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Post subject: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 8:38 pm
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https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F ... t=album%2c

Finally got around to gingerly taking this oddity apart today and managed to get the oil can refilled, tubes swapped and a shot of Deoxit everywhere. The previous owner cleaned up an oil spill in her, so inside and outside its a pretty clean unit. I also finally figured out the trim pots on the inside and have managed to dial in a nice sound to my ears. First clip is into a 1951 Gibson GA20 and the preamp in the delay kept pushing it into over drive, the second clip is into a 1965 Champ with a Hendrix Fuzz Face. The delay in the second clip is in a pretty good spot for me, the end of the clip is with the Fuzz Face off. One more piece of Fender history still alive and kicking. : )


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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 10:43 am
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Very cool indeed:
Quote:
An alternative echo system was the so-called "oil-can delay" method, which uses electrostatic rather than electromagnetic recording.[1]

Invented by Ray Lubow, the "oil-can" method uses a rotating disc made of anodized aluminium, the surface of which is coated with a suspension of carbon particles. An AC signal is sent to a conductive neoprene "wiper", which transfers the high impedance charge to the disc. As the particles pass by the wiper, they act as thousands of tiny capacitors, holding a small part of the charge. A second wiper reads this representation of the signal, and sends it on to a voltage amplifier, where it is mixed with the original source. To protect the charge held in each capacitor and to lubricate the entire assembly, the disc runs inside a sealed can with enough of a special oil (Union Carbide UCON lb65) to assure that an even coating is applied as it spins.

The effect resembles an echo, but the whimsical nature of the storage medium causes variations in the sound that can be heard as a vibrato effect. Some early models featured control circuitry designed to feed the output of the read wiper to the write head, causing a reverberant effect as well.

Many different companies marketed these devices under various names. Fender sold the Dimension IV, the Variable Delay, the Echo-Reverb I, II, and III, and included an oil can in their Special Effects box. Gibson sold the GA-4RE from 1965-7. Ray Lubow himself sold many different versions under the Tel-Ray/Morley brand, starting out in the early sixties with the Ad-n-echo, and eventually producing the Echo-ver-brato, the Electrostatic Delay Line, and many others into the eighties.

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1967 BF Vibro Champ
1969 SF Super Reverb
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Line 6 Spider III 120-Watt
1963 Hofner Model 182 Bass Guitar
2012 American Stanard Stratocaster
Epiphone SG w/ Classic 57/57+ PU
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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 5:35 pm
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Very cool! Be interested to hear about the outcome of the R&R.


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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 5:48 pm
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In all my years of playing, don't think I have ever seen one quite like that. Cool piece and looks to be in good condition.

IIRC though, wasn't the oil cans reverbs units filled with something that was incredibly carcinogenic?

T2

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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 5:58 pm
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Could be PCB oil. Think it depends on make of unit. Here's a site kinda explaining the thing:

http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/o ... delays.htm


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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 6:07 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
Could be PCB oil.


It is PCB oil. In fact the stuff is so toxic that CARB (California Air Resources Board) ran the company that made it out of the state circa 1972, which effectively shut them down. Fender discontinued all of its products that used this substance at the same time and those units have never been re-issued.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 8:52 pm
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Just realized I accidentally deleted the sound clips from the album. I will record one tomorrow now that I have the delay dialed in to my liking. There are essentially 4 trim pots in there, two for the "warble" or reverb, and 2 for the delay. I don't find the reverb as pleasing to the ear as some of the units I've heard online so I've dialed it back and pushed up the delay. Also, it acts as a tube preamp even if the delay is switched off. There are 2 12ax7 tubes in there.
The oil that was supposed to be used is the UCON LB-65 which is a non pcb based oil. It is a heavy duty synthetic lubricant. The MSDS is online for the oil. The unit only needed 2 tablespoons of oil in that big can to sound great. From a mechanical standpoint the thing is crazy complicated. This one is in such good shape I really need to document it more for posterity. I even have the original shipping box from Fender.
I believe whatever oil was in there before was overfilled and leaked before arriving at the previous owner. He cleaned it up, then decided he didn't have time to finish fixing it.
My next test is to hook it up the 1962 Super Amp and have it and the harmonic tremolo running at the same time. I might need gravol. :D Maybe toss in the 1961 Reverb unit just because.


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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 3:22 pm
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https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F ... ideo%2cmp4

Sound clip. Epiphone dot into a 1965 Fender Champ.

No delay, just preamp, then delay, then an MXR Fuzz Face tossed into the mix. Adds some extra warmth and kick to the Champ at the beginning and then some nice spaciness later. Retains some nice clarity with the fuzz on.


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Post subject: Re: On the bench - 1969ish Fender Variable Delay
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 9:57 am
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Hokusai22 wrote:
This one is in such good shape I really need to document it more for posterity. I even have the original shipping box from Fender.


Yes you do! And a few more pics wouldn't hurt, including the shipping box!

:idea:

T2

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