Fender Pro Reverb · Mike Fox

Restoration of a blackface-era Fender Pro Reverb tube amplifier.

A 1979 Pro Reverb! This was my workhorse amp for years and years, back when I was convinced I needed a tube amp.

For years people talked a lot of shit about the attenuator “master volume” on the end of the circuit in these, not realizing that you can just leave it at full and you have literally the same circuit as the earlier versions. I got mine for $750 in pretty rough shape from Rock and Roll Vintage.

In late 2020 I decided it needed work. New filter caps, a couple of new preamp tubes, rebiased the power tubes. Then I retolexed it in green, using wheatpaste as an experiment (after being told by several people that I HAD to use some obscure spray adhesive or IT WOULDN’T WORK), and swapped the jewel for a green one. I added proper wheels for transport and a power cord winder to make load in/load out easier.

It’s been six years and so far the wheatpaste is holding up just fine!