SuperBee
2063 posts
Jun 11, 2014
12:51 AM
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G'day, I'm wondering who uses a LW Reverb pedal and their thoughts on getting the best from it.
I have one, but I haven't spent much time with it. I find it's prone to delivering some very harsh sounds unless I take care to avoid them. I'm not sure if that's normal.
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blueswannabe
471 posts
Jun 11, 2014
1:04 AM
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I use the LW Reverb and have used it on many gigs. Depending on the tune, I'll put it on the highest settings to middle of the road 12'o clock settings. It's a great pedal. I don't find it harsh. It can be explosive on the highest settings, because every breath gets amplified. I'm running it through a mission 32-20 and oftentimes a Kalamazoo model 11. I alternate between a LW delay and a LW reverb, those are my two most used pedals. What amp are you running it through?
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SuperBee
2064 posts
Jun 11, 2014
2:20 AM
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Last night I was using it with my new 5f1. Taking the amp to it's first gig so I thought I'd try it out with the reverb pedal. Didn't like it, took the delay instead.
I don't recall what I was using it with before, probably a valve junior. I'm guessing, because my larger amps all have on board springs. But it may have been with my Princeton Reverb because I'm not really a fan of the reverb on that one. Months ago, but I remember I found this same issue.
I'm not the first owner of the pedal, so I doubt the warranty is applicable, but I'd return it for repair if was sure it was broken. Might just be the way I play though.
I had the settings fairly low. At least I had the reverb effect at 12 o'clock and progressively backed it off. I varied the spring tone also. Didn't seem to matter what I did, if I didn't make a careful effort to back off my attack on low draw notes I would get a nasty harsh bark, like cone cry. Maybe I just play too hard...but I don't have a problem with the amp on it's own or with other pedals.
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blueswannabe
472 posts
Jun 11, 2014
6:48 AM
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i would send Randy an e-mail at Lone Wolf, he could tell you if there is an issue or not. He is very helpful.
I find the LW Reverb really fills the room. It has a big sound. I think you have to experiment with it and watch your volume levels.
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KC69
384 posts
Jun 11, 2014
7:27 AM
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SuperBee: I might be interested if you decide to sell or trade. I've been wanting to try one with my set up.
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And I Thank You !!
KCz
Backwoodz
Bluz
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barbequebob
2595 posts
Jun 11, 2014
10:25 AM
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@SuperBee - I was involved in its design, so maybe I can help.
First of all, where did you have your settings on both the pedal as well as your amp? The one thing to remember about this pedal, just like having a real vintage spring reverb tank is that it is VERY touch sensitive, and when the pedal was introduced, that was one of the very first things I mentioned and most players have a tendency to play far too hard all the time and so with that you have no tone control, no control of your attack, no tonal variety and often times the reverb will further amplify harshness that comes from your own playing. If you develop better breath control, just a touch of the reverb will bring the dynamics out even more.
For most playing, I'd be inclined to put the reverb knob at the lowest setting (7:00 position) and then play around more with the tone control more, based on things like personal taste and also room acoustics. The tone control is there for that kind of flexibility which you never have on any amp that has reverb built into the amp (I personally don't care for the reverb tanks in any of the Fender reissues because I find them far too bright for both harp as well as for guitar).
Another thing to watch out for is your amp settings because on the pedal, the reverb signal leaves the dry signal alone, which will allow you to crank the reverb all the way up without feeding back, unlike an amp that has spring reverb in it like a Princeton, where you cannot turn the reverb past 4 because of feedback (and that's because the reverb on the amp affects both the reverb as well as the dry signal).
I've played thru classic vintage spring reverbs, be it in amps like pre-CBS TwinReverb/Super Reverb/Vibrolix/Vibroverb/Princeton/Pro Reverb amps as well as pre-CBS outboard tube reverbs, Premier 90 (still my all time favorite outboard reverb ever made), and even the Guyatone FR-3000V, and each one of them are all touch sensitive, not just for harp, but guitar as well. The only amp being made at this moment that has the reverb set up more like an outboard tube reverb unit is the Fender Vibro King amp and that reverb on that is quite touch sensitive.
Other reverb types like hall, gated, plated, cathedral, which are more commonly used in recording studios, will be much less touch sensitive than the best spring reverbs and a big part of getting the most out spring reverb is getting your breath force under control and also learning dynamics as well as learning how to sustain a note as long as possible, which spring reverbs enhance when strategically well placed.
If you still have this so called bark, send it back to Randy, but to me, it sounds like for regular playing, it's really more of a problem with your breath control and also (unless it's a slow blues that you need a higher setting on the reverb knob for for the atmospherics) for most regular playing at most tempos, the reverb knob past the 9:00 position can be far too much.
On the other hand, this pedal may help force you to learn to achieve better overall breath control.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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SuperBee
2065 posts
Jun 11, 2014
4:59 PM
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Thanks Bob, I appreciate your reply.
