Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: 67polara on September 26, 2010, 10:16:41 pm

Title: reverb output tranny question
Post by: 67polara on September 26, 2010, 10:16:41 pm
I just noticed my Weber Re-vibe the reverb isn't as strong as I was expecting.  In poking around the unit I noticed the output tranny is a 4 ohm and the tank is a 10 ohm could this be the problem?  These are the parts they sent me to build it with.  Oh and the china 6v6 they sent me won't drive it at all I had to use my Radiotron 6v6 to get a fair output from it.

Tony

Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: PRR on September 26, 2010, 11:19:54 pm
> tranny is a 4 ohm and the tank is a 10 ohm could this be the problem?

No.

A) Tank "impedance" is all over the place (2 ohms to 30 ohms), and NOT critical.

B) Weber sells enough of these that they should know what's-what.

Hate to say it, but the gambler's odds are with a builder mistake.
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: 67polara on September 26, 2010, 11:57:26 pm
Thank you.  It's not bad just not as lush as I had hoped for, thought that might account for the little more I had hoped for out of it.  I checked the tube in another amp and it was bad, but not worth the hassel to get it replaced.  The 50 year old tube works just fine LOL.

  I really haven't been happy with this Quote un quote kit since I got it.  No documentation you need to download what ever they have on their site and hope that is enough.  Missing parts, substituted parts and two different schems for the same build???  Oh and a bad tube.  But had I known it was going to be that way I would have just done it from scratch and it would have been easier, cleaner and cheaper with better parts.  I ended up changing all the tubes I'm just not comfortable with tubes marked china and what it is with no brand name at all on it.

Tony

Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: LooseChange on September 27, 2010, 06:20:03 am
I'm always tempted to purchase a kit to save some time and then I rationalize that I can do it better... Looks like you are coming to that conclusion.  Chinese tubes are not bad.  Don't smash them until you A/B them with some other stuff you think is better.

Some builds turn out great some just don't have the mojo. I've built a standalone reverb and expected great things... Never was happy with it. So it goes.
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: EL34 on September 27, 2010, 08:24:41 am
I would sufggest trying my 022905 tranny and a good 6V6 or 6K6

Not too sure about the quality of the weber trannies these days.

Also, the new tanks don't seem to sound as good as the old ones.
If you can ever lay your hands on an old tank, keep it forever.
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: 67polara on September 27, 2010, 09:31:24 am
Think I will try another tank this is a Belden not acutronics, wasn't what I expected to get.  It's probably the problem.  Then I will try one of your trannies if that doesn't work.  There is this guy like 2 miles from me that is the Sanford and Sons of Amps bet I can pick up an older tank from him.  He lives in a mobile home with amps in every room in one state or another of repair or stripped.

Tony 
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: EL34 on September 27, 2010, 12:02:26 pm
I remember when the sounds of the newer tanks changed.

Back sometime before 2000, I was getting new accutronics tanks that still had the soldered connections.
Then all of a sudden, the new tanks were all showing up with push on connectors and the trannies looked way different

That's not so bad, but the new tanks sounded like crap compared to what I had been getting.

I emailed accutronics several times asking why the new tanks sounded different

No reply

Some of the really old tanks have such a deep warm overlapping reverb sound.
Not sure why,
the springs are saggy???
the trannies are wound better????
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: jojokeo on September 27, 2010, 12:48:13 pm
Wondering if a (Gibbs) reverb tank from an old Hammond organ would sound and/or work good? I've got a couple laying around but haven't tried them.
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: phsyconoodler on September 27, 2010, 03:10:45 pm
Gibbs tanks sound wonderful.Fender used to use them in early amps.Not sure what they switched,maybe cost or maybe Gibbs went out of business?
   I've not gotten a good sound out of a Belton tank.Too much reverb and would probably sound best with a dwell control.
 The driver and recovery tubes make a huge difference too.Cheap ones sound,well,cheap.I use NOS 12AT7 reverb drivers whenever I can.
And don't rule out poor solder joints and bad connections either.
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: 67polara on September 27, 2010, 04:33:13 pm
phsyco it isn't bad it just isn't a home run.  I am sure it is just a cheap reverb pan problem.

Tony
Title: Re: reverb output tranny question
Post by: EL34 on September 27, 2010, 07:10:35 pm
+1 on the gibbs tanks

I have heard some that I wanted to steal from a customers amp.

There was no way to do it because 1-I would not really do that and 2-The customer would have noticed immediately because the tanks sounded way better than accutronics tanks.  :grin:

I could have followed them down a dark alley after the gig and robbed them of their tank.