intalling spring reverb in a bassman reissue?

Steve Waltz · From: USA

I like simple gear. I just want a little reverb sound for my bassman reissue. I put a 15inch speaker in it a while ago. I don't like digital effects so I just want to install a simple spring reverb to my amp. Any advise about how to do it?

I've seen the accutronics springs but what else do I need?

Thanks,

Steve

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

You need about $2-300.

Your Bassman does not have the circuitry for the reverb. You need another tube, a verb transformer, bunch of caps, resistors, more room, plus the reissue amp has the dreaded printed circuit board which would not allow you to add anything if you wanted to. Forget adding it to the amp.

You need a stand alone Fender spring reverb unit my friend. There are some on Ebay for $2-300. Sorry about that.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

OR..... you could get you a used Alesis Nanoverb for around $50 - $75. They sound great and it'll stash in your seat or in the back of your amp. I use them with Peavey steel amps because of all the trouble with molex connectors on the stock spring reverbs plus they sound a lot smoother than most spring reverbs. The one exception is the spring reverbs in the Fender Steel King and Vibro-King - they are super smooth. -MJ-

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Try an analog delay pedal. That'll give you the nice 'verb you're looking for, and you'll have the delay when you want it, too!

Geoff Brown · From: Nashvegas

Analog delay is nice, but it's not reverb. I think delay works better at higher volumes, where reverb can just muddy everything up. Here's an option for an onboard reverb on a bassman RI. Not cheap, but these guys are good.
http://www.amprepair.com/kanuter_vtrvb1.htm

Garth Highsmith · Posted 1 Mar 2005 9:27 pm

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[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:57 PM.]

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

I changed out the stock Accutronics Type 4 (two long springs) Medium Decay model in my Randall Steelman 500, replacing it with a new Type 9 (3 long springs) LONG Decay unit and promptly retired all my outboard effects. Outstanding sound, much smoother than the choppy sounding two spring models that come standard in almost everything and the longer decay means I can pull the overall reverb back a touch for clearer tone and still hear a tail when I stop playing.

And the old guy ran naked down the street shouting "Eureka!!!"

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Steve, besides the Fender stand alone unit mentioned above, you might keep your eyes peeled for the Tubeworks 921 rack mount reverb unit. It uses 12ax7a's and has 2
Accutronics 6 spring tanks. This unit is the heart of my Tubeworks rig. The tone of this thing is incredible. They are no longer made, but can be found occasionaly at a reasonable used price.

Also, the out of production Peavey Valverb. It utilizes spring tanks and tubes too. This one also has a nice tremolo.

Either one of these might be a suitable alternative to wiring in reverb circuitry on your Bassman and will give you honest-to- goodness Fender type spring reverb.

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Steve, I think Donny has the simple solution.
Without getting technical and stirrying up a debate, here is a brief explanation:
Reverb IS delay. Reverberation is a sustain which is achieved by by a lot of fast delays. So fast that the ear can't hear the individual repeats.
I have been able to adjust a delay to a fast delay time and set the mix so I hear a decaying reverb.
If you haven't tried this, you may want to play with a delay unit to see if you can get the sound you are looking for.......JD

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Steve.. please heed the advice Garth and I give here... Go get an Electro Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb.. After long periods of A/B testing in several VINTAGE Fender Reverb amps,I and a longtime Fender amp expert who is a DIE HARD Fender tube reverb freak absolutely could NOT distinguish the difference. HE bought one and I bought one. EASILY the warmest,wettest,reverb in a box I have EVER heard.

A few years back I bought an ORIGINAL 1962 Fender outboard reverb,AND a Reissue . They sound ok. but was more of a hassle than it was worth. Signal loss,constant clanging when the drummer hit his bass drum.., I started using a HG, and it was BETTER than that old Fender tube unit and 5 times better than the reissue.

I sold the Holy Grail, because I bought a Fender 100 watt head with Reverb, but found out in short order I preferred the Holy Grail.. It was actually a warmer,sweeter reverb than the onboard reverb from the 1972 Fender head... As someone who used the HG long term at all kinds of gigs, and has tried just about every Reverb on the Market,both floor and rack,. .. Boss,ART,Digitech,Roland,Fender,EH, etc etc.. I will state, the HG is the BEST I have ever used hands down... Surf guitarist Dick Dale made a living in the 60's with his Fender reverb drenched guitar sound, and when he was put into a room with original Fender units and the HG played alternately, he could not tell the difference, just like me. It is a VERY special little box IMHO.. I am going to buy another!! bob

Steve Waltz · From: USA

Thanks to everyone for the help, That's why this forum is so great.

The Kanuter set up looks good but I'm having a hard time with the cost for a reissue. I'm not sure I love the amp enought, but I searched for an hour yesterday on Google for this type of thing and found very little so again it's great to get the info here.

I think I'll take some of the advise posted here. BUT...

I'm hoping for one last shot at help with my other alternative! My old 9100 tube spring reverb from Danelectro from the early 60's. It is basically just like the fenders from that time and I used it for a while, it was my grandfathers'. It has lost the outgoing signal due to a bad piezo transducer..? I think it is called. I had a guy in Alameda check it out and he could not find a way to repair it due to the lack of a replacement part. Is there any way to re wire this with a different piezo or something else?

