Meh | Fender '64 Custom Hand-Wired Deluxe Reverb Pt 1

[@PsionicAudio]

Correction : what I said was an inline HT fuse is an inline 5V rectiifer tube fuse (sorry, the camera was between me and it when I did that part of the voiceover). And at 13:24 I meant Don Randall, not Randall Smith. Sorry.

[@me.roderick]

Gear head 👍👌

[@Satchmoeddie]

Yeah, Randall Smith would put his initials on a job like that one. I have seen proof of that in lots of MkIs & MkIIs.

[@GearBoxTy]

I knew you meant Randall Smith.

[@retread1083]

Another reason I knew you weren't talking about Randall Smith: No one who knows anything would utter that name without derision in his voice. lol

[@mrbigbluesfan]

Really enjoy your videos 👍🏼 thanks! Just wondering if you’ve done a video on the Fender tweed 57 custom deluxe reissue hand wired amp ? I’m wondering if they have similar issues as the 64 hand wired deluxe reverb? Thanks, Al

[@johnzuker]

I rarely understand the technical info that this man shares, but I find these videos utterly fascinating. Passion and knowledge are intrinsically entertaining, no matter the subject or level of comprehension.

[@PerryCodes]

It's the technical stuff that I love best :) i.e. hearing him say, "Make sure we don't have DC on the grid of V2B" just taught me something about servicing tube amps I didn't know yesterday!

[@Jeffcatbuckeye]

Kind of reminds me of people at NASA working on the shuttle lol

[@Joe_Hunt_Music]

This man is a genius. Between Lyle and Uncle Doug, I have gained a wealth of knowledge I would’ve never dreamed possible

[@PerryCodes]

@@Joe_Hunt_Music My two favorite as well. edit: the only two I'll even watch.

[@Joe_Hunt_Music]

@@PerryCodes Colleen Fazio’s channel is very good as well. She knows her stuff

[@EdwardMartinsPhotography]

I just bought a new 65 DRRI and got $400 off because the reverb had the same feedback. It was exactly the same problem: Ruby assembled the tank with both locator pins grounding out. Thanks Ruby! You guys got me a $1300 brand new 65 DRRI...with a 5 minute repair job. (Which isn't bad in Spring of 2024!)

[@charlesfick729]

For the price they want for these amps there should be absolutely no issues at all!!

[@kenster865]

Agreed! I bought a very slightly used '64 Custom Hand-Wired DR from a fellow on Reverb about six months ago. It's perfect and has had no issues whatsoever. I also saved well over $1K by buying a used one. I'm shocked by what is being represented here. This particular one must have been made by someone having a bad day. These issues should have been caught by Fender's QA ppl and never made it out of production w/o the req'd fixes.

[@Paul-lj3qw]

These companies today are all running on mediocrity.

[@jeeefthegreat7555]

yea is that how the world works, in your estimation? no flaws for the rich? heh peasant

[@Paul-lj3qw]

@@charlesfick729 exactly

[@ronj9448]

@@kenster865 Today QA is the consumer. I tried a few of these in the store and they all were loud without a signal. I walked away after watching vids like these. Before I would have bought it thinking that is how it is.

[@IL2TXGunslinger]

Always wondered what the insides of these factory hand wired new Fender's looked like. Great review - thanks Lyle!

[@Arkoudeides.]

Looks totally crap

[@harrisondvargo72]

​@@Arkoudeides. Lmao true

[@toddr2375]

Awesome video Lyle! As an experienced electronics tech, (albeit with mostly solid state experience), and tube amp hobbyist, I appreciate the time you take to explain things along the way! Watching your videos is like working with a mentor! Thanks!!

[@RJ_HTx]

I’ve had my Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb since 2015 and it has not let me down. It has been to countless gig & rehearsals.

[@rodolpheponthus2948]

The 68 lineup are the ones too get frankly if you absolutly want to go Fender

[@jaykelley103]

Does it hiss like this one? Would you tell me if it did?

[@RJ_HTx]

When the Fender 68 came out it got a lot of complaints about hissing. Mine is actually dead silent.

[@uponcripplecreek1]

I play the heck out of my vintage 60’s and 70’s Fenders and almost never have issues.

[@DerpRulesAll]

Most are not so fortunate.

[@uponcripplecreek1]

@@DerpRulesAllThat’s a shame. It’s still pretty reasonable to get an old Champ. I play one of those nearly every day. Perfect for practicing and recording. I’ve got a 72 (even though it’s a silver face, the circuit is unchanged from blackface). I put a celestion in mine and some Tung Sol tubes. My favorite amp. Beautiful and versatile. Simple circuit, fewer parts. Also There are a bunch of nice sounding hand wired Champ clones out there too; combos and head form. Hope you get the chance to play some hand wired tube amps.🖖🏻

[@DerpRulesAll]

@@uponcripplecreek1 I won't rule it out.

