Blues Deluxe Mods: A Different Amp Than You Think
Real Fender Blues Deluxe schematic values for the tone stack, presence control and bias trim — and why its mod list differs from the Hot Rod Deluxe's.
Tech pages · Mods & Builds
The Bench, Written Down
Long-form write-ups of real repair and design work — measured, not guessed. Every article stands on its own; most come with the math and the schematic.
Searches titles, topics and the full text of every article.
6 articles
What a Tone Stack Actually Does
How the passive Bass/Mid/Treble network in a guitar amp works, why Fender, Marshall and Vox sound so different from the same topology — and why Mid inverts.
Taming the Blues Junior: A Blackface‑Flavored Makeover
Blues Junior mods with real component values: the input grid stopper, the treble-bleed cap, the Twin tone stack swap, and the cap that makes it nasal.
The Ultimate Hot Rod Deluxe Mod
Fix the Hot Rod Deluxe's PCB-cooking dropping resistors, then rework the power amp and preamp for a blackface-style feel and usable drive channels.
Pickup Coils in Parallel: Why Not?
Why humbuckers wired in parallel stay hum-cancelling and sound brighter than a coil split — and the two real reasons the industry never adopted the wiring.
Plexi Marshall Heresy: "The Grinder" Mod
How replacing a Marshall's cathode follower with a fourth gain stage makes a fatter, higher-gain amp — with the gain-staging and feedback maths behind it.
