Your amp reviews are the best! Thank you for focusing on the amps, tones and making the review a true side-by-side comparison by playing the same music across all of the amps. It really helps to compare apples to apples this way (without the joking, distractions, excess talking and inconsistent playing, etc. that some of the other reviews do). You really take the musician/shopper into account on your reviews and I find them very useful. Plus, you have a hand-wired Deluxe Reverb! Which is the only way to truly compare these boutique amps to their Fender-equivalent. Thank you so much! I'm getting closer to my decision after considering so many clean boutique amps, but now am torn between all three of these amps, LOL. I guess I'll have to listen to your review another 10 times. : ) One request: Could you review these amps with a Strat and/or a Les Paul? I noticed most are using a Tele in their reviews, so this would be quite welcome to round out various uses. Thanks again! Your playing is awesome on top of everything else. : )
Man really cool demo I can tell you really like that feel of the Louis... it sounds great through the video Because of the attenuator I went with the Imperial about 6 months ago and I really love it. when my wife's home I can get whatever I want out of it pretty much and she doesn't even hear me! When no one's here, I set the attenuator pretty much in the middle and if I'm playing in the band then it's like one Notch from wide open. It really is like 2 amps in one. So practical!
OK Gairman. Great vid bro! Thanks for posting...hearing some superb tones emanating, as always...but the Tone King! wow. I keep going back to it ...and now playing along with the new Furch OM34 sr . Not really what I would look for in a "jam track" today but I love these uploads of yours. Hopefully we'll get to see you soon
Hey man, I’ve been watching a bunch of your videos, i love these comparisons, so useful!!! These boutiques sounds so good, both of them do! They each have their own pros and cons I’m sure. There is still something about the Deluxe that i love. I think it’s a touch more raw sounding, but with that characteristic “sparkle”. Thanks to your videos I now know where all these amps site related to each other, and has reinforced my opinion on how much i like the Deluxe. I’ve been all over the place with amps in the last bunch of years, from Fenders to Dr Z to Swart, but now back to Fender Black face amps and specifically the Deluxe Reverb. Thank you so much for making these! :)
Hi Chris, Thank you very much for your comments and kind words. I'm glad the comparisons were helpful. I agree the Fender 64 Deluxe Reverb custom handwired is a benchmark reference for blackface tone. There are times however when I enjoy the greater clean headroom that the Tone King Imperial and Louis Electric Columbia Reverb offer. That said, I love all three of these. There are however classic sounds the Fender Deluxe reverb can offer with presence, texture and blackface sparkle that nothing else can match. IME/IMHO
Gary, I like the Louis Electric amp. I will agree with you that NOS tube make a difference........I do have a mulllard rectifier too. It adds warmth....
The Louis Electric is under a table which will increase the bass response. Since you have a room mic it will give a fuller sound. I have a Tone King Imperial II and love it!
Your point about the Louis bring under a table is valid but I will say everyone I know who has played it turns the bass EQ knob down to 2. It has a full low end regardless of placement
Thanks Gary, another informative video! The Deluxe sounds more compressed than the other 2 on CZcams. Would you say this is a characteristic of the Deluxe or was it a bit louder in the room and the microphone was compressing the signal? Many thanks and keep up the excellent videos!
Hi Jamie, the Deluxe does tend to break up earlier than the other amps. When I push it with a harder attack at the same volume as the other amps it delivers that classic Fender sag. Compression is another way to put it and fair assessment I suppose. I cannot deny that CZcams and my recorder will add some compression as a way of preventing overload. So its hard to say in hindsight what was happening exactly. But I do believe the Tone King Imperial delivers a little more pure clean headroom and the Louis is biased with 6L6's now. It definitely stays cleaner at a louder volume before breaking into natural overdrive and compression. I personally find my Deluxe sounds super musical at most of my gigs and some of that compression is a very classic sound that presents itself as being perhaps a little more 'touch sensitive.' What I mean is I can clean things up with a light touch or attack harder and get natural break up. I hope this helps.
Sure does, thanks Gary! I think all three are great but I feel the Deluxe lets through your emotion the best, followed by the Louis. The Tone King is excellent as well but to my ears it’s a little less juicy.
