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Topic: Making a remote reverb control |
Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2009 1:27 pm |
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I was thinking that a person could take a remote on/off reverb control foot switch, and replace the foot switch with a pot to make a remote reverb level adjuster that could clamp to the leg of a steel. Would this work or do you have to tap into the reverb level circuitry itself?
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2009 2:09 pm
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| Gotta tap in/ |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 14 Nov 2009 4:05 pm
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In most cases, that won't work. For a crude analogy of why, moving your car's ignition switch to the floor wouldn't make it an accelerator pedal.
The circuit that activates the reverb (switches it in and out of the circuit) and the circuit that controls the amount of reverb, are usually separate.
But, a good tech could make you a remote reverb control using a "Bud Box", a pot, and some shielded wire. In addition, some amps (like the old Peavey Session 500s and the 212 Stereo Chorus I use) came with a remote reverb control. |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2009 5:04 pm
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
For a crude analogy of why, moving your car's ignition switch to the floor wouldn't make it an accelerator pedal.
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well there goes my second project! 
I kinda figured that was the case, oh well.
thanks for the responses!
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2009 6:02 pm
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| But it's not impossible. Easily doable. |
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Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2009 7:40 pm
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Steve, if I recall correctly, there was an article on building a reverb remote pot in one of the old Steel Guitarist magazines. If you don't have them, you can get a set from b0b.
HTH.
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"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2009 10:37 am
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I have a couple of my Fender amps modified to do this. (with the help of steeler/amp techs Mike Fried in one case and Bob Metzger in another)
This is a fairly advanced amp mod and GUITAR AMPLIFIERS CAN CONTAIN HIGH VOLTAGES EVEN WHEN UNPLUGGED so don't attempt this yourself unless you have appropriate knowledge and experience.
First to free up a chassis hole combine the reverb tank send and return to one TRS (stereo) 1/4" jack
Then install a TRS dual-switching jack that interrupts the signal to the front panel Reverb control hot and wiper. (This involves running dual conductor shielded wire from the reverb pot to the switching jack and back)
Make a box with the proper value pot (100k linear in Fenders) wired to a dual conductor shielded wire and a TRS plug. When this is plugged into the jack the remote pot controls the reverb level and the front panel control is disconnected. When it is unplugged the front panel functions as normal.
A simpler but less elegant approach would be to replace the front panel control with the TRS jack. But then you always have to have the remote plugged in. |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2009 11:13 pm
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I think switching the pot might be the way to go for me, I have to replace a broken gain pot anyway, so while im in there I might have a go. I wonder if I can just use the same pot on the reverb and just make an enclosure for it, then extend speaker wires to the jack I would install in the hole left from the pot post.
just so you know this would be done on a well beatenup steel king, and not on a vintage amp.
It'll be awhile before I do this, but I will post results one way or the other.
Does anyone know how much voltage is across your average re-verb pot?
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2009 10:20 am
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The voltage probably isn't very high, but it is carrying audio signal so you must use shielded cable.
Speaker cable is not shielded customarily and by definition.
If you are removing the pot from the front panel then installing that pot in a small enclosure and adding the appropriate wiring would be a great way to go. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2009 10:38 am
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| I did something similar many years ago with an Electric Mistress, Flanger/Filter Matrix. I took out the Color(I think it was the Color) pot, and mounted it in a volume pedal. Was pretty cool at the time! |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Dick Sexton
From:
Greenville, Ohio
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Posted 16 Nov 2009 2:52 pm Remote Reverb Control?
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Please don't flame me guys, all the ideas and suggestions given were good. And I've forgotten an awful lot about this stuff, but I just pulled my LTD 400 diagram, (same as the Session 400), and searched and found the diagram for the Fender Steel King. They are markedly different in this way. The "Session" has the full Reverb Audio Signal at the tip of the cable going to the Reverb Foot Switch when the Reverb Control is fully clockwise. The foot switch works by routing that signal to ground(off). A potentiometer of the correct value in that cable "Will" work if properly made and shielded.
The Steel King on the other hand, controls its Reverb with what looks to be, a "Logic" switch. 1/0, off/on and this happens a fair distance (electronically) from the actual Reverb Amplifying circuitry. A potentiometer in this line would get you, not much. And no level control of the Steel King Reverb.
