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Post subject: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:53 pm
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I am the owner of a Blues Deluxe Reissue, which was purchased second-hand about a year ago. I put a few months use into the amp before it started acting up intermittently. The signal would pop cut out, and a loud buzzing occurred that wasn't affected by turning the volume up or down or disconnecting the lead. It wouldn't happen very often, so I figured that I would replace all the tubes and go from there. The re-tube seemed to do the trick.

However, after a few months, the same problem developed. Only this time it was more consistent. After a visual inspection of the inside, I noticed the High Voltage filter caps were leaking. So I decided it was time to take the amp to a professional to replace the filter caps that were only about 8 years old. Of course, the amp tech could not get the amp to buzz and pop as I described it, so he couldn't troubleshoot that problem. He did replace the High Voltage filter caps, as well as the pilot light (which has always flickered on and off while playing the amp, I never saw it as a problem). The amp worked fine at his shop, and sounded better than before. However, the first night I took the amp out to practice, the problem occurred once at the beginning of the night, but then wouldn't happen again. The problem became worse and after a few days, I could barely play the amp for 5 seconds before it started popping and buzzing again. A few days after, I decided I would try to see if the amp would do it with nothing plugged in to the jacks. Of course, after about a minute, even with nothing plugged in, the amp would pop and the buzzing started. It's a little frustrating, especially since I could have bought a new amplifier for the amount of money I have put into this amp.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:00 pm
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Broken solder or printed circuit , dirty / oxided tubes contacts. Easy to find for a qualified tech.

Funny your tech can 't ear the problem , only you !

You must see a qualified tech .


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:34 pm
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ChrisBenDangin wrote:
It's a little frustrating, especially since I could have bought a new amplifier for the amount of money I have put into this amp.


:wink:

It's time to take that POS down to Cal Worthington and trade it in......

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:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:18 pm
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Get a tube amp kit, scrap the parts inside that Blues Deluxe, reuse the chassis and cab for a new amp...

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:51 am
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ChrisBenDangin wrote:
The signal would pop cut out, and a loud buzzing occurred that wasn't affected by turning the volume up or down or disconnecting the lead.


Which volume control are you referring to? The BDRI has a clean volume, a gain, and a master volume control, all of which effect the amp "volume".

ChrisBenDangin wrote:
A few days after, I decided I would try to see if the amp would do it with nothing plugged in to the jacks. Of course, after about a minute, even with nothing plugged in, the amp would pop and the buzzing started.


If it wasn't for your statement about a "volume" control above, this statement would lead me to believe that the problem is simply a bad input jack. Did you plug into both the high and low level input jacks? Did the problem occur in both or only one? Try plugging into the main amp in jack of the effects loop. Can you plug the preamp out jack of the effects loop into another amp? These tests would at least isolate the preamp or power amp sections as the cause of the problem.

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 3:14 am
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bluesky636 wrote:

If it wasn't for your statement about a "volume" control above, this statement would lead me to believe that the problem is simply a bad input jack. Did you plug into both the high and low level input jacks? Did the problem occur in both or only one? Try plugging into the main amp in jack of the effects loop. Can you plug the preamp out jack of the effects loop into another amp? These tests would at least isolate the preamp or power amp sections as the cause of the problem.



+1 or it is the guitar , wires , effects plugged ?


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:24 am
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bluesky636 wrote:
ChrisBenDangin wrote:
The signal would pop cut out, and a loud buzzing occurred that wasn't affected by turning the volume up or down or disconnecting the lead.


Which volume control are you referring to? The BDRI has a clean volume, a gain, and a master volume control, all of which effect the amp "volume".

ChrisBenDangin wrote:
A few days after, I decided I would try to see if the amp would do it with nothing plugged in to the jacks. Of course, after about a minute, even with nothing plugged in, the amp would pop and the buzzing started.


