Super Six Reverb

[passfan]

2 or 3 years back I took a look at a super six reverb for a buddy of mine. It is a 76' or a 77' year amp with a push pull MV. I determined that it had filament voltage but no B+ and told my buddy that it could need a PT and possibly filter caps. Well back to my buddy it went to be dealt with at a later date. Now he's getting out of the studio business and offered to give me the amp in exchange for a couple days of electrical labor. Whoo Hoo, I can't wait to get it on the bench and really dig into it. Would you guys convert it back to a blackface circuit ? I've seen some people make a head out of the chassis and some cut the cabinet down to twin size. I think I'd like to keep the cab to be able to go back stock if needed. My buddy around the corner has an original blackface twin faceplate NOS still in the paper. This would be a hell of a reissue.

[Firestorm]

Isn't that one of the "ultralinear" ones? Hard to make that blackface.

[Teleguy61]

King of the Super Six:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lX9YTtEJvc

[Stevem]

No, the S S six amp is not UL, but the higher power supply voltage of these amps even with backfacing the PI section still keeps you out of true blackface world.

No B+ at the output tubes while still having filiments and not blowing fuses is a strange issue, is that where you checked, or do you not have B+ just in the preamp section, as that would make sence!

[passfan]

It seems I recall no H.T. voltage anywhere in the amp , but the only time I poked was a couple years ago. The last owner to play it left a blown fuse wrapped in tin foil in the amp when he gave it to my buddy. I suspected a blown ht winding back then. I will lay my hands on it within a couple of days and poke deeper into the problem.

[Firestorm]

No, the S S six amp is not UL, but the higher power supply voltage of these amps even with backfacing the PI section still keeps you out of true blackface world.

No B+ at the output tubes while still having filiments and not blowing fuses is a strange issue, is that where you checked, or do you not have B+ just in the preamp section, as that would make sence!

If it's just the 100W version rather than the 135W UL version, B+ should be 455ish, so reasonable BF territory. But yes, why is there no B+?

[passfan]

Well I guess I was losing my mind or something. It has B+ and even better , the transformer ht is 340-0-340 unloaded or 456 volt dc unloaded. From what I can tell the output tubes are shot , only one good one out of three. Have yet to check the preamp tubes but I have plenty of those laying around. Will have to get a quad. This amp is full of the brown caps. I feel like doing some upgrading even if it works.

[rp]

I've seen some people make a head out of the chassis and some cut the cabinet down to twin size. I think I'd like to keep the cab to be able to go back stock if needed. My buddy around the corner has an original blackface twin faceplate NOS still in the paper. This would be a hell of a reissue.

Don't waste an original blackface twin faceplate NOS on silly butchery. That thing is a cool freak, why would you give it a buzzcut and put it in a suit? Make the MV a better one, un-UL it if so, make the circuit as BF as you can and tweak it nice without resorting to power tools. Get some old Phillips 6L6STRs. And get yourself a hand truck.

I'm a reformed reptile dentist and now preach the gospel of respect and restraint.

And you know, next year Jack White will appear on a Guitar Player cover with one and saying it's the coolest tone in the universe. You'll then have to live with a lifetime of regret

[rp]

I just listened to that vid link, AC sure has a crap tone. If you need to borrow a Skil saw...

[Teleguy61]

I just listened to that vid link, AC sure has a crap tone. If you need to borrow a Skil saw...

Sure was loud though, the biggest feature of a Super Six.

Bunch of guys sitting around at Fender, early 1972:
Well, we gotta do something with this tired old Twin Reverb platform.
What d'ya think?

We could make it louder?

Yeah, yeah, a lot louder!

Oh yeah that's it!
And not only louder, let's make it a heavier! A lot heavier!

Great! Great! This'll really sell big!

Fast forward to 2014........................

[sepulchre]

I had a '71 model back in the 80s. Don't know about others but mine sounded Great. I was one of those that cut the head off it so I could get it into my little car. But I'd leave it whole today - maybe make a cab for the head if I wanted it separate (handy).

Don't know if mine was UL or not, I didn't dig into it back then. But like I said, it had Excellent tone. Unfortunately it was the victim of a fire, as were a couple of other amps and some instruments.

[sepulchre]

Multi post (kept getting a Debug Mode error)

[sepulchre]

Multi post (kept getting a Debug Mode error)

[sepulchre]

Multi post (kept getting a Debug Mode error)

[Stevem]

They where very into big and heavy in 72.
The first time I had to pick up a 90 lb Fender 400PS head to get it on the work bench, and then saw that it had 3 seperate 135 watt rms outputs and that it was class AB2 with a big ass PI/ drive transformer ( the size of most 40 watt OTs) I said to myself I better get more info on this beast before I blow it up or at least get some sun block so I dont roast my face with the heat from 6 6550 output tubes! lol.