Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue EXTREME BEHAVIOR ISSUES! HELP!

[Kinkless Tetrode 66]

My Deluxe is a very naughty amp. Ever since I bought is from a friend (he did not mod anything..), it has problems with:

-loud hum
-drive channel losing both volume and drive
-internal rattles
-internal buzz near filter caps

The hum is constant, this is probably due to the tubes as it does increase with volume. Drive channel, when used, "cuts out" both in the amount of distortion and volume randomly. Internal rattling, I am waiting to find something lose, this happens only when lower notes on the guitar and played. The internal buzz I am not sure where it comes from, it stops when the amp is on standby (so does the hum). Please help me, I would like to get this amp working for a gig soon... Thanks.

[Prairie Dawg]

Unless you feel capable of tackling this stack of problems it might be better to take this amp to a competent amp mechanic for a good look over.

You can start with the usual stuff by substituting known good tubes and making sure the bias is properly set.

Try and run it through another speaker cabinet and see what that does for you.

Also, as I learned today it is not a bad idea to go around and reef down the speaker screws, baffle screws, and any other fastener you can find. They do vibrate loose.

Check the two cement block resistors, they should be 330 or 470 ohms. They get loose all the time from the heat. These amps are famous for cold solder joints, and the IC electrolytic capacitors need changing if they're more than a few years old.

As always be careful of high voltage within.

[Colossal]

Unless you feel capable of tackling this stack of problems it might be better to take this amp to a competent amp mechanic for a good look over.

If time is an issue due to a pending gig and you are not sure how to tackle, +1 on going to a tech. Only a systematic approach to troubleshooting is going to work to track down and sort the problem.

Hum can also come from a failing cap(s) in the power supply. Internal rattling on low notes may be a cold solder joint as Prairie Dawg suggested.

[Structo]

I agree, take it to a tech.

But there is one thing you can do yourself.

If you have extra good tubes at home, substitute good known tubes for the ones in the amp.

It may just be a bad tube or two.

Cabinet rattles are fairly common in combo amps, you need to tighten every screw on the cab.

Have someone else play guitar and then poke around the amp with a wooden dowel to see if you can stop the rattle by pressing on various parts of the amp and cab.

[boots]

Another source of mechanical buzzing/humming can be the nuts & bolts that hold the bell covers on the power transformer. They can loosen over time. Make sure they are tight and maybe put a drop of Loctite on the threads. A very easy fix if that is part of the problem.

[Prairie Dawg]

Another source of mechanical buzzing/humming can be the nuts & bolts that hold the bell covers on the power transformer. They can loosen over time. Make sure they are tight and maybe put a drop of Loctite on the threads. A very easy fix if that is part of the problem.

Good point. I quite forgot about that. Sometimes the nuts vibrate loose and then the transformer will rattle around.

[M Fowler]

I work on brand spanking new amps that have factory problems, loose ribbon cable etc.

Some one has to take a look inside the Deluxe.

I don't think the Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue's are built very well at all.

[Mont]

I have a friend that has one. and it started buzzing, almost like the speaker was blown. and then it started humming. I finally found a solder conection in the preamp stage. it did'nt even look bad. the traces are so thin the vibration made the connection come apart. fender had a massive party celebrating the fact that they make the hot rod deluxe for under $70.