Fender Reissue Amps Part Two | The Good | The Bad | How to Fix the Flaws

[@f33fifofum]

If there's a better amp channel on KZbin, I've never seen it. Yet another fantastic insight into amp construction and repair. Gold standard stuff.

[@joepeezy4sheezy]

Uncle Doug is fantastic if you’ve not seen him, you’re missing out.

[@JRuns]

@@joepeezy4sheezy Not saying which is better, but you're exactly right. Any conversation about amp instruction and repair *has* to include Uncle Doug.

[@tomstiel7576]

@@JRuns you got that right

[@BHJ7115]

You nailed it!

[@theyoungamptech320]

DLab and Bradtheguitologist are worth looking into also.

[@KeyboardsJR]

Lyle, gotta put in a word of thanks for this. I've been an M.I. tech since 1989 and I know some of the "value added" (read: 'make it cheaper') shortcuts FMIC did with their amps (as well as all the other manufacturers have). I recently had a TRRI in the shop for a reverb issue (easily fixed) but the customer still had a lot of white noise in the reverb channel. There was a 1.4MHz oscillation that I couldn't put a finger on (measured at the PI grid), so I did a lot of searches for similar issues but none were found. Then someone pointed me to your Y/T videos on the reissue issues. Bingo!! Replaced 'the trace' with the shielded cable and now the vibrato channel is actually quieter than the normal channel. Old dogs can still be taught new tricks! Thank you again sir!!

[@PsionicAudio]

Glad to help James!

[@MOAB-UT]

Great job!

[@gerongrahamgg]

Man, I love this community!

[@andrewcerra9762]

"Congratulations! You've just created the Vibrolux Reverb." That's hilarious. Kudos. I was smiling from ear to ear when I heard that.

[@419thmilitia]

Being the owner of a 65 tweed Princeton reissue, this has been a great/depressing couple of videos. Thanks for the time you put into your videos.

[@MOAB-UT]

I was thinking of buying one. Used one for just under $900. I can get a 3 year warranty for an extra $130. I also found a really nice hand built amp by Vintage Sound- 15 model but it's $2k. Seems superior to the Fender in every way. Better components, hand wired. He can even put a head in the combo meaning it looks like a regular combo but has head appointments in the back like a variable Ohm switch which combos usually do not have. I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Should I go the cheaper Fender route or stop being cheap and buy higher quality. I have the cash but obviously would rather save $1,000. It does however come with a 5 year warranty and will very likely have less annoying issues so the price / value proposition is not straightforward.

[@dahliafiend]

I love my Princeton 65. I haven’t seen many amps under $3000 get much positivity here.

[@SolamenteVees]

No ego, just straight knowledge. Thank you

[@mattg082]

So every new Fender Reissue I’ve played from 2021-2022 recently…65,68 and the new 68 custom pro reverb all had one thing in common. The tubes even at low volumes would rattle like a jar of Wasps. You could hear it across the room with certain notes. Swapping tubes it could get a bit darker or just change where it’s buzzing tonal wise. But all of them did this! By just touching the bottom of the offending tube with a shirt barely it would stop completely. Or using some silicon type block behind the tubes attached to the cage backing. I went to a Fender tech, and the issue seem to be the cheap tube sockets, as well as all the loose parts. I know a combo will rattle at high volumes. But even at low volumes, it was a horrible glass rattle. Many may never notice with distortion, a drummer and cranked to a 6 volume in a band. It just disregard it! But as someone who records…I just couldn’t keep any and returned any I bought. Even at low 2 volume it did it. And even with treble bridge pickup it would do it. Is this something you see a lot of on these amps? I can’t be the only one as I haven’t but run into it yet, and I’ve played in store, bought, exchanged and went through 5 weeks of this over several of these! In the end I returned everything and bought a Tone King Imperial MK2. I wasn’t looking at going that far pocket book wise. But it was very hard to find a new Fender combo that didn’t have issues. Especially noticeable in a studio when your mixing it at a volume of 2, and using clean Neve and API preamps with nice mics. Drive me crazy, and I was really stunned how low the bar Fender set. I was told pretty much there’s an entire thing of out the box, bring to a tech day one “life improvements” on this amps tech do for $300-$500 dollars. At that point I just bought a different amp that’s based on the same sound made in America. Is this normal?

[@TonyFf986]

I enjoy the idea of you calling the owner and telling him “congratulations you just created the vibrolux reverb”

[@drad8266]

These are absolutely so well done and informative. I doubt it's happening, but I sure hope/wish some amp companies are following your channel and updating their designs/components! I doubt it, but they should ;)

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I’m happy I found this channel. I was in the market for a new amp and was considering a Fender Princeton or deluxe reverb, but I wanted to buy something nice to last the rest of my life. Instead of buying a Fender I ordered an amp from my local shop. In the process I did a lot of research and now I’m getting exactly what I want instead of settling for what is available from major manufacturers, and it doesn’t cost that much more.

[@turkb01]

What did you get? And do you still have it?

