Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12 - Tech suggestions in Essex area?

chotu495

Hi all,

I have the above amp, which has sat unused for a few years as it is verrry loud, and weighs a ton.

I have a Katana 50 as a practice amp, and tried out the Deville about a week ago. It sounded a bit muddy (compared to the katana), but still as loud as ever (quiet, then got to volume 2 and is loud!). I got it new in 2004, and its never had new valves, so am guessing it could do with a refresh. It has had a very easy life at home, so i’m not anticipating any other issues.

I’m happy to buy a full set of valves and swap them myself, and then very carefully bias it, but am wondering if there are any recommendations for a decent tech in the Essex area who might be able to help? I have had a quote from an amp-service business, but after costs involved, the numbers don’t work. The likelyhood is that the Deville will be sold after its new valve, otherwise i would invest happily in a service / refresh.

I’ll likely be on the hunt for a new smaller valve amp in the new year, possibly a blues junior.

Or, should i just list for sale as an immaculate Deville which is due a service and price it accordingly?

ICBM

List it for sale and don't even mention anything about a service. If it works fine there's no reason it needs one, or new valves.

chotu495

ICBM said:

List it for sale and don't even mention anything about a service. If it works fine there's no reason it needs one, or new valves.

Ok, thanks 

daveyb27

Electrical Music Services in Southend are great. I've used them for years for all my amps and service has always been prompt and spot on.

https://www.electronicmusicservices.co.uk/

ESBlonde

Just a set of Preamp valves will likely brighten it up for not much money. No Bias required so a DIY effort (with suitable care).

Fatfred

I have always had good service from : https://sickamps.com/

ICBM

ESBlonde said:

Just a set of Preamp valves will likely brighten it up for not much money. No Bias required so a DIY effort (with suitable care).

Why bother if he wants to sell it? Valves do not wear out or go dull-sounding with a few years of not being used much. If any is actually faulty that's a different issue, but otherwise it's just throwing money away.

If anything filter caps are likely to be the problem if an amp has sat unused for years, but with such a modern amp that's also unlikely.

chotu495

ESBlonde said:

Just a set of Preamp valves will likely brighten it up for not much money. No Bias required so a DIY effort (with suitable care).

Thanks ES, I wasn’t aware of that. That might be something i will think about.

ICBM, thanks also for your advice.

Will look to sell it, as its lovely, but simply too much of everything all at once for my “home-player” needs.

exocet

chotu495 said:

ESBlonde said:

Just a set of Preamp valves will likely brighten it up for not much money. No Bias required so a DIY effort (with suitable care).

Thanks ES, I wasn’t aware of that. That might be something i will think about.

ICBM, thanks also for your advice.

Will look to sell it, as its lovely, but simply too much of everything all at once for my “home-player” needs.

I'd be surprised if it needed new valves. Does the brightness switch make a noticeable difference?
Whilst changing the preamp valves may have some impact...its £30 that'll come out of your selling price. These amps don't command much money anyway (so many around). Try selling it first and see what prospective purchasers make of it.

ICBM

They sell for very little, given how good they are - no more and sometimes less than the smaller and lighter Hotrod Deluxe.

If you like the sound of it but it's just 'too much' volume-wise, you would be much better to invest £20 in one of these...

http://thesuperheroesonline.co.uk/Fender-Hot-Rod-Volume-Pot-Module.html

Made by our own Danny1969, it simply plugs into the Preamp Out/Power Amp In sockets and gives you an overall master volume for the amp, so the channel volume controls become much less touchy and you can get that wonderful deep big-amp tone more controllably.

 - and if it doesn't solve the problem you can keep it and use it on any other amp with 20mm-spaced loop jacks.

It's also well worth making sure the amp is set to 240V and not the 230V it comes as (due to EU regulations) - this will make the amp run cooler, less hard on the valves, a little softer-sounding and a *tiny* bit more controllable volume. It's done by swapping two push-connectors on the PCB and can be done by a non-tech if you're careful. This applies to most modern Fender amps but is more important on the Deville than most as it runs at unusually high voltages internally.

chotu495

ICBM said:

They sell for very little, given how good they are - no more and sometimes less than the smaller and lighter Hotrod Deluxe.

