Kit -The Wave, Analog Tube Driven Spring Reverb

I was unsure at first if I wanted to take on this reverb project as I have limited knowledge in soldering having only wired guitars in the past. This was a GREAT learning experience. You really get an understanding of all of the parts that are needed to make this circuit work. The instructions are very clear. It took me 2 days to assemble and about 4 days to troubleshoot. Everything wires point to point, so if something messes up, it's easy to remove a component and replace if needed. I had two grounding problems with the unit and contacted Mod Kits' customer service who replied promptly within the first business day by Email. They gave good feedback on where to look for my problem and the troubleshooting guide on their website was helpful. The sound from the unit is very good! I like the 3 spring tank but also bought a 2 spring tank to see what the difference in sound would be. All in all, this was a great project that I enjoyed a lot. I also ended up purchasing a 3U 12" shallow case for this unit to carry around to gigs. This is a good kit for someone who has close attention to detail, soldering experience, experience with a multimeter, understands basic safety regarding troubleshooting a live circuit.

I just received my shipment, seven days after ordering. Upon receiving it, I inspected and opened the box. Although I haven't assembled it yet, I am very impressed with what I received. The components are of good quality and the instruction manual is complete, clear, and concise. This is a good value for the money paid. I can't wait to get to assemble it. Unfortunately, it's a Christmas present from my wife and I have to wait two whole months to do so! But, when done, I'll add my thoughts on the finished product.1/11/2021What can I say except WOW! This is quite a project that took three days of hard work to complete. It is an advanced project. But if you are careful to follow the excellent instructions precisely, you will be successful. Take frequent breaks and double-check your work after completing each step. When finished, you will experience one of the best examples of a vintage vacuum tube driven reverb I've seen. Now I can finally retire the digital unit.

Pros: This is a great kit, I want to say that first. Sound quality is excellent. It's a straight-forward build if you can follow detailed instructions, have soldering skills, and know how to use a multi-meter.Cons: I've actually bought two of these kits and both units showed up highly scratched. I've attached photos of the scratches to the casing. The first unit's reverb tank had a pretty large and deep scratch across the top and will unfortunately always be visible. The second unit had quite a lot of scratches where the reverb tank would sit (and thus cover them up). There were also a few dings on the rack ears.Having said that, the rest of the kit is quite good and well thought out. I would (and do) highly recommend it to people looking for a nice reverb for their recording studio or guitar rig. An upgrade to the included tubes would probably be a nice addition, but honestly, it sounds glorious with the included JJ's.

Took me a few days part time to finish this. You need moderate soldering skills and must be able to follow very detailed instructions to the letter. Not a hard project at all. The end result is phenomenal. This reverb is incredible. It is without a doubt the best sounding reverb of all time. The one drawback is that nothing is pre-labeled. I purchased a packet of Neat Nobs from Reverb.com. They are little curved stickers that fit above or below your knobs and switches. You just write what you need on them. They come in green or white. Above all, if you want the best reverb, you have to build it yourself with The Wave.

Always wanted a legit tube driven spring reverb. Assembly was fun. Took a few days of troubleshooting to work out issues but in the end I am very pleased.

Great kit made for advanced building skills. Sounds fantastic. But.......if you tackle this, first thing you should do is throw out the JJ tubes included with the kit and replace them with something a little more expensive. The sound you will get from higher quality tubes is worth every penny spent. I would suggest a set of Tung Sol tubes. Best new production tube out there for the money IMHO. Or you could go hog wild with NOS RCA's or Phillips if you want to spend more than the kit costs. Probably not worth it though.

Great product. Easy to follow instructions and the end result was superior to what I expected. I would not recommend this kit to anyone with limited knowledge or skills in soldering electronic components. However, with a little reading, practice and patience, there is no reason why a novice couldn't assemble this kit. The price is certainly reasonable.