fender 75

[Matty_V]

There's a 1981 fender 75 in my local craigslist for $300 (says price is negotiable). Anyone fiddle with one of these before? Shortcomings, things to look for, cool mods to make? My area is so awful for music gear I get excited when there are actually decent amps for sale. I'm interested in taking a step towards something a bit more versatile, the high gain marshall sound is starting to bore me.

[thermion]

The version with the 15" speaker is better than the 12". Alot like a mesa on the inside - vactrol channel switching and ceramic disc crutch caps EVERYWHERE. Waaay too much wire. Doesn't sound like any fender that came before it.
If it works good get the seller down to $250; if it's all original filter caps, tubes, etc. deduct accordingly. I think these amps really suck stock but can be worked into something much better. I'm redoing one now with 15" ceramic jensen (only valuable thing IMHO) that got totally gutted, replaced with a 6g16-based g10 board, lower voltage power transformer, non-UL ot, and a tube recto. Should be killer when it's done...
If it works fine but the tone is too middy/ muddy try removing crutch caps until it opens up some. This could also make it totally unstable, which is why they had to use these band-aid parts in the first place.
Good luck.

[DummyLoad]

if speaker and iron are all good, offer him 200-250USD, gut it, make an UL vibrolux reverb.

--DL

[Matty_V]

Thanks for that info. I was getting the impression these weren't the greatest things ever but maybe could be with a little tinkering. Its the 15" model, with a non factory speaker. I'd have to drive 45 minutes just to check it out. I think I may let this one slide and save my bucks for one of my other expensive hobbies.

Just for my own knowledge... I'm interested in the cleaner side of amplifiers right now. My playing style gets weirder by the day and the dissonant chords I like to play get totally lost in my jcm800. If I try to turn the gain down for a cleaner sound it sounds weak. Could I get some recommendations on some fendery circuits that might work a little better for me? I don't need whopping power at all. Less than 50w is fine. Thanks

[DummyLoad]

AB763 super reverb. build the trem/rev channel.  45 watts. use NOS tubes. i had a pair of 60's tung-sol 5881s in mine with GE pre-amp tubes.

i should not have sold mine. 

--DL

[Matty_V]

Neat, that was the circuit I've had in my head for a while. I've never had an amp with tube driven trem or reverb, is it really worth the extra real estate? Seems a bunch easier to use those effects digitally. I don't use effects anyway. Any other reason why I would want to go with the trem channel?

[DummyLoad]

Any other reason why I would want to go with the trem channel?

the sweet sounding reverb. i think it sounds better than any pedal.

[phsyconoodler]

Use the low input on your JCM 800. Sweetass clean and on the edge tones are waiting for you there.Crank the master and use the gain control to get your overall volume level.

[Matty_V]

I've played around with the low input a little bit (its a 2204) and it hasn't impressed me much. Maybe I'll revisit it. I also think there's something off with my amp. It seems it should be a heck of a lot louder. Maybe I should retube.

[Matty_V]

This thing is still available and the price has gone down to 100 bucks. I think I should jump on it. Not sure. Talk me into/out of it

[Willabe]

Some guys use UL-OTs without a feed back loop and love it! The UL taps give some FB by them selves? Dr. Z is one.

I've never tried it, but would like to someday.

I had a AB 763 (BF SR) for a good 15 years as my gigging amp. Never had a problem with it. Had Jensen alnico 10's (4x10) and I used the verb on about 3 or so. Played a lot of blues and blues/rock with that amp. Strat, Les Paul, 335, all sounded great through that amp IMHO.
A number of guys in Chgo. gigged with that same amp, all of us liked them alot.

One thing, they can be a little on the loud side in a small club. If I built one now I'd put VVR in it, wish I would have had it back then.   


           Brad        

            

[eleventeen]

$100? Go buy it. Don't overthink it!

[Matty_V]

Hah I was going to, but somebody beat me to it. Grrrrr! Oooh well.