llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:58 am I wanted to ask - I’ve got a couple vintage guitars that had their trems removed and were converted to hardtail. Good for me because it was cheaper. Unfortunately the stupid groundwire is just flopping around in there.

Any ideas for grounding these things without routing a hole to the bridge? I expect it wouldn’t hurt the value that much considering, but I’d like to know my options.

Unfortunately one of them had a lyre vibrola, so finding another one would run around $300 or so, which is too much for a prop

Difficult to answer without knowing the type of bridge that was supposed to be there and what the configuration was changed to. In general, though, the ground wire usually doesnt require any routing just a hole drilled between the control cavity and the bridge. On a Gibson-style thing this might be inside of the tailpiece bushing hole, say.

Yep, that’s what I meant, i misspoke- didn’t want to drill a hole if I could help it but wasn’t sure of any other options - its for an 60s Epiphone Coronet and a 70s Gibson Firebird

Coronet is this style: https://www.frettedamericana.com/produc ... ne-coronet

Firebird is this style:
https://reverb.com/item/65987493-gibson ... allion-367

(mine were much, much cheaper)

Sunn Beta Bass:


This thing is super clean and looks like it hasn't been used in 20 years. Paid more than I normally would for a broken amp, but I couldn't pass up a clean one like this.

Preamp section was losing power intermittently when I got it. Opened it up, and the -14 V rail was dropping out when I wiggled its pass transistor (Q11). Replaced it with a new TIP30C and voltages were solid.

Somebody had been in there before and replaced a couple output transistors. They had date codes from 1984, whereas the others were from late 77/early 78

Plugged it in and was getting low, distorted output. Preamp line-out sounded fine. Wiggled a few of the socketed transistors and it seems to be fine now, though I only played it at low volume because my kids were sleeping.

Replaced the mains power switch, as the internal neon was burned out and I happened to have a new Carling replacement in my stash.

Some of the knobs are pretty stiff to turn. Maybe full of old conductive grease, but those preamp pots are hard to access.

Silvertone 1484:



Arrived with some obviously blown filter caps. Black goo leaking out. One of the rectifier diodes was shorted also, and visibly discolored. All the tubes are original and test strong. Somebody had installed a three-prong power cord at some point.

Replaced all of the caps
Replaced the rectifier diodes
Removed the death cap
Cleaned up the chassis
Stripped the flat black spray paint from the enclosure
Replaced the output jack
Replaced the missing knobs (though I'm not too keen on these, will probably swap to something else).
Tried to seal the particleboard enclosure the best I could to keep it from flaking apart.
Glued down some flappy tolex on the corners

Twin Twelves always sound awesome when I hear them live. Have any small builders (looking at you, Dr. Tony Balls!) ever reissued these things in, perhaps, a simplified form with a turret board?

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2023 9:56 am Twin Twelves always sound awesome when I hear them live. Have any small builders (looking at you, Dr. Tony Balls!) ever reissued these things in, perhaps, a simplified form with a turret board?

No, but it could easily be done depending on the simplifications. The reverb unit in these is unique and ive never seen a replacement part. If one didnt care about the reverb it would be simple.

The fact that you can have a 100% wet reverb-only output on these is kinda cool, for a weird effect thing.

There is a pedal version, no idea how it sounds though. They obviously spent a lot to get the aesthetics right:

Silvertone 1484:

Pics, now that I've replaced the knobs and finished reassembly.

This is the first time I've used Mojotone's capacitors, both axial electrolytics and multi-section can caps. They seem to be pretty good build quality for the price.

Beautiful work! I still have my 1483 that I got as a teenager and I love that amp to death.

I had a Teisco Checkmate 50 that had the same unusual reverb tank. That was a fun amp, but odd. Even properly serviced it was a little too noisy/quirky/unreliable, though on occasion I regret selling it. The tremolo would drift in and out sometimes even when disengaged and it sounded really cool. The whole amp seemed to have a mind of its own. I used it for a set of NY and Crazy Horse songs once and it was perfect.

Nate Dort wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2023 10:25 am The fact that you can have a 100% wet reverb-only output on these is kinda cool, for a weird effect thing.

My epiphone pathfinder can do 100% we reverb. I've used it for probably 90% of the vocal reverb on every bone and bell record. I't's my favorite thing about that amp.