Complaints, Concerns, Errors, Suggestions, and Ideas!

we need to do something about this:

http://equipboard.com/items/fender-deluxe-amp

there are 7 versions of the non-reverb deluxe through out its history (5 tweeds, the brownface w/bias vary trem and the short lived blackface deluxe w/LDR trem but no 'verb)

we should differentiate them by cosmetics and the official Fender circuit designations... for instance, the tweed pictured for the generic item I referenced is a 'wide panel' deluxe, either a 5C3 or 5D3 circuit (they look essentially the same but fender made a change from octal base 6SC7 preamps for gain and as a driver/phase inverter to noval based tubes, 12AY7 for gain and a 12ax7 as the driver/phase inverter for a decrease in gain at the inputs and an increase in gain from the driver - in ALL tweed deluxe versions the phase inverter style provides unity gain only and will sound pretty similar with any triode) whereas the most popular tweed deluxe is a 'narrow panel' with the 5E3 circuit and actually is a notably different amp with a different sound. Same tubes as the 5D3 but there were a lot of circuit revisions (like the use of negative feedback for tighter power amp response) in addition to the change of cabinet cosmetics.

The 6G3 brownface deluxe changed the cosmetics drastically as well as a HUGE change to the circuit including a switch to fixed bias, more negative feedback, a change from cathodyne phase inverter to long-tailed pair, trading the global tone knob to one for each channel, addition of bias-vary trem, etc... this period also saw a change from Jensen P series alnico speakers to oxford or Utah speakers in ceramic or alnico

The AA763Deluxe changed the gain structure to be the same as all the other new blackface models as well as changing cosmetics to the new blackface look we all love, this also entailed added bass and treble controls to channel 1 as well as a full treble/mid/bass tone section on the trem channel. The trem was changed to the new LDR trem circuit used on the bigger blackface amps. The palte voltages were increased to pump a whopping 25 clean watts from the 2 6V6 power tubes which also entailed an upgrade to the massive GZ34 rectifier to supply the higher voltages. Previously deluxes could pump 12 to 15 watts if you were lucky and were set-up with tiny 5Y3 rectifiers. The speaker was upgraded to an even larger ceramic Utah, oxford or Jensen model in order to take the increased wattage and augment the bigger, punchier power section with a punchier speaker.

I could go on. There's also an AB763 circuit revision, but I've never seen a non-reverb deluxe with that circuit (which is hardly different from the AA designated schematic)... though I rarely see the non-reverb blackface deluxes in-person anyway, they were made in limited quantity and were discontinued by the time of the CBS buyout as far as I know. Oddly, the non-reverb Princeton (the deluxe's 1 channel little brother since the brownface era) carried on into silverface and beyond, right up until Paul Rivera revamped the Fender amp line around 1981. I guess the non-reverb Princeton kept selling, while the non-reverb deluxes sat in stores collecting dust because people either spent less on a princeton reverb or sprung for the fancy deluxe reverb....

Point being, fender reused model names for very different designs and almost every version sounds different than the versions preceeding and following it, some DRASTICALLY different (5E3 to 6G3 to AA763 circuits, total mindfuck of redesign... these 3 versions cannot be set to mimic eachother, they are completely unique amps)

Can we start differentiating deluxes? better yet ANY same-name fenders with completely differing circuits in general? I used the deluxe because I ran into a confusing sighting recently that was technically correct but misleading and also because I am a huge fan of all the deluxes from the TV front tweeds to the reverb model, have played them and studied their electronic idiosyncraxies as part of my personl tone quest.

Its just confusing the way things are organized currently... and we are spreading misinformation when people glance at an equipboard to see what their heroes played through and see a picture of a generic deluxe from the wrong era.... people could buy the wrong vintage amp for a small fortune and come out of it very let down. They are all great, but you aren't using a blackface deluxe to cover "Cinnamon Girl" without a pedal, nor are you going to get your 5C3 wide panel tweed to throw down some spanky, mid-scooped, clean chickin' pickin' at anything approaching band volumes.

Can we start differentiating deluxes? better yet ANY same-name fenders with completely differing circuits in general? I used the deluxe because I ran into a confusing sighting recently that was technically correct but misleading and also because I am a huge fan of all the deluxes from the TV front tweeds to the reverb model, have played them and studied their electronic idiosyncraxies as part of my personl tone quest.

Agree! Maybe it would help if there were categories upon subcategories. Like Fender Deluxe Amp -> and then on a second level the whole tweed/blackface/watt-stuff.

I would really like if we get rid off the dates on items. A 60's J-45 is still a J-45. These information could really be added in the notes.

YES! this is a great idea, Lex, this recognizes the model as a direct lineage from its inception as well as clearing things up for folks without extensive historical knowledge when it comes to guitar construction and amplifier circuitry.

