Fender Deluxe Brown 1963 6G3

[kde]

 A Fender Brown Deluxe 1963, 6G3.

I bought this as a non-working amp and it has been waiting for me to find the right time to get at it.
It seems that it may have been a non-working for many years.
So I have just completed a cap job, repaired some nasty dry joints and gave it some 6V6's instead of the previously installed 6L6's .

The existing power transformer was working but getting very HOT even with 6V6's fitted in the amp, so replaced that as well......

Long gone is the original TX....
It must have been a Fender Export model as the strip with the AC voltage selection plug that was used in Export models is still there.
The replacement TX that is overheating is an Australian made A&R 2072 dated 9-72.
Spec's @ 240v AC Mains are: 285-0-285 @ 60mA  -/- 6.3v @ 1A -/- 6.3v @ 2A.
The mains AC here gets between 245v and 252v quite often.

For testing purposes using a Variac set at 240v, the HT produced by the GZ34 rectifier was 346v DC and at idle the total HT current was 69mA.
So my thinking was that this A&R TX was getting hot due to being under rated not only for the HT current, but also the filament current needed as well.
The GZ34 rectifier 5 volt heater was supplied by a 6.3 volt wind using a pair of paralleled 1 ohm 5 watt cement resistors wired in series with the rectifiers heater, producing 4.9v under load.
 
I fitted a MM Classic-Tone 40-18017 Power TX - 330v-0-330v @ 120mA -/- 5v @ 3A -/- 6.3v @ 3A.
Using the Variac again set at 240v ac,  gave me a HT of 410v after the GZ34.

I think 410 volts is too high ?
My 6V6GT tubes won't like that on the plates, nor would the alternative NOS Ex Mil Russian 6n6c pair ( 350v Max ? )

Next step was to try another transformer that just happens to have the correct hole mounting ......
An old power transformer from a 1960 Pioneer mono tuner/amp that used a pair of 6BM8's.
Spec' conveniently printed on the brown paper card underside, 205v-0-205v @ 140mA -/- 6.3v @  2A -/- 6.3v @ 3.5A

So, using the 3.5A @ 6.3v wind for the GZ34 rectifier, still with the cement resistors in series I get 5.3v ac under load on the GZ34.
HT after the GZ34 gives me 282v dc with a total idle current of 63mA.

The Amp is now running a JJ's GZ34 rectifier, 3x 12AX7 { 70's maybe 80's Philips made in Aust }, and a pair of NOS Russian 70's 6n6c output tubes.
All orig caps except for the main filter caps 3x F&T's 16uF, and  the 2 NOS Elna cathode electros, the bias (-27v) cap was left, that's another 70's Elna cap.

The amp actually sounds great at a low volume with my AVRI '62 Strat or the Godin with P90's.
Tremolo has depth and reasonable control of speed, Nice !
With or without tremolo the amp just seems to ring like it has a slight Reverb, maybe that's what they call 'chime' - I like that.
Notes just keep going and seem to get louder until the next note ..... I like that as well, no other amp I've had has done that !
The breakup happens earlier and it sounds good, still too loud for home maybe, but I expected that.

My thoughts:
If the amp runs well with this old iron from the 1960's Pioneer, then why not just let it stay ?

I guess that the 140mA rating lets the B+ stay at a low 282v but stable until the amp gets really driven and then it might sag a bit but maybe not as much as the original TX would have, still keeping it at least over the 6V6 avg spec of 250v B+ ?

I don't think that the lower than normal HT will do any damage, the heaters are getting the required current.
This transformer stays only warm, not hot, and that's after running at low to medium volumes for just over 2 hours of bedroom playing.
How that replacement A&R transformer did not FRY after all these years of use with 6L6's, especially in the Australian heat, I don't know !
Maybe before I got the amp it may have been sitting around not working for years.....don't know either.   

If the MM Classic-Tone TX was used, the HT / B+ would be way too high and probably cook the O/P tubes ?
If a V V R was fitted to lower the 410v B+ to a more reasonable 340v B+ then SAG and the expected behaviour of the orig amp would loose it's charm ???
Have I lost any of the Brown Deluxe charm, chime, feeling, by using this lower B+ transformer, maybe not ?
What if I used a large cement resistor to drop 70 volts on the B+ ......?

Have I missed something....... I don't do this stuff everyday.......?
Please comment .... suggestions.... thoughts ???

I will try to post some pictures - first the Before shots, then next post the Now/After shots.

Max.

[kde]

Before shot one

[kde]

After one

[kde]

After two

[sluckey]

I have 428V out of the GZ34 rectifier in my AB763 Deluxe. I would not hesitate to run that high in your 6G3 either. Give it a try. The sound will be different than the sound from that low B+ you are running now. You may like it better. Maybe not.

I'd probably replace the 22K in the bias supply with a 50K pot and 10K resistor so I could adjust the bias voltage.

[kde]

I have 428V out of the GZ34 rectifier in my AB763 Deluxe. I would not hesitate to run that high in your 6G3 either. Give it a try. The sound will be different than the sound from that low B+ you are running now. You may like it better. Maybe not.

I'd probably replace the 22K in the bias supply with a 50K pot and 10K resistor so I could adjust the bias voltage.

Steve, what type of 6V6 are you using in your Deluxe and would you still allow 400v+ on the Russian 6n6c ?
Yes, the bias mod is one that I will do, Thanks.

[sluckey]

I currently have a pair of JJ 6V6s in the amp but I have also run NOS Sylvanias in it. I'm not familiar with the 6n6c.

[Toxophilite]

If you check out the original schematic for the 60s AB763 deluxe reverb it has 415 on the plates of the 6V6s
The plain deluxe of the same vintage has 410 I believe

I think the only problem with Russian 6V6s was 20-30 years ago when they were relabelling tubes as 6V6s that couldn't handle the higher voltages required by deluxes' and similar amps
My understanding is that's no longer a problem