Buying amp with broken reverb

[garrettendi]

I’m buying a solid state amp second hand today. It’s a red stripe Transtube Peavey Envoy and the shop is selling it cheap because the reverb on it doesn’t work. I’m fine with this - I don’t use reverb - and I have a friend who is an electrical engineer who can maybe fix it.

The shop has checked everything else works. This is safe right? I’m not going to get a massive electrical shock? I trust the store but my anxiety disorder is robbing me of my joy!

[garrettendi]

One of my dearest friends - a lady who I would literally trust with my own life - has pointed out they would not sell it if it wasn't safe as they'd be liable!

[amanise]

First amp I ever had back in the day was a seventies Selmer 2x12 tranny combo,, with a busted spring reverb. You'd never have known only that it went boing every time you put it down. I used a Watkins copykat with it and it was all fine.

[ajay_m]

Apart from the UK fused plug being arguably as someone said the most over engineered power plug in the world, any properly grounded piece of kit is intrinsically safe in terms of you getting a shock, and regardless of it's internal wiring, the plug fuse acts as a second line of defence in the extremely unlikely event of a catastrophic failure. So no, stop worrying and enjoy your new acquisition!

[Folderol]

First amp I ever had back in the day was a seventies Selmer 2x12 tranny combo,, with a busted spring reverb. You'd never have known only that it went boing every time you put it down. I used a Watkins copykat with it and it was all fine.

Hmmm. So the pickup coil and amp were working. Fault was almost certainly a broken wire to the drive coil - unusual for the drive amp to fail - so quite a simple repair. Bit late now of course

[amanise]

First amp I ever had back in the day was a seventies Selmer 2x12 tranny combo,, with a busted spring reverb. You'd never have known only that it went boing every time you put it down. I used a Watkins copykat with it and it was all fine.

Hmmm. So the pickup coil and amp were working. Fault was almost certainly a broken wire to the drive coil - unusual for the drive amp to fail - so quite a simple repair. Bit late now of course

But an amp wasn't considered worn in in those days until the spring unit was going boing. It would probably be worth a bomb now, I think it cost me very little, from a place called 'Sound Pad' on the London Rd in Leicester owned by ShowaddyWaddy.

[James Perrett]

The shop wouldn't be allowed to sell it if it wasn't electrically safe. Just enjoy using the bits of the amp that do work.

I would also add that there's a difference between an electrical and electronic engineer - the basics of electricity are the same but electrical engineers tend to deal with big machines while electronic engineers deal with smaller stuff.

[garrettendi]

I would also add that there's a difference between an electrical and electronic engineer - the basics of electricity are the same but electrical engineers tend to deal with big machines while electronic engineers deal with smaller stuff.

To be fair I have no idea which of those my friend is... He's some kind of engineer with both mechanical and some form of "electricky" qualifications.

He's fixed things for me before, and I believe he knows his stuff, but anything he can't handle, he'll tap out so I have confidence if he can fix he will, and if he can't, he won't try.

[garrettendi]

Thanks everyone for reassuring me! I'm popping to this shop at lunch break to pick it up. The shop is 11 minutes walk away according to Google... I am not looking forward to carrying the amp back to the office....

[The Elf]

Broken spring reverb? That would be the improved version, then...

[garrettendi]

Broken spring reverb? That would be the improved version, then...

I'm a delay man.... never found the appeal of reverb on guitars!

[The Elf]

Nothing wrong with a good, well chosen, stereo digital reverb on guitar. It's certainly a world of difference to the 'tap-dancing in an empty water tank' of a spring reverb...

[garrettendi]

To be honest, if it works in general I may not get it repaired. I have a Vox Tonelab LE that someone kindly gave to me. Could use that without the amp modelling part, and just reverb along with all the other effects it has.

[MOF]

"electricky" qualifications

I believe the correct term is “electrickery”

[garrettendi]

One thing I might try out is using the Tonelab LE with amp simulation on, but cab simulation off, into the clean channel of the amp with flat EQ. I wonder if that would yield a good result...

[Martin Walker]

Nothing wrong with a good, well chosen, stereo digital reverb on guitar. It's certainly a world of difference to the 'tap-dancing in an empty water tank' of a spring reverb...

Love that analogy Monsieur Elf! Spot on!

