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Post subject: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reverb
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:16 am
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Hello all. I am in a bit of a quandary and I was hoping to get some input from from all the wise and experienced people on this forum.

I have a 1973-ish Fender Quad Reverb. I have had it since I was 20 and bought it in 1984. It was fairly worn then but had the front grill. In my wreckless youth, I trashed it even more and it's been in storage for about 10 years now. Now, the box is trashed, and front grill is completely gone and even the side of the cabinet the wood is cracked so it sort of flaps in the wind.

I pulled the amp out and fired it up and it still sounds great but it has major issues. My quandary is as follows:

My main amp is a Fender Twin amp from 2003 - also known as the Evil Twin. A GREAT sounding amp in clean and in the drive channel and I get awesome drive from that channel - so great I don't need any additional drive or gain or distortion. However, this amplifier lacks good reverb. I have tried new tube to drive the reverb and a several diffferent tanks to no avail. The reverb is just not as lush and sweet as on a Twin Reverb or it's larger brother, the Quad, which is essentially a twin in a 4x12 cabinet. The reverb engaged causes hum and the hum is louder as the level of reverb is turned up. This amp also has a hum that is distracting any time I am playing by myself or at home so when the reverb is on there is additional noise - I have it switched to 1/4 power but it's the same in full or 1/4 power. I am basically FED UP with the Evil Twin and I am over it. I have been trying for years to put up with the noise but my conclusion is that this amp is just way overkill for me and now I need something less powerful and LESS EVIL.

Okay, as I see it, I have a few alternatives.

1. Refurbish the Quad Reverb myself. Put all new pots in and swap out the torn and mis-matched speakers. Get new front grill and buy some Tolex and fix the wood cabinet. I am sure I can make it look quite good again with some time and TLC.

2. Buy a NEW empty cabinet for the Quad and essentially convert it to a Twin Reverb to make it more manageable and have it look like an almost new amplifier with some brand new speakers and new pots, etc.

3. Trash the Quad and the Evil Twin and just start from scratch with a new or a used amp.

My goals is a GREAT sounding clean amplifier that I can dirty up - but I realize after 30 years of playing, I have no idea what effects I can use with the older Quad to give it some nice gain and some classic rock and blues grit. I cannot just buy stuff to try out so I want to hear from the community of experts in the field.

I would appreciate people's input on this. Its going to be hard to part with the Evil Twin's great clean and drive sounds but I am sick and tired of that amp. The Quad has GREAT clean but no drive. I have tried a Tube Screamer and various other methods of acquiring more gain and drive but it just sounds tinny and awful. Stomp any of those boxes back off and the amp now sounds like it's normal lush self but very clean.


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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:42 am
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Option #2 seems to be the most practical method for resurrecting the amp.

Or conversely, convert it to a head-only configuration and procure a separate speaker enclosure. This would simplify logistical considerations as well (ie: easier on one's back and knees).

JMO, HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:04 am
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Oh yes, making it just a head is another interesting idea. Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:28 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Option #2 seems to be the most practical method for resurrecting the amp.

Or conversely, convert it to a head-only configuration and procure a separate speaker enclosure. This would simplify logistical considerations as well (ie: easier on one's back and knees).

JMO, HTH

Arjay

+1, I agree with Arjay, I have a 79 twin with JBL's and was thinking about converting it to a head and cabinet because of the weight. With Quad you could go head and 4-12 cabinet or go with 2 2-12 cabinets giving you a variety of options. Good luck with whatever you decide.
filerj


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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:01 pm
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minor9th wrote:
Oh yes, making it just a head is another interesting idea. Thanks!


Mojotone offers a ready-made head cab for just such scenarios.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:16 pm
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I think I am leaning now towards the head route. This will be infinitely easier on my back and give me more options for speaker cabs. I am excited for this amp to be beautiful again!


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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:21 pm
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If you're not building your own, take a look at Avatar's line of speaker enclosures. They're well-built, priced right, and offer traditional Fender cosmetics to match the Mojotone stuff.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:01 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
If you're not building your own, take a look at Avatar's line of speaker enclosures. They're well-built, priced right, and offer traditional Fender cosmetics to match the Mojotone stuff.

HTH

Arjay


Wow!! With that Mojotone Twin Reverb Head cabinet and an Avatar 212 cabinet this will look far better than when I received this amp in the 80s, already looking like it had been kicked off many stages down flights of stairs. The amazing thing is that it's basically disintegrating yet it still sounds freaking awesome despite having 4 very ugly torn speakers that are all different and no front cover.


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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:18 pm
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Your playing style and musical preferences will doubtless engender many different replacement speaker recommendations......

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:29 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Your playing style and musical preferences will doubtless engender many different replacement speaker recommendations......

:mrgreen:

Arjay


Oh joy!! I read a ton of reviews and solicit advice for everything and love to hear what people have to say about all kinds of stuff - however, I am very prone to analysis paralysis when I am deciding on something so personal as pickups and speakers because so much of that is about personal preference and being able to vocalize exactly what one is hearing and what one desires their sound to be. The speaker research will happen simultaneously as re-potting. You bring up a great point - I need to start this ASAP!


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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:33 pm
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We're here to argu......er......uh......help you.

:lol:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:19 pm
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Going the Head and 2, 2X12 cabs would sure make using the Quad a much more viable option. Either way those Quads were extremely LOUD! A guy in a band I played in the 70's had one and it sounded great, but I don't think we ever let him turn it past 3! Haven't seen him in 30 years, but my guess he has back problems from lugging that thing around! :wink:

FWIW

T2

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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:49 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
Going the Head and 2, 2X12 cabs would sure make using the Quad a much more viable option. Either way those Quads were extremely LOUD! A guy in a band I played in the 70's had one and it sounded great, but I don't think we ever let him turn it past 3! Haven't seen him in 30 years, but my guess he has back problems from lugging that thing around! :wink:

FWIW

T2


Haha!! This thing is way too heavy. I used to be able to move it myself!! But I'm now 48 and I run and workout almost everyday and there is no way in hell I am moving this thing by myself these days and risk causing injury to myself. I tried to move it from the garage to inside the house yesterday with NO stairs and had to wait for a friend to come over to move it about 30 feet. I think I am going with ONE 2x12 cabinet with 2, 8 Ohm speakers to achieve the 4 Ohm load and see how that works.


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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:48 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Option #2 seems to be the most practical method for resurrecting the amp.

Or conversely, convert it to a head-only configuration and procure a separate speaker enclosure. This would simplify logistical considerations as well (ie: easier on one's back and knees).

JMO, HTH

Arjay


+2 A head and cab would really help split up the weight a allow for different speaker and cab options and ook pretty slick too.

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Post subject: Re: To ressurect or not to ressurect - Fender 1973 Quad Reve
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:19 pm
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Give some serious thought to one of those "convertible" cabs from Avatar -- that way you'll have the sonic flexibility of both an open-back combo and a sealed bass-reflex enclosure at your beck and call.

HTH

Arjay

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