[@honkytonkinson9787]

@@turkb01 lol I haven’t gotten it yet. It’s inches from the finish line , just waiting for the guy to finish the back panels. A clone of a tweed vibrolux, but with a 12” speaker, and adjustable bias. I really hope it lives up to the expectations I’ve been building for over a year! A 5f11 is similar to a Princeton amp, and those are around $1500 from major retailers. That’s about what I’m paying for a hand built version, with high end components, so I suppose I should continue to be patient. The same thing immediately would have cost about $700 more; might be worth it

[@desert-paradise]

Just have to say that you are The Man, Lyle! I've watched dozens of your videos, mainly on Fender amps, and have learned so much from you. I'm grateful that you take the time to explain and demonstrate all of the work you do, in an entertaining, no BS manner. For those who would like to know if what you are providing here is valid, let me just say that yes, it has helped me to transform my own Deluxe Reverb re-issue, and I feel I now have something that sounds better than ever and will last a lifetime. Some history: I purchased my DRRI brand new back in 1997 for $560 (that seemed like a lot back then!). The first change I made to it was to replace the stock speaker with a Celestion Vintage 30, which sonically improved things immediately. Over the next 26 years, I didn't change anything else, not even a tube. I'm not a gigging musician, so the amp only got occasional use in my home, or in little jam sessions. Because I moved around the country a lot with my regular job, the amp was often stored away in my attic or garage. Now having retired, I recently decided it was time to fire it up and kick the tires. I found that it had some sonic issues that needed to be addressed, mainly some 60-cycle hum, noisy and flaky pots, and horrible feedback from the reverb. That's where your excellent videos really came in handy. I've worked with electronics and tubes since the early 70's, so I know my way around a soldering iron and had no reluctance in tackling the work it needed. Your videos really saved me time by helping me focus on the important stuff. I addressed just about everything you documented in this video, including: - Discharged the caps and verified using your nifty method described in the link above (yes, it really does work)! - Removed the bright cap (C10) - Pulled that stupid fusable resistor (R69) and jumpered it - Re-capped the power supply with F&T's and eliminated the parallel 220 uF cap (C31), since I'll never switch to a solid-state rectifier in this amp. The original IT caps were not visibly leaking, but since they were 27 years old, I knew they had to go (a no-brainer there). I also upgraded the dropping resistors to 2-watt ratings. - Moved the heater wires off the PCB and over to the first output tube socket. (The original quick-connects weren't burnt, but I could see some definite discolorization there) - I have an old tube tester, so I tested all tubes and the only weak tube was the 12AT7 phase inverter, which I replaced. The amp still has the original 6V6 output tubes. - I removed the tone stack PCB and cleaned all of the pots (they were crackly/noisy), and replaced both Volume pots (which appeared to be rotary encoders) with proper Fender 30A1M pots. I also replaced the Treble pots with new Fender 30A250K pots (the old ones were quite out of spec). I also replaced several caps on this board. - I rewired the plate and grid socket connections for the reverb driver (V3) to match how Fender used to do this back in Leo's day. I believe this simple change alone fixed 90% of the hum issues! Very stupid that Fender still wires V3 in these amps with the grid acting like a little antenna (even in those spendy 'hand-wired' models)! - Reverb feedback: After all of the above, I still had really nasty feedback when turning the reverb knob past 3. Turns out it was due to the crappy stock reverb tank, so I replaced that with a new MOD tank and a new shielded reverb cable, and voila! no more feedback. It's a pity Fender equips their Reverb amps with such junky tanks like that. - Added a 10 uF cap between R45 and C24 to help reduce the annoying ticking sound coming from the vibrato oscillator circuit - I also had new a 'helicopter' noise in the background, at all volume levels, which baffled me for a moment. Then I realized the amp was about 5 feet away from my Wifi router. A real head slap moment! Of course, these amp circuits were designed decades before Wifi and cell phones, and can easily pick up RF from those devices if in close proximity. - There is still some low level hiss/buzz, so my final task will be to cut that trace and run the shielded wire from the Vibrato volume pot to the grid of V2. That should help. All in all, these changes have made this old DRRI re-issue safer and more reliable. It now runs quieter at idle, with crystal-clean reverb, and it cranks up to room-clearing levels if I ask it to. I know there are other amp repair content providers out there, but you stand out to me as the best, and the most enjoyable to watch. A big THANK YOU for all you are doing to help educate and support the tube amp community!

[@sparkyguitar0058]

Some of this works for every amp. As in anything you need to always keep a close eye on all your equipment. Amps, pedalboards, guitars, and other things related to playing music.

[@TheDanielGuy23]

Great content as always, really interesting stuff, even for a guy who doesn't own a tube amp yet. Really looking forward to your amps under 1,000 video too...coming soon I hope?

[@PsionicAudio]

Thanks! Soonish. These and the '79 Super and the Tonemaster vids are kind of prequels that I can refer to in the upcoming big video. I mean, the Fender RI videos today total almost 50 minutes. So I won't have to cram in a bunch of stuff in that video. I can say "for more on the RI Fenders click here." That way the next big video can be in-depth without being painfully long.

