Reverb wierdness on SS amp

Amp in particular is a lowly but usable Peavey Envoy 110. (I never use the gain settings, the clean channel suits me fine.)

When (foot) switched on, the only usable reverb I get is very weak and the pot has to be at midway.

If pot is at zero I get hum
If pot is at ten I get hum plus weak reverb.

Foot switching reverb off, hum goes away.

The odd thing is, with reverb switched on and pot at 10 the pan itself is dripping with reverb; if I tap it or bang cabinet it ‘crashes’ with reverb, and this crash is controllable via pot. The sound comes from pan not speaker.

So it seems (for lack of better description) like the springs are getting the signal but it doesn’t get back to the amp efficiently.

Any suggestions?

??bad connection/s, bad IC driving the reverb???? bad tank???

It is clear from your description that the reverb DRIVE has failed. The reverb RETURN is working, which is why it crashes like crazy when you tap the tank.

The most common culprit is the tank itself - the little wires that connect the drive and pickup transducers are always wiggling and eventually break, just like in Fenders. Check that first, then check the reverb drive circuit to see that signal is indeed present to drive the tank.

I (wrongly) assumed that if the pan had open connection I'd get no reverb; I'll look at it tonight.

Bob, if there are no broken wires at the transducers, use a multimeter/ohmmeter to read resistances at those transducers/jacks. I am sure that your send transducer is good. The other could be bad. Check the cable feeding the drive signal to the tank. IT could be bad. IF all of that checks to be good, your problems ares in the drive circuitry.

Hey Wally,
Send = Return?

hehehe...ya got me there, Bob. I have never really undestood how the various amp makers label things regarding reverb vis-a-vis the 'input' and 'output' on the tanks. If you unhook the cable from one end of the tank and you still get that crashing then you have unhooked the 'out from the amp to the tank' (what I would call send) cable. IF you unhook a cable and stop the crashing, you have unhooked the 'out from the tank to the amp' (what I would call return) cable.
Note: you may simply clean the cable connections on the cables/jacks and get it working.

Wally
I can never keep it straight either; I see it the way you do; the signal drives in and 'returns' to amp