Stand Alone Reverb Unit

[Herec]

For something off-the wall:

Based on the Ampeg Gemini and V amps. It seems to put the verb in the note rather than putting the note through it. Easy project. sh

Been itching to make a stand-alone reverb unit based on Ampeg as well. Did you stake the board yourself?

[Luthierwnc]

I used a 4FB3D1B -- which I think is a 2k2 Z-out.

The tank was made to match a 5E7 head. That's gone now but it sits nicely on a 5E5-A Pro clone. Here's a pic of Will Ray playing both at an amp jam four years ago. It was mostly a D-build showcase but you just can't make one of those late 50's tweeds sound bad.

Everything in there is borrowed from something else. The Garolite is just standard-issue McMaster stuff punched on a drillpress. The chassis is made of aluminum plate and sheet. sh

[Traynor]

I built an Ampeg stand alone reverb. I used the schematic that Luthierwnc provided as a starting point. I changed a few things on mine.I removed the 220K and 250Pf cap going to the mix control.
I also split the plate load res. on the rev driver 33K and 68K, the dwell feed was tapped between the two. Similar to fender where they used 10K and 100K.This mod was done to stop the rev from squealing if you were to unplug your guitar or the dwell was too high.
I built it about 2 years ago and It's my main reverb unit. I've built about 8 Fender style ones and they sound good as well, I seem to prefer the Ampeg.

Brent

[Traynor]

I forgot to mention that I used a full 12AT7 as the reverb driver and a 250K lin pot for the dwell.
Brent

[Luthierwnc]

Hi Traynor,

It does sound different -- less twangy. More like a plate verb. I'd imagine it would sub in nicely for the circuit in the Reverberato. I don't know if Ampeg had/has patents on that design as far as commercial production goes but every DITer ought to make one. sh

[LeftyStrat]

Hi Traynor,

It does sound different -- less twangy. More like a plate verb. I'd imagine it would sub in nicely for the circuit in the Reverberato. I don't know if Ampeg had/has patents on that design as far as commercial production goes but every DITer ought to make one. sh

I use to lug around a vt-22, always loved the reverb in it. I also had a vt-40 in recently for some work, and again it reminded me how much I liked the Ampeg reverb. Less twang, more lush and full-bodied, very 3d.

I think I have one of those tanks lying around, so I might have everything on hand for the build except a 6cg7. Looking at the data it is similar internally to a 6sn7, which I have a few of.

Thanks for posting this. This will be my Thanksgiving build.

[Mark]

Why is it I can build nearly any amp and it will look like the real thing, but when it comes to Fender's stand alone reverb I couldn't find a control panel for love or money?

[9pins]

the input impedance of the tank determines the driver, my fav is a SRPP drive out of a univox, you can can also use radio tubes, pentode/triode units
the pentode stage boosts and the triode converts impedance as cathode follower. Recovery stages can be anything, I love a grounded grid stage...

The only real trick is to keep it stupid simple, there are a good half dozen examples of verb units that are not fender, they all do the same thing in a variety of flavors.

Another thing you shouldn't be afraid of, as cloners, is modifying the verb tanks you can scrounge up, to suit the needs of your build.