Modding my early 90's Ampeg Reverberocket Reissue

[sonicblues]

I've got an early to mid 90's Ampeg Reverberocket that I just picked up off of Ebay a couple of months ago. This is an EL34 version 'rocket. This little 1x12 combo is great, and having always been a sucker for a good Fender tube amp, this Ampeg has a clean channel that makes me smile. Such a lush and deep clean tone with plenty of punch, and the perfect foundation to incorporate my favorite pedals.

I'm wanting to mod this amp and completely take away channel 2 (drive channel), and possibly install a Bright Switch in place of the channel toggle switch. I read on a different forum a while back of a guy who used to work for Ampeg, and he said that their PCB boards used on the reissue Reverberockets (and probably Jets as well) were extra thick and were superior to what other amp makers were using. He said they were next to bulletproof. I had thought of turning this into a PTP project, but after reading his comments, I just don't see the point. So, I'm back to what I originally wanted to post and inquire here:
Have any of you ever converted one of these reissue Reverberockets from a 2 to a 1 channel amp? And if you have, do you think it would be possible to install a bright switch in place of the channel toggle switch?

I'm no electronics guru, though I do work on a lot of my own stuff. With a good schematic, I can usually pick it up and go with it. Looking forward to hearing from some of you experts out there! Many thanks in advance.

[jjasilli]

I have a Reverberocket RI -- 6L6's & 2X 12's; took one look at the PCB and decided against modding it.  I hate working on PCB.  Instead I put lower mu tubes in both preamp sockets: 12AT7's or 12AY7's work, but the latter are too expensive.  This left the amp a bit anemic, so I put a 12BZ7 in the PI socket @ twice the effective mu of a 12AX7 (actually the mu is the same but the plate resistance is half).  Result:  better sweep on the vol & gain pots; some overdrive on the clean channel with the vol hi; gain channel has a smoother, less raspy, more traditional overdrive.

[thermion]

bulletproof pcb...at least the guy has a sense of humor.
the traditional fender bright switch is just a smallish pF cap around the volume pot. it does nothing if you play the amp with the volume turned up, shunts highs around the pot with it turned down. if you play this amp with low volume, just tack in the cap permanently. if you play it loud, this type of bright switch won't do much for you.
have you tried a good eq pedal?

[PRR]

> early to mid 90's Ampeg Reverberocket

Point to the plan.

Maybe this? http://www.el34world.com/charts/Schematics/files/ampeg/ampeg_r-12r_212r_50h_reverbrocket_ri.pdf

> completely take away channel 2

There's no separate second channel. "Clean/Dirty" cuts-out some loss around excess-gain stages V1b and V2b, and diddles the treble cap for brighter sound. If you don't like the Dirty mode, don't use it.

C6 is the Brite cap. Making it switchable is mostly a matter of making a hole for the switch.

[phsyconoodler]

If you don't like the Dirty mode, don't use it.

There you have it!

[sonicblues]

If you don't like the Dirty mode, don't use it.

Works for me!

I'm currently trying out a couple of Wampler drive pedals....really liking what I hear coupled with the Ampeg.

Thanks for all of your responses!