The Steel Guitar Forum

Just ordered my chips from Fox Vintage Amps! Can't wait to install them. Wish me luck. Hopefully I will still have a working amp and not get shocked in the process!!

Only ever had one problem and that was when the chassis was stuck in the cabinet at the back upper part of the cabinet where the thre screws have to be taken out. I used a knife to gently pry it loose. Probably assembled with the chassis paint wet or just stuck over time. It was an older amp.

Here, I've made a photo library of one of my chip installs. Several have said it helped...
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=594320d1 ... D8FB%21478

Thanks for posting. That is a big help. I looked at the steps and have it in my head now. I think they are being delivered today so hopefully I will have time to put them in.

I've done several Nashville 112 chip mods. All the amps I worked on, the back tended to stick. I've got a custom built cabinet (that I built) for my NV112 and the chassis sticks on that too.

I had to pull mine out to see if I had the sockets or not and mine was stuck the same way. I think its just from the metal being tightened to the tolex with screws. Luckily I had the sockets so I'm good to go!

I haven't seen one of the NV112's with soldered in chips but they can still be modified. However, it will take someone with the skills and tools to unsolder the chips without damaging the printed circuit board (the actual chips are not a problem since they are being replaced with different ones). Sockets could be soldered in and then the chips plugged into the sockets.

Don't pay more for the OPA2604 than you have to. They are not that special. The Signetics NE5532 is a great chip. If you really want the Bur Brown OPA2604 you can get them from Mouser for $4.28.

http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.asp ... rd=OPA2604

or from Ebay - Bur Brown OPA2604 from China for $2.58 with free shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1p-OPA2604AP-OP ... 27c171d855

How many Chips on the 112 are there to swap?

Beware of the Chinese chip copies. You may not be getting what you expect. (I tried/tested a set and they don't sound the same) But, of course, you are free to do what you want. I just don't believe going cheap on chips like these is the best plan.

I only buy from reputable sources, and one of the most reputable is Ken Fox. He knows what he's doing and won't steer you wrong. Besides, you will be supporting a forum brother who has, for many years, given this forum free help and advice, and continues to do so.

I say, support our forum members whenever possible.

When you need support and a diagram for installing the chips, call the Chinese or Mouser. I am sure they will be happy to help.

I do not sell OPA2604 chips, by the way.

I sent an email to you regarding hum in my N112.
Tried many things to track down without any luck.
My N400 does mot have that problem in the same area.
Thanks very much for any thoughts. Pete
Live Oak, Florida

I removed my email from the Forum due to abuse by a Forum member concerning repair questions. That was well over a year ago. I only answer questions posted publicly on the Forum.

I also do not answer tech questions sent thru my website either.

You should post your question on the Forum for all to see. Other may have ideas that would be helpful.

Sorry about that . The email was meant for Jack Stoner!

Not a problem. Hum issues in the N112 have been discussed numerous times on this Forum. Not a new issue at all.

Hey Ken, One of the things I love about your N'ville 400 mod that I've had done on all of my amps, was the increase in bass, as well as the overall cleanup of the tone. Is your 112 mod accomplishing the same thing? I've stayed away from the 112's because I can not get the same killer tone overall as the 400's....

Danny

Danny, I have never really really compared a full "Fox Intense Modded" Nashville 400 to a chip modded N112. Others might chime in here and help out. I know that the Burr Brown chips I use are great at cleaning up the amp's sound. People often speak of the cleaner string seperation and the reduction in the honky mids. Actually I thonks the mids on the Burr Brown chips are very sweet sounding, as opposed to the original 4560 chips.

I have compared an unmodded N112 to a modded N112. Once in my shop (which lead me to go the the OPA2134 chip instead of the older OPA2604 chip). I also tested the same at Larry Sasser's home shop. We compared the amps and Larry immediately wanted the other amp modded!

All around it has been a great chip to use in any Peavey amp that had the older type chips. The FET transistors in the Burr Browns and the great job of an EQ for music that they have produced has been a real winner.

It is interesting that often what we think is an increase in bass is just a result of hearing cleaner and more pronounced hogher frequencies. When you can hear clearer tones in the upper registers the bass seems more pronounced.

Years ago I worked as a Peavey dealer in South Georigia. We had a customer with some old EV speaker with the typical mid range horns. He just needed more bass, he said. We hooked up a pair of the large Peavey piezo tweeter banks to the speaker pair and turned it on with some disco music. He jumped back about two feet and declared "listen to all that bass now!!"

All we had done was add the high end he was missing.

The OPA2134 is the ONLY way to go on Peavey amps. I've done some 2604 chip mods and it isn't the same. The 2604 made the one I did "sterile" compared to the OEM and the 2134's.

The NV1000 is also a very good candidate for the 2134 chip mod, as the Preamp section in the NV112 is actually the Preamp section from the NV1000. I've seen NV112 Preamp boards that have NV1000 printed on them. The mod makes the sort of "honk" sounding NV1000 sound sweet like the NV112.

Ken, I just placed an order on your website for some chips as I don't speak Chinese & very little Mouser .

The OPA2134 was originally a Burr Brown IC. Texas Intruments bought out Burr Brown and now produces the OPA2134. Texas Instruments has many distributors in the United States besides Mouser Electroncis.
I do not know of any company producing the OPA2134 besides Texas Instruments. If you have solid information on a Chinese company selling these IC's I am sure Texas Instruments would like to know. There are many patents involved.

Considering a lot of electronics are made in China, there are probably lots of T.I. and other chip vendor's products floating around and available.

T.I. has chip manufacturing factories all over the world, not just in the US.

Gosh Jack, I thought all those Texas Instrument chips were made in Mountain Home, Arkansas by hillbilly guys.

Keith, I went through Arkansas on US63 last month. Didn't see anything that resembled a chip factory. Actually, didn't see much that resembled any kind of factory Actually, didn't see anything, going to KC up 13 either.

I have a 2007 Nashville 112 what year is the cutoff for installing your chips?

I am not aware of any cutoff date. I have never seen a factory amp with the BB chips installed. I have only seen 1 that did not have sockets for the chips.

The sure way is to physically inspect the preamp board. I don't know if you can see enough of it to tell if you remove the plastic grille on top.