Intermittent Volume Problem

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 19 Jun 2000 2:39 pm

I picked up a used Fender Blues Junior a few days ago. This is an awesome little guitar practice amp and really sounds good with my tele. Twice it has done something which I find perplexing. I'll be playing along at a normal volume and the amp will lose volume over a 10-15 second period. When it gets to almost no volume it sounds really tinny, like an old transistor radio. It then comes back to normal. I checked to see that the tubes are seated correctly and snugly. Should I retube this thing? Any thoughts?

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Steve Stallings
Bremond, Texas
Carter D10/Evans

jerry wallace · Post by **jerry wallace** » 19 Jun 2000 3:51 pm

Steve ,if you dont know how old the tubes are,then I would retube the amp.Odds are,there shot..

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Jerry Wallace-Zum,D-10,8+8,Zum,D-10,8+5 ,Nashville 1000,Webb 6-14e,tubefex,profexII, ARTESIA, NEW MEX

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 21 Jun 2000 1:57 pm

I got a Blues Jr back in February of this year. Played three gigs (and I don't push my amps hard at all) and the same thing happened to me. Also got a crackling-static sound. Tubes were bad. The amp was brand new.

Went to the store I bought it from, and they said that tubes are not covered in the warranty. They realized however that the amp was shipped with bad tubes and gave me a new set of tubes at cost. Good enough compromise for me. They only agreed to do so when they offered to just give me a new amp. We plugged it in and it did the same thing...straight out of the box!

BUT...with the new tubes, the amp sounds great. I'm glad I have it. Light weight, cool tone, great for lead guitar, and good for steel (although I prefer to use my old Silvertone 2x12 with my steel). Try replacing the tubes and see how it goes. Good luck!

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 21 Jun 2000 4:54 pm

Chris, in spite of what the dealer says about the tube warranty, the manufacturer should replace those tubes without additional cost.
The usual warranty on tubes is 90 days.
If the dealer won't do anything, I'd contact
Fender's Customer Service directly and talk to them about it.
I'm sure they wouldn't knowingly sell an amp with defective tubes.
In a thread some time ago on The Forum, comments were made about the low quality of tubes available today.
The ones from China are the worst. (I have some personal experience on that.)
I've had fairly good luck with Sovtek tubes and am now running a pair of their 6V6-GT's in my '53 model Fender Deluxe.
Blake

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 21 Jun 2000 6:50 pm

Chris - Do you have one of those cool old Silvertones that has a space in the back of the speaker cabinet where the piggyback head is stored? I used to have two of those. Great garage sale finds.

Lee, from South Texas

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 22 Jun 2000 5:24 am

Blake--whoops, I'm too late! Where were you when I brought that thing in?

Thanks for the info!

Lee-Yes, the head tucks neatly inside the bottom of the cabinet. Mine is the solid state 2x12 with spring reverb and tremolo. Old Jensen speakers in the cab. My uncle gave it to me a few years ago. He had it for years and used it as his rehearsal amp(Uncle Rich was an accordion player). He tells me that he's really glad I use that old amp.

A friend of mine has the tube 2x12. One of these days I'll con him out of it

!