References: <4qd3on$8l--(at)--tinsc01-mgt.ops.worldnet.att.net> <4qi50f$sb--(at)--ewsbf02.news.aol.com> <4qsopi$94--(at)--araguay.it.earthlink.net>
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In article <4qsopi$94--(at)--araguay.it.earthlink.net> telecaste--(at)--arthlink.net (telecaster) writes:
>From: telecaste--(at)--arthlink.net (telecaster)
>Subject: Re: Adding an effects loop to a vintage fender amp
>Date: 27 Jun 1996 01:40:02 GMT
>Dear Trem,
> Thanks for speaking out against that Torres fellow. I had a Tremolux
>modified by him into a buzzy distortion box that couldn't hold a power tube
>bias. I shudder when I see that guy's column in VG, or his advertising.
> By the way, I saw your "Vibroclone" mod in 20th Cent. Guitar.. it looks
>interesting. Is any Fender (2x6L6 w/reverb) amp through the seventies good
>for this project?
>-- tele
>In article <4qi50f$sb--(at)--ewsbf02.news.aol.com>, tremolu--(at)--ol.com says...
>>
>>I do not recommend such a foolish mod to a valuable Vintage pre-CBS amp.
>>You'll kill the resale value. If you want an effects loop, buy a new amp.
>> Torres is a butcher, beware. He specializes in turning Fenders into
>>Frankenstiens. I'm sure you could easily sell the Vibrolux for between
>>$900 and $1000, which would finance your new modern amp. Leave the
>>vintage Fenders stock.
One neat trick you can do that doesn't alter the amp at all is to use the
reverb driver as the effects send signal, and return the effects output to the
reverb return jacks. Set the effects for 100% wet, and dial in the blend with
the reverb knob. Be sure to do two things first, though--
1) Make sure that the reverb driver transformer is properly terminated.
Build a small box with a pair of pass-through jacks. Set up the reverb
send pass-through with an RCA jack (in) and a 1/4" jack (out) and an 8
ohm/10W resistor tied across the signal line (hot to ground) to properly
terminate that reverb driver transformer. The return side can be a
simple, 1/4" to RCA pass-through to prevent the need for wierd adapter
cables of dubious quality from Radio Shack or the like....
2) If using a line-level (or pseudo line-level) effect unit, start with the
output level knob fairly low, and run the amp's reverb knob about halfway
up to avoid distortion. Remember, since the reverb tank's signal is
/very/ small, the gain stage is set up to reflect that, and it may
distort if the effect output is to high....
For the price of a project box, a resistor, and a few jacks, it's a heluva
non-intrusive "mod".....
For those of you with Fender Blues Devilles and the like which have SS drivers
for the reverb tanks (also all you SS amp guys), you can forget the
requirement for loading the reverb driver output. It's only to save the
tube-driven driver transformers, which /will short out/ if not properly
terminated and dump the preamp B+ to ground through a dead short (no sound) or
a high-resistance short (dirty sound at most volumes, weak output--check for
lower-than-normal preamp B+). The SS drivers son't seem to have this problem,
so enjoy....
Dutch
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