Menu
Okay,
Sitting 5 feet from me is a Dual Showman...head and cabinet.
I just got home with it.
I have really descended into this surf madness big time...first it was the
Jaguar, then the reverb unit, then NOS tubes for the reverb unit, then
modding my Lone Star Strat (replacing the humbucker with a single coil),
then doing the cap mod on the reverb unit...and now this. Holy crap.
First impressions: The seller said it was 1966. I'm not sure what he's
basing that on. The head only says "Showman" and not "Dual Showman" (I
understand they started doing this in 1964). It also has gold grill-cloth
instead of silver sparkle cloth. The Fender Amp Field guide says that gold
cloth was 1963 (although I'm not sure if that means only 1963 or started as
an option then).
Cosmetically it is in good shape. The tolex is all intact with no tears or
rips. There is only a cigarette burn on top of the head and it doesn't even
go all the way to the wood. The grill cloth has no tears or rips, but it has
a few flaws in it. The hardware is largely rust free, although there are
some scratches and pitting. A few tiny rust spots here and there. It has
shiny tilt back lags. It has the hardware to bolt the head on the cabinet.
Fender logos are intact. No footswitch. The seller said one speaker is a JBL
D130F and the other is a JBL D140F. I haven't taken the back panel off to
verify that yet. The seller said he bought it off a friend who bought it off
a guy who bought it from the original owner who kept it in a church most of
its life (yeah...and only played it on Sundays, I know, I know).
The seller indicated it would probably need a tune up. I believe him, and I
knew what I was getting into. I don't think anyone has messed with it in
nearly 40 years. It even has the extremely scary looking 2 prong power cord.
The tubes all appear to be vintage. Although 2 of the power tubes are shaped
differently than the other 2. The tubes burn HOT and red, and there is lots
of black on some of them. I suspect they are nearly shot, or someone
replaced 2 of the power tubes without biasing the set of 4. There is a faint
burning smell (uh-oh) when it was on. Its also somewhat noisy, I am hoping
because of the 2 prong plug. It made some unpleasant farting noises when I
flipped the standby switch. I didn't crank it, but it didn't seem to be as
loud as I had feared when I had it on 5. Again, I am hoping a major tune up
will cure these ills.
I am really excited about getting this baby back up and running. I've got
some books on amp maintenance on order and I want to learn some amp tech
type stuff. I'm going to open it up this weekend and see what the damage is
inside. I am pretty much counting on new tubes and new caps. I may try to do
the cap job myself depending on what it looks like in there. And a 3 prong
cord is a must.
It does work...I plugged my reverb unit into it as God intended and played
Baja with a big smile on my face. I need to rig something up or get a
vintage footswitch so I can try the tremolo.
So, for you amp gurus (Mel...!!!) here is the first batch of what will
probably be an endless stream of questions:
1) Any advice?
2) What kind of cable do I need to connect the head to the cabinet?
Obviously a guitar cable works but should I use a "speaker" cable?
3) How can I quickly check to see if the tremolo works?
4) What kind of footswitch do I need? A 1-button with RCA plug on it?
5) How can I tell what circuit it uses? AA763? AB763? Does it matter? The
tube chart only says "Showman Amp".
6) Any idea on how to date the thing?
7) Any suggestions on the 3 prong cord? Should I just screw the ground wire
into the chassis? What about the ground switch on it?
And yes I am well aware of the lethal voltages that lurk inside. I now have
more ways to injure myself: breaking my damn back and now electrocuting
myself. I intend on treating it with a healthy respect, after all it is
older than me. It deserves to be loud and clean again.
Well enough blathering. Thanks for listening and for any advice. And I will
run to a tech (if I can find one) if I get in over my head.
More later as the saga unfolds,
BN
Hi Brian,
congrats, I suppose!
can't help you on most of those questions, everything I know about amps I
know from the internet....
but the tremolo... I had that problem with my twin. on the twin it works as
follows: connecting the - and + from the footswitch output DISABLES the
reverb, and ENABLES the tremolo.... so if you just put a lose plug in the
footswitch output with - and + connected (shortcircuited, to be sure) the
tremolo switches on.
I'm not 100% sure it works the same with the showman, you should compare the
circuits before you try it, but i can't imagine it working any other way.
I know the "My god what have I done feeling", I've ordered an Italien hand
made tube reverb unit.... I should get it any day now, and I'll post a
review when i have it. It should be an alternative for th Fender unit for us
in Europe at least.
Good luck with getting the showman up and running....
Wannes
>From: "Brian Neal" <>
>Reply-To:
>To: <>
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 22:11:35 -0600
>
>Okay,
>
>Sitting 5 feet from me is a Dual Showman...head and cabinet.
>
>I just got home with it.
>
>I have really descended into this surf madness big time...first it was the
>Jaguar, then the reverb unit, then NOS tubes for the reverb unit, then
>modding my Lone Star Strat (replacing the humbucker with a single coil),
>then doing the cap mod on the reverb unit...and now this. Holy crap.
>
>First impressions: The seller said it was 1966. I'm not sure what he's
>basing that on. The head only says "Showman" and not "Dual Showman" (I
>understand they started doing this in 1964). It also has gold grill-cloth
>instead of silver sparkle cloth. The Fender Amp Field guide says that gold
>cloth was 1963 (although I'm not sure if that means only 1963 or started as
>an option then).
>
>Cosmetically it is in good shape. The tolex is all intact with no tears or
>rips. There is only a cigarette burn on top of the head and it doesn't even
>go all the way to the wood. The grill cloth has no tears or rips, but it
>has
>a few flaws in it. The hardware is largely rust free, although there are
>some scratches and pitting. A few tiny rust spots here and there. It has
>shiny tilt back lags. It has the hardware to bolt the head on the cabinet.
>Fender logos are intact. No footswitch. The seller said one speaker is a
>JBL
>D130F and the other is a JBL D140F. I haven't taken the back panel off to
>verify that yet. The seller said he bought it off a friend who bought it
>off
>a guy who bought it from the original owner who kept it in a church most of
>its life (yeah...and only played it on Sundays, I know, I know).
>
>The seller indicated it would probably need a tune up. I believe him, and I
>knew what I was getting into. I don't think anyone has messed with it in
>nearly 40 years. It even has the extremely scary looking 2 prong power
>cord.
