1967 FENDER DELUXE-REVERB AB763

An excellent example of Fender’s iconic 60s amplifier, this 1967 Deluxe-Reverb looks like it just left the factory line yesterday!

Introduced in the summer of 1963, the AA763 / AB763 version of the Deluxe is an evolution of the early 60s 6G3 version, with some changes to the circuitry and general appearance: among the main differences, the cosmetic style of the 6G3 combining brown-coloured control plate and tolex cover (Brownface / Brown tolex) gives way to the Blackface / Black tolex style. On the electronics side of things, we note the addition of an extra gain stage in the pre-amp section after the tone controls; the amplifier now has a dedicated tremolo channel and a channel without it, designated Vibrato and Normal respectively, where the two channels of the 6G3 Deluxe had the tremolo; the implementation of the tremolo itself also changes, with the use of a cell composed of a small neon bulb and a photoresistor to oscillate the level of the signal at the output of the pre-amplification section, while the tremolo of the 6G3 affects the bias of the power tubes (this method, tested and proven on many Fender amplifiers since 1955, is perfectly valid on low-power amps – however, with the higher-gain models introduced from the 60s, this technique leads to undesirable effects that Fender chose to counteract using the photocell tremolo). Finally, the Deluxe with a spring reverb circuit (adapted from the standalone 6G15 reverb unveiled by Fender in 1961) would become the Deluxe-Reverb – this is without a doubt the most iconic element to appear in the period, since the sound it generates would become the sonic hallmark of the decade: strikingly so in certain musical genres such as surf music, and more generally in the hands of a large majority of musicians of the 60s.

The Deluxe-Reverb has rightly become the touchstone for all the amplifiers that followed it: its size and weight, modest compared to models combining a separate head and cabinet, and its power (around 18 watts into a 12-inch speaker) made it the tool of choice for both the studio and the stage. With the benefit of hindsight, the AB763 circuit is a benchmark that set the bar so high for Fender that all subsequent revisions failed to improve the design significantly, and most Fender aficionados therefore consider this circuit to be the high point of the model.

The example presented here was assembled between 1966 and 1967, and remains to this day superbly complete with all its main original parts: we find a 12K5-6 Oxford speaker dated to the 20th week of 1966, a complete set of original Woodward-Schumacher transformers, the majority of the passive electronic components… The amplifier has undergone a complete overhaul, we note the replacement of all electrolytic capacitors and the addition of a modern power cord with grounding plug to ensure the device may be used safely. We have cleaned all connectors, tube sockets, switches and pots, and have adjusted the bias of the power tubes to the optimum point, this Deluxe-Reverb is fully ready to go out and gig again!

110V model, a 220/110 step-down transformer is supplied along with the amp. Complete with the reverb / vibrato pedal.