Why are all the fender amps I look at broken?

[Jakedog]

I’ve been thinking on and off about adding a big fender reverb amp. Just for the hell of it. They can be found for great prices on the used market. Might be fun to have something between 30 and a 80 watts with reverb and trem. And all that CLEAN headroom.

Looked a Vibrolux reverb. Reverb didn’t work. Looked at a twin. Reverb and trem didn’t work. Looked at a pro reverb. Reverb didn’t work. Just went and looked at a 4x10 concert, reverb and trem no worky.

“It probably wouldn’t be much to fix”.

That’s what every store and seller says. Probably not, but you’re charging working amp prices, you won’t budge, and you don’t even know what’s wrong with it. Why is this seemingly epidemic?

Rant off. I’ll keep looking.

 

[getbent]

they actually get used?

 

[beninma]

Amazing they are broken at *stores*. I did not expect you to say that!

 

[tele-nova]

Lol didn't I just read a thread where your 18 watt budda is too loud?

 

[Jakedog]

Lol didn't I just read a thread where your 18 watt budda is too loud?

The Budda gets breakup. The perfect amount. The Budda also runs a 103 db speaker. Which is a huge part of why it’s too loud. And it’s just a monster. That 18 watt Budda with that speaker in it will utterly crush a 60 watt Supersonic. Just flippin bury it. No joke.

A fender reverb amp would never be pushed to breakup for me, because I do not like the sound of Black or Silver style amps breaking up. It’s just not an attractive sound to me. I think a fender reverb amp on 2.5-3.5 is a glorious crystal clean sound. That’s what I want it for.

 

[schmee]

50-70 year old amps have problems for sure. Something to think about.
Stores dont want to spend the money on repairs. Most of the problems are often noises, amp works, but hisses, crackles, hums.
Often it's just tubes. but can be other things too. I'm guessing 80% of the pre tubes that test good out there have noise issues now days. They keep getting shuffled from one guy to the next.

I've told the tale about playing a SF Super Reverb in a Guitar Center. It kept blowing fuses and the young man sales guy kept putting fuses in it. So I offered him a lowball number like $199. They accepted!
Turns out he was putting non Slo Blo fuses in it!
Amp was fine I discovered at home.

Hard to beat a good one that just keeps going. IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DONT TOUCH IT! My 64 Deluxe is like that. Knock on wood. But I have a SF Super Reverb that's noisy and I just dont wanna mess with it.

For a working musician, If you are trying out old Fenders, pick the ones already rejuvenated with a cap job etc. OR that plays fine and has had nothing done! Try it for 10 minutes at least and if ANYTHING makes unacceptable noise...... walk away. It can often be an issue that someone has already tried to fix! The biggest lie in selling is "Yeah, It probably needs a tube......"
Everything is fixable, but it may take time and money.

 

[Despres]

I’ve been thinking on and off about adding a big fender reverb amp. Just for the hell of it. They can be found for great prices on the used market. Might be fun to have something between 30 and a 80 watts with reverb and trem. And all that CLEAN headroom.

Looked a Vibrolux reverb. Reverb didn’t work. Looked at a twin. Reverb and trem didn’t work. Looked at a pro reverb. Reverb didn’t work. Just went and looked at a 4x10 concert, reverb and trem no worky.

“It probably wouldn’t be much to fix”.

That’s what every store and seller says. Probably not, but you’re charging working amp prices, you won’t budge, and you don’t even know what’s wrong with it. Why is this seemingly epidemic?

Rant off. I’ll keep looking.

I've noticed that on a lot of ads/listings lately - I don't think it is limited to Fenders, but probably seems related to Fender just because there are so many Fender amps out there. I was looking at a Mesa Boogie of some sort the other day in "perfect condition" but with no reverb tank 'because the reverb never worked anyway'.

Much like cars or motorcycles, if it 'only needs this or that' to be working properly, I will keep looking for one that actually works.

