68 super reverb cabinet restoration

[apdante]

Hi guys,

I need some help with a 68 super reverb that recently came into my life. It was gotten on ebay,improperly packaged and looked like it was dropped about 20 times on its way to me. Luckily the electronics can be fixed but I really need help with the cabinet. The whole thing wracked when it fell and the baffle tore off. One of the posts that the baffle screws go through cracked. All four corners of the cabinet are weak. If you push on one side the whole thing can lean over about 6 inches. The tolex kept it together. I'm just wondering how I should repair it?

I've heard talk of using a syringe to get glue into the finger joints. Is this what I should do? Would this even be a strong enough fix? What glue should I use? Also, the tolex lifted in a few sections. What glue should I use to re-attach it.

I really don't want to do a hack job and would like to preserve the original character of this amp. You guys obviously know your stuff and so any help you can give would be appreciated.

I'm in Philadlphia. If you think I should pass this off to a pro let me know who you recommend.

Thanks in advance,

Anthony

[stokes]

Hard to tell without actually seeing it,but the way you describe it sounds like it needs some major repairs.To start with I would remove the speaker and chassis first and assess the whole mess.The braces that support the baffle board most likely need to be removed and replaced.If the cabinet is box,or finger jointed and these joints cracked which sounds likely,if there is a 6" side to side movement as you describe,depending on if the finger joints broke cleanly,it may be unrepairable.Unless you have some woodworking skills,this would be better left to someone who does.It is likely going to require some long clamps to hold it square and securely while any regluing dries.I would also think about making a claim if it were insured by the shipper.Sounds like it took a serious beating.

[Brett Pearson]

Hi Anthony, I just joined up here and have enjoyed just reading the posts. I am teaching myself how to repair tube amps and hope to build one soon. I also build electric guitars and repair as a side hobby. As for your cabinet problem, I always feel that anything can be fixed, it just depends how stubborn you are lol. Your best bet would be to see if you can remove the tolex from the cab in one piece so that you can repair the damage and then reinstall the original tolex once the cab is repaired. If you can, check the finger joints for breakage. If the joints are good and it is just the glue that has let go, there is great product called chair doctor that is made specifically for glueing dovetail and finger joints. You simply tap the joints into place and apply this thin glue over the joints and it runs into the cracks and swells the wood as well as gluing it together. It works really well and you wouldn't have to take the joints apart to glue them. Even if there is some joint damage, it may be worth a try as the only alternative would be a total dissassembly or a rebuild. If you can't get the tolex off, you may still be able to try this from the inside of the cab by squirting it into the inside corners. Just clamp the cab on the outside to keep it square so that it doesn't move while drying and end up crooked. I hope this helps, its a shame you have to do this in the first place. I am in Canada and get this product at a store called Lee Valley. they are online at www.leevalley.com

Best Regards

Brett

[rockinrendell]

products like chair lock, far as i know are not adhesives. rather, they swell the wood joints in chair rails and dovetails so they dont pull out and are the equivilant to putting a band aid on a gun shot wound. if the joints have failed or busted you can not glue the glue very easy. you wont be able to use wood glue since the original glue has penetrated the pours of the wood and you will probably need to use another form of glue. and may need a cleat inside the cab in courners and possibly a couple of strategically placed brads from a nail gun. same thing with the mounting posts for the baffles. if the cabinet is leaning that much, it sounds as though you will have your hands full with this repair. but if done properly and not hurried you will be able to fix it. when you glue the corner joints use bar clamps and a square to help get the sides at a right angle. if the fingers are very badly broken up im affraid a new cabinet may be needed. i would have raised hell with the shipper big time. there is no excuse for something taking that kind of beating during shipping. ive been a woodworker since 1986. they use finger joints so this type of thing doesnt happen or shouldnt.

[Garydean]

Same thing happened to my friend. His ebay purchase was destroyed going through UPS (74 Super reverb). The dovetails were destroyed but still the cab was intact somewhat. After removing the tolex at the corners I was able to evaluate the situation. I used wood glue and a bunch of large clamps to fix the wreck. That was 2 years ago and since then my friend gifted the amp to me in exchange for rebuilding an old PA/guitar amp.

My experience with UPS shipping claims have not been the best. My last claim took 5 months to resolve. The items were an ebay purchase and were boxed by a UPS shipping store in Nevada. The items shipped to me were destroyed. I'm not too sure if I would have gotten a refund if the seller boxed it and shipped it on his own. I was not refunded the shipping which was $45. I was not able to keep the broken items for spare parts....so I actually lost money on that deal.

I say contact the seller and see if you can get a partial refund from him (the cost to fix the amp) and keep the amp or ask him for a full refund plus shipping and you'll send it back to him, he pays for everything. Sellers cannot leave buyers neg feedback anymore on ebay, so you have some leverage.

[rockinrendell]

ive heard some horror stories about ups. anytime possible i use the post office. but some things are just too big or heavy to go usps route. i agree with contacting the seller about this. if no recourse there try pay pal and so on down the line before trying to fix it or have it fixed. once you do that its your problem to deal with. keep us informed on what happens. incase anyone else has this problem.