ShortScale.org

My Ampeg Jet-12R reissue has a noisy reverb. Noise starts to get distracting above 3, which is a problem because the effect doesn't become noticeable until 5. It seems to be a loud hiss and a less loud buzz.

It's a SS reverb, driven and recovered by a TL072 dual JFET. I think replacing this with the lower-noise TLE2072 would help with the hiss a bit.

Besides that, it's a cheap little Belton tank that isn't shielded or anything. Maybe an Accoutronics tank with some shielding across the bottom?

Do I have the right idea, or are there other ways to quiet a reverb?

Seems like you're on the right track. I don't know if this helps or not:

http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/drive1.pdf

The tank itself should function as a shield if it's metal. Check to see if the tank's grounded. If the arrangement of your amp allows you to, try to rotate the tank 90 degrees one way or the other, and/or get it as far from your power transformer as possible. Reverb will pick up hum from the transformer pretty easily.

http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/mntconf.htm

This may not apply at all to your amp, but with Fenders a dual vib/rev footswitch cable can act as an antenna feeding noise to the reverb recovery stage unless the reverb lead is shielded from the vibrato lead inside the cable.

i'd try air-dusting it, as ampeg has lovely reverb, there's prolly just crap somewhere

Well, part of the problem is solved - the tank was plugged in backwards I think the last guy who owned this went out of his way to screw up everything he could on it.

Reverb signal is louder with less buzz - now the noise doesn't get annoying until 7 (as opposed to 3 before). There's still a bit of hiss, but not out of line with other 'verbs. I'm still going to try replacing the Op-Amp to lower the hiss.

i have an old traynor that i had to switch out the reverb tank, now if you crank it up to 10 the reverb tank occilates and makes
this howling ghost noise. it's actually kind of awesome.