Gary, what a nice video. Very interesting. I am considering buying de deluxe reverb and i do not find comparison between 64 hardwired custom deluxe revr and the 65 deluxe reverb reissue. Do you think the 64 worst the extra money? do they sound similar? I will use them as a pedal platform. I must admit the louis electric and the toneking are excellent too.. I am based in france and here louis electric are not available. Many thanks
@@MOAB-UT The Cobra is a Dumble-style, so very different. However, I just got a Louis Electric Road Runner today, which I think should be like a baby Princeton, but we'll see. Lou's most popular amp is the Columbia in the video, which some people say is the best Princeton-inspired amp on the market. Hopefully my Road Runner is half as good
@@bostonbesteats364 Thanks. I am leaning towards a Vintage Sound 15. Do you have any thoughts on that one? I like the Princeton sound. It has MID knob, Dwell control, larger reverb tank- better quality, hand wired internal, better caps, better transformer. He can also built it as a Tweed and throw a Head in the combo. This way it will have adjustable ohm's settings onboard so I can plug in my other 12" speaker that resides inside my boss Katana now for sound separation. They are two 8 ohm speakers so I can select the VS15 to 4 ohms. I imagine it would sound very nice. I am not 100% sure how to connect it but I will figure it out. If I just tap into the existing Katana speaker jack connection, do I have to isolate it from the electronics (speaker wires) of the Katana (even if the Katana is off?) I don't want to damage anything.
Hey Gary, I just received my Fender 64 DR. I love it. I do however have some white noise when idle. When I’m playing it’s no bother. I get it that’s it a tube amp. Do you experience these conditions as well. And I was also curious if the Tone king was better in this issue
Yes My 64 Deluxe Reverb has that background hiss too. It is worse than my other amps. The Tone king Imperial MKII is Quieter but not as classic sounding as the fender. But it’s damn good and the Ironman Attenuator gives a nice way of getting edge of breakup or more power tube overdriven sounds at low volumes. I mostly want maximum clean headroom so that doesn’t matter to me as much. But it’s fun and useful nonetheless. Does that help? My Email is Gairman1@ gmail.com if you want to chat in more detail
@@gair1944 Wow- you are very talented. Sounded amazing. May I ask what is your favorite small tube amp? I like that Princeton sound- play very low volume like 2-2.5 level. Prefer more clean. I am leaning towards Vintage Sound 15. The LE Col. is nice too but pricier. VS can build a combo with a head in it so it will have an OHM switch. He can also build it with Tweed- very custom. Hand wired. Larger reverb tank and mid nob and dwell knob too. Around $2100 all in. 5 years warranty included less shipping.
Hi Marco, That's actually a tough call. Both are great. I never use the lead channel on the Tone King Imperial so that does not add value. But the Attenuator is pretty cool and useful depending on your needs. You're welcome to email for a lengthier dialogue. If the level of clean headroom on the 64 Deluxe Reverb meets your needs, I would still get the 64 Deluxe Reverb handwired ...if I could only have one. It is more classic and sounds great. Especially classic sounding with a Tele and Strat.
Hi Kyle. I don't think the tone changes with 6V6's versus 6L6's. The difference I notice is the added clean headroom with 6L6's. The character of breakup is likely different between 6V6's and 6L6's too but I don't usually push the amp hard enough for power tube overdrive. I usually use pedals since I want my cleans to be pure and clear (and not too loud for the small to medium size places I play).
I’m such a Fender fanboy and really had my sights set on the Deluxe, but I’m really having seconds thoughts for the Tone King. It sounds really good
Thanks! It is very pristine indeed but the attenuator let’s you dial in early edge of breakup too. Very versatile amp.
Your amp reviews are the best! Thank you for focusing on the amps, tones and making the review a true side-by-side comparison by playing the same music across all of the amps. It really helps to compare apples to apples this way (without the joking, distractions, excess talking and inconsistent playing, etc. that some of the other reviews do). You really take the musician/shopper into account on your reviews and I find them very useful. Plus, you have a hand-wired Deluxe Reverb! Which is the only way to truly compare these boutique amps to their Fender-equivalent. Thank you so much! I'm getting closer to my decision after considering so many clean boutique amps, but now am torn between all three of these amps, LOL. I guess I'll have to listen to your review another 10 times. : ) One request: Could you review these amps with a Strat and/or a Les Paul? I noticed most are using a Tele in their reviews, so this would be quite welcome to round out various uses. Thanks again! Your playing is awesome on top of everything else. : )
Spoke to soon... just saw the lineup of your other videos. Looks like I found what I'm looking for, thanks!
