Repairing a Fender Deluxe spring reverb guitar amp

[@Andy_Cares]

Straight forward, to the point with no extra banter...thank you!!

[@mrfender7193]

I could watch this guy repair amps all day. This is so cool.

[@byrdz2313]

Guitar Greg wonderful video. I watched the whole dam thing. Well done.

[@pjf7943]

Unfortunately for you, he's using sand paper on electrical connections... A definite No-No..

[@raybede]

I sometimes wish I was as skillful as people like this gentleman.

[@kimnaef9339]

Hi James, Oh, those loose green wires! I just bought a vintage Sunn Alpha Four that had been sitting for ten years. As you remember, it is a four channel mixer, 200+ W power amp with REVERB effects. Earlier in the week, I drove 120 miles to look at it at the sellers home, just before our Paris snow storm. I was a bit miffed when the seller explained that reverb had "worked, just the day before". I paid him full asking price, after negotiating that he throw in a voice mic, as well. The syncronicity to all this is, just as I removed the tank, flipped it over and was inspecting the springs and wires, and meanwhile I am listenening to you begin to explain you have discovered a loose green wire on the input jack, I see the green loose wire. Ditto here! Many thanks for the clear and informative video tutorial. Go Ventures!

[@jamelectronics]

Great story, thanks for sharing! I'm glad it worked out for you!

[@Tchuri100]

Thanks so much guys! I have an Deluxe Reverb Limited Edition and my reverb was malfunctioning making a huge humm sound when i turned it on. No on in brazil (my country) knew how to fix ir or had the parts to do so. I watched your video, opened the tank myself and removed a loose screw that was in between the coils. Connected it back and bum, the sound was perfect once again. Huge thanks to you guys, saved me a lot of money time and frustration

[@axeloberg9596]

A++ THX! Just fixed my reverb tank on a much newer solid state amp... The principals and insight in this video are applicable to any amp with spring reverb!

[@alanhowell3646]

That’s really useful. I have a 1984 Fender Superchamp in which the reverb has stopped working so I’m going to follow your instructions.

[@ulissesscarparo3164]

Thank you very much, the best video of thisbat the internet. I fixed my reverb. God bless you.

[@BobSell]

Great video James! Gave me the confidence to tackle and fix my reverb problem. Thank you!

[@jamelectronics]

Bob Sell , so glad it helped you! Thanks for the feedback!

[@ColtsHighSchoolMusic]

Mr. Pattillo, Thank you for this video. I feel confident that I will be able to fix my reverb after watching your video. I have been a teacher for over twenty years and have not seen anyone teach problem discovery and solving better than you have in this video. I plan to subscribe to your channel and use this video and any others that you have in my classroom. Thanks for your expertise.

[@jamelectronics]

Don, thanks for your kind words! I hope my videos are useful to you.

[@goodun2974]

At about 4:30, notice that the bottom panel of the reverb tank has spacers to lift the tank up slightly and prevent the sagging springs from hitting the inside bottom of the amplifier cabinet. If your amplifiers' reverb tank doesn't have this type of spacer-panel lifting it up and away from the cabinet, you should probably add one. Also note that, unlike most sound processing gear where hooking up an auxiliary piece of equipment requires you to hook output of one device to the input of another, and vice versa, in this case the jack on the back of the amplifier marked "output" goes to the jack on the reverb tank that is similarly marked "output". Sometimes the reverb tank's jacks are marked, and sometimes they're not, but if they are, the cables go output to output, and input to input. Thereby confusing everyone who has ever hooked up an equalizer or a tape deck into their home stereo system!. Finally come note that a reverb tank designed for use in a Fender circuit ( which has a small transformer to drive the reverb tank input) will not work with most vintage Magnatone or Ampeg amplifiers, or any others where the tank is capacitor-coupled to the circuitry. Check with the manufacturer's online charts to see what tank works for your amp.

[@smollande]

This video was a lifesaver. Thanks a million!

[@PierBel1]

Great tutorial ! Generous details and non-mystic vocabulary, you're an ace !! :-) Thanks ! I'm gonna try to fix mine that died out progressively and now just rumbles when pushed up

[@jorgemellooliveira9611]

ótimo vídeo obrigado Jorge Sul do Brasil

[@waynejohnson6594]

Great video! I replaced a transducer in my early 70,s Princeton. Don't remember it being too difficult. Thanks!

[@penguin99ify]

My Marshall DSL had a reverb malfunction. As a thought after seeing this video, check for corrosion on the two RCA jacks attached to the reverb tank FIRST. Then check the two jacks on the amp. Lastly, verify the cable is good with a multimeter or cable tester. A few sprays of WD-40 and abrasive paper on the jacks usually clears it up. Saves time of removing the tank. If it doesn't, continue to follow the video's advice on further testing. Thanks for posting.

[@nzajflynn]

This was super helpful. A wise old hand. Thank you.

[@danielemantovani5208]

good job, Mr. James. Thank You.

[@remley8877]

You lucked up on that repair. For me it usually ends up being a snapped lead in the transducer. I hate fiddling with resoldering those fine copper wires. Great video.

[@gregwilcox55]

Thanks for the info, gonna go repair my reverb tank now.

[@THUNDERWORX]

Great video! You have a gift for explaining things!

[@simongarrettmusic]

Nice video, not too fast, not too slow and I liked the light relief at the end. Looks like mine might be a transducer though..

[@jamelectronics]

Thanks for your comment!

[@oldgittarist]

Very clear and well done, thanks!

[@jacobwood9607]

Very helpful video! Thanks very much!

[@miketaylor803]

I have had a couple of amps with short (9 inch?) accutronic springs where the wire between the coil and soldered connection to the push on terminal pin has snapped - if it's the end of the coil it's possible to peel back the tape and take a couple of turns off and re-solder if it's the start / inner wire - it is a ball ache! Just done one this afternoon. had to remove the glue holding each spring on the little transducer (the bit soldered into the bullet shaped end with a little iron slug on ) with some solvent and a tiny jeweller's screwdriver (magnifying goggles required!!) THEN carefully unhook each spring THEN remove the tubular brass rivet (I carefully drill one end only) THEN remove frame brass coloured and the laminated steel sheets and slide off the coil former. I had to completely unwind and rewind the coil (I used new 43 awg wire not sure the original gauge tbh but it looked similar) using an electric drill and a bamboo skewer shaved to have a square cross section to fit inside the coil former. Just wind carefully until you fill it to the same size (I made sure there was loads of surplus wire at the start ) Solder to the connector pins and re-assemble I used copper panel pins (have used tiny brass split pins before) to solder to the end of the tubular brass rivet when i re-assembled and some high viscosity CA to hold the springs to the transducer and a bit to stick the laminations to the frame (belt and braces) - coil measured about 190 Ohms dc it should be about 210 - but it works fine nevertheless

[@jamelectronics]

Mike, hats off to you for tackling a very tedious task! It takes a lot of skill and patience to repair those small transducer coils in a reverb tank. Thanks for posting. I'm sure some will appreciate your detailed description of how you go about it.

[@miketaylor803]

thanks for your kind words... I just thought I'd share (don't have the skills to make a video!) so people would know it is possible (If i can do it with my eyesight and fat fingers others should be able to)

[@TroubadourJuggernaut]

very good video ! nice and clear, slow, well done

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Thank's, that was really helpfull. These tips need to be recorded because they are so specialised and specific and the cats from the future will thank you...Pipeline!

[@LJonny22]

So cool. No point in talking, Self - expilanitory. Thumbs up!

[@MrWilkat1]

Thanks--not sure what my issue is as it may be the foot switch but I get no reverb and loud buzzing when I switch it on. The overdrive switch is fine and that works great, but the reverb just started loud buzzing out of the blue. My amp is a Fender Deluxe but a transistorized model. I imagine the problem could be very different (not even sure if there's a tank in this model or if the reverb is digital? I'll have to check).

[@jimcastillo8950]

Hello James, I never seen the base of the reverb tank like that with wood shims. Are all fender pre cbs reverb tanks like that with the wood and cardboard? thanks for your videos....

[@iansnyder274]

I have an old BF Vibrolux Reverb. The reverb works but it sounds weakish like it is only working at 60 percent and the decay of the reverb is pretty short. I have cleaned the connections on the plugs. Any suggestions? I have not found the newer tanks to sound nearly as good as the originals imo. Thanks very much and thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!

[@rocanrola]

Hi James, great video! Problem with reverb pan 4AB3C1B from '73 SF DR I tried it on a Princeton Reverb built and definitely sounds very low compared to a new unit In the '73 SF DR hardly hear

[@jamelectronics]

Yep, your reverb tank may be bad. Check the input and output with an ohmmeter. If either input or output is open circuit ( infinite resistance) then repair or replace tank. Good luck!

[@rgbofmaine]

Great video James. I live in rural Maine, and amp techs are scarce. I'm getting a little better with DIY, but I'm still skittish. So I have a question: The reverb on my Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue works, but sporadically. Usually it works for an hour and then fades to nearly nothing (although a tiny hint of reverb remains). It returns the next time I switch on the amp. I replaced the reverb driver tube in position 3 and that didn't help. Before I pull the tank, should I replace the reverb return tube (in position 4)? Could it be the tank itself? Probably not a connection as in your video, but maybe something else? Any wisdom is greatly appreciated!

[@jamelectronics]

Sorry for slow response. Yes, I would change the V4 tube. The symptoms don't sound like the tank is the problem. If than doesn't fix it, check to see if the filament seems to be lighted in V3 and V4 when the problem occurs. If not, then you will have to troubleshoot the cause of filaments losing voltage. Also, an inspection of all solder connections in the reverb chain including Reverb POT are in order.

[@mikecamps7226]

I've seen some bad solder joints on the tube heater pins on the tube sockets from the factory, so check them first …#4&5 pins next to each other on the socket and #9 on the opposite side......the wires going to them jump to the other sockets to the same pins on each socket.....the wire is very thin and I have seen the joints just hanging by a strand......its stranded wire. If you are opening the amp....it would be wise to examine all the wire going to the socket pins for good connections and solder joints..... plus examine the grounds...they are just screw down grounding lugs so the screws have to be tight to the chassis....though I prefer soldered grounds to the chassis which requires a heavy duty soldering iron...like a 80 watt iron......so the typical 15 or 20 watt iron or even a bigger 30 watt iron would not work for chassis grounding. And being a reissue amp, fender used cheap junk Illinois capacitors which are notorious for failing and notorious for sounding crappy (electrolytic caps both as cathode bypass positions and in the power rail filters). They are a wet chemical type material construction....with a vented end plug, so they dry out in time.....and they tend to act up when they get warm as specially when they start to fail. The amp chassis has the tubes hanging down and heat rises...so the chassis becomes heat soaked when its been on for awhile......thus turning it off lets it cool down....so it goes in a cycle based on heating and cooling off. When these caps are new....heat would make them drift in value, and when they are old and dried out...it makes it even more worse and they can even short to ground....grounding out signal if its a bypass cap on a tube cathode.

[@johnsimms3957]

More amp repair videos please. ☺

[@iBorsch]

Hello. I have a Harley Benton GA5 guitar amp into which I would like to build in a spring reverb. Which I'll take from an old Laney PL50 Reverb Can you tell me where to attach it according to the diagram? I want to build it into the body and mix in the sound of reverb.

[@grizzellor]

Top notch video. Thanks!

[@jamelectronics]

Thank you!

[@ilmonolito3764]

I don't even have a reverb tank to repair, but I want to do that now.

[@javierf55]

Great video, really useful. I'm having a kind of spring noise on my Fender Hotrod Deluxe iii... Any suggestion on where to look for?

[@ryyymyyy]

Do you have a video where the tank isn’t the issue? I have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III and the black RCA cable is reading on the Reverb channel, but the red cable isn’t reading anything.

[@fredrikmarmsater5375]

any chance you'd know where to find the small 2-pin connectors?

[@MrAmoLLL]

I've problem in my peavey bandit reverb tank.. I'll check if any broken cable is there

[@kerryewen3624]

Good video, thanks

[@scottm3775]

Hi James. Thanks greatly for your helpful video. I just bought a ‘65 Fender Deluxe Reverb with the reverb not working. I took out the tank and the wires look solid on the accutronics. I know if I bump the amp I can get the reverb crash sound through the speaker. Any ideas on what the problem could be?

[@jamelectronics]

Yes. Did you check the resistance on the input to the reverb tank? Even though wires look good, the small trasnducer in the tank could be bad ( see the video for checking that). Other likely candidates, if that's not the problem, is the reverb driver tube, V3 - should be a 12At7 tube in the 3rd position on the chassis. Least likely but a possibility is the small transformer that couples the output of the V3 tube to the reverb tank input. Good luck.

[@scottm3775]

@@jamelectronics Hi James. Thanks greatly for letting me know. I ended up taking the amp to a local tech who also though it might be the transformer or something on the circuit board. Hopefully it won’t be too expensive to fix. Cheers!

[@yrulooknatme]

hi I just bought a 2nd hand princeton 65 solid state amp. the reverb was is not working. thanks to you I managed to trace an open wire on one of the transducers. but it's in the plastic mini pin connector. I looks like a tang could be depressed to eject the connector pin but I'm having no success. do you have a tip? thanks I searched for a replacement pin connector but had no luck finding it... thanks

[@jamelectronics]

Sorry, I do not know where you might get a part for that. Can you solder to a point and bypass the connector? Otherwise, it’s probably buy a replacement tank.

[@yrulooknatme]

@@jamelectronics can the pins on stand a little heat to solder wire on them , guess I got nothin to lose.

[@jamelectronics]

@@yrulooknatme I would solder as far from the plastic as possible. Do it fast. Also, if you can use a small alligator clip or similar to act as a heat sink between the solder point and the plastic part, it will help.

[@yrulooknatme]

@@jamelectronics thanks

[@garysmith3097]

I have a 1982 Fender Super Reverb amp with a spring reverb set-up just like the one shown in your video. I have no reverb anymore and get a loud hiss instead. I tested for open circuits on both leads and got a resistance of 180 ohms on the input lead. However, on the output lead I get a very low resistance ( about 0.9 ohms on the 200 ohm meter setting). So there is no open circuit as in your video. Also... all the connections inside the reverb box look good. Any idea of what may cause that extremely low resistance?

[@jamelectronics]

On my Super Reverb the input to the reverb tank( output from amp) measures 1.7 ohms and the output from the tank measures 170 ohms, so your readings may not be out of range. If the tank is good and connected correctly, then you will have to look further. There is a tube ( 12AT7 ) driving the input to the reverb tank via a matching transformer, and the output of the reverb tank feeds a 12AX7 tube. I believe these tubes are V3 and V4. Try swapping each of these. Try tapping on the reverb tank while powered up and reverb turned up and see if you hear noise from the tapping. If you do, then the reverb spring- transducer-reverb tank output-lead to the amp input circuit is good and the V4 12Ax7 tube is probably good. Then the problem is before the reverb tank in the circuit. i.e. maybe the 12At7 or V3 tube. I hope this helps!

[@garysmith3097]

@@jamelectronics Thanks James! I'll give that a try.

[@TVguy9999]

Very helpful!

[@raybede]

Is that really some corrugated cardboard on my very expensive Fender amp? Perhaps this could be described as coming from the Fender recycling plant!!!!

[@Cat1980bird]

Thanks, James!

[@petersaccoccio1664]

GREAT INFO!

[@freefromleftwing]

Hi James . would you please give me a tip regarding my reverb tank ?

[@jamelectronics]

+Joao Soares , Sure, how can i help?

[@freefromleftwing]

Thanks James , I have got a 9AB2A1B (accu) ,is not working on my MB DC3 , input 10 ohms , output , roughly 260 ohms . The input transducer is a bit loose , the output its fixed . I re solder some weak connections and sanded ( 1000 ) some metal parts that were a bit dark . what you think about this ?

[@jamelectronics]

+Joao Soares , If you are measuring about 10 ohms on the input and about 260 ohms on the output of the tank, and everything looks OK mechanically in the tank, then your problem may be elsewhere. Check the cables to the tank. Is there continuity on both cables? If all is OK, check tube V5, if provides amplification to the input and output of the reverb tank. Swap out V5 with another of the same type. I assume you have no reverb effect on either rhythm or lead channels? And also, that all of the channel switching functions work OK?

[@jamelectronics]

+Joao Soares The transducer being a bit loose shouldn't be a problem.

[@mikecamps7226]

I'm not familiar with this particular amplifier but if it has an effects loop....the effects loop jacks could be bad.....the jacks are usually switched jacks and the contact points for the connection is a pin point when the jack is not used with a lead to an effects unit...the jack not being used and switched carries the wet reverb signal and it passes through this tiny pin point contact...so if it oxidizes...it becomes a no connection situation. So you can have dry signal going a different route, and the wet going that route but not getting to the merge point for the reverb mix with the dry signal....in the signal pathway.

[@El_Suertero]

Hello, Mr. James. I have issue with reverb tank - the one spring is broken and one is alive. The broken one is connected to little contact from one side, but from another side there is no that little contact. So I can't connect second spring. How can I replace that little contact or it's not repairable and I should buy whole part? It's seems like contact is going inside some plastic and there is little metal outside. Can I make custom contact and replace broken and how to do that?

[@jamelectronics]

It's possible to repair that but mighty tedious and not something that I've had success with. If it were me, I'd just replace the tank. If you are clever enough to do it, I would love to hear back from you!

[@captainamerica9353]

@@jamelectronics , I have an old Princeton Reverb with I think a similar issue. The tiny hook is broken where one of the springs connects on the outboard side of the tank. Do you know of anyone that repairs these? My tank is dated 1966 and would like to repair instead of replace it.

[@craigrome]

I have recently bought a new reverb tank and it has no cover on the bottom. Is it neccessary to have a cover on the bottom?

[@jamelectronics]

No, but if you want you can cut a piece of cardboard from a box and fasten it on with tape of something. But no cover doesn’t affect functionality.

[@craigrome]

Great thanks for the reply. It does actually have rubber grommets and will be going in a vinyl bag so it sounds like that will be sufficient

[@jerrymartinez2160]

How much does it cost for a repair like this?

[@david.lamour]

What happen if the tank cables are good?? I havd the same problem in my amp but I can see that everything is good on the tank.. The cables that conect the reverb is good too

[@jamelectronics]

Does a check with an ohmmeter indicate that the inducers in the tank are good? ( see video). If so, and the cables are good, then either the driver circuitry or the recovery circuitry is probably at fault. With the amp on, tap on the reverb tank and listen for reverb type sounds. If you hear none, then the problem is in the recovery circuit. If you hear sounds, then the problem is in the driver circuits. If this is a tube amp, then find the tubes that drive the reverb and amplify the output of the reverb and try new tubes. If solid state, then the drivers and output amplifiers are likely Integrated Circuits and harder to troubleshoot.

[@mikecamps7226]

The connectors have probably turned white meaning they are corroded and need cleaned after years of never being touched....so clean the tank connectors and try to clean the cable connectors too and crimp them alittle so they fit on the jacks really snug when you press them in. I have had 2 amps come in to me for service with broken springs in the tank which I find to be very rare but plausible. Its usually the connectors are corroded and need cleaned. I use steel wool but you want to be neat with it as the hairs get everywhere...and stick to magnetic things. I usually wrap a wad on a screw driver tip to attack the insides of the cable ends to get the tabs shined up or a mini file set I acquired from harbor freight for a few dollars.....I snap the tip of a semi round file off so the blades are directly at the end of the file and use that to shine the cable tabs. Although I have not tried this yet on a reverb tank, a carry over from working on cars is to coat the battery terminals with vasolene before putting the battery terminals on the battery as it prevents the corrosion from happening.....been doing that for years. Most likely would work on the reverb connectors too. That is the typical reason for no reverb. But as in this presentation, the wires internally in the tank can get brittle and break off the rca jack inside the tank. Copper has a tendency to get brittle with age and the insulation on the wire can outgas and get hard and stiff which adds to the brittle thing with the copper so any kind of play with the tank mechanism cause the breaks to occur......and the silicone thing is a good idea. Sometimes the tank jacks have little tabs that hold the wires too. But I have found that once you experience the wire break.....it will probably break again in the near future....so you'll chase reconnecting it. SO I'd suggest if it goes to breaking off again....just replace the tank. I call the wire angel hair as its very very thin, and having to trim back takes the slack out of the wire.....but when it goes to becoming stiff....it compounds the problem. **************************One other point for a no reverb situation is the 12at7 reverb driver tube. That tube runs hot as its being fed the voltage off the power tube node in the power rail. They generally run hot enough to burn the ink labeling on the tube's glass. If you might happen o have a grove tube with red stencil...it will be turned black from the heat. Most of the time they begin to get microphonic and ring & squeal.....but if you happened to get a good one...they run till they burn out. SO take the tube shield off the tubes and turn the amp on in a dark room and look at the tubes.....a dead tube won't have any heater glow from the heater elements in the tube. This would be the 12at7 next to the little reverb transformer as the tube opposite the transformer would be a 12ax7. An EH12at7wc would be a very bright sounding driver for the reverb....but a non WC EH 12at7 doesn't have the bright factor. A JJ12at7 tends to be a warm sounding tube....so it is not a generic thing just to swap in any 12at7....they all have a different flavor of a response. If you want more clarity in the reverb......the 12ax7 I mentioned is the reverb recovery tube and that can be substituted with a 12at7 which cleans up the reverb signal and give more clarity to the reverb. If your tank happens to be bad and beyond repair......there are 3 types of tanks available for replacement.....sometimes some suppliers rebrand them to their label but there is a replacement accutronics which is now made by belton in korea, and then there is a belton tank that's not accutronics…...belton has 2 lines and the response is different between them......so you'd want the accutronics type by belton. There is the 3rd type which is a MOD type made in china as an accutronics clone...….it has a very rich response which can be very attractive in a tube reverb circuit vs the accutronics tank and particularly in the 2 spring type tanks. I lean towards the MOD tank in a tube reverb, and only the accutronics tank when its a solid state reverb like in the hotrod deluxe or hotrod deville or blues JR.

[@davidshepard3708]

Thank you!

[@robertw1871]

Of course my failure is the same symptoms but no such an easy fix.... always the case right... 😭

[@charlessaliba3498]

Thanks

[@DCSHOECOUSADC]

Mine reverb tank Randall rh100 at 8 reverb certain notes 12 feet 3rd string makes a sound like the springs we’re making contact with each other anyone’ deal with this?

[@brexxebender1204]

I just got a 68 fender reissue and i dont have any reverb at all...

[@jamelectronics]

Well, I hope with the aid of my video you can diagnose the problem.

[@brexxebender1204]

@@jamelectronics Turns out, the rca cables and components are junk. Contact wasn't being made... ugh..Fender is getting like Gibson with their QC

[@gabrielpeschardvazquez8905]

Good tutorial but....solder should NEVER be blown on (Min 7: 34)

[@jamelectronics]

Thanks for watching my video and for your comment. I have heard this theory and know the rationale for it. However, there is another factor here that I believe contradicts your "never" statement. The soldered wire should be held stable while the solder cools and hardens, otherwise the solder joint will be faulty. In this connection, there is no terminal to wrap the wire or mechanically mount the wire so that I had to hold it stable while it cooled. Cooling a bit faster lowers the likelihood of moving it as it cools, and I think this outweighs any chance that cooling a bit faster weakens the connection.

[@pablorustic4115]

Cenkiu!!

[@daviddiazsantander3373]

El medio weveo y kedó casi igual ....🙄