If you like the sound of it but it's just 'too much' volume-wise, you would be much better to invest £20 in one of these...

http://thesuperheroesonline.co.uk/Fender-Hot-Rod-Volume-Pot-Module.html

Made by our own Danny1969, it simply plugs into the Preamp Out/Power Amp In sockets and gives you an overall master volume for the amp, so the channel volume controls become much less touchy and you can get that wonderful deep big-amp tone more controllably.

 - and if it doesn't solve the problem you can keep it and use it on any other amp with 20mm-spaced loop jacks.

It's also well worth making sure the amp is set to 240V and not the 230V it comes as (due to EU regulations) - this will make the amp run cooler, less hard on the valves, a little softer-sounding and a *tiny* bit more controllable volume. It's done by swapping two push-connectors on the PCB and can be done by a non-tech if you're careful. This applies to most modern Fender amps but is more important on the Deville than most as it runs at unusually high voltages internally.

Wow! Now that could be £20 well spent. 

Its always been a beast from a volume perspective, so will get one of these modules.

thanks 

chotu495

Have messaged danny1969 via the ebay link, and will be getting one to try. 

chotu495

exocet said:

chotu495 said:

ESBlonde said:

Just a set of Preamp valves will likely brighten it up for not much money. No Bias required so a DIY effort (with suitable care).

Thanks ES, I wasn’t aware of that. That might be something i will think about.

ICBM, thanks also for your advice.

Will look to sell it, as its lovely, but simply too much of everything all at once for my “home-player” needs.

I'd be surprised if it needed new valves. Does the brightness switch make a noticeable difference?
Whilst changing the preamp valves may have some impact...its £30 that'll come out of your selling price. These amps don't command much money anyway (so many around). Try selling it first and see what prospective purchasers make of it.

Hi, yep, the brightness switch seemed to work fine.

I’m gonna spend a bit more time with it over the next few days and double-check everything worked properly. I literally just plugged it in for 5 minutes, so not a fair comparison really.

chotu495

exocet said:

chotu495 said:

ESBlonde said:

Just a set of Preamp valves will likely brighten it up for not much money. No Bias required so a DIY effort (with suitable care).

Thanks ES, I wasn’t aware of that. That might be something i will think about.

ICBM, thanks also for your advice.

Will look to sell it, as its lovely, but simply too much of everything all at once for my “home-player” needs.

I'd be surprised if it needed new valves. Does the brightness switch make a noticeable difference?
Whilst changing the preamp valves may have some impact...its £30 that'll come out of your selling price. These amps don't command much money anyway (so many around). Try selling it first and see what prospective purchasers make of it.

Hi, yep, the brightness switch seemed to work fine.

I’m gonna spend a bit more time with it over the next few days and double-check everything worked properly. I literally just plugged it in for 5 minutes, so not a fair comparison really.

chotu495

chotu495 said:

ICBM said:

They sell for very little, given how good they are - no more and sometimes less than the smaller and lighter Hotrod Deluxe.

If you like the sound of it but it's just 'too much' volume-wise, you would be much better to invest £20 in one of these...

http://thesuperheroesonline.co.uk/Fender-Hot-Rod-Volume-Pot-Module.html

Made by our own Danny1969, it simply plugs into the Preamp Out/Power Amp In sockets and gives you an overall master volume for the amp, so the channel volume controls become much less touchy and you can get that wonderful deep big-amp tone more controllably.

 - and if it doesn't solve the problem you can keep it and use it on any other amp with 20mm-spaced loop jacks.

It's also well worth making sure the amp is set to 240V and not the 230V it comes as (due to EU regulations) - this will make the amp run cooler, less hard on the valves, a little softer-sounding and a *tiny* bit more controllable volume. It's done by swapping two push-connectors on the PCB and can be done by a non-tech if you're careful. This applies to most modern Fender amps but is more important on the Deville than most as it runs at unusually high voltages internally.

Wow! Now that could be £20 well spent. 

Its always been a beast from a volume perspective, so will get one of these modules.

thanks 

Ordered the volume module, delivered today, and the Deville is now polite enough to be allowed in the lounge 

Many thanks to all, and a particular thank-you to ICBM! It sounds lovely again  (even with my playing).

The little Katana 50 will stay, but it can’t get near to the lovely stuff the newly-invigorated Deville can manage on its clean channel!

May look at getting it checked over still, as without the volume module, it is ridiculously loud......but the pressure is now off, and i can just enjoy using it again