Sansui RA-500 Reverberation Amplifier

A fabulous, dark and characterful spring reverb unit (with a very colourful display which looks great in a darkened studio).

Serviced, earthed and set up for 240v mains use.

NOTE: Photos are of another unit. The current one is in good condition – has some scuffs and signs of age but nothing serious.

Capable of providing a wet-only signal (if you go in on the left input and out on the right output, you get a wet-only output).

This unit has a darker sound that can work wonders in a mix.

For sales in UK/EU the price will include VAT. VAT-free sales are possible to businesses and individuals in the EU (outside the UK) with a valid VAT Number – please get in touch if you wish to buy this way.

If you want more information on which spring is best for you then check out our detailed spring reverb blog and “Springathon” demo (13 springs head-to-head). You can also see our full current stock of vintage studio signal processors here, but if you have any questions please get in touch as we have many years experience with these machines. 

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.