Super Reverb AB763. Done. Sound but issues!

[SleepLess]

I would not use WD40. Do you have a Radio shack, Electronic Parts store or Home Depot near you? They have contact cleaner spray that is ideal for cleaning pots.  Clean all the pots while your at it.

Just because something is new does not make it perfect, QC now a days is in the toilet.

Yes, pin 8 is the cathode on a 6L6.  What did you use to get those mA readings?

OK. I used Doug Hoffman's bias checker that I built two or three years ago to get my mA readings.

[SleepLess]

Guys:

1. I have tested every wire and every eyelet with my MM continuity checker and everything's good.
2. I have 10VDC on the normal channel pots to ground. It seems to start from the volume pot and then spreads out to the two other pots thanks to the jumpers. Can you tell me how I can fix that? Do I randomly change the sozo caps from right to left or is there a particular one I can aim at straight away?

Thanks...

Once the normal channel noise will be fixed then we'll have the overall volume issue tu fix and the reverb issue as well. Or maybe the first fix will cure it all???  

UPDATE:
I changed the first .1uF cap and the normal channel noise is gone. I guess this cap was leaky and I don't have any DC voltage on those three pots anymore...

BUT the reverb still emits that noise/squeal/hum when I turn it past 3 on the knob. Do you think that could be a bad cap as well? Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks!

[worth]

No.. I'm not kidding.. I want all of this wire that you guys don't want.. 434 263-6189

[SleepLess]

No.. I'm not kidding.. I want all of this wire that you guys don't want.. 434 263-6189

Well, help me solve my reverb and volume issues on this damn amp and I'll send you my wires! And they're coming to you from France, they're not scared of flying 6000 miles, let me tell you! 

[worth]

Yeah.. I DO have input on yer SR MALfuntion... you did something thoughtless ,( like we all do).

[SleepLess]

Yeah.. I DO have input on yer SR MALfuntion... you did something thoughtless ,( like we all do).

Maybe I did, but so far the only reason why the normal channel wasn't working was not my fault but a bad cap's (thank you SOZO!!!) 
So, so far I'm still a good builder who was unlucky enough to receive a bad component. (And can caps be tested prior to installation btw and if so, with what/how?)

Oh, and I'll just add the stinky AES wires to the bad components list... Still want them worth? Come on, you can do better than this! 

[worth]

Look.. everyone here has gone through what ,you , have before you now. Have a drink.. or several take your time.. the problem WILL reveal itself.

[worth]

You've made a wiring mistake.

[SleepLess]

I know worth, I was just kidding. I hope you didn't take offense. I was able to find the leaky cap, I guess I'll manage to find what is wrong with the reverb and overall volume. I'll just take any thoughts in the meantime...

[worth]

I'm 52 years old.. and I make amps all the time. I'm AMAZED at the stupid shit I do.. that usually reflects on the terrible crap that is going on in my life.

[SleepLess]

I'm 52 years old.. and I make amps all the time. I'm AMAZED at the stupid shit I do.. that usually reflects on the terrible crap that is going on in my life.

When I said I'd take any thoughts in the meantime I meant thoughts about my build...  (just kidding worth, just kidding...)

Damn, worth I'm 33... Does this mean that I will still have half of my amps non fully working at first start up in 20 more years??? 

[Willabe]

I'm 52 years old.. and I make amps all the time. I'm AMAZED at the stupid shit I do.. that usually reflects on the terrible crap that is going on in my life.

Like posting your home phone # on line?    

Take that down and send him a PM.


                 Brad    

[worth]

I never told you.. but your build is very pretty.. BUT you've got to stare at it, until YOUR mistake becomes obvious.

[Willabe]

I have got some WD-40, can I use it to clean the pot or not?

NO!     

Glad you got some sound coming out now!     

       Brad     

[SleepLess]

I never told you.. but your build is very pretty.. BUT you've got to stare at it, until YOUR mistake becomes obvious.

Thanks for the kind words. Absolutely. Or search and measure and search again until I find another bad component that ruins the great flawless work I did...  

