Matt complained that the reverb function of his amp was erratic when he used the factory foot switch. Could the Unbrokenstring Crew look it over and find the rat?
Let’s take a tour of the unit. This one is in excellent shape. Meet the ‘normal’ channel,’ on the left side.
Effects channel is in the middle.
Everything in this amp works well. I wonder what the issue is?
Name, rank, and serial number, please!
One thing I really like about this unit is the ON and STANDBY switches sport dust boots. Good practice to keep these switches trouble-free for years to come!
The foot pedal goes here. This is a stereo jack, to support two functions. Is this the problem?
Matt supplied the foot switch. This looks as if it has never been out of the studio.
Inside the unit, we see cast frame Eminence units. Very nice!
The tube diagram is as it should be. I understand that the schematic is the same as the original Blackface Fender, only updated with modern components and largely built upon a printed circuit board. Nice stuff.
No reverb here! There is an intermittent within the pedal.
The vibrato section works fine, so we need to investigate the foot switch on the right.
Let’s verify that everything is OK here. Very clean inside!
Amazingly, the reverb foot switch does not actuate every time it’s pressed. A new unit is pulled from stock.
Here is the new reverb switch. Now, the reverb is functional, but there is another source of intermittent operation.
Aha! At the plug end, the wire insulation has pulled back, allowing the inner conductors to touch the case and each other. This is a mess!
There are actually three conductors in the factory cable; two are used for switch functionality and the third is the braid, a ‘common’ conductor for both circuits which doubles as a ground shield as well.
Here, I’m carefully pulling one conductor out of the center of the braid while leaving the braid intact.
Here are the three ‘wires’ that we need.
I pulled the braid until it was a solid conductor. This piece of clear tubing will insulate it from the other wires in case the insulation on the wires pulls away again.
This is the finished termination. I had to use a big iron on the solder joint to the outer shell, and the insulation is a little worse for wear. I’ll do better next time. A tie wrap was added on the exiting cable to help the strain relief do its job.
Everything is back together and works per spec.
Another satisfied customer!
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom!
CONTACT – David Latchaw EE
281-636-8626