Fady
Joined: Mar 07, 2010
Posts: 2226
North Carolina
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Posted on May 25 2018 11:29 AM
Wait a second... asuf, your pic on page 1 shows the frame that has the wider mid-section / further spaced openings. Roberts pic shows but but doesn't ID which is which. Ariel's pic above is clearly a MOD and shows the the narrow strip mid-section / closer together openings. While Studio Sound may swap inventory, you seem to have the Revisit version of pan. No sticker swapping needed.
Regardless, and to Surfadelphia's point above (and the heart of my original Revisit post), you just gotta be willing to try many variables to find what YOU like in YOUR set up. No two setups are truly the same. Some components have a predictable characteristic, but how that plays in any given set up and how the individual hears it / if they like it... to each's own.
— Fady
El Mirage @ ReverbNation
Last edited: May 25, 2018 11:30:16
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ausf
Joined: Apr 20, 2018
Posts: 47
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Posted on May 25 2018 12:37 PM
It was Frank that emailed me.
He gave me a detailed, lengthy description, he even used tubes and strings as an example.
No doubt theres a difference between the two in the photo, but that must be retooling, production runs, etc at the plant.
Frank was quite clear, they are all just rebranded (he listed all on the ones available) since 2010 whether OEM or not.
I assume tanks may be like instruments. Two seemingly identical units have distinctly different sound and feel. I know my Ernie Ball StingRay is vastly different from others of the same model I've tried. My old German upright changes by the hour. I know I'm talking mainly about the aspects of wood with that, but since just bending the tanks ends can change sound, I'd imagine a different lot of springs, tension or anything else can affect the outcome. Maybe they even change over time with oxidation or something.
I asked whether I should get a CIC instead of the CIB since orientation is meaningless to me and he said beside the small spring configuration, there would be zero difference between what I have now and that one.
Anyway, until the Surfy Bear arrives, I have no idea about anything. I may think this is the best thing ever or want to try something else.
At least I know I'll be well taken care of whatever my decision.
Last edited: May 25, 2018 12:39:09
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DeathTide
Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1343
New Orleans
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Posted on May 25 2018 12:57 PM
I have been following this thread with great interest because I am convinced I would like a Revisit pan better than one I've got now. I was going to order one but now it seems I should wait until they get the actual Revisit pans back in stock? Did Frank mention anything about that?
Thanks a lot for this thread and the great info herein! (Also - I turned 46 today!)
Dan Izen
— Daniel Deathtide
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ausf
Joined: Apr 20, 2018
Posts: 47
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Posted on May 25 2018 12:57 PM
I forgot to mention, he did say in a follow up email comparing Accu and MOD that the case and tray weight does make a difference to the sound, so perhaps the aluminum stamping does make a difference.
And he also emphasized that the amp, setting makes huge difference. So everyone's setup, including isolation and a host of other things have to be taken into it.
Part of me is excited about figuring this out, the other part says go back to bass full time, where I can just crank the GK, roll up some mids and slap slap slap. No tremolo picking (2 fingers, always on), no whacky whammy bridge tuning issues, Palm muting, or anything else I've been working on for the past coupla months. 
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Surfadelphia
Joined: Sep 04, 2017
Posts: 403
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Posted on May 26 2018 12:07 AM
Can't discount the reverb circuit in the amp either. Outboard units which typically have controls for tone, dwell and mix have a lot more tonal flexibility than most in-amp reverbs which typically have a single knob and can be effected by the magnetic pull of the speaker and vibrations. Outboard units are also pretty much mini-amps themselves, with the pan being driven by a trio of tubes.
Last edited: May 26, 2018 00:10:21
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Ariel
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1556
Israel
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Posted on May 26 2018 02:19 PM
ausf wrote:
Basically they are all the same.
Cool. So what's his excuse for charging 10 bucks more?
The only difference is in the warranty.
Any local gangster will offer you better rates...
I forgot to mention, he did say in a follow up email comparing Accu and MOD that the case and tray weight does make a difference to the sound, so perhaps the aluminum stamping does make a difference.
It probably does make a difference. According to all the opinion we've heard so far, there IS a distinct difference between the "brands". I believe Fady on his report of consistency between his MOD's and his Revisit's, respectively. My MOD and Accu differ on the exact same characteristics everybody else describes. It's not 'confirmation bias'.
Part of me is excited about figuring this out, the other part says go back to bass full time...
No! You're in too deep now.
Seriously, most chances your reverb will be awesome. The Surfy-Bear is an amazing driver, and I love my MOD, even if it's not the precise classic sound. If yours is any better, it will only be better...
