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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:56 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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ken361 wrote:

The 68 any day! better woods, transformers and tone! There was one store is selling the 68 custom vibrolux for 1100[/quote]

I contacted Fender about what the HR DLX3 cab is made of and a rep responded that the HR is made of the same cab material as the Blues Deluxe, which is 7-Ply 3/4" Birch/Maple Plywood, so no MDF.
The 65 DRRI lists 7-Ply 5/8" Birch Plywood. Seems the HR uses decent wood for it's cab too, and it's a touch thicker at 3/4" compared to 5/8".


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:25 pm
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Rverb wrote:
shimmilou wrote:
Let's see....a broken CDR, or a working HRDlx......Hmmmm.....that sure is a tough call.


Keeping a broken CDR is not in question.

Relevant wording:
"My dilemma is, do I keep the HR DLX3 and return the CDR?
Or, return the HR and get a new replacement 68 CDR?


Was my response to hard to decipher? KEEP THE HRDLX!!! :lol:

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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 9:23 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Rverb wrote:
I contacted Fender about what the HR DLX3 cab is made of and a rep responded that the HR is made of the same cab material as the Blues Deluxe, which is 7-Ply 3/4" Birch/Maple Plywood, so no MDF.
Can anyone confirm that? Why doesn't Fender mention cab material in their specs on the HRD? Usually companies don't mention cab material unless they can boast that it's plywood or solid wood. If you look at the other amps that have decent cabs it's clearly mentioned. e.g. DRRI TRRI Bassman etc.


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:23 am
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I had a brand new blues deluxe last year, theres a label that says 3 diff materials. Hard wood, MDF and some other compressed material for reinforcements. I email fender and the guy said the sides were birch and the rest was MDF. If you look good you can see the MDF on the bottom. I wish they were all birch!


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:24 am
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Roadie
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Rverb wrote:
ken361 wrote:

The 68 any day! better woods, transformers and tone! There was one store is selling the 68 custom vibrolux for 1100


I contacted Fender about what the HR DLX3 cab is made of and a rep responded that the HR is made of the same cab material as the Blues Deluxe, which is 7-Ply 3/4" Birch/Maple Plywood, so no MDF.
The 65 DRRI lists 7-Ply 5/8" Birch Plywood. Seems the HR uses decent wood for it's cab too, and it's a touch thicker at 3/4" compared to 5/8".[/quote]
tube mounted sockets also on the deluxe:)


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:48 am
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Aspiring Musician
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ken361 wrote:
I had a brand new blues deluxe last year, theres a label that says 3 diff materials. Hard wood, MDF and some other compressed material for reinforcements. I email fender and the guy said the sides were birch and the rest was MDF. If you look good you can see the MDF on the bottom. I wish they were all birch!

I suspected something like that or they would've been more transparent about it. OTOH the George Benson signature HRD is solid pine. :shock:


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:03 am
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Aspiring Musician
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ken361 wrote:
I had a brand new blues deluxe last year, theres a label that says 3 diff materials. Hard wood, MDF and some other compressed material for reinforcements. I email fender and the guy said the sides were birch and the rest was MDF. If you look good you can see the MDF on the bottom. I wish they were all birch!


Well now, seems the Fender rep I corresponding with was not being 'completely' honest about how 'completely' the BD and HR DLX are made of plywood only.
Fender's website specs on the Blues Dlx Reissue are also a partial truth, which is pretty much a lie.
Spec's state:
"Cabinet Material: 7-Ply 3/4" Birch/Maple Plywood"
NO mention of 3 different materials including MDF.

All in all though, I'm fine with how the HR DLX3 cab is built, it's pretty solid.


Last edited by Rverb on Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:10 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:07 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
Rverb wrote:
shimmilou wrote:
Let's see....a broken CDR, or a working HRDlx......Hmmmm.....that sure is a tough call.


Keeping a broken CDR is not in question.

Relevant wording:
"My dilemma is, do I keep the HR DLX3 and return the CDR?
Or, return the HR and get a new replacement 68 CDR?


Was my response to hard to decipher? KEEP THE HRDLX!!! :lol:


Yes, cause I was expecting a response to the question I posed. :)
Was my question too hard to decipher?

Let me try again, between an HR DLX3 and a 68 CDR, both in fine working order, which amp would you keep if you wanted to keep only one of them?


