Home » VintageKustom.com » Comment Board » Kustom 150-PA reverb problem (Trying to get the reverb on a Kustom 150 working)
Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25920] Wed, 15 February 2017 12:48 Go to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
Question: Does the Kustom 150-PA unit require a footswitch to trigger the reverb? I can hear the spring inside the unit, but manipulating the reverb dials has no effect. Can any old guitar effects pedal, jacked into the rear footswitch jack, work the same as a dedicated A/B footswitch?

[Updated on: Wed, 15 February 2017 13:30]

Report message to a moderator

Re: Kustom 150 reverb problem [message #25922 is a reply to message #25920] Wed, 15 February 2017 13:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
A foot switch is only needed to turn the reverb off remotely.
There are two possible things likely wrong, but first I need to ask if this is metal face piggy back 150 model, or a plexiglass face combo amp?

[Updated on: Wed, 15 February 2017 13:33]

Report message to a moderator

Re: Kustom 150 reverb problem [message #25924 is a reply to message #25922] Wed, 15 February 2017 14:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
I think it's the metal-faced piggy back model (can't yet post a link or image because I just joined this site). The blue polarity and power buttons are situated in the middle of the face, channels 1 and 2 jacks to the left of the blue polarity button, and channels 3 and 4 to the right of the blue power button.
Re: Kustom 150 reverb problem [message #25926 is a reply to message #25924] Wed, 15 February 2017 17:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
Welcome to the site! If it has blue power and polarity lights, it's a metalfront head. Is there a reverb lock knob on the back of the amp?

The usual problem with dead reverb is a dirty plug in connector or a broken wire inside the reverb tank itself. What sorts of skills and equipment do you have?

To fix it you will have to pull the chassis out of the case, remove the top chassis cover and get to the reverb tank that is mounted on the back wall of the chassis. Then you will need an ohm meter to test the wires and the reverb tank transducer coils.
Re: Kustom 150 reverb problem [message #25930 is a reply to message #25926] Wed, 15 February 2017 23:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
Hi, glad to be here!

Reverb lock on the back, yup.

I'll try opening the unit up and see what if there's anything visibly wrong. I do have a multimeter. How would I use it to check the wires and coils?
Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25931 is a reply to message #25920] Thu, 16 February 2017 00:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
Sometimes the reverb lock will stick and stop the springs from sending the signal through. There also is a foam rubber pad on the lock mechanism that sometimes deteriorates into a black tar like mess that gobs up the two springs.

The reverb tank has two RCA jacks on the side of the case. The two wires run to the pc board on the front panel. If you unplug the wires from the pc board, you can then use your ohm meter to read the resistance across each RCA plug. Each wire will be connected to the tank's input and output coil, so you should get a resistance reading from 50 to 200 ohms. If the meter reads the same as when the two leads are not connected to anything or open circuit, either the transducer coil wire is broken or the RCA plug wires are not making good contact.

See what readings you get.
Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25934 is a reply to message #25931] Thu, 16 February 2017 14:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
Ok, so I'm trying to figure out how to get to the inside of the unit, but I'm stumped with how to first remove the tuck and roll casing. There's two spherical discs on each long side held by screws which look to be at least part of what's holding the case. I've removed the screws, but the discs are still in place. Beyond that, I'm at a loss.
Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25935 is a reply to message #25920] Thu, 16 February 2017 15:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
Remove the 4 feet from the bottom of the case and the chassis should slide out the back of the cabinet.

I think that the round serrated discs on the side panels are for a stand.
Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25947 is a reply to message #25920] Sun, 19 February 2017 16:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
Thanks. After removing the tank from the rear supports (but not yet the bottom anchor wire), I can see the RCA plugs now on the tank. One plug is easy to remove and reinsert from the PC board, but the other, because it's caged-off by a big metal section, will be problematic to remove and harder to reinsert, so I've left that alone just for the moment.

