stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Dec 30 2014 05:34 PM
remora1 wrote:
Finished my build using stratdancer's Harbor Freight toolbox method. the circuit, controls, and connections are all mounted in the lid, the pan, power supply, and output jack down in the box. Power cord stores in the tray. The MOD pan I used was one I had bought for my Guyatone tank, but ultimately I went back to the original Accutronics. In the Surfy Bear it sounds great, still some long tails but not quite as pronounced as in the Guyatone. I think my other guitarist is gonna be stoked!
Really nicely built!
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Dec 30 2014 05:34 PM
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SanchoPansen
Joined: Jan 04, 2011
Posts: 1588
Berlin L-Berg
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 04:27 AM
So I tried it at rehearsal yesterday and I have to admit: I am impressed! This is the easiest/cheapest and IMO best alternative to a real tank. I own a Flint, FRV-1 and a good sounding RI tank. While the Flint and FRV-1 don't stand a chance against the Surfy Bear, my tank does...sorry.
The problem - as mentioned before - are hot PUs. These PUs hit the tank so hard, it all starts to distort if you turn up the dwell (or mix). The gain control on the board was helpful to tame it a little bit, but my decent modded tank (good pan, 6K6, C10, been through a nice stack of tubes) sounded much warmer and responded differently/milder to my playing. But the Surfy Bear had way more drip than the tank. I can imagine that the Surfy Bear sounds as good as any RI tank with Jaguar/Strat PUs. Just my 2 cents.
Still no banana for scale, but:
Edit: Anybody know where I can get a good DIY brownface trem for the other side of my Surfy Bear tank?
— The Hicadoolas
Last edited: Dec 31, 2014 04:50:17
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 05:33 AM
I've got a Fender Excelsior coming with the 15 Eminence Legend in it. I'm hoping it can make a good low wattage recording amp and a simple grab and go for practice ans small gigs. The goal is to build another surfy into to it so I don't need to have the tank with me. I'm going to build the chassis in a separate box like many have done and strap it to the chassis of the Excelsior. The challenge will be mounting the pan somewhere on the Excelsior.
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
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billmag
Joined: Aug 19, 2009
Posts: 8
Georgetown, TX via So. Cal (OC)
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 11:19 AM
The back of an Excelsior amp is jam packed already....not saying that a little ingenuity can possibly overcome the space situation but I'm looking forward to your progress!
I have an Excelsior myself so having one of these would be cool but it's one hell of an undertaking. Good luck with the project and post some progress pix.
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 11:49 AM
The only thing that will stop this from happening is what the picture shows....no room. One of my initial thoughts is to string the pan suspended right across the middle of the enclosure.
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
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dboomer
Joined: Jan 05, 2009
Posts: 262
Port Hueneme, CA
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 01:47 PM
Hey Bill
I agree. All the drip lives in the horribly medieval spring pan. It might be a new one or a vintage one but you just need to find one with character.
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Sonichris
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1892
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 01:55 PM
edit - never mind.
— "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"
Last edited: Dec 31, 2014 15:06:00
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Sonichris
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1892
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 03:40 PM
I finally got around to finishing mine - it's an R3 version.
I wanted to make a classic styled cabinet, but as small as I could make it with a full sized pan. It's 18.5" long x 7.5" tall x 6" deep. I covered it in smooth blonde with gold grill cloth to match a smaller amp I have.
I wanted to build this using leftover parts from other projects - so I used some cheap decal paper for the faceplate transfer - which I'm not totally happy with.... I tried to drill the chassis holes after I did the decal and clear, and it ended up getting all messed up, paint peeled off - the second attempt at the faceplate was a rush - next time I'll do it right.
Currently it has a new Accutronics pan.
It sounds really good! I have a good vintage tank, and two Gomez tanks, and this sounds great in comparison in the short time I've played it - I really like this little unit! I'm already planning the next builds....
— "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 03:43 PM
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Ariel
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1556
Israel
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Posted on Dec 31 2014 04:53 PM
Beautiful!
One advantage I see to using the old form-factor for the tiny circuit, is prolonging the sensitive pan spring's and assembly's life. It's big, heavy and forces you to be somewhat careful, you kinda feel like handling an amplifier.
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bjoish
Joined: Jul 06, 2010
Posts: 596
Stockholm
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Posted on Jan 01 2015 08:11 AM
Yes very beautiful 
The faceplate looks great on the pictures.
