We could say that the Deluxe Reverb is one of Fender’s most important amp models. It has all the things that we love about American-style amps, all while still staying true to the company’s old-school vintage tones. It’s an amp with a lot of headroom although it can also get some “dirt” in there when you push the volume. But for more versatility, you should get yourself an overdrive to go with it.
Now, vintage-oriented Fender amps tend to be a bit specific. Therefore, not every dirtbox would get you the tone you’d find pleasing. With that in mind, we decided to go into more detail and find the best overdrive pedal for Fender Deluxe Reverb that you can find today.
Our Top Picks
- Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer – Ibanez’s Tube Screamer in all of its forms is a popular choice for pushing tube-driven amps over the edge.
- Electro-Harmonix Soul Food – Soul Food is a transparent overdrive, meaning that it lets through the clean unprocessed signal in the mix. It achieves this all by using three basic controls for volume, tone (labeled as “treble”), and drive.
- DigiTech Bad Monkey – This pedal’s tone brings some of the usual TS-style overdrive characteristics, however, there’s a slightly fuzzy twist to its tone
- MXR Duke of Tone – This small, simple, and affordable pedal called Duke of Tone brings some of these high-end pedal characteristics to your tone.
- Nobels ODR-1 – Nobels ODR-1 is one of the best overdrives if you’re looking for smoother changes to your tone.
Contents
What to Look for in an Overdrive Pedal for a Fender Deluxe Reverb
As I already mentioned, old-school Fender amps are a bit specific. We’re looking at 22 watts of output power and a fair amount of headroom. This means that you’d need to push the volume way up high to get some dirt going on in there. But with 22 watts on a tube-driven amp, things could get really loud.
Even at a lower volume setting, your Deluxe Reverb can get some pretty awesome tones with the right overdrive pedal. Of course, the full potential is at higher volume settings, usually above 50 percent.
Their general character is usually “snappy” and somewhat “thin” though it can depend on the guitar that you’re using. There’s usually a lot of headroom but it can break up nicely with some nice high-end sparkle on top.
Therefore, in my experience, slightly smoother overdrives should work better. In case you want to double down on the generally sharp-oriented tone of the Fender Deluxe Reverb amp, you can use a high-end-oriented overdrive.
With some boost, even if it’s an absolutely clean one, Deluxe Reverb can actually gain some thickness in the tone. So whatever you use to boost it, you’ll change its character.
Overall, Fender amps, especially Deluxe Reverb, are a great platform for pedals. A lot of things can actually work well with it, depending on what you’re looking for. I’d just advise staying away from anything that gives you too much fuzzy overtones.
The Best Overdrive Pedals for a Fender Deluxe Reverb
1. Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer
Of course, Ibanez’s Tube Screamer in all of its forms is a popular choice for pushing tube-driven amps over the edge. There’s been an abundance of Tube Screamer varieties over the years, but the classic TS808 seems like the best option for Deluxe Reverb amps.
The most important thing about the TS808 is that it brings a smoother twist to the usual Tube Screamer tone. In this particular case, you’ll get that overdriven tone that’s “over the edge” but without having to deal with ear-piercing overtones that might not be the most favorable kind of tone.
The TS808 is one of those pedals that keep the drive going without making it too harsh-sounding. It keeps the controls very simple with your usual volume, tone, and drive controls.
Likewise, Deluxe Reverb is also a relatively simple amp in the way it reacts. In my experience, setting the TS808 at lower levels and then engaging it will create some pretty great thick-sounding yet not extremely overdriven tones. Add some gain and volume and you’ll go from classic blues into hard rock in no time.
2. Electro-Harmonix Soul Food
Soul Food is one of the best alternatives to the legendary Klon Centaur pedal out there. It may not reach some of the same exact type of tone. But as far as the sound quality goes, I’d argue that it’s in the same range as the Klon, although this is a pretty controversial take.
Soul Food is a transparent overdrive, meaning that it lets through the clean unprocessed signal in the mix. It achieves this all by using three basic controls for volume, tone (labeled as “treble”), and drive.
