Lloyd Green's (?) Deluxe Reverb

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

I've started watching this series of seven Paul Franklin interview sessions with Lloyd Green. What a treasure! I noticed right away in the first one that there was a Fender silverface behind Lloyd, but I didn't see him actually plugged into it until episode 4 (linked below). Can't really see whether it is a Deluxe or something else (Vibrolux, Pro, etc.), but certainly a model without a mid control (only three knobs on channel 1). But there is an extra knob where the second input would be on the reverb channel.

Might that be a midrange control added to the tone stack? And this may be common-knowledge that I lack, but is that something Lloyd is known to have on his amp? I have been thinking of doing something like this on my DRRI. I am sure that if I can just have an amp that looks like his I will be able to play and sound exactly like him!!

Here's a screen shot of the amp behind him from the first installment:

And here is a link to the second installment where he appears to be playing through the amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7dnjEGqtis

Cody Stewart · From: Traverse City Michigan, USA

Last time I talked to Lloyd, he told me heâ€™s gone back to his Session 400 for live work and uses his 12â€ Telonics amp for studio work. For the longest time he used a Blackface twin in split cabs but it was too heavy for him anymore. My guess is that this video was recorded in PFâ€™s personal studio and I donâ€™t believe That Deluxe Reverb is his, but I could be wrong. Whatever he plugs into, it will sound 6 million times better than it actually is. The tone is in his hands.
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Bolt On’s: Red Belly, Brown Belly, 73 Sho~Bud Pro~II, Fender’s/Peavey’s. If it doesn't sound like 1968, then I probably won’t like it.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I think I can see Vibrolux stamped on the face of that amp. I don't know if he owns that or it's a studio piece.

I do know that he played a Hot Rod Deluxe at one time.

This is a quote from way back in 2004. So I have no idea how many changes since.

quote:
"With the exception of "Revisited" (on which I used the Hot Rod Deluxe) every single recording I have played on since my return to sessions is that original Black Face Fender Twin Head and 15" D-130F JBL speaker, along with the trusty old Sho-Bud."
Lloyd Green

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

I can't see the Vibrolux, but I believe it Jerry (just as likely as a Deluxe anyway). And it seems pretty clear it wouldn't be Lloyd's from the useful history you guys are contributing.

Let me pivot then and ask whether anyone has done this to a Fender tube amp that lacks a mid-range. I remember reading posts about the possibility of doing this, but I don't recall whether anyone here on the Forum has. I got to thinking about it after inquiring about the new Pro Reverb Custom with my friend the music store owner, who suggested I might just want to mod my Deluxe. I probably would not take the bigger steps he suggested (solid-state rectifier, new output transformer, 6L6 power tubes) because they would be harder to undo should I decide to sell the amp down the road. But a mid control in an input jack seems on the face of it to be a) useful without drastically altering the basic sound of the amp, and b) more easily undone.

Thoughts?

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

A number of years ago I started doing stuff to my Fender amps simply because...I could. Sort of. I had a soldering iron and a video tape. I was dangerous.
I bought a totally hacked Deluxe Reverb chassis. I found a mod, online, to add a mid control and I decided that I needed it. I put the pot in the ext. speaker jack in back. It worked. A little noisy but not bad. Out of curiosity, I dialed in the sound I wanted and took a meter to the mid pot (I think the leads were only clipped on, not soldered in yet). Turned out, the pot was dialed in to nearly exactly the value of the fixed resistor that it had replaced. I thought that was pretty funny.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Haha! Good cautionary tale, Jon.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

I might just try that!!!

Laughing

Brian Hollands · From: Geneva, FL USA

FWIW, it's not a Deluxe Reverb as it's got a bright switch. Probably a Vibrolux Reverb. I've seen folks add either a Mid or a Presence / variable negative feedback in that manner.
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'81 Sho-bud LDG, 2 EMCI's

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I've seen mid controls added to the rear of Fender amps, but you could mount one just about anywhere you wanted if you didn't mind drilling the chassis. I drilled the back of my Twin and added a switch that reduces the amount of negative feedback. I did that back in the mid '60s to get that crazy jangly-trebly sound that Roger McGuinn had with his 12-string Rickenbacker. Mr. Green

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

https://youtu.be/t7dnjEGqtis?t=91
I saw the amp face watching the video link. It's behind Lloyd's waist at about 1:37. On subsequent views, I think it might be Vibrosonic rather than Vibrolux for what ever that might be worth.

Cappone dAngelo · From: Vancouver, BC, Canada

I built a Princeton Reverb clone that I subsequently modded to add a midrange control (but a high value pot that goes beyond the range of the mid in the typical blackpanel tonestack), a 3-way variable NFB switch, and grid stoppers on the phase inverter and output tubes. These mods add a tweed-like breakup tone that I prefer to the stock circuit when cranked.

I haven't used it much for pedal steel, but if I were building a blackpanel-based head for pedal steel I'd likely add a mid control, and likely a higher value than the stock Fender value for more flexibility.

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