I few years ago I did some experiments with screen printing a faceplate.
I found a company locally that made the silk frame, then the printing was easy.
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shake_n_stomp
Joined: Jan 09, 2014
Posts: 615
Vancouver BC
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Posted on Jan 02 2015 10:23 AM
stratdancer wrote:
The only thing that will stop this from happening is what the picture shows....no room. One of my initial thoughts is to string the pan suspended right across the middle of the enclosure.
Hmmm, my next thought was having the springs of the tank too close to the magnetic pull of the speaker driver that is, if you had to float it somewhere in the middle of the cabinet...
— Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada
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sonni
Joined: Nov 08, 2006
Posts: 80
Vienna, Austria
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Posted on Jan 02 2015 11:03 AM
interesting idea, just go for that magnetic pull test, it might induce some special reverb! anyone ever tried?
stratdancer wrote:
Hmmm, my next thought was having the springs of the tank too close to the magnetic pull of the speaker driver that is, if you had to float it somewhere in the middle of the cabinet...
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Jan 02 2015 01:31 PM
whackystrings wrote:
stratdancer wrote:
The only thing that will stop this from happening is what the picture shows....no room. One of my initial thoughts is to string the pan suspended right across the middle of the enclosure.
Hmmm, my next thought was having the springs of the tank too close to the magnetic pull of the speaker driver that is, if you had to float it somewhere in the middle of the cabinet...
It would be almost impossible to get a pan in there without problems weather it's the magnetic pull or the constant shock waves from the 15 right in front of it. I have one idea for a backing for the enclosure that will cover just the mid back and could mount the pan against the outside of the backing.
Ultimately the Excelsior should be in a solid pine cab, open back and mount the pan on the floorboard. Hopefully I like the sound of it when it shows. If so I can think about what the future brings for my $250 surfer.
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
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billmag
Joined: Aug 19, 2009
Posts: 8
Georgetown, TX via So. Cal (OC)
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Posted on Jan 03 2015 07:20 PM
stratdancer wrote:
stratdancer wrote:
The only thing that will stop this from happening is what the picture shows....no room. One of my initial thoughts is to string the pan suspended right across the middle of the enclosure.
Hmmm, my next thought was having the springs of the tank too close to the magnetic pull of the speaker driver that is, if you had to float it somewhere in the middle of the cabinet...
It would be almost impossible to get a pan in there without problems weather it's the magnetic pull or the constant shock waves from the 15 right in front of it. I have one idea for a backing for the enclosure that will cover just the mid back and could mount the pan against the outside of the backing.
Ultimately the Excelsior should be in a solid pine cab, open back and mount the pan on the floorboard. Hopefully I like the sound of it when it shows. If so I can think about what the future brings for my $250 surfer.
I started looking at my Excelsior as well and though the middle portion looks viable, maybe it might be better to raise the bottom chassis and create a false bottom for the reverb pan and controls??? Just a thought...too much for me to undertake at the moment.
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Jan 04 2015 05:10 AM
I hate to highjack this thread into Excelsior discussion but I created the thread lol.
Bill, are you the famous BillM king of the Blues JR mods?
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
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billmag
Joined: Aug 19, 2009
Posts: 8
Georgetown, TX via So. Cal (OC)
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Posted on Jan 05 2015 01:36 AM
stratdancer wrote:
I hate to highjack this thread into Excelsior discussion but I created the thread lol.
Bill, are you the famous BillM king of the Blues JR mods?
Sorry to all as well about the highjack but we are on topic....just finding interesting enclosure for the FET reverb. 
No, we just share the same first name and last initial. Sorry if you were expecting a more notable person..... 
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2533
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Jan 05 2015 07:38 AM
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busse
Joined: Jun 17, 2012
Posts: 13
Sweden
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Posted on Jan 08 2015 03:22 PM
I ordered the Fet Reverb from Björn mabye a year ago and now I will box it, I have made a chassi and will do a cabinet thats look something like a Z Verb but smaller. I have built a simple Power supply with a 1.5A 12V transformer, two diodes, an LM7812 and three capacitors and will mount that in the chassi.
I have done all wiring with shielded cable to avoid hum and noise and I will also make a relay conected to a foot switch to turn of the reverb inesead of sending the signal to the foot switch. Mabye I will have two relays one that turn off the reverb and one relay for "tru bypass" and a switch on the backside of the chassi to choose between a "tru bypass" or "reverb mute" function of the foot switch.
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