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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 8:20 am
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garryrenfro wrote:
Geesh, what the hell is Fender doing? Looks like they have a suicide wish. I was at a local store Tuesday when they unboxed a 68 Custom Twin Reverb. I admit I was excited by the marketing spiel (but was realistically skeptical) and was anxious to try it. Seemed like it might have an traditional Twin tone stack and a somewhat Tweed tone stack. However, the bugger exhibited almost the exact same faults as the OP's amp! Discolored Tolex on the corners where the foam packing covered (there was a plastic bag over the entire amp between the amp and foam corners - ???), very loud idle hum, tremolo did not tick but did not work until speed and intensity were at about 5, and sounded like doo-doo past 8, and the reverb began to oscillate at about 3. There be trouble in River City.
Took my can of Raid, came home to my 65 Tremolux and smiled a while.


This is so disheartening. It is as if Fender is really focusing on what the majority of buyers buy, at least by volume--the Chinese-made modeling amps. Like has been discussed, they don't make 'em like they used to even though they could do that, because people don't want to pay for it, and people want an amp for $600, which is like $100.00 in 1965. The mustangs--and I'm not arguing they sound as good as a tube amp--do *not* have these glaring problems. They work out of the box and don't have obvious things like discolorings on the corners. Again, not restarting the tube vs. SS debate; simply saying the mustangs at least come doing what they are supposed to do without immediately needing warranty work or being discolored.

What is going on with DRRI and this silverface amp in the tube amp line????


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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 8:48 am
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Folks continue to lambaste the "despicable" CBS era for shoddy products and lack of innovation but the fact of the matter is, the number of new amps built back then with problems were infinitesimally miniscule compared to the number of complaints extant today. Of course FMI didn't have a large "lifestyle accessory" division spending thousands of $$$ in R&D money on products vital to musicians such as sushi forks engraved with the company logo, Stratocaster mouse pads, bath towels with an embroidered P-Bass, sunburst-finished cell phones, and the like.

You know......vital products.

:roll:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:42 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Folks continue to lambaste the "despicable" CBS era for shoddy products and lack of innovation but the fact of the matter is, the number of new amps built back then with problems were infinitesimally miniscule compared to the number of complaints extant today. Of course FMI didn't have a large "lifestyle accessory" division spending thousands of $$$ in R&D money on products vital to musicians such as sushi forks engraved with the company logo, Stratocaster mouse pads, bath towels with an embroidered P-Bass, sunburst-finished cell phones, and the like.

You know......vital products.

:roll:

Arjay

Before the days of internet where every malcontent, for either valid reasons or just the urge to $@!&* and 'be heard'. I'd like to know the actual stats from that era and current to see if such is truly the case. But, we never will. :?

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 6:30 pm
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IM4Tone wrote:
Before the days of internet where every malcontent, for either valid reasons or just the urge to $@!&* and 'be heard'. I'd like to know the actual stats from that era and current to see if such is truly the case. But, we never will. :?


On any given day thirty or forty years from now you'll still see an ample supply of '70s-era silverface Fender amps listed for sale on Ebay, and going for premium prices. I'll wager a crisp new C-note that in that same future scenario, you'll be able to count the number of Frontman's, Vintage Modified's, Hotrod's, Champion's, and '65 BF re-issue's available for sale on the fingers of a single hand.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 4:19 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
...thirty or forty years from now...I'll wager a crisp new C-note...


:lol:

Odds are many of us won't be around then, and if we are we won't remember anything, so no one will have to pay up anyway. :lol: But, you are probably right, so I'll check back with you in forty years. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 6:10 pm
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[img]Z[/img]
Retroverbial wrote:
The "improved" DRRI (and presumably the '68 "vintage modified" edition) has two additional sub-boards for the tremolo circuit.

And neither of them contain an opto-roach......

Image

Ain't the digital age grand?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Arjay



Hello all,
A gut shot of my '68 CDR.

Image

Note the opto-bug nestled firmly in its usual position.
NFB resistor is 1.5k, instead of thr DRRI's 820.
Wish I could see the tone stack components but removing that board is a PITA.
I had the noisey Trem issue as well(almost unusable with the stock tube), but I rolled a few tubes and found one that cleaned it up quite a bit(Tung Sol RI AX7).
A lttle hissy at idle, but no rattles, no discoloration, and no other issues so far.
The amp sounds fantastic-I'm really liking it, and I haven't been real big on DRRIs in the past.
Cheers.


Last edited by t-luxe on Fri Nov 01, 2013 9:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 6:18 pm
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Aside from the shield surrounding the speaker output jacks, that chassis layout looks relatively the same as my 2003 DRRI.

I'm wondering if these vintage-modified '68s with the original trem circuit are even available in Europe......?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 7:32 pm
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Don't think you can see it in the above pic but the main board is stenciled "2002".


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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 8:00 pm
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As is this board, from a 2011 DRRI......

Image

Note the heresy committed upon the tremolo circuit.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 9:42 pm
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Is that a U.S. version?! :shock:


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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 4:22 am
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" If I am reading what you guys are saying correctly, then wow. Again, far less clear and strong class action lawsuits have been successful involving all sorts of products. Fender cannot claim it is selling you an all tube amp for $1000 and have it actually be run by computer circuits inside no different than a Mustang modeling amp! "

Just the tremolo/vibrato section.


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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:05 am
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
" If I am reading what you guys are saying correctly, then wow. Again, far less clear and strong class action lawsuits have been successful involving all sorts of products. Fender cannot claim it is selling you an all tube amp for $1000 and have it actually be run by computer circuits inside no different than a Mustang modeling amp! "

Just the tremolo/vibrato section.


Which seems to suffer the same maladies as the original trem circuit......

:roll:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:19 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
:lol:

Yeah, he did very well in electronics only being a Machinist. :)


"Only" a Machinist? Noting wrong with being a Machinist. I was one for close to 18 years. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:25 pm
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Here's something to think about. back in the 60's and 70's, Fender had a one year warranty. Now it's five. Funny thing is, back then, I never needed to use the warranty even once. My 76 Twin went over 30 years before it even went in for routine service. My HRdlx lived with my tech more than me. The stuff I build myself has a better track record. My one build is two years old and still works great and my other build will be a year old in December. I've gigged the snot out of that one and push it hard too. So far so good. If I can do it, why can't Fender? It's pretty much their design and on a PCB too. :lol:

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Last edited by 63supro on Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: '68 Deluxe Reverb problems...
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:26 pm
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63supro wrote:
shimmilou wrote:
:lol:

Yeah, he did very well in electronics only being a Machinist. :)


"Only" a Machinist? Noting wrong with being a Machinist. I was one for close to 18 years. :wink:


+1

Whether you're talking about a trem block for a Strat, a blueprinted set of heads for a 440 Magnum, or the thrusters on a Lunar Excursion Module, none of those would exist without machinists.

I'm forever awed by that type of craftsmanship.

Arjay

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