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Author Topic:  Fender amp question
Steve Spitz

 

From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2012 12:54 pm    
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My 1995 Fender Custom Vibrosonic Reverb has two adjustable pots on the underside of the chassis. One is closer to the side of the cabinet , the other closer to the middle of the cabinet. Can anyone tell me which one does what, (I'm guessing one is bias, relating to running"hot or cold)" and the other ?
Are either of these user friendly to be used to adjust "by ear " or should I only leave it to a qualified tech? I have an ohm meter, but I'm not qualified to work on high voltage gear.
Thanks.
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Al Carey


From:
Dublin, NH USA
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2012 3:57 pm    
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Most likely they're pots for adjusting the bias of each output tube individually. Biasing a tube amp is not particularly difficult, but if you're not comfortable with the idea, don't attempt it. Voltages inside a tube amp are lethal!
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Steve Spitz

 

From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2012 4:13 pm     Biasing
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Thanks Al, your words of caution are appreciated. If the pots balance individual power tubes, with four tubes wouldn't I have four pots? I marked where the pots were set, and fiddled with them a bit. One seemed to have an effect on hum, the other on the amount of clean vs grit. Not a very tech savy report, but that's what it sounded like. After my tinkering, I found it to sound best left as I found it. It would be nice to know exactly what each pot was for. I believe each channell uses two power tubes, 1 the two outer tubes, 2 the two middle tubes. Looking at the circuitry, the pots appear to have very different functions.
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Al Carey


From:
Dublin, NH USA
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2012 4:29 pm    
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Sorry, I didn't realize this amp has 4 output tubes.

Here's a link to the manual.
http://support.fender.com/manuals/guitar_amplifiers/Vibrosonic_manual.pdf

Looks like one of the pots is the hum balance, the manual explains how to adjust it.
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Ken Fox


From:
Nashville GA USA
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2012 4:30 pm    
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One is the heater hum balance and the other is the bias pot
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Steve Spitz

 

From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2012 5:19 am     Amp
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Thanks!
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