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 12:13 pm
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Roadie
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Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:55 pm
Posts: 297
Location: Warren Mi
Rverb wrote:
ken361 wrote:
I had a brand new blues deluxe last year, theres a label that says 3 diff materials. Hard wood, MDF and some other compressed material for reinforcements. I email fender and the guy said the sides were birch and the rest was MDF. If you look good you can see the MDF on the bottom. I wish they were all birch!


Well now, seems the Fender rep I corresponding with was not being 'completely' honest about how 'completely' the BD and HR DLX are made of plywood only.
Fender's website specs on the Blues Dlx Reissue are also a partial truth, which is pretty much a lie.
Spec's state:
"Cabinet Material: 7-Ply 3/4" Birch/Maple Plywood"
NO mention of 3 different materials including MDF.

All in all though, I'm fine with how the HR DLX3 cab is built, it's pretty solid.

He said yeah we have to change the web site lol never did! He said maple is too soft


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:53 pm
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Rverb wrote:
...
Yes, cause I was expecting a response to the question I posed. :)
Was my question too hard to decipher?

Let me try again, between an HR DLX3 and a 68 CDR, both in fine working order, which amp would you keep if you wanted to keep only one of them?


Sorry man, just funnin' you a bit. I'm partial to the HRDlx, and not a fan of the VM series amps. The HRDlx has proven to be a fine amp for me (VI), and the version III is even improved. I still might get another HRDlx just for modding. 8)

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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 5:42 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:07 pm
Posts: 303
shimmilou wrote:
Rverb wrote:
...
Yes, cause I was expecting a response to the question I posed. :)
Was my question too hard to decipher?

Let me try again, between an HR DLX3 and a 68 CDR, both in fine working order, which amp would you keep if you wanted to keep only one of them?


Sorry man, just funnin' you a bit. I'm partial to the HRDlx, and not a fan of the VM series amps. The HRDlx has proven to be a fine amp for me (VI), and the version III is even improved. I still might get another HRDlx just for modding. 8)


No problem. :)
I've seen your positive posts on HR DLX, and it's refreshing to read someone with experience posting their like of this amp.

I too think the HR is a very nice sounding amp.
But, I decided to go ahead and return the HR and have GC send me a new 68 CDR.
I hope I get a fully functioning one this time. :)

If the CDR doesn't work out I may just bite the bullet and go for the 65 TRRI, or just forget the modern Fender stuff and try to find an already freshened vintage Fender.
If I have to get a vintage amp and go through fixing it all up I'm thinking I may as well get a good Fender "type" kit and build a fresh one.
I'm not looking for resale. My main want is good tone.


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:57 pm
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Got my new replacement CDR today, and have been playing it for the past couple of hours.
Sweet tone machine.

Compared to the HR DLX3 the CDR's tones are richer and more harmonic.
This new one sounds better than the faulty one before it had it's failure.
I think the first one didn't sound as good as it was on it's way to failing, which likely affected the tone for the couple of hours it worked.

LOVE the look of the CDR with it's swirl machined aluminum face plate, the silver and blue thread of the front cover, and that cool blue glow of the pilot light.
It's more flamboyant compared to it's darker hued brother DRRI.

This one is near perfect, I say "near".
The 'modified' channels volume pot is scratchy from about 3 to around 8, not a good sign for longevity. The feel of the volume pots between the 2 channels suggests they are not the same type, or the 1st channels pot is really faulty.
The vintage channel vol pot is ultra smooth, quiet, and has a more "damped" feel.
Modified ch pot feels much looser.
I'll have to see how it works over the next couple of weeks before I make a decision to keep or return/exchange it.

The "hiss" inherent in Fender amps is there but not bothersome at all.
It's only loud if you crank the volume near max.
However, there is a distinct "hum" coming from the reverb circuit, and the level of hum is related to how much reverb is dialed up.
It starts getting noticeable around 5, which is not good because the CDR's reverb needs a higher setting compared to the DRRI.
It's possible that it's the reverb drive tube. I'll try a couple of different ones including a 12ax7.

The reverb on this amp is not as lush/rich as it is on the DRRI and TRRI.
Even the HR DLX3's reverb is nicer as long it was kept under 5.
The reverb sounds a bit 'distant'. Sounds like there is a long delay before the reverb returns, making it sound not as unified as in other Fender amps.
On the vintage channel the reverb sounds better.
On the HR, DRRI, and TRRI I usually set the reverb around 3, on the CDR I have to set it around 4-5, under that the reverb sounds quite low.

