To those of you who have ever had the frightful eye opening experience of looking into the guts of one of these so called reverb pans here is a warning!
First off you will find yourself wondering how the hell this thing works and once you realize that it is a duel pizeo set up you will understand why it sounds so crappy!
While spending time on my own 1484 cleaning some of the pots I decided to poke into the reverb to see what can be done to make it sound even 15% better!
I found that if I streched out its spring tighter across it's pickups at least I got a bit better high end responce to the verb, the problem came when I went in a second time for even more tension on the spring and broke one of the piezo stands , I've got some ideas on how to fix this and in the next few days I will post up a picture of the guts of the tank and hopefully what a fix might be.
Silvertone model 1484 reverb
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Stevem
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Silvertone model 1484 reverb
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
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dorrisant
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
Are you thinking of changing the circuit to work with a normal reverb tank? I can't remember what the schematic looks like of hand...
I have one of these and understand when people comment on the horrible sound of the reverb.
I had thought of using one of the Belton digital reverb modules due to the lack of space... But then there is a 5 volt requirement for that...
Tony
I have one of these and understand when people comment on the horrible sound of the reverb.
I had thought of using one of the Belton digital reverb modules due to the lack of space... But then there is a 5 volt requirement for that...
Tony
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"Education is what you're left with after you have forgotten what you have learned" - Enzo
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Stevem
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
Well the amp uses one half of a ax7 for a pre driver and than both sections of a 6FQ7 in a balanced configuration to drive the pan, and then one half of the ax7 for a recovery so installing say a 9" high impeadance pan my be doable !
I have a old piezo pickup from a acoustic guitar I am going to try out and see if it can at least work for the recovery side of the pan, I just need to find the time to try this stuff out!
I have a old piezo pickup from a acoustic guitar I am going to try out and see if it can at least work for the recovery side of the pan, I just need to find the time to try this stuff out!
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
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Leo_Gnardo
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
Ampeg 60's "shower curtain" amps ran spring reverb input straight off a doubled up 6FQ7. Choose the highest input impedance spring reverb you can find & enjoy better sound.Stevem wrote:Well the amp uses one half of a ax7 for a pre driver and than both sections of a 6FQ7 in a balanced configuration to drive the pan, and then one half of the ax7 for a recovery so installing say a 9" high impeadance pan my be doable !
I have a old piezo pickup from a acoustic guitar I am going to try out and see if it can at least work for the recovery side of the pan, I just need to find the time to try this stuff out!
Rare to find a piezo reverb that still works at all. The crystals were made of Rochelle salt, tended to absorb moisture and turn to dust. Similar crystal in Astatic mics favored by harp players. I know of no modern substitute, does anyone?
down technical blind alleys . . .
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Stevem
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
I am thinking of checking out a crystal stereo cartridge if it turns out the old acoustic Pizeo bridge pickup I have can not be fanangled to work.
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
I was wondering what to do with one of these piezo amps (mine was a 185.10410) a couple years ago. One day I hopped on eBay and saw one for sale, also with a bad piezo. In the description the owner mentioned, that when the piezo was removed, the input and output could be used as as an effects loop with little modification.
Haven't tried it yet, but it'd be easy to hook up a couple of caps and jacks and see.
Haven't tried it yet, but it'd be easy to hook up a couple of caps and jacks and see.
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Leo_Gnardo
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
Yes, will work as a parallel loop, good for adding time delay effects. You will want to dial your effects balance to full wet so only the delay/reverb shows up at the return jack. You could substitute a less powerful drive tube as well, a 12AT7 for instance.ampdoc1 wrote:when the piezo was removed, the input and output could be used as as an effects loop with little modification.
Haven't tried it yet, but it'd be easy to hook up a couple of caps and jacks and see.
Same can be done on any Fender amp with reverb. Some of my customers plugged in a Microverb or Lexicon LXP1, wow choice of reverbs & delays and no kerrr-RANG! when the amp gets knocked.
down technical blind alleys . . .
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Stevem
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
The effects loop is a great idea, but my amp here is pristine and no way could I bring myself to drill holes in it for in and out jacks, or even just one stereo Jack, but I guess you could hard wire in and out cables that pass thru the holes once used by the reverb pan wires !
One thing to note on a lot of these Silvertone amps and this amps speaker cabinet is no different is the fact that the speaker baffle holes are not big enough for some drivers and when pushed hard the drivers surround will beat up against that too small cut out!
One thing to note on a lot of these Silvertone amps and this amps speaker cabinet is no different is the fact that the speaker baffle holes are not big enough for some drivers and when pushed hard the drivers surround will beat up against that too small cut out!
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
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Jack Hester
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
I've got a 1484 that I've had for a few years now. Head only. Mine is not pristine, and will require quite a bit to clean it up. So, I haven't tackled it, yet.
I do have a 1474 that I have 'laid hands on' and it is in really good working condition, now. The reason I post this here is to show a bit of what I tried to do to wake the Reverb loop up to see if I could drive a standard spring tank. I was only successful in getting a bit of sound out of one. The recovery always was strong on pretty much any tank output impedance that I tried. It's been quite a few months since I did this, so I don't remember the input impedance of the tank that gave the best results. I do show 1475 with a question mark, so I'm thinking that this is the value that I last used. My job, at the time, dictated that I leave it for awhile. Just haven't been back. But, I did put it all back together and it is one clean looking amp.
Anyway, my point is that the Reverb loop does make a good FX loop, and the Reverb pot works (on mine) as a mixing pot. On my drawing, you can see the additional gain stage that I added to the loop. As an effects stage, it added a real nice overdrive, without any external effects.
I will follow this thread, in hopes that a likely fix results. My 1484 has the Reverb tank still installed, and appears to be hard-wired. The tank was missing in my 1474, which is the reason that I took the route that I did.
Jack
I do have a 1474 that I have 'laid hands on' and it is in really good working condition, now. The reason I post this here is to show a bit of what I tried to do to wake the Reverb loop up to see if I could drive a standard spring tank. I was only successful in getting a bit of sound out of one. The recovery always was strong on pretty much any tank output impedance that I tried. It's been quite a few months since I did this, so I don't remember the input impedance of the tank that gave the best results. I do show 1475 with a question mark, so I'm thinking that this is the value that I last used. My job, at the time, dictated that I leave it for awhile. Just haven't been back. But, I did put it all back together and it is one clean looking amp.
Anyway, my point is that the Reverb loop does make a good FX loop, and the Reverb pot works (on mine) as a mixing pot. On my drawing, you can see the additional gain stage that I added to the loop. As an effects stage, it added a real nice overdrive, without any external effects.
I will follow this thread, in hopes that a likely fix results. My 1484 has the Reverb tank still installed, and appears to be hard-wired. The tank was missing in my 1474, which is the reason that I took the route that I did.
Jack
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Stevem
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Re: Silvertone model 1484 reverb
I have not had the time to mess with mine as much as I would like in the last week, but I did note that after trying out some pans that I have sitting around that its circuit wants as high a impedance tank as you can get, the time factor is also why I have not posted a picture of the tank yet!
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!