Eyelet boarding a reissue amp (Fender)

[überfuzz]

I was asked to look into the possibility of throwing out a pcb board and replacing it with a eyelet board. The amp is a Blues Deluxe reissue. It's probably my google skills, but I can't seem to find the original schematics for this amp. If anyone could help me find it... If there are no original fender amp used as a model for this reissue, is there perhaps a circuit that might fit the hard ware of this reissue amplifier..?

I'm not arguing with the owner, nor will I, so hit me with info of the original, and possible good alternatives to the original that can handle the same hardware.

Cheers!

[überfuzz]

Lol, the "original" seem to have a PCB board...

[Chuck H]

The Blues Deluxe is indeed a PCB amp. Eyelet board mods are popular for this model though. If you Ooogle ( "blues deluxe" eyelet) and then go to 'images' you'll find examples. I might read a bit and try to find out if there is a preferred mod or service that has offered this with good results and work from that example. Torres offers a ready made board and his version is probably not to be despised as some might argue.

[Jazz P Bass]

Fender Blues Deluxe

Tell the customer to 'take a flying leap at the moon'.

Here, I have attached both the '93 original layout & the reissue layout.

Print them out, call the customer in, show him the prints and gently explain that he is misinformed that this could even be pulled off.

[überfuzz]

Looking at the tube channel I'd say it could be done, fairly easy, but with a lot work. The other op-amp channel would be considerably more challenging to me. I think I'll dodge this one.

[J M Fahey]

Care to post or link to the schematic anybody?

That said, and looking just at the layout, a basic rule of thumb is PCBs have , say, 4X the component density of eyeletted ones, so it would need a 4X larger board ... that alone is a deal killer.

And forget about including 3 DIP dual Op Amps there.

What he can do is to fit there, on eyeletted boards >>an<< amp which uses 3 12AX7 and 2 6L6 , take your pick, tons of examples, be it Fender , Marshall, or many others, and sound may be killer, but forget fitting an eyeletted Blues Deluxe there.

Anyway, a simpler amp will probably sound better , not because of the board but because of the more straightforward and time tested circuit.

Forget switchable channels (although up to that could be managed), footswitchable "more Drive", "Fat", active effects loops and compensated line out.

He'll have to be happy just plugging his guitar and wailing away

[Jazz P Bass]

Schematics of both amps.

[Chuck H]

Looking at the schematic (I didn't even look at the layout) it's pretty obvious that an eyelet board version of THAT circuit is a silly idea. That said, and siding with Juan, if someone wanted another three preamp, two power tube circuit, even one with a similar tone profile but limited remote switching, that should be doable. But on the blanket criteria of "this amp but on an eyelet board" I wouldn't do it. And at the other end, as in "Ok, make it a different but similar amp that I'm guaranteed to like" I wouldn't do that either.

[Justin Thomas]

It's the SS-silicootie Reverb that breaks it for me. Also, eyelets take up too much room. Turrets can be denselier packed, and I bet any pedal reverb sounds as good or better than stock, anyway. For me, I'd say scrap the verb & any switching, and I hope you're patient & rich. Maybe I should see if I could make a turret board for an 8-legged critter & see if I can wire it...

Hoffman DOES make boards for the Blues Junior, but no switchijg or verb!

Justin

[g1]

Hand-wiring IC's is no fun.

[Tom Phillips]

It seems that the customer doesn't realize the scope of changing out the Blues Deluxe type PCB with an eyelet board. The customer most likely has this confused with the various information on the net about reissues of vintage model amps such as the Bassman and Deluxe Reverb that have received this mod. As has been explained above, the Blues Deluxe (Original or reissue. Whatever you call it) is a more complex circuit design that would be a really bad candidate for eyelet board construction.

[überfuzz]

Like I said, I'm not going to work on this amp. I sniffed around the net for demos to get an idea of what kind of amp it is. It seems nice for the price range.

[Jazz P Bass]

Very nice amp, indeed.