Anyone Used an "external" spring reverb pedal

[StephaninMelb]

I noticed Van Amps make external "spring" reverb pedals, such as the Reverbamate Vintage 47 pictured below. They also make a smaller spring reverb pedall called the SoulMate.

Are Van Amps external spring reverb pedals any good? How does the sound compare with good combo tank spring reverb?


Specifications
Dimensions: 10”W X 6”D X 2”H
Weight: 3 lbs. w/power supply
Three-spring MOD reverb tank
Output Level and Dwell controls
AUX jack and switch:
An additional foot switch control for your amp’s tremolo or other non-momentary switching duties
Power requirements: 12VAC, Current draw: 125ma peak, 2-9 volt batteries.
Supplied with 120VAC/1000ma power supply (230VAC available)
Optional 9VDC/300ma Power Output Jack (2.1mm)

[jh45gun]

I listened to the demos and it was good but nothing that a digital pedal cannot duplicate for a cheaper price. There is no tubes so it is a modern take on a reverb pedal. I get some really good sounds out of my digitech pedals for a lot more reasonable price and I bet there are other digital pedals out there that sound as good.

[ronnie king]

check out the nano pedal by electro harmonics works great

[StephaninMelb]

Isn't the Nano a Chorus pedal?

[jh45gun]

No its a reverb pedal

http://www.amazon.com/Electro-Harmon.../dp/B00243FPTM

Digital pedals have come a long way with Reverb and other effects. Not saying I do not like my onboard spring reverb on my Bandit or my PA 100 I do but I also like the Reverbs in my Digitech pedals which has a great "Spring" Reverb

[nebulos]

nano is a size. EHX has several nano sized pedals, one being the Clone, a chorus, and another being the Holy Grail, a reverb pedal.

reverb tanks are usually too expensive for me to even consider, and i've never seen one in a store, so i've never tried one. this one, at $250-ish (ebay), is interesting.

(p.s. danelectro makes an actual spring reverb pedal for $150, the Spring King.)

[nebulos]

some reviews

[StephaninMelb]

I've heard the Holy Grail reverb pedal sounds nice

Yes it seems all the external spring reverb pedals are expensive. The Reverbamate is somewhere around $279. One sold on eBay used for £265, which is crazy. I can't find any specs on the Danelectro spring reverb pedal (list $199). The Danelectro site just has a picture and no specs. It is unclear to me if it contains a reverb tank or just digital simulation?

I found another spring reverb pedal "Little Lanilei Reverb Pedal" by Mahaffay Amplifiers, which uses an Accutronics 8" three-spring reverb tank. Also expensive at $255. May be the way to go is one of the old rack-mount spring reverb units?

Overview:
The first foot pedal spring reverb! Adds classic spring reverb to any amplifier!
Zero Noise and Zero Tone Loss - Even on High Gain Amps!

Product Specs:
The Little Lanilei Reverb Pedal™ consists of an Accutronics ™ 8" (3) spring reverb tank with a driver stage forcing all that beautiful guitar tone from your guitar down through the springs. The blend knob controls the mix from wet to clean and the gain knob controls the amount of reverb. What does it sound like? Very vintage reverb!

Lots of big "lets go surf'n style reverb" with a choice of boominess if pushed too far. Or, how about a classic 1950s space alien movie where you will hear the best lost in space imitation since the 1960s? WOW!!! What fun you will have with it!! Just dial a little verb in for a very pleasing wash and depth and you won't believe your ears. Powered by a standard 9 volt battery, the Little Lanilei Reverb Pedal™ is the only portable foot spring reverb pedal you can take with you anywhere you go. Give it a try!

Features include:
9 Volt battery operation or wall adapter (not included)
8" (3) spring Accutronics reverb tank
On/Off bypass switch with LED indicator
Remote Foot Switch also included.
Blend knob for "clean" to "wet" settings
Gain knob for tank drive level
9 x 3 1/2 x 1 1/2
100% handmade in the USA!