I should have realised about the setting. On my Deville amp I'd never turn the reverb above 2 for instance. I'll treat the pedal reverb setting as if it's the reverb knob on an amp. Start from zero and turn it up until I can hear it.
I've had it much higher than I'd ever turn up the reverb on an amp with on board tank. Starting at 12 o clock. I can't even imagine why I ever thought that was a good idea.
Amp settings...only volume on the champ.
I had the same thoughts you express about using it as a training device for breath control, but on the other hand I wasn't sure that's really the problem here. But I know I do tend to play harder as the ambient sound level rises. I know this because I have harps which simply can't be played hard, and they let me know to curb my enthusiasm.
KC, if I can get it working I expect I'll want to keep it. If not...I think I'd be reluctant to sell a pedal I thought was faulty.
This one was causing me problems with the foot switch not operating, but I think that was caused by the battery position. I moved the battery and no more problems.
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barbequebob
2597 posts
Jun 12, 2014
10:29 AM
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One thing I should've also mentioned that the bigger and louder the amp. the more intensified the reverb will sound, and this is also true of any amp that has a built in spring reverb unit as well.
Any spring reverb pedal that isn't touch sensitive or when playing a guitar thru it and when cranked, while playing a classic Jimmy Reed march on a Fender Stratocaster and you don't hear the "clanging" of the springs just ain't got the real spring reverb sound, much like if you have a delay pedal that has a tape delay simulator and it doesn't simulate the tape hiss of a real tape echo like an Echoplex just ain't gonna have the real sound of a tape delay/echo unit.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Jehosaphat
755 posts
Jun 12, 2014
10:25 PM
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Hey 'Bee sorry to hear hat you are having problems with the reverb.
All i can say is that it was working perfectly when it left here,but if you're not happy send it back to me and i'll send the '57 to you(and yes i kept the original box)
If BBQs' advice doesn't solve it,mate send her back.
(and i'll pay the postage both ways)
Last Edited by Jehosaphat on Jun 12, 2014 10:26 PM
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SuperBee
2069 posts
Jun 12, 2014
11:12 PM
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Hey Jehosaphat, I'll give it a whirl as Bob suggests.
I expect I just have the effect turned too high. I doubt there's anything wrong with the pedal.
I just haven't had much call to use it since I got it. Don't play my small amps enough.
My daughter is away tonight so I'll have a chance to mess with it.
I appreciate your offer. I'm not at all concerned about making a bad trade. I didn't use the 57 either. Well rarely.
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SuperBee
2070 posts
Jun 13, 2014
5:22 AM
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There's quite a noticeable effect even with the reverb fully ccw.
I hadn't expected that.
Also, this 5f1 champ is very punchy. I gigged it the other night and it was pretty full on. I dunno it's really suited to reverb. I'll try find something a bit mellower in my stack. Maybe the vibrochamp...
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SuperBee
2071 posts
Jun 13, 2014
6:13 AM
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That was interesting. The vibrochamp xd has DSP reverb. One of the settings is rather similar to the LW pedal. And I can make it do a similar thing. But I can also stop it if I try.
Seems I've developed an habitual percussive attack to certain patterns I tend to mess about with when testing gear.
I've also discovered the reverb pedal doesn't really need to be turned up to have an effect. It just needs to be on. And I think it may actually be more sensitive with the spring tone set low.
Additionally I think my champ is overly gainy. Even with a 5751 it's wild on 4 in the low gain input. I'm gonna clip that bypass cap I think.
But now to bed. Harp lesson at 7 am...
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barbequebob
2598 posts
Jun 13, 2014
8:23 AM
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All the good spring reverbs, especially the vintage ones, like I've said before are touch sensitive and even the SLIGHTEST difference can be enormous in how it reacts and the higher the reverb the setting, the more it gets intensified, even more so on a really loud amp. Your biggest problem is your breath control more than anything else and you need to dial it back quite a lot. Once you learn to do that, your playing both wet and dry will improve by leaps and bounds.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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KC69
386 posts
Jun 13, 2014
9:46 AM
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Thanks Men for all the suggestions. Just bought one, and now maybe I'll have an idea how to use it. If not, looks like I know where to ask!!!!
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And I Thank You !!
KCz
Backwoodz
Bluz
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SuperBee
2072 posts
Jun 13, 2014
4:09 PM
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yeah if i play different songs theres no problem, just this percussive tongue pull and then i hear the nasty sound..."oh i dont know about that"...and then try to make it happen again...so pretty soon worked out exactly how to make it and wondering if its a problem with the pedal. and playing the same way to make it happen while trying all the possibilities to dial it out.
so now i know thats just whats gonna happen if i play those percussive things with the reverb on. thats ok, the percussive thing is its own effect really...not something which needs an effect pedal. and its easily reined-in.
a bit like playing with vibrato and having the vibrato effect on as well...or having a dog and running out to bark at passing strangers.
thanks Bob, i really appreciate your input, and your work on the pedal.
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