I have a Deluxe 112 Plus myself that I found really cheap because it had broken jacks and was sold as a "Project/For Parts" amp. I had the jacks on hand so I replaced those and resoldered countless solder joints. It has been working great for a number of years since and it sounds pretty good.
I recently picked up the Deluxe 112 Plus on local market for also free. Had similar problems, ran a few solder and cleaned the pots. The clean channel sounds amazing. Volume levels are ridiculous, goes from room play to stadium rock concerts between levels 2-3. 😳 Only solid state amp I've kept in my collection so far. Real easy to service and repair.
I had a Princeton 112 that I bought new back in 1993 at Guitar Center (I think it was $239.00, on sale), part of that same line of Fender solid state amps from back then. The cosmetics of the Deluxe 112 Plus brought back memories of that amp. The drive channel sounded better than I remembered too :-).
I have quite a few amps, and some expensive for my budget, but I really like my Junior. Lyle, I'm coming to Memphis in a few weeks and would like to drop off my blues junior to get some mods done.
It’s a good clean. And serviceable unlike a lot of modern disposal boards. I just have to be cognizant of the current value of an amp so owners can make informed decisions.
Lyle, do you have an opinion on the Black Magic Amps tube board replacement for the Blues Junior? It comes with an on board adjustable bias and test points. I was thinking about ordering that and swapping out the existing tube board since that has so many problems instead doing the your resistor mod to fix the bias issue.
How about typical fixes for a Marshall DSL40C? I have one that the sound switches off after it heats up. Sound comes back after turning amp off and on again. Already replaced the tubes, with no change.
I see no help for you yet. Maybe I can. The speaker and the guitar pick ups have the most impact on tone. So money well spent. Do you have a tone you're after? Many current Fender speakers are sourced from Eminence OEM. Vintage Jensen and Utah. I might suggest you look at Eminence speakers. They have good descriptions and specs on their site. I can say that you need 8 ohms...regardless of the maker or voicing you want.
You have mentioned in a few videos your light bulb when you power in. I assume this is a light bulb in series with one side of the AC power cord in to the amp? But what I was wondering, where I live incandescent light bulbs are no longer available. I don’t know if any other type of light bulb (pretty sure LED bulbs are a no go for this purpose) has the same characteristics in that if the current goes too quickly up, from a short the bulb will limit how quickly and fail?
@@PsionicAudio ok, thanks. I’m in Norway. Might have to just look for som NOS bulbs :-) a coil in series would slow down the current when ramping up. Maybe that enough to give the amps fuse time to open.
What do you recommend for a really good soldering iron. Does wattage matter I have gone through 2 in the last years that were terrible I would like to find something more reliable
Hey man, I’ve really enjoyed your pickup comparisons. I know how much work those must have taken - serious props. It’s really just cathode bias or fixed bias. There’s either not enough to talk about or too much unless there’s an accompanying textbook. Maybe Uncle Doug has already covered it, dunno. But I’ll think about it. It’s one of those subjects where too little can lead to bad information but too much can lead to zero comprehension.
@@PsionicAudio Much appreciated! Yes a TON of work, a passion project for sure. You've really inspired me to try working on amps, I've did a series on my channel where I rebuilt an old '55 Magnatone 108 I bought broken which was the start of the journey. Really hooked now to the vintage amp thing, and love watching your stuff to try and soak up as much as I can! Just finished your 65 AC30 series in fact, gleaning as much as possible before I tackle my 64 AC10Twin that's been basically untouched other than the fuse added for use here in the US. I know you had a thread on the gear page from like 08 or something documenting you working on one, but all of the photo's are gone. Would love to see those photo's if you still have them! - Tanner
hello, bought a brand BJ LTD last week and there is a ''Hissing'' sound (nothing plugged in) when the master volume is at 12 and when i bring the volume up to 5 all the way to 12, is this normal? Thank you
I run like this on humbuckers with a guild starfire and use the knobs for gain control Set the bass low and treble/ mid between 9 and 12 o’clock depending on master vol
Why beef up the screen grid resistors on the Jr.? Wouldn't you want to leave them the same wattage/resistance to sort of "act" like fuse in the event of a tube failure? Not asking to start an argument or anything, just generally curious as I recently had an EL34 die at a show and take the screen grid resistor with it. Someone had mentioned on a forum that this can be a common thing and that he'd rather replace a resistor than up the up the wattage to prevent burning one out in the event of a future tube failure.