Fady wrote:
Unfortunate that they also were compelled to swap stickers.
Their claim that they're all the same, even that I suggested it myself in the beginning, now I hear it like an excuse to avoid potential accusation of fraud. He plays that 'grey area'.
I can definitively say the multiple Revisit pans I have and had sound very different than the 3 MOD branded pans - both 'brands' sounding consistent among themselves, just distinctly different to one another.
Your ears don't lie to you. Maybe still, it has to do with factory runs or re-tooling.
Wait a second... asuf, your pic on page 1 shows the frame that has the wider mid-section / further spaced openings...
Apart from that mid section, it looks like a MOD. Maybe it's how MOD's are now, mine's already a couple years old. Probably there's even more to it than meets the eye.
We went down the rabbit hole, in search for objective truth, and landed near the tiger cage, at the basement of a spring factory in Shenzhen, China, staring up at an incomprehensible sign. We looked for order in chaos, a meaning to stickers, a raison d'etre for Hammerite paint,
But in the end, we found ourselves. 
Last edited: May 26, 2018 15:07:14
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ausf
Joined: Apr 20, 2018
Posts: 47
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Posted on May 26 2018 04:04 PM
Ariel wrote:
But in the end, we found ourselves.
And in my case, I not sure I like what I see. ;)
I was cheesed a bit by the $10 warranty deal, but at this point I wasn't about to go through the hassle of a return, at least until I hear the damn thing.
At least this gives me license to change my mind. And there's nothing to say that 700 days from now I might want a different pan.
In regards of when the pans destined for him were getting there, he said it was due mid-June. But he was very specific that even if I grabbed a 4AB3CIC, which he didn't have to trade with other shops in the US, it's still be the same as the MOD.
All the tanks from Shenzhen Hanlongjia are the same and they are the closest thing to the original Cary, Il tanks available today.
Belton bought the Accutronics name for $10 mil and they make all the Accu-Bel branded tanks.
I may have just been lucky in the end that if that aluminum tray is the difference and it was a production run, by getting the one I did, it may have been a leftoever. Or we maybe we're all in luck and all of the new ones are/sound like what Fady and Idiotdunce has.
Until I get the Surfy Bear, I'm in the dark on it and onto my other issue in the Jag-trem-bridge saga. I wish I could get as much info on the non locking trem setup as I have on reverb pans. My next try (after the recent Mustang bridge swap) is going with flats. We'll see. At this point I think I can pull/replace a bridge and restring a Jag underwater blindfolded in under 2 minutes.
Last edited: May 26, 2018 16:07:43
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Surfadelphia
Joined: Sep 04, 2017
Posts: 403
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Posted on May 27 2018 10:31 PM
I can get really anal about this kind of stuff...again the rabbit hole. Don't sweat it. Fortunately pans are relatively inexpensive. Trust your ears. The Surfy Bear is universally lauded around here....you'll know what pan is best when you hear it.
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ausf
Joined: Apr 20, 2018
Posts: 47
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 08:16 AM
Update on this after a week of playing.
It's sounds fantastic!
Even just sitting out on the table a few feet from the Surfy Bear/Trem enclosure, I'm loving it.
For giggles I tried the EH Holy Grail again and yikes, what was I thinking? I guess I'll either stick it away to pull out for the plate setting or maybe mess around with the bass, or just put it up for sale, but I know I'll never be using it for spring again.
I'm really happy with this pan, but will most likely grab an Accu when I order tubes next. For $19 it would be almost criminal not to mess around with it.
Thanks again for all the info and input.
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Bensen_Honeydew
Joined: Jan 04, 2016
Posts: 33
Auckland
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Posted on Jun 18 2018 03:18 PM
Just to further muddy the waters, I've been through 4 Belton/Accutronics tanks, 3 Revisit tanks and 2 MOD tanks in my Fender 63 Reverb Reissue and the ALL sound noticeably different. The variations between the 3 Revisit tanks and 2 Mod tanks would make me hesitant to try to pick which was which in a blind test. All 5 exhibited the same ballpark decay length and frequency balance, but all 5 had distinctly different drip/attack/early reflections characteristics. The Belton/Accutronics were similarly different from tank to tank, but all had a stronger drip/attack/early reflections character, brighter tone, and shorter/thinner decay than the Revisit and MOD tanks. The annoying thing was that the one that I liked the most (by far) was the Belton/Accutronics tank from my friends 6g15 build.