[phsyconoodler]

Hmm....shorted output jack? That's hard to fathom with switchcraft jacks.
  Too much heat when you soldered that .1cap maybe?our work looks so neat,it's hard to see what you have done wrong.Too bad we are so far awy from each other,I'd come over and get it working for you!

 Low volume issues can come from a lot of areas,so you built it,fix it bro!

[worth]

I'm signiing out.. my last word is.. you don't have a "bad" component.. WIRING MISTAKE !!!!! good luck.. really

[SleepLess]

Hmm....shorted output jack? That's hard to fathom with switchcraft jacks.
  Too much heat when you soldered that .1cap maybe?our work looks so neat,it's hard to see what you have done wrong.Too bad we are so far awy from each other,I'd come over and get it working for you!

 Low volume issues can come from a lot of areas,so you built it,fix it bro!

Thx bro. I'm actually thinking about moving to Austin, TX, so I might be closer to you for my amp fixing issues. Music sucks over here. I'm in a blues/rock band and we can't even get to play because bar owners just have DJs and their crap come in and the police have bars shut down if they play too loud. And the rest of the venues are held on tight by professional musicians and heir friends who won't open their doors to new bands. You can't be a true musician in France anymore... Gotta leave this place behind and find a good music homeland and I've read that Austin is the place to be.

Well then I'll have to ask my wife and my two young boys if they'd be willing to move 7000 miles away. But the 4-year-old is already on the right track: when I listen to Joe Bonamassa in the car he says "Dad, I want Thin Lizzy"... My wife will kill me one day...  

[SleepLess]

LAST UPDATE:

So I'm now concentrating on the vibrato channel and more particularly on the reverb pot. With all pots to 0 the reverb pot is silent. When I go past three on the reverb pot the amp starts emitting a hum that increases in volume even if I leave the pot on 3. So the amp hums even with the volume pot on 0... Bringing the volume pot up to 5 doesn't change a thing.

I stuck my MM on that pot to see if I have any DC leak and I don't have any. But the amp emits a noise when I touch the right and middle lugs...
I did the same thing trying to measure resistance and then I had a boom when I touched either lug...

I don't know what this means. This amp is exhausting.
I'm off to bed. Hope to read some advice or leads when I get up tomorrow.

Thanks!

[phsyconoodler]

Mange la merde!

 Damn Frenchies! They need a blues revival over there big time by the sounds of it.

[SleepLess]

Hi.
After a good night's rest I finally found my only mistake on this build: I had installed a 470Ω instead of a 470KΩ in the reverb circuit... This caused the low volume output and interference with the volume pot... The main hum was due to the reverb cable which had slipped under the reverb tank while I shoved the tank in its bag. So I now have a fully working SR!

Anyway, I highly recommend the Weber DT10's in your SR builds. They have lower sensitivity and enable you to push the amp higher. On 6 it's good. And it won't kill the neighbours, if you don't add any pedal on top of that i.e.

And for once the reverb and tremolo are working as they should. Not too much, not too few. Perfect.

Just one thing regarding bias: I have a 451V B+ and =C= 6L6GC which dissipate 30 watts, so 70% of that is 23 watts. 23 / 451 gives 51mA... Ain't that a lot? I have them at 39mA and 34mA. Would you increase the current going to the tubes or leave as is?
Thanks guys!

[rzenc]

Just one thing regarding bias: I have a 451V B+ and =C= 6L6GC which dissipate 30 watts, so 70% of that is 23 watts. 23 / 451 gives 51mA... Ain't that a lot? I have them at 39mA and 34mA. Would you increase the current going to the tubes or leave as is?


Which type of tremolo do you have on the amp?

[SleepLess]

The original tremolo... Optoisolator. Shown on pics...

[phsyconoodler]

Try all bias settings and play the amp.Leave the bias where it sounds the best.51ma will get tube sellers in a frenzy cause they give warranty on tubes but I have run super's ate 45ma plus for years and have minimal tube failures.
  Now a Marshall amp is another story.

[punkykatt]

Sleepless,  build yourself Dougs Listening Device.  You will be able to pin point the trouble in minutes.  All the info is on this site.  Good luck to you.  Punky

http://www.el34world.com/Hoffman/tools.htm