[@monstermax22]

I wonder if the negative comments are from those who have actually played one of these amps? I bought mine new two years ago and have gigged it many times but (so far) have had none of the issues described here - its also made the journey across the pond to the UK in one piece, so maybe I've been lucky. I've only changed one thing - literally straight out of it's shipping carton, I dumped the C12k speaker and replaced it with a Celestion G12 Alnico Cream 90w (not the Cream Back). It's more expensive and to me, worth the extra money - really sweetens it up and it sounds beautiful. So I'm very happy with mine. However. Lyle's videos on this and the Tone King Sky King are a bit dispiriting and he's right to point out that for price of these, none of them should have these issues. In the case of the Deluxe, seems Fender are cutting corners, with strange wiring choices, cheap componentry, loose bolts, etc. It's never going to be a quiet amp but then my bar is set quite high, as l also have a Two-Rock CRS - this thing is so quiet you sometimes have to hit the strings to know its on. Sure, it's more than twice the price but it shows. At least Tone King listen to whats said about the Sky King's design blindspots and review their product accordingly, but Fender don't seem to give a damn.

[@jonnybeck6723]

As per usual, a brilliant chunk of marvelous/amazing teaching crammed into a 25 minute vid... Lyle, you're a Prince in the world of amp tech's and watching/listening to your brain work/ analyze/appraise is ALWAZE a joy to digest... SO... THANX Teach, and here's hoping all is well with you and yours... Cheerios (but not the cereal)

[@stratfanstl]

As at least 5 others have stated, it's amazing to watch your diagnostic mind work IN SECONDS. As an aside, it has never occured to me that people would simply remove tubes for channels they never use. Clearly, circuit-wise, it doesn't upset the balance in the power supply to other things that remain working but that never would have occurred to me. I guess if the tube isn't there, the tube can't fail doing nothing then take something else out that IS being used. Probably a vital strategy for all those Mesa-Boogie owners out there... LOL

[@teknstuff1]

Mine sounds like my dad’s original ‘64. I love it, sounds amazing. No noise on mine like in your podcast. Solid for years now.

[@coltrane2323]

I was considering getting one of those. Then I found this channel. After watching this (and 20 other videos) , I think I am getting a Swart instead. Thanks so much and kudos for these videos. I wish I had a tech like you where I live.

[@GregsGarage]

I love the dissection and analysis. Thanks for bringing us along.

[@franksamps1924]

I had one of these come in the shop today, the owner said "go nuts on it". From the looks of it and your video, I need to spend most of my time fixing Fender f-ups. Right off I found a solder ball on one of those fake vintage caps. Thanks for the run down, this saved me a lot of time.

[@franksamps1924]

I learned at a DOD contractor and solder balls are death, but I have found 3 so far on this $3200 amp! I know it's not MIL-spec but that's bullshit.

[@tobiasryan8378]

The review we've all been waiting for! I bought one a couple years ago and was never happy with the noisefloor. Heard your review of it and sold it for a late 60's Twin and am sooo much happier!

[@kennethdismukes1942]

I have this amp and it is my overall favorite. It doesn’t have an unusual amount of hiss, the knobs don’t make sounds when I turn them, and the reverb does not feed back when I turn it up all the way. It seems that the author, in the video and in some of the comments, is taking the position that every one of these amps are bad. From the perspective of me, the user, mine is not only not bad, but is my favorite.

[@clovergrass9439]

The "Amp Curmudgeon" versus the Fender Mega Monolith Marketing Monster. Great stuff, thanks!

[@jeffmartinez6073]

😂

[@jbnb3342]

Thanks Lyle for this awesome video.As an amateur amp builder/enthusiast,I appreciate the wealth of experience you share. Fascinating stuff 👍!

[@rocketdoggo]

This video came at the perfect time for me... had been looking at one of these as an alternative to buying a RI or rolling the dice on a vintage... looks like you saved me a lot of pain and hassle. Thanks!

[@udr3005]

There’s always a 3rd option (and always my go-to one): buying a high quality kit. Like Mojotone in the US or TAD in Europe. If you can’t or don’t want to build yourself, there’s always the possibility to get them built for you). They can compete with the vintage ones without coming with their flaws

[@Tweed_Tone]

The 65 RI is quieter but has poor PCB build quality. Better off saving for a vintage. The 64 hardwired is just a mess stock after wanting to like the amp. If you like noisy/consistent hum even at low volumes then this amp is not for you. Go boutique, or vintage. I’d recommend testing the amp in person so you don’t got though the hassle of buying/returning online. Especially for a heavy item such as an amp

[@Telewest792]

I am one of the lucky one who bought one of these here in Australia and i run it with a mesa boogie lone star special wet dry and I’m pleased to say i have yet to have ant issues with it love the sound and it handles the dry side of my tone extremely well. Great video

[@goswo]

You are very right. I went “Headstrong” instead of Fender custom. Very very happy I did.

