Supersonic reverb issues .......... Still

Travisthedog

One for all you amp experts Had my supersonic in to the tech a while back some post "falling off the amp stand repairs" one of which was the reverb no longer worked. My tech replaced the tank and valve as well as a load of other service stuff Now the reverb works but only if you crank it to 10 and even then it's like it used to be if it was on 2 or 3. Pretty much inaudible Any ideas

ICBM

Is the tank connected the right way round? Try swapping the cables at the tank end.

monquixote

Methinks he was not a very good tech.

Travisthedog

monquixote said:

Methinks he was not a very good tech.

He's a star normally . I've been using him for years and he does all the amp repairs for Mansons

monquixote

Did it work when he gave it back to you?

Wazmeister

I'm interested in this outcome - got an amp in the band with the same problem

p90fool

Is it the right valve? No idea what yours should be, but reverb levels change drastically if you substitute 12ax7, 12at7 or 12au7 etc.

MDKV

Sounds like the pan has gone again to me.  Acutronics? 

ICBM

MDKV said:

Sounds like the pan has gone again to me.  Acutronics? 

It's not likely to have gone if any reverb is coming through at all, but it could be connected the wrong way round, or the wrong model.

But yes, modern Accutronics tanks are crap. I usually pre-emptively repair them nowadays if I have to have the tank out for any reason - it's the push-connectors on the bobbins that seem to be responsible for most of the failures, by being heavy enough to vibrate and break the coil wires. I cut them off and solder the wires directly to the pins as close to the bobbins as possible.

jpfamps

The Tube Amp Doctor tanks are a good replacement and have a better lead out from the transducers: the leads are terminated in the windings and a flexible lead taken out from the transducer (ie how you should do it).

Travisthedog

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/jonny73/Mobile Uploads/F909086F-F369-4872-8F59-5771FBC54DD7_zpsqa8vxrfc.jpg

@icbm looks like this may be the culprit!

Travisthedog

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/jonny73/Mobile Uploads/F909086F-F369-4872-8F59-5771FBC54DD7_zpsqa8vxrfc.jpg

@icbm looks like this may be the culprit!

ICBM

Yes! That's the send end, so the residual reverb you're getting is the speaker vibrating the tank which is then picked up by the return transducer. This is actually unusual - it's almost always the return end which breaks because the wires are finer.

Pull off the white plastic connector, cut the black wire as close to it as possible, and solder both wires to the pins as close as possible to the bobbin. Then do the same at the other end - but be careful, because the return end is more fragile. Don't wiggle the connector to get it off.

You may also want to add a blob of hot-melt glue to secure the wires to the bobbin and stop any flexing there.

I understand about speed of assembly being the driving factor behind this change, and that push-connectors are not *always* a bad idea - but they really are here. Just bad design to use them in this application.

Travisthedog

Thanks mate - that's excatly what I've done!!!

Great advice - you should do this kind of thing for a living

What's that?....

You do?

Oh

ICBM

A living? You must be kidding .

Actually what I'd like to do is be a paid consultant to all these companies to stop them introducing stupid designs like this in the first place, but I suspect it wouldn't be appreciated - since a lot of the time, they get to sell a new product...