[nebulos]

Originally Posted by StephaninMelb

I've heard the Holy Grail reverb pedal sounds nice

the Holy Grail is nice. i had the previous gen box for years, but it died in a flood. (actually, it lived for another year, amazingly.) after that, i finally caved and got an EHX Cathedral. a few bad design mistakes, but the sound, i think, is really good, as are the controls, though they're not designed well for feet, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by StephaninMelb

Yes it seems all the external spring reverb pedals are expensive. The Reverbamate is somewhere around $279. One sold on eBay used for £265, which is crazy. I can't find any specs on the Danelectro spring reverb pedal (list $199). The Danelectro site just has a picture and no specs. It is unclear to me if it contains a reverb tank or just digital simulation?

the Danelectro Spring King has real springs in it, which is why it's pretty big. i'm sure it doesn't sound as good as the VanAmps stuff, but used, it could be cheap enough to try, and mod maybe. the problem is, Danelectro added a bit of (digital) delay to beef up the reverb, without an option to turn it off. however, modders have figured out how to deal with this, some adding a separate on/off switch for that.

Originally Posted by StephaninMelb

I found another spring reverb pedal "Little Lanilei Reverb Pedal" by Mahaffay Amplifiers, which uses an Accutronics 8" three-spring reverb tank. Also expensive at $255. May be the way to go is one of the old rack-mount spring reverb units?

i'll check this out too. interesting finds! i'm using the Accutronics setting on the Cathedral a lot, actually.

i should say that while a nice authentic spring tank is a beautiful thing, there are many things you can do with digital reverb that you can't with a tank. i had a Fender Princeton for a while before I replaced my reverb pedal and found that all of my music sounded wrong with just the spring tank. for example, you can't get long, thick hall sounds out of them. on the Cathedral, as well as the Holy Grail Plus, you also have separate controls for duration and blend; with a tank, the more you turn it up, the more 'lost' the signal becomes, at least on an amp; the external units may have finer controls.

i think the Cathedral should have been designed to play better with feet, and is pricey, but i must say i'm pretty happy with it. i bought it on sale too.

i love reverb though, and have always wanted to try a tank. i never knew there were things in between the Fender unit and the Danelectro, so thanks! these seem like interesting options.

[nebulos]

Originally Posted by StephaninMelb

I found another spring reverb pedal "Little Lanilei Reverb Pedal" by Mahaffay Amplifiers ... 100% handmade in the USA!

apparently, these are made by exactly two hands, belonging to one man. and he has a tough time keeping his orders: thread

[StephaninMelb]

Found a 4th spring reverb pedal. The Demeter Reverbulator has dual Accutronics 3-spring tanks. Very expensive at $449. Demeter make nice studio rack-mount audio processing units. Has anyone used this effect?

Guitar (instrument) level or line level
Put it in your effects loop or use it in your home or professional recording studio

Reverbulator Specification

Two Accutronics 3-spring short reverb tanks
Switchable for Short or long decay time or both for a multi dimensional sound
Over load light
Tells you when you are hitting the unit too hard
Volume Control (Output Level)
Blend Control (between the two springs)
Input level (Gain) Control
24V power supply
Phase switch on Long decay spring
More sonic possibilities
Mic control
Status light
Foot switch
Input Jack
Output Jack



Has anyone used a "Mr Springgy" made by tube amp guru Lee Jackson?

Even though it digital & expensive ($249) it has rave reviews. People say he nailed real reverb sound right on the head.

[StephaninMelb]

I should have posted a picture on the Reverbulator

[zook]

look in the classifieds for the real thing

Winnie

[RaistMagus]

You can find a review of the Danelectro Spring King with/without mods here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-VNbo0ayzs

I haven't played any of the more expensive spring stompboxes but I would expect them to be much better than the Dano. The Spring King sounds more real and organic than the digital stompboxes (it IS real after all) but the Digitech Hardwire RV-7 I have, on the spring setting, gives me more useable results that those of the SK (even in splashy/drippy settings).

[swleamon]

I recently purchased the Wampler Faux Spring Reverb and I have no complaints!

[SamClemons]

I am looking at rack mounted units. The old EV units bring exhorbitant prices. Even worse, I had an old Real Tube unit. Possibly the best reverb unit ever built. These typically sell in the 1000 dollar range. They are a tube unit, stereo, with like 12 springs. They are lush.