[@robertduvall7392]

The explanations given are excellent for those of us learning. I am old as tish, and I blew up a few amps in my lifetime, sometimes intentionally. (Idiocy is real) I spent a career in hardware design in the aerospace industry. I worked extensively in aircraft power systems and understand grounding more than anyone should have to in a lifetime. Bonding is another area that is critical - most electronics are not passing a lightning strike, for instance. It does hit airplanes from time to time - shhhhh, don't tell anyone. I am to the point where I can build tube amps and have a few under my belt, but this is giving me the whys things are a certain way, and I cannot thank you enough. I just subscribed. Thanks again, man. (The seventies were not kind, don't let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise.) We did have fun as long as you kept your head in the right place. Some didn't.

[@michaelfuller34]

Wow! Thanks so much for pulling back the curtain. It’s so crazy that these companies can get away with this crap.

[@PieterVan]

‘Point of failure’ would make a great punk rock band name.

[@travismccartney]

The dude abides. Thanks for pointing out the channel mixing fix for this layout. It makes much more sense to me know having seen it this way instead of on the PCB.

[@robertlewis8024]

I get so much enjoyment from you calling them like you see them. Your understated delivery just makes it that much better. Kudos.

[@olearywu]

So utterly true. 😎

[@bbalestier]

I wish I knew more about component circuitry like you do. I have wired a few studios and done some tech work in my day. It’s 2024 I can’t believe what I’m seeing inside there. My motto is precision and elegance… Thank you for the information as always.

[@mason8971]

Ah yes a $2’500 white noise machine.

[@roberthurless4615]

Actually it is $3000.00 now. Yikes!

[@me.roderick]

Fine china 😆

[@ErebosGR]

White noise is mojo, man! /s

[@BCEpedals]

😂 for real.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

My $2500 Magnatone Varsity Reverb is dead silent. Do research and buy the better amp.

[@matbouche]

Was waiting for this one for a long time as it's been my main amp for almost 6 years now. Can't wait to see if you managed to make the amp quiet. Also interesting to see F&Ts filter caps in it as they are Sprague in mine. Anyway awesome vid as usual, looking forward to part 2 !

[@moosemuseum1853]

Sprague are not constructed the way they were back in the 60s and 70s. F&T are my electrolytic of choice today and much better IMO.

[@eyedunno8462]

You actually paid for a compromise in quality while PCB actually was designed to mitigate noise and increase reliability

[@sseltrek1a2b]

i don't repair amps, but i find this thoroughly interesting...

[@bigtsshackfestival9563]

Can u give me your opinion on the divided by 13 amw 39 and the Princeton 65 reissue Made in Mexico version if u are familiar, and if not , can u speak on any amp under these brands ? For instance if u have seen any reissue 65 deluxe’s made in Mexico ? Man I hope they fair better than this one. Freaking amazing channel dude !

[@robertwilliams1770]

Its great to know that an amp guy is honest and truth is not a problem love your show

[@kylelemery9134]

I had an issue with the reverb hum in a DRRI. Flipped the tank around so the reverb cables were on the opposite side of the speaker and it solved the issue.

[@jackietreehorn6935]

The line smoothing cap is probably a good thing given the sheer amount of RF interference today that did not exist in the 60s. The current limiter is also a good thing to prolong the life of tubes/transformers/caps The reason the HT fuse is not outside the chassis is to prevent an unwitting owner from tossing in a 5A fuse or wrapping fuse in foil and defeating it.-it definitely needs service if that fuse is blowing.

[@Earlvis]

Totally agree, Lyle on getting a silverface model and getting it up to par. Fender is clueless on how to correctly design and wire an amp. Their lead/dress is ugly and the white noise is unacceptable to any player! Thanks for the video! Your sharing knowledge is making us much smarter.

[@peterburi2727]

On several older Fenders I used to own, they used window screening for the shield. I clearly remember stabbing my finger when using the power and stand by switches.

[@redpilledape5633]

Less than 2 minutes into the wiring inspection and I had to sub. I'm a guitarist/jack of all trades master of a few who does almost all of my tech work and you sir are my new best friend. Love the no bs approach with important details like which parts are great and which is crap.

[@MattXScott]

I have this amp as well and it’s a hissy one. Luckily my reverb does not do that. I wish i would have had this channel before i bought it and i would have taken your advice and went with a 70’s model.