I would sum up the differences as:
Belton/Accutronics = Brighter, drippier, and a shorter decay that gets out of the way quicker
Revisit/MOD = Warmer, more lush, and a longer/smoother tail.
YMMV of course.
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Surfadelphia
Joined: Sep 04, 2017
Posts: 403
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Posted on Jun 18 2018 09:39 PM
Back to my old rule of thumb: MOD pans for in-amp reverb; Accutronics for
outboard units.
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Big_Swell_Drifter
Joined: Apr 09, 2018
Posts: 33
Sydney
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Posted on Jun 18 2018 10:08 PM
Surfadelphia wrote:
Back to my old rule of thumb: MOD pans for in-amp reverb; Accutronics for
outboard units.
Will have to give the Accutronics pan a try in my Surfy Bear build. Have to say I am finding the Mod tank a little dark and hence am cranking up the dwell and tone to try and get it dripping a bit more. Still sounds good, but if there is a better sound out there, I must find it. 
— https://www.facebook.com/thebigswelldrifters/
https://thebigswelldrifters.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/thebigswelldrifters
https://www.reverbnation.com/thebigswelldrifters1
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Surfadelphia
Joined: Sep 04, 2017
Posts: 403
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Posted on Jun 19 2018 11:03 AM
It's been my experience, with the added controls you have on an outboard unit (like your Surfy Bear) it's easier to fatten up, add longer tails and get the drip out of an Accutronics pan for non-surfy stuff than getting a MOD pan to max drip for surf. Just experiment with different pans and you'll get to the right place for you. Just be aware that identical pans from the same manufacturer can sound different.
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ausf
Joined: Apr 20, 2018
Posts: 47
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Posted on Jun 23 2018 01:55 PM
I have an Accu on the way, so I'll see how that differs from the Revisit/MOD I'm using now.
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ausf
Joined: Apr 20, 2018
Posts: 47
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Posted on Jun 28 2018 02:10 PM
I got a chance to do side by sides of the Accu and MOD and I have to say I like the Accutronics a bit better.
It's definitely brighter, but it also allows more control via the Jag's switches.
With the MOD I generally need to stay firmly towards the treble end, either going all bridge or using the bass cut and get very little response anywhere on the rhythm side.
With the Accu I can use the neck pickup with or without the bass cut and still get a solid drip. I'll always lean towards more control and options which seems this pan facilitates.
Otherwise, the pan shells are identical in shape and stamping, just color and logo (MOD a Revisit sticker, Accu has a physical stamping). The MOD's inner pieces seem a bit cleaner, PCBs on the jacks and silicone grommets. The Accu's aluminum tray is bigger and more lively, jacks are inserts, transducers a little smaller and the springs are connected to brass rings (MOD's are hooked to eachother).
Accutronics is certainly more prone to vibration, but neither are in any enclosure at this point, just side by side on a folding table or floor. Certainly easier to crash.
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Surfadelphia
Joined: Sep 04, 2017
Posts: 403
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Posted on Jun 28 2018 09:12 PM
Looks like you got your answer. Funny thing is, you could probably compare the same two Accutronics model pans with each other or the same two MOD model pans and hear differences.
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ausf
Joined: Apr 20, 2018
Posts: 47
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Posted on Jun 29 2018 07:01 AM
Yeah, pans definitely fall into the 'love the one you're with' category, after you find one you love of course. I can see my wife finding 30-40 silver and black boxes in a closet one day. At least they're not expensive and the rejected ones are begging for experimentation.
Hey, business opportunity: Reverb Pan showroom/adoption center.
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Big_Swell_Drifter
Joined: Apr 09, 2018
Posts: 33
Sydney
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Posted on Jun 29 2018 11:17 PM
Big_Swell_Drifter wrote:
Surfadelphia wrote:
Back to my old rule of thumb: MOD pans for in-amp reverb; Accutronics for
outboard units.
Will have to give the Accutronics pan a try in my Surfy Bear build. Have to say I am finding the Mod tank a little dark and hence am cranking up the dwell and tone to try and get it dripping a bit more. Still sounds good, but if there is a better sound out there, I must find it.
Ok, so my Accutonics tank arrived yesterday and I A/B'd it with the Mod this morning. Yes, I have to agree the Accutronics sounds better in the stand alone reverb units. To me it sounded a lot cleaner and a lot less cluttered and dense. The Mod definitely has a certain appeal but to me its a bit of a one trick pony. I think the Accutonics will be a lot more versatile.
— https://www.facebook.com/thebigswelldrifters/
https://thebigswelldrifters.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/thebigswelldrifters
https://www.reverbnation.com/thebigswelldrifters1
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