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Kustom commander reverb problem [message #25498]

Tue, 30 August 2016 06:16

Topelo76
Messages: 4
Registered: August 2016
Location: Finland

Junior Member

Hi,

I got an old Kustom Commander and there's been some issues with the reverb. First it didn't work at all or there were some really ugly distortion in the sound so I opened the amp and checked all the cables and connectors... and surprisingly the reverb started to work but there were some hum in the sound and it got louder the more I turned up the reverb level. After that I sprayed a potentiometer cleaner to the knobs and the reverb stopped working again. Any ideas what should I do next? Smile

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Re: Kustom commander reverb problem [message #25499 is a reply to message #25498]

Tue, 30 August 2016 06:47

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

What do you mean by sprayed cleaner ?
Did you put the discharge tube of the cleaner down into the gap in the pot body by where the wires get soldered on?
If so you may have had the tube too far in the pot and bent the pots wiper , that would make for no connection and in turn no reverb.
Try unplugging and spinning the reverb cables at there end a bunch as the aluminum connectors they have tarnish up bad with age and can at times make no connections even though they are plugged in!

You can check to see if the reverb recovery amp section is working just by unplugging the end of the cable that it going into the Jack on the pan marked output.
By unplugging that and tapping its end with the reverb pot up you should hear a buzz out of the amp just like tapping the end of your unplugged guitar cable.

[Updated on: Tue, 30 August 2016 06:49]

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Re: Kustom commander reverb problem [message #25501 is a reply to message #25498]

Tue, 30 August 2016 07:32

Topelo76
Messages: 4
Registered: August 2016
Location: Finland

Junior Member

I sprayed a contact cleaner that is meant to a potentiometers and put the discharge tube of the cleaner down into the gap in the pot body...but not inside. I'll try to spinning the cables again and also tapping with the output cable that reverb pot. Which one is the output...gray or white? What if I cannot hear the buzz sound when tapping?

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Re: Kustom commander reverb problem [message #25502 is a reply to message #25498]

Tue, 30 August 2016 08:36

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

If the cables and the recover amp section are good / working then one of the RCA jacks on the effects circuit board is the the input to the recovery amp and like I posted touching the end off a working RCA cable plugged into that Jack with the reverb control / pot turned up will make a loud buzz.
You may have a bad RCA cable, so ohms testing or continuity testing them may be the thing to do first , or just using a known good set of RCA cables may save some time!
The Jack on the board that makes the buzz gets plugged into the reverb pan Jack marked output.

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