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This video highlights the vintage goodness that is the Fender '57 Deluxe Head. The original '57 Deluxe combo amp has been called the "cornerstone of the boutique amplifier market". In this incarnation, the amplifier section is put into a head with no speakers for flexibility and portability. The result of their efforts is a killer-sounding, fun to play amplifier with classic good-looks in a simple, straight-forward package.

With so few components and controls, everything has to be perfect so Fender went the extra mile for every detail. Fender recreated the 5E3 circuit and had Mercury Magnetics design the transformer. Each circuit is handwired on an eyelet board by a separate team at Fender's Corona, California factory. All of the design specifics are based off of several vintage Deluxes that Fender sampled to really nail the sound and total feel of the original. One listen to this amp tells the tale - the extra work was worth it.

In the intro of the video, I started playing with the guitar's volume at about half. Even with the amp's volume set at "10" (the Volume and Tone controls actually top-out at "12") the resulting tone was clean and spanky with a balanced top and bottom. When I turned the guitar's volume up, the biggest change was in gain, as the sound got fuller and warmer with more sustain and a richer midrange. This circuit was designed to compress and break up into a smooth, full sound as more input level is applied. That input level can be from guitar volume, pick attack, boost/overdrive pedals or any combination. Whatever your choice, the '57 Deluxe never gets shrill or muddy and the note clarity is spectacular.

For the video, I paired the amp with the Hot Rod Deluxe 112 speaker cabinet, which has the same lacquered tweed as the '57 Deluxe head. The guitar I used is a Fender Custom Shop Tele '63 Heavy Relic, which proved to be a good choice. I also took the '57 Deluxe head into the recording studio and plugged in my PRS 513, playing it through a 1x12 open-back cabinet with an Eminence Cannabis Rex speaker. It was for a very dynamic blues track and a combination of close and distant miking was used. The '57 Deluxe really helped inspire the performance as I was able to evoke every dynamic level I needed by simply varying my pick attack and guitar volume knob. It was an extension of my playing that was interactive, not simply a static sound generator.

Internal shielding, ground wires, 3-prong power cable, and a standby switch bring this amp into the modern era and make it safe; it's like a vintage amp that's gig-ready without any modification. I absolutely enjoyed this amp and highly recommend it to anyone interested in vintage Fender tone or an amp with simple controls that responds to your playing. Thanks for checking out the video!

-- Don Carr

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