Fernandes Revolver Pro Guitar

Fernandes FR-95S / Fernandes Revolver Pro Guitar
Made in Japan
1990's






This guitar is a Fernandes FR-95S (or a FR-85S?) model which is AFAIK, marketed only in Japan. It is a superstrat-shaped guitar with Ash body and H-S-S pickup configuration. It has a nice, thick (full 1/4") and relatively flat-radiused rosewood fretboard with 22 medium frets and gold colored Gotoh tuners.

The guitar has the Fernandes FRT Tremolo system and is equipped with the FSK-401 Dual Mode Fernandes Sustainer system.

This guitar is the pre-cursor to the Korean/Taiwan-made Fernandes Revolver Pro guitar marketed to the US, EU and other markets.

The Fernandes Sustainer system is one of the more successful innovation to the electric guitar next to the Floyd Rose trem system. The sustaining effect sounds and feel natural and not gimmicky. The guitar still sound and feel like a guitar and not like a synth or an organ.

Steve Vai, U2's The Edge, and many others use the sustainer system very successfully. I particularly like Vai's use of the sustainer effect in 'Whispering A Prayer' and 'For The Love of God'.

The Jester Oahu JU-28 Amp Inspiration: 50's Valco Oahu Amp

I came across a 50's Valco Oahu Amp ad in Ebay. This 50's amp is obviously the model that Jester Enterprises used as basis for the Jester Oahu JU-28 Amp.

The following pictures are from Ebay and not mine. These will be taken off this blog if advised by the Owner of the pics:

The following are some pictures of my Jester Oahu JU-28:

See my blog on jester oahu ju-28 amp

Go to Jester Enterprises' Site

Fender Silverface Dual Showman Reverb 1968

Fender Silverface Dual Showman Reverb 1968
Serial No. A12705

The Dual Showman Reverb Amp is the "head amp" version of the Fender Twin Reverb. It has exactly the same chassis, circuitry and parts (for contemporary models of these 2 amp) but in a more manageable size and weight package (head amp cabinet). That said, the heft of the head unit is still quite substantial, obviously due to the substantially oversized power and output transformers.

IMO, the relatively big and heavy power and output transformers together with the solid state rectifier in these amps are the main factors that contribute to the well-known fender clean tone. The power supply can take large transient/spike load hit (power chording) without or with very little sag. The big iron core in the output transformer just couldn't get saturated that easily either. Result? Fender clean tone for days!

My particular amp says "Showman Reverb Amp TFL5000D" in the faceplate instead of "Dual Showman Reverb TFL5000D". It has the transition "cloth wire" and not the irradiated Teflon "thin wires" widely used in 1968 and 1969 model Fender amps. The D in TFL5000D, means that this amp is a US Domestic model and therefore has a 110V power transformer.

It still has all its original transformers and all original capacitors. The big power filter capactors for sure will need to be replaced for safety reasons.

A Hammond choke was used to replaced the original choke which I found to be open.

The cathode bypass electrolytics were replaced with sprague atoms.

The bias supply cap was also replaced with a sprague atom.

Yamaha SC-800

Yamaha SC-800
Serial No. 002139





The Yamaha SC-800 was made by Yamaha Japan from 1977 to 1980. The body is alder, the neck is hard maple and the fretboard is striped ebony.

It has Yamaha-made Single Coil Rail pickups in a standard strat configuration.
The neck pick-up is connected to a DPST toggle switch that can switch this pick-up ON and OFF. The middle and bridge pick-ups are each connected to DPDT switches. This allows the independent switching of the middle and the bridge pick-ups ON-OFF-ON, putting them in and out of phase.



I like the capability to turn off all pick-ups as it enables me to take a short break without needing to turn the amp off. It's like having a guitar cable with a circuit-breaker.

The hardware are all chrome-plated. The bridge is the fixed hardtail type with a tele-like string-thru-the-body arrangement for maximum sustain.







I like the fact that theYamaha SC-800 guitar has characteristics of both the strat and the tele.

The body is strat shaped and the pick-up positions are like those of a strat but the hardtail string-thru is like those of a tele. Having no trem mechanism means it has less cavities in the body than a strat and in this regard is more like a tele.

The flexible switching capabilities enable one to switch the pick-ups to any of the 5 strat positions. The neck and the bridge pick-ups can be switched like in a tele. Out-of-phase pick-up combinations are also possible for even more tonal variety!

Beautiful and possibly rare. They just don't make them like they used to!

