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Post by Eddie on Feb 9, 2012 23:47:03 GMT -7
Hello all, After reading the Doc's post about upgrading the reverb tanks in 2012 MAZ Jr.s, I decided to order one from Antique Electronics Supply. The part number is: P-RMOD-8AB2A1B and the cost is $16.50. I received it today and wanted to share my thoughts on how it sounds and how the installation went. It does appear to be built a little better than the Accutronics one. It has a thick coat of black paint on it and it comes with a nice set of rubber grommets already installed. It will drop in perfectly to the old spot as the four corner screw holes line up with the Accutronics. Mine is mounted to the inside front of the head cabinet valance. I wanted to give the new tank every advantage as far as noise is concerned, so I scoured the internet for tips about making sure they run as quietly as possible as you turn them up. There were two simple tricks that I used: first, I cut a piece of cardboard for the bottom, covered it in aluminum foil and attached it to the bottom of the tank. I scraped away some paint on the reverb tank and used foil tape to attach the cardboard and tinfoil bottom so it would be grounded to the tank. This is supposed to help the shielding. See pics of this here: ztalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=maz18&thread=47175&page=1#540479 The second thing was to wrap the RCA reverb cables around the choke(edit: reverb transformer). I used the 3 foot stock RCA cables which allow for about two turns around the choke(edit: reverb transformer). See pics of this below. Before doing these things, the new reverb tank added about the same noise as the old, maybe a tad less. After doing these two things, the reverb adds nothing but reverb. I couldn't believe it! No added noise even at 100% wet. The tone of the new reverb is very good. It's an obvious improvement over the old tank, imo. The tone is slightly darker, which I like. Even at high levels, the verb doesn't get in the way of what you're playing. It just sits in the mix better. Also, there is much less of a metallic "boing" going on in this tank than the Accutronics. If you think of reverb EQ in terms of "tile-plate-spring-room-hall" with tile being the brightest and hall being the darkest, this reverb sounds closer to a good room reverb EQ wise and the old one was closer to a plate. I know all that is subjective and nearly impossible to put into words, but that's my feel on it. Thanks to the Doc and crew for continuing to improve the line and for sharing the easy-to-do improvements with your users. Eddie
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Post by zpilot on Feb 10, 2012 4:34:14 GMT -7
Guess I'm gonna have to get one for my JAZ. At that price I have to at least try it out.
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Post by BritInvasion on Feb 10, 2012 7:19:28 GMT -7
Thanks for the tips and pics Eddie!! The tank in my Maz Jr is fine now , but down the road I may replace it.
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donh
Junior Member
Posts: 80
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Post by donh on Feb 10, 2012 7:55:45 GMT -7
Thanks from me as well. I just put a tank on order.
And while I thought of it, I got a couple of 7189 tubes for my Maz 8 from the tubestore. When I got the 8 (used, trade deal) there was one slightly noisy tube so I traded them all out one at a time. I found the bad one and tamed the noise, but in the process I discovered that the Maz 8 output tube is particularly special. When I swapped it out for what I thought was a particularly good EL84, the tone took a nose-dive. Called Brent and he told me about the really-cool NOS tubes they are using. There is nothing at all the matter with mine, but I figured a couple spares will always be handy.
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Post by Brian on Feb 10, 2012 8:34:17 GMT -7
The new tank does sound awesome.
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Post by Scott on Feb 10, 2012 8:58:23 GMT -7
Updated forum sticky... Dr. Z speaking on the Maz reverb tank... Found a new supplier, MOD which are sold at Antique Electronics. P/N is P-RMOD-8AB2A1B. Very nice units. ( $16.50 )
They sound a little different, old one longer tail, new warmer tone. And the new one is built much better.
ZEddie wrote: Topic: The New MAZ Jr. Reverb Tanks - Good News! ztalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=xperts&action=display&thread=47176** Edit, I now have the sticky pointing to this thread. Better for the Jr. boys!
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Post by Eddie on Feb 10, 2012 11:33:40 GMT -7
Cool. I should add that the Doc informed me that I actually have the cables wrapped around the reverb tranny in my pic! lol. I thought that was the choke. Seems to work great though.
Eddie
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Post by surfhard on Feb 10, 2012 12:59:06 GMT -7
Thanks for the great info, Eddie. I'm going to try the cardboard/foil method.
What tubes are you guys using in the reverb slot of your Maz 18s? Do you think the tube makes much of a difference?
