freaking accutronics reverb tank!

[guttapercha]

Hey all,

I'm seeking some advice about a sympathetically vibrating accutronics tank in a Mesa combo that I just got on Ebay (big surprise there - not!). The vibration is purely mechanical - it does not get picked up by the amp and I can quiet it when I put some pressure on it.

This thing is very easy to remove/replace, but will I have the same problem if I just swap in a new one? The reverb itself sounds fine, but this metallic vibration sound is incredibly loud and annoying.

Thanks,


JD

 

[cusebassman]

I recently replaced a dead Accutronics tank in a Blues Junior, it is indeed very simple.

Do the springs vibrate even when nothing is running through them (i.e. the guitar isn't being played, and is muted)? If so, then there might be current running into the tank even when you aren't playing, which isn't the fault of the tank. If for some reason the springs are vibrating when no current is running into the tank (if that's possible ), replacing the tank would fix it. 30 bucks'd let you know for sure

Either way, good luck.

 

[guttapercha]

Thanks for the comeback. No problem when not playing, and I don't think that the springs are causing the problem. The metal housing itself basically buzzes when I play certain notes. Maybe if I wrap it in a teeshirt....

 

[mixsit]

So it is the case not the springs -not sending the sound out the speaker?
Dampening might be the ticket. It might take somethig fairly high density to glue on to the surfaces.

 

[Farview]

If you can figure out what is rattling agains what, it will be fairly easy to fix.

If it's the tank rattling against the amp case, just get a thin piece of foam and stick it between the reverb and the case. Screw it back together.

If there is something inside the reverb that is rattling against the reverb case, that might be harder to fix. If it isn't obvious, a new one might fix the problem.

I've seen reverb units that were attached to the amp cabinet with screws going through rubber isoation grommets. If that is how Mesa does it, you might have just worn through the grommet.

 

[punkin]

I second looking into the rubber biscuits. The tank should be screwed down securely but not so tight that the insulators become excessively compressed. Have you opened the unit up and looked inside. I'd have a look to be sure one of the strings hasn't come loose or possibly rattling around inside.

 

[guttapercha]

I second looking into the rubber biscuits. The tank should be screwed down securely but not so tight that the insulators become excessively compressed. Have you opened the unit up and looked inside. I'd have a look to be sure one of the strings hasn't come loose or possibly rattling around inside.

Thanks. Yes, I had done all of the above and checked on those grommets. Oddly, when I initially removed, and then reinstalled it the problem disappeared. Then, a day later it showed up again.

I'll keep pluggin', but sounds like I'm looking at the right things.

Thanks again,

JD

 

[JCM900]

One thing you can do is this.
Go to your local hardware store, get a tube of 100% clear silicone that goes into a caulking gun, and run several beads of the silicone along the length of the tank on the flat exposed surfaces. this will dampen any vibrations, its kinda like using moongels on a drumset. Guaranteed to stop your sypathetic vibrations.

 

[guttapercha]

One thing you can do is this.
Go to your local hardware store, get a tube of 100% clear silicone that goes into a caulking gun, and run several beads of the silicone along the length of the tank on the flat exposed surfaces. this will dampen any vibrations, its kinda like using moongels on a drumset. Guaranteed to stop your sypathetic vibrations.

Thank you for the clever suggestion! I think I might even have a tube of that stuff in the garage.

Now if I can only figure out the intermittent 'wind' noise in the rhythm channel....
(F*&king Ebay!).

JD