Fender Hot Rod Deluxe & Blues Junior Repair in Harlow
We see many Fender amplifiers in for repair. Why so many do you ask? Are they more problematic than other brands? Do they have inherent “common faults” (as reported by forums)(you can read about our view on forums here…).
No, we generally Fix more Fender amps because they’re a very popular amplifier! Take the Blues Junior and Hot Rod Deluxe amps. Not bad sounding, small, all valve and very loud for their size!
Previous Fender Issues
Having seen many many different weird faults with Fender Blues Juniors, Twins and Hot Rod Deluxes some of which we’ve outlined below, we have fully repaired and handed them back to their owners for many more years successful playing!
-Loud Humming with nothing connected
-Unusual self oscillation when turning tone controls and gain pots
-Issues with having to turn volume past 2 to hear anything
-Blowing valves, even new ones
-No noise at all
-Low distorted output
-No reverb or intermittent
-Crackles and pops
-Input jack issues
Upgrades and Identified Issues
Blues Junior Fixed Bias Problem
By far the biggest issues we find with Blues Juniors is their fixed bias. In most cases the UK voltage is much higher than that assumed and calculated by Fender, as such we have never had an amp in with an acceptable bias.
Is this an issue?
Every amp has measured with a very Hot bias setting. This dramatically shortens the life of the valves.
The Solution
we fix an adjustable bias controls making it easier to set the right level, this should always be carried out by a professional as there are potentially lethal voltages present when carrying out bias setting on these amps
More info & arrange a Repair
We’ve written a blog covering this in greater detail, you can read about it here, and arrange a repair



Hot Rod Deluxe Storage Capacitors
Excessive background humming, loss of volume, weird oscillation noises? chances are the storage capacitors are past their best
Is this an issue?
We’re unsure if there is a fault with a batch of IC branded capacitors of if it is because of the excess heat inside the amplifiers which causes them to leak and prematurely fail.
The Solution
Depending on the version HRD you have depends how many of these capacitors there are to change, however we only fit F&T branded capacitors. These are a premium German brand and are widely regarded and used by the audio industry in top end amplifiers. We’ve installed these for many years and so far have never had a failure.
More information & Repair
You can read more about our storage capacitor upgrades and make a repair booking by referring to this blog
Can I do repairs myself?
One thing we get asked often and then have to fix properly after, is can I do these repairs myself?
Like all electronics with high voltages possible on the circuit board even up to an hour after being disconnected we discourage you trying.
Damage removing main board
Almost all work to Blues Juniors and Hot Rod Deluxes requires removal of the main board. This has all the pots and jack sockets on the top attached. Many repairs brought to us have the original fault and added snapped pots and jack sockets where the user or “a friend who knows a bit about electrics” has had a go at dismantling and removing the board.
Damage to circuit board tracks
Another popular damage to occur to these kinds of amplifiers is damage made by forcing components off the board without correctly unsoldering the wire legs. I don’t know why but we see more circuit board damage to these amps than any other. I think it may be because of how hard it is to remove the main board people try to do it all in-situ, either that or the legs of a component are cut and new ones are tagged on with a blob of solder to the old legs. We’ve seen some other companies who claim themselves as elite repairers and for whatever reason have done the same.
What our Customers Say
- Excellent service provided by Sickamps! I needed an emergency repair done... read moreExcellent service provided by Sickamps! I needed an emergency repair done to my technics 1210 turntable which was discovered 2 days before an important DJ gig, and they were able to turn it around in 24 hours. Worked beautifully and all handled incredibly professionaly! Thanks to the team. read lessPaul1 month agoAbsolutely brilliant from start to finish. My Clavinova needed a new set... read moreAbsolutely brilliant from start to finish. My Clavinova needed a new set of rubber contacts and it now sounds better than ever. Thank you so much. read lessDeborah3 months agoI had two amps repaired hear… they were both Acus One amps... read moreI had two amps repaired hear… they were both Acus One amps for my acoustic guitar and I’m so happy that I finally found someone who can fix my amp but also someone who knows what they are doing whom I can trust. I first had mine fixed by some one local to me and he totally messed the amp up by not grounding it properly. So it jacked up the speaker and it even smoked…. The gentlemen at Sickamps found the problem and fixed both my amps…. Thank you guys! This js a long overdue review but I have to say I totally recommend them and I live quite for from them too.👍🏾 read lessMark4 months ago
- I have been unable to find a technician in the country I... read moreI have been unable to find a technician in the country I have moved to and so, rather desperately, have had to contact companies like Sickamps for advice on how to repair my Yamaha CVP piano remotely. Chris responded immediately with some great info and advice on how to take care of it. Great service and highly knowledgeable. read lessDavid8 months ago
- Friendly and great service. Fixed up a Technics turntable that needed some... read moreFriendly and great service. Fixed up a Technics turntable that needed some attention. Highly recommend the company to anyone with Technics 1200/1210s read lessRobin1 year agoI do not write reviews on services often but I have to... read moreI do not write reviews on services often but I have to do it here. My Mesa Boogie 5-50 has become a smoking machine instead of an amp. I dropped it off at SIckamps on Fri and expected to be very costly (several hundreds £) repair. Chris from SIckamps was simply awesome. He explained very well what he will do and even provided his opinion what the problem could be. On Wed next week I received email that the work is done and for the fraction of the expected costs (less then £100). Booked appointment for collection on Thu evening (they work quite late hours on Thu). Tested the amp at home and everything works perfectly again. Very smooth process. Thank you Sickamps and Chris in particular - great service at great price. I will recommend you everywhere I go. read lessJan1 year ago
- I took my 20+ year old solid state Ampeg bass amp (B50-R)... read moreI took my 20+ year old solid state Ampeg bass amp (B50-R) here after it developed a crackle and volume issues. The online booking system was fantastic, prices were very clear and fair. Everything went smoothly and the amp was repaired within a week and working perfectly again. Very happy. Great service. Would recommend read lessjames1 year agoMy Yamaha MOXF8 keyboard had a problem with the power cutting out... read moreMy Yamaha MOXF8 keyboard had a problem with the power cutting out sometimes with no warning, which had gone on for years but seemed to be getting a bit worse. In addition, more recently, sometimes the sound would cut out or would suddenly get louder on its own. I would then have to lightly bang on the casing for the volume to come back. Finally, after an embarrassing episode in church when the power cut out during Mass right in the middle of a hymn, I knew it was about time I fixed it (you think!).Anyway, I took it to Sickamps, booked an emergency repair service, and in less than 24 hrs Chris had identified the fault fixed it, sent me an email report detailing how he had identified the fault, what he had done to fix it, how he had cleaned out and lubricated the insides and how he had tested the repair to ensure it was working perfectly. I drove down to their workshop and picked up the keyboard from a smiling and very pleasant Chris, who further explained everything and even showed me the pictures he had taken of the cause of the problem. I was impressed by his excellent customer service and technical expertise.As soon as I got home, I took my MOXF8 out of its keyboard bag and set it up, and it sounded great, but something else seemed different about it. Then it hit me. It looked newer and better than before, and then I realised that Chris had also detail cleaned the entire outside casing of the keyboard and the keys, etc., without even mentioning it. I can't stop smiling. Chris, if you ever read this review, thank you very much for your outstandingly good work and outstandingly good customer service, and from now on, I will try and keep my MOXF8 as clean and pristine as you have made it. read lessPeter1 year ago
If you’re new to Fender amplifiers, we highly recommend the above mentioned amps as a great valve starter, they are clean simple and have options and loved by many!
Purchase one direct from Fender UK