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Post subject: Modify Reverb? ... a Frontman 25R question
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:19 pm
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After much consideration and test-playing (and a Topic in this Forum), I just bought a nearly-new Frontman 25R amp for use as a practice/travel amp, to take along weekends in my camper.

The only thing -- so far -- that I don't like about the amp is the "calibration" of the spring Reverb. Yeah, it is indeed a spring reverb, but by the time I dial it to maybe 3-1/2 I'm getting all the Reverb I can musically stand. By 5 it's got that playing-in-a-silo sound; by 9 it's in that "OMG -- whatever 'med' I took ain't what I thought it was!" ... you know, the spawn of some early Ventures tune and a really BAD 1950's Japanese monster movie. :shock:

Is it possible to "re-calibrate" a spring reverb?
I'd love to spread out that tiny usable band that's between "1" and "3-1/2", so it's available across the whole range of the Reverb knob. I've never actually taken a spring reverb unit apart: can you shorten, lengthen the spring, paint it yellow, what? Howzabout a simple electronic mod -- different pot, kettle ... or add a capacitor, resistor, collaborator ... what?

Thanks for your serious (&otherwise :wink: ) help.

Bob

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Post subject: Re: Modify Reverb? ... a Frontman 25R question
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:50 pm
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I just leave mine on "2" all of the time.

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Post subject: Re: Modify Reverb? ... a Frontman 25R question
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:27 pm
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Yeah ... but isn't yours the blue-spring model?

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Post subject: Re: Modify Reverb? ... a Frontman 25R question
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:42 am
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bobwords wrote:
Yeah ... but isn't yours the blue-spring model?


:?: :?: :?: :?:

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Post subject: Re: Modify Reverb? ... a Frontman 25R question
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:49 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
bobwords wrote:
Yeah ... but isn't yours the blue-spring model?


:?: :?: :?: :?:


Aw, c'mon, bluesky -- you're my sunny day!

> Reference my original posting: if speculatively painting the spring yellow could do the job, then I'm guessing that the "blue spring" model wouldn't need the mod. :roll:
Or not.

Pretty much at this point, your solution is mine -- find a spot between 1 and 3-1/2, set it, and forget it.

Interestingly, I just got back from the local Fender dealer, and talked to the electronics tech-guy there about this. He says that typically Fender isn't too forthcoming about owners or dealers "modding" their amps, and he suspects that IF they got engaged in this issue, their amp guys could easily specify the necessary value of the pot that would likely spread the lower third of the Reverb's band across the whole range of the pot.

Obviously they would much rather have you buy that amazingly programmable Mustang III (or even a Mustang I, at the same MSRP as the 25R): you can apparently program pretty much any cycle and shape of Reverb you want on that little marvel.

Still, as us tube amp guys are wont to say, "If I'd wanted a Universal Controller that'll run the BlueRay, the BigScreen, and the latte machine, don't'cha think I'd'a bought a TV without rabbit ears?"

We looked at the schematic of the amp, and established that it's a 50K pot with a "B" profile. (Dunno what a "B" profile is, but apparently it's neither an "audio" nor a linear profile.) But from there, what to do? Different value? Different "curve" in the profile of the pot? More K, Less K ... what the L ??

Then, once that is known, it may be LOTS of fun discovering where to get a pot with the necessary specs that also physically fits the circuit board, the hole in the amp's front panel.

Even at full MSRP$, an owner would have to be competent working with solder on a circuit board (which I am) to make the change cost-effective; likely the pot itself is less than $5, but shop labor would make the job pointlessly expensive.

Lacking all that info, the choices are clearly to either find a low-number "sweet spot", or to substitute that mythical "blue spring," which is probably item #42 in the Catalog of Parts That Don't Exist.

... of course, back before all the blindingly smart kids left the employ of Radio Shack and moved on to become self-made millionaire social networking entrepreneurs, you could just walk into any Radio Shack and have the right pot, solder, and three assembly tips in about ten minutes.

C'mon, Fender ... you can tell me, quietly, ¿eh?

Bob

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