Know anything about reverberators?

[ew1usnr]

I just made a spur of the moment purchase of a "StudiSonic" reverberator off e-bay. It said "$40 By It Now" and it seemed too good to pass up. I have not seen these very often and they usually go for a lot more:

Reverberator 5.jpg

They are shown on Page 36 of my 1963 Falcon Owner's Manual:

IMG_0047.jpg

IMG_0045.jpg

A glitch is that the jacks were cut off:

Reverberator 8 wires.jpg

I know that they mounted in the trunk, and these are evidently the mounting tabs:

Reverberator 7 tabs.jpg

But .... that's all I know. Has anyone ever had one of these and/or know how the wiring works?

This was the description given on e-bay:

Seller Notes: “Rare studio sonic reverb pulled from a 1963 Falcon Sprint”

"I have a rare Studio Sonic Reverb unit taken out of a 1963 falcon sprint. It was located in the trunk and appears to be in great shape. These units were put into your car to make your radio sound like it was in a studio. They were put in Falcons, Comets, Fairlane's, and most early 60s ford cars.
This one still looks intact, was not water logged or taken apart, all electric parts are intact inside the unit. I do NOT know if this works or if it is broken.
The wires are all there, the turner switch was cut off of it as well as the single speaker but there is plenty of original wire to splice and make it work.
These are rare radio speaker enhancers that make a collectible accessory in your falcon. I have only seen these in 1963 Falcon Sprints or Futuras, but were available for other Ford cars.
Again I do NOT know if this works nor, have I tested it so you would have to buy it AS IS. The only numbers I found on this is on the back side:
MOTOROLA R1200 112444 then stamped 413 40"

[Luva65wagon]

Dennis,

I think the wires would go to the radio (source for sound), speaker (from the reverb unit), and the "mixer control" (I assume ran up to the dash) - though it's not clear from anything I've found so far. Here's a thread on a Mustang site with some pics. You could "register" on the site to gain access to some of the members-only pics.

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vi...ck-wiring.html

The sound these made would be interesting to hear someday. My guess is, compared to today's sound quality, it will be a bit on the cheesy side. Reverb is to make the sound "fuller" as though in a concert hall. The main way this was done was to stretch springs in a box and the springs vibrating cause the reverb. Lots of interesting "what is reverb" videos on YouTube. Usually it was the speaker making sound against the springs to cause the reverb. You see them most commonly added to guitar amplifiers, but I can see that as "hi-tech" for a 1963 car.

[ew1usnr]

I can see that as "hi-tech" for a 1963 car.

It will go nicely with my "Futura" theme. It's the car of the Future, ... Today! I do like the way my car spells "F U T U R A" across the back in big chrome letters. It makes the people behind me look at it and think ... "Huh?"

I was somewhat mystified as to how to wire this thing in place, but I found this web site that explains it well and includes schematics: http://www.mustangtek.com/E…/FordStu...undsystem.html

StudioSonic_001.jpg

StudioSonic_002.jpg

Here is a complete 1964 kit that is listed on e-bay for .... $1,400!

s-l1600.jpg

The system in its original configuration included a floor-mounted on-off switch and a dash-mounted fade/reverberation control. I will be non-authentic because I am not going to drill holes in my floor or in my dash. So, I will build a little switch panel and mount on the lower edge of the dash. I will also need to get another rear shelf, a rear speaker, and a speaker grill. The actual 1963 Ford rear shelf speaker grills pop up on e-bay ever now and then, but they are pricey.

StudioSonic_003.jpg

When I get this rigged up, it should be pretty cool to flip a switch and get concert-hall echo reverberation. What will Ford think of next?

Cool! Here is a 1962 Caddy playing music from a Redi-Rad (which I also have) through the radio with a Motorola VibraSoninic reverberator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zw3gnkdfis

[SmithKid]

Has anyone mentioned that when you hit a bump with the reverb activated, the springs that cause the reverb effect will make a pretty loud noise and fade out?I had one back in that era installed in my '55 Ford. Of course, I considered it pretty cool to have the reverb set to max, and then gradually adjusted the effect down because of the distortion when bumps were hit (my hometown didn't have the smoothest streets in the area).