Thanks,
surfhard
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Post by Eddie on Feb 11, 2012 0:17:41 GMT -7
Here are some pics of the tank. On the inside, I left the cardboard bare so the springs wouldn't have any chance of hitting the foil. Also, you can see the "tabs" of foil tape I ran up and connected to the springs that keep the spring assembly suspended and also to the brass rivets that hold the pcb on each jack. This was probably unnecessary since I had also scraped away some of the black paint on the MOD tank where my foil tape would make a ground connection to the whole tank. After further experimenting tonight, I'd say this shielding, and not the wrapping of the cables around the reverb transformer, is what makes the reverb so quiet. It runs so quietly now and it's a real joy to use. Best, Eddie
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Post by Eddie on Feb 11, 2012 0:33:50 GMT -7
Thanks for the great info, Eddie. I'm going to try the cardboard/foil method. What tubes are you guys using in the reverb slot of your Maz 18s? Do you think the tube makes much of a difference? Thanks, surfhard Surfhard, Right now, I have an old GE 12AT7 in V3 and a JJ12AX7 in V4. I messed around with several tube types like 12AU, Ay, etc. in both spots just for fun, but the original 12AT/12AX seems best. I do think the tubes make a difference in sound - even of the amp when you are not using ANY reverb. Dr. Z once commented on this and said that it could actually make a difference. Fortunately you can still get good 12AT7 tubes nos for not a lot of money. I bought a good used Raytheon 12AT7 for less than $20 that is now in my PI spot. NOS JAN 12AT7's are on eBay from time to time, but you know you take a chance with eBay. I don't know this guy, but he's sold over 100 sets of 5 JAN 12AT7's for less than $30! That's pretty cheap, imo. www.ebay.com/itm/12AT7WC-JAN-PHILLIPS-NOS-NIB-TUBES-5-TUBES-/150579349781?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item230f3a8915#ht_500wt_1180Best, Eddie
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Post by doctorice on Feb 11, 2012 8:21:25 GMT -7
This is great info, Eddie.
I ordered one of these tanks a few weeks ago, in a "just in case" frame of mind. Will bookmark this thread for installation day.
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Post by DRZ on Feb 11, 2012 8:48:50 GMT -7
Nice Eddie, thanks. I will look to incorporate this procedure on future reverb heads.
DR.Z
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Post by Scott on Feb 11, 2012 9:26:22 GMT -7
Wow... Sweet! Some trivia about the tank found where Eddie ordered from... P-RMOD-8AB2A1B - Reverb Tank - Mod, Equivalent to 8AB2A1B, Black Finish Equivalent to 8AB2A1B, designed to sound like vintage tanks.
Type 8, 10 ohm input, 2,575 ohm output, medium decay, 3 spring.
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Post by markT on Feb 12, 2012 7:29:16 GMT -7
I've tried both tanks and agree, the new one is more pleasing to my ears.
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Post by evilsmooth on Feb 14, 2012 4:28:25 GMT -7
Does anybody knows if it works with Maz 18 combo? Can someone tell me how to do if it's possible?? Thanks
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Post by Eddie on Feb 14, 2012 21:52:15 GMT -7
Does anybody knows if it works with Maz 18 combo? Can someone tell me how to do if it's possible?? Thanks Yes - same procedure for a head or combo - except, on a combo, you won't have enough rca cable to wrap it around the transformer. No worries, though, as I think the real noise reduction comes from sheiling the tank itself. Just get a new tank, sheild it with foil as above, plug it in and it ought to work. I think the biggest improvement will be noticed in head setups because they tend to have noisier reverb circuits because of the tank being so close to all the other stuff in the head, like transformers. In a combo, the reverb tank can be placed far away from the noise producing electronics of the amp, so noise isn't as big of a deal in a combo. This is what I've read on the interwebs (which NEVER lie) but I've also found it to be true in personal experience. I can definitely say that replacing the tank in my MAZ Jr. with the above procedure/part no. has really made me LOVE using the reverb on my MAZ. It has a beautiful tone to it that sits just right in the mix - and it's whisper quite. Eddie
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Post by evilsmooth on Feb 15, 2012 0:43:03 GMT -7
Thank you very much! I will try to find where is the reverb tank in my combo and then buy a kit
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Post by evilsmooth on Feb 16, 2012 4:39:48 GMT -7
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Post by DRZ on Feb 16, 2012 5:16:46 GMT -7
Looking at the pic, it looks the same as the MOD. Just a different paint finish.
DR.Z
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Post by doctorice on Feb 16, 2012 5:30:50 GMT -7
Thank you very much! I will try to find where is the reverb tank in my combo and then buy a kit It's installed on the inside bottom of the cabinet. It's usually covered with a vinyl wrap for protection.
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Post by evilsmooth on Feb 16, 2012 6:38:56 GMT -7
Thanks
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Post by Chris NM on Feb 20, 2012 17:03:50 GMT -7
Now I’m excited. That's always been my one single criticism of my Maz and I’ll be one happy camper if that does the trick. Thanks for sharing.
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D Jones
New Member
"We're all just cork sniffers of the guitar and amp world"
Posts: 13
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Post by D Jones on Sept 28, 2013 13:53:38 GMT -7
Hey Eddie and guys,
Does anyone have any recommendations on good quality RCA cables?? Z used one in my Maz 38 that seems to be high quality but they don't sell them. Also Eddie, is it necessary to do this foil/metal shielding trick with the "MOD" brand reverb tanks? I recently spoke with the Doc about "CE/Antique Electronics" brand reverb tanks, but after looking them up they seem to sell the same "MOD" as well so I don't see any difference, they must just be a supplier and not a brand of reverb tank.
