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Just bought a "new" amp! Fender 400PS

#21
Hey Fealach...not a rambling post at all. I think perhaps I misunderstood what "chassis" meant. I meant the outside of the amp, the enclosure (guess that's the right word). I'm going to keep the old one separately, but I like the look of the new ones more. I'll have to ask Mr. Koerner about that expansion mod, because if it changes the tone, then I'd rather keep it the way it is. The increased power mod doesn't change anything else according to him. By the way, for those who don't know, Mr. Koerner basically designed the GE 6550s FOR the 400ps, so I'm pretty sure he's familiar enough with this amp to disassemble and reassemble it in the dark. We are talking decades of dedication to 1 amp. The cabs will be new, as I tend to think that new technology trumps old technology as far as speakers go...plus 30-40 year old paper cones sound like a disaster waiting to happen. When I get the list I will post a copy. Fealach, give Mr. Koerner a call, I'm sure he would be happy to get your 400ps up and running.
 
#22
Rich certainly knows his stuff, and knows this amp better than anybody alive. Heck, if he said he could get it to 750 watts, I'd believe that!

I get what you're saying now about the cosmetics. I mentioned it the way I did because I seem to remember pictures a 400PS with a seafoam green chassis he did; the metal chassis that the guts are connected to, that nobody will ever see unless they look inside the amp. I thought it was neat, but not something I'd spend money on.

I do love the tone of some ancient speakers, but I'm paranoid about the perceived frailty of old paper on flimsy looking stamped frames. I prefer the modern stuff for clean volume and super low end, but I will always like certain vintage speakers also; the EVM15L will always have a special place in my heart.

My favorite cabinet setup so far has been 2 Bag End D12E cabs and one Carvin 10.2 Neo. I found the BEs super cheap; if the store had had 3, I would have bought them all. The Carvin came along later, also super cheap. I think the Carvin adds high end and upper mids the BEs cannot reproduce, while they add low end that seems more felt than heard. It adds up to a surprisingly hi-fi setup, which can be broken down and transported in a small car. I'm currently using a respeakered Sunn 415M in place of the Carvin, since I needed a small cab to keep at home for practice. It sounds good, certainly pushes a lot of air, but I think the Carvin sounded better.

I was lucky enough with my first PS to find a tech that was not only experienced but an EE, who took the proper precautions and got it up and running nicely. I would love to give Rich a call and have this 2nd one done "right," but it'll have to wait until I find work again. I'd rather not waste his time with questions on work I can't afford, but having some idea of the costs of your project will let me know when I have enough put away to start thinking about it.

Just wondering... will your cabs be huge W bins, or more manageable sized cabs? I bet they'd look nice with Fender style grille cloth either way.
 
#24
i've had three 400PS amps in the past. when running properly in their stock form, i see no need for any modifications. and i personally like the original cosmetics. so, if it were me, i would have him get it running right and just clean it up. it will end up retaining its value as well .( i performed all the work on mine and it was not very difficult at all - it just has very high voltages inside).

here's the last one that i have:

PS400-1.jpg


PS400-2.jpg


PS400-5-2.jpg


PS400-7.jpg


PS400-8-.jpg
\

2 cents
 
#25
wow, you done got the all time underfeated heavyweight champeen of bass amps. anything else is just an imposter, nothing compares. spanks an svt so hard it will crimson it's bottom. do give us a gig report once you restore it
 
#27
There's no doubt about it, you've got a beautiful amp. Richie and i are actually going through it right now. He stopped to show me this thread, and man, it's a beautiful thread indeed. In the past three years, i've helped richie work on SEVEN fender 400ps amplifiers. Richie CAN mod it to pull 550+ and it's such a simple mod.. only a man who knows this amp as well as he would know exactly how it's done. Infact, we did that three times today.

The seafoam green 400 is his own, and it's 600 watts, and you won't believe it until you've heard it.

