Fender Blues Deluxe vs DV Mark Jazz 12 - Comparison with audio clips

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Whith all the discussion going on here about the pros and cons of using a Blues Deluxe or a Jazz 12, I thought a direct comparison might be of help to those considering one or the other. I have both at the club in which I play regularly. Our Vibrolux is under the weather and receiving treatment. We had to bring out a replacement until it's discharged from the hospital, and the club owner had the CS PR set up for harmonica players on the other side of the stage. So out of curiosity, I decided to bring out the Jazz 12 this past Thursday night and the Blues Deluxe the week before.

I was playing my Raines Tele 7 (Lace Alumitone HBs) because the vocalists both nights put some pop tunes on their lists that needed a bit of spice. There's barely enough room on the stage to keep one guitar intact let alone two, and we all know how versatile a Tele can be. In the interest of honesty and integrity, I will report that our drummer told me several times that he misses the archtop when I bring the Tele. I do too.

These were both recorded with my TASCAM DR-40x set exactly the same, sitting on its regular perch at the side of the stage (aimed at my amp, since I record largely for my own quality control). I generally keep the volume pot about 3/4 of the way up and the tone pot about halfway up. The Blues Deluxe had bass at 8 o'clock, mid at noon, high at 11, and reverb between 9 and 10 o'clock, and I played through the clean channel. The Jazz 12 was set with all EQ knobs at noon and reverb between 10 and 11 o'clock. In retrospect, I probably would have prefered the tone with bass up a tiny bit and treble down the same amount. But I haven't used this amp in a while and we were in a hurry to set up (see the end of this post for the reason). I added no effects to the recording, but I did normalize the tracks for a better volume match.

There Will Never Be Another You - Fender Blues Deluxe


Here's That Rainy Day - DV Mark Jazz 12


I like them both, but I think the way I had the EQ set gave the BD a slight edge on overall jazz tone with the Tele. Still and all, they both do the job and I have no concerns about using either one. I've used them both with carved and laminated archtops, and they both sound even better. I prefer the tone of the Vibrolux, with the CS PR a tiny bit behind it because the bass is a bit flabbier, even when it's elevated. The BD is a close 3rd and tied with the J12 overall.

For those who question the Jazz 12's ability to pump out bass, here's an interesting clip from this past Thursday night. It comes in near the end of my solo. Midway through the clip, the bass picks up the melody (arco) and I go to comping with bass and chords. The Jazz 12 is actually better at walking bass on a 7 than the Fenders. The bass is tighter and cleaner. But my Blu 6 is the best of all at this, with my DV Mark EG250 through either Toob very close.



Finally, the reason we were in a hurry to set up and started late is a lesson to all: if you make major changes to the house band's instruments and setup, please have the decency to put everything back at least close to where you found it. The last drummer to play there before our show was very short and left handed. Our drummer is about 6'4" and right handed. Enough said.

[SierraTango]

Nice real world bandstand comparison and great playing. You are indeed fortunate to have a "house band" situation with known acoustics, a general idea of how many patrons will show up and control over the venue. The last house band I was in was 1991-2000, and it was super convenient; if I had a new guitar or piece of gear, just a short drive to my complete rig all set up and ready to go!

A couple years ago I got weary of carrying a bunch of boxes and cords and went with a EV Evolve 30. Always took my Evans JE200 and lined out to the EV. Superb, rich tone. 99% of the time the guitar is my 1990 Benedetto Cremona with a Bartolini pick-up. However, sometimes my 05 Eastman John Pisano 880 gets the call, if it's outdoors with a chance of rain, too cold, etc. Same result-stunning full sounding bliss.

About a year ago I was riding my Ducati motorcycle in our local mountains and hit a cow. Broke some bones and totaled the bike. Fortunately didn't mess up my playing. So the 37 lbs of the Evans got a bit tiring and I went with the DV Little Jazz 12. Half the weight and about 80+% tone of the Evans. It's a duo with a trumpet player-no tracks or drum machine. So we are playing at fairly low volume. We played a few festivals outdoors last Summer, and it was no problem to expand the FOH with the Evolve lined out to two Alto powered speakers on poles.

Guess it's a long winded way of saying the DV Little Jazz is a wonderful amp!

[RJVB]

About a year ago I was riding my Ducati motorcycle in our local mountains and hit a cow.

Holy c... I knew Ducati were trouble but not at this point

[sgosnell]

Down here the greater danger is hitting a hog. Cows are mostly kept fenced in, and letting them get loose can be expensive. But feral hogs are everywhere, and they can get huge. Back when I was still working we flew a medevac to a wreck out in the country. A woman driving a small courier van hit a huge boar one night, and she wound up with the van wrapped around a tree and burning. We got her to a burn center alive, but she didn't survive. The hog didn't either, but the size of that creature was amazing.

[SierraTango]

Down here the greater danger is hitting a hog. Cows are mostly kept fenced in, and letting them get loose can be expensive. But feral hogs are everywhere, and they can get huge. Back when I was still working we flew a medevac to a wreck out in the country. A woman driving a small courier van hit a huge boar one night, and she wound up with the van wrapped around a tree and burning. We got her to a burn center alive, but she didn't survive. The hog didn't either, but the size of that creature was amazing.

We do have some feral boars around here, however I've only seen them out in the evening. And they do get amazingly large.
They wanted to helicopter me out after the cow collision, however I declined. A riding friend of mine had a bad get off a couple years ago and the helo ride set him back about 25K. Some of that was covered by insurance, but it was still a substantial bill. Of course it didn't matter in the long run as it saved his life.
I've been riding that road for over 10 years and at 7500 ft. elevation have never seen loose cow. I hit a deer in 1999 on a beautiful Laverda 750 Sport and walked away. Again the bike was totaled but I had full leathers and gear on.

[RJVB]

Down here the greater danger is hitting a hog.

Same here, or a deer or any of a variety of much smaller wildlife (lots of badgers along the road, sadly). I try to remain alert at all times when I don't have a clear view of what might be on or decide to cross the road I'm travelling. Saved at least my car and the horse that one time, coming out of a blind turn (and I *was* in a hurry).
Of course, on a motorcycle anything bigger/heavier than a cat will send you flying and I wouldn't even want to test that (that one ground squirrel was no match for my 200+kg bike though). I hit a stray dog once that jumped out right in front of me on an empty street in the centre of my village; I was just glancing at my speedo so I know I was doing about 40kph. By the time I'd stopped sliding and walked back to the probable point of impact the animal was long gone. 2 weeks later I ruined the other side of my fairing, the other pannier and my riding pants because of a patch of black ice and/or asphalt snake.

Even trains aren't safe in a collision with an adult cow.