For a cheaper alternative to buying an amp and a reverb pedal separately, what are some amps with relatively decent reverb?
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »
Best amps with reverb
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Joined: Jun 07, 2017 Posts: 48 University Place, WA 
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Posted on Jul 24 2018 05:03 PM
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Joined: Sep 23, 2014 Posts: 1428 Memphis, TN
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Posted on Jul 24 2018 06:03 PM
You're probably not going to find the sound you're looking for in an amp. Why don't you buy an amp that has a lot of clean headroom, and then buy the Oceans 11 Reverb pedal for less than $150. It sounds really good and can't be beat for the price. —MooreLoud.com - A tribute to Dick Dale. New EP Louder Than Life available on bandcamp and website. |
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Joined: Sep 04, 2017 Posts: 435 |
Posted on Jul 24 2018 06:41 PM
Fender Blackface Tube amps (Princeton Reverbs, Deluxe Reverb,etc) have good sounding on board spring reverbs....however, if you are looking for drippy surf reverb you will generally need an outboard tank or a good pedal which pretty much boils down to a Catalin Bread Topanga, a Ventris or the aforementioned EHX Oceans 11. From the demos and reviews, I don't think you can beat the Oceans 11 for great sounding surf drip plus all the other settings sound great too all for $150.00. |
Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 11070 Berkeley, CA
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Posted on Jul 24 2018 07:53 PM
You can also buy a surfybear kit and make your own for a lot cheaper than those pedals. Here's 104 pages to browse through haha. —Danny Snyder 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 |
Joined: Mar 03, 2006 Posts: 648
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Posted on Jul 24 2018 08:25 PM
I agree with Danny. Pedals are pedals, but the Surfy Bear is in a class of its own, essentially being a 6G15 reverb reworked as solid state. Uses the same tank. If you really want to have surf-drip reverb in a combo amp, just build a Surfy Bear and mount it in the back of the amp. |
Joined: Dec 11, 2011 Posts: 2136
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Posted on Jul 24 2018 09:06 PM
I agree with Danny and Mel. Enough that I built 2 of them. |
Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Jul 25 2018 04:55 AM
I was using a twin reverb when I found the surfy bear kit online and brought it to the attention of sg101 and started the 100 pages plus thread. Chasing great tone and reverb is part of the fun of playing surf guitar. Once I built my first surfy, I no longer needed to chase down reverb. I've looked back and will never look for anything else. —The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 |
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Joined: Sep 04, 2017 Posts: 435 |
Posted on Jul 25 2018 05:32 PM
For those of us who are "electronically challenged" (I am president of that club) the Surfy Bear in kit form might not be the answer....that being said, the turn key models cost about the same as a used Fender '63 Reissue Tank and are much more portable....that's the way I would go if I didn't have an outboard tank. However, as great as the Surfy Bear sounds, the EHX Oceans 11 at $150 is a hell of a deal, especially if you have amp with no reverb at all and can utilize the other settings beyond the drippy surf tone. Last edited: Jul 25, 2018 17:34:06 |
Joined: Sep 06, 2012 Posts: 1300 Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on Jul 25 2018 08:10 PM
If budget is an issue, some of the used Peavey amps have good on board reverb. I have a beat up Bandit that I bought for 75 bucks a few years ago that has great on board. |
Joined: May 09, 2018 Posts: 63 Tacoma, WA
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Posted on Jul 26 2018 08:33 AM
Black, brown, blonde, silver, even tweed. And. The reverb unit (or the surfy SS version) which drive the tank harder than onboard reverb (because, power tube) for the full quicksilver. |
Joined: Apr 13, 2018 Posts: 1378 New Orleans
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Posted on Jul 26 2018 07:04 PM
I have three Twin Reverbs, a beefy 100-watt 1970, a shrill 100-watt 1972, and a deep and bluesy 120-watt 1974. The reverb is great on all three but no drip. I purchased a Surfy Bear pre-built pedal, AND IT KILLS!!! There is no way the onboard reverbs can come close to the drip. I got a second pedal! It’s not cheap like the Oceans pedal, but it rules. Dan Izen —Daniel Deathtide |
Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2283 Kiev, Ukraine 
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Posted on Jul 27 2018 01:18 AM
Some decent tube amp and a Surfy Bear would be a killer Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com |
Joined: Mar 07, 2010 Posts: 2272 North Carolina
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Posted on Jul 28 2018 06:20 AM
youngreverb wrote:
What you are hearing from the crowd is true, there is no substitute for a standalone unit for the all-in stereotypical surf sound. However... given your specific ask, ‘not buying two things’ and “relatively decent reverb”, I would pile on to SurfSkaters lead with a Los Straitjackets referral. Nobody in their right mind would take shots at their sound and tone. Surf On, Young Reverb. Surf On! —Fady El Mirage @ ReverbNation |
Joined: Apr 24, 2011 Posts: 1087 Surf City, NC
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Posted on Jul 29 2018 05:31 AM
A Fender 63 Vibroverb RI if you can score one. They have the best onboard reverb of any combo I've ever owned. — |
Joined: Jul 13, 2012 Posts: 490 San Diego CA
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Posted on Jul 29 2018 05:08 PM
You could add the Fender Vibro King combo amp to the list (has a tube reverb unit inside) but it's not 'affordable' . Great amp though . |
Joined: Oct 17, 2009 Posts: 530 Walkersville, MD
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Posted on Jul 29 2018 05:49 PM
Having had both a Fender Vibroverb Reissue and Fender Vibro King, I can attest that they both had excellent inboard reverb. While more expensive, the Vibro King combo amp really comes close to that ouboard spring reverb sound with its Dwell, Mix, and Tone functions. The doofus formerly known as Snorre Last edited: Jul 29, 2018 17:52:14 |
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Joined: May 09, 2018 Posts: 63 Tacoma, WA
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Posted on Jul 30 2018 10:32 AM
Vibro King drives the tank with a power tube like the standalone reverb unit. |
Joined: Jul 17, 2016 Posts: 103 Sacramento
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Posted on Jul 30 2018 10:41 AM
I have come to really enjoy the Fender Princeton and its reverb capability/capacity. Not nearly as wet as an outboard unit, but as an all in one package, exceptional tonal qualities/reverb out of the unit. —The Me Gustas |
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Joined: Nov 29, 2017 Posts: 14 |
Posted on Jul 30 2018 07:20 PM
The Fender Super Reverb RI I had was a beast. It didn't have the drip maybe of an outboard tank, but with a boost or light overdrive hitting the front end, that sucker could splash. I used to keep the amp reverb at "6" and sometimes put a Boss RV-2 in front of it in Plate mode (because you can never have enough reverb), and the combo was always a head-turner (admittedly, I was not doing traditional surf at the time, but still a great sound). Last edited: Jul 30, 2018 19:25:43 |
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