Dano Spring King mod?

I've owned a Dano SK for a long while now, always assuming that it was a nice, simple, analogue spring-based reverb. However, after checking reviews and comments here it seems that the reverb itself isn't generated by the springs at all, and is instead from a crappy little digital circuit.

(see a few posts down)

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1905693

I know nothing about modding pedals so this may be an utterly redundant idea for a mod, but is there a way to make a simple analogue circuit that links to the springs and picks up the reverb from them so I can get a 100% spring reverb in a box? PLUS perhaps even iron out the volume sucking problems I seem to have with my SK?

I'm thinking that amps with genuine spring reverbs inside them must work in a similar, simple way, and that this mod could be done?

I take it that a spring reverb tank needs to be a lot bigger than the SK case and I've made a fool of myself?

I take it that a spring reverb tank needs to be a lot bigger than the SK case and I've made a fool of myself?

Usually spring tanks are bigger. IIRC, the Spring king's enclosure is about the size of a Fender Blender's, isn't it?

I'd imagine that it would be way too small to put a spring box in.

I have seen builds where you actually build a spring box and connect it to a small circuit for true spring reverb. You may want to look into something like that.

So I'd need bigger springs for the actual reverb, and so the SK casing wouldn't be big enough? Oh well.

Could you make a an actual spring reverb pedal though, or would it be too big?

The pedal part would actually be fairly small. It's the spring casing that would be bigger.

I remember seeing a full layout for one (spring housing, as well as the pedal portion) on a pedal building site. Maybe it was runoffgroove.com? I'm not sure.

Try googling "DIY Spring Reverb." That may give you some results.

Thanks. Currently looking at a page with a 4ft long spring reverb

Will delve deeper...

The whole tech side of guitars and effects is new to me, and from what I'm reading, it'd be a good project to take up some time.

Thanks. Currently looking at a page with a 4ft long spring reverb Will delve deeper... The whole tech side of guitars and effects is new to me, and from what I'm reading, it'd be a good project to take up some time.

I don't think a four foot long spring tank is necessary...Especially if you think of reverb tanks in old amps, or even things like Fender Spring Reverb tanks.

IIRC, the one I saw the layouts for was 24"...

I'll look around for it and see if I can get you a link.

Here's the reverb part...I'll try to find a reverb tank layout as well.

Link

The biggest problem with a spring reverb pedal is that you step on pedals, and whenever a spring reverb tank gets bumped, you hear a usually undesired sproingy noise (the Spring King even has a "kick pad" to simulate this noise when you want to). I'm guessing stepping on it hard enough to activate the switch would bump the spring reverb and make it go "sproing".

Speaking of which, recently I got to smash a non-working Fender FM15R (ah, the perks of working at a music store) and to my surprise I found out it had real spring reverb (I'm pretty sure it's an Accutronics type 8). I took the tank home (somehow it was only slightly bent despite my hitting the amp chassis with a sledgehammer), and now I've been contemplating making exactly such a pedal.

Anyways, regarding the kicking problem, the solution I came up with was to have the electronics in a separate box from the tank a few inches away (ideally off your pedalboard if you have one) with just an RCA cable connecting them (since most spring reverb tanks have RCA connectors anyways). I haven't actually started on the pedal yet, so I'm open to hearing other suggestions, too...

Also, in case it helps, Accutronics' website has some spring reverb driver schematics. From the looks of things, though, the ones Anti linked to are better anyways.

Okay, so I've been thinking about my alternate Dano Spring King pedal a bit more...

I have next to no knowledge of electronics, modding or making pedals, so I had the simple idea to just down-size the Dano, basically doing away with the spring and just re-housing the circuit board into a new enclosure, re-positioning the LED, and maybe (if I knew what the hell I was doing) make it true-bypass and perhaps replacing the foot-switch.

Anyway, there are three pots on the Dano; volume, tone and reverb. I had the idea to simply pre-set the volume and not have an external knob for it, so on the outside you've only got tone and reverb. But, since that means the whole circuit board is still inside, it's still going to be quite long (110mm)

Incidentally, a circuit-board Q: Could I literally cut a circuit board, re-position it and re-solder the connections? I'm guessing not but I'll ask anyway, as I want to try and get this as small as possible.

The enclosures I've looked at are a little cumbersome and come in not-to-useful sizes but I might have to compromise on that. (Which I really don't want to do)

So anyway, it's that, or as I was originally wanting, to make a custom-made Spring Reverb pedal.

Funnily enough, Mixolydian I started thinking the same thing when I came across this:http://www.songworks.com/reverb.html and subsequently, this: http://tubesandmore.com/ check out the Reverb Tank section.

I have no idea which one to use, but they all look physically the same size. Now, here's the thing... the diagram here: http://sound.westhost.com/project34.htm shows a simple input and ouput, so in theory, could you literally just put one of the tubesandmore tanks (which I assume has the same input/outputs -there's frustratingly no technical info or close up images on tubesandmore) inbetween your guitar and amp like you would with a pedal, and to make a pedal, simply wire up a simple circuit, pots and a footswitch, thus ending up with a custom spring reverb stompbox?

If I can get a good enclosure and the tools, then I'm going to go for my downsized Dano idea first as a warm-up exercise. (Can anyone answer my circuitboard Q and liberate the ignorance from my brain?)

Then, when I know what I'm actually doing I might go for the home-made tank/pedal if it's possible, or just a one-trick no-actual-springs spring reverb pedal.

I've just looked at a closer pic of a reverb tank on ebay, the same type as on the tubesandmore site, and it's hard to tell, but it might have the in/output jacks, but either way, it looks very similar to the spring section of the Dano... Mmmm. Strange how the springs don't drive the reverb of the dano, but they've put them in anyway just to get that 'crashing' sound when you kick it..... :freak: I just don't get it.

From what I've been reading, the Spring King works like this (and I don't know first hand if this is true):

Basically the digital side produces a short, fixed slap back delay, and this delay is fed through the springs. If you turn the volume control all the way down, it's just the slap back delay. If you turn the volume all the way up, it's feeding maximum signal into the spring section. So the volume basically acts as a spring reverb mix control, not a volume control. In other words, the springs aren't just for show, but you have to turn up the "volume" knob to take advantage of them.

Apparently many old studio reverbs were set up this way (but of course analog instead of digital).

Again, just going off of what I've read.

Okay, verified that this is true. I also took pictures of the guts:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=1636688

But if you want a 100% spring reverb for cheap, instead of a hybrid like the Dano, you could build the GGG kit Stage Center Reverb. It's basically a solid state driver that you can connect to a seperate reverb pan. Should be pretty cheap to build - the reverb pan that works for it is $30 at Small Bear, and the kit itself should be as cheap as building a GGG Tube Screamer or similar.

I think I've broke my SK now anyway. I might look into revber tanks, but I have no idea how to set one up.

Go to General Guitar Gadgets and look up the info on the Stage Center Reverb

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1636688

Worked out a couple of mods ^^