Houstonwrecked wrote:

greetings,

New here! Thanks for taking to the time to answer my question.

Just purchased a 1964 Fender Reverb unit and I have some questions about the tones.

I notice that compared to the tank in my Deluxe Reverb, the 64 unit is much less in your face. It doesnt really do the drip thing. It's more subtle.

Is this typical?

Also, the volume really drops when I turn the mix knob up. Is this typical?

Thanks.

HW

Off the top of my head, that sounds like there may be a problem. I played a mid ‘60s 6G15 a while back, and it dripped effortlessly.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Welcome to SG101, Houstonwrecked!

You may find the SG101 wiki on these units particularly helpful:
http://wiki.surfguitar101.com/ReverbFaq

While you may have other contributing factors to what seems sub-par but functioning performance (from the pan to any number of internals - it is remarkably similar to a Champ amp) the clue of volume drop when turning up the mix knob seems notable.

I would first check to make sure the proper tubes are present and in the correct positions. For example, someone inadvertently putting the 12AT7 and 12AX7 in each others spot would still function, albeit abnormally.

Next, I would try swapping the 12AT7 with a new or known good one. As outlined in the wiki, half of that tube is responsible for the drive of the circuit. If no improvement, I would then try swapping the power tube which should be a 6K6GT, also responsible for the reverberated signal path drive and output.

Similar to someone inadvertently switching the 12AT7 and 12AX7 positions, you may find a 6V6 in there. It will work too, again with different results. In my experience, both (or either) a 12AX7 where the 12AT7 should be and/or a 6V6 rather than a 6K6GT are adding gain to the path above the original design, not reducing it. Barring failing tubes in those cases (and any other problems), the opposite should be happening, a louder and more driven sound coming out of your unit.

Beyond those two tubes, a few other equally simple and easy checks would be the 12AX7 (reverb recovery) swap with new/known good, RCA cable and connections to the pan and the pan itself (swap/replace). Given the overall volume drop clue, I don’t think these are your main culprits but they could be contributing factors to the overall underwhelming performance.

If you try these recommended starting points, and you should in my view, they are very simple plug-and-play changes in this situation, be sure to heed the advice on changing tubes if you aren’t already familiar with it. Plenty of places for those things all over, but I think the first Q/A here is a pretty good one (handling, pins, cleaning sockets kind of stuff).

Other troubleshooting tips on the wiki follow, and it could be something more - from failing pots to capacitors, resistors, transformers and whatnot, at which point most would defer to a reputable amp tech familiar with these outboard gems. Beyond tubes, pans and RCA cables, that would be (and has been!) me.

Hope this helps, and again, welcome to SG101.

Fady

El Mirage @ ReverbNation

Last edited: Dec 23, 2022 12:44:25

Don't forget about the pan lock! Leaving it on can definitely impact the drip.

Unlock it!

http://www.satanspilgrims.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Satans-Pilgrims/8210228553
https://satanspilgrims.bandcamp.com/
http://www.surfyindustries.com

Last edited: Dec 23, 2022 10:01:08

Fady ... thanks for posting that link. I'm not having trouble with my unit, but that's a great source of info!

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Project: MAYHEM -and- Moonbase Surficalus by Hypersonic Secret now available!

jtrollmann wrote:

I bought a used fender Reverb reissue tank a few years ago. It didn't drip either. I took it to an amp repair shop. It turned out to have bad RCA cables and a bad pan.

I can state from firsthand experience that RCA cables can cause big problems.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Surfadelphia wrote:

synchro wrote:

jtrollmann wrote:

I bought a used fender Reverb reissue tank a few years ago. It didn't drip either. I took it to an amp repair shop. It turned out to have bad RCA cables and a bad pan.

I can state from firsthand experience that RCA cables can cause big problems.

A good set of RCA cables is a wise and cheap investment. I was having some intermittent problems with my MIC '63 Fender Knockoff and I changed out the RCA cables and no more problems. The stock RCA cables were thin as sewing thread and had cheap loose fitting RCA plugs (which were the culprit). A good quality replacement cable was a $5.00 from Antique Audio. Funning thing is, other than the crappy RCA cables, the MIC '63 knock off is actually pretty well made with decent point to point wiring.
Of course I rarely use the outboard tank anymore since getting a Source Audio True Spring pedal.

That True Spring is a great sounding pedal. Of every pedal I’ve heard, the True Spring comes closest to a real 6G15. It has some awesome tremolo sounds, as well.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.