New reverb tanks are cheap. Who knew?

[OGG]

So, both of my recent Jazz Chorus Amp acquisitions have bad reverb tanks (which was why both sellers let them go so cheap) . Turns out that both the JC55 and the JC77 take the exact same unit. Accutronics has them on Amazon for $22.95 ea. Plus tax and shipping.

So I just ordered 2 of them. They look really easy to replace also.

I figured they would cost a lot more but I was pleasantly surprised.

The JC77 also has a wonky volume pot, but the seller included a brand new one with the amp, so I will replace that pot when the new tanks get here.

 

[Ignored Member]

Yeah. It's one of those things that's cheap to fix but makes it hard to sell the amp. The buyer doesn't know if it's a broken tank (cheap and easy) or the driver (not so cheap and easy).

If I see a good price and "works but reverb broken", I'm interested.

 

[OGG]

Yeah. It's one of those things that's cheap to fix but makes it hard to sell the amp. The buyer doesn't know if it's a broken tank (cheap and easy) or the driver (not so cheap and easy).

If I see a good price and "works but reverb broken", I'm interested.

Isn't the driver only an issue with tube amps though?

 

[OGG]

BTW, I could get by without the onboard reverb, since I use the HD500, but I really like the JC reverb.

 

[Ignored Member]

Isn't the driver only an issue with tube amps though?

I don't think so. I think the tank requires the signal to be boosted no matter what. I think the issue with old tube amps is that it's not an uncommon failure. If I remember right, not many modern tube amps use a tube driver for the reverb circuit anyway.

 

[OGG]

I don't think so. I think the tank requires the signal to be boosted no matter what. I think the issue with old tube amps is that it's not an uncommon failure. If I remember right, not many modern tube amps use a tube driver for the reverb circuit anyway.

Ah, ok. Good to know in case the new tanks don't fix the problem.

 

[Ignored Member]

BTW, I could get by without the onboard reverb, since I use the HD500, but I really like the JC reverb.

That's exactly why a "broken reverb" on an otherwise working amp wouldn't bother me. If I turn down the reverb and use a pedal in the effects loop, I'm just as happy. I like reverb but it doesn't have to be an authentic spring reverb for me.

 

[Wyatt]

In this case, the tank is the most likely culprit and cheap enough to try without paying bench fees. With the JC series, the driver is an op-amp (probabaly a 4558), instead of a tube... probabaly multiple op-amps in parallel.

*If* the old tank can be opened (many are riveted close) the mechanics of them is simple enough to deduce and often repair (most common problem is a broken solder connection to the PU).

*If* you can repair the old ones they sound and act better than ANY of the modern replacements, I think even Accutronics now farms them out to the lowest bidder.

Why did you order two? Shipping? If they use the same tank you could have used one to check both amps.

 

[OGG]

In this case, the tank is the most likely culprit and cheap enough to try without paying bench fees. With the JC series, the driver is an op-amp (probabaly a 4558), instead of a tube... probabaly multiple op-amps in parallel.

*If* the old tank can be opened (many are riveted close) the mechanics of them is simple enough to deduce and often repair (most common problem is a broken solder connection to the PU).

*If* you can repair the old ones they sound and act better than ANY of the modern replacements, I think even Accutronics now farms them out to the lowest bidder.

Why did you order two? Shipping? If they use the same tank you could have used one to check both amps.

I ordered two because they both have the exact same symptoms, and because they were so cheap. A little research led me to deduce, as you stated, that it is almost certainly the tanks.

For $23 I figured it was a small gamble.