If it wasn't for your statement about a "volume" control above, this statement would lead me to believe that the problem is simply a bad input jack. Did you plug into both the high and low level input jacks? Did the problem occur in both or only one? Try plugging into the main amp in jack of the effects loop. Can you plug the preamp out jack of the effects loop into another amp? These tests would at least isolate the preamp or power amp sections as the cause of the problem.


It didn't matter whether or not I moved the clean volume, gain, or master volume. Once the buzzing started the only way to stop it is to turn it on standby or turn it off. I did try both input jacks and that did not solve the problem. I did not try the power amp in or the pre-amp because the amp will now start buzzing randomly without anything plugged in (once it's powered on of course).

stratele52 wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:

If it wasn't for your statement about a "volume" control above, this statement would lead me to believe that the problem is simply a bad input jack. Did you plug into both the high and low level input jacks? Did the problem occur in both or only one? Try plugging into the main amp in jack of the effects loop. Can you plug the preamp out jack of the effects loop into another amp? These tests would at least isolate the preamp or power amp sections as the cause of the problem.



+1 or it is the guitar , wires , effects plugged ?


I did suspect the effects having something to do with it and my experience with this amp will explain why. The amp had been sitting for some time before I took it to the tech to have it recapped. As I stated above, the tech could not cause the buzzing to happen, so he could not trouble-shoot that particular problem. When I went to pick up the amp, I had a chance to try it out a little bit before I left. Everything was fine there, so I took it home, where I proceeded to try it again. No problems whatsoever. However, once I took the amp to band practice and plugged in my effects (everything in to the front end), that's when the problems started. Though it seems like the effects were a catalyst, there was something else strange about the situation. Once the buzzing happened once, it was prone to happening again even if I plugged straight into the front end of the amp (it happened a couple of times). The last time I fired it up, I didn't plug anything in to the amplifier just to see if it would buzz on its own (it took a few seconds but it happened). I just don't get it.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:39 am
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I would return it to the tech , it is happened some time a tech can't find why the first time for many reason . With more explanation like you write here he may find something if he is qualified


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:53 am
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" Once the buzzing happened once, it was prone to happening again even if I plugged straight into the front end of the amp (it happened a couple of times). The last time I fired it up, I didn't plug anything in to the amplifier just to see if it would buzz on its own (it took a few seconds but it happened). I just don't get it. "

This sounds similar to a problem I had with a SF Bandmaster Reverb. It would work fine for awhile, then emit this God awful buzz. There was no way to stop the thing buzzing --- except pulling the plug. Noise was same loud level, regardless of volume settings or if a guitar was plug in or not.

Wooden chopsticks found the issue. A hairline crack in two soldered places. The heater line to V2 (pins 4 & 5) and the jumper across pins 2 & 7 of the reverb driver (V3). I fixed the crack in V2, all was ok for awhile, then the darn amp starting making a horrific noise, again. I checked the sockets again. The solder between pins 2 & 7 of V3 (folded over pin tangs soldered together) would elicit the same noise if poked hard enough by the chopsticks. Re-soldered and all is ok. Sold the amp to a guy that gigs with it 2-3 times a month.

When you get a LOUD noise, often it's something in the first stages or EFX stages. As these sections carry the most gain, in the amp. I believe that the buzzing noise was the solder cracks touching and then separating under playing condition vibrations. Kinda like the buzz you get from dirty points on your radio, from an old-school distributor.