I too hate the precise dates because there are a lot of goofs from manufacturers (ahem Gibson) with throwback features on a late-period instrument or amp for a short run for no apparent reason.... like non-catalog blonde 335s with wide, mickey-mouse ears loaded with leftover 50s electronics (like spare OAFs with a patent-sticker) built in the mid-60s when blonde was discontinued and the cutaways on 335s were usually skinnier and horn-like. You see stuff like this all the time and it makes the year irrelevant. A player might have one of these and its a total mutant guitar so buying an average '66 335 might not get you what your hero has because he's got one of these short-run factory flukes. This isn't even considering custom order guitars, there was a time when you could call Gibson's original Kalamazoo factory and for a nominal fee they would make you ANYTHING you wanted, send it right to yer door. I've seen vintage 335s with venetian cutaways and/or names inlaid across the fretboard, a mutt of 335/345/355 features.... Gibson would do anything for a loyal customer with a little extra cash and a vision for his next guitar purchase.

looke at these oddballs:

http://www.es-335.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/tn_IMG_20150211_094154.jpg

http://www.es-335.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/P1030470-e1454878901451.jpg

http://www.es-335.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/jspeterson.jpg

just screwed up and made the blackface non-reverb deluxe a cabinet and not a combo

http://equipboard.com/items/fender-blackface-deluxe-amp-aa763

also, can we change our brown deluxe to read "Fender 'brownface' Deluxe Amp 6G3"

or make me a moderator this week and I'll go to town on this stuff

You guys, I totally messed up these. Can both be please deleted? I wish I could do this by myself.

1. http://equipboard.com/pros/taylor-goldsmith/fender-deluxe-amp

2. http://equipboard.com/pros/taylor-goldsmith/fender-deluxe-reverb

Sorry for that.

If I was a mod I would have done it myself.

yeah! make me and Lexman mods, we'll save the day!

bcause of our screwey items for the various fender deluxes http://equipboard.com/pros/taylor-goldsmith is all fucked up now... fix it guys, and/or make me and Lex mods so we can throw down

he's really versed in acoustic guitars, and I am the amp and vintage electric king around here, we can do a lot to spruce up EB, especially if you give us the power to merge items and such

what I don't know about amps I can easily fillin just by looking at schematics to identify circuit revisions worthy of separate items, my electrical engineering knowledge should make me the go to 'amplifier moderator'... I am pretty darned authoritative on vintage studio gear too thanks to my years as a pro engineer (and again my ability to read and interpret schematics)

you can trust me with this shit, I doubt any other member has more expertise in these areas than I do, off the top of my head I am a veritable encyclopedia of circuit design (and if I am hazy I know a guy who is even more knowledgeable than myself who I chat with EVERY day)... though I tip the hat in a number of other areas

for the record, I am home today and my son is sitting on my lap while I teach him all about this stuf... one day Lucian will be one of the world's foremost vintage electronics authorities... steeped in capacitors, tubes and great sounds since he was a fetus... at the tender age of 2 he can play G and Em on my adult guitars, he's going to be a god

You guys have some really good ideas, and I generally agree with everything. I would be happy to make you both mods, but I think you'd find it doesn't really expand what you're currently able to do on the site that much. Long story short, our mod permissions are a relic from when submitted items had to be approved before they would be shown on a artist page. We need to completely change the structure and mod permissions we have, which we will work on next.

Right now, we're working on creating brand pages (any wants, advice, feedback welcome here). We will then move on to this project next. ETA next week. Cool?

No, better first let us update products' photos, please! :-P

Yes, I second that. Actually, the brands are a good issue that weren't still completed. And of course, we should make product photo editing available ASAP

Yes, I second that. Actually, the brands are a good issue that weren't still completed. And of course, we should make product photo editing available ASAP

You guys will have item photo editing by mid next week!

Also, brand pages will be more organized into the categories the gear is in (kind of like artist pages have the sidebar), so you could for example go to MXR and filter by MXR delay pedals, MXR distortion pedals, etc. Working on that as we speak!!

all good things to take care of right away

http://equipboard.com/pros/nick-bisanz-the-last-conspirators

There must be a way to forbid crap like that.

http://equipboard.com/pros/nick-bisanz-the-last-conspirators

There must be a way to forbid crap like that.

I wish we didn't have to and people would just respect the equipboard mission and format!

here's another thing to straighten out:

http://equipboard.com/search?search_term=akg c414

there's really a bunch of versions of this great workhorse microphone, the current XLS version is a little different than the earlier versions and then there's the TL with no output transformer that sounds REALLY different.... but we have a lot of duped here

its also confusing because a lot of the sources just say "we used an AKG 414" and most of the kids just post the new XLS version even though most mic lockers are stocked with the older versions

You reffering to me?????

not JUST you, I've run into a lot of nebulous sources referring to "C414" mics lately

Can you guys make the personal Equipboards look like those of the artists? That would be much more orderly.

On the topic of all these duplicates and such, i'd like to point out that it's become a nuisance to see multiple string models with different gauges on the site. It seems that they're very much like the color and year that people sometimes put on guitars that I would submit as duplicates.

My 2 cents, merge all items where there are different string gauges for the same model into just one item where the string gauge can be listed in the description. Not too much thought or work (well, now that I think about it, trying to delete all the duplicates would prove tiring) to do here.

We need a typeset with characters like the ohm –which is commonly used in speakers descriptions and ends up being shown as a question mark symbol.

gorillaz cartoon musicians... should theyhave equipboards? they're fictional characters ....

http://equipboard.com/pros/murdoc-niccals