 

[Jakedog]

50-70 year old amps have problems for sure. Something to think about.
Stores dont want to spend the money on repairs. Most of the problems are often noises, amp works, but hisses, crackles, hums.
Often it's just tubes. but can be other things too. I'm guessing 80% of the pre tubes that test good out there have noise issues now days. They keep getting shuffled from one guy to the next.

I've told the tale about playing a SF Super Reverb in a Guitar Center. It kept blowing fuses and the young man sales guy kept putting fuses in it. So I offered him a lowball number like $199. They accepted!
Turns out he was putting non Slo Blo fuses in it!
Amp was fine I discovered at home.

Hard to beat a good one that just keeps going. IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DONT TOUCH IT! My 64 Deluxe is like that. Knock on wood. But I have a SF Super Reverb that's noisy and I just dont wanna mess with it.

For a working musician, If you are trying out old Fenders, pick the ones already rejuvenated with a cap job etc. OR that plays fine and has had nothing done! Try it for 10 minutes at least and if ANYTHING makes unacceptable noise...... walk away. It can often be an issue that someone has already tried to fix! The biggest lie in selling is "Yeah, It probably needs a tube......"
Everything is fixable, but it may take time and money.

All of these so far aren’t even old. With the exception of the concert, they’re reissues. The concert was from the 80’s, so at least 40 there. But the others are really recent.

 

[Jakedog]

I've noticed that on a lot of ads/listings lately - I don't think it is limited to Fenders, but probably seems related to Fender just because there are so many Fender amps out there. I was looking at a Mesa Boogie of some sort the other day in "perfect condition" but with no reverb tank 'because the reverb never worked anyway'.

Much like cars or motorcycles, if it 'only needs this or that' to be working properly, I will keep looking for one that actually works.

Absolutely.

 

[schmee]

All of these so far aren’t even old. With the exception of the concert, they’re reissues. The concert was from the 80’s, so at least 40 there. But the others are really recent.

Wow, I had no idea.... but yeah, the Hot Rod series and Blues Jr etc series do have their issues also.
When I think about it, Dr Z and similar good amps have a lot to offer someone who doesn't wanna tinker, but they do seem to have a different sound from the old Fender style.!

There are good ones out there for sure. Some vintage Fenders have been constant work for me. Others, seem to just keep going on and on. I would trust a newer reissue Fender less than the old ones still.... IF it's a good old one.

 

[Jakedog]

Wow, I had no idea.... but yeah, the Hot Rod series and Blues Jr etc series do have their issues also.
When I think about it, Dr Z and similar good amps have a lot to offer someone who doesn't wanna tinker, but they do seem to have a different sound from the old Fender style.!

There are good ones out there for sure. Some vintage Fenders have been constant work for me. Others, seem to just keep going on and on. I would trust a newer reissue Fender less than the old ones still.... IF it's a good old one.

I bought a beautiful used limited edition HRD recently and had to return it. It was mint, it was gorgeous, and it sounded wonderful. First time I left the house with it the reverb, and bright switch stopped working. Back it went.

 

[badinfinities]

Is there a high lemon factor with Fender amps? I've come across some that are so dependable and consistent, and others that seem to have major gremlin issues - sounds sublime one day, sounds like turds the next.

I guess you want good provenance when you buy these things - and access to a good amp tech.

 

[Jakedog]

Is there a high lemon factor with Fender amps? I've come across some that are so dependable and consistent, and others that seem to have major gremlin issues - sounds sublime one day, sounds like turds the next.

I guess you want good provenance when you buy these things - and access to a good amp tech.

Yep. I probably would have gambled on any of the ones I’ve tried if they’d been willing to cut the price way down. Because I do have a couple great techs locally. But I’m not paying market price for a broken amp that I don’t even know what’s wrong with it. You wanna go half to maybe 60% of market? I might very well take the chance. That way if it’s a $20 tube I’m all good, and if it’s a $250 repair I’m still in decent shape.

 

[badinfinities]

Yep. I probably would have gambled on any of the ones I’ve tried if they’d been willing to cut the price way down. Because I do have a couple great techs locally. But I’m not paying market price for a broken amp that I don’t even know what’s wrong with it. You wanna go half to maybe 60% of market? I might very well take the chance. That way if it’s a $20 tube I’m all good, and if it’s a $250 repair I’m still in decent shape.