[@ensignofindustry1033]

It’s all good, especially if you bought used. There’s some good stuff in this amp and they do sound good. Plus, with the Fender name, it’d be easy to move along. For better or worse, you’re actually paying some for the convenience of being able to quickly sell this amp with its name brand. Fender is like the other big companies in that regard. Gibson’s full of problems, as is the recent Martins. Even the high end Martins have been having binding issues and such. But if you turn gear over, it’s a heck of a lot easier to flip with these names.

[@chrisfit]

Had one of these for a few weeks. Got it in a trade. Sounded good enough but not worth the $$$. Got a Suhr Bella that I liked way more.

[@el0blaino]

I hear those are fantastic … and loud! Would love to try one some day but I’d need an attenuator I guess for home use.

[@fossilmatic]

I would love to see you compare the inside of a vintage example. I know what the inside of my 71 Twin Reverb looks like, and it’s a lot cleaner than this looks.

[@TheAndyCzech]

I LOVE THIS AMP!! It's one of my favorite amps I have in rotation.

[@blackstrat6732]

Same

[@TCSUP]

Awesome videos. I bought An AC15 a year ago after watching your reviews n repairs. I put a blue in it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@matthewf1979]

Fender ‘64 Meatball Spaghoot! I chased a little hum in my DR build, but it was NOTHING like this. An extra bias cap on the trim pot solved it. I have half of the cost of this amp invested in mine, including nice old glass and cork sniffer parts. Now, to order that repro chassis from Thailand……

[@harryh5620]

it's frustrating for me - I'm a long time tech but mostly a computer guy - so I follow about 75% of what you are saying. I really wish I had gotten my EE or at least worked at a repair shop apprenticing. Fascinating stuff.

[@wilpence8627]

Looking forward to a video like this on the ‘62 Princeton Chris Stapleton!

[@itskyyuuuu]

Someday, all this info I have gleamed from your videos will lead me to my dream amp. So far, it's pointing towards a suhr hombre or Dr. Z but my vox will do for now 😊

[@PsionicAudio]

Suhrs and most Zs are very good amps. I have a fondness for the Vox Custom series 15 and 30 too.

[@tedmich]

Nice video Lyle! Those Headstrong amps do indeed look super nice!

[@NoNorhyme]

I once bought one of these. …and sent it back. It was noisy - the pots felt like the cheapest of cheap pots. It went into overdrive at 4 -5. The overdrive sound started at one point instead of increasing smoothly and had a harsh quality. The look of the amp was fantastic and I really wanted to like it. But I could not overcome how bad it sounded. I eventually bought a 65 Deluxe RI and had a good amp builder put a handwired blackface circuit in it and never looked back 👍🏻

[@missioncontrol6037]

Thanks for making this video. Makes it easy to ignore the fender handwired series as a possibility for future purchase… big time and thought saver 🙏

[@mistermac56]

Excellent video. With the high dollar cost of the amp, the sloppy spaghetti wiring rat's nest is totally unacceptable.

[@roijamesstudio9417]

I owned a 64 Custom Deluxe Reverb and never had any problems like this. Something wrong with that particular amp. I loved it. Great amp! Best “Fender” sound I ever had. Unfortunately I had to sell it pay off some debt. But hope to get another one when times are better.

[@BSPotter]

I have a 64 Custom Deluxe Reverb and it is fantastic. No noise whatsoever.

[@camielkotte]

Yeah, I recently adopted a twin ri, it was cheap because it had issues. I went to check it, it had a bad V2 tube, I told the owner, he still wanted to sell so I bought it "cheap", switched the v2 to v5(orv4) not sure, but it has the exact same squeeeeeel when reverb is turned up. Will fixer when I have time. Thanks to this channel! Cheers! When I have

[@jjmatashi]

I had one. Couldn't stand it. I thought it was the perfect answer to my quest for vintage tone with modern reliability, but it had this harshness that I could not get rid of, even with speaker changes and tube rolling. At the time I also had a '67, a DRRI, and a Tonemaster. Kept the '67 and sold the rest. Sold the '67 eventually, but I now have the most marvelous '64 clone built by a friend of mine. Best of the lot.

[@Rebellovw]

A good criticism for sure and had me thinking - but as of today - I'm still good with the 64 and either the Princeton or Deluxe are at the top of my list.

[@per-robineriksson8072]

The one I worked on had first a faulty 12AX7, swapped that. When warranty expired both power tubes blew, taking the power transformer with it. Turned out the intensity potentiometer was broken. The wiper lost contact when turned above 3-4, so with no bias-voltage on the grids the current went up the roof. No wonder the rectifier tube and power transformer blew. Put a safety resistor across the pot, if it loses contact again it won't be as expensive to fix. Also! The replacement for the power transformer does not match the '65 reissue so of course I ordered the wrong one at first.

