I'm wondering if there is a way to make the reverb on my BDRI louder and more pronounced? The reverb is great sounding, but it's not quite surfy enough. It has that wet fender reverb sound, but it doesn't stand out even at 12 on the dial. Can anyone recommend a way to make it louder in the mix? Maybe take the bag off of the tank, change the preamp tube to something else etc...?
Thanks, Chris
Chris, I haven't played through that amp but if it's anything like the Twin I would get a tank. Three knobs is where it's at in my eyes, ears.
I could be wrong but I don't think that's a tube driven reverb. I know the Hotrods aren't! Find some schematics for it if you can.
I'm pretty sure that the reverb is an IC, and not tube driven.
There are "mods" out there, but you'll never get a verb sound out of it like the three knob Fenders
Chris, I sent you instructions thinking you had a Deluxe Reverb RI. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do, aside from swapping in a three-spring tank.
The quest for more 'verb... truly a noble cause!
If you're in a DIY kind of mood, you could try Ted Weber's 3-knob reverb kit! With the price of used '63 reissues these days, it's definitely worth a look.
https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_weber.htm#Add-A-Verb
Which one is it?
Wow! My Blues Deluxe has all the reverb I need! However I do have a Holy Grail pedal that I use with my Bassman. It sounds just like a spring reverb and gets really deep.
Yeah, when I first got mine I thought so too. I’m wondering if when I put the tank back in the cab after lacquering it, if the tank bag might be touching one of the springs in the tank? I doubt it, but ever since the re-install the reverb does seem quieter. Anyone think this could be the case? The spring tank has a piece of cardboard under the springs, but I think I remember squeezing the cardboard a little and maybe it didn’t go back to its original shape???
Also, is there a direct replacement tank that would possibly fit that would be more lush and springy sounding? Remember, according to the above comments, it’s NOT tube driven, which is a surprise to me.
Thanks, Chris
Hehe, exactly what I just came on here to ask about. I've been looking for a bandmaster reverb head, but haven't come across one yet for a decent price -- no big deal, I'm not in a rush. I was beginning to toss around the idea if its possible to purchase a bandmaster then add the reverb tank and controls to it. I was already thinking to tear the amp out of the head and create a 4x8" combo. This is great. Thanks for the link!
GentlBen, Can you attain a truly dripping Dick Dale reverb with the HolyGrail? I've never played one.
Chris, check the connectors on your reverb tank. Check for a tight fit and/or corrosion. I think you can get a different tank for the hotrod Fenders, but I'm not sure.
Andy, no, you can't just build reverb into any Fender amp, or it's a very involved and expensive mod at the very least.
And the holy grail is a pretty neat toy to have, it's surprisingly usable for the price. (I have the "plus" version, and don't hate it - and I'm a hard to please snob really)
If it's an Accutronics reverb, check inside the pan where the super thin wires are crimped, quite often they are more than crimped, they are on the verge of being severed, or they are severed. This was a HUGE manufacturing problem, affecting lots of units.
When you say crimped, where exactly do you mean? I pulled the tank out last night and the springs weren't touching anything. It is an accutronics tank with a black and red rca cable connected to it. Thanks for the help and tips!
Sorry for the confusion Wenz, what you should look for is this. The thin wires that are usually black and green, eventually end up at a plastic push on connector at the springs. Inside the plastic connector the wires are sorta forced into and metal type stripper/connector, check with a magnifier to make sure they are not severed, or loose. Damn, I wish the picture function worked on here.
Chris, Google BillM and take a look at reverb unit picture. It I'll show you where they fail. My Jr. Reverb stopped working somewhere between NJ and Nashville, but it was a quick fix.
Wenzel, I am pleased with the Holy Grail sound. Anything above half-way is way too much. I think it sounds like a spring reverb. (I should mention that 40 years of standing between a drummer and a bass player have diminished my ability to distinguish a low E from a fart.) Andy, I have an old Bassman chassis I mounted in a 12" combo cab and I checked out adding an internal tube reverb. There is a kit out there for a couple hundred but you plug the instrument into it and run a cable around to the amp input so it might as well be a pedal. You can have the chassis modified for reverb for $400 or so.
