Hi Guys,

A little update on this end. I sent back the bad tank and MF said they’d send out a new one. Later I got an email saying it was backordered for a while. No problem- I’ve been traveling for work a lot. When I got home it had just arrived.

I plugged it in and I think this one is working OK, although I’m not 100% sure. It’s a definite improvement to the sound of my guitar. But I don’t get any of the really echoey, luscious reverb sounds. I think the problem is the lousy amp I’m playing into. It’s a 20+ year old Peavey Audition 20 practice amp that is, literally, smaller than the tank. That amp has never sounded good, never a decent clean sound. I hate it. So I’ve got a ’65 Bandmaster head and a Weber speaker to go to next. Just haven’t had time to build the cabinet for that (but the maple and cherry are also waiting). Unfortunately work is so busy that I probably won’t get to building the cabinet until the fall.

Anyways, I need to turn all 3 tank knobs up to about 7’s before getting any appreciable effect. At all knobs on 9’s or 10’s it’s pretty good. If I think of the nice echoey, big room reverb sounds I heard from a Deluxe Reverb Reissue (in a store) it’s not there. On the DRRI I would even turn the reverb down to 7 or 8 or so. With my tank and Peavey, it’s less reverb than the DRRI alone. I think it’s the amp. But if you guys have any thoughts, they’d be appreciated. Thanks!

-Jon

NOS tubes that's all i gotsta say. my unit sound like shit before i swapped tubes. oh and i did the cap mod.

-Zanti

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SURFmole
Triple "sevens" on the knobs should get you drippy surf reverb regardless of the amp you're playing through...and w/ a 6V6 (instead of 6K6) you should maybe get it even earlier on the dial. Unless you like an insane amount of reverb it seems like something might be wrong >>??

Yeah, I’m wondering if there’s something wrong or not. If it’s working properly, that’s fine. It’ll sound better with the Bandmaster, once I get that up and running. And I’m happy to do a tube swap. Maybe the cap mod as well. I just want to make sure I shouldn’t send it back while I still can. It does sound much better than without the tank. It’s just not exactly the sound I was expecting based on what I hear on this web site and what I’ve heard with a DRRI. But the amp I’m using is really bad. It should be outlawed. But hey, my parents bought it for me 20+ years ago, along with the used Ibanez guitar I’m still playing. Sentimental value, I guess. J

MrReverb63_
NOS tubes that's all i gotsta say. my unit sound like shit before i swapped tubes. oh and i did the cap mod.

Good to know. Thanks. A tube swap may well be in my future. Maybe the cap mod, too.

Joelman
Jon.
I would suggest just playing it as it is for awhile. I play mine through a DRRI and it sounded fine. I replaced all the tubes(3) in the reverb unit when the reverb unit started making a high pitched squelling sound. I ordered the JJ tubes and an old stock Sylvania 6k6GT to try out also as the guys here suggested.
I put in the 6k6Gt Sylvainia tube first, and got the same sound as the original reverb unit new sound. I was wondering what all the hoopala the guys here were making as far as sound was concerned was about. As everythig just sounded the same.
However not to long afterward the reverb unit with the Sylvania 6k6GT tube started to go flat. So I put in the JJ 6V6 S tube.

OMG what a difference. The sounds coming from the DRRI now sounds just like what I hear on the samples Kyle(diceophonuic) has posted. Huge and Full!!!
Tubes can make an ENOURMOUS difference.
I suggest that you play it as is and in the mean time order some tubes. I think it was around $50.00 for all four tubes.

Joel

Thanks Joel. I’m happy to play it for a while as long as I know it’s working properly and doesn’t need to go back. Then I’ll play with the Bandmaster. And then try swapping the tubes like you suggested.

Funny you should mention Kyle(diceophonic)’s sound. I’ve downloaded some of his songs. I quite like his sound on Bikini Sunrise, Scarlet Fever, and Boogie at the Beach. I’m not getting that drip or real echo. It does sound much better than without the tank, but it’s not really Kyle's sound. Maybe the Bandmaster will help a lot. Then the tube swap.

JonW
Funny you should mention Kyle(diceophonic)’s sound. I’ve downloaded some of his songs. I quite like his sound on Bikini Sunrise, Scarlet Fever, and Boogie at the Beach. I’m not getting that drip or real echo. It does sound much better than without the tank, but it’s not really Kyle's sound. Maybe the Bandmaster will help a lot. Then the tube swap.

That's the 'Verb not Kyle's band named the Verbtones.

The lead guitar work on those songs were done with a Jazzmaster through vintage tank into a Bandmaster which I think was a '65.

Well, I had a slightly interesting thing last night. I was playing guitar with the setup mentioned above. I had the tank on triple 8’s or 9’s. And I actually wanted to turn down the tone knob on my guitar. I’ve never done that before. Without the tank I’ve always thought my guitar and/or amp never sounded nearly clean or sharp enough. To the point that I always wondered why anyone would ever turn their tone down. All it does is muddy up the sound. But it was a little better with the tank and the tone dialed back a wee bit.

So I’m not in echoey, drippy reverb heaven. But the tank has improved things significantly. I'm really looking forward to trying out my Bandmaster. Should sound nice.

JakeDobner
That's the 'Verb not Kyle's band named the Verbtones.

The lead guitar work on those songs were done with a Jazzmaster through vintage tank into a Bandmaster which I think was a '65.

SURFmole
It's easy enough to get them confused though...both bands have "the" and "Verb" in the name as well as being from the NW. They also both have a complete dork on the right side of the stage playing a Jazzmaster through a Bandmaster

Oops. I mixed up my 'verbs. Sorry about that. Yeah, pretty easy to do.

I think my Bandmaster is also a '65.

SURFmole
I think Kyle's tank is a 65' (or close to it) as well but has the 6V6 instead of the 6K6. The difference I've noticed in comparing that tank to mine (DIY built w/ 6K6) and with swapping the 6K6/6V6 back and forth in my reverb is that with the 6V6 you set the levels lower to get a similar reverb sound. In other words 3-3-3 with a 6V6 might be similar to 6-6-6 with a 6K6. The 6V6 has more grit than a 6K6 in the stock circuit too which can be a good or bad thing depending on what sound you like. My preference is for the 6K6 because it's cleaner and doesn't drive the pan as hard; by keeping the normal operating settings closer to the middle (7-7-7) it gives the option of backing down for a much more subtle reverb or cranking it for the extreme (whereas it might be more difficult to back it down to subtle w/ the 6V6). I also like less "grit" and the cleaner/rounder tone.

FWIW, you could mod the stock circuit to get a similar sound out of the 6V6 by changing one resistor (biases the 6V6 as Fender intended like in the Champ) but it's kind of pointless when 6K6s are still widely available and inexpensive.

Both sounds are cool...it's just what YOUR preference is...apples and oranges

So I’ll have to try out a 6V6 tube. From your description it sounds like what I may be after. And how great is this: The mod is cheap, quick, and easily reversible. Sometimes things can be good like that. I’ll get my Bandmaster running and if there’s not enough reverb for me I’ll try swapping out all the tubes. If there’s still not enough I’ll have to get my ears checked and then try the cap mod.