[jebbo]

You should look into a tube reverb unit. Fender makes a reissue of the one they made back in the 60's. A little pricey but nothing beats tube reverb. Webber makes a kit you can buy and build it yourself, it's easy enough if you have pretty good soldering skills. Pedals can't get that tube reverb sound, and they can't get the tape delay sound either. Don't get me wrong some pedals sound great, but if you're going to buy a reverb unit, you might aswell get a realy good one. FYI the fender reissue reverb units sell for around the $400 range, not sure if that is too pricey for you but I figured I'd atleast suggest it.

[3 Chord]

If I am spending $400 for reverb it better come with a power section and a speaker!

[nebulos]

$400 if you're lucky, but yes used, sometimes. it's $650 retail.

the vintage units sell in the $1000 range.

IMO, for most people on the planet, it makes much better sense to get a good reverb pedal first. you can get some really nice ones between $100 and $200, which do things a tank can't.

[jebbo]

Yeah, they are a little over priced if you ask me, but they sound much better. In other words, it's worth it if you have the extra cash. If you can't spend that much or simply aren't willing to, you should probably just get a pedal. I can't believe the vintage units go for $1000+ ! I got my blackface 66 Fender Super Reverb for $1200. I think it has the same reverb circuit as the stand alone unit. I'm not positive of this though, but I think it's the same.

[Brian blaut]

Originally Posted by StephaninMelb

Found a 4th spring reverb pedal. The Demeter Reverbulator has dual Accutronics 3-spring tanks. Very expensive at $449. Demeter make nice studio rack-mount audio processing units. Has anyone used this effect?

Guitar (instrument) level or line level
Put it in your effects loop or use it in your home or professional recording studio

Reverbulator Specification

Two Accutronics 3-spring short reverb tanks
Switchable for Short or long decay time or both for a multi dimensional sound
Over load light
Tells you when you are hitting the unit too hard
Volume Control (Output Level)
Blend Control (between the two springs)
Input level (Gain) Control
24V power supply
Phase switch on Long decay spring
More sonic possibilities
Mic control
Status light
Foot switch
Input Jack
Output Jack



Has anyone used a "Mr Springgy" made by tube amp guru Lee Jackson?

Even though it digital & expensive ($249) it has rave reviews. People say he nailed real reverb sound right on the head.

I LOVED my mr springgy. Loved it. I've had a quite a slew of the digital pedals out there, and from my own experience (hardwire, malekko chicklet, malekko spring chicken, holy grail, boss/fender frv) Mr Springgy was the loveliest of the bunch. The perfect mix of not to bright, not too warm, not to metallic, not too 'room' like, not too rattly - lush blackface reverb that really melts with the dry tone. And their own little 'buffer' is a good thing - really adding just a tiny bit of clarity to the signal. I was suspect of that since Lee Jackson even makes a point to say their buffer does impart a bit of clarity, but it was a good thing (and subtle). If you want low to mid level lush reverb levels, this will make you happy. I got mine used from a guy that replaced it with a princeton reverb :) I eventually replaced mine with a deluxe reverb...and so it goes. I lent it to a pro jazz player who tried it in one of his gigs and bought it from me the next day.

If you want to really drown it in surfy splash, get the boss/fender jobby. In my view, it's a one trick pony and anything less than spalshy is better served by one of the other pedals out there, but that little box is the only digital one that will deliver a splashy sound.

I never had a sole-mate. I did listen to the samples, particulalry the first video sample on the their website. It sounds real nice and nothing fake at all. But, I hear a HUGE difference in the upper mids (or lack there of) when the pedal is engaged. Both when compared to the dry signal (pedal off) and also when compared to the Super reverb's built in reverb. The soul-mate seems to be making the strat sound thinner than otherwise by losing a lot of body in the high strings. They become noticeably 'plinkier' than the dry or real reverb signal of the super. I've never noticed any reverb on my amps (or pedals) thinning out overall sound in that respect, so I'd want to try it out or buy it from a store with a good return policy if it were me.

[tele salivas]

Years ago I had this crazy Reverb Tank that looked homemade but very well done. It had the springs and plate hooked up to an oscillating light that would bounce so many light bars across the front to show the levels of reverb you were pumping. It did not get too drippy, but it looked very cool.
I now use a Holy Grail pedal, the first edition one, and that has worked out fine for the last 8 years. Just don't loose that power plug.

[Charlie Davis]

+1 on the Wampler Faux Reverb. Also, the TC Hall of Fame is impressive for the money.

