PIONEER SR-101 *waiting for service*

Pioneer SR-101 Spring Reverb for sale – this is the earlier valve spring reverb unit – it has a fantastic dark sound, full of character.

**WE WILL HAVE ONE OF THESE BACK FROM SERVICE VERY SOON – PLEASE DO NOT BUY FROM THIS LISTING! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED THEN PLEASE CONTACT US TO RESERVE ONE**

See our full current stock of studio signal processors here – if you have any questions about which reverb is best for you then please get in touch as we have many years experience with these machines.

*(photo & listing are for a previous unit)*

It is in excellent condition and working order. It’s been serviced and tested, checked for safety and fitted with a three core earthed mains cable.

Some crackle may happen when adjusting the pots if it’s not been in regular use, but it’s currently fine.

This has a great sound – and looks amazing in the studio with the paper roll lit up behind the cylindrical lens to show the amount of reverb added.

Vintage pioneer Spring reverbs are used by Tom Elmhirst for Adele, Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson – this is the earlier valve unit – it has a fantastic dark sound, full of character. 

Tom Elmhirst interviewed about mixing Rolling In The Deep by Adele (Sound On Sound, Sept 2011):

“…the Pioneer on 55‑56 is an old ‘70s‑’80s spring reverb that was made for the domestic market.”

And on mixing Mark Ronson’s Record Collection album (Electronic Musician Sept 2010).

“I used a lot of external reverbs: a Fairchild 670, old spring reverbs, and a couple 1970s Pioneer Reverberation Amplifier Model SR-202s. They’re old home hi-fi units; they’re not normal! I am not a fan of digital reverb, so I have a few springs I really like… Spring reverb was a big part of the Winehouse record, and it’s in Mark’s sound as well. I use two or three different springs on a track and even on the vocal. I have an Orban 111B Spring Reverb, which is quite bright. The Pioneers are quite dull and long springs. So I combine the two.” 

This unit has a darker sound that can work wonders in a mix. If you use the left input and right output, you can get a wet-only signal for use as a mix send effect.

Spring reverbs are a great ‘secret weapon’ to have in the studio arsenal – not just for the ‘boingy’ effect as used by dub and reggae pioneers such as Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, but also for adding that unmistakable classic shimmery vibe to electric guitars. It’s a sound that lends itself well to modern production: the perfect treatment for overly-sterile  digital delays and reverbs and it can be heard all over today’s music. Whether it’s cutting-edge dubstep from Rusko, or a top pop mix engineer like Tom Elmhirst (who used vintage spring reverb all over the last Adele album), the sound of springs is everywhere right now.

Try using a little tape delay before sending to a spring reverb, or use a digital/plug-in reverb and send the wet output from that to the spring to add character.