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Post subject: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:05 pm
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Hey guys thanks for reading! I recently managed to snag a Fender Blues Deluxe amp with new tubes for ~300 bucks. The guy I bought it off of said his tech ran through it and cleaned it and found nothing wrong...

I recently purchased a Blues Deluxe tube amplifier equipped with new tubes, ($80 for the set...) and have found my self enjoying it! Fender amplifiers are great.

I've got a couple issues that need worked out on this though. First off:

A) I am not skilled in electronics beyond understanding basic soldering and identification of different basic parts
B) I am willing to pay for repairs on this up to ~200

Okay, let identify the problems:

Input 1 has very little volume at 12, with the guitar at 10/10
Input 2 has decent volume, but not what I would expect from a 40w amplifier.

When playing chords and some lead lines there's break up on the G and B strings on the clean channel. Mostly present with higher guitar volume, and becomes more pronounced with higher tone pot. This is unwanted distortion. The drive channel maintains it too.

Like I said it is playable, but the channel 1 missing volume is a big deal and the break up and distortion on the higher notes messes with what sound I want out of a clean channel, but not horribly. It is tolerable.

I did some research on this and it seemed to me that there's potential issues with power related to biasing, capacitors, the power tubes, or soldering.

If anyone could maybe help me diagnose the problem with my limited, but high aptitude, understanding of guitar amplifier electronics then I would be thrilled. If we find the issue I'll ship you some strings or a box of cookies. :D


Last edited by DylanJames on Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:45 pm
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Sounds to me like the "tech" that supposedly went through the amp and found nothing wrong didn't do a very good job. To be honest, if the seller and tech are local, you should take the amp back to them and complain.

Now, as far as not having much volume, we really need to know a little more about the amp as that description is a little too general. So, some questions:

1. What tubes are installed in the amp? The tubes are numbered V1 through V5 from right to left when looking at the back of the amp.

2. Do you know if the "tech" properly biased the power tubes, or at least checked them for proper bias with the new tubes? You amp does not have a bias adjustment pot like the Reissues, and setting the bias in the original amp requires changing parts.

3. Channel 1 should be LOUD with the volume set to 12. Channel 2 requires both the drive volume and master volume to be set to 12 to be about equal in loudness to channel 1 at 12. Channel 2 will be very "dirty" sounding with both controls set at 12.

4. It is necessary to measure the output of the power supply, both AC and DC. Since this involves voltages of 400+ volts, you need to know what you are doing and have the proper tools. If the power supply voltages are low, that would impact the volume levels. You could have a bad power transformer or diodes, or filter caps.

5. Is the amp making any crackling or loud humming noises? Crackling could be bad solder joints and humming could be a bad ground or filter caps.

To be honest, there are any number of things that could cause the volume to be low. Trying to diagnose and amp over the Internet with only knowing that the volume is low is very difficult. You really need to have the amp checked out by a competent tech.

Here is the schematic for that amp:

http://support.fender.com/schematics/gu ... ematic.pdf

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 11:10 pm
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1. The two big ones are Russian 6L6WGCs and the three smaller ones are 7025/16s.

2. It seems as though the biasing component hasn't been switched, as there's no adjustable variable on the circuitboard for such.

3. I have access to electronics equipment at my school, as I'm in an audio electronics course that provides oscilloscopes and and ohms meters and all that jazz.

4. Yeah input one doesn't seem to be that way at all

5. Humming and cracking, no. But on high attack on the strings of my guitar the amplifier will distort the upper mid range of the B and G strings into an ugly sound. Playing with my thumb minimizes this. I will try to record and post a pic of the circuitry of this amp tomorrow and post for you.


Last edited by DylanJames on Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 11:21 pm
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When talking about channels, I mean the inputs. My mistake on the lingo


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 12:38 am
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To be clear, you do know that the "Volume" pot is only for the clean channel, while the "Drive" and "Master" pots are only for the drive channel. The channels are switched with the button on the faceplate, while the inputs 1 and 2 both work with either channel.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:19 am
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Yeah I know. Input one is extremely quiet of the two. I'm not even using drive with this going on.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:26 am
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Input number 2 attenuates the guitar signal by 6 dB. It is supposed to be quieter than input 1.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:32 am
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Are you using a guitar with single coils or humbuckers? Humbuckers will easily overdrive the clean channel especially if plugged into input 1. Input 2 is designed for use with high output pickups.

If you are saying that input 1 is quieter with input 2, than you have a problem with the input 1 jack and circuit.

I really think you need to take this amp back to the seller and/or tech and complain.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:35 am
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DylanJames wrote:
3. I have access to electronics equipment at my school, as I'm in an audio electronics course that provides oscilloscopes and and ohms meters and all that jazz.


All the equipment in the world does you no good if you don't know how to use it. A number of suggestions have been made as to the cause of your problems. Do you have any clue how to go about troubleshooting them?

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:46 am
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First off I want to thank everyone for chiming in.

I am using a Samick Humbucking guitar for this amplifier. And input 1 is much, much more quiet than input two as you'll see here.

Regarding my tech experience, no I do not know how to troubleshoot this.

I decided to take some pictures of the circuitry and record the amplifier. Here are some links to the recordings and pictures.

http://speedy.sh/92CE7/Voice-001.m4a - Input 1 for the first half, input 2 on the second. Phone was too close to record so I recorded the second one below.
http://speedy.sh/AeYMh/Voice-002.m4a


I can't stress enough that input 1 is EXTREMELY quiet for being at 12 on a 40w amp compared to the input 2 volume. Hopefully this will let you hear what I'm talking about with the unwanted distortion.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:53 am
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Going to link to the album of photos.

Partially I want to exchange it for my money back and get another, but on the other hand I'm an audio engineering student and this provides me the opportunity to learn to fix an diagnose problems that will inevitably come up at some point in my music career. I see this as a possible learning experience. If I can fix this for less than 200 bucks then I will have myself an amplifier at a good deal, better knowledge of amplifier electronics, and the ability to say that I fixed it myself.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:56 am
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Let me repeat.

You've been given several possible causes for your problems. If you don't know how to troubleshoot for them, you need to take the amp back to the seller or the tech who pronounced it "good".

Maybe you can take the amp in to your class and work with the instructor on it as a class project. :idea:

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 3:03 pm
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DylanJames wrote:
...I recently managed to snag a Fender Blues Deluxe amp with new tubes for ~300 bucks. The guy I bought it off of said his tech ran through it and cleaned it and found nothing wrong...

I recently purchased a Blues Deluxe tube amplifier equipped with new tubes, ($80 for the set...) and have found my self enjoying it! Fender amplifiers are great...


Did you get two? Does one work and one doesn't, or did it work and then started having problems?

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 3:31 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
DylanJames wrote:
...I recently managed to snag a Fender Blues Deluxe amp with new tubes for ~300 bucks. The guy I bought it off of said his tech ran through it and cleaned it and found nothing wrong...

I recently purchased a Blues Deluxe tube amplifier equipped with new tubes, ($80 for the set...) and have found my self enjoying it! Fender amplifiers are great...


Did you get two? Does one work and one doesn't, or did it work and then started having problems?


Ok. Now you have ME confused. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I listened to the two recordings and without a reference level, it is hard to say that one or the other input is too quiet. However, both recordings sound like an amp being driven by a guitar with hot humbuckers. I have no idea what comes in a Samick.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe - Original Issues (Distortion, Volume)
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 4:10 pm
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I think that you can get them however you like, I usually have extra cheese on my Samick. :lol:

Yeah, I wasn't sure what was going on, the OP read like there were two amps. :?:

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