One two of the reasons I watch your videos is you are very good and I get a kick out of your deep down under south Australian demeanor and speech accent. And is slightly salty at times with good humor.

@theguitaramptech

Күн бұрын

Thanks mate! Great to hear from you again Dwight.

@dwightbehm2886

Күн бұрын

The thing I like about Australians is they seem to be friendly and have good conversation. My call sign on ham radio is KC4ITU assigned to me for my government apart an agency called the FCC. I was on a band one day cold 40 meters a bit above 7.15 megahertz talking with four gentlemen back in the year 2004 one man was in Melbourne Australia another cook Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean another one in New Zealand and the 4th Gentleman on the island of Hawaii I made contact with them was about 600 W of power and using a modest antenna. We exchanged with each other Fair signal reports and after a few minutes the Australian gave me a call and said he recognized my name and used to know Dwight Eisenhower one of our former presidents back from the year 1950 that surprised me and my jaw dropped to the floor in amazement very nice contract from your country to mine I thought it was very nice I signed with them after a while thanking them for their conversation such fine gentleman. Thanks for your reply Chris. You are a fine gentleman as well.

I used to watch Prof. Julius Sumner Miller in his show Why Is It So, on the ABC when I was a child in the 70s.

@theguitaramptech

6 ай бұрын

So the show was called "Why Is It So?". Brilliant! I loved the Prof.

Professor Julius Sumner Miller

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Yes! Thank you, Bruce

That physics teacher who used to say "Why is it so?" was Dr Julius Summer Miller if my memory serves me right, he used to appear in Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate TV commercials.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

That's right. I forgot about those commercials. He must have been in Australia. I always assumed he was in the USA.

great work

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Love your relaxed, self effacing approach!

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, Sharon ❤️

All good, thanks Chris.

Thanks for another video Chris! Hope you are well m8! This video reminds me of a blues jr repair I did this summer.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, JJ. Other than the cathode bias, you’re right. Very similar to a BJr.

That board-grounding screw in the corner could probably use a star washer and perhaps a dab of paint or glyptol lacquer to prevent it from loosening. The copper tab underneath the screw appears oxidized....

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

I'm sure you're right, but I can't recall it. I would appreciate it if you could tell me where in the video where you saw this.

@goodun2974

7 ай бұрын

​​@@theguitaramptech, at 27:02 , on the corner of the board near where it says "Boston". Also a second grounding screw at 24:56 , on the corner of the board near the PCB-mounted fuse.

Excellent video..Professor Sumner-Miller

@mcgeorgerl

7 ай бұрын

I used to love his shows, even his "failures" to get the results he wanted. "Now wait for it...wait for it."

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, Anthony!

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

I remember one where he collapsed a huge metal drum and he was shocked to see it work so dramatically.

Just got the SVT-20R today, blown away by the sound... and just figured out that it was a 12" speaker and not a 10" like I thought. Bit overkill for a bedroom player, but hey... Has the vlux 12-100 vintage speaker series, 100w 8ohm . Reverb tank and boost pedal function. Clean and over drive would have been nice and even a FX loop. But still blown away by this little beast, and got it for a steal. My "technical" background already had the cab open to take a peek. Will be changing the input jack as it is a bit warn and loose but not yet to the point of noise. No weird noises or other concerning noises yet.

@EKisCOOLERasJY

4 ай бұрын

Ah yeah, might look at upgrading the resistors for some heat dissipation, this one is hot, even at idle. Would have sent the amp is you were in Melbourne, Sydney a bit far. But I'm pretty handy myself on electronics, might give it a go.

@theguitaramptech

4 ай бұрын

The Strauss are good value for money and sound great. I'm not sure what you mean about "upgrading the resistors". I would certainly check the bias on the output tubes.

@EKisCOOLERasJY

4 ай бұрын

@@theguitaramptech for running the tubes cooler, in other words larger resistors to dissipate heat.

