C-Jays Guitars and Amps

Today on the bench we have a Peavey Renown 400 in for a service. Usual age related issues crackling pots and jack sockets for the most part. Whole amp will be checked over and PAT tested before being returned though 👍

These amps are surprisingly good, built like ranks and still going strong with a little maintenance.

Finishing up the day having a look at a 1973 Fender Bassman 100, getting it ready for sale. This baby is mine, and is 100% original...not fired it up in a few years so wanted to check all is well before I list it 👍

Love these amps! 😍

Today on the bench we have a Laney VC30 in for a service.

Looks like someone has been tinkering in here before. Internal reverb socket was barely hanging on by its PCB contacts, and there were transformer cables fixed to the PCB with silicone and bare wire showing.

Not impressed 🤦‍♂️

Today on the bench we have a Fender '65 Twin Reissue. In for a check over as it's noisy af...as most of the newer RI's that I see are actually 🙄

"GT" tubes microphonic, howling reverb. Bad connections to reverb tank, a bit of careful tube swapping and lead dress resolved the noise mostly. Plus heaters running at nearly 7v as it's set for 230v from the factory - it's like 2 wires Fender, why can't you do this for us UK customers? 🤷‍♂️ Sorted that and heater and HT supply dropped back to reasonable levels.

Today on the bench we have a Laney VC30 in for a service.

Looks like someone has been tinkering in here before. Internal reverb socket was hanging on its PCB contacts, and there were transformer cables fixed to the PCB with silicone and bare wire showing.

Not impressed 🤦‍♂️

Today on the bench we have a 1974 Fender Bassman 100 in for a service. Apart from a few resistors drifted from spec it's in pretty good shape electrically.

Love these amps! 😍🎃

Today on the bench we have a Blackstar HT5 in for work as it is losing volume over time. Tubes test strong on the AVO so need to delve in to what is a rather complicated circuit with a mixture of valve and solid state.

Ended up being the MOSFETs, replaced along with new 1uF caps and all good.

Today on the bench we have a 1977 Fender Vibrolux Reverb. In for a check over as it's blowing fuses.

This thing is pristine for a 46 year old! I was 2 when this was made! 🤣

Today on the bench we have a VOX AC30 in for a service and check over. Valve test on the AVO, new Phase Inverter needed, clean of the pots and check the bias then should be good to go! 😍

Today on the bench we have a 1960's Dallas Scala. This one is mine, getting it ready for sale. Really tidy inside, with a set of Mullard valves in there. Sounds great when cranked, just like the opening riff from 20th Century Boy! 😍

Today on the bench we have a 1976 Marshall JMP in for a checkover and service... these things sounds epic! ❤️

Today on the bench we have a 1981 Fender Pro Reverb in for a service, as it's not been fired up for some time. One of the last traditional design hand wired amps fender made (not counting the Rivera era).

Fuse has blown and power transformer is in the 100v position so hoping it's not been fired up on 240v at that setting (but i suspect that's what has happened). I'll still start her up slow with the Variac 🤞

Today on the bench we have a 1980 Fender Deluxe Reverb. In for a service, as it's not been fired up for some time. One of the last SF DR's off the line I'd guess.

Looking fairly tidy and has new F&T / Sprague filter caps fitted, but I'll still start her up slow with the Variac.

Amazing amps 😍 Not much different from the earlier SF models and the DR never got the Ultra-Linear treatment. Push/Pull volume boost has been replaced, looking forward to firing this badboy up!

Love these old bits of gear I've accumulated over the years. They really don't make stuff like they used to!

Today on the bench we have a 1976 Fender Bassman 100. In for a service, as it's not been fired up for some time.

Original Mallory caps in place but no signs of leakage anywhere in the doghouse. Will start her up slow with the Variac to see if they reform.

Love these amps 😍 have a few myself! Great for most genres, even doom / stoner rock with a fuzz / distortion through a 4x12 🤘

Today on the bench we have a really clean Vyse "DR" build that isn't making a sound.

Initial exploration shows that the HT fuse (mounted internally, thanks for that 🤦‍♂️), is blown...but why...? More exploration ahead me feels 🤔

Today on the bench we have a really clean WEM Clubman in for a service and to sort a resonance when pushed.

RFT EL84 and Mullard ECC83 tested very strong so they're keepers. Put it through a 4x12 cab and it sounds epic! Thinking the issue is with the speaker or cab 🤔 more investigation needed.

Today on the bench we have a Rivera Clubster 25 in for a service.

Today on the bench we have a rather special vintage 1975 (from the pot codes) Fender Musicmaster Bass amp (great for guitar). This amp used to belong to Pete "Overend" Watts of Mott The Hoople and was used on tour as his dressing room amp.

I really do believe that when it comes to clean tone the less components you put in a signal path the better, by that rationale this should sound amazing, there's really not much in there.

