Custom Shmustom....Fender nuttiness...

[Sweetfinger]

I just opened up a Fender 'Custom Shop Handwired' Tonemaster head. Noticed that one of the four power tubes(the factory 5881's screened w/white ink) was still bright white while the other three had darkened somewhat. I think to myself that something is causing that one tube to draw less current than the others. Sure enough- The assembler failed to CONNECT THE PLATE WIRE! DUH! Never put it in, no solder on the tab, nothin! You'd think that there'd be some sort of testing or quality control beyond "it turns on and sounds come out". What'd those sell for, like two grand?

Earlier this year I got a Gibson 335 in. Seems one of the pickups was intermittent. I was dreading having to open up the pickup and actually shrink wrap the coil connections(had that one happen), but got lucky. Remember, ALL 335's are 'Custom Shop' guitars so you'd think that somebody would have noticed at SOME POINT on this three grand guitar, that the lead to the switch HAD NOT BEEN SOLDERED! -um ....maybe when they were fishing the harness through the body? Anybody else have similar discoveries?

These are the kind of experiences that teach me to check for stupid rookie mistakes on even the highest priced stuff from the big USA companies.

[Mr. Droopy-Drawers]

That's strange that the one unwired tube was still pristine. I would have thought in this case the Screen Grid would act as a virtual Plate since the 'real' Plate wasn't getting any B+. All those electrons sitting on the Screen Grid with no particular place to go. And since not many 6L6 Screen Grids can handle 35mA or 40mA ! But, this just shows that I should keep my thoughts where they do the least damage.
Years ago when I worked in the TV service business, I frequently saw alignment tools sticking out of IF coils in brand new TV's and radios just coming in for a check up before the warranty ran out. I built up a nice collection of plastic alignment tools without paying for any of them .
My theory? This was either the first guitar or amplifier built by that person on a Monday morning, or the very last one he built on a Friday afternoon. I would try and buy something that was built on a Wednesday afternoon just to avoid this ever happening to you again .

[Mars Amp Repair]

I hear ya on the 3 grand amps. You gotta think they don't test the power out on a load when they finish. Maybe they only check certain ones out of the litter. Pretty foolish on 'custom shop' amps.

I'm sure we all have run into 60's vintage Fender amps that had tube pins never soldered and 30yrs later are finally causing problems. Musta been crimped really well!

BTW, I also found those plastic dittle-sticks in tv's mostly in the 3.58MHZ oscillator of the old color sets, but left there by repair techs. I would get worried when I'd find them in the IF transformers. That could mean that some dip-wad tried to fudge an IF alignment in the field, which is not really possible in the world of old tube TV's without sweep generators & specific alignment steps....But showing age here...nevermind!!

glen

[tim]

I can't tell you how many "custom Fenders" I've repaired that the only thing wrong with them was unsoldered wires on the tube socket pins. It must be incredibly frustrating for an owner that's paid a premium price for a "handwired" amp (whatever that means) and have something so basically wrong with it. I understand mistakes are made. I mean, after all we are human, but don't they burn these amps in or test them (or read their Fender Warranty claim forms?)? I've even found completely miswired circuits...
Unfortunately, Fender isn't the only company...there are other "custom and boutique" amps out there with the same issues...All I can figure is that they are paying some high school kid or some semi-literate adult $6 an hour to wire and solder up amps and going for maximum profit...
I'll jump off my soapbox now...sorry for the rant

[Enzo]

Let's say they pay you $25 an hour and you have a doctorate in nuclear physics from MIT, and all you do all day every day is solder wires to tube socket pins. You think you might miss one now and then? it is tedium, I can't totally blame the assembler. QC should catch it, but in the OP, the clue was one of the tubes had not aged with the others. New tubes wouldn't have had that clue. How did it sound before adding that wire?

But I agree, soldering an unsoldered tube socket pin is one of the most common Fender custom shop amp warranty repairs.

[Amp Kat]

Maybe they did it on purpose to give it some asymetry when using power tube distortion. nah, Also goes to show how a 3dB spl level goes undetected.