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Topic: Fender Red Knob crappy reputation... deserved! |
Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2013 8:33 pm |
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Here's a picture of the power supply board of a Champ 12... note the crappiness. This wasn't even the problem with the amp (headphone connector switching) but I tugged on a wire and it broke right off... so I had to spend a half-hour to de-crapify it (stripped the wires back and soldered them into the terminals). If you want to build a really cheap, crappy amp, this is the way to do it. Note the two different sizes of wire staked into the terminals... a sure way to get this to fail soon.
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New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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Bill L. Wilson
From:
Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2013 9:00 pm Crappy Fender Amps.
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| LEO has probably spun to China and back, to many times to mention, since he sold out!!!!!!!! I'm very fortunate to have 3good Silverface Amps, and they're all still cookin'. |
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Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 12 Aug 2013 9:19 pm Junk
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Stephen,
What's the red wire terminating in the side of D101 all about? Red: it's bound to be one end of the HV secondary, not cool to be floating. I'm hoping this photo was taken in the middle of the de-crappifying. Looks like they use the same size stakes regardless of wire size. Never thought we'd see the day a major company would produce such a product. Disgraceful!
This makes it easy to understand why people have supported Brad Sarno, Ken Fox and Tim Marcus.
Thanks for the heads-up.
Sincerely,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792
cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com
C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024 |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2013 10:01 pm
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| I have no idea whether current-production Fender amps are built like this or better or worse, but it's at least worth mentioning that the period when they made these red knob amps ended 20 years ago. |
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Kevin Mincke
From:
Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2013 6:22 am
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| I bought one of these new in about 1987 or 88 and still have it, virtually new. I'm disappointed now that the wiring is so crappy. It seemed like a bit if old school vs what else was being offered at the time is why I bought it. I haven't had any problems with mine but again very low hours on it. |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 13 Aug 2013 6:59 am
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| Brint Hannay wrote: |
| I have no idea whether current-production Fender amps are built like this or better or worse, but it's at least worth mentioning that the period when they made these red knob amps ended 20 years ago. |
the new Fenders are a bit different - but certainly not any better.
You can't hardly blame Fender for any of this though. Players are the ones demanding new tube amps and bargain bin prices. In order to do that you gotta build them overseas. Those folks wiring up the amps are not overly concerned about tone I can assure you of that 
Luckily there are a few good options for the players who are willing to spend a little extra on something that will last a long time. No need to buy a used Red knob or Reissue Fender 
_________________
Milkmansound.com |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 13 Aug 2013 8:52 am
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The old Fender's (e.g. 60's models) with the eyelets that components were soldered to had a lot of solder joint problems. I've also encountered filament solder joint problems on the 6L6 tube sockets, too, but not as frequent as other solder issues.
I've probably fixed more Fenders over the years because of bad solder joints than anything else. |
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 13 Aug 2013 4:14 pm
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Stephan: I looked in Websters Dictionary and there is no such word as:
De-Crapify....... 
I am not an indepth amp tech but I can solder, change tubes, bias an amp. Seems like many of the newer amps are fixed bias and some low wattage tube amps have no standby switch.
I have a Fender Super Champ X2 tube amp head (20 watts?) and the Fender Xcelsior 18 watt tube amp and they both sound nice with a lap steel. How durable....we'll see?
Lenny |
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 13 Aug 2013 4:17 pm
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Stephan: I looked in Websters Dictionary and there is no such word as:
De-Crapify.......
I am not an indepth amp tech but I can solder, change tubes, bias an amp. Seems like many of the newer amps are fixed bias and some low wattage tube amps have no standby switch.
I have a Fender Super Champ X2 tube amp head (20 watts?) and the Fender Xcelsior 18 watt tube amp and they both sound nice with a lap steel. How durable....we'll see?
Lenny |
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Howard Montgomery
From:
Topeka, KS US
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Posted 14 Aug 2013 7:30 am
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.. a sure way to get this to fail soon. Let me understand....this power supply board has functioned for 20-30 years, and did not fail until you actually physically tugged on the wire and it broke. Not sure what soon means, but 20+ years seems pretty long, and it hadn't failed yet till ya tugged on it.
Of all the hand wired amps and PCB amps I have owned, the only failures I have had were with broken joints in the hand wired ones...just sayin'. |
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Rich Hlaves
From:
Wildomar, California, USA
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Posted 14 Aug 2013 8:24 am
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While Fender has made some real duds over the years I think overall they have done fairly well. I am most fond of the eyelet board handwired amps and consider them to be the most reliable amps Fender built. Tweed, brown, blonde, BF, SF, they all had there day in the sun with thousands of them still in service.
All this is mute however. The market for custom shop botique handwired amps is very limited. They are out there for those who appreciate them and can afford them. Most players want amps at a price point period. Manufactures, all of them, just fill that need.
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On man....let the smoke out of another one. |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 14 Aug 2013 1:13 pm
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exactly what I said above - its the fault of the consumers 
_________________
Milkmansound.com |
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Daniel Morris
From:
Westlake, Ohio, USA
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Posted 14 Aug 2013 4:30 pm
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skip it...
_________________
1979 MSA U12 Pedal Steel
1982 Kline U12 Pedal steel
2019 Sierra U12 Pedal Steel
2011 Bear Creek MK Weissenborn
Milkman 40W Mini amp w/Telonics 15" speaker.
Dr. Z Surgical Steel w/TT 15" speaker.
Frenzel MB-50 head.
Spaceman, Empress, Eventide, Pigtronix.
Last edited by Daniel Morris on 14 Aug 2013 6:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 14 Aug 2013 4:54 pm Re: Junk
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| Craig Baker wrote: |
Stephen,
What's the red wire terminating in the side of D101 all about? Red: it's bound to be one end of the HV secondary, not cool to be floating. I'm hoping this photo was taken in the middle of the de-crappifying. |
Yes, pretty obvious that this was before the repair, and after the 'tugging'.
It turns out that an amp can work for decades with crappy connections like these... and sound bad. I've jumpered out the headphone jack and the amp sounds really good now... I couldn't leave the stake thing going on in there and still have a conscience. It's still full of 1/4watt resistors and 24ga wire, but it's head and shoulders above where it was when it came in.
This was a particular era of Fender with a well-deserved reputation. Caveat Emptor!
_________________
New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 14 Aug 2013 5:05 pm
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| Daniel Morris wrote: |
| Yes, it cost more, but with an effects loop (not in the old Fenders) and uncompromising quality, these "boutique" (I hate that term) amps are indeed meeting a need. |
do a price check on what my Milkman amps would have cost in 1965. I think you'll find that they are cheaper than Fenders 
_________________
Milkmansound.com |
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Rich Hlaves
From:
Wildomar, California, USA
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Posted 14 Aug 2013 5:36 pm
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[quote="Daniel Morris]
Sorry, don't mean to pick on you. My youngest has pointed this out in facebook posts, and my mother had been an English teacher, I guess I'm more sensitive, too.
[/quote]
You did. So why apologize?
I think you have mother issues Daniel. I had a spare minute at work and blasted off a quick post not "checking my work". I don't think the SGF is the place for your comments. So sorry to offend. Please remember your post next time you play a clinker at a gig.
I come here to discuss music and the tools of the trade and hopefully have a bit of fun. Spelling? Grammer? Geeze. Give me a break.
Best,
Rich
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On man....let the smoke out of another one. |
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