[Sam Spoons]

Being a guitar amp it will have an eq curve even with the eq controls flat so I would bypass both the amp and cab models in the Vox fx.

[garrettendi]

Being a guitar amp it will have an eq curve even with the eq controls flat so I would bypass both the amp and cab models in the Vox fx.

Fair enough. I was thinking I could use the ToneLab amp emulation to make the amp sound like, say, a Soldano. If that's not doable, then fair enough.

[Folderol]

Being a guitar amp it will have an eq curve even with the eq controls flat so I would bypass both the amp and cab models in the Vox fx.

Agree with this. It would certainly be my first choice. Keeps things simple

[amanise]

Thanks everyone for reassuring me! I'm popping to this shop at lunch break to pick it up. The shop is 11 minutes walk away according to Google... I am not looking forward to carrying the amp back to the office....

It won't be anything like as heavy as an equivalent valve amp, so you'll probably be pleasantly surprised. Good luck!

[Sam Spoons]

Being a guitar amp it will have an eq curve even with the eq controls flat so I would bypass both the amp and cab models in the Vox fx.

Fair enough. I was thinking I could use the ToneLab amp emulation to make the amp sound like, say, a Soldano. If that's not doable, then fair enough.

The amp will sound like a Peavy Envoy so the best you could hope for is for the amp model to sound like a Soldano through a Peavy Envoy. For it to sound like a Soldano it needs a flat frequency response (or FRFR in guitar amp terms) so the amp modles are useful when recording direct or playing/listening through your monitor speakers.

[ef37a]

AFAICT reverb tank failures seem to be very common these days and especially so with solid state amps.
I have a theory! Most of the schematics I have seen DC couple the tank's drive coil to an op amp and that op amp is invariably a TL072, a chip that is KNOWN to latch up to a supply rail at the least provocation.
The old Fenders used a transformer and a double triode (and even a 6V6 in the stand alone verb box!) and tank failures were I think largely unknown?

So Mr G, even if you had a new tank fitted there is no guarantee it would last all that long. There are some gitamp techs who believe new tanks are not as reliable as they once were?

My son has a Peavey 112 and it has both FX loop and "pre-PA" breakout jacks. Does yours? The loop only works on one channel. Pre/PA "effects" everything. I built him an attenuator box because the volume control was of the **** or bust variety and it made it hard to set a low volume in his flat.

Dave.

[garrettendi]

My son has a Peavey 112 and it has both FX loop and "pre-PA" breakout jacks. Does yours? The loop only works on one channel. Pre/PA "effects" everything. I built him an attenuator box because the volume control was of the **** or bust variety and it made it hard to set a low volume in his flat.

Dave.

It's the Envoy and only has a headphone output and a remote pedal output. No FX loops, sadly.

[ef37a]

My son has a Peavey 112 and it has both FX loop and "pre-PA" breakout jacks. Does yours? The loop only works on one channel. Pre/PA "effects" everything. I built him an attenuator box because the volume control was of the **** or bust variety and it made it hard to set a low volume in his flat.

Dave.

It's the Envoy and only has a headphone output and a remote pedal output. No FX loops, sadly.

Shame. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hosa-FSC-385-L ... B000VXKUL0
I have bought that footswitch for son's amp but have yet make up a cable and send it to him. Cannot see it not working though, worth a go? You can always return it to Zon.

I have found a schematic for the Envoy...Yup! DC coupled tank drive! Will and Wonks, you might want to have a shufti? I have never seen an output stage with that configuration in all me puff! I have an idea why they have done that way though.

Those SS Peaveys have a good name on guitar forums for a very decent sound and very good reliability...blown verb coils notwithstanding!

Dave.

[Wonks]

Accutronics don't make 'em like they used to (and are in fact made by Belton). The connections from the RCA input and output connectors to the respective driver coils are very flimsy and liable to break with vibration.

The equivalent Belton tanks (who now own the Accutronics name) have sturdier connections so are preferable. But again, whilst they may have equivalent part numbers to old Accutronics tanks (e.g. 60s ones that were used by Fender), they sound quite different, and nothing like as rich. Cheaper production and corner cutting. Both brands are manufactured in Korea.

There are other reverb tank makers who make tanks closer to the original US made Accutronics ones, MOD and TAD. The price difference isn't large, though they are a bit harder to find.