Here's a Drip Tip

DannySnyder · Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject: Here's a Drip Tip

I've been unhappy with the sound of my vintage pan, I damaged my old pan, took my current one out of a combo amp (66BFPR) and put it in my reverb unit, but it just wasn't doing it. I started looking on eBay and saw that prices for vintage Gibbs pans for Fender were really getting expensive.

I knew there were lots of old Gibbs and Accutronics from Hammond organs but the impedance were different. Unfortunately most sellers never put the impedance on their description so it's hard to know if it's the right one. I started asking eBay sellers if they had an ohm meter if they would check, and around half of the ones I asked did. One of those sellers had an accutronics pan with the right impedence (1-2Ω input, 170-200Ω output) for under $20, definitely early 60's style. It had extra hardware for mounting in the organ which was easily removed. Once I got it home and plugged it in I was in drip city! Groovy!

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eddiekatcher · Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 4:55 pm Post subject:

That's good to know.....

I was under the impression that most of the 50's and 60's spinet hammonds (L-111 and others) used the same tank. I have an old L-111 at my mom's place I need to pirate the tank out of.

ed
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flatwound01 · Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:35 pm Post subject:

Great tip, Danny! Thanks for sharing that.

MrSpaghetti · Hodad Joined: Nov 11, 2008 Posts: 30

i was considering hijacking my grandmas organ for the reverb unit thats in it as well... haha.
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scotstandard · Glissando Master Joined: Nov 09, 2008 Posts: 926

I have been struggling with it for a while. Finding the right one on ebay. $10 bux a pop its a crap shoot!
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eddiekatcher · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:56 pm Post subject:

I should know better than to use "that" word around these parts...........How about just a Hammond Electric .....? That's probably a safer bet.

No one has a more warped view of the world than guitar players and this place is thick with 'em.

ed
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Jagshark · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:14 am Post subject:

Here is the very brief story of my Uncle Spot outboard tank. I bought it last May but found it did not really have the vintage "drip" sound I was seeking. It was mainly a very smooth reverb with a long decay.

Recently I bought a NOS ITT 6k6gt tube and installed it. It seemed to add a bit more of the 'drippy' thwack but was only noticeable if the mix was turned up to a undesireable level.

I also recently found a Gibbs 2 spring pan built in 1963 (found on ebay). It was a gamble since I had no idea about the impedence. So last night I tried it out and, voila! Instant 1963 reverb sound! The decay is quite a bit less but that is ok because I believe the 'drippy thwack' is more noticeable with the mix higher.

Getting a good pan seems to be a key part of attaining a vintage sound. Now I just need to figure out if I can install the pan in the case with no problems.

Dancing Monkey

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DannySnyder · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:17 am Post subject:

IvanP · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:22 am Post subject:

Speaking of pans, I was reading the brand new Guitar Player mag last night (January, w/ Tony Iommi on the cover), and they gave a great review to the new Dr. Z reverb unit "Z-Verb". But here's the key passage:

"Dr. Z's Mike Zaite relates that he purchased a whopping 600 US-made reverb tanks from Morley, the new owner of Accutronics, upon hearing that the company would soon be moving manufacture of this component off-shore."

The Accutronics pans' sound might be changing even more pretty soon...
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Icetech · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:23 am Post subject:

Thanks for that tip danny, gonna check my tanks when i go home tonight, i built a reverb unit out of a old silver face PR and used that tank and its "OK" at best... didnt think to try the other tanks.. figured i just messed it up...

Only other problem is that high notes get very chimey through it.. i have never used a real unit though, not sure if its normal..
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tonetti · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:40 am Post subject:

edited

Jagshark · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:45 am Post subject:

Klas · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:21 pm Post subject:

MissingLink · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:41 pm Post subject:

Has anyone found out exactly what is different about the newer Accutronics pans? There seems to be a consensus that older is better (gee, that's a shocker), but I've had a look in my RI's pan and there ain't much in there; a limited number of possible culprits, in other words. Is it the springs' length, the type of metal used, different transducers, or what?

ziess · Hodad Joined: Aug 15, 2009 Posts: 32

This reminds me I need to resolder the connections on my old Gibbs pan and fit it back into my '61 reverb...