Fender Delx Rev RI

[C Moore]

I hate to ask a "generic" question like this, but.....
A friend of mine is working on HIS friends DRRI. It came to him with a burned up power tube and screen resistor, and some type of failure in the bias circuit. (I am trying to remember a phone call...)
So he replaced the screen resistor, checked for scoring on the tube socket and replaced the tube.
He replaced the bias cap and whatever else was bad in the bias circuit, and biased the amp.
He has also tried a different OT to make sure that was not a problem.
It makes some kind of "oscillation" when he plays through it, but not at idle.
I guess he is wondering if these amps have any kind of "typical" issues he should check for. Ribbon connectors, certain traces that have been a problem, etc. etc. Stuff like that. Just wondering of these amps have any known Hik-Ups like the Hot Rod Dlx does.?
Maybe I can get some pics.....
Thank You

[Milkmansound]

maybe this is a good enough excuse to gut it and hand wire something in there?

I find that these amps are great for a few years, and then decline quickly and they are not very fun to work on.

[C Moore]

maybe this is a good enough excuse to gut it and hand wire something in there?

I find that these amps are great for a few years, and then decline quickly and they are not very fun to work on.

I hate to say it, but that is kind of what the two of us are thinking. It has a lot of those ribbon connectors, not sure how well the heater supply is layed-out, etc.
I don't know, I think Fender has made this amp for quite a while; but I do not know how well the amp/board is made. I do not seem to recall reading/hearing a bunch of complaints about these amps, but perhaps the members on this forum do not deal with many of these models.?
I will gladly listen to any suggestions/guesses, shots in the dark...
Thanks

[NickC]

maybe this is a good enough excuse to gut it and hand wire something in there?

I find that these amps are great for a few years, and then decline quickly and they are not very fun to work on.

I hate to say it, but that is kind of what the two of us are thinking. It has a lot of those ribbon connectors, not sure how well the heater supply is layed-out, etc.

Maybe turn it into something like this:

[img2304]http://homepage.mac.com/swamptone/DRGutLeft.jpg[/img]

[img2304]http://homepage.mac.com/swamptone/DRGut.jpg[/img]

Deluxe Reverb is a well documented amp. You can find a wealth of info online by folks that have done that conversion. They are fantastic amps when made right.

[Phil_S]

Mikey is the "goto" guy. Read about it here.
http://deluxereverb.waynereno.com/More_ ... tails.html
I know where to find him if links are broken...at least I used to know. He's here in Baltimore.

[billyz]

The Screen resistors are not on the tube sockets, they are on the board and when they go they usually leave a lot charring. You need to scrub the board really well and move the screens to the tube sockets. and repair and burnt traces.

[Gibsonman63]

Are you sure that the primaries on the new OT are not swapped?

Gutting and rewiring is the final solution, but not for everyone. Personally, if I was going to put that amount of time and effort into it, I would start from scratch. By the time you are done, you have replaced everything in the chassis anyway and upgraded the speaker and you still don't have a top quality cabinet. If I was going to go that way, I would get it up and running, sell it, and buy a decent kit.

The friend of a friend may not know the difference anyway.

[rdjones]

...By the time you are done, you have replaced everything in the chassis anyway and upgraded the speaker and you still don't have a top quality cabinet...

Are these cabinets not made "the old way" ?
Or am I thinking of the Tweed Deluxe reissue ?

Certainly some of the Fender reissues are more correct than others.
When I looked at the recent Tweed Deluxe, I kept thinking "this is somebody's clone/fake" until I was ready to accept that Fender did a pretty decent job on in.

rd

[M Fowler]

The next time I bump into Jonny Lang I am going to ask him how his Fender Deluxe Reverb RI amps are holding up.

He used them on the Experience Hendrix Tour. I would think by now he would use some good old Fender Tweed amps.

Mark

[billyz]

...By the time you are done, you have replaced everything in the chassis anyway and upgraded the speaker and you still don't have a top quality cabinet...

Are these cabinets not made "the old way" ?
Or am I thinking of the Tweed Deluxe reissue ?

Certainly some of the Fender reissues are more correct than others.
When I looked at the recent Tweed Deluxe, I kept thinking "this is somebody's clone/fake" until I was ready to accept that Fender did a pretty decent job on in.

rd

I just had a couple in the shop, I did not look closely , but I do not think they are using finger joints. Also, the tolex is applied incorrectly, they are using contact cement not Hide glue. Pretty certain one of the transformers said china on it.

[C Moore]

Thanks for the help.
He is going to play with the ribbon connectors and make sure the tubes and screens did not make a conductive mess somewhere.
Thank You