[ew1usnr]

Has anyone mentioned that when you hit a bump with the reverb activated, the springs that cause the reverb effect will make a pretty loud noise and fade out?I had one back in that era installed in my '55 Ford. Of course, I considered it pretty cool to have the reverb set to max, and then gradually adjusted the effect down because of the distortion when bumps were hit (my hometown didn't have the smoothest streets in the area).

Man, I am really stoked to figure this thing out and get it installed. It is so cool that it is electro-mechanical, with the reverberation effect created by .... springs. Springs, bouncing up and down.

Falcons are old, but in my mind they are still modern cars. Your 1955 Ford sounds really nice. Did you have a Y-Block V-8? I would love to have a 1950 Ford with a flathead V-8.

1950_Ford_Custom_Coupe.jpg

[SmithKid]

My old '55 wasn't really a very cool car. It was a 4-door sedan with grossly bad paint. It was a (Y-block) 292 w/heads from a 312 supercharger motor and several configurations of induction (but no supercharger). Made respectable power but certainly wasn't king of the local streets. I remember that I had to put quite a few transmissions in it until I discovered the Borg-Warner T-85c (predecessor to the T-10). My wife and I went on our honeymoon in that car and we sold it shortly thereafter.

[dhbfaster]

You sold it shortly after the your honeymoon Gene?? Did it have cans and other garbage tied to the bumper?

Dennis, this reverb contraption made with springs is one of the coolest gizmo's of the era I've ever seen.

After you install it you're going to have to send us some before and after recordings.

[BadBird]

Boy this is interesting. Gene, your honeymoon reminds me or Carol and mine. I had the best looking car in all of Wichita in my 57 black chevy 2 dr. hardtop with white rolled and pleated interior. It was great to drag race and the stories of Carol trying to drive it to school are hilarious. But, now the bad news. We were drag racing, hit one of the dips in Wichita and I broke the starter off my bell housing. We had to drive her dads 54 piece of garbage 4 door mercury on our honeymoon. What a let down. And we had cans and junk attached to the rear bumper.

Also, I guess it is just me, but I couldn't help chuckling when I read about these old cars being still modern cars. Lord they were unsafe, uncomfortable, hot in the summer, cold in the winter, broke down all the time, but oh my gosh were they fun to drive and look at.

If you are old enough, you will remember doing what my family did every October and driving around to all the car dealerships to look at all the new cars. They were always different, exciting, and beautiful. Now you can't tell a Ford from a Chevy from a Toyota.

All that being said. I now love to drive our newer cars for all the safety they have, comfort of seating, driving, air conditioning, heat, music and on and on. But, there is nothing compared to driving my Falcon and remembering the fun we had in high school driving that beautiful 57.

There are so many good things about both eras. These and those are the good old days to me. Larry

[BPVan]

I have a lot of experience with spring reverb tanks from my audio repair background, but never would have thought they would have put them in a car In fact, recording studios used to pay many thousands for special spring reverb tanks imported from Germany (AKG used to make them).

They do make very compact digital reverb units. You could conceal one inside of the tank, wire it up to that unit, then you wouldn't have the issue Gene experienced. If you have ever heard an old Fender guitar amp tip over, it is pretty much the same sound.

[ew1usnr]

Hmmmm.

I have begun assembling the parts that I will need to make this installation look half decent.

1963 grill:
Speaker grill.jpg

This speaker grill looks similar to the 1963 grill, except that it is black.
Speaker Grille, 1965 - 70 Mustang 6X9 Rear California Pony Cars $32.58
See: http://restorationpartssource.com/st...fHgaAj098P8HAQ


65 Mustang Grill.jpg

I will spray paint the new speaker grill gray to make it look like the pictured original 1963 grill:

1963 Speaker Grill.jpg

This is a matching speaker to fit the grill:
Speaker 1965 Mustang (Rear, 6"x9" stock replacement) Scitt Drake $19.03
See: http://restorationpartssource.com/store/speaker-1965-68-mustang-rear-6-x9-stock-replacement-scott-drake_moreinfo.html

1965 Mustang Speaker C5ZZ-18808-R.jpg

I am also going to get a new un-painted masonite package tray to mount the speaker (I don't want to cut the one that I have).