Lyle, I heard you sigh at one point during the VOX part and it got me thinking. Do you ever feel like you're getting burned out looking at so many amps day after day?
Sometimes. But sometimes I sigh just to give me time to think about what to say next. Other times it just feels good to sigh. Like deep breathing in yoga. Only faster.
That little ‘Yes’ bonus was a perfect ending and the amp handled it surprisingly well.
Wow, that Yes riff was super appropriate for the Deluxe 112! Perfect!
I just play what the amp tells me to.
I have a Deluxe 112 Plus myself that I found really cheap because it had broken jacks and was sold as a "Project/For Parts" amp. I had the jacks on hand so I replaced those and resoldered countless solder joints. It has been working great for a number of years since and it sounds pretty good.
I've always been tempted by the Blues Junior so thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise Lyle.
I recently picked up the Deluxe 112 Plus on local market for also free. Had similar problems, ran a few solder and cleaned the pots. The clean channel sounds amazing. Volume levels are ridiculous, goes from room play to stadium rock concerts between levels 2-3. 😳 Only solid state amp I've kept in my collection so far. Real easy to service and repair.
I had a Princeton 112 that I bought new back in 1993 at Guitar Center (I think it was $239.00, on sale), part of that same line of Fender solid state amps from back then. The cosmetics of the Deluxe 112 Plus brought back memories of that amp. The drive channel sounded better than I remembered too :-).
Owner of a lonely heart., … love it!
So nice of them to include manual tremolo in the Blues Junior.
Watch a concert video of Tab Benoit ---- he generates tremolo by rotating the volume knob on his thinline Tele very quickly!
I have quite a few amps, and some expensive for my budget, but I really like my Junior. Lyle, I'm coming to Memphis in a few weeks and would like to drop off my blues junior to get some mods done.
Yeah, that Vox, tho!😍
The 112 Deluxe didn’t sound horrible at least through my tv speakers.
The clean is quite good. The distortion is pretty dated. But it exists.
This wouldn't ever be my "go to" amp, but throw a graphic eq in that FX loop, and it'd be quite usable.
Had a Stage 112+ for years ‘dated’ is a polite description of the drive channel!
Elvis used to listen to his records through the least expensive record player he had so he had an idea of what the teenagers heard.
Yes, the clean channel is excellent, it's loud, it's light and you can get these in good condition for a couple hundred bucks.
That Deluxe 112plus might not be tube and might not cost much, but I ran one for several years back in the day. They sound great.
It’s a good clean. And serviceable unlike a lot of modern disposal boards.
I just have to be cognizant of the current value of an amp so owners can make informed decisions.
@@PsionicAudio, absolutely. There's always the financial aspect that needs to be considered.
Lyle, do you have an opinion on the Black Magic Amps tube board replacement for the Blues Junior? It comes with an on board adjustable bias and test points.
I was thinking about ordering that and swapping out the existing tube board since that has so many problems instead doing the your resistor mod to fix the bias issue.
How about typical fixes for a Marshall DSL40C? I have one that the sound switches off after it heats up. Sound comes back after turning amp off and on again. Already replaced the tubes, with no change.
did all of those little electrolytics in the AC-15 have to be discharged?
The Deluxe 112 Plus, could you recommend a speaker upgrade. Thanks, Great videos
I see no help for you yet. Maybe I can. The speaker and the guitar pick ups have the most impact on tone. So money well spent. Do you have a tone you're after? Many current Fender speakers are sourced from Eminence OEM. Vintage Jensen and Utah.
I might suggest you look at Eminence speakers. They have good descriptions and specs on their site.
I can say that you need 8 ohms...regardless of the maker or voicing you want.
@@roberthastings708 I Thank You for the Information. Much appreciated.
How did you reflow all the solder joints on the Deluxe 112 Plus? Did you do them all individually or use a heatgun or something?
