Finhol Accutronics Spring Reverb review

Accutronics spring reverbs (formerly produced by the reverb division of The Hammond Organ Company and now by Accu Bell Sound Inc) have been at the heart of many classic guitar amps since the early 1960s. The electromechanical design gives a very particular sound, one that’s associated with every genre of popular music from classic pop to country and rock. Unlike contemporary digital reverbs, that rely on the sampling of physical spaces, a metal coil spring is used to delay the signal and create an effect that sounds like room reflections. Accutronics units give a particularly musical character.

This Finhol unit contains an Accutronics spring and the necessary analogue circuitry. If you want to get a vintage sound from a contemporary amp, or are lucky enough to own a vintage non-reverb model, it’s a practical solution.

This is definitely a no-nonsense device. You’ll even need to plug an external footswitch in if you need an on/off option. It’s large by the standard of most pedals, but it has to be to contain the mechanism. However, it’s a lot smaller than a vintage external unit, such as the Colorsound Supa Reverb. The die-cast aluminium box is very solid and the single white control knob isn’t going to confuse anyone; basically, it’s a `more’ or `less’ knob. Maximum reverb time is three seconds. The unit comes with a 9V power supply.

In use

Adding the right amount of reverb to your sound is like adding the secret ingredient  to your cooking ± but what’s the right amount? For added presence, you need just a hint. For a rich, watery 60s vibe, move the control further towards its maximum setting. The control itself is very responsive and smooth, so you can easily sculpt your guitar sound in relation to a band or a recorded mix. One of the advantages of spring reverb is that it’s an emulation ± so it doesn’t clash with the room or hall reverbs you may be using to define vocal or drum space. Indeed, the right amount of spring can really put a guitar sound in its own acoustic niche. And this Finhol will give you  all those Fleetwood Mac Albatross tones, too. However, as this is a relatively short spring (as they go),  kicking the box doesn’t give you that fake surf sound.

Price £134 Contact www.thomann.de