To test the coils, I'm to place the multimeter leads on the metal sides of the tank's RCA jacks? Am I also testing the jacks on the PC board?

There was a bit of tar gum-up on the reverb lock. I've placed a couple of bits of electrical tape over the lock's affected section and cleaned up the springs with some isopropyl alchohol.

Lastly, I am listening to the Grateful Dead -- "Europe '72" LP while am I doing all of this Smile

[Updated on: Sun, 19 February 2017 17:37]

Report message to a moderator

Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25948 is a reply to message #25920] Sun, 19 February 2017 18:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
Okay, I think I've figured some of it out. I removed the tank completely from the unit and tested the tank's RCA jacks with the multimeter: around 175 ohms for each jack. I cleaned the three RCA plugs that are accessible to me, as best I can, as well as the two jacks on the reverb tank and the input jack on the PC board. Unfortunately, I don't have much access to the output plug on the PC board nor its jack (that interior chassis shield, again; I thought only the Japanese made their 1970's electrical things impossible to service Wink ) There's always the possibility that either/both of the RCA cables are bad, but until I can figure out how to gain access to the PC board's output jack, that will be tough to diagnose.

I'll put everything back together and try it out again.

[Updated on: Sun, 19 February 2017 18:35]

Report message to a moderator

Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25949 is a reply to message #25947] Sun, 19 February 2017 18:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
shnaggle wrote on Sun, 19 February 2017 15:32
Lastly, I am listening to the Grateful Dead -- "Europe '72" LP while am I doing all of this Smile

Cool!
You only need to test the resistance of the tank side jacks. You touch one lead to the outer shell and touch the other lead to the inner pin conductor. The reason I suggested removing the plugs from the pc board and measuring from the ends of the wires was to keep you from having to access the bottom of the tank.

If you have access to the inside of the tank, you can inspect the inside wires that connect the transducers to the RCA jacks and maybe test the resistance across the wires as well.
Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25959 is a reply to message #25949] Thu, 23 February 2017 12:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
Ok, so I've checked the resistance, and it seems ok, but still no change with a guitar producing reverb through the amp. When I tap the reverb tank, I can hear the springs through the speaker; would that would mean at least the RCA cables are ok? And a footswitch is not needed to trigger the reverb function?
Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25960 is a reply to message #25920] Thu, 23 February 2017 12:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
Hearing the tank crash means that atleast the output side of the tank and the reverb recovery circuit / amp is working.
When you tested the tanks input side did you do so thru the cable to also prove that out?

You only need the foot switch to turn the recovery amp off, if you had a ft switch to do such you would no longer hear the tank rattle/ crash when you tap it!

[Updated on: Thu, 23 February 2017 12:46]

Report message to a moderator

Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25967 is a reply to message #25960] Mon, 27 February 2017 21:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
shnaggle is currently offline  shnaggle
Messages: 8
Registered: February 2017
Junior Member
Thanks for all the fdbk. Switching out the RCA cable didn't work, unfortunately, so looks like a trip to the repair shop.
Re: Kustom 150-PA reverb problem [message #25968 is a reply to message #25920] Tue, 28 February 2017 06:03 Go to previous message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
That's strange as I have never had the drive side tank amp in a any model kustom go bad!
I would try one last thing out.
The white multi pin connectors in these amps are Aluminum and as such tarnish with age and make poor or intermittent connections .
On the cable that feeds that board I would unplug it and squeeze up the Female pins A bit to see if that helps.
Some times just plugging and unplugging the connectors 3 or 4 times is enough to restore a good conection!

If not atleast that amps drive section is made up of just 3 Transistors who's total cost is 5 bucks these days!

[Updated on: Tue, 28 February 2017 06:11]

Report message to a moderator

Previous Topic: Kustom Grille Cloth Minutiae
Next Topic: Kustom Kombo Rebuild
Goto Forum:
  


Current Time: Thu Mar #d 09:09:43 EDT 2024
.:: Contact :: Home ::.

Powered by: FUDforum 3.0.9.