Fender Deluxe 112 problem (cracking/popping)

[72mustang]

Hi

I have a Fender Deluxe 112 amp. Its about 15 years old. Several years ago Ive noticed a couple of problems..

1) MAJOR popping/crackling when I turn the volume up or down

2) When I turn the volume up.. it seems to go to about 1/3 volume even before I hit the 1 section ( 1-10 in volume scale on the amp )

3) When I turn the amp off... there is a MAJOR " POP " .. wakes the whole house up. Only if I turn the volumes down to the lowest on both the guitar and amp will it not pop when I turn the amp off.

Im wondering if these are all related? Could it be dirty somewhere in the volume switch? Is this problem common? Could I fix/clean this myself? If not.. what would a repair job cost at a tech?

Thanks in advance.
Bruce

[olddawg]

Hi
I have a Fender Deluxe 112 amp. Its about 15 years old. Several years ago Ive noticed a couple of problems..
1) MAJOR popping/crackling when I turn the volume up or down
2) When I turn the volume up.. it seems to go to about 1/3 volume even before I hit the 1 section ( 1-10 in volume scale on the amp )
3) When I turn the amp off... there is a MAJOR " POP " .. wakes the whole house up. Only if I turn the volumes down to the lowest on both the guitar and amp will it not pop when I turn the amp off.
Im wondering if these are all related? Could it be dirty somewhere in the volume switch? Is this problem common? Could I fix/clean this myself? If not.. what would a repair job cost at a tech?
Thanks in advance. Bruce

It's difficult to say without seeing it but here is my guess. You have two problems. One is you need to clean/lube or replace the dirty volume pot. That will probably get rid of the scratchy pot noise. The other problem is different. Since it doesn't pop when you turn the amp off with the volume turned down it probably isn't passing DC but picking it up a transient spike in the preamp from an arcing power switch. You could try replacing the switch and the transient supression caps on the switch. I would just solder a switch across the old one for test. If it solves your problem then order the proper replacement. If none of this make sense to you then you need to take it to a shop. It's hard to get a repair for under $100 nowadays, even something simple.

[72mustang]

It's difficult to say without seeing it but here is my guess. You have two problems. One is you need to clean/lube or replace the dirty volume pot. That will probably get rid of the scratchy pot noise. The other problem is different. Since it doesn't pop when you turn the amp off with the volume turned down it probably isn't passing DC but picking it up a transient spike in the preamp from an arcing power switch. You could try replacing the switch and the transient supression caps on the switch. I would just solder a switch across the old one for test. If it solves your problem then order the proper replacement. If none of this make sense to you then you need to take it to a shop. It's hard to get a repair for under $100 nowadays, even something simple.

Thanks for the reply. Im not comfortable doing any what I call major repairs (ie.. soldering ) mainly because everything I touch I mostly screw up anyways and in the long run would be cheaper to have taken it to a professional to begin with. haha I can, however, clean. How does one clean a pot? (whats a pot? ) Is it just a matter of taking the switch off and cleaning what can be seen? Also.. what type of cleaner should one use? Could one use the 99% alcohol as cleaner?

[olddawg]

Thanks for the reply. Im not comfortable doing any what I call major repairs (ie.. soldering ) mainly because everything I touch I mostly screw up anyways and in the long run would be cheaper to have taken it to a professional to begin with. haha I can, however, clean. How does one clean a pot? (whats a pot? ) Is it just a matter of taking the switch off and cleaning what can be seen? Also.. what type of cleaner should one use? Could one use the 99% alcohol as cleaner?

A pot is short for potentiometer which is the device that your volume knob is attached to. They are cleaned with an a spray can of cleaner/lubricant like Caig Deoxid. Judging from your response I would recommend you taking your amp to a shop or find a friend with more background. If you want to service equipment like this yourself I would also recommend reading one of the good books availble on the subject. That way you will lessen the chance of screwing up your amp or hurting yourself. Electricity can kill you.