Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve Part 1: Initial Inspection and Playing Test

These are really cool amps when working right. So let's make sure it's working right.
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[@user-qm7nw7vd5s]

Brutally honest, no-nonsense assessment of the cult classic Silvertone amp. Today this amp has a loyal following nevertheless.

[@huddyskiba1]

I did the input jack mod that you suggested on one that I had... very helpful/useful modification.

[@JamesMcCutcheon]

Thank you for the Video. My First amp was 1484 in 1965. After doing Military and College I acquired another 1484 and all of the others in this series 1481,83,83, and the 85. These are special amplifiers even with all the imperfections. My collection is good specimens and unmolested. I love these timepieces of Americana 60's amplifiers. I recorded some guitar with 1484. I loved the reverb back in the day and now I need to learn how to fix the reverb for the 1484 and 1485. Best regards.

[@g.w.l2396]

Will there be a part 3? I am servicing my 1484 and have the same issue with the reverb. This vid is very helpful and I hope there will be more! (It switches on and you can hit the cab and make sound, but it is not driven by the guitar signal). Channel 2 is also significantly louder than channel 1, for some reason. Recapping and swapping out plate resistors now.

[@halbertking2683]

I've had more than a few of the 1484 amps with open 68k plate resistor in the phase inverter . I like to increase it from half watt to one watt.

[@nichesound]

How far down did you tension that spring? I have seen where it was brought to the board, and others close but not touching. I have a 1484 Twin I am working on and want to look at the spring and tank innards. I have fixed these before but wasn't sure where the spring should be sitting. Also is there a way to clean the Piezo or should this be left alone. Thanks.

[@gerrickreidenbach8147]

Lyle, is there a follow up to this video? I'm interested in knowing more about this particular amp.

[@PsionicAudio]

Very soon.

[@goodun2974]

Yes, I second the motion ---- a revisit of this amp seems to be in order . I also wonder, short of modding the reverb circuit to use a more traditional Hammond/Accutronics/Mod tank, would it be possible to use a pair of piezo tweeters as the driver and pickup for the reverb? Perhaps with two springs instead of just one?
Now, if one *was* to mod the circuit for a traditional reverb tank, I'm guessing that a capacitor-driven circuit and properly impedance-matched tank (like vintage Magnatone and Ampeg amps did) might be easier and cheaper than adding another small output tranny just to drive the reverb tank.
Also on the subject of spring reverb ---- there's a UA-cam channel called LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER where electronics-project weirdness and musical equipment intersect. Somebody gave the guy (a youngish British man) a late 50s or early 60's speaker-driven reverb to play with, consisting of a 6x9" speaker with springs *coupled to* and mounted above the speaker cone (sort of like a Dobro in reverse, where the resonator cone is driving the guitar strings). You gotta hear this freaking thing! Play a keyboard, or run a sweep tone through it, and not only do the springs add all sorts of crash-bang resonances and reverberations and generally haunted-house overtones but you can see the frequencies reflected in the vibrational nodes of the strings!