Man really cool demo I can tell you really like that feel of the Louis... it sounds great through the video
Because of the attenuator I went with the Imperial about 6 months ago and I really love it. when my wife's home I can get whatever I want out of it pretty much and she doesn't even hear me! When no one's here, I set the attenuator pretty much in the middle and if I'm playing in the band then it's like one Notch from wide open. It really is like 2 amps in one.
So practical!
OK Gairman. Great vid bro! Thanks for posting...hearing some superb tones emanating, as always...but the Tone King! wow. I keep going back to it ...and now playing along with the new Furch OM34 sr . Not really what I would look for in a "jam track" today but I love these uploads of yours. Hopefully we'll get to see you soon
Hey man, I’ve been watching a bunch of your videos, i love these comparisons, so useful!!! These boutiques sounds so good, both of them do! They each have their own pros and cons I’m sure. There is still something about the Deluxe that i love. I think it’s a touch more raw sounding, but with that characteristic “sparkle”. Thanks to your videos I now know where all these amps site related to each other, and has reinforced my opinion on how much i like the Deluxe. I’ve been all over the place with amps in the last bunch of years, from Fenders to Dr Z to Swart, but now back to Fender Black face amps and specifically the Deluxe Reverb. Thank you so much for making these! :)
Hi Chris, Thank you very much for your comments and kind words. I'm glad the comparisons were helpful. I agree the Fender 64 Deluxe Reverb custom handwired is a benchmark reference for blackface tone. There are times however when I enjoy the greater clean headroom that the Tone King Imperial and Louis Electric Columbia Reverb offer. That said, I love all three of these. There are however classic sounds the Fender Deluxe reverb can offer with presence, texture and blackface sparkle that nothing else can match. IME/IMHO
like others mentioned in this particular video the Tone King sounded sick!!!
Love your videos! 🐸 that loop was super relaxing! 😌
Thank you!
Gary, I like the Louis Electric amp. I will agree with you that NOS tube make a difference........I do have a mulllard rectifier too. It adds warmth....
I totally agree Jim
Tone king is bright but I like that about it. They all sound good
Almost too bright at times. But it is indeed pristine and works great in a mix!
The Louis Electric is under a table which will increase the bass response. Since you have a room mic it will give a fuller sound. I have a Tone King Imperial II and love it!
Your point about the Louis bring under a table is valid but I will say everyone I know who has played it turns the bass EQ knob down to 2. It has a full low end regardless of placement
@@gair1944 I wasn’t doubting your observation, I was just pointing it out. It’s truly hard to pick because they are all great amps.
Thanks Gary, another informative video! The Deluxe sounds more compressed than the other 2 on CZcams. Would you say this is a characteristic of the Deluxe or was it a bit louder in the room and the microphone was compressing the signal? Many thanks and keep up the excellent videos!
Hi Jamie, the Deluxe does tend to break up earlier than the other amps. When I push it with a harder attack at the same volume as the other amps it delivers that classic Fender sag. Compression is another way to put it and fair assessment I suppose. I cannot deny that CZcams and my recorder will add some compression as a way of preventing overload. So its hard to say in hindsight what was happening exactly. But I do believe the Tone King Imperial delivers a little more pure clean headroom and the Louis is biased with 6L6's now. It definitely stays cleaner at a louder volume before breaking into natural overdrive and compression. I personally find my Deluxe sounds super musical at most of my gigs and some of that compression is a very classic sound that presents itself as being perhaps a little more 'touch sensitive.' What I mean is I can clean things up with a light touch or attack harder and get natural break up. I hope this helps.
Sure does, thanks Gary! I think all three are great but I feel the Deluxe lets through your emotion the best, followed by the Louis. The Tone King is excellent as well but to my ears it’s a little less juicy.
Another excellent video! What overdrive pedal were you using?