[@goodun2974]

@@PsionicAudio , short and succinct videos are always appreciated; speaking strictly for myself perhaps, I tend to not watch many videos that run over 25 minutes or so unless I am extremely interested in that particular subject, and I rarely watch/participate in video streams, which often tend to run rather long. That said, my own online comments/postings in print form can run so long that people sometimes call me Tolstoy!

[@GiantPinhead]

Rewatched this again, a year later. What a helpful, informative resource. Thank you!

[@strumminronin]

Thanks for these videos!! I was *SO* *VERY* *EXTREMELY* close to getting a 65' PRRI, but decided to reconsider as I looked at more information. These are perfect! Thank you!

[@TeleCaster66]

One option is to find a good amp builder and have them make you a hand wired version of a Blackface Deluxe. I was fortunate enough to have found a competent builder in NH and he built me a great clone for $1,600. Well worth it to me and a superior amp to these, dare I say somewhat cheaply made, reissues.

[@Gratefulcassady]

Some stuff sucks inside but I got one and it sounds amazing. To get all the best stuff your gonna have to spend way more to get it handwired and more expensive components

[@mattg082]

Yep I went through lots of trouble with 5 new reissues. I ended up buying a Tone King Imperial MK2. I was looking for a life amp…not a project to put in the shop on day one with cut corners.

[@actionjacksondan]

I love my stock 65 DRR, got the sweetwater version with speaker swap.

[@lance134679]

Great stuff. My takeaway is see what speaker replacements are out there and tighten up the nuts and screws once in a while. Oh, and consider removing the bright cap on at least one of the channels, especially if you're running some high gain overdrives.

[@hootowl6354]

As well as using locking washers, I also put a small dab of blue Loctite on threads that I want to stay in place. I never have to wonder is something is loosening. Do not use red Loctite - the threads will really be locked, if you do.

[@Fugettaboutit]

Best sounding Deluxe Reverb I ever had (of which included a late-'67 Silverface 'drip edge'/black line) was one I built based on a Mojotone kit. Used Mallory 150 for tone stack caps, original big blue Sprague atoms in filter, output tranny from David Allen which had both 8 and 4 ohm taps, JJ 6V6's and JAN preamps. Actually had pretty nice headroom up to 6 or 7, especially with those JJ's. Speaker I went with was an Eminence Red White & Blues which to me sounded the closest to the original gold-label Jensen C12N that came in the '67. I went with a little higher value for coupling cap in phase inverter...like I think an .0047 over the stock .001uF. Gave a little more punch.

[@Satchmoeddie]

LMI used to make a neat little tool that went into a 1/4 inch phone jack and held the jack tightly & safely in place (sort of) from the outside while you cranked the mounting nut tight with an open end wrench. It actually grabs the jack's bushing barrel from the INSIDE and holds it nice and tight. Very handy with F hole guitars or worse yet the Gretsch true Chet Atkins' models with the painted on F holes.

[@lordgraga]

If one follows your logic then modelling amps are, to some degree, consumables. I agree, and that’s the whole point of why we still make amps pretty much like we did 60 years ago. However, if you want an idea of whether this amp is gonna last, you can always look back at the modelling amps and pedals of the last 20 years. For the most part, whether you have a POD, a Mustang, a DL4, or a Vox AD, then it’s going to work and sound EXACTLY like it did when it came out of the box 20 years ago. Sure, electronics fail, especially when abused, but most equipment produced over the last 20 years works perfectly fine today.

[@oldguy5381]

I’m starting to have a much better understanding of how amps work and why from your content. But I’m still not sticking my fingers in one, not yet. Thanks Lyle

[@dennisflock3958]

Stayed til the end, as usual. Cool to know about the Deluxe/Vibroverb difference. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know, then BING! on goes the lightbulb.

[@ditchgator1]

VERY familiar with things breaking by just looking at them wrong🤣😎👍 Thanks for heads up about tightening all control knobs and jacks😉😎👍

[@glenmurschel5939]

Great reviews, have had 2 fender tube amps and had problems with each. Sold them and got a suhr hombre. Couldn't be happier. I'm done with fender amps.

[@20cencool]

👍🏻 I love watching your videos! Especially your no BS evaluations on equipment and manufacturers. You have my future service business brother

[@jaycee30865]

I’ve run 5881s at 4 ohms output in my Deluxe (2x10 baffle running 8s in parallel) impedance and discovered via oscilloscope and power resistors that the output transformer presents a 25w bottleneck. It’s a very sweet set up. Yes the power transformer runs a little hotter. One of these days I’m going to put heat sinks around it for good luck. Playing around I’ve discovered I would rather have the output transformer be the slight bottleneck than the tubes. Vice versa kind of presents a mid range growl that is more British whereas having an under powered output transformer seems to be more Fendery. That “discovery“ was with 6v6 in a power transformer swapped rectifier running bassman... yes, Siri, also in a basement. Excellent videos as always sir.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Like most who’ve done a fair amount of touring, I’ve played a lot of Fender reissue backline amps. Occasionally one would sound spectacular, but most were pretty unremarkable. In fact, I had a pair of 68 Super Reverbs at the time and I only had to play one show with a RI SR to never want to repeat the experience. In hindsight it was probably mostly the speakers. After watching your videos, it’s not hard to see why the one great sounding Deluxe Reverb reissue was so nice. I believe the venue told me it’d been upgraded every way imaginable.