I have two New Blues Deluxe Reissues and the Reverb is quite weak in both.
One is a little better then the other but not by much ,,, maybe more psychological too,
Anyway, It is the IC chips.
I pulled the Tank from my 70's twin and tried it as an experiment and it made no difference.
It's the IC, Not a tube set up.
I think the Blues Deluxe cabinets themselves can make great extension speakers too, for say A la' Twin Reverb head,
The Blues Deluxe don't sound bad as an amp by themselves iether, just a little weak on the Reverb side.
So, can I upgrade the IC chip somehow? I don't even know what the heck that is...
Chris, the IC chip is there to make the amp cheaper to produce. Making the reverb send and recovery circuits this way saves two tubes, and more.
And PC-board amps don't like to get modified much - and not an awful lot of techs particularly enjoy the idea, or even working on them.
Seeing as how in the mind of a lot of people spring reverb is a big part of "the Fender sound", I think it's pretty shitty Fender promotes these amps as "all tube" - they're not.
Yeah, I agree. I was under the assumption or led to belive that these were tube reverb driven amps. That's pretty lame, but the amp itself sound awesome! So, it looks like it's time to build a reverb tank. I just need to know which one from the link way above? Can you help me Walter? It's a supposed 3 knob reverb that you can build yourself, but the site doesn't say which of the 3 is the 3 knobby job?
Thanks!
The Add A Verb is a standalone reverb that mounts inside your amp cabinet, assuming there's room for it. If you don't mind carting it around, here is the separate one (top of page) https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_50a.htm You can sometimes find the Fender reissue reverb tanks on ebay for less, but then you run into the same problem of circuit boards and miniature components. At least with one you build yourself you know what goes into it.
If you surf 
over to www.surfguitar101.com you'll find more info on reverb tanks than you'll ever need.
You mean from the Weber Kit menu? I know they have a copy of the classic Fender standalone unit, and two variations on that theme, one that includes "brownface" tremolo ("revibe"), and the other classic blackface trem ("torevibe"). And they also have a chassis that's meant to build into an existing amp.
I'm not by any means technical, and some friends of mine who are tell me you need to have experience and know what the hell you're doing when attempting to build an amp. I sure wouldn't jump into it head-first with a reverb tank - if I knew a watt from a Volt (which I hardly do), I'd start with something easier like a tweed deluxe.
Also, from my limited experience with a Weber-kit-built amp : they are a great, almost amazing deal price-wise, but you do get what you pay for.
If you're really into the idea of getting one, I'd talk to a friendly amp tech about it, and keep in mind you will probably want to replace some parts before building. (transformers being one thing...)
In about a week I'll have my "Mergili Admiral Girth" (an all-tube outboard spring reverb and tremolo), and I'll probably review it here when I do.
It's only $600, and after thinking long and hard I decided on that : after calculating what the Weber would cost me, with some parts substituted and my tech's time, I opted for something ready-built.
I really don't mean to badmouth the Weber kits at all, in fact I think the Weber operation is wonderful, but there's a reason the Weber kits are cheap, and they're kits, not amps, which is easy to forget when drooling over the website.
Thanks Fritz and Walt!
Walter, I am not a novice when it comes to wiring and schematics, I haven't ever built an amp, but I think I can follow a diagram and not blow myself up. Seriosuly though, I think I could handle an external reverb tank, woodworking included. I'm pretty darned handy when it comes to something I want to accomplish. Thanks for all of your info, all of you!
Didn't know that, sorry!
If you do decide to build a reverb tank, I'd look for one of the many kitbuilding forums (I hear Weber's own is great), because there are some "amp-specific" things you just can't see on a schematic or layout, and have to have a minimum of experience for.
(which is why experienced amp techs are worth their weight in gold IMO - a lot of people can read a schematic, not that many have been around a million tube amps!)
