Accutronics Reverb Tanks

[Phrygian]

Just a little story about my experience with the guys over at Morley...

I recently needed a new reverb tank for my early '80s Super Champ.  The original tank was a short 3-spring Accutronics model (8AB3C1B).  It's the same specs as the long 2-spring tanks installed in all of the vintage reverb-equipped Fender amps (4AB3C1B).  Unfortunately, the 8AB3C1B tanks are difficult to find.  Short tanks for recent Fenders have a 600 ohm input instead of 8 ohm, and they have a shorter decay time.  Also, short tanks for Boogie are 8 ohm, but the input connection is grounded, not isolated.  I spent countless hours searching.  I was just about to give up when I discovered an interesting link on eBay while searching for tanks (http://www.sepigroup.com/).  I sent an email to scott@sepigroup.com inquiring about a 8AB3C1B for a Super Champ, and I immediately got an e-mail back from scott@morleypedals.com saying that he could build me one.  To make a long story short, seven days later the tank is sitting on my door step.  All for a very respectable grand total of $52.45.

 

[-CB-]

Morley is Accutronics.  Same company, two different brand names/ID's.

 

[Phrygian]

I believe that Accutronics was sold to Belton and the manufacturing moved.  This is what is the Sound Enhancement Products, Inc website says about Accutronics:

"In 2009 Accutronics reverb was sold to Belton. The staff at Sound Enhancement Products, Inc.
continued to produce reverbs until November of 2009. All of manufacturing was then transferred
to Belton and the Engineering staff followed to train the new owners on how to continue on the
production of Accutronics reverbs with the same degree of quality Accutronics is famous for."

 

[-CB-]

I think also, the Morley Pedals moved along with 'em.... but its not indicated on the web.  I'm going by hearsay - since Morley has been impossible to get lately too.

 

[OzziePete]

Morley Pedals used to be the top volume pedals or wah pedals when I first started playing. My first guitar teacher had one (volume pedal) and it was the proverbial shrick bithouse. Very solid. Always wondered what happened to them?

 

[Cagey]

Morley Pedals used to be the top volume pedals or wah pedals when I first started playing. My first guitar teacher had one (volume pedal) and it was the proverbial shrick bithouse. Very solid. Always wondered what happened to them?

I had both the volume and the wah versions of their pedals when they first came out because as you pointed out, they were built to take incredible abuse. Another plus was they didn't require batteries, and also they were easier to work. Finally, they had their range spread over a wider throw. The problem with them for me, and others that I talked to at the time, was they had funny response curves to them. Very difficult to get used to for some reason. Tried modifying the mechanics of the things to change the rate the opto-couplers were exposed, the limits they reached, etc. and never could get them to behave predictably. You were always overshooting. It's as if they worked too good. So, I stopped using them, as did others. It was funny because the design made great sense on paper in many respects, but the reality was the crummy old Vox units were just easier to control and had more useful ranges both sonically and mechanically.

 

[AutoBat]

I've had a Morley wah for about 12 years, I never use it because I don't care for the tone. It seems too weak to me.

 

[Cagey]

I've had a Morley wah for about 12 years, I never use it because I don't care for the tone. It seems too weak to me.

Yeah, now that you mention it, I seem to remember the same thing. Thin, or empty. Like it gave you the advertised effect, but it cost you body. That, on top of the full throw being incredibly brittle, while full throttle filtered so heavily that it was almost like you turned the amp down to bedroom levels. It's too bad, because they really were very robust units, physically. Kinda like an old Bell Telephone - if you swung it at someone, you could either knock 'em out or kill 'em <grin>