[@michaelsternberg6180]

Amp savant par excellence!! I wish i understood half of it- but knowledge is dazzling

[@PittsS2C1]

Lyle, this is Wayne. Fantastic. Well done.

[@thefungai1]

One of my favorite parts is when you talk sh*t on the neighbors dog! You rock man!

[@HereComeMrCee-Jay]

Really made me happy that you called the dog an a******. I mean, it's a great video all around, but I must say that was my highlight.

[@Rockriverboarder]

Had a mediocre experience with a 68 custom Princeton. Excessive white noise, cheap fizzy speaker, GT preamp tubes very microphonic. Now I know a lot more about it. Thanks Lyle.

[@TweedToneKing]

I would love to hear your take on the Fender 57 Custom Hardwired Tweed Series; (Champ, Deluxe and Twin.) I believe Fender is still using those IC caps in that series too. My 2006 57 Custom Twin has them. Keep up the great videos ! Thanks

[@masonianbund]

I may have said this before, but you’re doing the Lord’s work, sir

[@IamtheFerryMan]

I just pictured Jesus repairing amps and being pissed at Fenders trashy component choices and cursing a Mesa he's trying to repair.

[@frankstephenson1746]

This confirms my prior and future moves to just get these gutted and hand wired. My Alessandro Deluxe has held up 12 years of steady gigs and never a problem. And although I run JBL I’d take the Jenson over the celestion.

[@jazzblasterrr]

He has a video on why that may not be the best option

[@chuckfarley7642]

3:34 - mine (manufactured in 2020) had some pink glue on the transformer nuts. Maybe Fender has been watching your channel :-)

[@luisnunes3863]

I find it incredible that such an expensive amp is sold with low quality speakers. One more reason to use heads. Could you do something on lower cost tube heads at some time in the future, please?

[@LousReview]

Thanks for the great informative videos! I am on my second Deluxe Reverb reissue. The one I have now is about 8 years old. I took off the tube cage as it rattled. My first reissue didn't have the cage or the rubber over the switches. I checked all the screws and nuts I could without taking out the chassis. I must have got a good one because everything is tight. I would love to do the "fatal flaw" heater wire mod and change the speaker. Maybe the bright cap mod, I like the clean glassy brightness with my Strats though, but dig what your saying about a little harshness with distortion or fuzz. Thanks again for sharing you knowledge and I'm looking forward to the amps under 1K video, even though I am happy with my amps! Much love brother!

[@hijmestoffels5171]

I bought a Fender Princeton in 1977 and had zero issues with it.

[@PsionicAudio]

One of the models CBS changed the least. Wonderful little things. Glad to know it’s treated you well.

[@TheRamsberg]

re. multiple angle shots done easily and effectively, a small mirror can throw the camera's vision around corners and under things without having to alter the setup of the shot. A bit dirty, but quick and easy.

[@thesurfjunkies]

Another great set of videos and it’s obvious the community agrees as it seems reflected in your growing subscriber base.

[@ChristofferKeizer]

Thank you for making these videos, sir.

[@curtolmscheid1661]

Thanks to you, I’m no longer the average person. I replaced all of my filter caps (15 of them) on my 65 DRRI. The improvement in tone was significant! Thank you for your excellent instruction.

[@PsionicAudio]

Curt, great to hear and glad to help! I do have to point out that not all the electrolytic caps are filter caps. Many of them are cathode bypass caps. And while they tend to last much longer than the high voltage filter caps, it certainly did no harm to swap them out.

[@stevenkimsey7039]

Thanks for the very useful information. Question: A fender tube amp is unplugged and not used for several years, how long will components remain charged with voltage and deadly dangerous?

[@mattroberts4201]

So good! Also, in case no one else has mentioned it, you could do voice-over work on the side. 😄

[@csxblackmusic]

Where can i send/drop off my Princeton for upgrades to reliability and tone. Definitely willing to drive to Memphis, see Stax and get some BBQ!

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Thank you for these videos. Class is in session.

[@ruffryder13]

Great video. Sorry about the neighbor's dog...that can be 'rough'

[@YeatzeeGuitar]

Have you gotten one of the newer fender handwired reissues yet? 64 Princeton and Deluxe

[@Mesa-t6i]

Also interested in this !

[@PsionicAudio]

The Deluxe but I don't have a video of it. It was a while back.

[@YeatzeeGuitar]

Curious to hear your impressions

[@Superchild88]

Now when you solder those green wires to pins 2 and 7 does it matter which wire goes where? Are they interchangeable or do they have specific pins to connect to?

