Post by The Fifth Column on May 3, 2020 12:09:43 GMT -7
Hi all, been a long time since I've been active here, but have been lurking for years now. I guess you can say I got away from Z amps for a bit but have definitely come back to the fold and I own 5 now and they're the amps I play 90% of the time.
The reason I'm posting though is that I recently was lucky enough to acquire a Delta 88 (blonde of course) and I figured I should share some thoughts.
I've owned a used Delta very briefly before but at the time I was looking for something else and didn't keep it. I own both a RT66 and a KT45 (and a pair of amazing SRZ65's as well) so I'm very familiar with these kinds of amps and always figured I'd find one used again. As it turns out, Dr Z was able to make me a new one through the legacy amp offer when I asked so I jumped on it.
For the past few months now I've been having a blast putting it through it's paces and especially comparing it to the RT66 and the KT45. All three are totally uniquely voiced even though they feel similarly and the controls operate similarly. The 88 might be my favorite of the 3 just because of how linear the volume is, making it a great home amp with pedals. It can easily run at a really manageable level, but then when you want more you just turn up and you have volume to spare. The 66 and the 45 always have amazed me at how good they sound at low volume, but with the 88 the level doesn't come on as strong so there's more range to work with. It's definitely closest to the 66 in terms of sound, but playing them back to back the differences are clear. I'm not sure how to describe it; there's a shift in the midrange and possibly the low end as well? The 88 feels more aggressive to me, the 66 more smooth even in the cleaner range? The obvious comparison is a JTM45 (66) vs a Major (88). I've never owned those marshalls but from what I know about what was used on record, that's a good reference for the midrange shift I'm talkin about even if the comparison is rough and the overall sound is quite different. The 45 by comparison is way more cutting in the top end and also more open in the mids. I think of it like a mini hiwatt with chime to spare and is noticebly louder low on the volume. The SRZ's are loud like that too low down, but obviously much more gainy.
So like I said, I think the 88 might be maginally my favorite (for now at least) in a group of amazing amps.
I'm looking forward to running it wet/dry with pedals and one of the SRZ's set up crunchy as the other channel, but I haven't gotten to test that yet. I did have fun with it setup wet/dry with the 45 and a pair of 1 x 12s though. With the right gain pedal that's a ton of fun with volume to spare and easy to move too.
Also of note, I don't think this has been mentioned for the 88, but I remember seeing for the 66 there are some KT66's that you can't use as if I remember correctly pin 1 is used and in some tubes pin 1 is tied to the base ring causing a short. I believe Gold Lion KT88s have the same issue and are also not good for the Delta. I use Gold Lion KT88's in my hifi and so I had some to try and learned the hard way, albeit thankfully with no permant damage beyond blowing a fuse. Sticking with the JJ's for now... they sound great too.
Anyways, figured you all would appreciate that there's at least one more of these beasts out in the wild. Special thanks to the Doc and company for making it happen. I don't expect this one to go anywhere anytime soon. Killer amp.
The reason I'm posting though is that I recently was lucky enough to acquire a Delta 88 (blonde of course) and I figured I should share some thoughts.
I've owned a used Delta very briefly before but at the time I was looking for something else and didn't keep it. I own both a RT66 and a KT45 (and a pair of amazing SRZ65's as well) so I'm very familiar with these kinds of amps and always figured I'd find one used again. As it turns out, Dr Z was able to make me a new one through the legacy amp offer when I asked so I jumped on it.
For the past few months now I've been having a blast putting it through it's paces and especially comparing it to the RT66 and the KT45. All three are totally uniquely voiced even though they feel similarly and the controls operate similarly. The 88 might be my favorite of the 3 just because of how linear the volume is, making it a great home amp with pedals. It can easily run at a really manageable level, but then when you want more you just turn up and you have volume to spare. The 66 and the 45 always have amazed me at how good they sound at low volume, but with the 88 the level doesn't come on as strong so there's more range to work with. It's definitely closest to the 66 in terms of sound, but playing them back to back the differences are clear. I'm not sure how to describe it; there's a shift in the midrange and possibly the low end as well? The 88 feels more aggressive to me, the 66 more smooth even in the cleaner range? The obvious comparison is a JTM45 (66) vs a Major (88). I've never owned those marshalls but from what I know about what was used on record, that's a good reference for the midrange shift I'm talkin about even if the comparison is rough and the overall sound is quite different. The 45 by comparison is way more cutting in the top end and also more open in the mids. I think of it like a mini hiwatt with chime to spare and is noticebly louder low on the volume. The SRZ's are loud like that too low down, but obviously much more gainy.
So like I said, I think the 88 might be maginally my favorite (for now at least) in a group of amazing amps.
I'm looking forward to running it wet/dry with pedals and one of the SRZ's set up crunchy as the other channel, but I haven't gotten to test that yet. I did have fun with it setup wet/dry with the 45 and a pair of 1 x 12s though. With the right gain pedal that's a ton of fun with volume to spare and easy to move too.
Also of note, I don't think this has been mentioned for the 88, but I remember seeing for the 66 there are some KT66's that you can't use as if I remember correctly pin 1 is used and in some tubes pin 1 is tied to the base ring causing a short. I believe Gold Lion KT88s have the same issue and are also not good for the Delta. I use Gold Lion KT88's in my hifi and so I had some to try and learned the hard way, albeit thankfully with no permant damage beyond blowing a fuse. Sticking with the JJ's for now... they sound great too.
Anyways, figured you all would appreciate that there's at least one more of these beasts out in the wild. Special thanks to the Doc and company for making it happen. I don't expect this one to go anywhere anytime soon. Killer amp.