Fender Vibrolux Reverb

FENDER VIBROLUX REVERB
SERIAL NO. 25861
1973













The Vibrolux Reverb is a particularly interesting model among the Fender Amps equipped with reverb. It is an excellent sounding amp with enough power (35~40W) and comes in a manageable size and weight package. This makes it very attractive to gigging guitar players. Its 2 x 10 speakers is also a plus factor as these disperses sound better than a 1 x 12 speaker does. A nice article that discusses these are here: http://www.tonequest.com/articles/article2.htm














This particular amp has been restored with:

--- All new Sprague Atom Electrolytic caps: 5 x 20uF/500V filter caps, 7 x 25uF/25V cathode bypass caps and 2 x 100uF/100V bias supply caps.

--- New Sprague Orange Drop cap: 1 x .047 uF/600V (to replace one that looked like it was gnawed on by a rat)

--- New set of JJ/Tesla Tubes: 4 x 12AX7, 2 x 12AT7 and 2 x 6L6GC

--- New Fender (EH) Tube: 1 x 5U4 rectifier tube

--- New Hammond Ouput Transformer replacement for VR

--- New Light Dependent Resistor (LDA) Optocoupler for the Tremolo

--- New Accutronics Reverb Pan: 4AB3C1B

--- New Filter Capacitor Cover

--- New Pilot Light Bulb













Now this amp works 100% with lush reverb and strong tremolo with no extraneous sounds. The amp is so quiet, I can not tell it is on if I do not look at the pilot light.

The sound from this amp connected to the 2 x 10" ceramic (50W capacity each) Eminence speakers in my Seymour Duncan 84-50 is beautiful and inspiring. The amp has more than enough power to shake your pants, the floor and ceiling - it makes your hair stand. You not only hear sounds, you feel sound waves through your body.

This amps original cabinet is beyond repair so that would be the one remaining issue to complete the amps restoration.

The Tonequest article recommends the 'blackface mod'. Now that I had this amp working and sounding so good as it is, I am inclined to keep the amp with no modifications. I listened to youtube videos of several SF and BF Vibrolux Reverbs and I feel that I like the sound of the SF more than the BF Vibrolux Reverbs.

The blackfacing mod and the reversal is relatively easy to do, I just might do it one day, just to confirm my preference. Now if I just can unplug my guitar and turn this amp off long enough to cool the tubes ....

The Harmony Central review, note that some reviews were for the new Custom Vibrolux Reverb: http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Fender/Vibrolux+Reverb/10/1

Jester Oahu JU-28 Tube Amp

JESTER OAHU JU-28
Serial No. 0096















Jester Oahu JU-28 amps were hand-made by Jester Enterprises from 1998 to 2000 and are based on old Valco/Supro amp designs. This particular amp has 2 x 6v6GTs, 2 x 12ax7s and a 5Y3 tube rectifier. It has an Eminence 50W 10-inch ceramic speaker.

It is a class A push-pull design rated at 16.5 watts output.

The amp has 2 channels with 2 inputs each. It has an extension speaker out and a line-out with a level adjustment pot accessible under the chassis.

The amp's circuitry is very much like that of the 5E3 Fender Tweed Deluxe circuit. In the Gibson amp line, the closest equivalent are the Gibson GA-6 Lancer and Gibson GA-14 Titan amps. It has 2 VOLUME controls, one for each channel and a common TONE control.

The amp is hand-wired and the transformers are hand-built. The amp is beautiful inside and out. Oliver Archut, the amp maker used aircraft-grade thick aluminum chassis and the nuts and bolts used to attach the transformers to the chassis also appear like they were used in an airplane.

The lead dress and the grounding is very well executed and an amp tech would have no problems maintaining this amp.

The amp is quiet with no input and sounds excellent when played. A similar amp, an Oahu JU26 (also 6v6s power tubes, but in head unit form) can be seen and heard on "youtube". Search for keyword: oahu ju26

The cabinet is made of pine and nice plywood materials (no fiberboard here) and appears to be sturdy and thick. The gray/white tolex has a very nice deep texture and appears to be waterproof and easy to clean if that becomes necessary.













The amp has a 220V original power transformer so I am able to plug the amp directly to house power outlet without the need of a step-down transformer. Considering that only about 300 of these were made and ~50% were produced for Japan (100V) , Germany and Switzerland market (220V) and the other ~50% for the US market (110V), it is fortunate indeed to get a 220V model for use in the Philippines. This unit was obviously made for the German/Swiss market (220V power supply).













One customer who ordered units from Jester is Keith Richards (10 units in '96 and 20 units more in '06). Looking closely, the amp can be seen in some of the newer youtube videos of the Rolling Stones.

The majority of the 300 or so Oahu amps units made use EL84 power tubes according to the Jester site. This maybe why Jester did not bother printing labels for their 6V6 amps. The amp label inside this amp show EL84 power tubes though it actually use 6V6s.

I consider having this unit with 6V6s a definite plus as this is the only amp I have that uses this type of power tube. I have bigger EL84 and 6L6 powered amps and welcome the tonal variety this amp offers.

Gut Shots:



















The 50's Valco Oahu Amp Inspiration