>The tubes all appear to be vintage. Although 2 of the power tubes are
>shaped
>differently than the other 2. The tubes burn HOT and red, and there is lots
>of black on some of them. I suspect they are nearly shot, or someone
>replaced 2 of the power tubes without biasing the set of 4. There is a
>faint
>burning smell (uh-oh) when it was on. Its also somewhat noisy, I am hoping
>because of the 2 prong plug. It made some unpleasant farting noises when I
>flipped the standby switch. I didn't crank it, but it didn't seem to be as
>loud as I had feared when I had it on 5. Again, I am hoping a major tune up
>will cure these ills.
>
>I am really excited about getting this baby back up and running. I've got
>some books on amp maintenance on order and I want to learn some amp tech
>type stuff. I'm going to open it up this weekend and see what the damage is
>inside. I am pretty much counting on new tubes and new caps. I may try to
>do
>the cap job myself depending on what it looks like in there. And a 3 prong
>cord is a must.
>
>It does work...I plugged my reverb unit into it as God intended and played
>Baja with a big smile on my face. I need to rig something up or get a
>vintage footswitch so I can try the tremolo.
>
>So, for you amp gurus (Mel...!!!) here is the first batch of what will
>probably be an endless stream of questions:
>
>1) Any advice?
>2) What kind of cable do I need to connect the head to the cabinet?
>Obviously a guitar cable works but should I use a "speaker" cable?
>3) How can I quickly check to see if the tremolo works?
>4) What kind of footswitch do I need? A 1-button with RCA plug on it?
>5) How can I tell what circuit it uses? AA763? AB763? Does it matter? The
>tube chart only says "Showman Amp".
>6) Any idea on how to date the thing?
>7) Any suggestions on the 3 prong cord? Should I just screw the ground wire
>into the chassis? What about the ground switch on it?
>
>And yes I am well aware of the lethal voltages that lurk inside. I now have
>more ways to injure myself: breaking my damn back and now electrocuting
>myself. I intend on treating it with a healthy respect, after all it is
>older than me. It deserves to be loud and clean again.
>
>Well enough blathering. Thanks for listening and for any advice. And I will
>run to a tech (if I can find one) if I get in over my head.
>
>More later as the saga unfolds,
>
>BN
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail en Messenger on the move
Brian,
Congrats on your new amp!
Answers to some of your questions:
1) Any advice?
Enjoy the amp! It doesn't really matter if it's a single or dual showman,
as both can handle the speaker load. The only point of concern would be if
you ever plan to run multiple cabinets. A Single Showman would not handle a
second cabinet as you are already running at 4ohms. Of course, with 2 15"s
who needs a second cabinet?
To tell a single from a double showman, you'd have to look at the output
transformer. They have different part numbers (don't recall off the top of
my head). Also, there's a resistor or two that's different in the circuit.
For fastest results, post to the vintage amp forum on fenderforum.com.
2) What kind of cable do I need to connect the head to the cabinet?
Obviously a guitar cable works but should I use a "speaker" cable?
You must use a speaker cable. A guitar cable is not designed to handle high
current, and will eventually fry. A three foot speaker cable should be
fine.
3) How can I quickly check to see if the tremolo works?
As said before, you can make a jumper with a shorted rca cable. Note that
plugging in half of a Fender rev/vib pedal won't work as the group on those
is on the reverb switch. The footswitch doesn't need to be a Fender unit;
any single switch, rca end jack should work. I've got some old pedal, might
be a Peavey, that I use because it's about twice as long as the Fender
pedal.
4) What kind of footswitch do I need? A 1-button with RCA plug on it?
See above.
5) How can I tell what circuit it uses? AA763? AB763? Does it matter? The
tube chart only says "Showman Amp".
You can guess from the amp serial number. Greg Gagliano has written some
great articles on dating a Fender Amp by serial number. You can see his
articles on his website:
Basically, only the earliest blackface showman amps will be AA763; the
majority are AB763. Nothing wrong with that!
6) Any idea on how to date the thing?
see above.
7) Any suggestions on the 3 prong cord? Should I just screw the ground wire
into the chassis? What about the ground switch on it?
I'd have to look back in my amp to see what I did, but if you are at all
unsure, take this to a tech to do, as it won't cost much and will be done
correctly.
Enjoy the amp!
Mel
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Neal [mailto:]
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 8:12 PM
To:
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
Okay,
Sitting 5 feet from me is a Dual Showman...head and cabinet.
I just got home with it.
I have really descended into this surf madness big time...first it was the
Jaguar, then the reverb unit, then NOS tubes for the reverb unit, then
modding my Lone Star Strat (replacing the humbucker with a single coil),
then doing the cap mod on the reverb unit...and now this. Holy crap.
First impressions: The seller said it was 1966. I'm not sure what he's
basing that on. The head only says "Showman" and not "Dual Showman" (I
understand they started doing this in 1964). It also has gold grill-cloth
instead of silver sparkle cloth. The Fender Amp Field guide says that gold
cloth was 1963 (although I'm not sure if that means only 1963 or started
as
an option then).
Cosmetically it is in good shape. The tolex is all intact with no tears or
rips. There is only a cigarette burn on top of the head and it doesn't
even
go all the way to the wood. The grill cloth has no tears or rips, but it
has
a few flaws in it. The hardware is largely rust free, although there are
some scratches and pitting. A few tiny rust spots here and there. It has
shiny tilt back lags. It has the hardware to bolt the head on the cabinet.
Fender logos are intact. No footswitch. The seller said one speaker is a
JBL
D130F and the other is a JBL D140F. I haven't taken the back panel off to
verify that yet. The seller said he bought it off a friend who bought it
off
a guy who bought it from the original owner who kept it in a church most
of
its life (yeah...and only played it on Sundays, I know, I know).
The seller indicated it would probably need a tune up. I believe him, and
I
knew what I was getting into. I don't think anyone has messed with it in
nearly 40 years. It even has the extremely scary looking 2 prong power
cord.
The tubes all appear to be vintage. Although 2 of the power tubes are
shaped
differently than the other 2. The tubes burn HOT and red, and there is
lots
of black on some of them. I suspect they are nearly shot, or someone
replaced 2 of the power tubes without biasing the set of 4. There is a
faint
burning smell (uh-oh) when it was on. Its also somewhat noisy, I am hoping
because of the 2 prong plug. It made some unpleasant farting noises when I
flipped the standby switch. I didn't crank it, but it didn't seem to be as
loud as I had feared when I had it on 5. Again, I am hoping a major tune
up
will cure these ills.
