Tele Deluxe / Super Reverb Question...

[jwmb700]

Hi. I just stumbled across this forum. Seems like a really interesting place. Anyway, I have a problem and was hoping to get some advice...

I play a '76 Fender Tele Deluxe through a '72 silverface Super Reverb. Until recently I'd been playing a Tele Custom re-issue through my Super. I love how the Deluxe sounds, but my amp crackles a little bit when I play low notes. I think part of the problem is that the pickups on my deluxe are pretty hot, but the same thing happens to a slightly lesser degree when I've tried playing other bassier fender guitars (a 70's jazzmaster, another 70's tele deluxe) through my super.

Is there anything I can do to fix this? I've got brand new tubes in the amp and the speakers are fine (though they're Jensens, nothing fancy). Would re-biasing the amp or investing in different speakers help? In general I love how my guitar sounds through my amp, but the crackle is really noticable when I try to record with it. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help. I'd much rather try and modify my super than go in a different direction amp-wise...

[Enzo]

Speakers? UNplug the internal speakers and run a cable to another cab. If it sounds the same, the speakers are OK. If the crackle stops, your speakers are getting ratty.

Turn the reverb off, then ball up your fist and whack the top of the amp hard. Do any crackles or other noises come out the speaker? If so you have a loose connection somewhere - either on the parts board or wiring, or a tube socket, or for that matter inside a tube.

And if it is indeed an electronic problem, then the amp might need some blocking resistors, or perhaps some caps are dried out - weak filters or leaky couplers.

[jwmb700]

Speakers? UNplug the internal speakers and run a cable to another cab. If it sounds the same, the speakers are OK. If the crackle stops, your speakers are getting ratty.

Turn the reverb off, then ball up your fist and whack the top of the amp hard. Do any crackles or other noises come out the speaker? If so you have a loose connection somewhere - either on the parts board or wiring, or a tube socket, or for that matter inside a tube.

And if it is indeed an electronic problem, then the amp might need some blocking resistors, or perhaps some caps are dried out - weak filters or leaky couplers.

A friend of mine has a blackface Super, I've run my head through his speakers and vice versa and it pretty much sounds the same. I'll give whacking the amp a try. I guess my big concern is that a Super Reverb is just not the ideal amp to run a Tele Deluxe through (too bright, can't handle the low end?), because I'm pretty sure the tubes / speakers / etc are in working order...

[Sweetfinger]

A Super Reverb in good working order should be able to handle anything you plug into it. For low end examples, seek out any Mike Henderson and the Bluebloods, or his solo album. He basically plays baritones through a SR turned up real loud.

Ditto on the 'technical tap' test method. If you get crackles when banging a fist on top of the amp, suspect loose connections, esp popped leads on filter caps.