Has anyone ever installed a reverb in a radio?

James Dasinger · Post by **James Dasinger** » 8 Nov 2005 3:08 pm

Had a 49 ford with a tube radio, installed a reverb best sounding radio I ever had.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 8 Nov 2005 3:10 pm

Back in the late 1960's or early 1970's there were a few 12-volt reverb units available for installing in cars. I never heard one in use, though.

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Mullen U-12, Evans FET-500, Fender Steel King

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 8 Nov 2005 4:42 pm

Back in the '60's you could get them as an aftermarket item for your car radio.
Usually the reverb was hooked up to the rear deck speaker.
I'm not sure, but I think some of the Delco factory radios in Pontiac, Buick and Cadillacs had the reverb built in.
All the ones I saw used springs.

Blake

Michael Garnett · Post by **Michael Garnett** » 8 Nov 2005 5:14 pm

So what happened when you drove down a real bumpy road? CLANGGGGGG! BASH!!!!

man! sounds like rock an roll to me!

-MG

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 8 Nov 2005 6:02 pm

Yes, you could buy reverb units that went between the radio and speakers from Pep Boys, Western Auto, Wards, and J.C.Whitney. They sounded kinda "tanky", but some people liked 'em.

My Caddy has a factory installed 420-watt Bose sound system, with 9 speakers (including a built-in 12" subwoofer). It also has digital sound processing...there's a "talk" setting (heavy midrange), a "regular music" setting, and "ambience" setting (w/slight delay), and a "spacious" setting (w/concert-hall delay). All that stuff, along with bass, treble, and midrange controls, means that it sounds pretty darn good!

Maybe not like your old '49 Ford...but still pretty good!

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 8 Nov 2005 6:28 pm

Here's a flash from the past: Earl "Mad Man" Muntz...I think Muntz made one of those reverb units as well.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 8 Nov 2005 7:12 pm

Oh yeah! I had a Muntz tape player in my 1970 Pontiac Lemans. It would play both 8-track and 4-track tapes.

Lee

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 8 Nov 2005 9:20 pm

Allied Electronics sold reverbs for car radios in the 60's.

They sounded terrible.

End of story.

James Dasinger · Post by **James Dasinger** » 9 Nov 2005 4:05 am

Blake,

You are right,installed in line with speakers,when you hit a bump there it goes Booong, boong, Like a Pro-Reverb when you hit it.

Bryan Bradfield · Post by **Bryan Bradfield** » 9 Nov 2005 5:06 pm

I'm holding one right now. It is an "Echomaster" model, made by Automatic Radio Company of Canada Limited, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. On the front is an on-off switch, and a front-rear fader. Inside among all the resistors and capacitors is a 2 spring reverb unit. There is no circuit board. It is all point-to-point wiring.

James Dasinger · Post by **James Dasinger** » 10 Nov 2005 4:31 am

Bryan,
Do you have the address and zip code that I could order two of those reverbs?

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 10 Nov 2005 5:18 am

Not to answer a question with a question, but why would you want to? Occasionally, I hear radio stations adding it to their broadcasts and to me it is annoying, to say the least...

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 10 Nov 2005 7:53 am

I agree with Barry as radio stations that add reverb are annoying. Also, what does a song sound like when it has echo and reverb on the track and then the radio adds more reverb?

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 10 Nov 2005 8:26 am

There might be some units in places that sell
CB equipment. The hard core "bootleggers" use them to keep the modulation high and increase the range.
Sounds terrible.
Blake

Bryan Bradfield · Post by **Bryan Bradfield** » 10 Nov 2005 10:23 am

James Dasinger - I should have mentioned that my unit is an antique, that I've had for many, many years. I've just checked phone listings, and as I suspected, there is no listing for this company. I've never even tried the unit out. I got it in a pile of used stuff.

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 10 Nov 2005 5:06 pm

Blake is right, GM offered them as an option , not sure what years, a family member had a Pontiac with a factory unit. Also never heard it "clang/crash".

Bill

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 10 Nov 2005 9:00 pm

I had an "after market" unit which was mounted in the trunk.
When you went over a railroad track or hit a bad bump it made a terrible clanging noise.
I learned to slow down a bit.

[This message was edited by Blake Hawkins on 10 November 2005 at 09:07 PM.]