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Post subject: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 3:46 pm
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I am having problems with my Blues Deluxe. I've had it for 4+ years, and it's worked like a charm through moderate to heavy gigging during that time; no problems at all, even with a tube change to some Electro-harmonix 6L6's

But in the past 6 months, it has started to develop problems out of the blue. I've had it in the shop THREE (3) separate times, and it's still not fixed. I've had a ton of solder joints fixed in it, all the capacitors and tube sockets replaced according to Fender specs.

But now...it starts to make crackling or shorting-out sounds within 5 minutes of powering up. I usually don't get mad at such things; but this is the 3rd time it'd acted up in 6 months! I'm about ready to move to a different amp or vendor :(

Can anyone offer any help or advice?


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 5:20 pm
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Is this an original Blues Deluxe or a Blues Deluxe Reissue?

If you have had it in the shop on three different occasions and they have not been able to fix it, it sounds to me like you need to find a competant repair shop.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 9:43 am
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It's a reissue. Like I said I've had it into my dealer's repair shop 3X in the last 6 months -- previous to which the amp worked great out of the box for 4 years. I just did a theater run of "Rent" with it, and towards the end of the show, the amp started making shorting out noises -- and it had been sitting on the same chair in the same place untouched for two weeks.

Just played a gig with it on Saturday - and it started making those same noises within 5 minutes of the first set starting. Ruled out my guitar and pedalboard.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 12:56 pm
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Find a new repair shop. Your current shop is just "shotgunning" things hoping they fix it. If they have not actually diagnosed the problem after 3 trys, they don't deserve a fourth shot. They could very well have damaged the amp during one of their previous "repairs".

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 1:36 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
Find a new repair shop. Your current shop is just "shotgunning" things hoping they fix it. If they have not actually diagnosed the problem after 3 trys, they don't deserve a fourth shot. They could very well have damaged the amp during one of their previous "repairs".


+1

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 8:30 am
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Well.... the repair shop in question is the dealer that I bought the amp at originally; they are a licensed Fender shop.

But on the 2nd time in, they even admitted they admitted that they weren't sure what the problem was.

So what do I do? There are no other repair places in town, unless I try a TV repair place or regular electronics pro shop or something like that....


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 8:51 am
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License does not equate to competence.

Try another shop.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 3:08 pm
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ry1633 wrote:
Well.... the repair shop in question is the dealer that I bought the amp at originally; they are a licensed Fender shop.

But on the 2nd time in, they even admitted they admitted that they weren't sure what the problem was.

So what do I do? There are no other repair places in town, unless I try a TV repair place or regular electronics pro shop or something like that....


A REAL tv repair place could probably diagnose and fix the amp in minutes. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 5:25 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
License does not equate to competence.

Try another shop.

Arjay


+1 on all of Arjay's and Bill's comments. At least my HRDlx had a new and different problem every time it went into the shop. Plus I've been dealing with my Tech forever. Competency with my tech wasn't a problem, but it sounds like yours is. License means nothing.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 11:40 am
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Swapped out the preamp tubes - they were the original GTs from 5 years ago - and put in EHarmonix ones. Seems to be fine now.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 4:41 pm
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Keep your fingers crossed. Might want to have a little conversation with your amp "tech", too.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 6:23 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
Keep your fingers crossed. Might want to have a little conversation with your amp "tech", too.


Send "Vito" and his wiseguys around to insist on a refund.

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:56 am
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Well... my tech and I talked for about a half hour the other day... we took a good look at the amp again (the crackle never went away).

We discovered that the cables that connect the main pc board to the tube socket board were cracked and starting to break/short out. They told me that this happens on account of general wear and tear - and since it's about 4.5 years old (warranty goes through September) this make sense I've gigged pretty solidly with the amp that whole time.

My questions: is this a design issue or flaw with this amp? Is this a common problem with the BD and Hot Rods?

-Ryan


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 12:20 pm
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ry1633 wrote:
Well... my tech and I talked for about a half hour the other day... we took a good look at the amp again (the crackle never went away).

We discovered that the cables that connect the main pc board to the tube socket board were cracked and starting to break/short out. They told me that this happens on account of general wear and tear - and since it's about 4.5 years old (warranty goes through September) this make sense I've gigged pretty solidly with the amp that whole time.

My questions: is this a design issue or flaw with this amp? Is this a common problem with the BD and Hot Rods?

-Ryan


I have heard that there have been problems with the ribbon cables (I assume that is what you are referring to), but usually only when the amp has been opened and boards moved, putting stress on the cables. I use clear silicone on them, running a bead of the stuff where the cables bend around the circuit boards to hold them in place.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe problems
Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 5:36 am
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I've never liked ribbon cables in guitar amps. The vibration alone IMO isn't a good thing. I guess if the amp is properly designed you'd be okay, but the whole HRD series as a whole was built to a pretty low price point and many shortcuts were taken. IMO ribbon cables are another cost cutting shortcut and should be left in computers and boom boxes. Just my opinion. You've gigged 4.5 years with your amp and it's in the shop, I gigged over 30 years with my 76 Twin and play my 74 Champ daily and had zero problems both. It's a shame the way many amps are manufactured. My camera gear is the same way. My film cameras are roughly 40 years old and some of my large format lenses are from the 1940's and still work fine today. I've been through 7 higher end digital cameras in the last 10 years mostly due to obsolescence, but a few were due to failure.

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