Building a Deluxe Reverb Valve amp from a dead Deluxe 90

[daveneary]

I have recently finished building a Princeton reverb clone + mods including building the cabinet big enough to put 2x 10" speaker etc using individually sourced parts the whole thing was approx. i used deluxe reverb power and output transformers and ended up spending £800 pounds with a large chunk going on postage etc. :-) The project was interesting, I learned a lot and it looks and sounds pretty good so I don't regret the cost.

I am now thinking of trying to build a deluxe reverb but I don't want to spend anywhere near as much but I obviously want it to sound as good as it can. I have purchased an aesthetically good by dead Fender Deluxe 90 SS amp with the particle board cabinet. The dimensions of the cab are 20.5 inch by 9 so won't fit a standard deluxe reverb chassis which I  believe its closer to 22" wide.  The deluxe 90 chassis is 19" wide and an awkward shape - canted back in the cabinet. The front is approx. 2" high and 90 degrees. The back is closer to 5" and bent forward. This means the floor of the chassis slopes from the front to back of the cabniet. Used as is, the tubes will angled forward and will foul the speaker.  To make the chassis work I have straightened the back and folded the front. To do this I have used a Dremil to cut some slots at the bends.  With hindsight a Fender Champion 40 or 100 might have been a better startpoint.

Has anyone tried anything similar...if anyone is interested I can post pictures as I go ?

Dave.

[Platefire]

I built a Deluxe reverb in a 20" wide x 9.5" deep cab Peavey Pacer. This is what the inside of the chassis looked like to squeeze in all in. Platefire

[daveneary]

That looks good. it doesn't look cramped at all. thanks for sharing.

Dave

[Platefire]

Well, some of the components that would normally go on the end of the board on the PT end pertaining to the power tubes, I had to put on terminal strips and also as you see the filter caps are strung out along the board. It can be done but takes a lot of pre-planning. Platefire 

[eleventeen]

I have precisely the same Deluxe 90 corpse and for about 1.5 years I have had exactly the same intent except to build a Princeton. Yeah, that canted chassis is a pure irritation, I will have to see how you did it. I didn't think there would be tubes > spkr interference.....ESPECIALLY if I was to build a 1-chan Princeton vs a 2-ch Deluxe because I could lose 2 tubes for the deleted channel and thus leave a bigger than normal gap between one pair of tubes as needed. I have not DONE this, it's all imaginary so far. Been busy elsewhere. 


Speaking for myself but I'm sure for others, go ahead & post your pix. I am interested in your folded chassis, but it's rare that someone doesn't post pix and come away with at least some tasty suggestions. Even Mr. Scaggs of Princeton Reverb fame who was and is obviously a skilled builder before he came here.

[MFowler]

I built a tube amp into the Fender Deluxe 90 SS cabinet too.  The chassis is 19" so I had a Blackface style slant chassis built from steel and used that.


Now days I would just order a custom slant chassis from http://www.seasidechassisdesign.com/  out of aluminum.  He has built me many PR, Bassman and Tremolux style slant chassis.


Mark

[John]

I've used Seaside too, does great work.