[nebulos]

Originally Posted by tele salivas

I now use a Holy Grail pedal, the first edition one, and that has worked out fine for the last 8 years. Just don't loose that power plug.

i hate EHX's weird power quirks. however, i had the same pedal and, fyi, you can get a visual sound 1 spot adapter for like $2 that takes the 1/8" type jack to a regular 9V end, for daisy chaining etc. (some people experience noise when veering from EHX's adapters though. can't remember if i noticed any; i didn't pay that much attention in the past.)

[FiddlinJim]

Had a Holy Grail... hissed like a really angry big snake
Had a Verbzilla.... OK, sorta did too many things
Have a Boss FRV-1.... I like
Have a VanAmps SoleMate... I like the best!

Disclaimer: I want a reverb that sounds like springs, not studio stuff like plate and hall verb models. I want a bit of Country reverb (like onboard spring reverb in a Deluxe or Twin), or drippy clangy Surf reverb (like an outboard Fender unit). The Boss sounds like springs to me; the SoleMate IS springs. I side-by-sided the Boss with a real early-60's outboard Fender unit and it wasn't really easy to tell the difference to me. The outboard unit had more of a 3D essence to it, I guess. These are mated with the tweed-era replica amps I've built.

Disclaimer 2: This is all about playing at home for me. Get on a stage at decent volumes, and I doubt you'll tell much difference between the "pretty good" ones.

[RaistMagus]

Originally Posted by FiddlinJim

Have a Boss FRV-1.... I like

Originally Posted by Brian blaut

If you want to really drown it in surfy splash, get the boss/fender jobby. In my view, it's a one trick pony and anything less than spalshy is better served by one of the other pedals out there, but that little box is the only digital one that will deliver a splashy sound.

Don't you guys find the FRVs tone too digital and coloring your guitar sound too much?

[fezz parka]

[Mike Bruce]

Had a Spring King pedal for a couple of years. It was lousy for higher octave notes but not so bad for lower notes and bass so it was pretty limited and I eventually traded it.

[FiddlinJim]

I do find that I need to keep the "Tone" pretty low on the FRV or it adds too much treble noise. I'm sure nothing beats the Twang O'Verb, though.

[noah330]

I am using the Carl Martin Headroom.

I love it and when I got it I was saving for a Fender Tube Unit.

Here are the reasons why I like the Headroom:

1- You get two presets - you can setup a long and short verb and switch between them

2- You can switch remotely using an external footswitch (I use a $14 Hosa). This keeps the board clean. Also, I have found using the switch can cause a bang (from the springs).

Here is my demo of it.

[jebbo]

Have any of you guys seen the DR. Z reverb unit ? It is around $1000 for it. It isn't vintage, it doesn't sound fancy, it is just a grand. Those fender reverb units aren't a bad deal after all. I have looked at some reverb pedals lately and I have come to like the TC Hall of Fame and the boss frv-1. The cool thing about the boss is the fact that it is designed after the fender reverb unit, of course nothing can beat a tube reverb unit IMHO, but the boss is pretty cool. The TC was pretty cool aswell. This whole reverb pedal ordeal is almost the same as delay pedals, and tape echos. It all depends on what you're willing to pay, lug to a gig, and maintain. Tubes can cost quite a bit of money (especialy if you only buy NOS tubes. I don't like JJ's or groove tubes.) Pedals are much easier to maintain, no tubes,and they aren't a pain to lug around. Putting all of this into consideration, you can decide what you want.

[chippertheripper]

There's a ton of info on here about reverb pedals. My bandmate had a soulmate jr and sent it back lickety split and said it was cheesy. (he normally uses a bf fender tank)
For my $, the best digital spring out there is the frv1. A close 2nd, but vastly more versatile pedal, is the hall of fame.
Neither of them come close to the warmth of the original fender unit. But at a fraction of the cost, it'll get you mostly there.

[fezz parka]

Reverb and big piles of 0's and 1's

Not fer kids or work.

[jonsongz]

[QUOTE=noah330;3883432]I am using the Carl Martin Headroom.

I love it and when I got it I was saving for a Fender Tube Unit.

Here are the reasons why I like the Headroom:

1- You get two presets - you can setup a long and short verb and switch between them

2- You can switch remotely using an external footswitch (I use a $14 Hosa). This keeps the board clean. Also, I have found using the switch can cause a bang (from the springs).