It just seems a waste to lose this unit due to one small part. I'd like to fix it but if it isn't worth it I'll just go to something else.

Thanks again,

Steve

By the way there is a good show at the Saddle rack in fremont Ca. with Johnny Dilks, Big Sandy and Deke Dickerson this weekend. Lee Jeffries plays steel for Johhny.

Michael Brebes · From: Northridge CA

If you are talking about the output transducer of the spring assembly, the best thing to do is to replace the complete reverb pan assembly. They don't cost that much. You need to get a ballpark idea of input and output impedance and order a new one that is the closest in value.
You can get them at www.tubesandmore.com

Chip Fossa · From: Monson, MA, USA (deceased)

I'm with Garth and Bob on the ElectroHarmonix
Holy Grail, as well. I took a shot in the dark with EH as I was looking for a better and smoother [less harsh] reverb for my Vegas 400. I have a Boss RV-3 and I found it harsh.

The EH suprised me to no end. TO ME, it's the closest smooth reverb you can get to that old Fender Twin sound.

It's simple, too. Just 3 settings. I think I payed around $67 for it at Daddy's Junky Music here on the Least Coast.

cf

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Right Chip!... And I HATE!!! digital effects with a deep undying fierce hatred!!!. That EH does not sound digital AT ALL!!!...It sounds like a Fender spring/tube reverb... period!... Easily the smoothest,warmest,wettest reverb I have ever heard in a stomp box... Its also better than most rack units 5 -10 times the price!!! bob

Chip Fossa · From: Monson, MA, USA (deceased)

Right on, Bob. I, too, despise digital boxes.

When I go to buy something nowadays, I read a lot of posts here on the Forum on a certain
'thing' - all the pros and cons - the opinions are invaluable.

That's what prompted me to go buy a Boss RV-3. Read a lot of +s on it, and hardly any -s.

So off I went. Played with it for a month or so; it has a multitude of settings. At first it sounded like what I was looking for.
But then one day I played thru it and just couldn't get it right. All the settings were the same, but something was missing. What? Ah, warmth. Warmth was missing.

Well, back to square one, when........

I heard about a Danelectro pan reverb unit (here), and thought I would go out and see if I could find one around town. Sure enough, Daddy's Junky Music had one, and it seemed like the one folks were talking about, and was just what I was looking for.

But, it was used [no big deal], and seemed more like a novelty, as it had a built-in footpad/switch which activated a crashing sound that you get when you jam or shake the reverb pan in an amp. I didn't need this. I
didn't try it out, either. That crash-pad raised a red flag.

So I asked the clerk if they had any other reverb units and he pointed to the EH Holy Grail. The name ElectroHarmonix came rushing thru my head as I remembered the name very well from the 'early days'. I also remembered that they had a good name for quality.

And so there it was. The Holy Grail sitting in it's nice little finger-jointed wooden box, complete with an AC/DC adapter, and costing about $67 brand new vs $120 for the used Danelectro.

I didn't know what it was going to sound like, but figured I could always return it,
if it was no better than the RV-3.
I was far from disappointed. I was amazed. Finally, a reverb sound that I thought was lost forever (save buying a Fender amp). To me, Fender always had the best sounding reverb.

My setup now, which I really dig, is:

Williams U-12 8x5
Vegas 400 w/15" BW & John Lemay Mod Kit
Peavey Q1311 31-band equalizer
ElectroHarmonix Holy Grail
Goodrich Steel Driver II

I carry with me an out-of-production [but recently re-issued] Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus
that I use only once in a while.

Like a lot of folks here, I'm trying to keep it simple. It just sounds so much better, IMHO.

cf

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

$67 is CHEAP for the Holy Grail!!.. They run $100 everywhere... I use an ART reverb unit because I got it for $50,but the HG blows it out of the water. I have NO idea how they got that Fender sound in that little box but they did!!!

Garth Highsmith · Posted 5 Mar 2005 11:57 pm

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[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:57 PM.]

Henry Nagle · From: Santa Rosa, California

I've got a Holy Grail and it does sound good. I don't think it sounds like a real fender spring reverb though. I find that the attack is clipped pretty heavily when the reverb is turned up. My deluxe doesn't do that. I bought it to add reverb to a Bandmaster and I never use it. It's a good pedal but I don't feel like it's a suitable replacement for a spring reverb.
The "hall" and "flerb" modes are pretty cool sounds that don't need to be compared to anything. If any one has one of those Fender reissue reverb preamps that they'd like to sell for a reasonable price, let me know. I'm in the market.

Garth Highsmith · Posted 6 Mar 2005 11:01 pm

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[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:57 PM.]

Henry Nagle · From: Santa Rosa, California

Is the Peavey a tube reverb?

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Yes. All tube.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

I had a valverb... IMHO, yuck... It was warm,but man it made my vintage Fenders sound like a Peavey... REALLY colored the sound... It was gone in a week... The EH buried it AND the Reissue Fender tank...bob

Garth Highsmith · Posted 7 Mar 2005 8:49 am

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[This message was edited by Garth Highsmith on 09 January 2006 at 08:57 PM.]

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I turned off the reverb in my Fender Dual Profession and Supers and went to an RV-5. Love it!

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