Reverb stopped working :(

hotpickups

I'm gonna be taking it back to the builder anyway but I'd just like to know what could be possibly wrong with it out of interest. There is a faint sound coming out of the amp which does increase as you turn the reverb dial so something is working but it's not reverb sound as we know of. It's a spring reverb tank by the way. Any pointers from you amp builders out there? @ICBM springs to mind if you pardon the pun LOL

Winny_Pooh

First fault is usually the cables. If they are fine then check continuity on the tank ins and outs with a multimeter. 

hotpickups

Winny_Pooh said:

First fault is usually the cables. If they are fine then check continuity on the tank ins and outs with a multimeter. 

Ah that's beyond me. I'll leave that to the tech then thanks though

Funkfingers

Winny_Pooh said:

First fault is usually the cables. 

One perennial favourite is reconnecting the send and return jacks to the amp chassis in reverse.

Another chestnut is leaving something plugged into a series FX Send socket whilst there is nothing connected to the Return socket.

ICBM

Chances are it will be a failed wiring connection inside the reverb tank - especially if it's a modern Accutronics or Belton.

hotpickups

ICBM said:

Chances are it will be a failed wiring connection inside the reverb tank - especially if it's a modern Accutronics or Belton.

It is an Accutronics I believe. All fixable just never had that happen to me before

Thanks again. I'll keep you updated  

ICBM

hotpickups said:

It is an Accutronics I believe. All fixable just never had that happen to me before

If it's a modern Accutronics there's a good chance it isn't fixable - they're poorly designed and the usual failure is a broken wire where it's very difficult to repair... I usually try, but I have a success rate of about one in three. Most sensible techs probably wouldn't even bother... a new tank - get a TAD/Ruby, *not* another Accutronics unless you want it to break again - is about £25-£30, so it's barely worth the effort.

hotpickups

ICBM said:

hotpickups said:

It is an Accutronics I believe. All fixable just never had that happen to me before

If it's a modern Accutronics there's a good chance it isn't fixable - they're poorly designed and the usual failure is a broken wire where it's very difficult to repair... I usually try, but I have a success rate of about one in three. Most sensible techs probably wouldn't even bother... a new tank - get a TAD/Ruby, *not* another Accutronics unless you want it to break again - is about £25-£30, so it's barely worth the effort.

I'll mention it to him. How can I confirm it's an accutronics? Is it labeled?

hotpickups

Yep it's an accurltronics / belton. Clearly labelled now I've looked 

TheMarlin

Check the rca cables from the amp into tank, and back. Try replacing with some good hifi ones 

hotpickups

TheMarlin said:

Check the rca cables from the amp into tank, and back. Try replacing with some good hifi ones 

I'll mention this all to my builder. I have no idea how to check or what I'm looking at. I'm a total novice with these things

hotpickups

Just to follow up on this. The reverb problem was a loose wire. However, the unit has been changed to a TAD now

ESBlonde

Glad to hear it's all resolved now @hotpickups

Sometimes with reverb units just twisting or unpluging and reconnecting the phono plugs to the unit overcomes any slight corrosion and allows the units to work like @Marlin said, this seems to apply to older units. Otherwise it is possible to replace the whole unit quite easily. Last time I replaced one in my HRD, I bought the TAD and it got delivered on the friday of a gig. I didn't have time when I got in from work, so I took a screwdriver on stage (back of a curtain side trailer/mini beer fest affair) and changed out the unit right there before sound check. It took a few minuets only and has been faultless all the months since.