Hicks Electronis' Mender

[PhatBoy]

I've got an old one laying around and was wondering if anyone can tell anything about them.
Doing a search on the net brings up nada, to speak of.....

Also can't find any active references to "Hicks Electronics".

Would be much appreciated

PB

 

[El Capitan]

Built by David Hicks, Hicks Electronics, Tulsa Oklahoma. He used to work out of the back of Saieds Music on Yale at 31st street.



Google "Fender mender hicks" it worked for me....

 

[Marky D.]

Bought one..

around 1990... didn't like what it did to my Deluxe Reverb. I think these were similar to a product called the "Ice Cube".

 

[stantheman]

me too...

I can't remember when I got mine but it was a long time
ago. I do remember Paul Rivera saying in an issue of Guitar Player that he wished he had thought of it.
It was created for Fender Blackface and Silverface Amps
that were Dual Channel and HAD REVERB - these don't work on "Dry" Fender Amps to the best of my knowledge. It allowed the player to Channel Switch to
a overdriven sound without the need of an external pedal.... I spoke to him once and he was a good guy.
The "Mender" plugged into the first two pre-amp tube bays and then the pre-amp tubes were put back in - they
hung a little lower than the others.
The Tone on these varied depending on the Guitar - something like a Les Paul with P-90's for a soloist would
sound pretty darn cool. For a Blues Guy who hates pedals and just wants to plug in and go a Mender is pretty spiffy.

 

[Marky D.]

I take that back...

Maybe it's not the same as the Ice Cube.. my memory is fuzzy on that topic.

And don't want to bad-mouth David Hicks' product. He had a good column in Guitar Player mag. back when it was worth reading. This was pre-Aspen Pittman & internet and there was not a lot of amp information available.

How does your Mender sound?

 

[stantheman]

It still sounds real good,

I never tried it with my DR, I actually bought it for one
of my Dual Showman TFL5000D's (and I gave both of
them and the small 2X12 Bottoms w EVM-12L's away
for short money - bike accident, got busted up proper -
weight dropped to "famine level" 170 lbs*), I had it in my Twin and it was cool - I just like what The Sparkle Drive does better. I think there's some real good Tone to be had with it for sure, I never used it with a footswitch.
*what's with this obsession of being skinny, nothing gets me more grossed out than being around some wicked skinny girl - they give me "the chills" y'know "spaz atax".
That woman from "the lawyer show" minga someone give her some barbeque

 

[Tele295]

Is the Mender still in production?

 

[PhatBoy]

Reviving the dead.......

I can't remember if this still works or not. Don't have anyold Fender amps currently.
Will a BJr (green board) work?

 

[backalleyblues]

ZOMBIE ALERT!!!

PhatBoy, no they won't work on a Blues Jr, or any of the current Fender amps. Probably would work in the reissue series, assuming the tube spacing is the same as the originals.

Franc Robert

 

[PhatBoy]

What is "Zombie Alert"? Is that because the original thread is OLD?

I'm not from this century....

 

[FredC]

I've got one in my new 65 Reissue Fender Twin Reverb. It works great.

I'd like to get another Hicks Mender for a buddy. If anyone is selling one.. PM me.

 

[Octave Doctor]

The Ice Cube wasn't the same thing--mainly an expensive jumper taking the place of the reverb tank. If you get rid of the losses of the the tank, you get quite a boost. A short RCA to RCA cable will do the same thing.

 

[Jupiter]

What is "Zombie Alert"? Is that because the original thread is OLD?

I'm not from this century....

Yes, it's dead, in that the topic was exhausted 9 years ago, but now it's undead, and guys are going to debate, clarify, and/or correct people who are past it, or in some cases even "passed on". Dead, but dug up again and wandering around all disoriented and hungry for brains.

This thread will likely be locked soon by a moderator. Hence we say:

In before the lock!

In a case like this, it's better to just start a new thread.

Edit: I just noticed that you're the original poster; I guess that makes this a Frankenstein thread.

 

[studio]

Yes, it's dead, in that the topic was exhausted 9 years ago, but now it's undead, and guys are going to debate, clarify, and/or correct people who are past it, or in some cases even "passed on". Dead, but dug up again and wandering around all disoriented and hungry for brains.

This thread will likely be locked soon by a moderator. Hence we say:

In before the lock!

In a case like this, it's better to just start a new thread.

Edit: I just noticed that you're the original poster; I guess that makes this a Frankenstein thread.

"It's ALIVE!!!!!!!"

 

[Larry F]

It's a walker!!!

 

[SixgunElectric]

Sad to learn of David Hicks' recent passing.

He was a good dude and the Hicks Fender Menders (1&2) were cool designs, as was his Speaker Tweaker.
The Fender Menders 1 & 2 were a little black box w tube pins which you placed into the sockets of a Fender amp...then installed the tubes into the box.
I dont know if i have em mixed up but I belive the Fender Mender 1 was a tube driven effects loop and the Fendee Mender 2 was the overdrive switcher w level control (footswitchable)
It basically added an all tune overdrive channel to your BF or SF amp.

The speaker tweaker was a beam blocker which attateched to the front of your amp's speaker

 

[powerwagonjohn]

I had never hear of David Hicks or his contributions, including his Menders. Too bad about David but an interesting read. I always say there is always something to learn from history, even an old thread.
Thanks John

 

[robschnspf]

I had never heard the hicks mender until today and I felt like I just zoomed thru time.
Birth to death.

 

[SixgunElectric]

He (David Hicks) went by "ampdoc" on some of the forums.
Google: Hicks Fender Mender you can find some info he posted about the device.

From ampgarage:
https://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33341

 

[miotch]

Just looked this post up as I was thinking about selling my Mender. I haven’t seen David since early 2018 when my last company closed and was so sad to learn he died. Was a wonderful person and always willing to help. When we get busy, we sometimes lose track of friends. So sad.