deluxe Reverb voicing.
Less negative feedback than the originals, for quicker break-up and more touch sensitivity.
Printed circuit board with hand-wired tube sockets.

Specs

Power tubes	2 × 6V6
Rectifier	5AR4 tube
Phase inverter	Long-tail pair
Rated power	22 W
Preamp tubes	4 × 12AX7, 2 × 12AT7
Speakers as shipped	Celestion G12V-70
Construction	Printed circuit board, hand-wired tube sockets

'68 Custom Deluxe Reverb: amp page and presets

Deluxe Reverb buying checklist

Date it

Blackface-era amps have a paper tube chart with a two-letter ink stamp: the first letter is the year, the second the month. Years start at A = 1951, so M = 1963, N = 1964, O = 1965, P = 1966, Q = 1967; months run A = January to L = December. “OL” is December 1965.
The tube-chart stamp was dropped in the late 1960s, so date later amps from their parts.
Pots and speakers carry an EIA source-date code: maker, then year and week. 137 6524 is a CTS pot from week 24 of 1965.
Common maker codes: 137 CTS, 304 Stackpole, 220 Jensen, 465 Oxford, 328 Utah.
Transformers are coded like 606-6-27: 606 is Schumacher, 6 the last digit of the year (1966 here), 27 the week. Only one year digit is used, so read it alongside the amp's other dates.
The circuit code (AB763 and so on) is the drawing the amp follows, not its build date.
Serial numbers aren't a reliable way to date these amps; use the tube chart and the parts codes.

Check it’s original

Speakers are often replaced: check the maker and date code on the speaker against the era (Jensen or Oxford on blackface, Oxford then CTS or Utah on silverface).
Many silverface amps have been “blackfaced”, modified back toward AB763 values, so compare the circuit with the schematic for the code on the tube chart.
Panel wording should match the era: “Fender Electric Instrument Co.” before the 1965 CBS purchase, “Fender Musical Instruments” after.
Original filter capacitors have usually been replaced by now; that's normal service, not a sign of a fake.
An amp is newer than its newest part, but parts from old stock can be several years older than the build.

What usually needs work

Original electrolytic filter caps dry out and should be replaced before the amp is used; failing caps cause hum, low volume and weak bass.
Bias is set with a single pot on these amps; check it whenever the 6V6s are changed.
On the '65 reissue, the ribbon cables and push-on connectors between the control board and the main board can crack or loosen, causing noise or oscillation.
On the '65 reissue, the board-mounted jacks and pots are weak points: gritty pots and broken solder joints on pot and jack tabs are common.

Questions buyers ask

Is the '65 reissue the same circuit as an original blackface?

It uses the blackface circuit values and look, but the parts are on a printed circuit board instead of a hand-wired eyelet board, and it ships with a Jensen C-12K speaker.

Do all silverface Deluxe Reverbs sound different from blackface ones?

No. The first silverface amps (late 1967–1968) still used the AB763 circuit; later ones switched to a 5U4GB rectifier and picked up small circuit changes. The Deluxe Reverb kept its adjustable bias pot throughout.

What is different on the '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb?

Silverface cosmetics, reverb and tremolo on both channels, a Custom channel with a modified Bassman-style tone stack, less negative feedback, and a Celestion G12V-70 speaker.

How do I date my Deluxe Reverb?

Read the two-letter stamp on the tube chart (year, then month) and the EIA codes on the pots, speaker and transformers. Serial numbers aren't reliable.

Does the Deluxe Reverb II have tremolo?

No. It's a two-channel amp with Gain, Master Volume and Presence, a solid-state rectifier and about 20 W, and no tremolo.

Amp vs amp

Fender Deluxe 5E3 vs Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

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