Road King Combo Reverb - Please Help

[daveythomas]

Hello -

I sent my RK Combo into Mesa to have them take a look at my reverb because it is giving me a scratchy/tinny/buzzy/crackly sound on channels 1 and 2. They took a look and said I had two bad tubes (EL34 and 5U4GB Rectifier Tube), but that the two guys that play-tested my amp found nothing wrong with my reverb. So, they sent it back and the reverb still sounds crappy.

When I sent them the amp I included a very detailed settings sheet so they could set it up how I have it (although it sounds crappy with most settings).

So here is what is going on...

Start on channel 1 with the reverb on and it sounds great.

Switch to channel 2, wait the second or two for the reverb to kick in, and then I experience the buzzy/crackly/scratchy sound. Never really clears up.

Switch back to channel 1, wait the second or two for the reverb to ckick in, and then I get the buzzy/crackly/scratchy sound for 4 to 10 seconds and then it clears up. After it clears up the reverb is great.

Here is an image with my setting. I have the reverb on FULL for my sound examples, but I experience it even if I drop it to half or less.

Here are two sound files. Please excuse the really crappy playing. Hope you can hear what I hear. The sound is not digital clipping...it is the reverb.
http://www.daveyandmarliece.com/roadking/rk_reverb_test.mp3

This one I just clicked on CH1 so the reverb has to clean up, then I click to CH2, and then back to CH1.
http://www.daveyandmarliece.com/roadking/rk_notes_test.mp3

If you have a Road King Combo (or head) and don't mind dialing in my settings for channels 1 and 2, I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Perhaps I can have the Mesa guy take a look at this forum page and see/hear for himself.

Here is that PDF I made in case you need to mark your settings before trying mine.
http://www.daveyandmarliece.com/roadking/roadkingsettings.pdf

Overall, the amp ROCKS!!! and I am relly happy with it, just wish I could get this reverb thing fixed. Also, Mesa has been very helpful, prompt, and easy to deal with. They took care of shipping the amp both ways, followed up with phone calls, and really seem to care about customer satisfaction.

- davey

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[daveythomas]

Koprofag -

Good, I was starting to think it was just me. After sending it to Mesa and them saying it was fine I started to doubt myself.

Any of you other RK owners, does your sound like mine?

- davey

 

[Red Barchetta]

I didn't have that problem with mine, the reverb just stopped working. My tech fixed it...turn around about 2 days, but I can't remember exactly what the problem was, and the tech sheet was lost to Katrina.

If I were you, I'd call Mesa (or whoever told you nothing was wrong) and make arrangements to send them the clips. Let them hear it for themselves.


RB

 

[tele_jas]

Alright, I got my Road King back a day early and I dialed in some settings clost to what you have listed here.

Here's what I noticed:
* I started on Channel 1, great reverb.
* I clicked to channel 2 and waited a few seconds for the reverb to kick in and the first 5 - 8 seconds of the reverb was kind of scratchy and crackly and then it smoothed out.
* I then clicked back to channel 1 and waited for the reverb to kick in and when it came on it was scratchy for about 5 - 8 seconds and then smoothed out and was fine after that.

This was at a pretty low "bedroom" level, I'll let you know if I find anything different at gig level tomorrow and if I get time to, I'll record it and send you an mp3, but I don't know if I'll get a chance to record it this weekend.

Maybe we should all just get the Series II and be done with the reverb problem :wink: . But that wouldn't solve this little problem for those that want to keep the series I amp, would it?

 

[nocluejimbo]

I definitely hear it, but have no answer other than an external unit, if you need reverb.

 

[daveythomas]

tele_jas,
I appreciate you dialing in my settings. I can even crank the volume past bedroom levels and still get the reverb problem.

Interesting that yours too sounded crackly/scratchy and then smoothed out. So it looks like the difference is that mine never really smooths out on channel 2. MP3 anytime would be great.

nocluejimbo,
I guess I could use an external unit, it just seems like this one should work better.

- davey