chris wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:05 pm

Kniferide wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 2:44 pm

chris wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 10:04 pm "For parts" EV 635a—You don't work. I thought I could repair you but I can't even figure how to get you apart. You were supposed to be indestructible.

The only one of these I have ever seen broken was because the foam melted to the diaphragm. I was able to fix it with a diluted mixture of rubbing alcohol and water, and a paint brush very lightly brushing the melted foam off the Mylar. Took a lot of rounds, but it works now. Sounds a little different than my other 635a's so it wears a piece of red electrical tape like a Scarlett letter.

Thanks! I'll try this and report back in a few days.

Interesting, I also have one that doesn't work adding to the list when things aren't so crazy.

New Squiers
Did not buy, but did spend half an hour with the current Squier Classic Vibe line Mustang, Tele, and Jazzmaster at a store that takes the time to set them all up properly. I was mostly impressed. They all looked good, even the transparent finishes. Felt pretty good. No idea why the mustang doesn't have contours. But I was really impressed with the pickups. Seem like real alnico pole piece, appropriate designs. The tele was maybe a little too bassy in the bridge, dunno. It was pretty beefy. I was a little knocked out by the Jazzmaster feeling and sounding so good. I've never gotten to spend much time with them (compared to a Jag), but I love those pickup sounds. Full scale fender necks didn't feel as bad as I used to think. Played far better than the poorly set up (not set up at all) US Jazzmasters I've ever played in big box stores. A good set up is a helluva thing. The new offset bridges and hardware generally seem like a big improvement over the vintage modified.

I was kinda bummed, but kinda glad they didn't have the current Bass VI model in stock. Might have been too tempting.

Digital Twin
Played through one of those new digital Twin Reverbs. It sounded rather good for a modeling amp, but for that price, the real incentive was how light weight it was. One hander Twin Reverb! I didn't look, but it must have had fancy light weight speakers. It just didn't quite have that feel (response, I guess) that real tube guys have. Kinda felt like playing into your computer or something. Great sound, different feel. Sounded good at low/moderate volume, which is something I've liked about tube Twin Reverbs too. Don't know why such an ungodly loud, two speaker tube amp sounds so nice at living room volumes compared to a Deluxe Reverb or whatever, but they seem to be consistently nice that way.

Just got my replacement GoPro Hero9 Black. Let's see if this one is not faulty shall we?

I bought this Mustang-ish copy from "IYV" from Amazon for less than $200. The pickup magnets are super crooked, but I plan to replace the PU's with SD Hot-rails - at least in the bridge position. The corresponding selectors are only two position "On/Off" for each pickup and do not have the added parallel position like a Mustang typically does. Everything else is as would be expected for the price. The neck is above average and plays well. The action was OK, but will be set up as soon as Im done w the pickups etc. The tuning machines gotta go though.
Q) the locking tuners I usually get are staggered, 3 long and 3 short. I can only find the option for ALL SHORT, not All LONG. Does anyone know if Fender makes / sells all long posts??

VaticanShotglass wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 12:37 am Digital Twin
Played through one of those new digital Twin Reverbs. It sounded rather good for a modeling amp, but for that price, the real incentive was how light weight it was. One hander Twin Reverb! I didn't look, but it must have had fancy light weight speakers. It just didn't quite have that feel (response, I guess) that real tube guys have. Kinda felt like playing into your computer or something. Great sound, different feel. Sounded good at low/moderate volume, which is something I've liked about tube Twin Reverbs too.

Yeah I've been a little curious about the Tone Master stuff but A) are a little overpriced for what they are (a used Twin reissue is nearly the same as the TM Twin new) and B. yeah I've heard about the latency feel. Seems like they might be a version or 2 away from being the 'game changer' they're being sold as. Also, just a lot of style over substance happening. I don't care if it looks like a '60s black panel amp or whatever..

Don't know why such an ungodly loud, two speaker tube amp sounds so nice at living room volumes compared to a Deluxe Reverb or whatever, but they seem to be consistently nice that way.

More full-range speakers would be my guess. I think the Jensen-style lower watt speakers are really meant to be driven, and sound a little nasal-y to me on cleaner settings.

penningtron wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:07 pm
Yeah I've been a little curious about the Tone Master stuff

A friend has a Tone Master Deluxe and says it sounds 80% to his old tube version. My big problem with them is if a Fender Tube amp beaks, it can be fixed. There are only a scant few things you can do to them to completely kill them, and every town has some old dude that can do it. If a Little computer in a box that looks like an amp dies... it is probably dead for ever. Who knows how available replacement parts will be in the future, and how serviceable they are at all. My guess would be that in 10 years, if they break, that's it. Its gone. And at over a grand that is unacceptable to me. It already bugs me that computer companies have convinced people that they need a new $1000 laptop or phone every 2-3 years, and those things just end up in a landfill in some 3rd world country. I'd rather spend the extra cash on a vintage Deluxe that I know will still be around after I'm gone. A Fender Super Reverb that weighs 16 pounds or whatever Does have some appeal though!

Kniferide wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:20 pm My big problem with them is if a Fender Tube amp beaks, it can be fixed. There are only a scant few things you can do to them to completely kill them, and every town has some old dude that can do it. If a Little computer in a box that looks like an amp dies... it is probably dead for ever.

Yeah.. it's odd to me that they went with a digital modeler inside an amp to generate 1 sound basically, when the advantage of a modeler would normally be to toggle between many flavors of amp. There are plenty of Fender-emulating analog pedals, seems like it would have been easy enough to go that route here.

Kniferide wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:20 pm My big problem with them is if a Fender Tube amp beaks, it can be fixed. There are only a scant few things you can do to them to completely kill them, and every town has some old dude that can do it. If a Little computer in a box that looks like an amp dies... it is probably dead for ever.

On the other hand, it's extremely cheap and effective to just swap in a new printed board.
Basically, unseat and reseat a couple ribbon cables and you're done.

But yeah, my 68 Fender amp isn't going anywhere.

brownreasontolive wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:37 amemely cheap and effective to just swap in a new printed board.

Assuming in 10 years that Fender will even have parts available for purchase. $1200 is a wild amount of money for what is essentially a guitar pedal inside a box with a cheap Class D amplifier and a light magnet speaker. Those things should be $600 tops. Brian is right. They should have just created a line of Modeling Preamp pedals.

Kniferide wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:20 pm

brownreasontolive wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:37 amemely cheap and effective to just swap in a new printed board.

Assuming in 10 years that Fender will even have parts available for purchase. $1200 is a wild amount of money for what is essentially a guitar pedal inside a box with a cheap Class D amplifier and a light magnet speaker. Those things should be $600 tops. Brian is right. They should have just created a line of Modeling Preamp pedals.

Seems like Fender is banking on people spending that much to get something that looks like an actual amp like a Fender Twin instead of an ugly spaceship microwave like the Quilters.