[@Rick-qx8pl]

Good question I’d like to know also

[@goodun2974]

Umm... "Yes" , and "No" 😁! I'll explain: the "polarity" (the phasing of the AC heater voltage) and physical orientation of the green wires from the transformer to the *first* tube socket (or to the spade lugs in the main board) does NOT matter, but, if you want the amp to have the lowest amount of hum possible, the phasing of the heater voltage as it jumps from one tube to the next does indeed matter! Note that the heater voltage wiring harness from the first output tube socket to the rest of the tubes isn't green, it is a twisted pair of black and white wires. Push-pull output circuits (most Fenders except for a Class A Champ type amp) are essentially "humbucking", and if you wire the heater circuit so that each leg of the heater voltage goes to the same pin on both output tubes (pin 2 to pin 2, pin 7 to pin 7), some of the hum generated by the AC heater voltage will be canceled in the output transformer. Even more importantly, the 12AX7 , 12AT7 and 12AU7 tubes founded in nearly all common guitar amps have *two* filaments/heaters inside each tube, designed and wound in such a way as to essentially be humbucking in their operation; and so if you jump the same wire from from pin 9 to pin 9 to pin 9 of all the preamp tubes, and the other wire from pins 4/5 (usually tied together at the socket) to 4/5 to 4/5 of all the preamp tubes, much of the hum generated by the AC heater supply will be canceled (and this can be quite noticeable because there is so much gain coming from those preamp tubes that even a small amount of home in the filament supply would otherwise be greatly amplified). Obviously it's much easier to maintain the same heater supply phasing to all of the tubes if you use a twisted pair of wires that are dissimilar colors. Early Fender amps and most amplifiers of the 1950s and 70's typically used the same color green twisted pair wiring from tube to tube to tube to tube, and so the "polarity" (phase, really) of the AC supply as it fed each individual tube was perfectly random. Some amps might have been less noisy than others from the same batch when they left the factory, just by sheer chance or coincidence. Most manufacturers of the day didn't consider lowering hum to be all that important because they didn't expect you to turn it up to 10 and play it like that all night, but as people started hitting their amps with lots of gain from pedals and fuzz boxes, and then manufacturers started building amplifiers with additional gain stages, hum reduction became a more important issue. BTW, It is possible to rewire the heater supply of an older amp that uses the same color wires to all tubes in order to take advantage of humbucking tubes and circuits, using an ohmmeter to find the changes in the phase of the wiring, but make sure the caps are drained and the amp is unplugged first! Unplug all of the tubes, remove just one green transformer wire where it ties to the 1st tube socket in the heater circuit (it's not necessary to disconnect both, nor the heater-supply cenetertap to ground), then measure for continuity (less than 1 ohm) from pin 2 to pin 2 of the output tubes ( and then pin 7 to pin 7); and if you find that pin 2 of one output tube is tied to pin 7 at the other output tube, swap the wires at just one of those tube sockets. Do the same continuity test with all of the preamp tubes: all pin 9's should be tied together, and all pin 4/5 junctions should be tied together with the other loop of wire. If not, unsolder and flip the wires around as necessary at the individual sockets to phase them all the same. If you're lucky, you might only have to flip the wiring around at only a couple of the tubes (but never more than half of them🤔🙂). It's a fair bit of work, not really easy for a newbie, and can be confusing, especially the first time you do it, but if you are methodical and understand the principle at work here, you can keep the original stock heater wiring in your vintage amplifier and still lower the hum significantly.

[@dmac3316]

Thanks for the video! Very informative, much appreciated 👍

[@leo._.vincent]

Which of these issues should be immediately swapped out as in can be cause more severe issues if it fails than simply swapping out the components that have failed? My amp correctly has the 6v6 tubes in it so is the heater wire issue a big deal still?

[@mattonthewater]

What about the hand wired stuff Lyle? Would love your thoughts

[@MAMTROTH]

Great video series Lyle! My deluxe reverb was burning through 6v6 tubes and frying screen resistors pretty regularly until my tech moved me to 6L6 tubes (amp has a mercury transformer). No issues since the switch, but I do wish I was able to use 6v6 in the amp without worry if it blowing during another gig.

[@mretrain]

Have you tried JJ 6V6 tubes? From what I understand they can handle higher voltages than typical 6V6s

[@craigheavner8254]

If you remove the heater wires from the board and solder them to pins 2-7 of 6V6 socket, do the male quick connects remaining on the PCB need to be jumped, or just left alone?

[@Strumbum01]

Good stuff Lyle! I own one of these so this info is very much appreciated.

[@not28]

Love your videos. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the custom handwired reissues from Fender.

[@mister-LA]

I just bought a new Deluxe Reverb '65 RI and there's already noise when the reverb is turned up. I'd like to find someone, like you, locally who can do the upgrades you suggested. Thank you.

[@dbsoundpost]

Do you suggest the original from 68, 77, 79 or do you think these re-issues are good to buy new?

[@PsionicAudio]

The originals are highly recommended if you can afford them. But even late ‘70s Deluxe Reverbs have skyrocketed in price. The RIs can be a very good choice.