@theguitaramptech

4 ай бұрын

@@EKisCOOLERasJY I understand. Larger wattage resistors of the same value and mounted off the board will keep the resistor cooler but will not affect the dissipation of the ube. For that you will need to set the bias resistor to a value that is in the ideal operating range of the tube.

Thanks for this video, Chris. That's a quick easy way of determining if an amp is fixed bias or cathode bias. I always learn at least one thing in each of your videos,

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thanks mate.I'm glad you're getting something from the videos.

Thyats bettah.

@theguitaramptech

9 сағат бұрын

Close Dwight ... but not exact. Next try a phonetic spelling, the same as "bettah" but with no "t" sound.

Great to have a video on this amp, not many on YT. Also good to subscribe to another local tech.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thank you Mr President

Well goodness me. Awesome chanel young Chris and great review. P.S. I'm coming over for one of those legendary coffees.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

That would be so cool Rob! It’s been way too many decades.

Good day to you Chris, apologies for missing this for so long, sometimes sleep is important. I have 2 of the smaller Strauss amps,a 5 and 10 watt. Both incredibly treble oriented and tiny but neat cabinets, made in china but so far good

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

They sound good Bruce but I question the quality of the build. If you have the equipment just check the operating conditions of the tubes as I did here. 😊

Always great Chris!!! Thanks for the video mate....Why is it so...? I'm so very glad you asked.......

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thank you Michael 😊

New to this channel so hi everyone and Chris! Never worked on on a new Strauss, good job though mate. I am not a fan of board mounted valve sockets, just have a look at my Ampeg VT40 that will tell all.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Welcome aboard!

I really like how this amp sounds after you had your way with it. I confess I am confused as to why there are humbuckers on a telecaster, seems to defeat the purpose, but maybe that is just me.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thanks Bob. The original Fender Wide Range Humbuckers sound fantastic. Not the Gibson sound at all. The modern reissue Fender Wide Range Humbuckers just sound dark and flat to me.

Q: What's a difference between the Fender Blues Junior and the Vox AC15 that you can test? A: The AC15 is a good sounding amp.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

They’re both good sounding amps. I have a preference for the AC15, and both can be tonally improved. The BJr has a few more design problems but not enough to stop you buying it. When you said differences, did you mean TONE or CIRCUIT? Both use EL84 power stage but The AC15 is cathode biased with no negative feedback.

@Splattle101

7 ай бұрын

@@theguitaramptechNo, Chris, I was just taking the piss and expressing an opinion. Back in 2002 I was looking for a small amp to replace my trusty old 1971 Marshall JMP 100 Watt ear destroyer. I took my favourite Les Paul to a shop and banged away on a bunch of Fenders, including Hot Rod Deluxe, Blues Deluxe, Blues Junior, etc. I hated them. I had (still have) a late '60s Super Reverb that sounds glorious so I was not a stranger to Fender sounds. But these newer Fender offerings were boxy and obnoxious. They just sounded crappy. There was a 2x12 Peavey Classic 50 in that shop that wiped the floor with them. It wasn't even close. I have since relented in my negative view of the Hot Rod & Blues Deluxe amps. I concede that if I find them in the backline they're useable and I can get good noises out of them. But I can't imagine buying one. But the Blues Junior? Hard no for me.

@Splattle101

7 ай бұрын

@@theguitaramptech On the technical side, I like amps with no negative feedback. I have a Vox AC15HW1 and a home made clone of a 5E3 Deluxe, both of which have no neg. feedback and they're my most gigged amps by far. That said, I like the tweed Super 5F4. I built a clone of one and it's fixed bias class AB with neg. feedback and it's got a much better regulated power supply than the 5E3. It delivers that Marshall / Bassman style cathode follower distortion, but it cleans up so well you can play funk rhythms on it. It's quite a thing, but it takes some time and effort to learn where the sweet spot is on the vol. control. It can go from clean-ish to filth across a very narrow band of the vol. control. I speculate this is because of the neg feedback. It's clean until it's not, then it's a fire breathing hooligan. But the biggest difference for me is the relatively better regulated power supply, making it just a bit stiffer: it gives it much better snap than a 5E3.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

I agree with you opinions, Splattle.. That HotRod/Blue Deluxe series sounds pretty average off the shop floor but they can be setup to sound very nice. Very different to your Super Reverb. The BJr needs a new speaker, proper biasing and a few tweaks and they can sound really good. Its just a shame that so much needs to be done first, Sadly they won't last decade like your other gems. The 5F4 is very cool. I am a big lover of Cathodyne PI's.

@Splattle101

7 ай бұрын

@@theguitaramptech So am I! After I read in Merlin Blencowe's book that the evil blocking distortion could be banished with a sufficiently meaty grid stopper, the scales fell from my eyes!

Chris, look up Louisiana-based blues-rocker Tab Benoit; he plays a battered, road-worn Thinline Tele, about the same vintage as yours; it used to be a sunburst, but the finish is all worn off now. It's typically his only onstage guitar exceot for a temporary swap when he breaks a string( he plays *hard*). Awesome player, great singer, and literally a comedian as well; and, at least here in the States, you can see him play in an intimate venue for about 1/5th of what a McCartney ticket would cost.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Oooh yeah. That is an unmistakable sound of a Thinline. I'd love to see him live. Thanks for that reminder. I've got him playing in the background now (For What Its Worth)

I bought the 5 watt version of this and I hated it at first. A 5 inch speaker and a single tone and volume control. I plugged it into a 2x12 with Rola vintage 30s and I used the preamp section of a Fender Frontman 100W solid state amp as my tone control and now its amazing. A really flexible pedal platform

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

What a great workaround. I would have though simply going into the 2x12 cab would have done the trick.

@murrayguitarpickups9545

7 ай бұрын

@@theguitaramptech yeah, the single tone control just couldn't get me where I wanted

He did the Cadbury chocolate adds as well as his science program…….. the energy is spent….

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

That's right, Colin! I had forgotten all about the Cadbury ads.

G'day Chris Looks like I found myself a new y.t. favourite. Relaxed, informative and humourus, a bit like My radiohero David Tipton. About your weak bladder, there's help to get, thanks to a brilliant swede, I'm serious. I'll definitely subscribe👍

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thanks mate! Much appreciated. Tell me about the brilliant Swede 😉

@jerkerfridh8189

7 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/jGmMxrCNppS_pdY.htmlsi=Pp61dFPsu-NJyajK

@jerkerfridh8189

7 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/eH5rmKayZpu8ndI.htmlsi=5J7Gguf8ri3H_nim

@jerkerfridh8189

7 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/eXt2ssSde6TIacY.htmlsi=ZDg52qy3KyyfXNdy

@jerkerfridh8189

7 ай бұрын

Well that was very much off topic and It's Yours to remove or keep. At least the videos contain antenna-like structures and microwaves. Sonny Schelin is the inventor of this method. I don't know how widespread It is but the treatment is revolutionary, easy, free of pain and the effect is permanent. I was like a dog, allways seeking the next tree but that's history now. ( no I'm not paid from the doctor ) (and yes, It's my real name, though not pronounced the way you think). Anyway, be It a new De-oxit or abovementioned treatment, It's worth letting others know about It. Cheers👍

Prof Sumner Miller...high school physic on Oz TV.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Yes. That's the man, Ray. I never missed an episode.

I feel cheated; we didn't get a visit from your beautiful dog this time! BTW, it occurs to me that the PCB on this amp is so badly overheated around the sockets that it could be somewhat conductive.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Harley will get a big head if he gets into every video. He's got a big enough head as it is!

Jolly good show ol' chap! I have a Strauss SVT30 a while back and it's copied component-by-component from a Peavey Classic 30. Like even the component designation on the PCB's are identical. R30 = R30 etc. The Strauss SVT15 looks to be a direct rip-off of the Fender Blues Jr, too.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Thanks mate! Yes I saw t that with the SVT30. You’re right, Brad, The SVT15 has the same layout with the same issues. I reckon your EL84 pcb would fit right in..

On less piss-taking note, I'm surprised they have the cathode current running from the PCB through a ribbon cable. It'd be interesting to know if the ribbon cable is rated for 80 mA. Oh yeah, Prof Julius Sommner Miller.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Yep. It's not the only amp that does this stupidity, Splattle. It would cost them another 10 cents to run a secure ground point.

Every video I watch about repairing a PCB amp makes me less and less interested in working on them. I'll stick to filming my handwired / vintage amp endeavors and leave those to someone else lol

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

I so wish, but when this is your sole income stream you have to do PCB amps....with one exception. I will never ever work on a Mesa again. Did I say "Never"? Good. I'm enjoying your videos!

@YeatzeeGuitar

7 ай бұрын

@@theguitaramptech Haha very fair! Yeah that's one thing I've learned pretty quickly, just say NO to Mesa!

😄😎

Hi Chris, I just want to tell you thanks and that I really enjoy your videos. But I was wondering. I see you take a sip of coffee but never finish it. Do you drink it cold? 😬 A cup of hot coffee doesn't stay hot for long. 😀

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

You are so observant! Warming the cups helps, and its several cups of coffee during the repair videos. See what you've done? I now need to make another coffee! Ha!

By the way, my wife and I watched a fascinating documentary film about Hipgnosis on Netflix last night, the graphic arts company that did so many famous album covers for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, 10CC, etc. Highly recommended!

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

That sounds right up my alley. I'll try to track it down. Have you seen the doco about Carmine Street Guitars in NYC. Sadly I visited it before seeing the Doco. I will definitely buy one his guitars on my next visit.

Those 100 ohm screen resistors need to go away! Even in old JMI Vox’s, they have to be replaced if you’re going to use new tubes. 470 to 1k ohm seems to be the sweet spot.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Agreed Matthew. I tend to use 470R. I won't replace it in a JMI unless the owner understands why I am recommending it and authorises the change.

What happened to the sound check no one has did a sound demo with this amp

@theguitaramptech

5 ай бұрын

Hi Sonia, I am a little confused about your question. I did my usual short sound demo at the end of the video. Granted, the sound quality was s**t. That'll teach me to try to do a "quickie" recording, bypassing my usual recording process and clipping the camera preamp.

Hopefully you can help' 65 deluxe reverb reissue' had it gone through by an amp tech' when I got it back the reverb doesn't come in until 8' before 8 nothing' the reverb is very faint, barley any reverb. Amp has new tubes' he said new caps and general maintenance. Been trying to get back in touch with him about the problem but no answer. Any idea what's going on with the reverb?

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

If you put volume on 3 and reverb on "8" and tap the tank does it give you a loud BOING?. If not check (ie replace) your reverb cables with known good cables and ensure V3 is a 12AT7 and V4 is a 12AX7.

plate dissipation must be hot

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Spot on, Moody...and it was. 85% from memory. Cathode bias is often higher, but not when you're cooking EL84s. That's why I cooled down the screens.

I like the flux pens too but the bloody felt tip always gets pushed up, then dries out, so I am forced to open it up and dip a cotton bud ear cleaner into it. Yes, I know not to put them in my ears, even without flux on them.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

I haven’t had that problem with my flux pens yet Mark. Maybe you push on them harder than me.

@markprentice7785

7 ай бұрын

I do try not to. Maybe it’s the cheap jaycar stuff

I have that exact amp (burgundy) and a Strauss SVC-30 (Classic 30 clone). You're in Sydney? Me too. Are you still in business? My tech retired.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

I really liked the way the amp sounded Matt. Shame the camera preamp clipped so badly. That’s what I get for rushing the filming. Yes, I’m in Sydney. Kogarah. Was your Tech, Pete Reynolds? He was excellent but I heard he retired.

Filmed on a boat?

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

HAHAHAHA! Yes...I get it, Michael. Other than knocking the camera with my fat head, I don't know how to stop the camera wobbling. Its on an expensive overhead stand, but my 1917 house has timber floors that bounce the stand. Frustrating. Economic solutions welcomed.

professor Julius Sumner Miller

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

YES!! He was inspiring to the young inquiring minds of my generation.

Hi Chris how can I get in contact with you ? I've a project that may be of interest to you. Cheers Paul.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Hi Paul. If you are in Australia you can just call me. Its on the end of each video. If you are overseas, either call me on WhatsApp or email me through the Contact page on my website guitaramptech.com.au/

Why is it so? Sounds more like the down trodden detective Colombo.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

HAHAHAHAHA!

I absolutely refuse to spend $300-400 to hear aging rockers, whose voices are often well past their prime, playing in a big, impersonal, echoey sports stadium where you end up so far from the stage that you have to watch the show on a giant screen while surrounded by often-inebriated fans who just wanna hear their favorite hit song and watch it on their phone as they video it. Mid-sized clubs and theatres are where it's at, and the occasional outdoor festival, if the bands on the roster aren't likely to draw thousands of drunks. The last few times I went to stadium shows, obnoxious concert-goers ruined what small chance there was for intimacy between performer and audience. My wife and I stick to club-size shows where we rarely pay more than $50 a ticket.

@hanksta34

7 ай бұрын

Take a band like Foreigner that has few original members but their lead singer has been with them for almost 20 years. They absolutely killed it this summer. Did I spend that kind of money you're talking about? Heck no. If demented Joe Biden can be president at 81 years old, these aging rockers can still go out on stage.

@goodun2974

7 ай бұрын

@@hanksta34 , of the old, best-known classic rock guys, John Fogerty has kept his voice better than most, but even his has gotten slightly raggedy in recent years. It was good to hear him via KZread playing and singing in the backyard with his kids during the covid lockdown, in no small part because he was obviously enjoying himself. Still, I wouldn't pay hundreds to see him play; I prefer to remember the good ones as they were when they were at the height of their powers. And, Foreigner, really? Pah! No thank you! Among lesser-known musicians, Richard Thompson has kept his voice as well or better than anyone; I've seem him play dozens of times over the years, and when I saw him play last year at age 73, his voice (which some may not like it but I do) was every bit as powerful, deep and resonant as it has always been ---- but that's extremely rare. Anyway, to compare a politician to a singer or musician is just plain silly because the job requirements, and the size of the band/support team are completely different.

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, I get it and mostly agree, but for me, this is the only way I would get to see McCartney. I would love to see him in a more intimate setting, but that won't happen to me.

@goodun2974

7 ай бұрын

@@theguitaramptech , as an old saying goes, "you can't go home again"; or, as Steely Dan sang, "and I'm never going back to my old school". Some of the musicians I've seen many times in their younger days have gone way downhill as they've aged, and not working for nearly 2 years during the pandemic didn't help. Leo Kottke, for instance who I've seen play dozens of times, and who hardly seemed to age for 3 decades, was scattered and unfocused in 2021. The same goes for Los Lobos, who put on one of the ten best shows I'd ever seen back in the 1990's, but was merely okay in 2019. John Hiatt, another great that I've seen many times over the years, has lost most of his voice and can't really make himself heard over a full electric band, and frankly I just don't want to hear him struggle like that, preferring to remember him as he was (kinda like, do I want to remember my mom when she was sharp as a tack, or do I want to dwell on how she changed when Alzheimers set in?). As for big overblown classic-rock shows, the last time I went to a stadium concert, some 20+ years ago, it was Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and they were lousy; thankfully, we got in for free because I'd sold a vintage Ampeg amp to a guy working the soundboard, who put us on the guest list (my wife and I were seated next to Neil Young's son Zeke). The only one who sounded like he wanted to be there was Crosby; everyone else was phoning it in. Neil was at the back of the stage, nearly invisible,, and you could barely hear his guitar. Steven Stills had put on an enormous amount of weight and had 7 or 8 tweed Fenders around him on stage and yet his guitar tone and playing were terrible During intermission I said to the the sound guy, " Surely all those amps aren't turned on and miked simultaneously, are they?". "Yes, they are", he said, with a frown. He also said the band flew in to the shows on separate planes and avoided interacting with each other. We left before the second set; sure glad we didn't pay to see that one! Another factor in why I don't go to see big shows with aging rockers is that, beginning back in the mid 90's, the audiences stopped listening and lost patience for anything other than hearing the "hits" played exactly as they were on the record. At one large outdoor venue that tended to draw a heavy drinking crowd, Santana was playing some white-hot jazz rock fusion and people in the audience were yelling 'I'm bored ---- play Soul Sacrifice!". (The crunch-crunch sound of empty plastic beer cups being trampled on as people walked to the bathrooms and beer pumps was almost as loud as the band!). At another show at the same venue (luckily another case where I got free tickets through a work-related connection), Jackson Brown and David Lindley were playing magical duets together but the crowd was calling out for other songs, standing on their chairs and trying to clap along (but not being able to keep time because they were all drunk). Jackson actually chided the crowd for it, saying "y'all are calling for some really old songs; I guess this must be the valley that time forgot!" Somebody once asked Frank Zappa why his audiences seemed to stay about the same age despite him aging: "that's because as you get older you have less tolerance for somebody vomiting on your shoes"! Not to mention that, in my own case, arthritis and a bad back means that I can't stand for an hour or two before the show starts and another couple hours until the music stops. Gotta have seating of some kind, not so far away from the stage that I can't see the performers clearly. I was just barely a teenager when Ricky Nelson had a hit with his song Garden Party about playing an oldies revival package-tour in Madison Square Garden but I've never forgotten the closing lyrics: "if you gotta play a Garden Party, I wish you a lot of luck/but if memories were all I sang, I'd rather drive a truck...."

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

@@goodun2974 Wow! Those are some very poignant recollections. I have never seen CSNY but after your review, I doubt I ever will. I saw Graham Nash at NAMM preCovid. He was excellent. I love Steve Stills (from the 70s) and of course, Neil. I know Neil can be a kranky guy. We don’t get to see all the big shows here because of the cost of touring. I am very thankful that I got to see The Doobies (this year) were brilliant and for me, seeing the legend of Paul was wonderful. Unlike the USA, the Beatles only came here once (1964). It's very sad that our heroes get older. I know it's hypocritical of me, but if I see the Stones, I would prefer to hear Gimme Shelter than Hackney Diamonds. We all want to relive our golden days. Thank you for taking the time to share your memories with me.

Worse amps for money

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

They look so cool, but I worry about the reliability.

Hello what is your occupation There in Australia?and what city do you live and work in? If I could afford to travel the world I would love to pay a visit to Australia perhaps Sydney or Melbourne. You seem an expert in amp repair. I am retired from automotive repair. Age is 66 love electronics. I hear Australia is a rough but wonderful country.

@theguitaramptech

3 ай бұрын

Hi Dwight. We're the same age! Amp repairs is all I do now. Before that I was a consulting engineer to the Water Treatment industry. Pre-GFC I was in the entertainment industry for 25 years. I studied Electrical Engineering so I could repair my first amp...unsuccessfully. I live in Sydney. Dwight sounds like a US name. Which city are you in? It's no secret that I love the USA. I have been 33 times. I am sure you would love the Australian country just as I love the USA.

Professor Julius Sumner Miller

@theguitaramptech

7 ай бұрын

Yes!!