[@kbb149]

I love @PsionicAudio's videos, and like others, have loads of respect for his EE expertise. The silverface Deluxe recommendation is strange to me, however, and not because they aren't great amps; rather, they're different enough sounding that I'm not sure a majority of players would find them "interchangeable."

[@mihali9655]

Not to mention if you live outside the USA, try finding one. I live in Australia where Marshalls are significantly cheaper than in the US…so I just buy those.

[@clanrobertson1]

I have learned so much from your channel. Thank you for doing these!

[@kevinoconnor2921]

For the price, there are better "Hand Wired" amps on the market, today. If you're looking for that sound, look at similar output tubes. It seems to me, Fender has become "too big for their britches". Meaning they've spread themselves out so much, that their quality for reliability has gone down on their amplification over the last decade or two.

[@joeltunnah]

Marshall is no different. With so many kits and repros out there, there's just no reason to get a factory made amp these days At least Fender still makes a good guitar. My '57 American Vintage ii is very well made, plays and sounds great.

[@Arkoudeides.]

​@joeltunnah Marshall are much better than this crap.

[@mohamedtlass3842]

@@Arkoudeides.no, they are worse now!

[@Arkoudeides.]

@mohamedtlass3842 I bought a jvm and it's superb

[@ronj9448]

@@joeltunnah I read that Marshall makes 15% of their nut from their amps. They are now a bluetooth portable speaker company. Odd

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

V2-Schneider... Actually, you should consider trademarking "The Amp Curmudgeon". Fecking brilliant.

[@_-_Michael_-_]

You are really skilled dude. Nice to see someone who knows his stuff and also likes to post on youtube. Really helpful.

[@jutukka]

Artificial center tap made by 2 resistors (connected to anywhere out of a floating heater circuit) does not work as a heater circuit fuse. If you short the heater wires together, it will eventually burn the heater winding of PT, or heater wires without a fuse. A shorted heater wire current bypasses those resistors, it does not burn them. (But yes, of course, when some high voltage part of B+ circuit shorts to the heater circuit using artificial ground, those resistors act as a fuse.)

[@PsionicAudio]

Heater to heater shorts are extremely rare. B+ to heater is much more common and the resistors will fuse in that scenario. Heater fuses are more likely to fail from normal inrush current when there is no actual issue with the heater supply.

[@jutukka]

@@PsionicAudio True. I have used tube amps for 35 years and never witnessed a heater to heater short in my own amps. But it is possible. But I have not witnessed a blown artificial ground resistors either. And I have for over 20 years used two amps using both heater and rectifier heater fuses and those fuses have never blown at cold start either. 😁 But I still think that a properly valued fuse is better than no fuse, especially if the blown fuse is easy to replace, because usually it is much easier to get and install a new fuse than a new power transformer. 😄

[@jeremyversusjazz]

yeah, this one’s got issues but I have the hand wired 64 custom Princeton-I play it every single evening-it sounds amazing and I have played it loud and it has no issues. I love it. i paid open box price for i so got a good deal. I had a vintage Princeton that was in good shape owned by people I knew and it was nothing but problems right out of the gate I had to spend hundreds of dollars just to get it “meh” so I sold it back to the guy and bought the hand Wired Princeton, and never looked back. I also tried some other Princeton clones that were very nice but in the end, they just weren’t the Princeton. so, in conclusion, my 64 hand, Wired, Princeton is anything but “meh.” 😉

[@jeremyversusjazz]

well said brother. what bugs me is based on lyles dissection these hw fenders are clearly in need of better QC at the factory. 🤔

[@jeremyversusjazz]

@@PPJ9274 agree. 👍

[@TheAndyCzech]

No doubt. I LOVE THIS AMP!! I purchased one of these in mint condition for $1600.

[@PsionicAudio]

This video is on the HW Deluxe. I’m not speculating about the HW Princeton. If one comes in then we’ll see. Until then, I have no opinion other than it seems radically overpriced.

[@jeremyversusjazz]

@@PsionicAudio agree. tho i got an “open box” discount it was still north of 2 grand. but as i said in my original post-i bought a real 65 from a friend-it was an amp i knew well prior to it seeing a ton of sessions at my friends studio. by the time i went back to buy it it had been ridden hard and put away wet. And it was a mess. so far the hw custom has given me zero issues after several years of constant use at reasonable volume. that said, I am concerned about the build quality after watching the deluxe video…after all, why would it be any better unless the guy who built mine three benches down, cared a lot more about his quality of work? which is entirely possible I suppose. having said all this, after watching your video, I went and checked all the pots on my hand wired Princeton- cranking them all up, and I did notice noise and artifacts from the verb tank that I had not before, so it might be time to bring it into a tech and see if it’s made of the same questionable stuff as the one you dissected!