[@hedinziskadavidsen]

Very good videos. Just got a used Deluxe Reverb RI. It was broken. Actually thrown through a window. Not joking. But it was mainly the chassis that was damaged. Fixed it with some screws and some glue. These videos really inspire me to make this amp great :) One output tube was broken, so I replaced the 6V6's with a (matched, I think) pair. I have a pair of Jensen p10r 8 ohm speakers and I would like to replace the stock c12k (that you not a fan of, I guess) with a pair of 10". Just to test it. But what to do about the output impedance of the amp. Do I have to change the OT or does it have either 4 or 16 ohm choices with some soldering?

[@ourlifeinwyoming4654]

For the bias supply resistor, what would be the difference between jumping and replacing it with a 470 ohm resistor? Thanks!

[@oldguyjammin9732]

New to the channel and really liking it as I’ve done a few mods myself... anything specific on Supersonic 22, Engl Fireball, or JCM800? I’ll keep looking through your stuff - thanks.

[@luizdejesus6240]

After purchasing a set of JIS screw drivers, I never use a philips to tighten the screws in the amps. Although it is technically the wrong tool, it affords me more purchase with the least chance of damage...

[@Kevin-the-Just]

Just to repeat an earlier comment, I too was wondering if you have had a look inside the recent hand-wired Deluxe reissue - any thoughts or issues?

[@tater210]

Great presentation! Thanks!

[@juliochingaling5824]

amazing info, excellent video. Blessings.

[@trippntrev]

Hey. Thank you so much for your very interesting and informative videos. We are pretty much the same age, I’ve been wondering why things don’t work and trying to fix them,with some success since I was knee high to a Mesa Boogie. Ended up a Land Rover tech the last 36 years( I can tell you that’s getting harded and harder to keep them on the road. but my love is amps. Any who , I recently bought a mint 75 Superlead, an oddball over powered amp. I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on the circuit, mainly the 750uf 3v bypass on V1 and any possibility of improving the disturbtion :) circuit. Keep em coming Thanks Trev

[@mistersparkle]

Overall, an excellent video tutorial. Only one criticism. I believe you meant picofarads, not microfarads when discussing the bright caps.

[@PsionicAudio]

I’m sure I did and didn’t catch it. Sorry, this wasn’t scripted.

[@girotn9065]

My favorite response to the question "What do you want for Christmas?": "My neighbor's dog's ashes in a box."

[@patrickgribben2781]

Would a celestion vintage 30 be a good speaker upgrade for the 65 deluxe reverb reissue

[@MattiasBrahammar]

Great channel and info! Question: I've seen some of your videos where you highlight shortcomings in the point to point wiring approach in some "boutique" amps. What about the Fender Custom Shop hand wired amps (e.g. '64 Custom Deluxe Reverb or '64 Princeton Reverb, both hand wired and with alternative components vs RI versions etc)? Have you had the opportunity to see them inside and what's your take on the build quality and component choice?

[@rdmkeytohwy]

I am currently thinking about buying the Fender Pro Junior tweed amp at Sweetwater . After watching these videos I want to make sure that all of the components are optimal for this amp to function properly for many years. I am sure all amps have their specific spec problems. Is there some kind of list of amp repair guys that do the standard of work you do? I live about an hour and a half west of Indianapolis in Illinois and wondered who I could have check it out. Thanks for your help if you read this and thanks for the great advice and content. Really good stuff!

[@PsionicAudio]

I just looked on their site. $650 for a Pro Jr Tweed. For that price you could buy many better amps. Nothing in the PJ is reliable (objective). It also doesn't sound very good (subjective). See my Amps Under $500 video. If none of my choices appeal to you, see the suggestions made in the many comments. There are a lot of good amps in the world. The Pro Junior is not one of them.

[@rdmkeytohwy]

@@PsionicAudio thank you for the prompt reply and the advice. I will rethink my idea and watch your video. To spend $500 or less, put $200-$300 worth of upgrades/repairs in it is very do-able and then I would have a great amp that would last for a long time.

[@M4NAH1MEK0]

Good luck, you are wasting your money...be prepared! 😂

[@rdmkeytohwy]

@@M4NAH1MEK0 thanks for the help. I’m going to take his advice and not yours. Be prepared! 🤣

[@M4NAH1MEK0]

@@rdmkeytohwy My boy...can you read? His advice is exactly as mine...don't buy that Amp...🤣🤣

[@edwardleaver7838]

The original 60's and 70's DR power transformers had a heater winding rated at 2 amps and a total load of 2.1 amps with 6v6's - okay. But a 6L6 has twice the heater draw as a 6v6, for 3 amp total draw which overloads the original power trans by a full 50%. Does anyone know if the DRRI power trans heater rating has been increased to safely handle the 6L6 substitution seen here? (Agree the 6v6 is the better match regardless.)

[@PsionicAudio]

It usually works though the heater voltage drops. The RI iron has pretty much the same specs as the old ones. It's not a great idea.