When i was Seventeen years old, my friend/Music ensemble teacher brought in his Ampeg SVT and his Fender 400 PS, two cabinets, a 301 and an 8x10. He taught us about the W-bins projection and how it works in a rig. Coolest class i've ever taken.

infact, he inspired me to buy a 400ps within a month after showing it to me.

I'd take it over an SVT any day of the week. SVT's are beautiful, but when you've got a 400ps, why would you need anything else?

maybe something for a lower volume?

well that's when he showed me his ampeg B-18n.... :p

You guys gotta meet Rich and talk to him in person about the 400. You need to experience it. It's a whole new world.

CFclef, congratulations.
 
#30
There's no such thing as too many amps. Especially if they all look like that! Selling something like that would be like bringing your favourite puppy to a shelter and watching it watch you walk out. forever. I think that's probably how it'd make me feel. Ultimate sellers remorse. Beautiful amp.
 
#32
Honestly the hardest part now is finding 15" speakers to get as much out of it as I can. Mr. Koerner wants to use JBL K130, but they are impossible to find in 4ohms and usable condition. Any suggestions? I'm thinking of Eminence Commonwealth.[/QUOTE]

Yeah the C2515's...
I use 3 pairs of Eminence Basslite S2012's with my PS , and it is intense when cranked to 4 with the master on 10...you kinda don't want to be too close...really. It is amazing how good they sound considering how lightweight they are.
I'm going with 3 CS2515's in tiny single boxes because I heard a single 15 in a tiny open back box the other day and was totally blown away...and I will be able to pack that lot into my 69 mustang ! The current 412 Fender box plus another 212 cab just don't fit in the ol' fastback...
PS (ha ha) mine looks nearly as mint as John K's but I put black skirt knobs on mine coz I have a hard time reading the original knobs when our lighting guy gets moody...
PPS - my tech down here in Melbourne Australia is test-equipment equipped to set the PS up properly and the only mod I did to mine was attach two 5 inch computer fans to the top vents drawing air up...keeps things at a sensible temp and the amp seems to love it...I have one fan in my Bassman 135 and that has been rocked hard for 10 years on one set of tubes...
 
#33
I've known Rich off and on through the internet for about 20 years now. He is a madman and knows his Fenders. I might hesitate about the mod, since it could potentially affect collector's value, but if Rich says he can do it, I believe him.
 
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#34
I don't have much experience that would be helpful. I tried every affordable 4 Ohm cabinet that I came across, but did not get into trying the various 15" drivers themselves. For my particular application I needed gobs of clean low end, something the 15s that I encountered on my local used market could not provide. I don't doubt there are nice 15" cabinets that I haven't heard. My Bag End D12E cabinets and the Carvin Neo 2X10 gave me the best sound of the cabinets I tried, plus making for an easily portable setup. Since then the band atrophied and my 400PS is back home running through just the Carvin. It sounds very good, but is missing something on its own.

My 400PS has a lot more "character" visually, is the nicest way I can describe it.
 
#36
really nice amp!

i would not change the eq until i used it stock for at least 6 months. newer speakers
have a 'wider' sound. old cabs with updated drivers as well. changing the eq could be
overkill.
 
#37
He's almost done fixin it up :) I decided to leave it stock, as he said it was one of the cleanest 400's he has ever come across. Now it's just a matter of finding the right speakers...I've been emailing Don Oatman for about a week, and after my exams next week, I plan on having a nice long conversation with him over the phone...3 4ohm 1x15 cabinets. Plenty of oomph and portability with neo drivers (40 lbs. a cab). My only concern is that I'll be giving them approx. 150 watts and they might be rated as high as 500 watts handling...I did my searches and read every "underpowering" post on TB (oh man there are a few) but still I don't know quite if I will harm the cabs or not. I don't think I will. I do gig, and I will be turning them up quite loud (2 guitarists with full stacks, and a hard hitting drummer who honestly is the most talented in the group).
 

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