[@Jeffcatbuckeye]

As the Bob Ross of amps….”beat the devil out of it”. Your brush is a soldering iron. Lol

[@pierregaude1528]

Over 60 years of researches and technology to not be able to reproduce a hand wired amp is baffling...Thank you for all the videos you put out it helps the musicians who care about their sound....Unfortunately it appears that $3000 is the minimum price of a good amp nowadays....so sad!

[@Arkoudeides.]

There are many much superior amps out there for less money. Fender are totally crap.

[@mohamedtlass3842]

@@Arkoudeides.you can get a great 70s fender for a few hundred bucks

[@stevep7657]

Always enjoy your videos, watching as an old retired tech and a guitarist still doing gigs. A bit sad that for the money they are asking for an amp like this, that the quality just seems ordinary.

[@clovergrass9439]

Imagine if Marshall and Fender decided not to prioritize $$$, marketing, lifestyle and profit and just build boutique quality amps again. Don't hold your breath.

[@McSlobo]

Owners' decide what's prioritized. So, if you invest your own money in some company, do you want it to make more money for you or no profit and better products for customers? Umm... yeah. Not gonna happen with publicly traded companies (unless there's fierce competition).

[@rwj3004]

Could have been fine from factory and shipping caused the reverb damage. Shipping is tough on amps. Most companies prioritize money…its how they stay in busy. Pretty sure you are loyal to companies that prioritize money. PRS is usually thought of as a great company…they prioritize money too

[@Arkoudeides.]

Marshall are much better than this crap.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Then they would never have been Fender and Marshall and some other companies would have. You lack a fundamental understanding of how economics and business work.

[@stevenklein3211]

Nothing like high quality tools. Not everyone uses Cutco cake knifes.

[@nedim_guitar]

Fascinating video! I'm only a guitarist, but I really enjoy this stuff.

[@bennettamplification]

Fantastic video, appreciate all your hard work.

[@bottomkitchen250]

I would think they would want to use shorter length wire to save money. It would look a lot neater. Hoping for a part 2.

[@JeremiahL]

My guess is that it's more difficult for the fender techs to wire these amps with every wire trimmed with minimal excess. It requires additional manual dexterity to manage wiring that doesn't have any excess... High Labor cost, especially in the US (California) will far eclipse the cost of wiring. Also, I suspect that people would complain about insufficient excess left for repairs if prioritized wire length minimization. My question is, other than being unsightly, what is the functional draw backs of having excess in the wires if any?

[@t9cstudio]

@@JeremiahL Original black panel Fender amps all used solid core cloth covered wire and is much easier to form and look nice than the stranded plastic covered wire which should have been at least tyrapped together in the reissues, if not installing solid wire.

[@ianjamesevans]

@@JeremiahL Excess wire leads to noise. How the different wires are positioned matters, too. If you've ever heard the term "chopsticking," that's where you hear this first hand: you use a non-conductive tool like a chopstick or plastic pointer like Lyle uses in the video and move wires around to minimize noise. Lead dress on an amp isn't just for aesthetics, and the higher the gain, the more important it is. It's also a hell of a lot easier to work on an amp that isn't just a rats nest of excess wire.

[@JeremiahL]

​@@ianjamesevans Thanks you for the explain. I guess in comparison to what Im used to seeing in modern electronics, I wouldn't describe the wiring shown on the reissue as being a rats nest per se. With that said, I did compare some photos of an original AB763 circuit board, and it is a significantly more tidy than the reissue.. It looks like the reissue uses more connection blocks and spade terminal connectors that also consume a lot of real estate inside the box which probably contributes to the lack of integration space inside the board...

[@stevelawrie9115]

Messed up reverb tank on purchase?

[@Win1forQuinn]

You're doing God's work with these videos. Thank you.

[@adamkrauss303]

Would love to see a roundtable “discussion” with a Fender engineering rep responding. I man can dream… Maybe you can get a former engineer who is willing to discuss?

[@jamesunderhill1603]

Do you think Fender build these amps to annoy Lyle on purpose 🤔🤔🤔

[@victorstillwell9893]

I was actually thinking about picking one of these up, either this or the 57 Custom hand wired. Not now. Thank you, Psionic!

[@mohamedtlass3842]

The 57 champ is actually good but overpriced

[@petemitchum3198]

I'm a big fan, and really appreciate you sharing so much of your expertise on guitar amps. If you had to choose either the Fender '64 Custom Hand-Wired Deluxe Reverb, or Mesa Boogie California Tweed 6V6 4:40 Tube Combo Amp which would you recommend? I've watched your videos on both, and I think I know you wouldn't either. Thanks for your wonderful videos.

[@PsionicAudio]

Thanks! I gotta say I’d prefer a guitar amp to either of those ripoff boxes.

