Fuchs ODS30 drama, resolution, pics

Luke Duke

PRSlustologist
So back at the end of March I bought a Fuchs ODS30. I jumped on it because it was a deal, and I was thinking it was the tone I was looking for. For those of you who don't know an ODS, or Overdrive Special, is Andy Fuchs take on the Dumb!e Overdrive Special. The tone made famous by Carlos Santana, Larry Carlton, and Eric Johnson. The ODS is a VERY hotrodded blackface Fender.

Well it was shipped Fedex to my office where it wouldn't be left out in the elements. When I got back to the office I found it....upside down. Ends up that it had taken a drop and a tube was bad right out of the box, plus the reverb was busted. I have a reverb tank in the combo as well as the head...at first I could get a few noises but it eventually died.

I contacted Fedex and have been fighting with them on and off for about 2 months. They asked for this that and this and that again. Then they wanted the repair invoice. I told them I couldn't randomly generate that. Well eventually I got it shipped off to Fuchs after I tried another reverb driver (JFET). They replaced the driver again upgraded switches, and gave it a looking at and sent it back last week.

Well Fedex is sending me a check and will only cut ONE so I must pay Fuchs when I get it.

FYI Andy Fuchs is a gentleman who has been MOST patient with me over the last 6-8 weeks and even before when I was inquiring about the amps. I highly recommend them for their Dumb!e and Trainwreck clones. Great folks.

I also just got my speakers reconed for the Marshall as G12-65s. Coincidentally this is the speaker Andy recommends for the ODS. Unfortunately I'm not as big of asouped up black face Fender fan as the ODS requires you to be, so I am thinking I might be selling it in the near future. Simply put the amp is too tooo smooth. I can understand the appeal of Dumbles for Eric Johnson and other guys who use singles a lot but want a smooth sound.

Here are a few pics.

Fuchs001.jpg

head on combo cab and speaker. Please excuse the mess.

Fuchs002.jpg

Face panel......very very similar to a Dumb!e layout and controls.

Fuchs006.jpg

Dumble-like ported cab with G12-100
 
Re: Fuchs ODS30 drama, resolution, pics

bummer dude - sorry to read of your troubles

here's the thing

before you give up on it, contact scott lerner - find him over at the gear page .. he will walk you through getting happenin tones out of H-H guitars - he knows fuchs amps at least as well as andy .... and he's a helluva nice guy ... like you ...

if he can't get you dialed the way you need it, then sell it knowing you tried everything

and contact me - maybe i will swing something with you - i am not totally convinced the roadster is for me given that 100W (even 50W) is too much in my situation

good luck
t4d
 
Re: Fuchs ODS30 drama, resolution, pics

bummer dude - sorry to read of your troubles

here's the thing

before you give up on it, contact scott lerner - find him over at the gear page .. he will walk you through getting happenin tones out of H-H guitars - he knows fuchs amps at least as well as andy .... and he's a helluva nice guy ... like you ...

if he can't get you dialed the way you need it, then sell it knowing you tried everything

and contact me - maybe i will swing something with you - i am not totally convinced the roadster is for me given that 100W (even 50W) is too much in my situation

good luck
t4d

I'm really pleased with Andy and Co. Andy not only fixed the amp, but brought it up to the most current specs if I understand him correctly. THen did a 24 or 48 hr burn in to make sure everything was ready to go.

I'll shoot Scott a PM. He always seems very helpful and definitely knows his amps.

I'll get with you depending how it goes. Have you ever tried an ODS?

Luke
 
Re: Fuchs ODS30 drama, resolution, pics

no - i havent played one

i am not a high gain player ... i cant imagine an amp being 'too smooth' for my needs ... if it can do singing leads with beautiful sustain, lovely cleans with warmth balance and shimmer, and gritty chords for crunchy classic rock rhythms, and all at a volume that isnt shattering, i'd be set
 
Re: Fuchs ODS30 drama, resolution, pics

G1265s are quite smooth when pushed, perhaps something with more breakup?? Very easy way to change the voice of that amp. Greenbacks, G12H ect,,,
 
Re: Fuchs ODS30 drama, resolution, pics

i played a higher wattage version of the ODS used/consignment at a shop and it had a total slash/santana vibe

like if a blackface twin had a lovechild with a 2204 and a Tubescreamer too

too bad it was more than a les paul standard...

are they handwired or PCB? or what?
 
Re: Fuchs ODS30 drama, resolution, pics

tone4days said:
no - i havent played one

i am not a high gain player ... i cant imagine an amp being 'too smooth' for my needs ... if it can do singing leads with beautiful sustain, lovely cleans with warmth balance and shimmer, and gritty chords for crunchy classic rock rhythms, and all at a volume that isnt shattering, i'd be set

The cleans are very nice, probably my favorite part of the amp truth be told.

If you like smooth you would like an ODS. Very warm, very full, very smooth. Like I said a really souped up BF.

The preamps are done in such a way so that you've got the gain (which works on both channels) then the master. When you engage the OD it "dumps" the clean preamp signal into the OD preamp. The input knob determines how much is "dumped" into the OD preamp. The output is there so you can use the OD channel and have the volume equal, or get a volume boost.

Kevlar said:
G1265s are quite smooth when pushed, perhaps something with more breakup?? Very easy way to change the voice of that amp. Greenbacks, G12H ect,,,
Well that's what Andy recommends for "rock" players. It came with the G12K which makes it even smoother I think. My 4x12 was loaded with G12-80s, and with those the low end was smooth and the high mids/higs were too prominent.

i played a higher wattage version of the ODS used/consignment at a shop and it had a total slash/santana vibe

like if a blackface twin had a lovechild with a 2204 and a Tubescreamer too

too bad it was more than a les paul standard...

are they handwired or PCB? or what?

Very Santana sounding indeed!

Fuchs does a combination of PCB/handwiring. The components are hand loaded and solder on a printed cirucuit board.

If you pull the boost (or hit the switch on the 4 button footswitch) it sounds like you just engaged the most organic tube screamer ever.


Luke
 
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