Spring Tank Pedals / Head Units

AxeWieldingBastard

My amps don't have their own reverb, so I need a pedal or a seperate head/cabinet. I want to get something with a proper spring, as I'm not really interested in a digital emulation effects at this point.

Pedal-wise, there's three main contenders and one dark horse I'm trying to choose between atm. Cab wise, I do kind of fancy a Fender Spring tank, but I've heard mixed things about quality and haven't had the chance to try one out yet, plus im not sure what other options are out there.

Pedal's:

1. Demeter Reverbulator

2. VanAmps Sole Mate or Sole Mate Jr

3. Carl Martin (Headroom?) I think

4. Danelectro Spring King

 I'm not looking for an OTT splashy, surf reverb type thing (although I wouldn't mind having the optiion). I want something to use as an (almost) always on, subtle effect to add a bit of space/ depth + I love a clangy sounding lead guitar. Also, I want this mainly for recording purposes rather than peformance.

Given that there's hundreds of posts out there on the latest and greatest in digi-spring reverb emulation. I wanted to find out if anyone here is using any of the above units, or maybe a seperate spring tank/head unit type thing, and if you could offer any feedback or recomendations based on experience?

I don't mind spending the cash to get a good quality product, but if the Danelectro Spring King or a less expensive unit has potentially got the goods I'd give it a whirl.

I quite like the idea of the sole mate Jr's modular approach. Being able to mod the spring tank and potentially have it seperated from the effects board seems useful, but does it pan out this way in application? Not sure. Hoping you guys can shed some light before I go shopping.

Thanks a lot.

CloudNine

I am interested in the forum wisdom on this as well. Been mulling over the exact same thing. Eventually concluded that I want the Vanamps, but finding one for a reasonable price in the UK is not that easy...

Well, in truth what I really want is the Victoria Rerverberato, but really cannot justify the cost for the subtle reverb I will probably use it for...

I am currently making do with a HOF, and whilst it does not sound like a tank it must be one of the the best value for money pedals out there. So many different tones and all pretty good.

JDE

The Vanamps, Demeter and Carl Martin are all designed to kind of replicate the sound of an amps reverb tank. The Fender is it's own sound - without trying one you won't know if that's what you want. I have had one original and two reissues of the Fender Springs and apart from the fact the original was quite noisy (hissy), I couldn't tell a world apart from them, tone wise.
I was 99% sold on the Headroom when I used to use two Pro Jrs, but ended up getting an amp with reverb, so didn't bother in the end. I thought the headroom was a great pedal, though. I've never had the pleasure of actually playing through a Solemate or Demeter but I would imagine they are fairly similar. I haven't played a Spring King for a few years. I thought it was funky at the time, but never kept it around long. Sorry that was vague!


I think you need to try a Fender Spring - I wouldn't ever gig with one though, personally. Too big, too noisy, too expensive etc etc. Love the sound of them, though.

svejk

You could also think about one of these...

http://www.tube-tone-engineering.co.uk/Redneck_reverb.html

I don't have any experience, but I do have a 5e3 clone from the same comapny which is really excellent. Might be cheaper than importing a Vanamps?

I know you're not interested in digital, but I use a Malekko Chicklet which has no bells or whistles - it only does a spring emulation, and does it really well.

gjonesy

If youre any good with a soldering iron you might be able to knock one up yourself or you could get one of the builders here to do it for you. This is a solid state driver and recovery circuit:

http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/design/default/images/sub_05/drive1.pdf

theres other stuff like this on the accutronics site too

AxeWieldingBastard

Thanks for posting.

Yeah, the Vanamps one does seem like a well balanced cost/quality option. But availability isn't great and I've heard mixed reviews.

A mate of mine was telling me that an artist he greatly admires, used the vanamps exclusively on a record that he recently assisted on, and he gave it a resounding thumbs up.

It does sound very cool and atmospheric on said record, probably more of a darker reverb sound. I now feel more assured about the potential of the vanamps products, having listened to a professional application.

I want to like the Carl Martin; it would be much easier to get hold of, and is in the same ball park cost wise. Im sure it's a well built unit, but I've always been left a bit cold by the sound of their other products. So, i'm still on the fence. 

AxeWieldingBastard

@gjonesy

Thanks for that. I hadn't considered that as an option.

I'm not handy in any way whatsover as it goes, but I just might contact a builder here on the forum for a quote on knocking something up.

Cheers!

CloudNine

 svejk said:

You could also think about one of these...

http://www.tube-tone-engineering.co.uk/Redneck_reverb.html

Very interesting mate. Had never seen that before.

Could be a winner, and I am almost tempted to buy it right now, just wish I could find a review or something..

juansolo

Your best option for a tube driven spring reverb is gonna be a head style one. Which ain't gonna be cheap. Someone out there does a kit to change a Epiphone Valve Jr into a reverb. No experience of it though.

