Make an original Blackface Deluxe better?

[MrCoolGuy]

A while back, a working local musician brought me an original '64 blackface Deluxe (non-reverb). It was in terrible physical condition, but it was almost all original.
I cleaned it up, installed new E. Caps,
3-prong cord, etc. All the voltages are where they should be. I got everything working as it should and gave it back to him. He was very happy with it and it's been his main amp for indoor venues ever since.
But he thinks it could be better. He's thinks the vib channel is too bright, so he's been using the nor channel. He wants me to remove the bright cap from the vib channel and he wants the bass tightened up a little. I was thinking of just upping the first filter stage capacitance a bit, but I'm curious what you guys think.
And I know the easy answer is to tell him that maybe it's not the amp he wants...
But apparently, this amp is as close to being perfect for him as any amp he's played, just wants to dial it in.
Also, right now it has a 5U4GB rec tube.
I know this can change the feel of the amp, but it puts the voltage closer to what it's supposed to be. How much capacitance can that 5U4GB handle?
Some charts say 20uf max, some say 40uf max...
Thoughts?

Also, he sent his as an example of what tone her likes...Can't Hide a Heartache:

Here's a couple pics from when I first got it. Yes, that's a dirt dauber nest... lol

 

[Phrygian77]

You can tighten up the bass by turning the bass down.

Seriously, it depends what you mean by "tightening up the bass". Increasing the filtering will keep the bass from initially compressing as much, but once you hit the wall, that's it. The only way to tighten up the low end from there is to reduce low end.

 

[MrCoolGuy]

Here's after...

 

[MrCoolGuy]

You can tighten up the bass by turning the bass down.

Seriously, it depends what you mean by "tightening up the bass". Increasing the filtering will keep the bass from initially compressing as much, but once you hit the wall, that's it. The only way to tighten up the low end from there is to reduce low end.

Yeah,
That's how I look at it. That's why I'm here. He said it has enough bass, but not "as pretty as that Kilgore recording"
Lol
Not much for me to work with there.

 

[tubedude]

First, replace those electrolytic cathode caps for a start. They are original. See if that helps.
To reduce bass use smaller value cathode caps or smaller coupling caps.
And WTF is that blob near V3, a blob of concrete, wasp nest?

 

[MrCoolGuy]

First, replace those electrolytic cathode caps for a start. They are original. See if that helps.
To reduce bass use smaller value cathode caps or smaller coupling caps.
And WTF is that blob near V3, a blob of concrete, wasp nest?

Like I said on the original post, I did replace all the e caps... but thanks.
Also, like I said, that was a dirt dauber nest. This was an actual barn find.

 

[Wally]

First…that amp needs NOT to have a 5UG rectifier unless it has a
replacement PT. The 5U4 draws almost twice the current compared to a GZ34.
Capacitance….the GZ34 is spec’d for 50mfds, iirc. The 5U4 is spec’d for
40. A good GZ34/5AR4 can handle 60mfds. However, if someone wants tight low end, one can run a solid state rectifier and run as much capacitance as one desires. In order to to 50mfds, one might have to run two caps in series…and run some draining resistors as in the bigger Fenders. About 30 years ago, my tech at the time set a BFDR this way for a pro…running 6L6s.
Is that a mud dauber nest inside that chassis???? Edit….Lol…I was typing as you not3d the nest….

 

[MrCoolGuy]

That was the original pic before I did any work to the amp.

 

[MrCoolGuy]

First…that amp needs NOT to have a 5UG rectifier unless it has a
replacement PT. The 5U4 draws almost twice the current compared to a GZ34.
Capacitance….the GZ34 is spec’d for 50mfds, iirc. The 5U4 is spec’d for
40. A good GZ34/5AR4 can handle 60mfds. However, if someone wants tight low end, one can run a solid state rectifier and run as much capacitance as one desires. In order to to 50mfds, one might have to run two caps in series…and run some draining resistors as in the bigger Fenders. About 30 years ago, my tech at the time set a BFDR this way for a pro…running 6L6s.
Is that a mud dauber nest inside that chassis???? Edit….Lol…I was typing as you not3d the nest….

I'm sorry, I mean 5R4, not 5U4. Typo.
And when I gave him the amp, I did have a GZ34 in there... somewhere along the way he must have put in the 5R4.

 

[tubedude]

Like I said on the original post, I did replace all the e caps... but thanks.
Also, like I said, that was a dirt dauber nest. This was an actual barn find.

To be fair you didn't mention this was a before pic. Also, i don't know the skill level of everyone here, and some tinkerers might not know those seasick green cathode caps are electrolytic also.
Reducing the values of those, which are too high at 25uF anyway, or the coupling caps will help. I'd start with a 1 to 5 uF for the cathode, and 10nF for the coupling. Good luck.

 

[MrCoolGuy]

And I think I'm going to have to try to pull some more info out of the owner...
He said it doesn't have too much bass...
Just that the low end is "missing something" and isn't as "pretty" as the recording he referred to. Lol

 

[MrCoolGuy]

To be fair you didn't mention this was a before pic. Also, i don't know the skill level of everyone here, and some tinkerers might not know those seasick green cathode caps are electrolytic also.
Reducing the values of those, which are too high at 25uF anyway, or the coupling caps will help. I'd start with a 1 to 5 uF for the cathode, and 10nF for the coupling. Good luck.

To be fair, I hear ya, but I did state that was the original pic.

 

[MrCoolGuy]

And... like I said, he doesn't want to reduce bass. I don't expect you to understand this man's desires... because I don't either.

And I don't think Fenders 25uf cathode bypass caps were over-valued at all...

 

[chris m.]

Maybe all it really needs is a different speaker?

 

[MrCoolGuy]

Maybe all it really needs is a different speaker?

That's actually a fair point.
He had a Celestion v type in it... which I didn't like. I recommended he change it...
Now he has one of those Alessandro Eminence speakers... which I normally think sound good.

 

[InstantCoffeeBlue]

Here's after...

Man, I just want to say that is the Lord's work right there.I know some folks would say leave the "mojo" alone, but man, that amp deserved the work you put into making it handsome again.

Good luck with your client. It's a studio recording with a different guitar and a different amp and all kinds of studio gear we'll never know about and most-importantly, a different player's touch. Guitarists are funny sometimes.

 

[tubedude]

After

To be fair, I hear ya, but I did state that was the original pic.

After I replied you did.

 

[MrCoolGuy]

Man, I just want to say that is the Lord's work right there.I know some folks would say leave the "mojo" alone, but man, that amp deserved the work you put into making it handsome again.

Good luck with your client. Guitarists are funny sometimes.

Hey, thank you.
That amp was a ton of work. But I just wanted to see it sounding and looking good again. I'm attach some more AFTER pics later. It has water damage, I had to make a new speaker baffle... we opted to leave the old tolex where we could, just glue it back down. But I had to make new back panels...

 

[MrCoolGuy]

After

After I replied you did.

Nope. Right above the picture in the first post. Lol

 

[tubedude]

Nope. Right above the picture in the first post. Lol

Sorry, you're right I missed that in there.