A control of the Steel Kings Reverb is completely doable, but I would suggest you consult an amp tech for his help or installation of required parts. Not to suggest you or anyone with a little patience and experience could not do it. The diagram is available on line, I found it with a search easily. Also this work would probably negate any warranty on the amp.
Again please don't flame me, I'm just trying to help. |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2009 3:47 pm
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Nothing to flame there, thanks for the input!
Im developing a master plan based on all these ideas... John's pedal mod to an expression pedal has me thinking as well, I have a few echo pedals that I might gut and make some sort of hand reachable control panel for my reverb, echo, and whatever else I can break.
This is gonna be down the road a few months, but I welcome any and all advice/ideas/warning in the meantime.
Also thanks for the link Russ I may take him up on that!
Michael I was thinking of grabbing a set of those anyways, just to have.
as far as shielding goes I was gonna throw it in a metal enclosure, depending on how many controls I end up adding. What cable do you recommend using if not standard speaker cable? I dont want buzz, but I also want the cable to be fairly long and dont want to add a tone sucker into the circuit.
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2009 5:20 pm
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You need two conductor shielded cable - two insulated wires inside a "shield", a conductive jacket that completely encircles the inner wires - sometimes braided wire, sometimes a foil wrap plus a drain wire - that is then covered by another isulating jacket.
It actually provides three conductors since the shield is usually used to complete one part of the circuit. I may be able to get you a Mogami part # if that would help
Speaker cable is typically two insulated wires with no surrounding shield, but perhaps an outer insulation jacket. If you use this for low-level audio signals there is a tendency to pick up noise and/or rf interference. |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2009 5:40 pm
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I wouldnt mind having the number, but dont worry about rushing it as im just toying with this idea now. I may be good to post for anyone else reading this tho.
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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Julian Goldwhite
From:
Alhambra, CA, USA
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2009 12:57 pm
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| Mark Dunn's steel mixer is designed to mix in external effects. It can be used with pedals and probably rack units, but I doubt that it could be used to control reverb built into an amp without modifying the amp to send the reverb signal to a separate output. |
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Julian Goldwhite
From:
Alhambra, CA, USA
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 17 Nov 2009 4:06 pm
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After spending years fighting reverb tank noise, picking up stray rf, and large, aggressive drummers bouncing up and down on the bandstand, I just gave up on amp tank reverb. I love a good spring reverb sound but there are a lot of great, relatively inexpensive outboard reverbs out there. The side benefit is you can put the stompbox or rack right beside you and your reverb controls are convenient.
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12 |
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Bob Metzger
From:
Waltham (Boston), MA, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2009 3:13 pm Remote reverb control
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I put this in all my amps that I use for steel guitar. Look at the pot that controls the reverb level in your steel amp and buy another one exactly the same, same resistance amount, wattage and taper. Here's the trick: Buy a double switched stereo jack (normally closed), wire the new pot exactly like to one in your amp using a 2-conductor shielded cable, as per John's suggestion. Install the stereo jack in the chassis where the reverb on/off jack usually lives (most amps have this useless feature). When the jack is wired correctly, it is switching to the front panel amp reverb control pot with nothing plugged into it (or, in other words, dead stock). When you insert the stereo 1/4 plug, the amp now sees the pot that you've built into the small box that lives on your steel leg via the broom closet clamp(s). The elegance is that that amp doesn't know the difference which pot you're currently using. When you unplug the cable/steel leg pot assembly from your amp, your amp is dead stock once again (almost). This has very little to do with electronics but everything to do with switching. For anyone who has ever wired a patch bay, it's a can of corn. It's simple, cheap and cheerful, and works great!
Bob M.
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Bob M. |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 11:38 am
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Here's - - > another
~Rw |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 2:11 pm
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thanks for the tips fellas, I think in feb or so I will have my new work area ready and this near the top of the list for my projects.
Russ I missed that one by an hour or so. 
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 5:43 pm
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| Quote: |
Russ I missed that one
by an hour or so. Sad |
As far as it appears,
the - - > first one
is still available.
~Rw |
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