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Post subject: TV front Deluxe questions
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 11:10 am
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I tried out a Fender TV front Deluxe yesterday and have some questions about it. If I can find an amp that is a better fit for me than my newer Vox AC15HW1, I plan on selling it and spending a little extra cash on an amp better suited to the 40s and 50s jazz and country I play, and my favorite amp of the several I tried while I was in Portland, OR yesterday (90 minutes away from where I live) was a TV front Deluxe. (It was labeled as a 1954, which I know is wrong, so I don’t know if it’s a 5a3 or 5b3.) The volume, quality of distortion, and overall tone are perfect, but I naturally have concerns about a vintage amp as I’ve never owned one. As soon as you turn it on, there’s lots of humming or buzzing, and it didn’t increase virtually at all as you increase the volume on either the amp or the guitar. Is that normal? I just worry that while playing at home at low volumes that eventually all that buzzing would drive me nuts, and I have never played through a amplifier that has done that. Do you know if that’s fixable and, if so, for a reasonable cost? The red power indicator light was burned out, and the Tone control was a little scratchy as was the Mic volume around 11-12, too, and I assume those are cheap fixes? It was priced at $1700, but the retailer has pics of it on their Facebook page dating back to early 2012, so I think that price would be negotiable. The covering looked a little rough, too. Here’s a couple pics and an audio recording with my 1952 Gibson ES-150 (17” laminate body archtop with a P-90 and 12-gauge flat wounds) I took on my iPhone while I was there: http://tjbackstage.com/Fender-TVfront-Deluxe/ (That audio clip doesn’t give a good representation of all the hum the amp has, by the way.) So do you think this is an amp that would be worthwhile to get myself into? I have several vintage guitars and am well aware of what to look for when buying vintage, but I’ve never purchased a vintage amplifier, so of course I’m less knowledgable about what to look for. If I sell my Vox, the maximum I would fork out on an amp would be $1500-1600 total, and, being a college student, I’m usually not going to be in a position to replace anything major (over $200) should something big fail in the first 5ish years. (In regards to reliability, I haven’t been active in Portland’s music scene for about 5 years, but I getting back in now, with the intention of coming to Portland every 3 weekends roughly, but the majority of my playing is at home. I don’t have another amplifier, nor do I intend on purchasing one for at least several years. I don’t see the need of having a backup amplifier, but I don’t want this amp to have ongoing issues beyond any initial repairs.) Do you think that getting this amp and doing whatever to get it to buzz less is doable in that price range? What do you think it’s worth in the condition it’s in now? (I’m not sure about originality, but it does appear to have the original Jensen. Whatever the case, it sure sounded amazing!) Thanks for your help!


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Post subject: Re: TV front Deluxe questions
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 11:23 am
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Virtually anything is fixable -- it's merely a question of economics. Any vintage piece of gear is likely to need some TLC from a competent tech. And in all candor, you should find one first before buying an old tweed Fender. Forget about that zit-popper behind the service counter at GC -- he might be able to fix your iPad/iPod/iPhone but likely he's never even seen the technology represented by a tube amp that's older than his granddad. Once you've found your amp guy, then it's time to shop for hardware.

JMOOC......

Arjay

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"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


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Post subject: Re: TV front Deluxe questions
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 11:34 am
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tjbackstage wrote:
... TV front Deluxe. (It was labeled as a 1954, which I know is wrong, so I don’t know if it’s a 5a3 or 5b3.) The volume, quality of distortion, and overall tone are perfect, but I naturally have concerns about a vintage amp as I’ve never owned one. As soon as you turn it on, there’s lots of humming or buzzing, and it didn’t increase virtually at all as you increase the volume on either the amp or the guitar. Is that normal?
No , it need a good tune-up from a qualified tech

I just worry that while playing at home at low volumes that eventually all that buzzing would drive me nuts, and I have never played through a amplifier that has done that. Do you know if that’s fixable and, if so, for a reasonable cost?
IMO from $100 to $250 it may be fixed. But without seeing myself and ear it , who know ?

I don’t see the need of having a backup amplifier, but I don’t want this amp to have ongoing issues beyond any initial repairs.) Do you think that getting this amp and doing whatever to get it to buzz less is doable in that price range? What do you think it’s worth in the condition it’s in now? (I’m not sure about originality, but it does appear to have the original Jensen. Whatever the case, it sure sounded amazing!)

I don't know .



Thanks for your help!



Please put some space in your ( next ) writing like my answer


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Post subject: Re: TV front Deluxe questions
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 11:35 am
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Right. I've got a friend who's been in vintage retail for a few decades now, and he's able to help me verify if the transformers are original and what not, but he doesn't know of any good amp techs in the Portland metro area. Of course I'd like somebody to see it first before I were to fork out any money, but that could be tough. I'm just wondering if that sort of humming is common enough that somebody can tell me if it's components X, Y, and Z that need replacement or something. And seeing as most guitar repairs cost roughly the same between different luthiers, I'd figure amp repairs would maybe be similar between amp techs.


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Post subject: Re: TV front Deluxe questions
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 11:38 am
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tjbackstage wrote:
Right. I've got a friend who's been in vintage retail for a few decades now, and he's able to help me verify if the transformers are original and what not, but he doesn't know of any good amp techs in the Portland metro area. Of course I'd like somebody to see it first before I were to fork out any money, but that could be tough. I'm just wondering if that sort of humming is common enough that somebody can tell me if it's components X, Y, and Z that need replacement or something. And seeing as most guitar repairs cost roughly the same between different luthiers, I'd figure amp repairs would maybe be similar between amp techs.



Most of the time it is filter capacitors, tubes


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Post subject: Re: TV front Deluxe questions
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 12:03 pm
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Ditto the filter caps & tubes. You should have the amp re-capped before you wail away, for any length of time. Those filter caps maybe original items (60 years old).

FWIW: Good 6SC7 are still available. These are very good audio tubes. They are 6-volt octal sized duo-triodes similar to the 12AT7 in specs. I like the glass Tungsol mil spec 6SC7GTY. Metal RCA cans are good, too.

https://www.tubeworld.com/6sc7gty58.jpg



This site may help you determine the year & model:

http://ampwares.com/amplifiers/fender-tv-front-deluxe/



" 1952 Gibson ES-150 (17” laminate body archtop with a P-90 and 12-gauge flat wounds) "


You have a photo of this gem? Original soap-bar P-90? Must be a tone monster! :mrgreen:


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