Fender FR-10/FR-12 noise reduction mod

morrissey007 said:
Just got another new FR-12 direct from Fender; took a peek inside and there are no mods, they are still using TL084s so the hiss is the same. Fortunately I have plenty of solder wick, turned pin sockets and OPA4227PA opamps so the hiss will be gone in a couple of hours!
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Will you be a bro and record the process?
 
morrissey007 said:
Just got another new FR-12 direct from Fender; took a peek inside and there are no mods, they are still using TL084s so the hiss is the same.
Click to expand...

This confirms my suspicion below posted in early January that those who were waiting for the "upgraded" FR-12 might be harboring a false hope.

Stratzrus said:
This assumes that a fix is coming. So far we have one person who has identified upgraded chips being installed at the factory.

We have no idea what caused this to happen or if there is a plan to install more upgraded chips at all, let alone on all units going forward.

I think we have to assume, until we have evidence otherwise, that it is what it is and if you want to eliminate the hiss you have to do the Lysander fix at your own expense and the cost of voiding your warranty.

Hoping that Fender is going to upgrade the parts going forward or in the future is a crapshoot. The question is, what makes sense in the real world today? Fix it or return it?
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morrissey007 said:
Totally agree. And at the time I saw those "fender" mod pictures, I took them with a pinch of salt. They seemed to look too much like a home mod, I think the buyer posted them with total sincerity but I think they got a return that someone modded.
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Doubt it, got three separate confirmations already of this being the case. Those SOIC adapters hacked in are also waaaay too cleanly soldered for a home mod.

If you got a FR-12 with TL084s, that's just because no one's properly tracking stocks... as there was never a new hardware version, officially. The original and "modded" versions of these amps share the exact same PCB board revision and SKU, so there's no way to tell what you're getting in advance.
 
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Lysander said:
Doubt it, got three separate confirmations already of this being the case. Those SOIC adapters hacked in are also waaaay to cleanly soldered for a home mod.

If you got a FR-12 with TL084s, that's just because no one's properly tracking stocks... as there was never a new hardware version, officially. The original and "modded" versions of these amps share the exact same PCB board revision and SKU, so there's no way to tell what you're getting in advance.
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Well I reckon this home soldering is pretty good if I say so myself! (Secret is to clean up the flux with Isopropyl Alcohol) Mod all done, three TL0s replaced and Hiss disappeared!
 

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morrissey007 said:
Well I reckon this home soldering is pretty good if I say so myself! (Secret is to clean up the flux with Isopropyl Alcohol) Mod all done, three TL0s replaced and Hiss disappeared!
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Nice job! :LOL:

Where you can usually tell is on surface mount parts; those are very hard to get clean without dedicated equipment such as a wave solder tank.
 
Lysander said:
Nice job! :LOL:

Where you can usually tell is on surface mount parts; those are very hard to get clean without dedicated equipment such as a wave solder tank.
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Thank you! Yup, not wrong there! for SMD I have a powerful pair of magnifying glasses...oh and a steady hand! But I still find the Isopropylcleans it all up nicely, but I find I have to wash the whole board to get all the residue off.
 
Just following along here as I plan on getting an FR-12 once they're back in stock.

Given the recommendations I've seen for equipment, if you're someone who has none of the required equipment already, it's looking like this is about a ~$100 mod on top of the original price of the amp --

OPA4227PA x3
$36.24

YIHUA Desoldering Iron Sucker
$39.99

Fine Tip Soldering Iron + 1mm Solder
$12.99

Soldering Flux
$8.49

= $84.72 (not including shipping, etc)

Does that seem right? Am I missing anything?
 
ghostjack said:
Just following along here as I plan on getting an FR-12 once they're back in stock.

Given the recommendations I've seen for equipment, if you're someone who has none of the required equipment already, it's looking like this is about a ~$100 mod on top of the original price of the amp --

OPA4227PA x3
$36.24

YIHUA Desoldering Iron Sucker
$39.99

Fine Tip Soldering Iron + 1mm Solder
$12.99

Soldering Flux
$8.49

= $84.72 (not including shipping, etc)

Does that seem right? Am I missing anything?
Click to expand...