Anyhow, HTH. Wooden chopsticks and patience is the way to find these bug-a-boos. IME.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:00 pm
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I would like to give a little update on the Fender Blues Deluxe. So far this thing has given me nothing but headache. I took the amp to a friend who has been working on amps for some time, just to take a look at it and the condition it was in. The first thing he pointed out was that the recap job that was done was done without taking the main board out of the chassis. The tech simply soldered (or I should say tried soldering) the caps in from the top of the board. One of the negative leads on the cap had solder up near the actual capacitor itself, and not on the board like it should have been. Basically, I was told that the recap job was very shoddy. So my friend replaced two of the caps that were just replaced by this so-called "fender certified" tech, and found that some resistors had also been fried and caused some damage to the board where the power tubes are located (I believe it was the screen resistors, and one of them was totally fried), as well as the two ceramic resistors on the main board that are known to get hot. So he replaced these resistors and raised them up off the board (the screen resistors were 1kOhm 5w 5% and I can't recall what the others were) as well as hit some of the solder joints again. We also found out that the speaker that was put in there by a previous owner was a 4Ohm speaker instead of an 8Ohm speaker, which is what should be in there. So all this work done (two repair jobs, one to fix the first job) and the amp finally started working again.. or so I thought.

Last night at practice I was giving the amp a trial run since I have a show this weekend. Everything was going fine until all of a sudden, the volume on the amp dropped. It then started getting more and more distorted on the clean channel, then eventually it just cut off. I went to investigate behind the amp and saw what I call "magic smoke" coming out of the back of it (it wasn't black but it was smoke and I know they aren't supposed to do that. Being as I thought the amp was about to catch fire, I took it outside immediately and opened it up to investigate (I know that wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I was not going to risk burning down my jam spot). Turns out one of the 1kOhm 5w 5% resistors had totally melted and caused a little bit of damage to one of the circuit boards. It also took out one of the power tubes as well. The power tube that it took out has mica dust floating around inside the tube, and has had this problem for some time. :? :x :x I am not happy at all with this amp, and will never purchase anything from the hot rod deluxe family ever again. I've played on too many that have had problems and this takes the cake. The links below contain images of the damage.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c1pjf6eryxp8d7l/IMG_0397.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mof4xm4rrsic54s/IMG_0396.jpg


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:56 pm
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It definitely failed the "smoke test"!

:shock:

Time to re-shuffle the deck for a new deal!

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 4:20 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
It definitely failed the "smoke test"!

:shock:

Time to re-shuffle the deck for a new deal!

Arjay


You can say that again. It sounded like it was about to blow up, in a good way, and then it did literally. And the smell.. All the members in my band looked over at me when it filled the room with that "what the hell is that" look on their faces.


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 5:01 pm
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" Turns out one of the 1kOhm 5w 5% resistors had totally melted and caused a little bit of damage to one of the circuit boards. "

Frying a 5-watt wire-wound resistor means there are big-time issues with the amp. Wiring issues --- esp grounding of the power or output sections. And/or major instability problems. I have this feeling that your friend hasn't completely found all of the problems the previous tech did to the PSU caps and power rail.

If there is major thermal damage to the circuit board, you may not be able to make this amp 100% reliable, again. Sorry about that. :(


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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:19 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
If there is major thermal damage to the circuit board, you may not be able to make this amp 100% reliable, again. Sorry about that.


It never was to begin with, even when brand new, so it shouldn't be any unexpected surprise.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Blues Deluxe RI Loud Buzzing with nothing plugged in
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 5:17 pm
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Well, I guess I will give an update on what's been going on with my amp. So far, it's seen a couple more tech visits, a new set of power tubes, and it has seen a little bit of use. But it is still far from fixed. After the last visit, I was told that the power amp was opening up due to dirty/oxidized contacts, and that was what was causing my issues. I am not sure that that was the only culprit, however there are some strange happenings going on with the amp. First off, I can plug directly into the power amp in and play the amp fine sans pre amp section. I also tried plugging in a cable between the pre amp out and power amp in, but the buzzing would still happen when I was trying to play. (keep in mind this is the same buzzing problem I have had all along). I have cleaned all the jacks and sockets, and still there is no change. It did help a little bit at first, but then it went right back to that noise. This thing is really putting me in a bind, because it sounds good when it works, but that is only "when it works." I'm starting to think that it's either the input jacks or something in the pre-amp section, but I can't be for sure. I would really like to try and fix it myself, since I don't really know of any other techs in town (and I want to get into building amps anyway). What should I look for as a suspect in this amp?


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