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I follow Psionic Audio (Lyle) on Youtube, and the number of Deluxe Reverbs that have passed through his shop cannot easily be counted. He's in the Memphis area, but that's close enough to Nashville not to matter. The Deluxe Reverb has been the go to for many pros for decades, with or without mods. In LA, people like Paul Rivera modded a ton. It's just a great playing platform for session work and shows. Everyone loves the half stacks... well these days no one needs those, if they ever needed them for smaller venues.

I was the same was as you until I learned how to really drive a fuzz pedal, and then find one that would work with my style. And JHS or line 6 digital recreations aren't really examples I associate with good fuzz pedals. I would look no further than Analogman if I was buying my first fuzz. That guy just knows how to build good fuzzes consistently (it's an art form). He knows how to match transistors and that's very important in a good fuzz. And if it was just for home use, I would go with a germanium fuzz which sound awesome, but they change their tone with heat so they are not reliable on stage. Both me and the guy that really taught me about fuzzes both use the Analogman silcone BC103 fuzz on stage. Another thing is the have top be in the perfect place in your signal chain to work effectively, usually the first pedal your guitar sees! One of the great things about a good fuzz is they way they interact with the volume knob on your guitar. When rolled back the clean tone with a good fuzz is something to behold Think Hendrix's clean tone. I always used to drive them like an overdrive and that kept me from ever liking one, they are a completely different animal. You kind of have to a do a deep dive into the people that use them and find out their approach.

I rarely use fuzz as it can be obnoxious unless used tastefully, which is kind of a pardox in itself. I like the Line 6 HX FX as it has models of all the old and newer fuzz pedals and models them really well. That way I am not stuck buying something I rarely use but have it on hand just in case.

My buddy Ryan who is the other guitarist in our band has tried many great amps, and he is a great amp builder too, but of all the amps that he has at his disposal, his favorite amp to use with our band is his Deluxe Reverb. And my TopHat probably hovers around 22 watts too!!! On stage they are both cranked up around the 7 to 8 mark. You can clearly hear how they sound in these videos...

That sure isn't! You must really love your neighbors!

I like the sound of smaller amps that are jacked up a little. One of the very best club shows I ever saw was Magic Slim and the Teardrops in Kalamazoo in ‘94. Both guitar players were using Deluxe Reverbs (22 watts) and the stage volume was plenty loud. The tone was glorious.

Honestly, I have never been a fig fuzz fan for my playing. I'm much more distortion and overdrive most of the time. I just find them more musical, though with Fuzz there is also a HUGE variety of different designs / sounds / textures. JHS pedals "Legends of Fuzz" series had SEVEN different pedals, and I know many who bought every single one, because in many ways it was far cheaper than tracking down the originals. Still, I dunno, I just can't bring myself to love fuzz. I love some songs made using fuzz, but part of my brain always goes "this would sound better with overdrive". Maybe I'm just not using the fuzz pedals right.

I think for most gigs these days a 25W amp running into a 2x12 cabinet is all you need. I've enjoyed using a 50w with a 2x12 cabinet, but it's really not needed. I used a 25w Peavey Valveking into a 4x12 for a gig and I swear it was the best sound I ever heard (but that was 15 years ago and what was awesome then may not be today)

This is when I realize I have a whole bunch of 100 watt heads and combos because in that era, that was all they made. I'm happy to see more and more 50 watt tube amps that have full features, and even some 25 watters.

Beautiful H-150 VSB from the good old days! Enjoy that fantastic axe!

That is a sweet H150! nice top

Amazing put me in the guard off camp

Nice!

That's it?

Waiting for you to occupy it. I just finished 4 sets of 15 reps with 125 lbs on the bench press. How’s your day going?

So how's the rocking chair on the front porch?

Love to see real player wear on a guitar. She's a stunner.

Nice 150

Thanks so much. The pick guard pictured is new, not sure why. The original is in the case. Again, not sure why. I didn't compare the guards. All the wear on it is from 23 years of real play by my friend in the picture. It plays like a dream. I did replace the pots and harness. I'm not sure which parts were original if any of it. While I was at it I purchased the little pointers to make it look more like a '58/'59.

I like it with the guard on. If it had a different horn, from the photos it could be an original 58 or 59. Stunning

And here's the guitar. I like it with the guard off.

You have mastered object permanence!

Yeah, a English old fashion rump roast

It’s somewhere…..

I’ve got a 2001 535 with the HRW’s in it. Like it very much. I put a Faber bridge and tailpiece on it, mostly for feel since I’m used to a tune-o-matic under my muting hand. I later put in the Faber bushings and was amazed at how much the tailpiece bushing inserts changed the tone. Made really good even better. They go much deeper and firmer into the maple center block, seem to acoustically couple to the wood much better than the much shorter and looser Schaller hardware. The HRW pickups are very amenable to tone shaping with the amp or pedals and EQ. Can dial in a variety of tones from them very easily. Some say they are “hi fi” but I’d say smooth frequency response curve. Which is ideal for dialing the amp/effects to get a sound. I’d say exhaust all the external tone shaping options before you change parts. A 7 or 10-band EQ can be very helpful to figure out what to do to get where you want to go.