I am really excited about getting this baby back up and running. I've got
some books on amp maintenance on order and I want to learn some amp tech
type stuff. I'm going to open it up this weekend and see what the damage
is
inside. I am pretty much counting on new tubes and new caps. I may try to
do
the cap job myself depending on what it looks like in there. And a 3 prong
cord is a must.
It does work...I plugged my reverb unit into it as God intended and played
Baja with a big smile on my face. I need to rig something up or get a
vintage footswitch so I can try the tremolo.
So, for you amp gurus (Mel...!!!) here is the first batch of what will
probably be an endless stream of questions:
1) Any advice?
2) What kind of cable do I need to connect the head to the cabinet?
Obviously a guitar cable works but should I use a "speaker" cable?
3) How can I quickly check to see if the tremolo works?
4) What kind of footswitch do I need? A 1-button with RCA plug on it?
5) How can I tell what circuit it uses? AA763? AB763? Does it matter? The
tube chart only says "Showman Amp".
6) Any idea on how to date the thing?
7) Any suggestions on the 3 prong cord? Should I just screw the ground
wire
into the chassis? What about the ground switch on it?
And yes I am well aware of the lethal voltages that lurk inside. I now
have
more ways to injure myself: breaking my damn back and now electrocuting
myself. I intend on treating it with a healthy respect, after all it is
older than me. It deserves to be loud and clean again.
Well enough blathering. Thanks for listening and for any advice. And I
will
run to a tech (if I can find one) if I get in over my head.
More later as the saga unfolds,
BN
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
NOW we're talking...
Sounds like you got a killer deal. When I picked up my showman, the tolex
was ripped to shite on the bottom, all the hardware had corrosion to SOME
degree on it, and when I tried to remove the back panel of the cab, the
rusty screws along the bottom that broke as I tried to back them out told me
it had seen some submarine time as well. If it werent for the fact the guy
let me bring down my reverb tank and my guitar to try it out, I would have
never bought it, but dammit, it just sounded so clean and good, I had to
have it.
The speaker differential is something to be leery of. If someone had the
audacity to open it up and remove a perfectly KILLER speaker and replace it
with...something not equal to the original, theres no telling what else was
done...especially when you mention non-standard looking power tubes. BUT,
the best part about a tube amp is that the only way you can really kill it
is with a hammer. EVERYTHING in it can be replaced, AND...its FUN! Make sure
you record the amp before you do any maintenance on it so you can A/B it
afterwards and hear the difference. Don't try to say "Oh, I remember how it
sounded, now it sounds better." Definitely record it.
When you remove the electronics chassis, look for leaking caps. They'll
appear oily or "soaked". The 3 prong cord is a MUST, and if you want, I'll
snap some digital pics of mine which works perfectly so you'll know what to
do without question. You SHOULD be able to date the amp via the Fender Field
Guide at ampwares.com, but if not, I have a text file i got some time ago
regarding dating amps...I can send it to you if you want it. (pending I can
find the sucker...)
DEFINITELY get a "speaker" cable for the hookup between the amp and the
cab. I cant tell you technically what separates them (I'm sure it has
something to do with either impedance or grounding) but if you try to use a
speaker cable between your guitar and your amp, you'll immediately hear the
difference in the form of some nasty growling sounds. Don't worry about the
cable being beefy or anything, because no matter what you put between the
amp and the head, it'll all get hampered by the shite speaker cable INSIDE
the cab which connects the jack to the speaker. It'll be some chintzy brown
lamp cable most likely.
Also check the transformer for any signs of leakage. Turns out a Nebula
got a Showman amp once, and someone had taken the transformer from an old
hi-fi stereo and put it in the amp. When the tech opened the amp up, the
transformer has grease melting out of it because it had been running so hot.
Take a peek at all the solder connections, if they all have the same
unshininess to them, they're all original. If some look shinier than others,
then those caps have been replaced.
ON, and on and on, but at any rate, congratulations on the new amp! You've
basically achieved the same as finding a '69 Yenko Camaro hiding stashed in
some old mans barn under a cloth. Hope you got a fair deal on it.
-Dano
-=The Nebulas=-
>From: "Brian Neal" <>
>Reply-To:
>To: <>
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 22:11:35 -0600
>
>Okay,
>
>Sitting 5 feet from me is a Dual Showman...head and cabinet.
>
>I just got home with it.
>
>I have really descended into this surf madness big time...first it was the
>Jaguar, then the reverb unit, then NOS tubes for the reverb unit, then
>modding my Lone Star Strat (replacing the humbucker with a single coil),
>then doing the cap mod on the reverb unit...and now this. Holy crap.
>
>First impressions: The seller said it was 1966. I'm not sure what he's
>basing that on. The head only says "Showman" and not "Dual Showman" (I
>understand they started doing this in 1964). It also has gold grill-cloth
>instead of silver sparkle cloth. The Fender Amp Field guide says that gold
>cloth was 1963 (although I'm not sure if that means only 1963 or started as
>an option then).
>
>Cosmetically it is in good shape. The tolex is all intact with no tears or
>rips. There is only a cigarette burn on top of the head and it doesn't even
>go all the way to the wood. The grill cloth has no tears or rips, but it
>has
>a few flaws in it. The hardware is largely rust free, although there are
>some scratches and pitting. A few tiny rust spots here and there. It has
>shiny tilt back lags. It has the hardware to bolt the head on the cabinet.
>Fender logos are intact. No footswitch. The seller said one speaker is a
>JBL
>D130F and the other is a JBL D140F. I haven't taken the back panel off to
>verify that yet. The seller said he bought it off a friend who bought it
>off
>a guy who bought it from the original owner who kept it in a church most of
>its life (yeah...and only played it on Sundays, I know, I know).
>
>The seller indicated it would probably need a tune up. I believe him, and I
>knew what I was getting into. I don't think anyone has messed with it in
>nearly 40 years. It even has the extremely scary looking 2 prong power
>cord.
>The tubes all appear to be vintage. Although 2 of the power tubes are
>shaped
>differently than the other 2. The tubes burn HOT and red, and there is lots
>of black on some of them. I suspect they are nearly shot, or someone
>replaced 2 of the power tubes without biasing the set of 4. There is a
>faint
>burning smell (uh-oh) when it was on. Its also somewhat noisy, I am hoping
>because of the 2 prong plug. It made some unpleasant farting noises when I
>flipped the standby switch. I didn't crank it, but it didn't seem to be as
>loud as I had feared when I had it on 5. Again, I am hoping a major tune up
>will cure these ills.