Yup, that seems insane to me. They need to fix it or sell it at a significant discount.

 

[Masmus]

The Peavey Classic I was looking at the other day had dirty pots and sounded pretty bad, if they had cleaned it up I would have bought it. But I do remember a time that if it was out on the sales floor it worked.

 

[trandy9850]

The Budda gets breakup. The perfect amount. The Budda also runs a 103 db speaker. Which is a huge part of why it’s too loud. And it’s just a monster. That 18 watt Budda with that speaker in it will utterly crush a 60 watt Supersonic. Just flippin bury it. No joke.

A fender reverb amp would never be pushed to breakup for me, because I do not like the sound of Black or Silver style amps breaking up. It’s just not an attractive sound to me. I think a fender reverb amp on 2.5-3.5 is a glorious crystal clean sound. That’s what I want it for.

Succumb to the temptation…look a a Fender Tonemaster Twin Reverb…blonde version with the Celestion Neo Cream Backs in it.

Great cleans and attenuator and balanced output will please you.

Plus…it only weighs 33 lbs.

 

[Jakedog]

Succumb to the temptation…look a a Fender Tonemaster Twin Reverb…blonde version with the Celestion Neo Cream Backs in it.

Great cleans and attenuator and balanced output will please you.

Plus…it only weighs 36 lbs.

I need to try one. I tried the TM Super and did not like it. Sounded great in the store. Horrible on the gig. By the time I got giggable, full band, outdoor volume out of it, it was muddy and had some very unpleasant breakup going on. It just didn’t sound anything like it did at home/store volume. In those circumstances it really did sound amazing and I couldn’t discern any difference between it, and the real thing.

 

[Supertwang]

The Budda gets breakup. The perfect amount. The Budda also runs a 103 db speaker. Which is a huge part of why it’s too loud. And it’s just a monster. That 18 watt Budda with that speaker in it will utterly crush a 60 watt Supersonic. Just flippin bury it. No joke.

A fender reverb amp would never be pushed to breakup for me, because I do not like the sound of Black or Silver style amps breaking up. It’s just not an attractive sound to me. I think a fender reverb amp on 2.5-3.5 is a glorious crystal clean sound. That’s what I want it for.

To each their own but I love distorted Fender amps. I’ve been watching the big Fender amps go for ridiculously low prices even on EBay. Last weekend there was a pretty clean looking “working but needing service” mid 70s SF Twin Reverb for $400,…about an hour away from me. Drove me a little nuts not to go grab it but I already have several Fender 6L6 amps. I particularly wait and buy Fender amps that are going cheap because there is an issue because I KNOW there is always an issue on 50-60 yo Fenders unless they’ve been across someones work bench for extensive re-commissioning. I’d keep waiting, watching, and keep your powder dry because recently the bigger the Fender amps the cheaper it goes for

 

[trandy9850]

The Budda gets breakup. The perfect amount. The Budda also runs a 103 db speaker. Which is a huge part of why it’s too loud. And it’s just a monster. That 18 watt Budda with that speaker in it will utterly crush a 60 watt Supersonic. Just flippin bury it. No joke.

A fender reverb amp would never be pushed to breakup for me, because I do not like the sound of Black or Silver style amps breaking up. It’s just not an attractive sound to me. I think a fender reverb amp on 2.5-3.5 is a glorious crystal clean sound. That’s what I want it

Oops….sorry about that….I accidentally double posted.

 

[Supertwang]

Is there a high lemon factor with Fender amps? I've come across some that are so dependable and consistent, and others that seem to have major gremlin issues - sounds sublime one day, sounds like turds the next.

I guess you want good provenance when you buy these things - and access to a good amp tech.

The BF and SF Fenders are now 45-60 years old. Expect them to need @ $500 in service & tubes unless absolutely verified they’ve had a recent extensive servicing. After a proper servicing they’ll probably go another 40 years. Name my another 40+ yo amp that’s likely to go another 40 years with only regular maintenance