Hello and a question on a 1964 Epiphone

[gearhead1972]

Hello all great little forum you have here. I believe it is a 1964 Epiphone EA-15RVT Zephyr. Same description found here at harmony central. 2 10" speakers, 2 7591 power tubes,7 tubes total. everything he describes about his amp is exactly what mine is.

My problem is that I can't seem to find the right schematic. The HC review says its the same as the Gibson ga-30rvt, it seems close but no cigar. Now every schematic I have found on the EA-15RVT is not even close to the tube layout. This website shows the 30rvt and it is almost identical layout but for the power switch, mine doesn't have a stand by position.
I need to get the reverb working correctly, but I think that is just the wrong tank in it, the original was broken when I got it, so I just found one that looked the same on ebay.
Secondly I think it needs to have a cap job because it crackles a little on start up, for about 10 min, then it is pretty quiet, but the crackle comes back every once in a while. All tubes were replaced a few years ago with maybe 10 hours on them now.
Here are some pictures, sorry for the bad cell phone shots.
Thanks for any help

[capnjuan]

Hi; the Epiphone EA16 RVT Regent is a 6-tube, twin 7591 design. The EA15RVT Zephyr in the Gibson Service Manual is twin 6V6. The only Gibson GA30RVT schematic out there will be for a newer Gold Tone series ... the original Gibson GA30RV is twin 6V6, no trem. Also, the EA16 amp has an autotransformer functioning as a phase inverter ... something of an experiment by Gibson/Epiphone ... later adopted by Fender in the 1970-1982 MusicMaster.

The crackling isn't necessarily caps ... more likely dirty controls, reverb in/out connections, or tube pins and sockets. Use lubricating-type cleaner on the controls, conventional cleaner on the tube pins and sockets ... if that doesn't take care of it and you have no serious background hum, then it's something other than filter supply caps. Good luck with your amp. CJ

[gearhead1972]

Just wanted to update this post with some information I have finally found so that others may not have to go crazy like I have. So what I have found out that the 1963 Epiphone EA-15RVT Zephyr Schematic Does not match My Zephyr. I have found that the Schematic for a 1963 Gibson GA-25RVT is the same exact one for the EA-15RVT. Both of those schematics depict a 15" speaker and 8 tubes. Then last night after hours of searching I found a picture of a Gibson GA-25RVT with the back off it. What do you know same tube layout and 2 10" speakers just like my EA-15RVT. So I started searching for the schematics for the Gibson. It seams both of these amps are transition era amps, and we all know hoe good Gibson was of keeping records. Of course that task was also daunting, but finally at like 1:30am with my head bouncing of the desk I found a pretty decent photo of what looks like an original drawing.