Despite its overall simplicity, Soul Food can actually be a pretty versatile one, especially when paired with a tube-driven amp. Although transparent, it can also add some coloration to the tone. It’s a great option if you feel like cutting through the mix while not sounding too harsh and distorted.
The gain control is probably the most versatile aspect of it. At its lower settings, it practically acts like a clean boost that lets your amp do most of the work. As you push it higher, it still keeps the clean signal in there while adding more of its own tone as well.
3. DigiTech Bad Monkey
Now, this is probably one of the most controversial takes that you’ll find on the internet. DigiTech’s old discontinued Bad Monkey is another Tube Screamer clone. Its reputation was pretty bad over the years but it went viral in 2023 when it did incredibly well in direct comparison with Klon Centaur.
It’s a usual overdrive pedal but comes with a 2-band EQ as opposed to just a tone knob. The pedal’s tone brings some of the usual TS-style overdrive characteristics. However, there’s a slightly fuzzy twist to its tone which is why it may be tricky to set up with some amps. Nonetheless, it’s more than a great dirtbox that can actually bring a lot of versatility, especially with tube-driven amps.
When it comes to the Fender Deluxe Reverb, I would advise that you don’t push too hard on the Bad Monkey’s treble knob. Keep things slightly smoother and you’re in for some pretty juicy tones, both on single-coils and humbuckers.
4. MXR Duke of Tone
It’s pretty awesome what MXR did in collaboration with the legendary boutique brand King of Tone. This small, simple, and affordable pedal called Duke of Tone brings some of these high-end pedal characteristics to your tone.
What makes Duke of Tone pretty awesome is that it comes in a mini-sized casing but also has additional controls. Apart from our usual three knobs, there’s also a 3-way position switch that toggles between a clean boost, an overdrive, and a conventional hard-clipping distortion.
There’s some serious bite to this pedal with perfectly balanced mids. You could even strum a chord without everything sounding muddy. Of course, it’s a bit harsher compared to the King of Tone which may require some more tweaking to set it up right.
Nonetheless, it’s still one of the best options to go along with your Deluxe Reverb amp. It even adds more dynamic response which could be pretty useful with Fender amps, ultimately giving them a pretty interesting twist.
5. Nobels ODR-1
It’s really a shame how underrated this pedal is. Nonetheless, Nobels ODR-1 is one of the best overdrives if you’re looking for smoother changes to your tone. In my experience, it’s super useful for single-coil pickups if you want to add some thickness to them. And it’s incredible what it does when you pair it with mild dynamic compression.
The pedal comes with a so-called “spectrum” control. Functionally, it’s very similar to your usual tone control. However, it adds more sound-shaping features to it as it allows you to boost bass and mids for a more “scooped” kind of tone. You could make even the “twangiest” Telecaster sound smooth.
On top of this, there are also additional advanced features. For instance, there’s an internal switch for cutting some of the sub-bass from the mix. We’re talking about those super-low frequencies that can sometimes impact your tone negatively, especially if you prefer humbuckers.
Then there’s also an external remote control jack, along with an option to power it using an 18-volt adapter. This latter feature can help you have more headroom if you need it.
FAQs
Overdrive vs. Distortion Through a Deluxe Reverb?
Fender Deluxe Reverb is one of the best guitar amps to serve as a “pedal platform.” With a fair amount of headroom, but with noticeable tube-driven warmth, it can allow some of your pedals to shape the tone as they’re intended.
Both overdrive and distortion pedals can work great with the Deluxe Reverb. However, you need to know what you’re looking for. It’s not like you’d be able to get some thick chugging tones by using an overdrive pedal with it. But even with a conventional distortion pedal, Deluxe Reverb still keeps things sounding old-school.
Will a Deluxe Reverb Break Up Without an Overdrive Pedal?
Just like most tube-driven guitar amplifiers, Fender Deluxe Reverb will break up without an overdrive pedal. However, we’re talking about a very specific flavor of tone. There won’t be as much sustain and power for some settings. It’s far from being a bad kind of tone but it’s more of an old-school blues kind of thing.
Additionally, you’ll need to push the volume above 50% or more to start noticing the breakup and use its full sonic potential. With a tube-driven amp that has 22 watts of output power, things could get pretty loud, even for some club gigs.