>
>I am really excited about getting this baby back up and running. I've got
>some books on amp maintenance on order and I want to learn some amp tech
>type stuff. I'm going to open it up this weekend and see what the damage is
>inside. I am pretty much counting on new tubes and new caps. I may try to
>do
>the cap job myself depending on what it looks like in there. And a 3 prong
>cord is a must.
>
>It does work...I plugged my reverb unit into it as God intended and played
>Baja with a big smile on my face. I need to rig something up or get a
>vintage footswitch so I can try the tremolo.
>
>So, for you amp gurus (Mel...!!!) here is the first batch of what will
>probably be an endless stream of questions:
>
>1) Any advice?
>2) What kind of cable do I need to connect the head to the cabinet?
>Obviously a guitar cable works but should I use a "speaker" cable?
>3) How can I quickly check to see if the tremolo works?
>4) What kind of footswitch do I need? A 1-button with RCA plug on it?
>5) How can I tell what circuit it uses? AA763? AB763? Does it matter? The
>tube chart only says "Showman Amp".
>6) Any idea on how to date the thing?
>7) Any suggestions on the 3 prong cord? Should I just screw the ground wire
>into the chassis? What about the ground switch on it?
>
>And yes I am well aware of the lethal voltages that lurk inside. I now have
>more ways to injure myself: breaking my damn back and now electrocuting
>myself. I intend on treating it with a healthy respect, after all it is
>older than me. It deserves to be loud and clean again.
>
>Well enough blathering. Thanks for listening and for any advice. And I will
>run to a tech (if I can find one) if I get in over my head.
>
>More later as the saga unfolds,
>
>BN
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*
Thanks to everyone who posted something either on or off list. Special
thanks to Mel & Dano.
I took the thing apart tonight and gave it a closer look.
The speakers are as the seller said: one JBL D130F and one JBL D140F. Any
differences between these two? Perhaps an original D130F got blown and was
replaced by a D140F?
And Dano, you were right, the speaker cable inside the cabinet is flimsy,
almost like home stereo cable. Is this right? So much for the 3 foot Monster
cable I bought. Ha-ha.
I removed the chassis from the head and looked it over. I wrote down the
transformer codes for further reference as you suggested Mel...in case I can
ever find the info to tell the difference between a Showman & Dual Showman.
All of the components looked in decent shape, even the pots in the little
box (filter caps?). There was some charring in the space between the
transformer and the top of the amp head. No wonder they put a little metal
screen up there to dissipate heat. All the components looked undisturbed
with the original solder joints and wiring.
From your links Mel it looks like it is a 1966 from the serial number. And
it does say AB763 on the tube chart.
As I said, 2 of the power tubes are Sylvania 6L6GA's...???? The other 2 are
GE 6L6GC's. I don't trust those tubes. I still suspect someone replaced 2 of
the power tubes and didn't bias and thats why it appears to run so badly.
Also, someone had written in pencil on the top of the chassis "replaced 7025
with 12AX7 6-28-85". And sure enough it was. I remember Dick Messick saying
that the 7025 is the low noise version of the 12AX7 so that should be okay.
So aside from the speaker issue, I suspect nothing has been done to it
besides a suspect tube change circa 1985.
So now my euphoria about wanting to be an amp tech geek has diminished
somewhat and instead I have this overpowering urge to get it up and running
again as quickly as possible. I'll have time to learn and maintain it as I
go. I talked to a local tech today and will probably bring it in soon. He
seemed competent and eager to work on it.
So at this point, should I just let him put in some new tubes (probably the
Fender Groove tubes) or should I order some NOS tubes and have him install
them? That would be cool, but more money, and I would have to wait another
couple of weeks...! Oh the agony!
Thanks again for any advice or comments!!
BN
It's possible that the D140F replaced a blown D130F. Also possible that the
D130F replaced a D140F. Both were available in the Showman cabinet. The
D140F is designed for bass, with a stronger voice coil and a ridged cone to
accent low frequencies. Both speakers sound mighty fine for guitar.
For a retube, consider going with JJ tubes from Slovakia. They're built in
the old Telsa factory. I retubed my 67 Twin Reverb with them (preamp and
poweramp), and they sound great right out of the box. Check out
eurotubes.com for more info. You might want to order tubes yourself and
have a tech bias the amp; techs I've dealt with put a pretty hefty markup on
tubes.
Good luck,
Mel
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Neal [mailto:]
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 6:48 PM
To:
Subject: RE: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
Thanks to everyone who posted something either on or off list. Special
thanks to Mel & Dano.
I took the thing apart tonight and gave it a closer look.
The speakers are as the seller said: one JBL D130F and one JBL D140F. Any
differences between these two? Perhaps an original D130F got blown and was
replaced by a D140F?
And Dano, you were right, the speaker cable inside the cabinet is flimsy,
almost like home stereo cable. Is this right? So much for the 3 foot
Monster
cable I bought. Ha-ha.
I removed the chassis from the head and looked it over. I wrote down the
transformer codes for further reference as you suggested Mel...in case I
can
ever find the info to tell the difference between a Showman & Dual
Showman.
All of the components looked in decent shape, even the pots in the little
box (filter caps?). There was some charring in the space between the
transformer and the top of the amp head. No wonder they put a little metal
screen up there to dissipate heat. All the components looked undisturbed
with the original solder joints and wiring.
From your links Mel it looks like it is a 1966 from the serial number. And
it does say AB763 on the tube chart.
As I said, 2 of the power tubes are Sylvania 6L6GA's...???? The other 2
are
GE 6L6GC's. I don't trust those tubes. I still suspect someone replaced 2
of
the power tubes and didn't bias and thats why it appears to run so badly.
Also, someone had written in pencil on the top of the chassis "replaced
7025
with 12AX7 6-28-85". And sure enough it was. I remember Dick Messick
saying
that the 7025 is the low noise version of the 12AX7 so that should be
okay.
So aside from the speaker issue, I suspect nothing has been done to it
besides a suspect tube change circa 1985.
So now my euphoria about wanting to be an amp tech geek has diminished
somewhat and instead I have this overpowering urge to get it up and
running
again as quickly as possible. I'll have time to learn and maintain it as I
go. I talked to a local tech today and will probably bring it in soon. He
seemed competent and eager to work on it.