Today on the bench we have something a little different. A 1962 Watkins Copicat Mk2, valve.

I picked this baby up yesterday and whilst it works it is a little tired and in need of a service. It is rather hissy and the motor speed seems a little inconsistent giving it a tape warble (which I actually love the sound of). Don't want to clean it up too much and lose its mojo though.

Also needs rewiring with a proper chassis earth. Most Copicats have a 2 core cable as standard and use the amp lead as their earth. Not really good enough to make sure people done get 240v AC through their strings ⚡⚡

As the case isn't original I'm tempted to rehouse in a purpose built case to make it more pedalboard friendly...possibly add a few reversible and non invasive mods to control tape speed and increase feedback....? 🤔

Today on the bench we have a Laney IRT Studio with intermittent cutting out. Tubes tested and found a bad connection in the heater of V2 (12AX7). Also the EL84's tested weak and showed signs of overheating. Replaced these valves re-biased to 70% safe dissipation at 28.5mA and it's singing now.

Today on the bench we have a Friedman JJ Jr that had an anemic overdrive channel. All tubes tested good on the AVO VCM, opened it up to find some bad joints. Sorted those and it came back to good order 👍

Today on the bench we have a Fender Twin Amp from the 90's.

Converted to correctly run on 240v, 2 new 12AT7's fitted, several joints cleaned and reflowed and a full cap job along with general service and clean.

Today on the bench we have a dead Marshall Valvestate VS65r in for a look over. Got her back to life but with terrible intermittent noises. Traced it to the Reverb connection on pot board, bad solder joint, I'll give the PCB a clean too as it looks a bit furry in places 😉

Today on the bench we have this lovely hand wired 50th anniversary Vox AC15 TV in for a checkover and service.

Today on the bench we have a Fender Hotrod Deluxe.

Converted to correctly run on 240v, a new pair of Sovtek 5881's fitted and biased, power resistors upgraded and lifted off the board for better heat dissipation and a cap job along with general service and clean.

Today on the bench we have a 1978 Marshal JMP in for a checkover and service... this thing sounds epic! ❤️

Today on the bench we have a 1980's Marshal JCM800 in for a checkover and service. As you would imagine, this thing rocks! 🤘

Today on the bench we have a Marshall Class 5 in for a checkover. Owner noticed the baked R5, caused by the EL84 going bad. Not sure about the rubber mount on this, especially as the valve was reading as leaking gas 🤔 going to replace with a more traditional EL84 spring retainer.

Caps, diodes and resistors checked and R5 replaced, back on its way home soon 👍

Today on the bench we have a redplating Fender Supersonic 60. Looks like someone had fitted some expensive NOS JAN Philips 12AT7's, one is the reverb driver and is cracked with a cloudy getter, the other is in the Phase Inverter position and is wildly unbalanced...which has possibly caused the 6L6 to redplate.

NOS tubes are great in theory, but make sure you're getting solid tested tubes people! 👍

Been working on this Laney Ironheart IRT60H.

Laney confirmed it was a fault with the FV-1 spin chip, which is SMC, replacement fitted and the amp is singing 👍

Big thanks to Kyle at Laney for the great communication and help getting this one sorted! 👍

SMC really isn't my thing tbh, prefer bigger through hole or hand wired stuff so was way out of my comfort zone on this one, but these challenges are meant to be overcome, and new skills are always good to have I guess 😁

Just built this incredible Harmonic Tremolo pedal from Zeppelin Design Labs. The Quaverato is everything you need for that vintage trem sound. So tweakable with multiple waveforms and spacing control...and it also has MIDI presets! Loving it so much!

Purchased from Break the Machine in the UK 👍

1975 MXR M-118 Analog Delay in stunning condition. This thing sounds incredible, everything you would expect from a vintage BBD based pedal. One of the first pedal format delay units made.

Today on the bench we have a Fender Blues Jr. Blowing fuses and arcing in the power tube 😬

C-Jays Top tip - If you're in the UK you should always get the transformer wiring changed in these amps to run on 240v (and other Fender HRD amps of this ilk too). They're wired to be 230v from the factory and these EL84's run hot anyway, so putting 240+ volts just adds to the problem. Getting this sorted is quick and easy and will make your EL84's last longer 👍

Today on the bench we have a 90's Fender "The Twin". Service, re-biasing. Amazing the difference a bit of TLC can do to an amp.

Just busted out me AVO Mk3 to check out some EL34's

Today on the bench we have a Marshall Silver Jubilee 2525c reissue in for a service 🤘

R.I.P Wilko! 😔

Today I've been mostly getting my surf on 🌊😁 This thing is so much fun! Drippy, splashy reverb that just makes you play Link Wray and Dick Dale licks. Love it!
..time to build yet another pedal board me thinks 🤔😁

Life is in good order 👍😁