valverb

[<Randy.Lilleston@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    On, by the way, that message on Kim Wilson and his Bassman reminds me of
something. I'd been looking around for a reverb or delay for my Bassman (I had
been using a stomp box digital delay and was dissatisfied) and was lucky enough
to find a used Peavey Valverb the other day. This is an an all-tube, rack-mount
spring reverb and tremolo unit, and it is great!
    If you can spring the bucks (it costs about
$275-300 new retail), this unit provides a warm, warm reverb, gain (input) and
master volume (output) controls, and three-knob tone controls for the reverb.
Although it can't provide the kind of snarly overdrive that some tube pre-amps
let you dial in, it does allow you to precisely shape your signal *before*
feeding it into your amp, creating a final result that is much more lush and
warm than that of a
crystal mic plugged straight into the amp.
    The tubes (two 12AX7A and a 12AT7) also seem to have a
compressing effect on the signal - your softer low notes have
more volume and your shriller high notes have the ear-piercing edges
rolled off of them - that I found fabulous for harp playing. The reverb,
which uses a pair of big springs, sounds very Fender-esque. I also might note
that if you use a vintage Astatic without a volume control, this unit will give
you extremely precise input control into your amp.
    This unit has gotten rave reviews in the trade press (the current issue of
"Guitar Player" lists it in its "100 best buys" section) and it's a heck of a
lot cheaper than a vintage Fender reverb unit. The tremolo's great too, if
you're a guitar player. Worth a look.