It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:06 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 50 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:43 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:50 am
Posts: 1399
Retroverbial wrote:
modwiz wrote:
I apparently have purchased another cadaver.


Just pray that you don't have to "autopsy" it too soon.

:mrgreen:

Arjay


:shock:

_________________
I have some Fender gear.
(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 11:33 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:43 am
Posts: 48
Location: The People's Republic of Ohio
I like the retro appearance of this amp!
The Excelsior also looks to be a very mod-friendly amp, easy to work on, lots of space on the power chassis. I plan to replace the factory transformers with 40 watt Blues Deluxe transformers, add another 22 mfd cap in the power supply, and substitute 6L6's for the 6V6's.
Could be a real nice "sleeper". :)

_________________
I own a bunch of Fender guitars and amps.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:32 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Sounds like a great way to pad the cost of a $300 amp out to six hundred bucks!

: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: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:55 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
For six bills you could build a 5e3. :wink:
Sam Ash near my house has them in a bunch of different colors. It made the Melody Maker and LP Jr I was auditioning sound pretty meh. A DRRI fixed that problem. I never go that deep with mods. It usually amounts to nothing mare than expensive turd polish. Just my opinion.

Hey Arjay, I ordered a Weber for my 74 Champ and figured while I had the chassis out I'd change the stock RCA phono jack to a 1/4" Switchcraft phone jack. It does fit right in the same hole just like you suggested and I saved the original in a plastic bag just in case. No adapter cable required plug and play with the Weber Z Matcher.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 3:12 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
63supro wrote:
Hey Arjay, I ordered a Weber for my 74 Champ and figured while I had the chassis out I'd change the stock RCA phono jack to a 1/4" Switchcraft phone jack. It does fit right in the same hole just like you suggested and I saved the original in a plastic bag just in case. No adapter cable required plug and play with the Weber Z Matcher.


Image

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: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:13 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
That Champ through two 112 closed back cabs can shake the windows for a little 6 watter. :lol:

Arjay, you axe my day. I had a thing for Peggy Lipton when I was a kid. :mrgreen:

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:19 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
63supro wrote:
That Champ through two 112 closed back cabs can shake the windows for a little 6 watter.


Indeed!

Throw a Tube Screamer or an OCD up front and they're positively monstrous. I'm fond of wiring mine up to a 2 x 15 Showman cab.

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: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 12:04 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Sep 09, 2013 11:51 pm
Posts: 2
Just bought myself an Excelsior Pro in surf green, on sale for $350....only $50 extra for the upgraded Eminence speaker made me happy. Really happy I got one in time, the guy at the store said they weren't panning on getting any more in, and they only had 2 left: the blush and the surf green. Wasn't crazy about the pinkish hue of the blush, so surf green it was!

Thought I would revive and old thread and see how happy everyone is after their mods, tube changes, etc.

After playing the amp for a few hours, and doing a little research, I went ahead and ordered some tubes. The stock tubes are very noisy and rattle, and the dark and bright difference between settings is extreme.....I figured that better tubes could help with this.

Here's what I opted for

2 matched JJ 6V6 Power Tubes
1 Tung-Sol 12AX7 Preamp Tube f
1 JJ 12AX7-s Preamp Tube

I found a guy on the Telecaster forums that played around with a pile of combination before settling on this combo.

Can't wait for the tubes to get here so I can see what they can do for this great little amp!


Last edited by ShivaBlaster on Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 2:43 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:18 pm
Posts: 6544
I put Duncan 5-2 pups into my MIM Tele. These really warm up the tone. Esp the bridge. It still has twang, but with more body. Not as weedy. FWIW.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessor ... ele-pickup


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:26 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:07 pm
Posts: 427
What's this talk of Dark and Bright channel?
The dark and bright switch is a cap change.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:20 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:26 pm
Posts: 9
Just picked on up on Friday. So far I am really digging it. Using a Maple neck Strat with a set of Bare Knuckle pups and a MXR OD. Groovy tones for sure!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:48 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:16 pm
Posts: 15
My Blues Deluxe is in the shop, I saw an Excelsior in the pawnshop on bought it on impulse. I must say I have not been disappointed. The other guys at rehearsal today were impressed with it as well. My fellow guitar player recently got a good deal on an Alnico Weber for his Delta Blues, and he gave me his Peavey Blue Marvel to try out in the Excelsior. The honking tone is gone as is the vast difference between Dark and Bright tones. I am going to do the tone knob mod, and new JJ tubes are on order as well. In many respects it just may be a better amp for me that my US Blues Deluxe! Time will tell my friends.

_________________
1980 Fender Lead II (modified), 1994 Fender Blues Deluxe, 1980's Maya Les Paul copy, 1976 Yamaki acoustic with LR Baggs Element PU


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:16 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
The Excelsior amp is designed for an 8-ohm speaker and the Blue Marvel you've installed is 16 ohms. Expect a concurrent drop in overall maximum available volume with the Peavey speaker.

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: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:38 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:16 pm
Posts: 15
That volume drop is not even noticeable (so far). Expect tubes to last longer as well I have read.

_________________
1980 Fender Lead II (modified), 1994 Fender Blues Deluxe, 1980's Maya Les Paul copy, 1976 Yamaki acoustic with LR Baggs Element PU


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Excelsior is still surprising me.
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:57 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:46 am
Posts: 1019
Location: State of Confusion
bmor62 wrote:
That volume drop is not even noticeable (so far). Expect tubes to last longer as well I have read.

Probably because the stock speaker is so very inefficient. (Internet jabber claims it to be in the lower 90's db...take that FWIW). I don't know the sensitivity rating of the Blue Marvel, but upon changing out the stock speaker to an 8 ohm Eminence Legend 1518 @ 103.4 db, the increase in volume was HUGE!

I must say though, I don't favor the idea of impedance mismatch, especially on the lower cost amps who's OT may not be the most robust.

_________________
The quintessential sound of 60/70's R&R:
Fender Tube Amps
Gibson Guitars


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 50 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] 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: