DRRI Restore

[ParaGuitarMedic]

Does anyone know of anyone who can "restore" my DRRI, like put in a P2P board and new trannies? I've been playing it long enough now that I can tell that it isn't the real thing. Plus, my pal is playing through a 66 DR and slaying me every night.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: DRRI Restore

Does anyone know of anyone who can "restore" my DRRI, like put in a P2P board and new trannies? I've been playing it long enough now that I can tell that it isn't the real thing. Plus, my pal is playing through a 66 DR and slaying me every night.

You don't need to go PTP really to improve on that amp! You need great tubes,a great speaker,remove the bright cap,and transformers from MM would be the finishing touches...The PTP isn't going to really change your tone,but it looks cool....Just converted my 73 Marshall over to PTP my darnself...:dance:

http://www.turretboards.com/TURRET_EYELET_BOARDS_FENDER_DELUXE.htm

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: DRRI Restore

Do be sure to read through all of this also!

http://aga.rru.com/Events/MM-DRRI-rebuild/

 

[BigDaddy]

Re: DRRI Restore

I had one and it sounded great. I put a Jensen RI C12N and better tubes in it with a rebias. I sold it but wish I didn't, the guy that bought it loves it.

It probably just needs a little work. To do a complete job on it is very expensive and not worth it unless you do it yourself.

If you know how to use a soldering iron, if you know how to follow instructions and buy yourself something called a biasrite you can build one from Ted Weber. It's called a 6A20 kit and costs $515, that's less than the parts and the labor for the job. MM trannies for a BFDR will run you over $200, the board is over $100 add on all sorts of little parts plus the money to do the labor.

Also someone will build the kit for you for a few bucks more. But think about it, you will learn so much about tube amps that you will never have to bring your Fender/Marshall type tube amp to another amp tech. The money you save can buy you all the tools you need. I build amps on my dinning room table.

Don't be lazy, it will pay off in the long run. I had a falling out with my amp tech of 20 years because I got tired of his bull. When I go back to look over the work he did for me now that I have been building amps myself, I see all the mistakes he made.

I wish they had all these kits, tools and books 35 years ago. They didn't.

Anyway here is the page. And you would be surprised how good the RI BFDR could sound with some JJ tubes and a rebias. If it has the C12K, dump it, anything is better. Some people like the newer Eminence or Webervst speakers.

https://weberspeakerscom.secure.powweb.com/store/kit_r.htm

Email me if you have any questions.

 

[Curly]

Re: DRRI Restore

In his "Ask Gerald" column of the July issue of Vintage Guitar, Gerald Weber said:

The only upgrade needed in the reissue is replacing the electrolytic filer caps. I use the Sprague Atom brand, which will fit on the printed circuitboard.

I can't remember what values Fender used for the main filters (those that connect to pin 8 of the rectifier tube, but are mounted under the cap pan), but if they're using two 350-volt caps in a totem-pole-series configuration, replace them with two 220-uf/ 350 volt caps.This will help the amp play in tune when overdriven, and give it a more robust low-end response.

if you still prefer to put an upgraded component board in yours, try visiting Hoffman Amps for a list of suppliers for his boards.

My own DRRI is fairly stock, except for tube and speaker changes, and it sounds pretty good.

 

[Bludave]

Re: DRRI Restore

Sounds like what you really want is a '66 DR.............. my advice is get out of the RI and buy a 66 or 67 DR. If you can find an early SF DR(drip edge) it will sound as good as a BF and will cost a lot less. I have a 67 SF I paid about $100. more for this than I would have paid for a RI. I still am planning on changing the speaker..... mainly to handle the bottom better and to increase headroom, but other than that the amp sound killer. no mods needed. Shop around for what you want and buy it. You can drive yourself crazy trying to make a new amp sound like an old one. When the old ones already sound the way we want them.:fingersx:

 

[BigDaddy]

Re: DRRI Restore

If Gerald Weber said that he is a horses butt. You could not be more wrong about filter caps on a DR. See what I mean about people and their BS. Not only is he wrong but that explanation makes him sound like he knows nothing about electronics. Yeah, I know his rep.......who cares, a jerk is a jerk. I am no expert and even I know that is totally wrong.

First, thats not enough of a voltage rating unless you use a voltage divider(Fender uses 2-220K resistors), there is over 400 volts there. Second if they are hooked up in series that's still 110 mfd and that's way too much for 2 6V6's (stock BFDR's have 2-16mfd caps in parallel, that's 32 mfd total). The amp will sound horrible and there could be problems with too much filtering, that can cause component failure, like your rec tube and power transformer.

Too much filtering will make your amp sound sterile and unresponsive. If you like a tighter bass response a little extra filtering is OK.

So when your amp blows up call Gerald and tell him you want him to pay for the repairs.

 

[ParaGuitarMedic]

Re: DRRI Restore

Geez, my stupid self forgot that I posted this. Thanks for the replies fellas and thanks for the link, John.