"Universal Audio's Dream '65 Fender Deluxe plugin is so good I've started playing through it more than my amp": and it's more than half-price in this Black Friday sale

(Image credit: Universal Audio)

I've been a bit behind when it comes to the leaps guitar plugins have made recently, but the Black Friday guitar deals gave me a reason to dive into the latest offerings from Universal Audio – because they're a massive 50% off.

Admittedly, the massive half-price deal on the new Dream, Lion and Ruby amp plugins was already rolling before the Cyber Weekend, but Thomann is now offering it for even less. Plus, I got paid so this felt like the perfect deal at the right time.

It turns out I was right.

I'm a little biased here – but for good reason. I am already a fan of the pedal version of the UA Dream '65 amp pedal – it raised the bar for the kind of detailed amp modelling technology could capture when I reviewed it, with a focus on the 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb combo and the most popular mods that have been done to this iconic tube amp over the years. And it worked incredibly well on my pedalboard.

Universal Audio UAD Guitar Plugins — (Image credit: Universal Audio)

I'm a dad, and when I'm not reviewing guitars as part of my job in a test environment, it can be difficult to find space and time to play guitar through an amp after my two children have gone to bed

Universal Audio did the same for the Vox AC-30 Top Boost with the Ruby '63 pedal, plus Marshall Plexi Super Lead and Super Bass with the Lion '68 pedal. But its decision to make plugin versions of these pedals has impressed me in a different way.

I'm a dad, and when I'm not reviewing guitars as part of my job in a test environment, it can be difficult to find space and time to play guitar through an amp after my two children have gone to bed. The headphone experience with amps and even multi-fx has often felt somewhat compromised for me – compressed and oppressive. but UA's Dream '65 Amp plugin changed that.

The Dream '65 UA plugin doesn't require the company's hardware to launch it. I can boot up my laptop and GarageBand (the three amp plugins work with any DAW) then launch the plugin from there. And it sounds spectacular through headphones; like a loud Deluxe in the room; spring reverb dripping, vibrato throbbing and captured with mics I could never afford in the real world. It's blown me away.

Unlike the pedal that needs the UAFX Control smartphone app to access presets, they're instantly accessible here – alongside the amp's controls in a super easy-to-use interface. They're a great jumping-off point for inspiration, from gritty edge of breakup to flubsome, cab-rumbling neck pickup drive and glassy cleans. These are sounds I get lost in, and it's reinspired me to record more too.

But it ain't cheap. These three amp plugins are $299 each. Quality like this is worth paying for but half price is much more palatable, especially if you are yet to be convinced by the pedal versions. But we've found it even cheaper – Thomann is offering each one for $142 / £138 rather than the £/$149 everywhere else. If you're looking for iconic tones for your recordings or just a way to enjoy those sounds through cans in your house, this is a Black Friday deal I can personally recommend.