It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:36 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 18 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 2:50 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 2:46 pm
Posts: 9
I am new here and I have a 1964 tremolux that I have had for 30 years. What modifications if any do some of you suggest for better sound or performance? Any suggestions will be apreceated.
Thanks John


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 3:42 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
NONE!

Tune it up as you would any quality piece of gear (new tubes, new bias & filter caps, replacement of anything that looks wonky, a bias adjustment) and play the hell out of it for the next thirty years.

8)

'Nuff said.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 3:52 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:18 pm
Posts: 6544
If those electrolytic caps are 30 years old +, should change ALL of them out. Power supply as well as bypass caps & bias power supply caps.

Check all power supply resistors for tolerance. Also, the resistors hanging off your power tubes (grid stoppers, screen resistors). And the ones in the bias power supply. I usually change the bias power supply diode, too (usually go to a UF4004).

Clean the scratchy pots with good contact cleaner. And the bias pot, too. Tighten the socket tangs on loose fitting tubes.

Give a once over on all wiring and solder points. Check for cracks or funky solder points (esp if amp have been gone through, by a past tech).

Before shot of 1962 Pro Amp:
Image

After shot. I changed a couple of coupling caps that were DC leaky. USed Sprague 16PS Mylar caps: (note new bypass caps and new mica caps in vibrato setcion):

Image

Original power supply caps and resistors:

Image

After shot, with new Sprague Atoms & Kiwame resistors:

Image


HTH... Good luck! Take your time or use a good tech. It's well worth the extra time and $$$, for a long life & RELIABLE unit.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 5:17 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:49 am
Posts: 1153
Location: South Bay, CA
Congrats! great amp.

Only thing I'd add is replace the power cord with a properly grounded 3-prong cord.

_________________
Image
'59? Bogen Challenger CHA-33, '65 Bandmaster, '65 Tremolux, 65 Showman;
'74 SF Princeton; '77 SF Princeton Reverb; Dr. Z Mini Z

Our band: http://www.facebook.com/thetoysband


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 6:08 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
nedorama wrote:
Only thing I'd add is replace the power cord with a properly grounded 3-prong cord.


......And disable and/or remove the "death cap".

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 7:11 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 7:34 pm
Posts: 6911
death cap???

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:37 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:38 am
Posts: 4333
Location: Tennessee
way cool jr wrote:
death cap???

Yeah...you know the poisonous mushrooms!! :)

Seriously,there's a capacitor near the power switch that could possibly carry current to the chassis in a catastrophic event and people have nicknamed it the "death cap"...but I don't know if anyone has ever been killed because of it.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:43 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 7:34 pm
Posts: 6911
ok so how do you discharge it to be able to remove it?
why would one remove it anyways?

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:50 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:38 am
Posts: 4333
Location: Tennessee
http://www.theguitarfiles.com/guitarfile644.html
That explains the situation better than I can.
btw...if you're thinking about poking around inside an amp,be careful!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 9:06 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 7:34 pm
Posts: 6911
Rebelsoul wrote:
http://www.theguitarfiles.com/guitarfile644.html
That explains the situation better than I can.
btw...if you're thinking about poking around inside an amp,be careful!



nope, i have a good tech thats works extremely cheap for that, but ya never know, one day i might just dive in myself.

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 9:31 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:38 am
Posts: 4333
Location: Tennessee
Same here waycool...my tech is actually an old friend in his 70's and failing health.I'm learning as much as I can from him,but leave the complicated stuff to him also.
Here in Nashville there's some really good techs,if in the future I need to take my amps somewhere...in the meantime I'll work and learn about the insides and do what I can.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 9:37 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 7:34 pm
Posts: 6911
i dont have anybody to teach me things like this. wish i did.
learn what you can and pass it along to somebody else.

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 9:55 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
way cool jr wrote:
i dont have anybody to teach me things like this.


You got us, pilgrim!

:mrgreen:

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 10:02 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 7:34 pm
Posts: 6911
yes and you really dont know how greatful i am for that. and thats said with all way cool jokes aside arjay. there are some really cool giving knowledgable people on here.
thats why i call it home. hell, look at my post count VS the time ive been a member.
if that dont tell ya something.................. :shock: :wink:

_________________
63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 1964 fender tremolux
Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 8:04 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:18 pm
Posts: 6544
There's some pretty good books, to start the process. For basic stuff Morgan Jones has a couple "Building Valve Amps" & 'Valve Amplifiers."

I like Gerald Weber's "Tube Amp Talk" & "Desktop Reference."

There's some Net sites that have good intro and advanced info too:

http://aikenamps.com/

http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard/

http://geofex.com/

Merlin Blencowe's books are very good, too.

Kevin O'Connor's "TUT" (The Ultimate Tone) series can get a bit complicated (IMHO). HIs "TUT #1" is pretty good reference source.

HTH. Good luck. And get a good DVM & soldering iron. Mid-priced Fluke and heat controllable Weller will do fine.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 18 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: