I know very little about electronics, much to my detriment. My dad lived and breathed this stuff and watching your channel reminds me of him. It's strangely cathartic. Anyways, keep up the great work.
My dad had a similar affinity and the abilities of PA. The skills he taught me and the smell of melting solder are greatly missed. Every time I plug in a guitar I remember.
I picked up a '75 Super Reverb for $125. at a Ralph Lauren sample sale. Put $700. into it for a complete overhaul by a great local amp tech, including new Eminenece speakers. Best amp I've ever played. Great videos as always Psionic.
I am a new viewer of your channel and feel like I have found a gold mine of information on everything about guitar amps. You talk about these amps in somewhat technical terms but guys like me who don’t work on their gear can still understand what you are talking about. I appreciate your honesty and objectivity and really appreciate what you are doing. I look forward to watching all of your old content and everything new. Great work and thank you from this Fender tube amp fan!
Interesting thing with thoes late 70's super reverbs, they have the same chassis size as the twin reverbs and the supers also got the addition of a mid pot on the normal channel. They standardized the chassis for all the big boy amps during that era and the good news is, you can find various cabinets that will fit the chassis with different speaker configurations.
I like the way the mid to late 70’s Super’s sound. They don’t do the chewy overdrive that the AB763 amps do. If you’re going for SRV style sounds, these do it bone stock.
BB KING'S FAVORITE AMP! That concert gig album he did a prison,that's what he drove the shit out of with his Lusile, beautiful singing tone, I had to get one or two.
How could any dignified tube amp lover PASS UP this video.... with it's heading declaring the evaluation and inside look at a mid 70's Super Reverb!!!! Love all your work...and IT LOVES YOU!!! Excellent source of professional info and repair, on the top tube amps from the golden age. Gear cherished by guitarists! 👍👍👍
just got a 77 super like this one, £1000, totally original condition apart from 2 changed speakers, (eminence) cool old Zaerix 6L6s, sounds phenomenal! just needs a recap as it still has the original Mallory caps, will probably add some castors too, best amp i’ve ever played.
Excellent video. I love your clarity and the constant bits of knowledge and experience you share. So good. These old BF and SF Fenders are so wonderful. Thanks for this.
that really is a gem of an amp considering its age ...I have an old '76 Deluxe Reverb that looks like a rat was living in it! CBS era amps really were terrible with the lead dress! ...So I Blackfaced the Power section, and replaced all the Electrolytic Caps(Power supply, Bias and bypass). The amp sounds fantastic, and is dead quiet! I wouldn't dare try to clean up anything inside fearing that I lose some of that mojo!
These are fabulous pedal amps. Cut the wires to the volume boost feature and replace the reverb driver's 620 or 680 ohm cathode resistor with a 2K2 resistor and a 22uF or 25uF shunt cap. The 90% treble bleed master volume pot was a nicely executed master volume idea. I use a Fein multitool to cut the baffles out. Easy peasy, and it goes quite fast too. I use a drywall knife. It is just super wide putty knife I use to separate the chassis. I also use it for drywall mud, wood pore and body filler.
Another informative video that helps. Thanks again for the time and care you put into this...the other instrument to go with your guitar 😎👍 REALLY looking forward to the video of amps @ $1k or >...😉
Just discovered your channel, really appreciate the quality of your work and videos. I recently picked up an original AB763 Super Reverb for $900 from a local pawn shop - hoping this video can help me evaluate it further!
I love Super Reverbs - it was such a treat to get a peek at what make these things tick. I've owned a bunch of Fender amps including Deluxes, Twins, Princetons and even an old blackface Champ, but there is just something special about the Supers (IMHO!). Really fun and informative video to watch! Many thanks!
Just wanted to say that you're content is top-notch, and I don't even own a tube amp. I'm an apartment dweller so modeling works great for me, though I do enjoy the analog design and engineering of tube amps. In any case, I really enjoy watching your content because it's well recorded, you know what you're talking about, and I learn plenty of new things every single episode.
Our guitar tech has one of these SF DR's that he tuned up. A client never picked it up 20 plus years ago. Just a killer tone machine. He has sold more guitars due to how good this amp sounds. I recently acquired a 78 DR that just drips tone. Just slays my buddy's 3k Allesandro DR - RI.
I did a recap on a 1969 Deluxe reverb last year. The doghouse was also stuck, but because one of the original caps bursted open and the electrolyte was gooped and holding it on. Gnarly project.
I think Lindal was a brand for RCA tubes manufactured in Japan. I have a NOS pair of their 6L6GCs stashed somewhere, and they look and measure like RCAs.
that 'dough cutter' tool is properly called a scotch; really good video, many thanks any cahnce of doing a similar series for bass amps/combos please ?
I've got a 78 pro reverb with the push pull master volume to overdrive and and I find it to be a great feature in certain applications, these amps are very versatile. I love this review by the way
I did actually get an old silver face SR for less than the reissue just a few days ago. Bone stock. Fingers crossed! 14 day return policy. I suspect this video will be very helpful in the future :)
Three years ago (back into guitar for a year and a half after a 30+ yr break) my local Sam Ash had a clean looking 69 Super reverb ($900) that sat in the store beckoning to me for 8 months to a year. If I'd only known what I know now...
Great video! I have a basic understanding of capacitors, resistors, impedence, etc. I've also watched videos on how tubes work but what this video taught me is that I really need to take my vintage amps to a qualified tech to get inspected. The one vintage amp expert in Kansas City, Don Warner, unfortunately had to retire due to health issues before he could get to my amps. I was fortunate to pick up an all original, to the best of my knowledge, 1976 Super Reverb from GC. Still has the RCA blackplate tubes and those sweet alnico speakers. I absolutely love it and have been playing it for several years with no issues but now I'm worried that the caps may be a ticking time bomb. I bought a 2nd '76 SR that's in decent shape but has had the master volume disconnected. I also have a 1968 Bassman that needs serviced. Any recommendations for a qualified tech in the KC area? I also travel back to Ohio, Columbus & Akron/Canton area, frequently if any qualified techs in those areas as well.
Love this As an Owner of a Reissue 65 Silver Faced Twin Reverb Purchased NEW from California Factory in 2010, played for 5 hours and packed way with Fender Cover now 2023 hoping to really Play it. Everything I power up is through UPS 1600VA my question is Anything to worry about when I do Play it? Thank you?
I have had one of these since the early 80's. VERY misunderstood amp. Fender should have given it another name. I think alot of players expected them to sound like a pre-CBS Super and they have nothing in common. ALSO...Boogie was coming on and the master volume is not gonna give you that kind of drive. More like a Twin than an older Super. I love mine...clean straight to the top with just a bit of break. I use other amps for overdrive sounds. These do behave well with pedals though. Great breakdown!
I have a late 70's twin reverb. It has a grounded 3 prong electric cord. Do i have to worry about this death cap or getting shocked. I have been playing guitar for 30 years and never heard of this until i watched your videos. What should I do. I have owned this amp since the mid 80's and it was never abused. It was serviced a couple of times but no one ever mentioned this DEATH Cap thanks Great videos Learning a lot
i love my 71 non master super i bought it for $900 last year locally . too months to find a good hand wired vintage fender locally! just keep looking don't settle for anything less!
I managed to find a BF 67 with replaced speakers for about 900 about 8 years ago. Thought it was the greatest sounding amp of all time but a few years later picked up a 64 Concert and it is slightly better.
1) if inspecting the amp in person, *compare the fuse to the back panel markings for correct amperage value, and type (slo-blo vs. fast-blow?). It's also not difficult to flip the amp upside down and pull the doghouse cover off of the caps for inspection, as its only two screws.
I had a super twin that really didnt like being upright it had a eq channel and a horrible lead channel. I used it for years till it fell at a guys house and punched in the power switch. I wasnt that hirt because everytime id move it my elbow would hurt for 30 min or so.
I have a 1979 super reverb I just bought. It has the original speakers still (ceramic) they each measure 16 ohms and all hooked up it has 4 ohms not 2. Does this seem right?
Zinc oxide, white rust? Hmmm I built a guitar pedal recently and a few months later it looked like white residue inside. I cleaned it out with isopropyl so I thought that had caused it, what is the cause?
@@daviddawson1718yeah I'm still a broke ass guitar player who can't afford the good shit. The Fender original 65 "black face" Twin Reverb is the 2nd best ever imo
Have you ever worked on a Carr amp? I saw a circuit board for one of them and all the components seemed to be stuck together with epoxy. I was thinking of getting one but the epoxy made me reconsider
Yes he has, search his channel along the lines of “Carr Mercury under the hood”. I bought a 2004 Mercury two months ago. It’s the best amp I have ever played. I have a Princeton Reverb FSar reissue with alnico blue 12” speaker and a Blackstar Artist 15 and I much prefer the Carr. The silicone inside may be over done or not but nothing moves or vibrates. I love mine.
It's silicone, not epoxy. Fortunately. Good amps. Overbuilt to the point where service can be more expensive than it could be, but good amps. The large black film caps cut filtering kicks major service way down the road though.
Tangential question Lyle: how many bench hours, guesstimated, would you appropriate for Silver to Blackface conversions? The Allessandro thing is interesting, but would buying a 70s amp and benching it be more prudent (given a fairly healthy bill of health)?
It would depend on the model/year of SF amp. And whether BFing it is really the best idea. Changing the circuit is not always better. If Jimi had lived another decade none of us could afford SF Twins. Cuz he would have used them.
@@PsionicAudio Of course, duly noted. I guess I had the higher power, ultra clean models of the 70s in mind, although I am sure Jimi could have gotten those to break up as well.
Another reason for replacing the entire power cord: Typically with these cords from this era, the rubber insulation on the inner conductors reacts with the copper strands, turning them black. In this deteriorated state they are hard to solder and I’m guessing have reduced current carrying capacity. Those old cords have got to go!
That is the most important fact here. Once the cord separates from the plug, that is an indication of the stabilizing chemicals in the rubbers and plastic, have passed over the "half life" of their lifespan. All of the insulation at that point now begins to be suspect, and is actively deteriorating. Safety, and proper current capacity state it's time to replace that!
Probably the weight of the bigger amps is why they are less expensive. Most guys don't want to lug that much weight. I'm guessing Fender made a shit load of amps in that era as well.
I just picked one of these up in the Twin Reverb iteration. Is it worth changing the master volume to the Lar Mar version and elminating the boost function? Thanks for your time.
Just don't use the boost. The stock MV sounds pretty good if you just remove the bright cap. I wouldn't advise doing anything more elaborate. Time is better spent shortening/neatening the wiring.
@@PsionicAudio almost word for word what the Lads at That Pedal Show said about it during Mondays live Q&A show, though they were talking about (again) wet/dry and wet/dry/wet rigs.
800g wet n dry is a bit coarse to burnish contacts - it's also aluminium oxide which conducts, so not preferable to clean contacts in situ. Microscrub and a burnishing tool is what we'd use in the service.
@@PsionicAudio each time you jack in and out, those contacts work against one another, hence the use of a burnishing tool as a burnished contact will wear better. Yes, it's a Switchcraft jack - not the points in a chevy distributor, lol!
@@PsionicAudio Nice to hear. And if one of them shorted, you would notice it pretty quickly, at least if that amp has a fuse of correct value. 😁 Thanks for a quick answer. Nice video as well. 👍
@@jutukka , which brings up an important point ---- if you are inspecting the amp *in person* and contemplating buying it, check that it has the correct fuse value and type ---- current rating, and slo-blo vs fast blow. If it has the wrong fuse in it, this may be indicative that it has a problem sufficient to cause it to blow fuses, and use of the wrong fuse might have caused further damage.
Got a great deal on a 72 twin last year. Love it. Probably because I'm not gigging with it. The big drawback on those silverface twins and supers is the weight.
@@drewsollars2239 At 70 watts, you need a MV or an attenuator! I have a ‘69 SR rated at 40 watts and it’s pretty loud. Mine has been Blackfaced with a couple of mods and it sounds really good!
@@Earlvis I like their stock master volume just fine. Less efficient speakers will bring the volume down too. Mine has jensen c12n. The cheap Italian ones. Sounds great.
@@drewsollars2239 I like to use 6v6 tubes in them. It lowers the volume and they sound fantastic! Lots of ways to skin a cat. Use a variac and you can really dial it in.
Man I got one of those from a pawn shop for $200 bucks back in 1986 and a few months later I sold it for $150 bucks because it wasn't "Metal" yes I was a young idiot....
I had a Super Reverb for 25 years - it had CTS alnicos. I'm too old to lug one now. A Super's too loud to use most places these days. I blame drummers for my hearing loss...
I just how when comparing the late silverface era stuff a champ is worth hundreds more than a super or twin. And honestly it should be that way - 2x12 and 4x10 combos are wayyyy too heavy. Would rather carry a separate head and cab than a combo that's over 100lb
I just hate when vintage is associated with the year I graduated high school,,,, that was only 10 years ago right 1978??? the other thing is I bought in high school a new 1977 fender super 6 a 100 watt 6 x 10" combo/boat anchor. I hated that amp because I wanted a Marshall stack but dad was set against me buying that crappy British made garbage like Marshall and MG's
I know very little about electronics, much to my detriment. My dad lived and breathed this stuff and watching your channel reminds me of him. It's strangely cathartic. Anyways, keep up the great work.
My dad had a similar affinity and the abilities of PA. The skills he taught me and the smell of melting solder are greatly missed. Every time I plug in a guitar I remember.
I hope the customer goes for the full boat with De-spaghetti-ing service. That will make for a great video series.
Man I love those "ultralinear" Fenders. Such a fat plumb sound and lovely tight bottom end and have a nice breakup with the master volume.
I picked up a '75 Super Reverb for $125. at a Ralph Lauren sample sale. Put $700. into it for a complete overhaul by a great local amp tech, including new Eminenece speakers. Best amp I've ever played. Great videos as always Psionic.
I am a new viewer of your channel and feel like I have found a gold mine of information on everything about guitar amps. You talk about these amps in somewhat technical terms but guys like me who don’t work on their gear can still understand what you are talking about. I appreciate your honesty and objectivity and really appreciate what you are doing. I look forward to watching all of your old content and everything new. Great work and thank you from this Fender tube amp fan!
I own a '76 Super Six that came with 6 10" orange JBLs made for Fender. I had never seen these speakers before but I really like them.
Interesting thing with thoes late 70's super reverbs, they have the same chassis size as the twin reverbs and the supers also got the addition of a mid pot on the normal channel. They standardized the chassis for all the big boy amps during that era and the good news is, you can find various cabinets that will fit the chassis with different speaker configurations.
I just bought one in a Twin cab! 2 x 12's sound huge on a Super Reverb!
@@1982RJ Did you replace the output transformer on the Super? Or are you just living with the impedance mismatch?
@@1982RJ I have a great 72 pro reverb. Pro reverbs were essentially 2x12 supers. Great deals to be had in comparison to deluxes of the same time
I like the way the mid to late 70’s Super’s sound. They don’t do the chewy overdrive that the AB763 amps do. If you’re going for SRV style sounds, these do it bone stock.
BB KING'S FAVORITE AMP! That concert gig album he did a prison,that's what he drove the shit out of with his Lusile, beautiful singing tone, I had to get one or two.
A 70's super is definitely one of the main vintage amps I'm interested in picking up at some point before the prices start rising.
How could any dignified tube amp lover PASS UP this video.... with it's heading declaring the evaluation and inside look at a mid 70's Super Reverb!!!! Love all your work...and IT LOVES YOU!!! Excellent source of professional info and repair, on the top tube amps from the golden age. Gear cherished by guitarists! 👍👍👍
Pleasure listening to you and watching the guts of amps :)
IMO, any silverface is worth the rehab, provided it's properly done.
just got a 77 super like this one, £1000, totally original condition apart from 2 changed speakers, (eminence) cool old Zaerix 6L6s, sounds phenomenal! just needs a recap as it still has the original Mallory caps, will probably add some castors too, best amp i’ve ever played.
Excellent video. I love your clarity and the constant bits of knowledge and experience you share. So good. These old BF and SF Fenders are so wonderful.
Thanks for this.
that really is a gem of an amp considering its age ...I have an old '76 Deluxe Reverb that looks like a rat was living in it! CBS era amps really were terrible with the lead dress! ...So I Blackfaced the Power section, and replaced all the Electrolytic Caps(Power supply, Bias and bypass). The amp sounds fantastic, and is dead quiet! I wouldn't dare try to clean up anything inside fearing that I lose some of that mojo!
Such great knowledge, thank you!
Just found your channel, been bingeing your videos. Very enjoyable watch, like Ted from twoodfrd but for amps.
These are fabulous pedal amps. Cut the wires to the volume boost feature and replace the reverb driver's 620 or 680 ohm cathode resistor with a 2K2 resistor and a 22uF or 25uF shunt cap. The 90% treble bleed master volume pot was a nicely executed master volume idea. I use a Fein multitool to cut the baffles out. Easy peasy, and it goes quite fast too. I use a drywall knife. It is just super wide putty knife I use to separate the chassis. I also use it for drywall mud, wood pore and body filler.
Such a great channel you have here!
The voiceover is amazing i love listening somehow it doesn't get boring...consider me subbed!
Another informative video that helps.
Thanks again for the time and care you put into this...the other instrument to go with your guitar 😎👍
REALLY looking forward to the video of amps @ $1k or >...😉
Just discovered your channel, really appreciate the quality of your work and videos. I recently picked up an original AB763 Super Reverb for $900 from a local pawn shop - hoping this video can help me evaluate it further!
Love the kitchen tool trick.
I have one of these I bought 20 years ago. Really finding this vid helpful.
Thanks as always
I love Super Reverbs - it was such a treat to get a peek at what make these things tick. I've owned a bunch of Fender amps including Deluxes, Twins, Princetons and even an old blackface Champ, but there is just something special about the Supers (IMHO!). Really fun and informative video to watch! Many thanks!
Tempting amp to look into getting. That conductive board thing sounds expensive though. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Lyle.
This one is an ultralinear model, if I'm not mistaken. Very different beasts from the MV Fender amps from the mid-'70s.
I own a 66 super and a 74 twin, both great sounding amps.
Just wanted to say that you're content is top-notch, and I don't even own a tube amp. I'm an apartment dweller so modeling works great for me, though I do enjoy the analog design and engineering of tube amps. In any case, I really enjoy watching your content because it's well recorded, you know what you're talking about, and I learn plenty of new things every single episode.
Thanks Brandon!
Interesting video! The Lindal tubes look like rebranded GE 6L6GC's. I have an old Plush Super 450 twin with original GE tubes that look like those.
Our guitar tech has one of these SF DR's that he tuned up. A client never picked it up 20 plus years ago. Just a killer tone machine. He has sold more guitars due to how good this amp sounds. I recently acquired a 78 DR that just drips tone. Just slays my buddy's 3k Allesandro DR - RI.
Fabulous video, thank you for sharing your expertise, so much great information and demonstrations. Please take good care of your wrist. (:
I did a recap on a 1969 Deluxe reverb last year. The doghouse was also stuck, but because one of the original caps bursted open and the electrolyte was gooped and holding it on. Gnarly project.
Omg I totally played a 78 Super Reverb at a local guitar shop a few days ago! It was cool but fuckin HEAVY!!!
I think Lindal was a brand for RCA tubes manufactured in Japan. I have a NOS pair of their 6L6GCs stashed somewhere, and they look and measure like RCAs.
that 'dough cutter' tool is properly called a scotch; really good video, many thanks
any cahnce of doing a similar series for bass amps/combos please ?
I've got a 78 pro reverb with the push pull master volume to overdrive and and I find it to be a great feature in certain applications, these amps are very versatile. I love this review by the way
Didn't want to brag but I got mine for 600 bucks.
I did actually get an old silver face SR for less than the reissue just a few days ago. Bone stock. Fingers crossed! 14 day return policy.
I suspect this video will be very helpful in the future :)
Three years ago (back into guitar for a year and a half after a 30+ yr break) my local Sam Ash had a clean looking 69 Super reverb ($900) that sat in the store beckoning to me for 8 months to a year. If I'd only known what I know now...
Those early silverface amps are the shit. My first "cranked tube amp" experience was a 1970 bassman head through a 4x12
Your playing is fine.
That is a fantastic amp. Wow! I would love one of those. I have a 78 Twin Reverb and it's amazing!
Have you got one yet? I'm waiting for the video.. ;)
@@cgavin1 lol. I need to do my new Friedman Twin Sister first 🤠
@@gringopig Bank Holiday weekend .. just saying. :))
@@cgavin1 ha! 😀
Your videos are great. Do you take on any out of state work, ever have customers mail you chassis’ to work on? Thank you
Great video! I have a basic understanding of capacitors, resistors, impedence, etc. I've also watched videos on how tubes work but what this video taught me is that I really need to take my vintage amps to a qualified tech to get inspected. The one vintage amp expert in Kansas City, Don Warner, unfortunately had to retire due to health issues before he could get to my amps.
I was fortunate to pick up an all original, to the best of my knowledge, 1976 Super Reverb from GC. Still has the RCA blackplate tubes and those sweet alnico speakers. I absolutely love it and have been playing it for several years with no issues but now I'm worried that the caps may be a ticking time bomb. I bought a 2nd '76 SR that's in decent shape but has had the master volume disconnected. I also have a 1968 Bassman that needs serviced.
Any recommendations for a qualified tech in the KC area? I also travel back to Ohio, Columbus & Akron/Canton area, frequently if any qualified techs in those areas as well.
Get in touch with my buddy Rob Chafe in Columbus. 614-966-5713
Terrific! Thx.
Love this As an Owner of a Reissue 65 Silver Faced Twin Reverb Purchased NEW from California Factory in 2010, played for 5 hours and packed way with Fender Cover now 2023 hoping to really Play it. Everything I power up is through UPS 1600VA my question is Anything to worry about when I do Play it? Thank you?
I have had one of these since the early 80's.
VERY misunderstood amp.
Fender should have given it another name. I think alot of players expected them to sound like a pre-CBS Super and they have nothing in common.
ALSO...Boogie was coming on and the master volume is not gonna give you that kind of drive. More like a Twin than an older Super.
I love mine...clean straight to the top with just a bit of break.
I use other amps for overdrive sounds.
These do behave well with pedals though.
Great breakdown!
I have a late 70's twin reverb. It has a grounded 3 prong electric cord. Do i have to worry about this death cap or getting shocked. I have been playing guitar for 30 years and never heard of this until i watched your videos. What should I do. I have owned this amp since the mid 80's and it was never abused. It was serviced a couple of times but no one ever mentioned this DEATH Cap thanks Great videos Learning a lot
i love my 71 non master super i bought it for $900 last year locally . too months to find a good hand wired vintage fender locally! just keep looking don't settle for anything less!
Great amp
I managed to find a BF 67 with replaced speakers for about 900 about 8 years ago. Thought it was the greatest sounding amp of all time but a few years later picked up a 64 Concert and it is slightly better.
1) if inspecting the amp in person, *compare the fuse to the back panel markings for correct amperage value, and type (slo-blo vs. fast-blow?). It's also not difficult to flip the amp upside down and pull the doghouse cover off of the caps for inspection, as its only two screws.
Four screws. And really hard to put back when it's in the cab.
Fender Pro Reverbs go for $1000 and under USD. Some of these amplifiers have a tube rectifier.
I had a super twin that really didnt like being upright it had a eq channel and a horrible lead channel. I used it for years till it fell at a guys house and punched in the power switch. I wasnt that hirt because everytime id move it my elbow would hurt for 30 min or so.
I have a 1979 super reverb I just bought. It has the original speakers still (ceramic) they each measure 16 ohms and all hooked up it has 4 ohms not 2. Does this seem right?
Zinc oxide, white rust? Hmmm
I built a guitar pedal recently and a few months later it looked like white residue inside. I cleaned it out with isopropyl so I thought that had caused it, what is the cause?
The original Fender '59 Bassman 4×10 tweed combo is the best amp ever made! 🤘😉
I have always wanted one, but in the days that I could have used it I had no money, I want to try a Bassbreaker
I prefer the '65 Deluxe Reverb
@@daviddawson1718yeah I'm still a broke ass guitar player who can't afford the good shit. The Fender original 65 "black face" Twin Reverb is the 2nd best ever imo
@@daviddawson1718 yes the 65 deluxe is another amazing amp, and a bit lighter to lift than that heavy ass twin too!
@@blakjack3053 I have collected my good shit over a few decades. I have things that had value, lost it for years, and now have gone higher in price.
Amps under a grand is much more sensible. A lot of 2nd flagships are attainable in this range. More pls
Have you ever worked on a Carr amp? I saw a circuit board for one of them and all the components seemed to be stuck together with epoxy. I was thinking of getting one but the epoxy made me reconsider
Yes he has, search his channel along the lines of “Carr Mercury under the hood”. I bought a 2004 Mercury two months ago. It’s the best amp I have ever played. I have a Princeton Reverb FSar reissue with alnico blue 12” speaker and a Blackstar Artist 15 and I much prefer the Carr. The silicone inside may be over done or not but nothing moves or vibrates. I love mine.
It's silicone, not epoxy. Fortunately.
Good amps. Overbuilt to the point where service can be more expensive than it could be, but good amps. The large black film caps cut filtering kicks major service way down the road though.
@@PsionicAudio you calling them good is word enough for me, thank you
I really need two vintage two print cords replacement, Supro trohpjan s1616 and silvertone 1482….if your within 4 hours on Las Cruces Nm let me know.
Tangential question Lyle: how many bench hours, guesstimated, would you appropriate for Silver to Blackface conversions? The Allessandro thing is interesting, but would buying a 70s amp and benching it be more prudent (given a fairly healthy bill of health)?
It would depend on the model/year of SF amp. And whether BFing it is really the best idea. Changing the circuit is not always better.
If Jimi had lived another decade none of us could afford SF Twins. Cuz he would have used them.
@@PsionicAudio Of course, duly noted. I guess I had the higher power, ultra clean models of the 70s in mind, although I am sure Jimi could have gotten those to break up as well.
Sandpaper? You didn’t even try the Mortske Flick! 😄
Another reason for replacing the entire power cord: Typically with these cords from this era, the rubber insulation
on the inner conductors reacts with the copper strands, turning them black. In this deteriorated state they are hard to solder and I’m guessing have reduced current carrying capacity. Those old cords have got to go!
That is the most important fact here. Once the cord separates from the plug, that is an indication of the stabilizing chemicals in the rubbers and plastic, have passed over the "half life" of their lifespan. All of the insulation at that point now begins to be suspect, and is actively deteriorating. Safety, and proper current capacity state it's time to replace that!
Probably the weight of the bigger amps is why they are less expensive. Most guys don't want to lug that much weight. I'm guessing Fender made a shit load of amps in that era as well.
I just picked one of these up in the Twin Reverb iteration. Is it worth changing the master volume to the Lar Mar version and elminating the boost function? Thanks for your time.
Just don't use the boost. The stock MV sounds pretty good if you just remove the bright cap. I wouldn't advise doing anything more elaborate. Time is better spent shortening/neatening the wiring.
@@PsionicAudio Thank you.
Could you include the jc40 in your amps under 1k video?
I’d love to hear your opinion on it.
The Roland? I'll do it now. Outdated, noisy, just the one good sound. The modelers already do that trick better.
@@PsionicAudio almost word for word what the Lads at That Pedal Show said about it during Mondays live Q&A show, though they were talking about (again) wet/dry and wet/dry/wet rigs.
Hey Lyle. As an EE by college (whatever that's worth), what books/websites could you recommend for someone wanting to learn tube amp repair?
Search for Radiotron Designer's Handbook 4th Edition pdf
How do you feel about those blue molded caps compared with the Blue Astrons in the 60s amps?
I don't know that I have any feelings on the matter. They usually sound great though.
If weight is no issue you can get quad reverbs under a grand as well
Yes but they are rare.
800g wet n dry is a bit coarse to burnish contacts - it's also aluminium oxide which conducts, so not preferable to clean contacts in situ. Microscrub and a burnishing tool is what we'd use in the service.
Not much pressure and it did the trick. Wouldn't use it on something delicate/sensitive. Switchcraft jack isn't either.
@@PsionicAudio each time you jack in and out, those contacts work against one another, hence the use of a burnishing tool as a burnished contact will wear better.
Yes, it's a Switchcraft jack - not the points in a chevy distributor, lol!
All that wire is a far cry from PCB tracks. What a job to solder all that.. eek..
Are those bridge rectifier diode ceramic bypass caps in that era amps usually reliable?
Yes
@@PsionicAudio Nice to hear. And if one of them shorted, you would notice it pretty quickly, at least if that amp has a fuse of correct value. 😁
Thanks for a quick answer. Nice video as well. 👍
@@jutukka , which brings up an important point ---- if you are inspecting the amp *in person* and contemplating buying it, check that it has the correct fuse value and type ---- current rating, and slo-blo vs fast blow. If it has the wrong fuse in it, this may be indicative that it has a problem sufficient to cause it to blow fuses, and use of the wrong fuse might have caused further damage.
Wow this really is a video
I just wanna know where you guys can play these at a higher volume than one 😂😂😂
Ikea tool 😂😂 6:51
Wonder whatever happened on this ‘78 Super Reverb? Recapped? Other upgrades?…
Got a great deal on a 72 twin last year. Love it. Probably because I'm not gigging with it. The big drawback on those silverface twins and supers is the weight.
And the deafening volume!
The master volume on those things is a good one. They sound good at about any volume.
That being said should you happen to need to deafen someone...
@@drewsollars2239 At 70 watts, you need a MV or an attenuator! I have a ‘69 SR rated at 40 watts and it’s pretty loud. Mine has been Blackfaced with a couple of mods and it sounds really good!
@@Earlvis I like their stock master volume just fine. Less efficient speakers will bring the volume down too. Mine has jensen c12n. The cheap Italian ones. Sounds great.
@@drewsollars2239 I like to use 6v6 tubes in them. It lowers the volume and they sound fantastic! Lots of ways to skin a cat. Use a variac and you can really dial it in.
Man I got one of those from a pawn shop for $200 bucks back in 1986 and a few months later I sold it for $150 bucks because it wasn't "Metal" yes I was a young idiot....
I had a Super Reverb for 25 years - it had CTS alnicos.
I'm too old to lug one now.
A Super's too loud to use most places these days.
I blame drummers for my hearing loss...
All you need is a good attenuator!
How many got the Archie Bell reference?
Not me....
Heaviest amp under 1000
I'd be curious to know which transistor amps, at any price, that you feel with have operational longevity.
Are these the same circuitry as a Blackface? I guess I'll find out! Pete.
I just how when comparing the late silverface era stuff a champ is worth hundreds more than a super or twin. And honestly it should be that way - 2x12 and 4x10 combos are wayyyy too heavy. Would rather carry a separate head and cab than a combo that's over 100lb
Come on live a little bit just grab that black wire ground yourself and dance lol!
The number of guys I've ran into that brag their vintage amp is 100% original and I ask how are the filter caps.......perfect!....SMH.
See if you can buy it from a Dealer, NOT Guitar Center!
Archie Bell….and the ?
Drells!
Those are way too loud for average use, hence the lower price.
It has a quite good MV.
I just hate when vintage is associated with the year I graduated high school,,,, that was only 10 years ago right 1978??? the other thing is I bought in high school a new 1977 fender super 6 a 100 watt 6 x 10" combo/boat anchor. I hated that amp because I wanted a Marshall stack but dad was set against me buying that crappy British made garbage like Marshall and MG's