Spring reverb transducers

[Eps]

Hello everyone,

I've looked everywhere online and asked a few knowledgeable people but cant seem to find the very small transducers used in spring tanks. Does anyone know were to find them? I possibly need 100 of them for a project I'm working on so I could buy in bulk, within reason.

P.S I know some people will suggest using small speakers etc. but I need them to be the traditional transducers for what I'm trying to do.

Thanks so much!
-E

 

[lauda]

I think I remember reading about VOX or similar using ceramic phono cartridges for this purpose once. Ah, yes, here it is: The VOX Showroom - Vox AC-10SRT Amplifier

 

[JMFahey]

You mean the standard torsional "cylindrical magnet inside an electromagnet?" :

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

if so, the short answer is no.

They are 90% of the cost of the finished reverb tank, so they are not available as spare replacement parts, since a reverb tank can be had for between U$20 and U$50, depending on type and quantity purchased, nobody replaces just the transducer but the whole tank.

FWIW I make my own tanks , had the proper dies made and can fold/bend/punch the chassis part with the setup I already have to make my own chassis, also winding the coils isn't worse than , say, winding guitar pickups, but the unobtanium part is the radially magnetized perforated cylindrical magnet , shown circled in the second picture.

I had to order the set of dies, get 1 kg of ferrite magnet dust , press them myself and then send them to the magnet factory for sinterizing ("cooking") .
Got some 5000 pencil lead sized magnets ... enough for over 1200 reverb tanks

Unmagnetized of course, but I have 2 speaker magnetizers, so I charged some 50 of them with a single pulse

What are you exactly trying to do?

 

[Enzo]

Eps, no one markets the transducers because it makes no economic sense to change them. A reverb pan costs maybe $20-25 in single lots. If I could buy a $1-15 transducer, I'd have to drill out the old one, and mount the new plus mount and center the spring ends. At any reasonable labor rate, we far exceed the cost of a new pan. Imagine General Motors selling individual replacement center medallions for Buick hubcaps.

In fact that is an old tale, a $20,000 car would cost at least $50,000 if bought as parts. And then it would have to be put together.

Having said that, the companies with the part are the ones that make the reverb pans. Don't look for a listing on a web site, CONTACT them directly and ask if they can make available the transducer you want. make sure to specify the impedance you want from their list, as well as whether it is a drive or pickup transducer. The worst they can do is say "No" or just ignore you. They might say yes, but require a 1000 piece minimum order. And most important of all, tell them you are not planning to use them to make reverb pans. They have no interest in supplying a competitor.

And don't skip over Juan's post. You have the transducer, but you also need the little bead the transducer detects.

 

[Eps]

I think I remember reading about VOX or similar using ceramic phono cartridges for this purpose once. Ah, yes, here it is: The VOX Showroom - Vox AC-10SRT Amplifier

Thanks! Yea saw this too, will have to give it a go.

 

[Eps]

You mean the standard torsional "cylindrical magnet inside an electromagnet?" :

if so, the short answer is no.

They are 90% of the cost of the finished reverb tank, so they are not available as spare replacement parts, since a reverb tank can be had for between U$20 and U$50, depending on type and quantity purchased, nobody replaces just the transducer but the whole tank.

FWIW I make my own tanks , had the proper dies made and can fold/bend/punch the chassis part with the setup I already have to make my own chassis, also winding the coils isn't worse than , say, winding guitar pickups, but the unobtanium part is the radially magnetized perforated cylindrical magnet , shown circled in the second picture.

I had to order the set of dies, get 1 kg of ferrite magnet dust , press them myself and then send them to the magnet factory for sinterizing ("cooking") .
Got some 5000 pencil lead sized magnets ... enough for over 1200 reverb tanks

Unmagnetized of course, but I have 2 speaker magnetizers, so I charged some 50 of them with a single pulse

What are you exactly trying to do?

Thanks for all the info! Yea looks like I may have to just get some of the cheapest spring tanks to try out my design. You have gone full on! Very intense, Impressed. Trying to think if there is another way to go about it. I'm basically trying to make a spring reverb do something weird (that's as much info as I can give at this point) But if I get it working I will let you know.