Super Reverb 1974...heater wires question.

[Garydean]

A friend gave me and unaltered '74 Super Reverb (gift...happy birthday) to tinker with. I've had the amp a few weeks and between other repairs for other friends, I've been able to replace all the original electrolytics, repaired the damaged cab and fixed up the tolex covering. The amp looks great. I did notice though the heater wires for tubes 1-6 are alternating heater pins from socket to socket. Would you change that? I've considered also replacing the tube sockets 1-6 as the pin sockets are very loose....

I cooked the Caps yesterday for about 10 hours at 40vac. Everything was fine as I brought up the voltage to 115vac. I tested the amp with a guitar and discovered the reverb was not working, so I started swapping tubes. I jiggled tube 4 and heard lots of static, removed the tube, turned it back on and the fuse blew in the amp. I tested the original output tubes and discovered one to be bad. The initial test after the re-cap, unveiled static uncontrolled by the volume. First guess was tubes.... that's as far as I've gotten. When I got the amp I checked the fuse (first thing I always do) and someone had put in a 5amp fuse. Interesting. I replaced it with a 2amp SB.

My questions are;

#1. Should I correct the heater wire layout?
#2. tighten and clean the tube sockets and keep it original, or replace them? One of the 2 output sockets has some surface deterioration as well.

I'm using this amp as a platform to experiment with mods and as a learning tool to further my education. I really need a trustworthy chassis from the start. Have I answered my own question.

Voice of experience, please chime in.

Gary

[52 Bill]

I guess it depends upon what you want the amp to be. If it is in good original condition and needs minor repairs to make it 100% and you want it to remain so, fix it and move on. I don't know the level of your skills, but if you start modding to learn it will never again be "original".

If originality is not important to you, then I'd say fix it first so you know what it sounds like to start with and then do mods so that you can compare and really learn. Does changing the heater wiring make a difference? If you change it before you've heard it how will you really know. Do the sockets really need to be replaced? If you learn how to clean and tighten the contacts first, you may have a better understanding of what problems you face with 30 year old tube sockets.

Just my opinion.

[Garydean]

All great advice Bill, of which, all has passed through my head in the past few weeks. I do support originality and preservation. I'm leaning toward getting the amp sounding as best as it can first without modifications just for the experience of working on stock SF Fenders. Every amp I get in, has been a learning experience (always something different). Thanks for your input, always appreciated!!

Gary

[Enzo]

Leave the heater wires alone. When the wires go from the trem tube to the reverb tube to the preamp tube to the phase splitter tube and so on, which end of a tube the heater wires feed has nothing to do with the next tube. There is nothing incorrect about it. The "phase" of the heater current in a preamp tube won't add to or cancel something in the phase splitter.

[Old Tele man]

Originally Posted by Enzo

The "phase" of the heater current in a preamp tube won't add to or cancel something in the phase splitter.

...true, since they're AC-voltage..."phasing" would only be necessary if they were DC-powered.