So at this point, should I just let him put in some new tubes (probably
the
Fender Groove tubes) or should I order some NOS tubes and have him install
them? That would be cool, but more money, and I would have to wait another
couple of weeks...! Oh the agony!
Thanks again for any advice or comments!!
BN
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Brian,
Here's a good gauge to figure out if your Showman is performing
properly. With the tilt-back legs extended, tilt it back. With the volume on
4, stand about ten feet away, and do the palm-muted Gm chunking part at the
beginning of "Surf Party". You should feel it "IN" your chest. THAT is a
functioning Showman.
-Dano
-=The Nebulas=-
>From: "Brian Neal" <>
>Reply-To:
>To: <>
>Subject: RE: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 20:47:43 -0600
>
>Thanks to everyone who posted something either on or off list. Special
>thanks to Mel & Dano.
>
>I took the thing apart tonight and gave it a closer look.
>
>The speakers are as the seller said: one JBL D130F and one JBL D140F. Any
>differences between these two? Perhaps an original D130F got blown and was
>replaced by a D140F?
>
>And Dano, you were right, the speaker cable inside the cabinet is flimsy,
>almost like home stereo cable. Is this right? So much for the 3 foot
>Monster
>cable I bought. Ha-ha.
>
>I removed the chassis from the head and looked it over. I wrote down the
>transformer codes for further reference as you suggested Mel...in case I
>can
>ever find the info to tell the difference between a Showman & Dual Showman.
>
>All of the components looked in decent shape, even the pots in the little
>box (filter caps?). There was some charring in the space between the
>transformer and the top of the amp head. No wonder they put a little metal
>screen up there to dissipate heat. All the components looked undisturbed
>with the original solder joints and wiring.
>
>From your links Mel it looks like it is a 1966 from the serial number. And
>it does say AB763 on the tube chart.
>
>As I said, 2 of the power tubes are Sylvania 6L6GA's...???? The other 2 are
>GE 6L6GC's. I don't trust those tubes. I still suspect someone replaced 2
>of
>the power tubes and didn't bias and thats why it appears to run so badly.
>Also, someone had written in pencil on the top of the chassis "replaced
>7025
>with 12AX7 6-28-85". And sure enough it was. I remember Dick Messick saying
>that the 7025 is the low noise version of the 12AX7 so that should be okay.
>
>So aside from the speaker issue, I suspect nothing has been done to it
>besides a suspect tube change circa 1985.
>
>So now my euphoria about wanting to be an amp tech geek has diminished
>somewhat and instead I have this overpowering urge to get it up and running
>again as quickly as possible. I'll have time to learn and maintain it as I
>go. I talked to a local tech today and will probably bring it in soon. He
>seemed competent and eager to work on it.
>
>So at this point, should I just let him put in some new tubes (probably the
>Fender Groove tubes) or should I order some NOS tubes and have him install
>them? That would be cool, but more money, and I would have to wait another
>couple of weeks...! Oh the agony!
>
>Thanks again for any advice or comments!!
>
>BN
>
>
>
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*
Brian,
If you want to sell the D140 to get cash for a matching D130, let me
know, I'll buy it.
-Dano
-=The Nebulas=-
>From: Mel Waldorf <>
>Reply-To:
>To:
>Subject: RE: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 20:13:53 -0800
>
>It's possible that the D140F replaced a blown D130F. Also possible that
>the
>D130F replaced a D140F. Both were available in the Showman cabinet. The
>D140F is designed for bass, with a stronger voice coil and a ridged cone to
>accent low frequencies. Both speakers sound mighty fine for guitar.
>
>For a retube, consider going with JJ tubes from Slovakia. They're built in
>the old Telsa factory. I retubed my 67 Twin Reverb with them (preamp and
>poweramp), and they sound great right out of the box. Check out
>eurotubes.com for more info. You might want to order tubes yourself and
>have a tech bias the amp; techs I've dealt with put a pretty hefty markup
>on
>tubes.
>
>Good luck,
>Mel
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brian Neal [mailto:]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 6:48 PM
> To:
> Subject: RE: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>
>
> Thanks to everyone who posted something either on or off list. Special
> thanks to Mel & Dano.
>
> I took the thing apart tonight and gave it a closer look.
>
> The speakers are as the seller said: one JBL D130F and one JBL D140F.
>Any
> differences between these two? Perhaps an original D130F got blown and
>was
> replaced by a D140F?
>
> And Dano, you were right, the speaker cable inside the cabinet is
>flimsy,
> almost like home stereo cable. Is this right? So much for the 3 foot
>Monster
> cable I bought. Ha-ha.
>
> I removed the chassis from the head and looked it over. I wrote down the
> transformer codes for further reference as you suggested Mel...in case I
>can
> ever find the info to tell the difference between a Showman & Dual
>Showman.
>
> All of the components looked in decent shape, even the pots in the
>little
> box (filter caps?). There was some charring in the space between the
> transformer and the top of the amp head. No wonder they put a little
>metal
> screen up there to dissipate heat. All the components looked undisturbed
> with the original solder joints and wiring.
>
> From your links Mel it looks like it is a 1966 from the serial number.
>And
> it does say AB763 on the tube chart.
>
> As I said, 2 of the power tubes are Sylvania 6L6GA's...???? The other 2
>are
> GE 6L6GC's. I don't trust those tubes. I still suspect someone replaced
>2
>of
> the power tubes and didn't bias and thats why it appears to run so
>badly.
> Also, someone had written in pencil on the top of the chassis "replaced
>7025
> with 12AX7 6-28-85". And sure enough it was. I remember Dick Messick
>saying
> that the 7025 is the low noise version of the 12AX7 so that should be
>okay.
>
> So aside from the speaker issue, I suspect nothing has been done to it
> besides a suspect tube change circa 1985.
>
> So now my euphoria about wanting to be an amp tech geek has diminished
> somewhat and instead I have this overpowering urge to get it up and
>running
> again as quickly as possible. I'll have time to learn and maintain it as
>I
> go. I talked to a local tech today and will probably bring it in soon.
>He
> seemed competent and eager to work on it.
>
> So at this point, should I just let him put in some new tubes (probably
>the
> Fender Groove tubes) or should I order some NOS tubes and have him
>install
> them? That would be cool, but more money, and I would have to wait
>another
> couple of weeks...! Oh the agony!
>
> Thanks again for any advice or comments!!
>
> BN
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> ADVERTISEMENT
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> .
> Visit for archived messages,
>bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*
I'm afraid my Showman is a bit anemic. I turned the volume up to 10
and I was not struck down and killed like I thought I would be. In
fact I could still talk loudly over it and be heard. Hmmm.. I'm
hoping that's a symptom that can be easily fixed.... =:-O
However on the plus side, thanks to everyone's tips, I got the
tremolo to work!
I got to get this thing to a tech!!! I'm mildly freaked now.
BN
--- In , "-=Dan Ware=-"
<reverbtank@h...> wrote:
> Brian,
>
> Here's a good gauge to figure out if your Showman is
performing
> properly. With the tilt-back legs extended, tilt it back. With the
volume on
> 4, stand about ten feet away, and do the palm-muted Gm chunking
part at the
> beginning of "Surf Party". You should feel it "IN" your chest.
THAT is a
> functioning Showman.
>
> -Dano
> -=The Nebulas=-
>
Nice try... :)
--- In , "-=Dan Ware=-"
<reverbtank@h...> wrote:
> Brian,
>
> If you want to sell the D140 to get cash for a matching D130,
let me
> know, I'll buy it.
>
> -Dano
> -=The Nebulas=-
>
Thanks Mel!!! I'll look into those tubes also. I did some pricing of
NOS tubes last night and I'm not sure my wallet can take another
beating at this time. So some cheaper modern tubes might be the
thing to get me up and running.
Should I also replace the preamp tubes, or maybe let the tech look
at the them and see if they are alright? These look vintage, and
they are supposed to last a long time, right? I can just pop in
preamp tubes at my leisure because they don't require biasing.
On the other hand, the power tubes scare me, just because they don't
match and the amp is very under powered right now....yikes.
I've got to relax. I'm like a nervous mother with a sick kid!
BN
--- In , Mel Waldorf <mwaldorf@p...>
wrote:
> It's possible that the D140F replaced a blown D130F. Also
possible that the
> D130F replaced a D140F. Both were available in the Showman
cabinet. The
> D140F is designed for bass, with a stronger voice coil and a
ridged cone to
> accent low frequencies. Both speakers sound mighty fine for
guitar.
>
> For a retube, consider going with JJ tubes from Slovakia. They're
built in
> the old Telsa factory. I retubed my 67 Twin Reverb with them
(preamp and
> poweramp), and they sound great right out of the box. Check out
> eurotubes.com for more info. You might want to order tubes
yourself and
> have a tech bias the amp; techs I've dealt with put a pretty hefty
markup on
> tubes.
>
> Good luck,
> Mel
>
Or you can put a drummer 10 feet away - if he DOESN"T immediately reach for ear
plugs, your amp is broke.
----- Original Message -----
From: -=Dan Ware=-
To:
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 3:27 AM
Subject: RE: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
Brian,
Here's a good gauge to figure out if your Showman is performing
properly. With the tilt-back legs extended, tilt it back. With the volume on
4, stand about ten feet away, and do the palm-muted Gm chunking part at the
beginning of "Surf Party". You should feel it "IN" your chest. THAT is a
functioning Showman.
-Dano
-=The Nebulas=-
>From: "Brian Neal" <>
>Reply-To:
>To: <>
>Subject: RE: [SurfGuitar101] MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 20:47:43 -0600
>
>Thanks to everyone who posted something either on or off list. Special
>thanks to Mel & Dano.
>
>I took the thing apart tonight and gave it a closer look.
>
>The speakers are as the seller said: one JBL D130F and one JBL D140F. Any
>differences between these two? Perhaps an original D130F got blown and was
>replaced by a D140F?
>
>And Dano, you were right, the speaker cable inside the cabinet is flimsy,
>almost like home stereo cable. Is this right? So much for the 3 foot
>Monster
>cable I bought. Ha-ha.
>
>I removed the chassis from the head and looked it over. I wrote down the
>transformer codes for further reference as you suggested Mel...in case I
>can
>ever find the info to tell the difference between a Showman & Dual Showman.
>
>All of the components looked in decent shape, even the pots in the little
>box (filter caps?). There was some charring in the space between the
>transformer and the top of the amp head. No wonder they put a little metal
>screen up there to dissipate heat. All the components looked undisturbed
>with the original solder joints and wiring.
>
>From your links Mel it looks like it is a 1966 from the serial number. And
>it does say AB763 on the tube chart.
>
>As I said, 2 of the power tubes are Sylvania 6L6GA's...???? The other 2 are
>GE 6L6GC's. I don't trust those tubes. I still suspect someone replaced 2
>of
>the power tubes and didn't bias and thats why it appears to run so badly.
>Also, someone had written in pencil on the top of the chassis "replaced
>7025
>with 12AX7 6-28-85". And sure enough it was. I remember Dick Messick saying
>that the 7025 is the low noise version of the 12AX7 so that should be okay.
>
>So aside from the speaker issue, I suspect nothing has been done to it
>besides a suspect tube change circa 1985.
>
>So now my euphoria about wanting to be an amp tech geek has diminished
>somewhat and instead I have this overpowering urge to get it up and running
>again as quickly as possible. I'll have time to learn and maintain it as I
>go. I talked to a local tech today and will probably bring it in soon. He
>seemed competent and eager to work on it.
>
>So at this point, should I just let him put in some new tubes (probably the
>Fender Groove tubes) or should I order some NOS tubes and have him install
>them? That would be cool, but more money, and I would have to wait another
>couple of weeks...! Oh the agony!
>
>Thanks again for any advice or comments!!
>
>BN
>
>
>
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*
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ADVERTISEMENT
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:.
Visit for archived messages,
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Brian,
You can expect a functioning Showman to take you to the pain threshold
on 6 or 7. If it doesn't, bite the bullet, eat Ramen and get that thing to
the tech and say "Make it so."
You'll never look at any other amp the same way again.
-Dano
-=The Nebulas=-
>From: "Brian <>" <>
>Reply-To:
>To:
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 13:43:13 -0000
>
>Thanks Mel!!! I'll look into those tubes also. I did some pricing of
>NOS tubes last night and I'm not sure my wallet can take another
>beating at this time. So some cheaper modern tubes might be the
>thing to get me up and running.
>
>Should I also replace the preamp tubes, or maybe let the tech look
>at the them and see if they are alright? These look vintage, and
>they are supposed to last a long time, right? I can just pop in
>preamp tubes at my leisure because they don't require biasing.