Here is my demo of it.

[/QUOTE

Nice demo. Nice playing. Nice reverb.

[Brian blaut]

Originally Posted by RaistMagus

Don't you guys find the FRVs tone too digital and coloring your guitar sound too much?

Yes I did, which is why I called it a one trick pony, and why I only kept it for a week or so. I ONLY recommend it to a person who is looking for Splash above all else because it's the only digital jobby that even comes close to that sound. But the pedal has a thin tone a a LOT of white noise that I didn't care for. OK for 'dirty' surf, where the pushed reverb effect is more important that a pristine tone - in my opinion anyway. I did manage to find 2 sweets spots on the boss, 1 heavy and one light. It could work if it had to, but it was like threading a needle as I found those sweet spots to be very narrow and involved reseting all the dials.I had the Springgy at the same time and it was no contest for me. I was happy to give up the heavier splashy settings for something more robust and sweet sounding.

I've liken it to artificial vanilla (FRV). Sure, if you have to have vanilla in your recipe and you can only afford the artificial stuff, you can use it and get a flavor that heads in that direction. Use too much of it and it and you get a nasty aftertaste along with the vanilla flavor. At that point, perhaps a different flavoring is best altogether because whats the point if your end result is something that tastes bad? I found the FRV to be unmusical. I was looking for the springiest digital pedal, and found it, along with a bunch of white noise and bad tone that defeated the real purpose, IMO. Many others LOVE it. We all have different needs, so good thing there are options. And as happy as I was with the Springgy, I consider it one of the best of the digital options - still no match for tube driven reverb. But I think many of the digital pedals can rival regular SS reverb. I don't think I'd pay upwards of $300 for a box that is still solid state reverb. But I've never tried a Sole-mate, so what do I know. I know Fender solid state reverb like you find in hot rods and devilles doesn't have that 'magic' for me. Better than nothing, but not special.

[RaistMagus]

Originally Posted by jonsongz

1- You get two presets - you can setup a long and short verb and switch between them

That's an extremely usefull feature, the stuff of dreams. When I play surf live I have to bend down and adjust the level of the pedal before each song, depending on whether I'm playing leads or rythm in the next song. When I play both in a song I use an average setting. Or turn it down to 2 for the songs that have distortion.

With the CM Headroom I could switch between discreet reverb for chords and distortion and lush reverb for Dick Dale solos or Astronauts muffled splashes.

Originally Posted by Brian blaut

Yes I did, which is why I called it a one trick pony, and why I only kept it for a week or so. I ONLY recommend it to a person who is looking for Splash above all else because it's the only digital jobby that even comes close to that sound. But the pedal has a thin tone a a LOT of white noise that I didn't care for. OK for 'dirty' surf, where the pushed reverb effect is more important that a pristine tone - in my opinion anyway.

I've liken it to artificial vanilla (FRV). Sure, if you have to have vanilla in your recipe and you can only afford the artificial stuff, you can use it and get a flavor that heads in that direction. Use too much of it and it and you get a nasty aftertaste along with the vanilla flavor. At that point, perhaps a different flavoring is best altogether because whats the point if your end result is something that tastes bad? I found the FRV to be unmusical. I was looking for the springiest digital pedal, and found it, along with a bunch of white noise and bad tone that defeated the real purpose, IMO.

I'm glad I read this, with everyone glorifying the FRV I thought I was going mad and hearing things that weren't there.

[fezz parka]

Everything Brian said + 1,000,000,000.

[teleman78]

Hermida Reverb $99.00... can't beat it.

[Piotr]

Originally Posted by fezz parka

Reverb and big piles of 0's and 1's

Not fer kids or work.

How could I miss the 7th installment of Uncle Fezzter's Workshop? Gotta correct that mistake

[mad dog]

The Van Amps sole mate is a great choice. I used one for years and really liked it. Then some excellent digital alternatives came out. One being the Hermida reverb, which pretty much ended my reverb search. Simple, quiet, cheap and excellent sounding. I do miss larger outboard units for surfier stuff, but almost always I'm playing with the level of reverb you'd get in a BFSR with reverb on 3 1/2. That's pretty much what the Hermida sounds like.
MD