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Post subject: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:57 pm
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Hi All

Sorry its a "Ive got a problem - please help" first post, but here goes

I have just bought a USA made BDV which is very quiet - we gigged a bar on friday night and i had to run it maxxed right out just to be heard - and it was farting and going badly above 5 on the volume. I bought this amp for its prodigious clean tone, but there is no clean tone!!!! It sounded bloody awful!

I had a HRDL once for a gig that was being used as a backline and i couldnt get it past two! Also i have owned lower powered amps in the past that include a MArshall Bluesbreaker and an Orange Rocker 30, both of which could never be run anything over half way up and a normal bar/club/wedding gig.

I know the amp has had a load of new tubes installed (TAD and GT) - so i am looking at problems other than valve related one ones. The other thing was the smell. I couldnt work out if it was very hot "dust" smell or something far more sinister and electrical. Either way it stank and the whole band were asking what it was. It has them all looking in the back of their amps/PA trying to find the source of the smell, but it was the BDV!

Any help on this would be gratefully appreciated!


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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 4:08 am
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Is the warranty still valid? If so, take it back and get another amp. Be sure to try it out in the store before leaving. If you bought it by Net, prolly best to send it back.

The problem could be a number of things. Things you don't wanna delve into. It could be a bad board. Then, no matter what you do to the components attached to the board... it still won't work.

Just as a tidbit, the speaker wires are secure? Correct?


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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:20 am
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If it is a USA Made Blues deville it was made in 1993 to around 96, 98 ish
so the warranty has been long gone.

If your looking for super clean at high volume, what you need is a twin, the Blues series are voiced for, you guessed it blues and they are mebt to overdrive much earlier than a twin or even a black face deluxe.

If your looking for a clean at the top end amp there are zillions of various twins out there that will get serious loud at stay clean.

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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:26 am
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Yes, i had a twin once - lovely thing but SOOOOOOO heavy

Its not the lack of clean im having trouble with really - its the lack of volume

I am in my living room with the thing on 10, and the wife hasnt even complained yet. At ten, this amp should be peeling the paint off the wall and causing my neighbours to come round armed with things to hurt me with!!!!

And yes, its a 1993 model


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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 6:03 am
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Hi squier84,

The US versions are not the RI, although there are only small differences. Do you have a meter and schematics and know how to use them? Just because it has a "load of new tubes" doesn't mean that the tubes can be ruled out, they still can be the problem. Using the meter we can check to see what the problem may be. This should be the correct schematic for your amp (link below). With the amp off, pull the output tubes for the tests, comparing the schematic voltages with what your amp actually has. Let me know if you are ready for some tests. :idea:

http://support.fender.com/schematics/guitar_amplifiers/Blues_DeVille_schematic.pdf

P.S.
Just to be sure, what tubes are currently installed? Are the output tubes 6L6 or possibly 6V6?

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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 9:23 am
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I have a digital multimeter if thats what you mean? the kind of thing that measures resistance and volts i think?


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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 9:53 am
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OK good. If you are confident that all of the tubes are good, you can check the amp itself. Are you comfortable removing the back panel, aware of the lethal voltages inside, and can you follow the schematic to locate test points (TP) and check the voltages indicated? You will be measuring up to around 470 volts DC at TPs, check all of the following; B+, Z, Y, X, C-, in reference to the chassis as ground. Example, TP B+ is the positive lead of C34, TP Z is the positive lead of C41, etc. :idea:

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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 9:59 am
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eeeeek!

i assume the red probe goes on the TP, the black a ground somewhere?

Thank you for taking the time to help!


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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:13 am
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You got it! I usually put the black lead in one of the chassis holes for ground, preferably with the alligator clip if you have one, the red lead used as a probe with no alligator clip. Make sure to write down your readings, you will be tested, lol. Just step-by-step, use caution, and you'll be fine. Note these test points, then we can check others depending on the readings that you get here. :)

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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:34 am
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I might be being a bit thick Shimmi, but i cant see the test point you mention. i can see numbered test point in the second schematic , but lettered ones. Thanks for being patient!


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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:50 am
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On the schematic in the bottom right corner of the first page is the power supply section, transformer AC, and various DC supply voltages. On the top part of the power supply on the schematic you will see some arrows pointing up, and they are labeled B+, Z etc. Then, on the upper part of the schematic near the tubes, you will see the corresponding arrows marked the same as the supply that they connect to. On the layout on the second page the B+ (positive lead of C34) is simply labeled +471 volts, but shows where on the circuit board the TP is located. The TPs are marked on the schematic, but will not be marked on the circuit board as such, just locate the component lead to use as the TP. :)

P.S.
Your readings may be somewhat different than the schematic, some are closer than others, but that is OK as long as they aren't too different. Just check all and write down what you have.

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Last edited by shimmilou on Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:55 am
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Ok i ll have another look!

I did read on another forum that the resistors at the phase inverter were prone to cooking


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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:01 am
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That is a possibility, maybe referring to Plate resistors and we can check those next, for the PI and the other tubes, as well as the screen grid resistors on the output tubes.

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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:25 am
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If it's properly biased and the tubes are okay, I'll bet it's ready for a cap job. They just don't use really good electrolytic capacitors in production amps anymore. Illinois Caps aren't made in Illinois, they're made in Taiwan and are cheap as dirt. I'd look for the obvious too like, bad solder joints, scorched parts, yadda, yadda, yadda...... :wink:

Were you in a big venue that it needed to be that cranked?

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Post subject: Re: Its a Blues Deville USA RI problem post!
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:47 pm
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I hope that we didn't scare you off, or worse.... :shock: Everything OK squier84?

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