You have mentioned in a few videos your light bulb when you power in. I assume this is a light bulb in series with one side of the AC power cord in to the amp? But what I was wondering, where I live incandescent light bulbs are no longer available. I don’t know if any other type of light bulb (pretty sure LED bulbs are a no go for this purpose) has the same characteristics in that if the current goes too quickly up, from a short the bulb will limit how quickly and fail?
In the US at least you can still get incandescent bulbs. Not sure if there’s any alternative that would work.
@@PsionicAudio ok, thanks. I’m in Norway. Might have to just look for som NOS bulbs :-) a coil in series would slow down the current when ramping up. Maybe that enough to give the amps fuse time to open.
What do you recommend for a really good soldering iron. Does wattage matter I have gone through 2 in the last years that were terrible I would like to find something more reliable
Hakko temperature controlled station.
@@PsionicAudio thank you
How about a video on biasing different types of amps / circuits?
Hey man, I’ve really enjoyed your pickup comparisons. I know how much work those must have taken - serious props.
It’s really just cathode bias or fixed bias. There’s either not enough to talk about or too much unless there’s an accompanying textbook. Maybe Uncle Doug has already covered it, dunno.
But I’ll think about it. It’s one of those subjects where too little can lead to bad information but too much can lead to zero comprehension.
@@PsionicAudio Much appreciated! Yes a TON of work, a passion project for sure.
You've really inspired me to try working on amps, I've did a series on my channel where I rebuilt an old '55 Magnatone 108 I bought broken which was the start of the journey. Really hooked now to the vintage amp thing, and love watching your stuff to try and soak up as much as I can!
Just finished your 65 AC30 series in fact, gleaning as much as possible before I tackle my 64 AC10Twin that's been basically untouched other than the fuse added for use here in the US. I know you had a thread on the gear page from like 08 or something documenting you working on one, but all of the photo's are gone. Would love to see those photo's if you still have them!
- Tanner
Luck does exist for the client 😎👍
hello, bought a brand BJ LTD last week and there is a ''Hissing'' sound (nothing plugged in) when the master volume is at 12 and when i bring the volume up to 5 all the way to 12, is this normal? Thank you
Any issues from running the blues junior with vol wide open and master low?
It seems to really open up after 3 o’clock on the preamp vol
I run like this on humbuckers with a guild starfire and use the knobs for gain control
Set the bass low and treble/ mid between 9 and 12 o’clock depending on master vol
No issues if you like the sound.
Y don’t all amps have iec power ???
I gig and it sucks tucking in a cord
All my cords go in a bag or box
Why beef up the screen grid resistors on the Jr.? Wouldn't you want to leave them the same wattage/resistance to sort of "act" like fuse in the event of a tube failure? Not asking to start an argument or anything, just generally curious as I recently had an EL34 die at a show and take the screen grid resistor with it. Someone had mentioned on a forum that this can be a common thing and that he'd rather replace a resistor than up the up the wattage to prevent burning one out in the event of a future tube failure.
Because the stock resistor gives false failures and burns the crap out of the PCB. And the stock 100 ohm shortens tube life.
@@PsionicAudio got ya, makes sense now. Thanks!
The mega brightness is almost painful.
I prefer to snip the bright cap. Will discuss with the owner tomorrow.
Wow, I didn't know you had a Fairlight sampler tucked away in your workshop ;)
(Nerd joke that only maybe one other person may get)
I got it. ;)
@@PsionicAudio Turns out it was a Fairlight and a Synclavier!
ua-cam.com/video/X3Za2xF3wAc/v-deo.html
12mins onwards.
Lyle, I heard you sigh at one point during the VOX part and it got me thinking. Do you ever feel like you're getting burned out looking at so many amps day after day?
Sometimes. But sometimes I sigh just to give me time to think about what to say next. Other times it just feels good to sigh. Like deep breathing in yoga. Only faster.
... amps.
That they are 👍
Very amp.
Much fix.
@@jaysorensenIBEW I'll say! I like the word 'Tweeds'
@@BradsGuitarGarage tweeds🙃🙂