If you want a simple, cheap, springlike verb (one knob) pedal. You could build your own on a 1776 Rub-a-Dub board or I could build one for you. But it's not running a tank.

wayneirie

I have the spring king it's good fun but it's massive in terms of size.There's also a Slap back kinda of delay in there as well which gets more prominent as you turn up the reverb. If your playing loud or moving around a lot it does have a tendency to go nuts. Which is both fun and somewhat annoying at the same time. It's better adding just a hint of reverb with this pedal, with the reverb up full it's not the greatest.

ICBM

The Fender reissue is really good - I don't know where reports of quality problems come from. It does need the original 6K6 valve for best results (the reissue ships with a 6V6, which makes it sound tinny and splashy) though, so maybe that's it. It's also expensive though.

The Danelectro one is crap. It's very noise-prone and sounds like a tin dustbin, but it's OK if you want a cartoon cheap reverb sound, and to be able to kick it. Although to be fair, they vary a lot. I had two and they were very different, but maybe even the 'good' one was a bad one.

I haven't tried any of the others.

Apart from that I would say that the digitals are now so good that there is no real sound difference except that the digitals don't pick up noise and vibration, and don't sound like an explosion in a saucepan factory when you bump them. (Although you may want that, as a kid I always wondered what that noise on Deep Purple's Made in Japan was, until I got my first amp with reverb!)

JohnPerry

I had a Sole Mate for a few months, then flogged it when I got shot of my only non-reverb amp. It was lovely. But I cannot honestly say it was better sounding than, for example, the Subdecay Spring Theory which is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS_Hqn8pRGs

Cacofonix

I did some research and was going to audition the Carl Martin.  There was a Sole Mate on the Bay which I was sorely tempted by, but I let it pass due to lack of funds.  Power supply necessity is not proper GAS, I know from experience.

There is a Reverbamate in Electro Doncaster (or was at last check) so if you have a two input amp you might be in luck.

I heard the Dano one had noise problems and was not what it could be.

What I like about the Carl Martin is the lockdown function so you don't get transport-related issues.

So in answer to the OP's original question, no idea.

AxeWieldingBastard

Thanks for the replies.

Im still confused on which way to go tho

Seems like, in my requirement for a real spring im swimming against the tide. So few products to choose from and all pricey imports...

Im not anti digital as a player. I just thought it'd be great to have a nice analogue unit for recording purposes, looking at grabbing a wem copicat for the same reason.

ProGuitarShop Andy is a good pedal salesman tho isn't he? Got me wandering about that subdecay... I think Wunjo stock them. Maybe i should take a trip to the danish street of woe and bankrupcy at the weekend and try one.

Wunjo aren't in my good books at the moment tho. Was shopping for strat there recently and they were giving me the hard sell on a custom shop within 15/20min of having it in my hands. They made me feel rude for not purchasing it, i didn't like that. So i didn't go back even tho the guitar was a contender.

If i go there to demo a pedal i worry ill end up buying it out of politeness :P

JDE

The Subdecay is a great pedal. I still kick myself at flogging mine on eBay while MR had shit the bed. I think I got about 70 quid for it - I'm a dick.
Check out the Boss FRV reverb too - again, very mixed reviews (including some *very* strong opinions from some people who I don't believe have ever heard amp reverb, let alone a Fender Spring unit), but I think it sounds very good. It's noisier than the Spring Theory, but if you want some drippy sproing - which I believe is the correct audio term - it's a cool pedal.

raulduke

I had the Subdecay and wasn't a massive fan. Just didn't gel with me for some reason.

The new Catalinbread Topanga looks pretty tasty.

The other one that looks really nice is the Strymon Flint. Tremolo and Reverb (including emulation of the gorgeous Fender Harmonic Tremolo circuit as used in brownface amps).

JDE

Got the Flint and I don't think the reverb is very realistic. Tbh, I'm only keeping it out of convenience. The tube tremolo setting is nice, I don't use the others. I keep it on the '60's verb setting, the others are very pedal-y to me. The 60s mode actually sounds a lot like the EHX Holy Grail, but not as noisy, if I'm being honest.

raulduke

That's interesting.

I've never heard one 'in the flesh' but the demo's I've heard and seen always made it look really cool.

My personal favourite reverb is still my Rub-a-Dub circuit I built up from a 1776 FX PCB.

It uses a Belton brick (like the hermida audio reverb) and they sound great.

xSkarloey

I haven't got experience of any of the pedals you mentioned in the OP, but I recently bought a Hardwire reverb pedal, one of whose settings is a spring reverb type. Very convincing and has its own character: great fun.  

AxeWieldingBastard

Yeah, I looked at those.

If i came across a used one at the right price id pick one up to tide me over, assuming i had the spare cash

Aren't they releasing the Supernatural version properly? (Rather than it being a US dealer exclusive thing)

JDE

raulduke said:

That's interesting.

I've never heard one 'in the flesh' but the demo's I've heard and seen always made it look really cool.

Do you wanna borrow mine (if you don't mind paying for postage back)?

I won't "need" (lol, tremolo and need) it until 10th May.