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  • Next: GA4-RE - oil film "memory?"

    Next in out series of Gibson interesting but not particularly successful innovations is this circuit which was also duplicated in several other Gibson offerings.

    To quote from the service manual, pages 83-85:
    The GA4RE records music with an electronic pen. The record is made on a film of oil which also serves to lubricate the revolving disc which is the platter for the film. The film is constantly replaced and can never wear out like a magnetic tape. Following the electronic pen are two sensors that reproduce the pattern of electrons for the amplifier. The result is a multiple choice of echo and reverberant sound with a quality never before achieved.


    Has anyone ever had the opportunity to use/ service one of these (or the other variant) units? Sounds quite interesting and I'd love more details if anyone has them. Somehow I have trouble imagining how a film of oil would retain it's integrity sufficiently to retain a magnetic sound pattern for even one revolution - must be pretty viscous stuff (or perhaps pretty viscious stuff and the owners got tired of having the "heel" their amplifers [or getting a tech to "heal" there amplifiers - I'm getting bad]).




    Rob

  • #2
    Here is the unit in-question: http://www.geocities.com/tel_ray/gibson.html

    The description sounds a LOT like the Fender "Dimension IV Sound Expander" offered from '68 to '70:

    http://www.geocities.com/tel_ray/echoreverb2.html

    http://www.geocities.com/tel_ray/dimIVschematic.html

    Here's another similar (renamed) Fender unit.

    http://www.geocities.com/tel_ray/ech...html#schematic

    Here's a Morley version: http://www.geocities.com/tel_ray/EDLschem.html

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    • #3
      It's the "Adineko Memory System" invented by the Lubow brothers. US patents 3,072,543 and 3,215,911 discuss it in quite a detail. Similarly to tape echo units this one can lend itself to various delay and pitch-shifting effects. The invention was licensed to various companies.

      Aside the patents, Tel-Ray website (http://www.geocities.com/tel_ray/) is a good source for information. R.G. Keen has also written a bit about these units: http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folder...can_delays.htm
      Last edited by teemuk; 07-08-2008, 03:34 AM. Reason: grammar

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      • #4
        I had a oil drum echo in pedal form made by morely back in the 80's. Bizzare. Worked good tho. However, the last thing you need is a echo effect that needs to be serviced at regular intervals !

        http://www.wingspreadrecords.com/Morley_EVO1.jpg

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