[@petemitchum3198]

@@PsionicAudio Your response is exactly what I expected. What is the best method to message you? I have a Vox AC15C1X1 that I really like, and would like to hire you to do some upgrades. I'm in South Carolina and I know I would need to ship it...both ways. Thanks again for your very informative videos..

[@JeremiahL]

I agree with the critisism about the fiddly changes and components added to the reissue. If you are paying that much, you are probably looking for a reliable and robust copy of the iconic amp using the exact same legendary circuits. I mean, even when talking about the good old legacy amps, you could start a riot over discussing the differences between AA763, AC568, AA1069, AA270, AA371, and which ones are better. They should really know better than to think they could introduce even the most minor change and not end up with backlash...

[@chuckschillingvideos]

5:42 Cutco sandwich spreader, not a cake knife!!!!! I was a Cutco knife salesman several lifetimes ago and the only thing I could sell was this damn sandwich spreader. Everyone wanted to buy this and ONLY this.

[@johnwilliamson467]

The ht fuse looks like it is not of a voltage rating that is high enough for it app. Besides not needed as you pointed out . Those resistor on V1 should have been on the board it does look worse than a kit build to me . If they are grid stoppers close to the pin is good but not flying like that IMHO.

[@MoistVonLupvig]

Yeah, I tried every which way to put reverb on both channels and concluded that after the caps was best, with the 220K mixing resistors. Many players like to pull tube 2 for more gain. I like the sound of that too, so will put another 820 ohm resistor in parallel to hot bias both channels

[@honkytonkinson9787]

If one absolutely had to spend $2500 on an approximately 20 watt tube amp and didn’t want to overpay, like with the featured amp, what are better alternatives? I didn’t want as many watts so I got a tweed vibrolux clone.

[@cpfs936]

The Rivera Stage IV is comparable. (And quiet! 😉)

[@albertjabberin739]

Thanks for the info. I got one on discount and think it sounds great. I don’t pretend to think it’s as good as an original, but it at least has a factory warranty and I don’t have to deal with the hassles of a vintage amp. I have a sf twin reverb to fill that need. Honestly I play my new pro jr way more. I will go headstrong next but that pro jr is pretty darn capable for the price.

[@mohamedtlass3842]

The hassles of well kept originals are nothing compared to hassles with modern stuff

[@williambock1821]

I’ve just run into a short stream of bad SM caps. Replaced them with Sozo micas(expensive but they ARE good) and the problems go bye bye. Strange because the SM’s measure fine ,no DC, but just they cause noise sometimes.

[@McSlobo]

The cap he replaced was btw a CDM, not SM, but there's no such thing as perfection in electronics, just better probability.

[@JHKNVY02]

It's unfortunate, companies don't do themselves the favor of conferring with the guys who actually work and repair the products they sell. Guilty as an Engineer. After 70 years of development and use, these amps should be nearly bullet proof. Thankfully folks like you are around to correct workmanship and component issues and keep them plugging along for the forceable future. It would be terrific if Fender was in yours and other field technicians back pockets to garner the feedback like Leo did back in the heyday of Fender.

[@ErebosGR]

Two words: planned obsolescence.

[@JHKNVY02]

@@ErebosGRFor this price point I hope that’s not the case….lol

[@MrRayKemp]

Love this ... amazing talk through. Interestingly you mention an early '70's Deluxe would be better for the money. I still use an early 70's deluxe (bought new) and it is amazing. Been "blackfaced" and "maintained" over the years but I think you are right. Money better spent!

[@stanvidgg]

For way less money you can get a Tophat. The PTP wiring in a Tophat is a work of art. This Fender is a rat’s nest.

[@PsionicAudio]

I’m a big fan of Top Hats. See my videos on them.

[@stratfanstl]

You want "hand wired?" We'll give you hand wired... I've seen videos of handbuilt MojoTone or TubeDepot clones of the Deluxe Reverb built by amateurs that look better wired than this. To your larger point about fusing, etc... This type of design and manufacturing seems to reflect what you would get by hiring EEs who know Ohm's law and may understand UL / Euro safety regulations etc. but have never BUILT an amp or never repaired one or talked to a repair tech about failure modes, design for fixability, etc. Just more examples of what an ART it is to design mass-manufactured products that meet functional goals and safety / reliability goals.

[@jasoneugenides5770]

Hiss is usually one of two things: Bad tube or failing carbon comp resistor.

[@monoclepigproductions]

Are the F&Ts stock, or think the amp’s been recapped? I think I heard you say you’re not the first one to have been in the amp (and it looks like at least the speaker’s been swapped)

[@PsionicAudio]

They seemed stock. I think someone might have opened it to bias it but nothing inside has been changed.

[@McSlobo]

@@PsionicAudio speaker should be Jensen "special design" something, yet it looks like Celestion Vintage 30.

