Fender '63 Tube Reverb

[mdjphillips]

I located one nearby for a very reasonable price and can't resist. I'm planning on checking it out / picking it this Sunday. However, I was just curious as to the tubes in the unit. Does the 6V6 need to be biased? On average, how often do the tubes need to be replaced?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=0217500000

[mad dog]

No biasing, but the 6v6 is better off replaced with a NOS 6k6. Easy to find, sounds better, and is what should have been in there all along. The one I had seemed pretty easy on tubes. They'd probably last a long time. Mine was quite responsive to tube swaps. Came stock with crappy preamp tubes. Sounded better with better ones.

[DougDoppler]

If you have access to a few different brands of tubes, you might want to try swapping them out with your exact rig and see if there's one that catches your ear in particular. Cheers ~ Doug

[mdjphillips]

Thanks a lot mad dog and Doug, your help is very appreciated. Mad dog, would this be an appropriate replacement for the 6V6?

http://cgi.ebay.com/One-Fully-Tested...#ht_1446wt_941

Thanks again. I'm getting extremely excited to see this tomorrow.

[mad dog]

MDJ:

That looks right to me. Ebay can be a crapshoot for tubes ... you might put out a WTB post in these emporiums. Bet you somebody has an extra 6k6. Also, if I remember correctly, you need a 12at7 and a 12ax7 for the preamp in that reverb. Look for a NOS 12at7. They're relatively cheap, and plentiful. For the 12ax7, I had good luck with the Tung Sol Reissue.

[aaland_brian]

Tung Sol reissues are great but buy two as a precaution, as I have had a couple go bad on me already. there is also a cap mod many prefer for the unit, just google it and try it out, if you don't like it put the factory one back.

[strings]

If the reverb goes out 99 percent of the time its a preamp tube so get a spare set to keep in the back. If you love reverb these are killer. I've used a 63/64 for decades and its a secret tone weapon. Helps any amp sound better. The reissues just cant keep up with these tone wise. I've had so many friends go out and get a reissue after hearing mine only to then search for an original. Grab it while you can

[mdjphillips]

Thanks again for your help / advice mad dog, it's very appreciated. I picked it up a couple of hours ago and already adore it. It sounds fantastic with both modest and extreme settings. I am absolutely in love.

strings, I can only imagine how great your original must sound! I'll be keeping my eyes peeled. But for now, as suggested, I will be switching the 6V6 for a NOS 6K6 and potentially swapping the original pre-amp tubes as well.

What a beautiful day / tank!

[barron]

I love reverb. Enjoy your new reverb unit. Besides sounding good, they also look cool. IMHO

[mdjphillips]

Thanks man, I'm quite fond of the effect as well. And truthfully, I don't think I could ever play without it. I also completely agree about its looks, it's a tad big, but very cool looking nonetheless.

[mad dog]

Good luck with that unit mdj. With the right tubes, that RI can do real well. And the outboards are addictive for sure. I'm on my fourth!
MD

[mdjphillips]

Thanks mad dog, and thank you again for the tube swap suggestion. I'll be replacing the 6V6 with a 6K6GT as soon as possible and will switch the pre-amp tubes when I order the replacements for my amp.

Out of curiosity, will travelling with the tank unlocked for a short period of time (35 minutes or so) cause any damage to the unit? The reason I'm asking is due to completely forgetting to lock it in place during a quick ride. Everything seems fine, but it can't hurt to ask.

[jonny guitar]

as well as the tube swapped, which I agree, are a must, I would as suggest you do the following:

Locate capacitor C10 underneath the mix pot on the circuit board. (It's obvious when you look for it). Change this cap to a ceramic disc 1Kv 390pf capacitor. This change will increase the amount of low end response you'll hear from your amp. --- this is what the originals were spec'd for.

It makes the reverb more organic and takes away the trace of upper end tinnyness.

Lastly I preferred a 5751 in place of the 12ax7.

[mdjphillips]

jonny, funny that you mention switching the capacitor, as I faintly remember the guy I purchased the unit from mentioning something along those lines stating it was a very easy, worthwhile mod. However, as I have absolutely no experience soldering, I might have to wait a little longer before upgrading.

Thanks for your suggestion man.

[mad dog]

mdj:

What jonny says is true. That cap mod can help. The one other thing you can do is not a necessity, more like a possibility depending on your reverb tastes. My RI unit sounded really nice with a medium decay tank - 3 springs - rather than the stock long decay, 2 spring. In my case, the stock tank was terrible. If yours sounds good, then put this in the "nevermind" category.

No harm done in travelling with the tank unsecured. The rattling springs will keep you company in the car. And you'll spare yourself the embarrassment of playing a gig with the reverb unit plugged in, but no verb cause you forgot to pull that lever back. Ask me how I know ...
MD