[@edwardleaver7838]

My bad, I was thinking PR PT specs, not the DR which draws another 600ma for the added tubes. The idea is the same though -- a pair of 6L6 draws 900ma more than 6v6's and one's PT heater winding should be sized accordingly.

[@junksmith_wizard]

"Because its Tuesday" thats hilarious... Sounds like something my dad would say😂👍

[@MrStevehunter33]

In this video you mention again mains wall voltages being higher than they should be. Same issue here in Melbourne, Australia; nominal mains supply here should be 230v @ 50Hz but it's often over 240v. Would there be any value in running an amp off a Variac (autotransformer) which these days costs less than a full set of quality tubes? Thanks for your great channel

[@M4NAH1MEK0]

220V or 240V does not make any difference. (we have 220 here in Italy and often it's nearer to 230/240)

[@fenatic7484]

Do you have any video on solid state amps. I have a little Peavey Rage, it was a good practice amp, but I haven’t used it in awhile. I have a Chibson LesPaul Special I with P90s. I plugged in an it seems a little microphonic. I know that P90s have a 60 cycle hum, but they really sound good as long I keep the Gain button off. Clean it has a great single coil ring and a little dirt if you turn it up, but hit the dirt button and it nearly howls. Not quite but it Quacks . So if you have any video for an amp like a Peavey Rage, can you please direct me to it? By the way, this is the best tech channel I have ever heard! Thank You. I have learned a lot !

[@SuperBatiskaf]

Thanks for the content. Regarding the noise from Vibrato channel Volume wiring. Is it possible to stick the foil on top of the circuit board of the pots, and ground the whole foil plate? Because, the board already isolated by lacquer, so you safe there from the shortage.

[@PsionicAudio]

No no no! It would short instantly.

[@SuperBatiskaf]

@@PsionicAudio Yesterday I installed the bright switch on my DRRI 65 vibrato channel, by braking the trace on board and soldering switch line on pot's and cap's legs. Now I understand why reissue on PCB so bad for modifications.

[@thomashubbell1960]

Lyle, I just discovered this channel and I'm learning and enjoying so much from your deep dives into these various amps! I've had my eye on a '68 Custom DR, but after watching all of your videos on that amp and this video I'm wondering if it would be better to get the 65 DRRI. I have found both of these amps used for about the same price locally. From your videos, it seems like the DRRI has the better circuit but the stock speaker is not as good. The 68 seems to have a noisier circuit but a better stock speaker. Is that a fair assessment? Do you recommend one over the other?

[@lauratanner8475]

You say "back not long ago classic tone" Did something happen to classic tone? I used them in some builds and really liked them. I haven't done any builds in awhile so I haven't ordered anything.

[@jtube1100]

Another great video - particularly for a novice like me. Does the handwired ‘64 Custom Deluxe Reverb Reissue contain the same cheap filter caps, and is the Jensen C-12Q it contains appreciably different than the C-12K. (I think I know the answer to both questions and neither will make me feel good about what I paid for the amp). Wish I had found your channel sooner! Thanks!

[@PsionicAudio]

The '64 uses Sprague Atoms which are usually good (though they have been declining in quality they are usually better than the ICs). The C12Q is better than the K but still not a great speaker IMO.

[@TeleCaster66]

@@PsionicAudio I put the Eminence Dellasandro in my Deluxe, great alternative in my opinion.

[@BHJ7115]

@@PsionicAudio what's a great speaker for the 64 handwired Deluxe reverb?

[@ctimlock]

@@BHJ7115 I just chucked a Celestion Neo Creamback in mine - if you don't need crazy volume it sounds great and cuts a heap of weight. I just bring my own mic to practices in case I need it.

[@BHJ7115]

@@ctimlock Thanks man!

[@grumpchumps8895]

This guy and @twoodfrd need to get together and they’ll be unstoppable

[@goodun2974]

Love Ted's channel!

[@PsionicAudio]

I don't watch amp channels very often. But I really enjoy Ted's stuff. Kind of a parallel world to my own. He rocks that apron.

[@Strumbum01]

I’m with you on that! Love Ted’s channel. I’ve learned quite a bit from both and appreciate them sharing their knowledge.

[@falkirk667]

What's your opinion on the 64 custom shop deluxe? Had one and the fuse blew 5 minutes in playing it. Still loved it for the sound. But would really like to hear the opinion of a specialist. Love the channel. Very informative.

[@mikejamieson419]

You should sell these modified deluxes, I’d prob buy one ☝🏿

[@peteolinski7471]

So I just had my Fender DDRI start making static when I turn on the amp. Doesn’t matter the channel or volume. The static is consistent even when I do not play. Would some of these issues be the culprit? or is it just needs new tubes?

[@michaelinglis567]

Lol im so glad even a professional such as yourself dislikes interacting with those fiddly quick connects. I keep thinking ill deal with them enough eventually and get the hang of removing them consistently but each one i have to remove seems as difficult as the first one i ever encountered lolol.

[@KitchMusic]

Thanks so much for this video series. I think it's time to take my Fender Twin 65 Reissue in for service!

