ncgalt1984
Joined: Nov 27, 2013
Posts: 235
Greenville, NC
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Posted on May 29 2014 11:05 PM
I've had my tank for about 6 months now and I'm experiencing technical difficulties. The input jack is, well, jacked up. Any vibrations cause a loud pop and/or the sound to go completely in and out on my amp. It's caused me problems the last two times I've been on stage (including Instro Summit). I haven't contacted Fender yet but I believe it should be under warranty. My question is this, though: any thoughts on sending it to someone who can hand-wire it for me? Anyone know a good tech that can give it an overhaul or know how much (ballpark) that would cost? Is this a moronic idea?
Thanks,
Kevin
— Kevin
The Out of Limits
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normj
Joined: Apr 26, 2010
Posts: 882
central Indiana
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Posted on May 30 2014 12:44 AM
I'd sent it an authorized Fender repair tech for warranty work. Having someone else work on it will void the warranty. I would have Fender fix it just in case there happens to be a serious problem in there that you do not suspect. Get it fixed while the warranty is good. Then if you feel the need to have some custom work done on it. do that after Fender fixes (or replaces) it.
Later,
Norm
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tubeswell
Joined: Sep 24, 2011
Posts: 1424
Wellington, NZ
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Posted on May 30 2014 01:09 AM
Yes if its still within the warranty period, send it back to Fender and get it fixed. If you want to convert it to an old school design with a eyelet or turret board layout, you really need to strip everything out of the amp except the transformers, and go virtually from scratch. There's a thread here where one of the guys on this forum did a conversion
— He who dies with the most tubes... wins
Surf Daddies
Last edited: May 30, 2014 01:09:40
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ncgalt1984
Joined: Nov 27, 2013
Posts: 235
Greenville, NC
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Posted on May 30 2014 07:27 AM
Thanks. I tried reading through that post a bit and was totally lost. It's way above my head. Just out of curiosity, though, about how much would it cost to have it completely overhauled and hand-wired by someone? We talking a few hundred bucks or up around/over a grand?
— Kevin
The Out of Limits
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https://theoutoflimits.bandcamp.com/
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slingshotdragster
Joined: Jun 13, 2009
Posts: 75
Adelaide, South Australia
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Posted on May 30 2014 08:40 AM
Like Norm and Pete said, get the unit checked out first whilst it's still under warranty.
But I think its a great idea to rip out the pcb and hand wire it. Had my tech do this to two reissue units and they sound much much better.
The first one cost $120 in labour and $90 in parts from:
(www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-style-6G15-Reverb-board-and-parts-build-your-own-/121333722815?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c400daebf)
The second was less expensive. Dario (Gomez Amps) was selling leftover prewired 'G-Spring' circuit boards for $60 and my tech only charged $80 to pop that one in.
Before
After
— Peter
http://www.youtube.com/user/jenipete
http://instromania-makhno.blogspot.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/Instromania3DRadio
https://www.facebook.com/GammaRaysInstroRock
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slingshot-Dragster/15013389378
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ncgalt1984
Joined: Nov 27, 2013
Posts: 235
Greenville, NC
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Posted on May 30 2014 09:18 AM
Hi Peter, did you just take the tank and parts to a local guitar tech in your area or did you send it to someone in particular? I know the consensus is to have Fender repair it for me if they will honor the warranty, but for $200 it seems to me that it would be worth the upgrade. I'm not a tech guy; all I want is a tank that sounds great and is reliable. I guess I should have known better, but when I bought a "vintage reissue" I was under the impression that it would actually be a vintage reissue and not just modern circuit boards designed to model a vintage tank.
— Kevin
The Out of Limits
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Last edited: May 30, 2014 09:18:51
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tubeswell
Joined: Sep 24, 2011
Posts: 1424
Wellington, NZ
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Posted on May 30 2014 10:22 AM
ncgalt1984 wrote:
... when I bought a "vintage reissue" I was under the impression that it would actually be a vintage reissue and not just modern circuit boards designed to model a vintage tank.
Funnily enough you're not the only one who expects that. But even Fender does both types (handwired eyelet board amps, like the '57 Tweed Twin RI), and PC-board-based amps, like the '63 Reverb Unit) and calls them all 'Vintage Reissue'. Go figure.
If you can't find a handy tech in your area, J Bennet's thread that I linked earlier takes you right through the process. You just have to follow it step by step. If you can get pre-fabricated parts like the Gomez board mentioned above, you are halfway to home-base.
— He who dies with the most tubes... wins
Surf Daddies
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Surf_Skater
Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on May 30 2014 11:03 AM
Get it fixed with the warranty. That will give you time to talk to some techs. Or you could sell it and buy boutique.( Tavo would be happy to sell you one.  )
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Hammond101
Joined: Feb 22, 2013
Posts: 342
SoCal USA
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Posted on May 30 2014 11:40 AM
If Fender were to change one thing on its pcb based amps/reverb units it should be to eliminate pcb mounted jacks. Pots too but that's another issue (just ask Ben).