Thanks. OD pedal was Vemuram Jan Ray and or Snouse blackbox
@@gair1944 Many Thanks!! 👍
Gary, what a nice video. Very interesting. I am considering buying de deluxe reverb and i do not find comparison between 64 hardwired custom deluxe revr and the 65 deluxe reverb reissue. Do you think the 64 worst the extra money? do they sound similar? I will use them as a pedal platform. I must admit the louis electric and the toneking are excellent too.. I am based in france and here louis electric are not available. Many thanks
Excitedly waiting for a Louis Electric to be built right now! (Cobra 183, a dumble)
NICE!! That looks like a killer amp! Way more than I would ever need but awesome!
How do you like it? Is it like a better Princeton?
@@MOAB-UT The Cobra is a Dumble-style, so very different. However, I just got a Louis Electric Road Runner today, which I think should be like a baby Princeton, but we'll see. Lou's most popular amp is the Columbia in the video, which some people say is the best Princeton-inspired amp on the market. Hopefully my Road Runner is half as good
@@bostonbesteats364 Thanks. I am leaning towards a Vintage Sound 15. Do you have any thoughts on that one? I like the Princeton sound. It has MID knob, Dwell control, larger reverb tank- better quality, hand wired internal, better caps, better transformer. He can also built it as a Tweed and throw a Head in the combo. This way it will have adjustable ohm's settings onboard so I can plug in my other 12" speaker that resides inside my boss Katana now for sound separation. They are two 8 ohm speakers so I can select the VS15 to 4 ohms. I imagine it would sound very nice.
I am not 100% sure how to connect it but I will figure it out. If I just tap into the existing Katana speaker jack connection, do I have to isolate it from the electronics (speaker wires) of the Katana (even if the Katana is off?) I don't want to damage anything.
@@MOAB-UT Not sure, but sounds cool
Hey Gary, I just received my Fender 64 DR. I love it. I do however have some white noise when idle. When I’m playing it’s no bother. I get it that’s it a tube amp. Do you experience these conditions as well. And I was also curious if the Tone king was better in this issue
Yes My 64 Deluxe Reverb has that background hiss too. It is worse than my other amps. The Tone king Imperial MKII is Quieter but not as classic sounding as the fender. But it’s damn good and the Ironman Attenuator gives a nice way of getting edge of breakup or more power tube overdriven sounds at low volumes. I mostly want maximum clean headroom so that doesn’t matter to me as much. But it’s fun and useful nonetheless. Does that help? My Email is Gairman1@ gmail.com if you want to chat in more detail
That is very helpful. Thank you
Thanks! Fender 64 Deluxe klingt klarer als die anderen beiden. Fender ist Nummer 1.
Louis Electric Columbia best. Nice playing! What tune is that at 29:00?
Thanks. I was just playing free style. I’m sure those chords are in a lot of songs
@@gair1944 Wow- you are very talented. Sounded amazing.
May I ask what is your favorite small tube amp? I like that Princeton sound- play very low volume like 2-2.5 level. Prefer more clean. I am leaning towards Vintage Sound 15. The LE Col. is nice too but pricier. VS can build a combo with a head in it so it will have an OHM switch. He can also build it with Tweed- very custom. Hand wired. Larger reverb tank and mid nob and dwell knob too. Around $2100 all in. 5 years warranty included less shipping.
Hi Gary I´m about to buy an amp, but I'm between Imperial and Fender 64 DR. Which one do you recommend me? I´ll appreciate you recommendation.
Hi Marco, That's actually a tough call. Both are great. I never use the lead channel on the Tone King Imperial so that does not add value. But the Attenuator is pretty cool and useful depending on your needs. You're welcome to email for a lengthier dialogue. If the level of clean headroom on the 64 Deluxe Reverb meets your needs, I would still get the 64 Deluxe Reverb handwired ...if I could only have one. It is more classic and sounds great. Especially classic sounding with a Tele and Strat.
@@gair1944 Hi Gary thank you so much. I really like your channel. I´ll take your advices. keep going with your videos, I really enjoy its.
@@marcoorozco3953 my email is gairman1@gmail.com
I think the Columbia sounds the best. Was the tone any different with 6V6's ??
Hi Kyle. I don't think the tone changes with 6V6's versus 6L6's. The difference I notice is the added clean headroom with 6L6's. The character of breakup is likely different between 6V6's and 6L6's too but I don't usually push the amp hard enough for power tube overdrive. I usually use pedals since I want my cleans to be pure and clear (and not too loud for the small to medium size places I play).
Lewis Electric is really full sounding
It crushes and punches beyond its weight class. Also excels with OD pedals
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