[@middle_pickup]

When you say the reissues can be awesome for about $300, does that include a speaker swap or just your recommended mods?

[@PsionicAudio]

Mods including labor and parts.

[@johnmenley9786]

can you answer a question for me i have a febder hotrod deluxe and the pilot light is intermittent, any ideas how to fix that that i can do

[@trevorarthurson6815]

It might be worth noting that the fuse values are halved for 240 volt supplied amps.

[@mastermachetier5594]

Do you have any recommendations on techs in the Boston area ?

[@05645ci]

Hey, great videos, thanks a bunch; what speakers would you recommend for a Deluxe Reverb reissue upgrade?

[@PsionicAudio]

Search "speaker" in my channel. Quite a few await you.

[@hunter7324]

You might have already addressed this, so apologies if you have, but would you recommend an OT upgrade for these amps? Obviously a mercury will probably be better than stock, but I'm wondering if it's worth the hassle.

[@timmotel5804]

'65 Super Reverb Reissue?

[@rossthompson1635]

After tightening the nut on the pots, is it worth re-flowing the solder joints anyway? I'm just wondering if the tightening process would leave some rotational tension on the joints.

[@goodun2974]

If you have good soldering skills, yes, resoldering the pots is a good idea ---- BUT, these reissue amplifiers were built with lead free solder, which doesn't do a very good job of holding the pots in place anyway. Reflowing the original factory connections with leaded solder will usually give you a grainy, whitish crystalline looking connection, and some formulations of leadfree solder might react the same with the solder used by Fender. You will likely either have to resolder them with lead free and find some lead free solder that plays well with the existing solder, which might not be as easy as you think; or you will have to desolder and remove the original solder with solderwick or a vacuum pump and redo them with leaded solder, which is what I, and Lyle here, would recommend. PS, The foil traces on these boards are thin and fragile and they can debond from the board quite easily if you use too much heat so as easy as it might appear it's really a job for someone with good soldering skills, and experience, and the right equipment. A high wattage iron or a soldering gun is definitely inappropriate..

[@rossthompson1635]

@@goodun2974 Thank you - very helpful info.

[@goodun2974]

@@rossthompson1635 you're welcome!

[@bobolson5423]

have you done anything on the princeton reverb ri? great videos!

[@PsionicAudio]

A few. Check the playlists. And check back here in a few hours. ;)

[@kilgoretrout321]

WHat year "reissues" are you talking about? Just from the last couple years, or is something from the 90s okay?

[@PsionicAudio]

All of them. They haven’t changed substantially since they first came out.

[@Natimaguitar]

What is your recommendation for a full set of deep-well sockets in metric and imperial? I keep running into the issue of not having the right sockets, and doing the research on Amazon or Home Depot is a total minefield. It'd be nice to have a good complete set that will serve me for US and Japanese/metric guitars and amplifiers.

[@PsionicAudio]

I just got a set of wrenches at Lowes. They had a good selection. But I'm not a tool expert other than I've learned not to cheap out. So not Harbor Freight. Ask car guys. They live/breathe tool talk.

[@robinstokes5179]

As a bike guy with quite a lot of tools. when it comes to some jobs, just modify a tool. Its usually a lot cheaper than the thing you're fixing. Amps & guitars jack sockets have the thinnest nuts that socket tools just slip off; often your socket tool will have rounded edges on the inside hex edge to enable quick location over big nuts & bolts. Just grind that off dead flat, so the hex can fully hold onto the thins jack nut without slipping off & putting a dent in your guitar or damaging your amp in some way. Simples. It does mean you lose the nice chrome off the socket end, but rather that than expensive spoilt sunburst etc. Just don't leave the socket in the damp to go rusty.

[@mattrorke7536]

Thanks for the video! A couple of questions: is the partition around the speaker and foot switch inputs necessary or just a way to keep dust out? Also, is the foil shield inside the amp on top of the chassis guts needed? Will it hurt the amp or cab if removed? Thanks!

[@PsionicAudio]

The cardboard partition is only there as a result of someone worrying a kid would poke something conductive inside one of the jack holes. The foil is needed. Lowers noise in the amp.

[@tonya4157]

Do these things apply to the Blues Deluxe reissue?

[@PsionicAudio]

Not really, aside from the loose hardware issues and the bad filter caps. The Blues and Hot Rod amps have their own sets of problems, and sadly they are much more serious than the problems in the Vintage Reissue series.

[@tonya4157]

@@PsionicAudio Thank you.

[@thelusienorchestra]

Thanks for posting this info. Bye Lucio

[@jonathanrojas6136]

Hi Lyle, recently found your channel and love the content. Question - in this video you recommend a jumper for R69 but in another video it looked like you installed a vishay fusible resistor (2w 22R) - is one better than the other?

[@PsionicAudio]

Stock is the fusible resistor. But it's better just to jumper it. Fusing a bias supply is a really bad idea.

[@jonathanrojas6136]

@@PsionicAudio Thanks, Lyle. One more question - would you jumper it rather than install a 2w 22R non-fusible resistor (like metal film)? Thanks again.