Got a 65 Super reverb today... BUT I NEED HELP!

[Hella1hella]

Thank you for the information! Just so everyone knows.. My theory for this amp "restoration" is this... WWLFD - - - "What would Leo Fender do?" I want this amp to sound like fender would have wanted it to.

[Hella1hella]

So I think I might have came to a decision... Since I do not have enough money to completely restore this amp right away this is my plan. After I get all of the electronics in tip top shape, I will keep it as a head for a little while until I get the costs of getting it fixed payed off. After this, I am thinking I will get one of the JD newell cabs. They look like great craftsmanship at a great price as well, and order it loaded with (2) ceramic reissue Jensens and (2) alnico reissue Jensens. I know the reissue are not the BEST speakers, but they are reproduction of the originals, and if they were terrible fender probably wouldn't put them in all of their new amps. So at this point I will have a fully functional amp that will look like an original to the eye and will be gig ready. BUT IT DOES NOT STOP THERE! The reason for me doing all of that is because I have realized I will not be able to find all of the vintage parts right away, so I am going part by part. Since I will have the completed amp, when I see an original 65' Jensen, I will buy it and place it in the amp, and keep doing this as I find all of the parts ( Cabinet, Speakers, EVERYTHING, even down to the Reverb RCA wires). In the end, I will have an amp that is COMPLETELY 1965 Fender parts.

[Fee]

sounds like a plan.........

[pdf64]

This wasn't asked, but I'd personally get a 4x10" speaker cab and leave it in piggyback form.

Agree.
A vintage type SR combo looks cool but
a/ are super heavy / awkward to handle
b/ vibration is tough on tubes; speakers and tubes in very close proximity is a recipe for issues around microphonics and tube rattle.
I'm very much regretting going with a combo format for my Fender type build, after a second RCA 12AX7 has developed microphonics.
Pete.

[Fee]

Pete,
good point I agree, head boxes have a lot in their favour. Combo amps were meant to be convenient but Supers, Twins, Bluesbreakers eg. and such are just plain heavy. Although JD Newell makes a two ten cab for Super Reverbs which cuts down on the weight and awkwardness. For tubes problems often times you'll find that the silicone O-rings placed on the tubes at the mica support will stop microphonics if the tube hasn't loosened up too much, thus saving a favourite nos tube that still had some life in it. They really work ! And you will find that many times the tube shield can be skipped (especially at the beginning of the preamp) you have to try. But it is for sure that the O-rings work very well on power tubes even tightening up bass response. In an EL84 combo amp I might just put them on from the very beginning and will probably extend the tube life quite a bit.

[Hella1hella]

I thought about a 2x10 2x12 or even 1x12 configuration, but I think I might feel too wrong not making it the way it was originally :P

[Fee]

The original is a thing of classic beauty but I've currently got three of them here, one with ceramics, one with alnicos and one in a two ten with ceramics, guess which one is easier to use ?

[Hella1hella]

Yeah, I guess you are right haha, and I can always change my mind! I cant seem to find the 2x10 cab on his website, can you tell me which one it is?

[Fee]

Super or Bandmaster Reverb combo cab

Yeah, I guess you are right haha, and I can always change my mind! I cant seem to find the 2x10 cab on his website, can you tell me which one it is?

I couldn't find it on there either, but he makes one, actually he'll make it any way you want 1x12 1x15 2x12 2x10 3x10 4x10
but the 3x10 and 2x12 are almost as big and heavy as the 4x10, so at that point you'd just get the 4x10

He may be calling it a 2x10 combo for Bandmaster Reverb ? Which was a later Super Reverb in a head box. BTW I have one of those head boxes (a Fender) if you're interested in it, I'll give you a good deal. If you want I'll take pics of it. But I have to tell you that it's been re-tolexed red with a black grille cloth. So then if you have a decent ext. cab you'll be good to go. You can restore later as you go.

John is a great guy (JD), so if you want to go that way just give him a call. He's in Georgia so eastern time.
Best.....

[Hella1hella]

Good news everyone! just heard back from the tech, he said that their was a wrong fuse in there and the cap was wrong, so the fuse wasn't in tight to make a proper connection. Other than that, the only thing wrong is it needs some new power tubes and its good to go! He said the inside looks great!

Fee- Would the 2x10 look awkward? could you take a picture of yours for me? Would a 1x12 sound good in a super reverb?

[Fee]

not where the amps are, I'll have to take pics later. But if you want a combo cab I would go with tens. Put it in a head box and you can do whatever. One fifteen is great a la Vibroverb but only the ones with the jbl d130 sounded good, and those are very very pricey , cheaper to buy four tens.

[akimball442]

Don't forget the super reverb is 2 ohms! It'll run at 4, but it likes 2. A pair of 4 Ohm speakers in parallel would make 2 ohms.

[Fee]

that's the good thing about it - you can safely go from two ohms to four
the original Fender output trannies were built very tough and could handle mismatches. Unlike the Marshalls .........

[Hella1hella]

Yes, I know it is two ohms, so if I DID do a 1x12 I could order a 12" speaker from weber in 2 ohms. Thats whats awesome about the weber stuff, you can choose your ohms!( which I am leaning away from after the show I saw last night, most of their amps were dr Z 2x10 combos and they had some 2x10 fender stuff too. I think that might be the winner!)

[Fee]

you'll like the tens better, that's what helps define it as a super, I would shy away from ordering a two ohm 12 in. speaker, it would have no other possible use on it's own and could end up being a very expensive doorstop......