jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on May 13 2014 08:53 PM
Hey guys - I think this has been discussed before, but I thought I'd bring it up again... I've got a Fender '63 reissue tank and I'm trying to find a way to maximize the drip factor while reducing the reverb length. I've tried locking the tank in place and it seems to help a bit, but not a whole lot. How can I keep the dwell up nice and high and scale back the mix while still keeping a nice drippiess?
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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DannySnyder
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11077
Berkeley, CA
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Posted on May 13 2014 08:56 PM
Start stockpiling pans, and compare which ones have the most drip. It may take a while, so think of it as a quest!
— Danny Snyder
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo
I am now playing trumpet with Prince Buster tribute band 'Balzac'
Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta
Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party
Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on May 13 2014 09:01 PM
Hmm... replacement pans, huh? I think the stock one I got in there has 3 springs, but I'm not sure. It seems as it it's pretty easy to replace, so I'm guessing it's just a question popping it out and swapping a different one in?
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DannySnyder
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11077
Berkeley, CA
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Posted on May 13 2014 09:10 PM
You definitely want a 2 spring pan for what you're looking for. Search the 'forum topics' for "pan" and you'll get a plethora of info. Feel free to PM me as well if you need help.
— Danny Snyder
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo
I am now playing trumpet with Prince Buster tribute band 'Balzac'
Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta
Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party
Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on May 15 2014 10:36 AM
Update: I went ahead and tried the epoxy mod - now I have no reverb at all. As the mod recommends, I put a dab on the ends and in the center, but when I connected it all back up, the reverb is no more. I made sure that the connectors didn't get disconnected and that the RCA plugs are secure (even tried changing them). Same thing. Is it possible that the epoxy it cutting the connectivity somehow? Help! 
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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raito
Joined: Oct 16, 2008
Posts: 553
Madison, WI
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Posted on May 15 2014 11:20 AM
Just talking off the top of my head, but a spring reverb pan is a mechanical beast. If somehow you got the epoxy slopped in somewhere it's not supposed to be, it might interfere with making that spring move like it's supposed to move.
Looking at it, it seems as though the epoxy at the ends is to get the spring to make more positive contact with the transducer to basically get more signal into the springs, and I'll bet the dab in the middle is to increase the number of reflections.
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on May 15 2014 11:22 AM
Is there a particular type of epoxy I should be using?
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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horax
Joined: Mar 23, 2011
Posts: 518
colorado springs
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Posted on May 16 2014 04:27 PM
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on May 16 2014 04:30 PM
Also, your 'dwell' knob controls the length of the reverb, your mix controls wet vs. dry signal, and your tone kind of controls that drip. Long story short, turn the dwell down, turn the mix up(maybe) and turn the tone up. You might not like a high mix, I personally don't.
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on May 16 2014 04:32 PM
jimbones wrote:
How can I keep the dwell up nice and high and scale back the mix while still keeping a nice drippiess?
Also, this contradicts with the title of the post. "Shorter reverb length" means keeping the dwell down nice and low, not up and high.
I've really laid off the dwell in recent years, try giving that a shot! I think you'll like it.
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tubeswell
Joined: Sep 24, 2011
Posts: 1424
Wellington, NZ
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Posted on May 16 2014 09:55 PM
And having a clean treble booster in front of the tank can help too
— He who dies with the most tubes... wins
Surf Daddies
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mike_fried
Joined: Aug 02, 2012
Posts: 162
Nashville, TN
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Posted on May 17 2014 08:56 PM
While lower DWELL settings will shorten the decay somewhat (its original purpose), it also affects the amount of drip you can get as that's a function of how hard the pan is hit by the input signal (what the DWELL actually controls). A medium-decay pan may be what you're looking for, as they decay faster than the standard long-decay pans do at a given DWELL setting. In the "standard" nomenclature used for designating reverb pan attributes, you'd want a "4AB2C1B" pan rather than a "4AB3..." They are a bit harder to find, but they are available by MOD and Mojo Tone (the new Asian Accutronics tanks don't sound as "surfy" as the USA ones did).
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on May 20 2014 09:12 PM
I ended up removing all the epoxy I put on and got my reverb back. I obviously didn't use the right stuff...  Anyhow, in removing it from the ends of the springs, I inadvertently stretched the ends of the springs a bit... now it has a shorter reverb decay, and a space-echo type sound with splash - not what I was expecting, but kinda cool at the same time.
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on Jul 04 2014 08:16 AM
update
After getting frustrated with the odd reverb I was getting after inadvertently stretching the springs, I simply ordered a new pan. I bought a 2-spring one made by MOD (as opposed to the 3-spring stock pan) and it made ALL the difference in the world. Nice splash and shorter decay length, just what I was looking for.
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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DonBale
Joined: Feb 24, 2014
Posts: 156
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Posted on Jul 04 2014 09:22 AM
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on Jul 04 2014 09:23 AM
MOD 4AB3C1B - a super simple job to do, too. It's exactly the same size as the original pan.
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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Last edited: Jul 04, 2014 09:35:43
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dboomer
Joined: Jan 05, 2009
Posts: 262
Port Hueneme, CA
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Posted on Jul 04 2014 01:21 PM
What really determines how long the reverb sustains is the decay model of the tank. The number you've spec' is the standard Fender "long" sustain time model. If you switch that middle number 3 to a 2 or a 1 you'll get a quicker/shorter decay time.
I never have been able to figure our what exactly makes the drip. The epoxy mod increases the high frequencies but not the drip. The cap mod everyone usually talks about increases the low frequencies but not the drip. My best guess is that there is a broad variation in the way any individual spring set works may be the biggest part of the mystery. I'm betting some just sound better than others.
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DonBale
Joined: Feb 24, 2014
Posts: 156
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Posted on Jul 04 2014 02:18 PM
Grazie Jimbones. dboomer, "My best guess is that there is a broad variation in the way any individual spring set works may be the biggest part of the mystery. I'm betting some just sound better than others."
True, I've heard this long time ago, seams to be the truth. Good luck everyone.
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http://donbale.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA0g6Sn3e9FULMN0owd9YGw
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on Jul 04 2014 02:21 PM
All I really know is that this pan sounds a heckofa lot better...
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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jimbones
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Posts: 151
Montreal
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Posted on Jul 04 2014 02:26 PM
...in my earlier attempts to get a good sound out of the tank, I took an old pan out of a Traynor Custom Reverb ('67) and although it would have fit beautifully, I ripped one of the condenser wires out by accident when trying to place it in the tank (snagged it on the mounting springs). Now those wires are tucked off to the side in modern pans, but back then, they were all loose and hanging. I'll never know how that pan would have sounded because doubt if I'll spring (pardon the pun) the $$ to get it fixed (too hard to reattach the wire from where it snapped off).
— The Men in Gray Suits (Montreal, Canada)
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