I fix a lot of Fender amps and find many bad jacks and broken solder joints where the jack is mounted to the board. Being a recent purchase I would think the jack itself most likely failed or is just dirty. Try cleaning it with some DeOxit D5. It may save you a trip to the repair center.
In older amps and reverb units the mounting nuts for the jacks get loose then the movement of the jack breaks the solder joints at the board and in a worst case can break the traces on the PCB.
— Keep it Drippy Brothers and Sisters!
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ncgalt1984
Joined: Nov 27, 2013
Posts: 235
Greenville, NC
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Posted on May 30 2014 11:44 AM
Surf_Skater wrote:
Get it fixed with the warranty. That will give you time to talk to some techs. Or you could sell it and buy boutique.( Tavo would be happy to sell you one. )
If I weren't getting married in 3 months I'd already have one on order...
— Kevin
The Out of Limits
www.facebook.com/theoutoflimitsband
https://theoutoflimits.bandcamp.com/
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ncgalt1984
Joined: Nov 27, 2013
Posts: 235
Greenville, NC
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Posted on May 30 2014 11:51 AM
Hammond101 wrote:
If Fender were to change one thing on its pcb based amps/reverb units it should be to eliminate pcb mounted jacks.
That's what irks me the most. I'm fairly certain that I have a bad input jack. It's shocking how flimsy those pcb jacks are compared to older-style.
— Kevin
The Out of Limits
www.facebook.com/theoutoflimitsband
https://theoutoflimits.bandcamp.com/
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slingshotdragster
Joined: Jun 13, 2009
Posts: 75
Adelaide, South Australia
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Posted on May 30 2014 01:14 PM
ncgalt1984 wrote:
Hi Peter, did you just take the tank and parts to a local guitar tech in your area or did you send it to someone in particular?
Hi Kevin, a bit of both, I took it in person to my local amp tech (next nearest city is over 700 km away!) who has converted pcb amps to p2p and is the authorised Fender, Marshall, Vox etc. repairer. He's good and also very cheap, especially if you don't ask for receipts.
Mind you, when I went to pick up the first unit it sounded lame, worse than before the conversion. He checked and rechecked all the components but couldn't find anything wrong. Finally, he puts back the original reissue pots in place of the vintage ones he'd replaced them with and wallah!
If you can find someone inexpensive who knows what they're doing it's worth it. Another option, maybe, is to repair the unit, sell it and use the money that you would have spent on the conversion towards buying a vintage one. You wont be disappointed.
— Peter
http://www.youtube.com/user/jenipete
http://instromania-makhno.blogspot.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/Instromania3DRadio
https://www.facebook.com/GammaRaysInstroRock
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slingshot-Dragster/15013389378
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on May 30 2014 08:04 PM
The circuit board mounted input jacks that Fender is using are absolute trash. I know of at least three RI reverb tanks that have or had issues exactly as you describe.
I finally replaced the ones in Mako's tank with genuine Switchcraft board mount jacks but they were in no way a drop in replacement. I had to modify the Switchcraft jacks to allow them to fit into the PCB'S traces. One would think that they all have a generic footprint but apparently, that ain't so.
Try looping your input and output cables through the handle to stabilize the connection. That often times helps.
Of all places for Fender to skimp.............geez. Bean counters do not build good guitar amps.
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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kick_the_reverb
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 1338
Escondido, CA
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Posted on May 30 2014 08:56 PM
I had my reissue repaired a few months ago, and this was one of the problems. I had the jacks replaced (by higher quality ones).
I wouldn't rush to rip out the board just because of that.
Ran
— The Scimitars
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ncgalt1984
Joined: Nov 27, 2013
Posts: 235
Greenville, NC
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Posted on May 30 2014 09:27 PM
Thanks guys, I just did a Google search and found a Fender authorized tech only about 30 minutes from where I live. I'm going to call him and tomorrow and see what he has to say. I probably should have done that first but I wanted feedback from the community first. I really appreciate all of the responses!
— Kevin
The Out of Limits
www.facebook.com/theoutoflimitsband
https://theoutoflimits.bandcamp.com/
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tubeswell
Joined: Sep 24, 2011
Posts: 1424
Wellington, NZ
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Posted on May 30 2014 10:18 PM
All PCB amps with board mounted jacks and tube sockets are prone to the same design flaw. The jacks (and then the sockets) are the most stressed board mounted parts because of the 'mechanical' abuse when plugging/unplugging.
— He who dies with the most tubes... wins
Surf Daddies
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