What is the best way to paint one of these? Should I paint it flat black or satin black? Spray or brush? Latex paint? Should I paint it with primer?

Package Tray 64-35644.jpg

See: http://www.falconparts.com/ford-falc...S-150p6746.htm $19.95

[dhbfaster]

Nice project Dennis.
ON the package tray....the guy I bought my upholstery and the package tray from (Jake at Original falcon interiors) said to use flat black spray paint.
I did, and it looks great. But, I'll share the experience...the package tray will soak up a lot of paint. It's also kind of fuzzy...and after you paint that stuff (even using primer first)...touch it and some of that painted fuzz starts to break off and leaves a tiny unpainted spot- so you need several coats. So, in between coats of paint, I sort of gently wiped it with a towel to break them off then did another coat of paint. It's also kind of textured so you need to paint it from different directions. In the end, one can of paint was barely enough. You might buy two cans just in case. The final product looks really nice though. Good luck!

[ew1usnr]

Nice project Dennis.

Thanks, Don.

Does anyone know how to add speaker cloth ...

Black Speaker Cloth 2.jpg

... between a speaker and a grill?

Should the cloth be glued to the grill or to the speaker?

What kind of glue is good to use?

Do you spread glue on the rim of the speaker and/or grill and then stick it on to the spread-out cloth?

Do you then try to pull the cloth tight immediately after it has be stuck to the rim of the speaker and/or grill?

Thanks, Dennis.

[BPVan]

I am not a fan of gluing anything to the actual speaker. Maybe you can rig something up to hold the cloth underneath the grill. On a $19 speaker I might not worry too much. That particular speaker won't have a lot of travel (low bass) so it should be ok. I would check how much that center cone moves and if it will hit the cloth while in use.

If you do want to go that way you could lightly stretch the material on a surface. Then get your adhesive on the speaker gasket then place it face down on the cloth. Once it is dry you can flip it and trim the cloth.

I have also seen some use good double sided tape (3m) which is a lot less messy. It holds cell phones together, why not your grill cloth?

[ew1usnr]

I am not a fan of gluing anything to the actual speaker.
I have seen some use good double sided tape (3m) which is a lot less messy. It holds cell phones together, why not your grill cloth?

Hello, Brian.

Thanks for the suggestions. The reproduction speaker has a white center cone that would probably be visible under the black grill. It seems that it would look nicer if it were covered with the black cloth ($6 off e-bay and mailed from China).

1965 Mustang Speaker C5ZZ-18808-R.jpg

The cloth was attached to the speaker on the original Ford speaker (photo taken from e-bay). But ... If just the speaker were covered with cloth, it would be an oval under a rectangle and the corners under the grill would not have cloth under them.

1963 Speaker Cloth.jpg

The grill is a two piece assembly with a frame and a flat grill piece (e-bay photo). It would be just as easy to attach the cloth to the grill and it would give complete coverage. I will try attaching the cloth to the underside of the grill.

1963 Speaker Grill.jpg

The double-sided tape is a good suggestion. I would be less messy and would eliminate the chance of the glue spreading beyond where it was supposed to be,

Thanks, Dennis,

[ew1usnr]

I finally got around to an initial examination of my StudioSonic unit. The top and sides are covered with cardboard. The cardboard is somewhat crumbly and I am wondering if I should put it back on or make a replacement out of plastic or new poster board.

Paper Cover.jpg

Here is an internal label on the reverberator. It says:
"GIBBS MANUFACTURING & RESEARCH CORPORATION
JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN
SUBSIDIARY OF HAMMOND ORGAN COMPANY
MADE IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

Internal reverberation label.jpg

Here are the springs in the reverberator:

Reverbertator springs.jpg

Here are the electronics. I need to study the electronics and see which leads are attached to what in order to understand which ones are inputs and outputs.
Electronics 2.jpg

One of the leads needs to be re-soldered.
Four lead plug.jpg

I found this picture of a StudioSonic placement in the trunk of a Ford Galaxie. The wires do not have any protection. If this thing works, I will have to make a cover for that side of the unit. The way the bumper jack is attached to the spare tire in the Galaxie looks nice.

ford-galaxie-500-xl-fastback_1101627.jpg