Good old school reverb for FX loop?

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equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
I've got a Rat Amps modded Blackheart BH18 head that Andy added a switchable parallel/series FX loop to. I'm looking for a simple but decent non stompbox reverb unit that I can have just sat on top of the amp head. Ideally it would be a Fender 63 valve reverb.. but they're silly money and pretty scarce so can anyone recommend me an alternative unit hat might suffice?
(pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
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  • ColsCols Frets: 6953
    What about picking up an old secondhand Alesis Quadraverb?  You should be able to get one for less than 100 quid.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    edited May 2018
    Boss FRV-1 pedal - a near-exact recreation of the '63 Fender reverb unit. I have A/B'd one and an original '64 reverb unit - almost identical-sounding. It is a pedal, but just put it on top of the amp anyway...

    The problem is that the FRV-1 is now discontinued and has rocketed in value, but you'll still get one for £100-£150 I think. I greatly regret selling mine for £70 about a year ago, before this happened!

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14320
    edited May 2018
    I use a BOSS FRV-1 with my Blackstar HT-5 mini stack. Surf-tastic splashy, if you want that. Subtle, if you set the Mix to favour the dry signal. 

    Used in the send/return loop of an amplifier, the FRV-1 can occasionally suffer the digital artefact nasties that plague the BOSS FDR-1 pedal when used in the same manner. 

    FWIIW, I have one of the FDR-1 pedals for sale. It works perfectly if it is anything other than the first pedal in a chain. The input signal level does seem to be THAT critical. 
    Be seeing you.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Surfy Bear Reverb, a mere £340 . Technically I guess it's a stomp box but it's big, needs it's own power supply and comes in a padded bag. Generally considered to be the ultimate in these things by people who are obsessed about these things. 
    You can buy the DIY kit for considerably less money and build it into whatever box you think would be suitable.


    Carl Martin Headroom is the best sounding spring reverb I've heard in person. Again technically it's a stomp box but large and expensive so you might be happy with it on top of the amp. 


    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31366
    I used to use various rack units, but their gain structure really messed with the output of my amps - if I set them up to avoid clipping I lost significant volume.

    I just use a Marshall Reflector now, 35 quid second hand and it sounds really good. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950

    FWIIW, I have one of the FDR-1 pedals for sale. It works perfectly if it is anything other than the first pedal in a chain. The input signal level does seem to be THAT critical. 
    Strange... I use mine first (as the only pedal, in fact - for bedroom playing with a small valve amp) and it sounds fine with both my Strat and my Rickenbacker which has about double the output level.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14320
    ICBM said:
    Strange... I use mine first (as the only pedal, in fact - for bedroom playing with a small valve amp) and it sounds fine with both my Strat and my Rickenbacker which has about double the output level.
    I used to think that my example of the BOSS FDR-1 pedal* was a dud until I read of others making the same complaint on other Interweb guitar forums.


    * The black one with tap tempo vibrato modulation and just an amount control for the simulated spring reverb.
    Be seeing you.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950

    * The black one with tap tempo vibrato modulation and just an amount control for the simulated spring reverb.
    Yes, that one. I can think of at least three things that are wrong with it from a design/functionality point of view, but that doesn't seem to be one of them, on mine...

    What is it that yours does wrong - something to do with how it responds when you turn down the guitar?

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14320
    Not particularly.

    The reverb portion of my BOSS FDR-1 pedal is driven nuts by peaky input signals. Certain sorts of plectrum attack and string bending cause a sort of digital clipping effect, followed by the sort of metallic rattling noise that a traditional spring reverb tank would make if accidentally shaken.

    The glitch does not occur consistently, making it difficult to work around. Back in the day, the COSM Twin Reverb preset in a BOSS SE-50 could be provoked to clip in a similar way.

    Some of my instruments have active pickups and/or active booster devices but even the fully passive ones can trigger the break up.
    Be seeing you.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    Ah, that might explain it. I'll have to try it with the Invader pickup in my Gretsch :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • StefBStefB Frets: 2331
    ICBM said:
    Boss FRV-1 pedal - a near-exact recreation of the '63 Fender reverb unit. I have A/B'd one and an original '64 reverb unit - almost identical-sounding. It is a pedal, but just put it on top of the amp anyway...

    The problem is that the FRV-1 is now discontinued and has rocketed in value, but you'll still get one for £100-£150 I think. I greatly regret selling mine for £70 about a year ago, before this happened!
    I don’t understand the love for these, at all. I owned one for a while, love Boss gear generally, and desperately wanted to love it, but even at its lowest setting the effect was simply far too much and way too washy, even on clean amp settings. 
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3129
    StefB said:
    I don’t understand the love for these, at all. I owned one for a while, love Boss gear generally, and desperately wanted to love it, but even at its lowest setting the effect was simply far too much and way too washy, even on clean amp settings. 
    Which is just like a spring reverb circuit.

    A/b’d the pedal and my reverb unit and ended up selling the reverb unit -it was that close. Neither however were ever discrete. If you want discrete reverb look elsewhere.
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  • GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4027
    StefB said:
    I don’t understand the love for these, at all. I owned one for a while, love Boss gear generally, and desperately wanted to love it, but even at its lowest setting the effect was simply far too much and way too washy, even on clean amp settings. 
    I've got a sort of practical answer:  this pedal does a sort of big wet reverb that cuts through. 
    My favourite gigging verb is still the Flint, but the FRV-1 somehow makes you sound reverby and present. 
    I wonder if it depends on the band.  We're quite noisy, not too subtle.  FRV-1 works well with that.
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6593
    I've got an Alesis micro verb. I'm not sure I have an appropriate psu but I'll look.  You can have it for £20 plus delivery. 
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