Fender Deluxe Reverb RI Rattling Problem

[Mystic Steamship Co.]

I just got a 65 Deluxe Reverb RI used. It sounds awesome but when it is played at moderated and high volumes there is this awful rattling noise coming from the amp. I just spent a whole day trying to figure it out and I didn't accomplish anything so I think i need some help. The rattling sounds like its coming from the speaker but I figured I'd mess with the tubes first

- I took off all the tube covers, replaced all the tubes with the factory original ones...nothing.

-then I thought I'd try the reverb tank. I took it out...still rattling, I even tried putting a new reverb tank in there (had it laying around) still rattling....

-I took off the baffle, put all the screws from the speaker in there (the previously owner only put half the screws in) and tightened the HELL out of all of them...still rattling!!!!!!

I honestly don't know where to go from here. Could it just be the brand of speaker or something?? There is an Eminence legend in there, I don't have the original speaker.

I'm thinking it could be the resonant frequency of the amp cabinet? It seems to be really bad when I play A and B on the 2nd and 3rd octaves on my rhodes, so the really bad frequency ranges are 110-123.5 hz and 220-247 hz. It still rattles with my guitar just not as bad.

Any help would much appreciated!!!

[goatboy]

I just got a 65 Deluxe Reverb RI used. It sounds awesome but when it is played at moderated and high volumes there is this awful rattling noise coming from the amp. I just spent a whole day trying to figure it out and I didn't accomplish anything so I think i need some help. The rattling sounds like its coming from the speaker but I figured I'd mess with the tubes first

- I took off all the tube covers, replaced all the tubes with the factory original ones...nothing.

-then I thought I'd try the reverb tank. I took it out...still rattling, I even tried putting a new reverb tank in there (had it laying around) still rattling....

-I took off the baffle, put all the screws from the speaker in there (the previously owner only put half the screws in) and tightened the HELL out of all of them...still rattling!!!!!!

I honestly don't know where to go from here. Could it just be the brand of speaker or something?? There is an Eminence legend in there, I don't have the original speaker.

I'm thinking it could be the resonant frequency of the amp cabinet? It seems to be really bad when I play A and B on the 2nd and 3rd octaves on my rhodes, so the really bad frequency ranges are 110-123.5 hz and 220-247 hz. It still rattles with my guitar just not as bad.

Any help would much appreciated!!!

Could it be the springs that hold the tubes? That is a common problem with the Pro Jrs. Alot of people encase them in rubber tubing heatshrinked on and there is something else you can do that slips my mind right now. Try taking the covers off of the tubes and running the amp to see if that's the problem and if it is you can go the heatshrinking route.

[roscoenyc]

One thing to try would be to try running the amp through another speaker cabinet.

[lysander]

You can put on an oven mitt and hold each tube while you play to see if it's one of the tubes or tube sockets.

[Randy]

Another thing to check- see if it's a microphonic tube. Tap lightly on the tubes with a chopstick or pencil and see if the rattle happens. I spent hours with a friend's Mesa Boogie checking for mechanical rattles and it ended up being a tube. I could have sworn the rattle was mechanical.

good luck!

[Chris_Meck]

These suggestions are all good places to look; and I'm sure you already checked this, but-


did you check to make sure the chassis screws are tightened all the way? I had that problem with my deluxe and it turned out that was the problem.

[RefD]

Another thing to check- see if it's a microphonic tube. Tap lightly on the tubes with a chopstick or pencil and see if the rattle happens. I spent hours with a friend's Mesa Boogie checking for mechanical rattles and it ended up being a tube. I could have sworn the rattle was mechanical.

good luck!

i had this exact thing happen with both a Twin Reverb II and a JTM-45.

check for a microphonic tube FIRST and save the other stuff for after that possibility has been eliminated.

much easier that way, too.

[tdbajus]

it could be a bad cap giving you a parasitic oscillation, too.

Also, you might want to check and see that the speaker has been evenly tensioned (just like a snare head) to the baffle.

[louloomis]

it could be a bad cap giving you a parasitic oscillation, too.

Also, you might want to check and see that the speaker has been evenly tensioned (just like a snare head) to the baffle.

Yeah, the cap problem described above is just what I had once. Just needed to be replaced and the problem was solved. It was MUCH worse (before repair) when I played within a certain frequency (I think it was around a low A, if I recall).

LL

[Mystic Steamship Co.]

One of the tubes was microphonic but the rattle was still there when I replaced it so I opened up the chasis and apparently the original owner did some kind of mod where he connected two resistors with a wire (i think to get the verb/trem on both channels). Well anyway... on of the resistors he wired was broken so I replaced it and...perfect!

[RefD]

One of the tubes was microphonic but the rattle was still there when I replaced it so I opened up the chasis and apparently the original owner did some kind of mod where he connected two resistors with a wire (i think to get the verb/trem on both channels). Well anyway... on of the resistors he wired was broken so I replaced it and...perfect!