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Post subject: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:26 am
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Hey all,

I recently purchased a used mid 80's Made In Japan Fender Sidekick 15 amp that when I switch it on it hums for about 2-3 seconds and then the hum drops down to almost nothing and can barely be heard unless you put your ear right up to the speaker however it is still there. After this it works find and sounds great. I was wondering what would cause this hum and is it worth fixing? I am worried that one day it'll keep humming louder or possibly not work anymore.
I know it's just a little solid state amp and I only paid $35 for it but I do like it's sound and for a little amp it's pretty loud. I have read online that swapping the speaker for something better does wonders for it's tone and volume too. I wonder what would be a good replacement 8" speaker?

Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 4:10 pm
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Hum ; look it is filter caps circuit. One day it will hum all the time or it will stop to play.
Need new filter caps or fix some solder.
To repair it cost more than you pay the amp.

Good Speaker, look Eminence, weber, WGS


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 4:41 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
To repair it cost more than you pay the amp.


+1

Regrettably this is true.

The Sidekick line was a pretty well-designed and well-built series that FMIC imported as a stopgap until they got Fender's domestic amp production restarted after the CBS divestiture. Likely your issue is a simple one but bench-time rates for amp techs are still expensive. Thus even a replacement part costing three or four dollars could put your out-of-pocket expenses at fifty bucks or more. However, unlike Fender's contemporary entry-level products the Sidekicks were designed to be repairable. And these amps are worth more than you may think. If you can get a tech to at least look at it and ballpark an estimate for repairs, it's possible that price might be acceptable (say sixty bucks or so, which would be near the break-even point).

As for a replacement speaker, the previous recommendations are worthy of investigation. Many of the larger Sidekicks were originally equipped with an Eminence design and sounded pretty good but the 8-inch OEM speaker you have could probably be improved upon.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 5:05 am
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Thanks for the replies. I thought the hum might be caused by filter caps going bad so this confirms it. I guess I just keep using it as is until it gets worse. Right now other than that little problem it works fine. It is a good little amp (quite loud too) and I'd probably spend $50 to keep it up and running if need be.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 7:38 am
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OldGuitarPlayer wrote:
It is a good little amp (quite loud too)...


Years ago I had a Sidekick Switcher (about 35 watts through a 12-speaker) and for a grab-and-go combo it was surprisingly potent. A buddy would frequently borrow it for small and medium-sized gigs. It always got the job done and I regret selling it to this day. It was one of the last Sidekicks built (after production was moved to Taiwan) and the only issue it ever had was a minor manufacturing flaw -- the front-panel controls for "reverb" and "presence" were transposed. The amp delivered solid, reliable service for nearly two decades.

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: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 8:08 am
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I had a Sidekick 65 combo amp years back and it was a solid reliable amp. I have read a lot about the switcher and some of the other models they made in 10 20 25 and 35 watt versions with chorus or reverb. They all seem to get decent reviews for what they do. I like Fender solid state amps. I currently play gigs with a 1990's Fender Deluxe 90 (non-DSP version) and use both the "overdrive" and clean channels. Sadly the reverb died on it years ago.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 4:46 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
stratele52 wrote:
To repair it cost more than you pay the amp.


+1

Regrettably this is true.


Arjay


If you like the amp, it’s worth fixing, keeping, and using regardless of your buy cost. I try not to live in a world where I consider everything disposable. I'm guilty too, things break, you buy a new one, or cost is really an issue.

Just as Eric Clapton knows his way around a Stratocaster, if you can use a handheld John Fluke voltmeter, there's enough people here to help. Did you ever give the circuit board a good look, for anything strange. You may not need a voltmeter. And then the actual part replacement is some effort. Know anybody who has electronics as a hobby? You sound convinced you already know whats wrong with it.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:54 am
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Oh yes I like the amp and I do think it's worth fixing up. I haven't opened it up yet to look at the insides but if it looks like an easy job to replace a filter cap or two I may tackle it myself. If it looks like it needs professional help I know of a couple of folks I could take it to. I used it the other night for fun at a rehearsal with drums and bass and it actually kept up. However, I only intend to use it for a home practice amp. If I find a decent replacement speaker I'll give that a try.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:58 am
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OldGuitarPlayer wrote:
If I find a decent replacement speaker I'll give that a try.


You might explore the possibility of upgrading to a 10-inch speaker. If that's doable it'll give you more sonic options when choosing a replacement.

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: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 1:50 pm
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I don't think thing the cabinet is big enough for a 10" speaker. I do have another cabinet from a busted old Garnet transistor combo amp which has what appears to be an 8" or 10"speaker in it and it has a larger magnet and is rated for 30 watts at 8 ohms. It is not the original speaker but made in Japan. I could always try to fit the chassis from the Sidekick into this old Garnet cabinet which could easily take a larger speaker. It actually looks do-able...lol.

I am first going to see if I can fit this other speaker from the Garnet inside the Sidekick cabinet.


Last edited by OldGuitarPlayer on Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:20 pm
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Garnet amps don't use very good speaker. They use Canadian made RSC or Marsland speaker. Not sure your Sidekick speaker are worst. Not sure it will be a upgrade with a Garnet speaker.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:56 pm
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I edited my last post...the speaker from the Garnet was not the original but according to Google it seems to be a vintage 1970's 8 inch "Criterion" brand speaker from Japan with model numbers 2003Ab and CR-50A printed on it and rated for 30 watts at 8 ohms. I just swapped the speakers and it sounds a lot better. A lot more tighter bass and no loss in volume that's for sure. If anything it sounds a little louder and fuller. The Fender speaker looks like a toy compared to the replacement one. The replacement has a much bigger, sturdier frame, bigger magnet and is heavier in weight. It sounds nice and clean with good note definition. At first I thought it was a 10" speaker it looked so big but apparently it's 8" and I got it to fit just fine. Although two of the holes didn't line up so I just screwed the screws right into the wood. It's in there solid. I'll try the amp again at band volume next week and see how it performs. Right now I am already impressed.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 6:31 pm
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IIRC, Criterion was one of Lafayette Radio Electronics' house brands. The line was primarily focused on stereo speaker systems and raw drivers for custom builders. Some of the stuff was pretty good.

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: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2016 6:46 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
IIRC, Criterion was one of Lafayette Radio Electronics' house brands. The line was primarily focused on stereo speaker systems and raw drivers for custom builders. Some of the stuff was pretty good.

Arjay


I have been reading that various folks say some speakers meant for stereo are not that great for use in instrument amps however I find no problem with this speaker's ability to reproduce the guitars various tonal frequencies. it seems pretty heavy duty and in fact it does a pretty good job. At least it's got to be better than the wimpy looking original Fender one that was in there. Eventually I'd like get a nice Celestion 8" speaker for it.

I must say these are fun little amps if your looking for something slightly better than your average solid state practice amp. With a microphone in front of it I could probably do small gigs with it. You can take this little guy on public transit no problem.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Sidekick 15 "hums" when switched on....
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2016 7:06 am
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I will not use hi fi speaker for guitar amp. IMO, they are not build strong enough for the dynamic guitar sent to the speaker.

If you play at your home only this does not matter.


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