Classic Fendery Spring Reverb Advice

  • So on another thread posted recently someone was speaking of difficulty in getting good Spring Reverb sounds.


    I had assumed that I was the only one but didn't want to speak up as I didn't think I had spent enough time decoding the Spring Reverb's parameters and to be honest I have been getting good sounds out of the Legacy Reverb and so it wasn't such a high priority for me.


    Then I was watching guitar builder/modifier and Peter Green expert Larry Corsa playing:

    Larry Corsa


    Whoa! What a great sound through that 1967 Vibrolux! (1:30 - )


    That heavy reverb may be consistent with some of Peter Green's recordings but I was instantly brought back to listening to B.B. King's late 60s live recordings - No fear of reverb there and sounds are not at all clean!: Night Life


    So I was wondering if anyone has had success using the Kemper's "Spring Reverb" to recreate this kind of heavily reverb laden sound?


    Recommendations for profiles or settings?

  • Actually I have tried that, to give it that "stand alone reverb unit in front of a tweed amp" sort-of-thing.

    (A Vibro King also works this way.)


    But if we are thinking of blackface amps like the 67 Vibrolux in the video, I believe that the reverb comes between the preamp stage and the power amp stage just like in a modern effects loop.


    However, if it sounds more authentic in the Kemper that way I will keep my efforts focused on placing it there.

  • This might be a stupid thing to ask so forgive me - you tried any of the Reverb effect presets? I always go to presets when I'm having trouble dialing stuff in. "Spring Fan," I assume, is set up to get a fendery-spring reverb. I usually either start there or with "Surf" or "Large Spring" based on the sound I'm going for, and tweak from there to taste.

  • Place the verb pre-amp , not post.


    Check my settings post and pre amp on my rig ex rig ' Boogie on spring' , but be sure to disengage all your FXs before.

    "Boogie On a Spring" is nice Waraba. Thanks for that. Four reverb choices on that rig. You are certainly a reverb enthusiast! Nice to hear the different options that you were thinking about there.


    I also like the settings on CHuckC's "ANDYS VIBROLUX" profile, with Spring and a Legacy reverb choices in the post amp position but the Spring pretty tame there.


    Of course, I had tried the presets but they didn't do it for me at those settings. None of them sound a bit like how I would set up my Ampeg or my Twin.


    The thing is it is dead simple to get great reverb sounds out of a Fender or similar amp. Even stand-alone Fender tube reverb units only have three controlls: dwell, mixer and tone. I guess it is nice to have greater control over the reverb sound but having so many parameters also makes it more difficult to dial in.


    Of course, once I have a few of the right recipes down, I am sure I will no longer be able to live without the extra options! ;)


    Thanks for the suggestions.

  • Of all the reverb types, spring has been the hardest to emulate well digitally. That's not to say people haven't done it. Source Audio's True Spring and Wampler's Faux Spring reverbs are examples. I was futzing with the spring in the KPA last night and got some cool tones, but then again I wasn't trying to emulate any existing sound.

    Interested to hear other takes on this conundrum.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • This might be a stupid thing to ask so forgive me - you tried any of the Reverb effect presets? I always go to presets when I'm having trouble dialing stuff in. "Spring Fan," I assume, is set up to get a fendery-spring reverb. I usually either start there or with "Surf" or "Large Spring" based on the sound I'm going for, and tweak from there to taste.

    I can't find any reverb presets on my unit. Tons of delays, ODs, etc. But no verbs. Would love to try Spring Fan. I'm @ 5.7.7.14448

    "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." - Douglas Adams

  • Thanks Paul. Funny, just today I noticed that the SG HOLDSWORTH rig I've been jamming on for the past month is yours! Thanks for that too.

    "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." - Douglas Adams