Tone wise both channels are great, with distinct tonal differences.
Modified/custom channel is a bit darker yet still great, harmonically rich tone.
Vintage channel is brighter, yet not as bright as the DRRI, which of course has a bright cap. Both channels have great and plenty of brightness.
My Strat Plus DLX sounds awesome in this amp.

I've read comments from some other CDR owners who say the custom channel volume is lower than the vintage channel.
In my CDR that's not the case.
To get equal volume levels from both channels, the custom channel volume post is lower compared to the vintage ch pot.
If I set the vintage volume to around 3, then I have to set the custom volume to around 2 to get the same volume level.
As I noted earlier the vintage ch pot is smoother, tighter feel, while the custom volume pot is looser and scratchy, that could be adding to the setting difference.

Shimmilou tells me that the reverb tank part numbers are different between the CDR and DRRI, but I don't know if that means the tanks are different or just labeled differently.
I would think that different part numbers means different tanks, and if so that's one reason why the reverb quality is not the same between the 2 amps.

I have a sweet sounding Accutronics spring reverb in my MosValve 1x12 combo.
LOVE the reverb in that amp. If I decide to keep the CDR I may try the accutronics tank in it just to hear what it does.

Last thing, I'm really surprised at the high level of heat coming from the 6V6's and rectifier tube given that I was playing at a very low volume.
Not worried about it, just an observation.
Once I get more break in time on the amp I'll check the bias setting to see where it's at.

That's it so far, and it's enough with this very long post. :)
Thanks to everybody who's given me information and advice on Fender amps, it's very appreciated.


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:10 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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One more thing,
I wrote to Fender to let them know about the 2 faulty and brand new Fender amps I
had in the past month.

I told them what kind of Fender amp I'd really love to have.
6L6 power/EL34 capable, around 30-50 watts, with external bias test and adjust.
2 Channels with full 3 band eq in each channel.
Reverb on both channels with their own level setting.
No vibrato.
No high gain channel, no 'master volume', something just like the CDR with 2 distinct and different tone stacks, with one earlier break up channel.
Effects loop, parallel, with adjustable send and return.
Multi ohm output for adding a cab/extension.
And a foot switch that controls channel switching, reverb on/off, effects loop on/off.
1x12" speaker, in a cab in the size of CDR, DRRI, or HR DLX3.

Basically something like a half power, single speaker, Twin Reverb with an effects loop and CDR tone stacks with a bright switch, with some modern additions, and lighter weight.
Call it the "Fender Single Reverb".
A new Fender 'Modern Vintage'/MV series amp. :)
Priced around $1100-$1200.

I'd buy that amp right now!


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 1:37 pm
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Well I'm convinced that the Mexican made '68 CDR's have issues from the factory, at least the 3 brand new one's that I received.
The build dates on the 3 I have/had were all within a month of each other, around
5/2014.

Recap:
First one worked for a bit and then a pop sound and volume dropped by 90%.
Second came in with a lightly scratchy volume pot on the custom channel.
The next day the vintage channel volume pot was 10 times worse than the custom ch volume.

The third CDR arrived last week and I got a chance to play it over the weekend.
Out of the box smooth and quiet volume pots. The only noticeable thing is that there is a hum that comes in when the reverb is turned past around 3 and gets louder as I turn it up. All 3 CDR's did that though, and it's not bad at all when playing.

Turned it on yesterday and the custom channel volume pot is nearly as scratchy as the pots on the 2nd unit.
WTF!!! C'mon Fender, get it together.

Found a used 65 TRRI at my local GC and grabbed a guitar to plug in.
Guess what? The volume pot was scratchy as well as a couple of the eq pots too.
Fender charges plenty for these amps so there is NO excuse for this BS other than cutting way too many corners and using inferior parts.


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Post subject: Re: New and faulty 68 custom reverb
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 2:27 pm
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Location: Gateway to the West
Now you know why I don't own any amps made after 1984! It is both sad and maddening that Fender can't seem to get these amps right. They just don't have that ability to even remotely have the one thing the old Fender amps had in spades...reliability :!: :!:

My amp tech has seen a couple and he said he is about ready to just stop working on them altogether. Just too many problems.

T2

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