Thanks for any replies
D Jones
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Post by Fabio on Sept 29, 2013 8:19:29 GMT -7
Wow, it's a good thing I just saw this thread, thanks Eddie! I was afraid to remove the vinyl cover but beside protecting the tank, it doesn't have any shielding properties does it?
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Peter
New Member
Posts: 3
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Post by Peter on Oct 4, 2013 20:51:02 GMT -7
Does anybody knows if it works with Maz 18 combo? Can someone tell me how to do if it's possible?? Thanks Yes - same procedure for a head or combo - except, on a combo, you won't have enough rca cable to wrap it around the transformer. No worries, though, as I think the real noise reduction comes from sheiling the tank itself. Just get a new tank, sheild it with foil as above, plug it in and it ought to work. I think the biggest improvement will be noticed in head setups because they tend to have noisier reverb circuits because of the tank being so close to all the other stuff in the head, like transformers. In a combo, the reverb tank can be placed far away from the noise producing electronics of the amp, so noise isn't as big of a deal in a combo. This is what I've read on the interwebs (which NEVER lie) but I've also found it to be true in personal experience. I can definitely say that replacing the tank in my MAZ Jr. with the above procedure/part no. has really made me LOVE using the reverb on my MAZ. It has a beautiful tone to it that sits just right in the mix - and it's whisper quite. Eddie Will Eddie's "cardboard/foil" shielding method also work on the stock reverb tank that comes with the MAZ 18 Jr. Combo? Has anyone tried it and found that it reduced the hum? I'd like to try it on My Z (which was built in 2001), but would like to keep the original reverb tank if possible. -- Peter
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Post by Eddie on Oct 4, 2013 23:20:34 GMT -7
I am not sure who makes a really good RCA cable. I'm sure you can spend a lot on a set, but I wonder if there is a point at which you really aren't getting much added benefit by spending more.
The vinyl bag the tank sits in doesn't do anything to reduce noise, unless you possibly consider that it helps with shock absorption. That might even be a bit of a stretch!
Peter, I don't think it can hurt. That is, it won't likely add any noise if you shield a tank as per the above.
At a certain point, we have to realize that some noise will almost always find a way to "creep in" to a guitar amp circuit. Most of it will actually come in through our guitars! But, the above can at least quiet that reverb tank down a huge amount. Mine has been like this since I posted this over a year ago and I just love using the reverb now. It is still running very well without the excess hum.
Now, if I could just tame these distortion pedals! :-)
Best, Eddie
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2013 12:27:56 GMT -7
This is really helpful. Thanks Eddie! It has inspired me to fit the replacement I ordered for my Maz Jr head back in July! Although I've had the new tank all this time (the old one failed) I abandoned fitting it as it was not going to be a straight swap. This is the tank I now have: www.hotroxuk.com/belton-accutronics-reverb-tank-8ab2a1b.htmlI ordered this one as a fellow forumite identified it as the "new" model which it may be although I'm not 100% certain as it is labelled "Accutronics". Anyways, the old tank is mounted upside down on the top surface of the cabinet but the new unit cannot be installed due to the protruding plastic bosses on the phono connectors (see pic in the link). Do I need to mount the new tank to the front board of the cabinet as some seem to suggest here? And, if so, could someone give me specific measurements as to where on the front board it should be mounted? Also, is mine the "new" version that seems to be receiving much favour? Thanks guys!
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dant
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by dant on Dec 4, 2019 16:51:50 GMT -7
Hey - I’m resurrecting this old thread, the reverb on my 2000 Maz Jr quit working, have a new tank on order... I’d like to see Eddie’s shots of the shielding he did, but the links are dead. Anybody have updated links, or copies of the images?
Just wondering - I can probably suss it out, but I’m a newb ;^) Thanks, Dan
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dant
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by dant on Dec 6, 2019 9:21:35 GMT -7
Hello - just a followup for posterity (and for folks who find this thread by a search like I did): Got the new unit (RMOD-8AB2A1B) from Antique Electronics, took reverb bag out of my Maz Jr combo... and the new unit is much smaller than the factory-installed one (I’d post an image but don’t know how to insert one)...so I would assume that part # is for the Maz head; the part number for the combo is MOD®, 9AB2C1B. www.tubesandmore.com/products/reverb-tank-mod-9ab2c1b-medium-decay-3-springSo I’ll file that in the “D’oh!” Category. It sounds fine to me, and I’ve decided to keep it. I’ve tried Eddie’s shielding tips; I am getting some hum past 12 on the dial, but it’s not too bad. You may say, “Hey Dan - why didn’t you just send your Maz in for the MKII upgrades?” I will do that down the line, for now I just wanted a quick/ cheap ($35) fix...plus I have a Brake-Lite I’m really happy with, esp. running an extension cab with a G12H to pair with my Alnico Blue. Very happy with my Maz tones.
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Post by digs57 on Dec 6, 2019 9:52:08 GMT -7
Maz is a great amp...glad you have found "maz tones" to your liking...The maz has come a long way and has been refined,been my bread/butter amp from the first one.
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