[@PsionicAudio]

Yeah, the Jensen ended up in that Victoria Silver Sonic I did a month or so back. And it was then replaced because it sounded like ass. The Victoria’s V30 went in this DR.

[@retread1083]

Having plates tied directly together is fugly. In addition to the gain issue you mentioned, there's another problem. Let's choose some numbers for convenience. Let's say your preamp supply is 300 v. And you've chosen cathode resistors such that at idle each triode is drawing 1.5mA. Plate resistors are 100k. Your plates are at (300v - 150v) aka 150v, putting them roughly halfway between cutoff and saturation. When you tie two plates together, the total of the two triodes draws 3mA and the total plate resistance is 50k. We still have 150v between the plates and the preamp supply and 150v between the plates and ground. Looks okay. Now we pull one of the tubes. The current drops to 1.5mA but the total resistance stays the same. 50k. Now we only have 75v between the plate and the preamp supply and 225v between the plate and ground. We've shifted out idle toward cutoff. No problem if the ac signal is modest. But for later stages, this could be a problem. It's not quite as bad as this first-level analysis suggests, though. By plucking a tube, you've removed two triodes from the load on the preamp supply so the voltage will go up a bit. Still, it's fugly.

[@JohnWhite-xc3md]

I thought the '65 and '68 reissues are printed circuitry? That said, I bought the '64 Handwired. Mine has been trouble free so far.

[@goodun2974]

At about 8:00 is that a varistor (to dump voltage spikes to ground) or a thermistor (to prevent a current surge at turn on). Looks like a thermistor to me; varistors are typically blue or sometimes tan, but thermistors are almost always black.

[@goodun2974]

Oops, asked and answered; I paused the video to make my comment before I saw your overlayed correction....

[@Mountainrock70]

This amp is up to par with their guitars these days.

[@cressmanfoster]

Another great video. Like some others have mentioned, I rarely understand any of the technical terminology but I still find these so fascinating. Would love to see you open up a Headstrong one of these days. I had my ‘Lil King Reverb in for new tubes last year and the tech said that it was built exactly like an original 64 Princeton “to a fault”.

[@kutsbothways]

Just purchased one of these a short time ago, have yet to gig it.I got an exceptional deal brand new in the box. Played it for a memorial service in a church and the hum wasn't noticeable, so I suspect on a noisy stage it won't be a problem. You however pointed out plenty of other thing that could become issues, so, now I am wondering, did I choose the wrong amp. My 50+ year oId Super Reverb is just too heavy anymore and my Two Roc head requires me to Iug around a 2x12 cab that is almost as heavy. Hate to give up on the new DR 64 aIready as for size and sound it covers many of the right boxes. Thanhs for the honest videos you do us aII a service.

[@McSlobo]

A bit late comment but there wasn't anything massively wrong as far as I understood. Just those cheap mica caps, one wire across the tube socket that should be moved, one wire combining DC instead of AC (a bit more complex mod required) and a lotta spaghetti. For the full price the quality of work is sub par but there's nothing that will burn your house down or render the amp useless. If you got it cheap you should have a few pennies left to take it to an amp shop and you can ask them to reduce the hiss and show this video for ideas. For me this looks like something I could do myself but really won't because I'm not qualified to work on high voltage equipment.

[@vapidwind1014]

I have the Princeton version of this amp I kind of love the sound Didn’t like the tremelo speed so had a freind change the value of a cap to slow it down and it’s beauty now Pretty quiet by itself but can get noisy when I’m stuffing bigass gain in the front end My friend was saying he would make an effects loop into it for me if I wanted Should I do it ??? Curious And Thankyou for all this great content

[@Tweed_Tone]

Reverb circuits on these hardwired amps are extremely noisy, and generally more hum/hiss. The cheaper PCB I tried didn’t have this issue.

[@danielkongmusic]

Lyle's videos are fantastic but they have also scared me off tube amps. As someone who lives in Asia, far away from vintage amps and with limited tube amp options here and few techs to work on them, it's quite disheartening to find out that paying extra doesn't necessarily mean that you get something reliable and without problems. I somewhat expected this with regards to Friedmans and Morgans given the hype surrounding them, but I was surprised to learn that Tone Kings also have issues. I'm not surprised at all that Fender is overcharging for these. I guess my best bet is to just go with something mid-priced like a Ceriatone and make room in the budget for it to be continuously worked on.

[@PsionicAudio]

Friedmans are very reliable safe choices.

[@ileutur6863]

Ya know, with inflation still going crazy, I have more important things on my mind than music gear, but it feels particularly offensive to me that big music companies are asking so much more for their products while offering less quality. Its not like the problem with acoustic guitars where there's no more old growth left to build them, the quality parts are right there and cheap as hell, they just don't put in the effort.