>
>On the other hand, the power tubes scare me, just because they don't
>match and the amp is very under powered right now....yikes.
>
>I've got to relax. I'm like a nervous mother with a sick kid!
>
>BN
>
>--- In , Mel Waldorf <mwaldorf@p...>
>wrote:
> > It's possible that the D140F replaced a blown D130F. Also
>possible that the
> > D130F replaced a D140F. Both were available in the Showman
>cabinet. The
> > D140F is designed for bass, with a stronger voice coil and a
>ridged cone to
> > accent low frequencies. Both speakers sound mighty fine for
>guitar.
> >
> > For a retube, consider going with JJ tubes from Slovakia. They're
>built in
> > the old Telsa factory. I retubed my 67 Twin Reverb with them
>(preamp and
> > poweramp), and they sound great right out of the box. Check out
> > eurotubes.com for more info. You might want to order tubes
>yourself and
> > have a tech bias the amp; techs I've dealt with put a pretty hefty
>markup on
> > tubes.
> >
> > Good luck,
> > Mel
> >
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online
If you take it to a tech and he puts the wrong tubes in thereby causing the
wrongful death of your amp, maybe you can sue him for damages! That is unless
the amp was smuggled into the country illegally, but you may still have legal
avenues regardless.
That is unless the government legislates a cap on mechanical malpractice awards!
>From: "Brian <>" <>
>Reply-To:
>To:
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 13:43:13 -0000
>
>Thanks Mel!!! I'll look into those tubes also. I did some pricing of
>NOS tubes last night and I'm not sure my wallet can take another
>beating at this time. So some cheaper modern tubes might be the
>thing to get me up and running.
>
>Should I also replace the preamp tubes, or maybe let the tech look
>at the them and see if they are alright?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
If it was me, I'd replace the preamp tubes at the same time. There are only
four of them, they aren't that pricey, and you can always mix and match for
tone with the existing tubes.
If the amp really isn't making a lot of power, there are a few possible
causes, from cheapest to priciest to fix:
speakers wired in series (16ohm) instead of parallel (4 ohm)
short in octoresistor (if normal channel is loud and vibrato channel is
quiet)
weak power tubes
shorts in output transformer
For what it's worth, when I was shopping for a Showman 10 years ago, I
managed to borrow a '68 from a local store. It had much less go than the
Super Amp I was using at the time. I tried different cabinets, and
different power tubes, and it didn't make a difference. I passed on the
deal. I suspect it was a rusty output transformer.
Good luck,
Mel
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian <> [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 5:43 AM
To:
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
Thanks Mel!!! I'll look into those tubes also. I did some pricing of
NOS tubes last night and I'm not sure my wallet can take another
beating at this time. So some cheaper modern tubes might be the
thing to get me up and running.
Should I also replace the preamp tubes, or maybe let the tech look
at the them and see if they are alright? These look vintage, and
they are supposed to last a long time, right? I can just pop in
preamp tubes at my leisure because they don't require biasing.
On the other hand, the power tubes scare me, just because they don't
match and the amp is very under powered right now....yikes.
I've got to relax. I'm like a nervous mother with a sick kid!
BN
--- In , Mel Waldorf <mwaldorf@p...>
wrote:
> It's possible that the D140F replaced a blown D130F. Also
possible that the
> D130F replaced a D140F. Both were available in the Showman
cabinet. The
> D140F is designed for bass, with a stronger voice coil and a
ridged cone to
> accent low frequencies. Both speakers sound mighty fine for
guitar.
>
> For a retube, consider going with JJ tubes from Slovakia. They're
built in
> the old Telsa factory. I retubed my 67 Twin Reverb with them
(preamp and
> poweramp), and they sound great right out of the box. Check out
> eurotubes.com for more info. You might want to order tubes
yourself and
> have a tech bias the amp; techs I've dealt with put a pretty hefty
markup on
> tubes.
>
> Good luck,
> Mel
>
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ADVERTISEMENT
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:.
Visit for archived messages,
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Mel,
Thanks a lot! I appreciate it:
--- In , Mel Waldorf <mwaldorf@p...>
wrote:
> If it was me, I'd replace the preamp tubes at the same time. There
are only
> four of them, they aren't that pricey, and you can always mix and
match for
> tone with the existing tubes.
I've ordered a set of JJ Tubes as you suggested, despite the comical
photo on his web page:
>
> If the amp really isn't making a lot of power, there are a few
possible
> causes, from cheapest to priciest to fix:
> speakers wired in series (16ohm) instead of parallel (4 ohm)
They appear to be in parallel. That speaker cable inside the cabinet
is pretty flimsy looking though. Hmmm.
> short in octoresistor (if normal channel is loud and vibrato
channel is
> quiet)
They are both equally quiet.
> weak power tubes
I hope this is it!!
> shorts in output transformer
Yikes I hope not.
Well I'll wait for the tubes and then take it to a tech. In the
meantime I've received my books: "Vacuum Tube Guitar and Bass
Amplifier Servicing" by Zottola and "How to Service Your Own Tube
Amp" by Mitchell.
If I stop posting its because I electrocuted myself. Please call area
hospitals :^)
In other news, I found a schematic and it does look like I have the
Dual Showman despite the faceplate because of the transformer code.
Interesting!
And, green amp jewels rock!!!
Thanks again Mel!! Have a good weekend.
PS I think I'm over the "MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE" phase and have
moved on to the "lets get this damn thing rocking" phase.
Hi Mel, Brian and others,
This is the first message I am posting on this forum. Last year I
bought a similar amp, a 1965 Dual Showman that has only Showman
written on the face.
You can make the vibrato work by shorting the switch as described by
Mel earlier. I had a lot of problems getting it to work and had to
take it to an amp tech. It would work sporadically. He found some
badly soldered joints and resoldered a bunch of stuff and changed
the optoisolator which solved it and now it has great vibrato.
I put in new power tubes Jan Philips NOS and a Mullard in the preamp
stage - gave it the best but its power output has always been a bit
weak and I have been told that it is a loud amp. I have to tweak it
up to 10 volume and it is still not loud enough ! I wonder if it is
biased wrong. Originally it was biased at a higher voltage and the
amp would start giving off a kind of burn smell that worried me. I
was also told that this is normal for this amp ! But then I got it
biased at the lower end of the range and I wonder if that's the
problem.
I am not running my guitar through a Roland RE-501 Space Echo unit
that can tweak the output volume up a bit and that gets more oomph
from the amp but not enough. My rhythm guitar's Super Reverb RI at a
setting of 5 is louder !
Any advice would be highly appreciated.
You can hear us at
Raga
--- In , "Brian <bneal@z...>"
<bneal@z...> wrote:
> Mel,
> Thanks a lot! I appreciate it:
>
> --- In , Mel Waldorf <mwaldorf@p...>
> wrote:
> > If it was me, I'd replace the preamp tubes at the same time.
There
> are only
> > four of them, they aren't that pricey, and you can always mix
and
> match for
> > tone with the existing tubes.
>
> I've ordered a set of JJ Tubes as you suggested, despite the
comical
> photo on his web page:
>
> >
> > If the amp really isn't making a lot of power, there are a few
> possible
> > causes, from cheapest to priciest to fix:
> > speakers wired in series (16ohm) instead of parallel (4 ohm)
>
> They appear to be in parallel. That speaker cable inside the
cabinet
> is pretty flimsy looking though. Hmmm.
>
> > short in octoresistor (if normal channel is loud and vibrato
> channel is
> > quiet)
>
> They are both equally quiet.
>
> > weak power tubes
>
> I hope this is it!!
>
> > shorts in output transformer
>
> Yikes I hope not.
>
> Well I'll wait for the tubes and then take it to a tech. In the
> meantime I've received my books: "Vacuum Tube Guitar and Bass
> Amplifier Servicing" by Zottola and "How to Service Your Own Tube
> Amp" by Mitchell.
>
> If I stop posting its because I electrocuted myself. Please call
area
> hospitals :^)
>
> In other news, I found a schematic and it does look like I have
the
> Dual Showman despite the faceplate because of the transformer
code.
> Interesting!
>
> And, green amp jewels rock!!!
>
> Thanks again Mel!! Have a good weekend.
>
> PS I think I'm over the "MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE" phase and have
> moved on to the "lets get this damn thing rocking" phase.
I will be away from the museum from March 10 to March 16. I will return
on Monday, March 17.
Hey...welcome to the list!
My Showman is now at the tech. My amp was also very weak sounding,
but then again it had these mismatched power tubes in it that were
probably not even a matched quad. I put a set of new JJ tubes in and
it got a lot louder, but still not what I would expect. I am
nervously awaiting the outcome/results. I also need to get at least
one of the speakers repaired. I was thinking about just sending them
both in to WeberVST. They'll recone/repair plus give them a good
going over for just $60 a pop.
I hope you get yours running up to your satisfaction. Let us know
what happens.
BN
PS. Did you go on the Ventures/LS cruise?
--- In , "raga1" <ragar@a...> wrote:
> Hi Mel, Brian and others,
>
> This is the first message I am posting on this forum. Last year I
> bought a similar amp, a 1965 Dual Showman that has only Showman
> written on the face.
>
> You can make the vibrato work by shorting the switch as described
by
> Mel earlier. I had a lot of problems getting it to work and had to
> take it to an amp tech. It would work sporadically. He found some
> badly soldered joints and resoldered a bunch of stuff and changed
> the optoisolator which solved it and now it has great vibrato.
>
> I put in new power tubes Jan Philips NOS and a Mullard in the
preamp
> stage - gave it the best but its power output has always been a
bit
> weak and I have been told that it is a loud amp. I have to tweak
it
> up to 10 volume and it is still not loud enough ! I wonder if it
is
> biased wrong. Originally it was biased at a higher voltage and the
> amp would start giving off a kind of burn smell that worried me. I
> was also told that this is normal for this amp ! But then I got it
> biased at the lower end of the range and I wonder if that's the
> problem.
>
> I am not running my guitar through a Roland RE-501 Space Echo unit
> that can tweak the output volume up a bit and that gets more oomph
> from the amp but not enough. My rhythm guitar's Super Reverb RI at
a
> setting of 5 is louder !
>
> Any advice would be highly appreciated.
> You can hear us at
>
> Raga
You're smelling the scent of hot 6L6 power tubes, and that my friend...is
the smell of...victory.
As I have stated in the past, any list members not satisfied with their
vintage Showman amps can send them to me and I will take over ownership and
do my best to salvage them.
-Dano
-=The Nebulas=-
>From: "Brian" <>
>Reply-To:
>To:
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE
>Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 13:37:03 -0000
>
>Hey...welcome to the list!
>My Showman is now at the tech. My amp was also very weak sounding,
>but then again it had these mismatched power tubes in it that were
>probably not even a matched quad. I put a set of new JJ tubes in and
>it got a lot louder, but still not what I would expect. I am
>nervously awaiting the outcome/results. I also need to get at least
>one of the speakers repaired. I was thinking about just sending them
>both in to WeberVST. They'll recone/repair plus give them a good
>going over for just $60 a pop.
>
>I hope you get yours running up to your satisfaction. Let us know
>what happens.
>
>BN
>
>PS. Did you go on the Ventures/LS cruise?
>
>--- In , "raga1" <ragar@a...> wrote:
> > Hi Mel, Brian and others,
> >
> > This is the first message I am posting on this forum. Last year I
> > bought a similar amp, a 1965 Dual Showman that has only Showman
> > written on the face.
> >
> > You can make the vibrato work by shorting the switch as described
>by
> > Mel earlier. I had a lot of problems getting it to work and had to
> > take it to an amp tech. It would work sporadically. He found some
> > badly soldered joints and resoldered a bunch of stuff and changed
> > the optoisolator which solved it and now it has great vibrato.
> >
> > I put in new power tubes Jan Philips NOS and a Mullard in the
>preamp
> > stage - gave it the best but its power output has always been a
>bit
> > weak and I have been told that it is a loud amp. I have to tweak
>it
> > up to 10 volume and it is still not loud enough ! I wonder if it
>is
> > biased wrong. Originally it was biased at a higher voltage and the
> > amp would start giving off a kind of burn smell that worried me. I
> > was also told that this is normal for this amp ! But then I got it
> > biased at the lower end of the range and I wonder if that's the
> > problem.
> >
> > I am not running my guitar through a Roland RE-501 Space Echo unit
> > that can tweak the output volume up a bit and that gets more oomph
> > from the amp but not enough. My rhythm guitar's Super Reverb RI at
>a
> > setting of 5 is louder !
> >
> > Any advice would be highly appreciated.
> > You can hear us at
> >
> > Raga
>
>
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