Fulltone Deja-Vibe

[onemind]

I picked up a used Deja-Vibe yesterday, doesn't resemble any others I've seen, raw large hammond enclosure, but otherwise resembles Mini Deja...Custom Shop Sticker, no serial that I can see. Prototype perhaps?

 

[PedalFreak]

It's most likely one of the early ones when Mike was building them at his house. There was a guy in the emporium selling a bunch of early Hammond box Fulltones.

 

[blackba]

How do you like you Deja-Vibe? The only thing holding me back is the price as I am not sure how much I would use it....

 

[larc]

No serial number and a Custom Shop sticker throws me. Did Mike have a Custom Shop in his early days? Perhaps it's a new prototype? Any pics? How does it sound?

Early Dejas have big rectangle hammond boxes. I've seen them painted w/painted lettering and some plain (unpainted) with lettering tape. Greg V used to own a black painted one that screamed "Bridge of Sighs." Two friends of mine have the plain unpainted version...both sound sweet and airy (I call them happy vibes).

For my tastes, I'd say the Deja Vibe is one unit where I think Fulltone might have let things slip a bit. The production models following the hammond versions seemed to suffer. The 3 hammond Dejas I played sound bigger, swampier, maybe even more organic and 3D. Later production versions, sound smaller and flatter (less 3D). However, playing a mini Deja vibe a few years ago, I thought the sound did improve, so perhaps Fulltone is back on track.

I've been wondering why some Dejas sound smaller and flatter. They say it's important to match the bulbs...could this be the case? Hammond Dejas might have different transformers. Their transformers are located inside (not a wallwart power supply). I think Greg's Deja might have had a Mercury Magnetics tranny with its specs scratched out. It might explain why Greg's Deja seemed louder than all the other Dejas I compared it to.

 

[onemind]

Screened but unpainted box. I haven't even opened it up yet. Very airy sounding indeed.

 

[Mad John]

Hi,

I have owned a Deja Vibe2 since 2001 and it has NEVER left the pedal board! Out of the 7 or 8 pedals of Fulltone I have had, this is one of my favorite effects. Sounds great on clean guitar and there is a little volume boost as well, which I like for solos. That said, I do not care for his choras pedal at all. That one I almost never use.

 

[larc]

Screened but unpainted box. I haven't even opened it up yet. Very airy sounding indeed.

Sweet! Sounds like you got yourself a killer vibe.

 

[larc]

That said, I do not care for his choras pedal at all. That one I almost never use.

I had a choral flange too. Didn't bond with it, so I sold it. I recall a friend telling me the early versions sound different...saying he thought one version had a better sounding Flanger. I don't recall which version I had, but it had black knobs.

 

[larc]

I had a big gold one that sounded REALLY thin. It really had no guts at all. I've been thinking about trying the mini to see if things have changed...plus it runs on a 9v adapter.

The gold ones are my least favorite. I think the version that's out now is an improvement.

Disclosure... I'm friends with a Fulltone dealer, so take my comments with a grain of salt. Also own Greg's Deja (purchased it from him back around '98)...so some may say I'm hyping my own pedal. I also own a white "stereo" Deja too...it sounds flat; however I prefer it to the gold ones.

 

[GrecoVee]

I picked up a used Deja-Vibe yesterday, doesn't resemble any others I've seen, raw large hammond enclosure, but otherwise resembles Mini Deja...Custom Shop Sticker, no serial that I can see. Prototype perhaps?

Got one!,..I belive these were the first of the mini style Deja's that were put on the market. Same controls, but in a almost completly square inclosure. I really love mine. I like the way the controls set up higher than the normal mini Deja's. I've actually have never seen another one. Wouldn't mind picking up a used one as a spare.

 

[onemind]

Greco, I'm sure that's the one.

 

[Terry Hayes]

Got one!,..I belive these were the first of the mini style Deja's that were put on the market. Same controls, but in a almost completly square inclosure. I really love mine. I like the way the controls set up higher than the normal mini Deja's. I've actually have never seen another one. Wouldn't mind picking up a used one as a spare.

Yes, I have one too. They were definitely the first of the mini-DejaVibes put on the market and one of the first items released through the Custom Shop.

I got one right away since, at the time, I had no idea Fulltone would continue to offer the deja in a smaller box. I am glad I got this one as well since it is fairly unique and takes up even less space than the current mini. I like the taller box too; it is easy to place on a pedalboard.

The unpainted box is a reference to the early days of Fulltone when his pedals were released that way.

Terry

 

[onemind]

Thanks Terry...I like the vibe of raw enclosures, it's like they mean business. The tall boxes work great on a second level too.

 

[airwarrior]

I just got one of the new MDV-2s, and it is fantastic.

 

[Terry Hayes]

I just got one of the new MDV-2s, and it is fantastic.

A co-worker just got one of those. I would like to hear it since I was e-mailing Mike Fuller about it a couple of weeks ago and he said that this new circuit had really been tweaked.

Terry