Looks good to me. I would add DIP-14 sockets as well, specially if you don't have a lot of experience soldering.

DIP-14.jpg

These will let you change ICs if you ever need to but, most importantly, ensures you won't damage an expensive part such as OPA4227 from overheating. These chips are quite rugged, but it's still something to consider.
 
ghostjack said:
Just following along here as I plan on getting an FR-12 once they're back in stock.

Given the recommendations I've seen for equipment, if you're someone who has none of the required equipment already, it's looking like this is about a ~$100 mod on top of the original price of the amp --

OPA4227PA x3
$36.24

YIHUA Desoldering Iron Sucker
$39.99

Fine Tip Soldering Iron + 1mm Solder
$12.99

Soldering Flux
$8.49

= $84.72 (not including shipping, etc)

Does that seem right? Am I missing anything?
Click to expand...
Don't disregard the fact that there seems to be a good chance that you get an updated, hiss-free version.
 
deadpool_25 said:
Don't disregard the fact that there seems to be a good chance that you get an updated, hiss-free version.
Click to expand...

Regarding the updated version, I'd say there's a chance but I wouldn't call it a good chance. The reports of people getting updated versions have been few and far between and apparently Fender is denying that they are installing the upgraded chips on all future shipments.

Their attitude seems to be "It is what it is."
 
Stratzrus said:
Regarding the updated version, I'd say there's a chance but I wouldn't call it a good chance. The reports of people getting updated versions have been few and far between and apparently Fender is denying that they are installing the upgraded chips on all future shipments.
Click to expand...

+100.

Again: if you want a hisless "version" of the FR-10/FR-12, THE ONLY WAY to know what you're buying is trying one out in real life. Fender is still shipping, today, amps without the noise reduction mod hacked in.
 
Idk. It seems like there have been significantly more modded ones than not lately? I only recall seeing one report of someone getting an unmodded one from Fender in the last stretch (though admittedly I haven't been following that closely).
 
quadgear said:
I personally prefer desoldering wick and never thought solder suckers did a good job. YMMV. I have not done this mod.
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That solder sucker is fucking awesome. I'm positive it made this mod waaaaay easier than it might have been otherwise.
 
deadpool_25 said:
Idk. It seems like there have been significantly more modded ones than not lately? I only recall seeing one report of someone getting an unmodded one from Fender in the last stretch (though admittedly I haven't been following that closely).
Click to expand...

The Haunted Place™ has a couple reports of people buying FR-12s over the last couple weeks and getting the hissy version. One of those shipped directly from Fender.

So yeah, waiting might improve your chances... but we're still talking chances here. Since there're no separate SKU, preamp board revision or (as far as i can tell) correlation with serial numbers, it's literally impossible to tell exactly which "version" an amp is without opening it up and visually confirming.

If you want certainty, try the amp on a store by yourselves before buying.
 
Lysander said:
The Haunted Place™ has a couple reports of people buying FR-12s over the last couple weeks and getting the hissy version. One of those shipped directly from Fender.

So yeah, waiting might improve your chances... but we're still talking chances here. Since there're no separate SKU, preamp board revision or (as far as i can tell) correlation with serial numbers, it's literally impossible to tell exactly which "version" an amp is without opening it up and visually confirming.

If you want certainty, try the amp on a store by yourselves before buying.
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@stilwel clarification please?
 
MY 2¢....Personally I do not like and have never used a solder sucker. Many times I've seen PCB pads lifted actually sucked off the board into the sucker. I find solder wick far superior. but each to their own of course. As for the IC sockets, I prefer turned pin, they are much better quality and the chips are held far tighter which in a piece of kit that gets stuffed into the back of a car, carried roughly up/down stairs, and generally not treated too delicately; I feel more confident in the chips staying in place.
 
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