kick_the_reverb
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 1339
Escondido, CA
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Posted on Mar 27 2007 03:32 PM
So, a couple of weeks ago during rehearsal, we were noticing that Hans's amp was acting up, we suspected the power tubes were going bad. He took it to get serviced, and also asked the amp tech (Tim from Top Gear in La Mesa, CA) if he can do something with th reverb, to make it more surfy. The Vibroking has 3 knob reverb, but it's not exactly the same as the outboard unit. So, Tim ended replacing the power tubes, biasing, etc, but also rewired the reverb circuit and changed the driver. Man, what a difference. It now sounds the way a surf amp should, tons of drippy reverb. Hans was concerned about the increase in volume drop with the reverb on, but it proved to be still plenty loud.
Also, I was playing around with my reverb pans - took out the 63 Gibbs out of the 90's unit, and put it in my amp head. That's gonna stay there. Took the 69 out of the head and dropped it in the unit and then compared with the 90's one. Still not sure which one will stay in the outboard unit. The 69 has a better plink (ok Bill, BOOCH) but overall sounds a little constrained. Amazing how different they all sound. Now I'll start getting obsessed about finding a 4th one that will sound better.
— The Scimitars
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boyecho
Joined: Mar 05, 2006
Posts: 251
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Posted on Mar 27 2007 08:38 PM
i love the vibro king. i will own one one day, and i agree about the verb. close, but not quite. still an amazing amp.
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SurfBandBill
Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 1487
San Francisco
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Posted on Mar 28 2007 01:55 AM
kickthe_reverb_
(ok Bill, BOOCH)
Thanks Ran,
Now I just need to go mix up a Reverb Crash and I'll be in surfy heaven...
~B~
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kick_the_reverb
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 1339
Escondido, CA
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Posted on Mar 28 2007 08:21 AM
Actually, risking sounding ridiculous, the 90's unit make a "booch" sound, while the 69 unit (also the 63) has more of the "plink" type of sound, the type you can hear on the Surfites tunes pretty well. I might try messing with changing the tiny springs that suspend the plate inside the pan (not the ones that hold the pan in the cabinet), to see if that can open up the sound a little more.
— The Scimitars
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Mar 28 2007 08:33 AM
When I had my Dual Professional (same reverb circuit as the Vibro King) I too noticed that the reverb sounded very little like a tank. I then proceeded to have myself a look at the schematic that came with the amp. Guess what? I didn't recognize much of anything except the three knobs, the three tubes and the springs......ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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WR
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3832
netherlands
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Posted on Mar 28 2007 08:35 AM
kickthe_reverb_
risking sounding ridiculous
is that only when you play "tsjunk tsjunk" rhytms, or also with the more "zring zring" sounding chords???????????
actually, maybe we should start a tank-tampering thread for us solder fume addicts?
I have something similar, I have two tanks, a cosmoverb and a weber kit. both are true 6G15 circuits, but with a differnet build and different components. now obviously, I threw all the trays and tubes I had together and subbed both tanks till they sounded best - but never at the same time. when I first got the cosmo I made it sound best, and later I got the weber and did the same.
But ... they sound very different. one is way more ploinky metalic, the other is warmer sounding and has less booch with the same settings. And here is the thing: I started subbing tubes and trays between the two to identify what was the cause, and it made no difference. and I simply switched the entire plank to which the tray was attached, so it's not the "hanging" either. it must be the circuit itself. btw, both have a identical 390pF silver mica tone caps.
next step is to retrace the circuits to doublecheck my earlier finding that they were both true 6g15 (i built the weber myself so I should know)... next step is checking the bias (I only know for sure with the weber, which is at 7watts plate disspation. fender stock schematic gives 6watts. maybe the cosmo is even lower then that?) and some serious voltage-checking. and if I go crazy I might even inetrchange the different output transformers, cause right now, they seem the most likely cause, but it would be lots of work I guess.
WR
— Rules to live by #314:
"When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is."
https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Mar 28 2007 09:52 AM
My experience is the same, I have swapped tubes and pans and run pans outboard, suspended, screwed to the baffle, none of this seems to matter. On my '65 I replaced every thing on the board and it still sounded like it did when I got it. Good, but not as good as my RI. Figure? Gerald Weber sez that each one is an interesting combination of electro/mechanical voodoo-who knows what, and that's pretty much it........ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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