Fender custom vibrolux reverb

ThePrettyDamned

I played one of these recently, and I frankly can't get it out of my head.

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-custom-vibrolux-reverb/2450?gclid=Cj0KEQiAs6GjBRCy2My09an6uNIBEiQANfY4zIK2qK6816sbS-havBN5VQbqS_xu3T8Ez4QfoRWec5AaAjbL8P8HAQ

It sounded so damn good, warm and really responsive. Has reverb and trem, didn't really try them a great deal but seemed perfectly pleasant.

Had two Alnico 10 inch speakers in.

It was just a proper lovely sounding amp. Apparently, they were a bit slated because they're not really a vibrolux reissue, they have more gain and verb/trem on both channels.

Anyway, what's the lowdown - anyone used one?

ThePrettyDamned

Cursory googling reveals it's more like a modded-to-be-noisier brown amp, the vibroverb reissue. Which apparently isn't really a reissue, but is a great sounding amp.

Funnily enough, I did hear quite some hiss from the amp and was told it was because of all the lights and stuff in store. Hmmmm!

Anyway, now I want a vibroverb quite a lot. It had a nice deep clean, but got dirty in a nice, gritty way - more like a tweed than the blackface looks it was going for, imo. But plenty of brightness on tap if needed.

Very nice thing. Gasgasgasgas gimme a vibroverb reissue.

Richardj

I love the new range of 'Vintage inspired' Fender amps.  This one seems to be in the same range as the Super Sonics.

None of the '68s are intended to be or in fact called re-issues, not sure why people keep referring to them as such.  They are part of the Vintage Modified range.  Taking the basics of the Blackface versions and modding them to be a bit more modern and usable.

The '68 name is purely because of the Silverface aesthetic.  Still utterly loving my Twin.  Not sure why anyone would buy the Blackface re-issues when these are cheaper and more versatile.

ICBM

The main problem with the Custom Vibrolux is that Fender removed the negative feedback entirely, which makes the amp noisy and 'shouty' sounding, and break up much earlier. It's very easy to re-instate it, either to the traditional Vibrolux value or somewhere in between if you want.

ThePrettyDamned

ICBM said:

The main problem with the Custom Vibrolux is that Fender removed the negative feedback entirely, which makes the amp noisy and 'shouty' sounding, and break up much earlier. It's very easy to re-instate it, either to the traditional Vibrolux value or somewhere in between if you want.

Yeah, now I've thought about it, I didn't find it 'shouty' (though that could be the speakers - jensen P10r) but it hissed.  Like I said, the shop dude said it was because of all the electronics in store, but apparently not.  

I really liked the actual tone of the thing though.  It had the big fendery sound (IE big but bright) but it also had more midrange to it, and when driven it had something akin to a tweedy sound.  Sort of.  But not really. 

I wouldn't want to classify it as being tweed or blackface/silverface.  Apparently, the answer is brownface, which sounds horrible

I loved the sound so much, I'm thinking of asking Martin at MJW if one of these would be possible, but with negative feedback to reduce the hissiness, master volume and no reverb or trem (effects loop instead).  Maybe head and cab rather than combo, too. And 1x12 for a better range of speakers.

Even the master volume thing, it wasn't quite as hair trigger volume as you'd expect and was quite happy to go quiet, and still sound great.  A master volume would make it a bit easier to control, though...

So not really one in all but circuit influence

I don't see any reason why it would hate pedals - actually, it took quite nicely to a Boss DA-2 at higher gain settings, so I suspect it would be a nice pedal platform without being massive like a Twin. 

Question: What is a brownface fender? I've never seen one, but they seem pricey :O

ICBM

'Brownface' is the series of Fenders between Tweed and Blackface - the first with the modern front control panel styling, so they looked basically like Blackface amps, but with blonde or brown tolex (in two different grain patterns, 'rough' and 'smooth'), brown or 'wheat' grille cloth or sometimes the Tweed maroon, cream or brown 'radio' knobs and brown control panels, hence the name.

The circuits and sounds are somewhere between Tweed and Blackface too, although much closer to BF than Tweed. Some of the biggest differences are in the NFB - Brownface amps often have presence controls, whereas no Blackfaces do.

You could just call them 'blonde' Fenders if you don't like the name .

ThePrettyDamned

ICBM said:

'Brownface' is the series of Fenders between Tweed and Blackface - the first with the modern front control panel styling, so they looked basically like Blackface amps, but with blonde or brown tolex (in two different grain patterns, 'rough' and 'smooth'), brown or 'wheat' grille cloth or sometimes the Tweed maroon, cream or brown 'radio' knobs and brown control panels, hence the name.

The circuits and sounds are somewhere between Tweed and Blackface too, although much closer to BF than Tweed. Some of the biggest differences are in the NFB - Brownface amps often have presence controls, whereas no Blackfaces do.

You could just call them 'blonde' Fenders if you don't like the name .

Blonde sounds much nicer, thanks  

Cool, sounds like a really useful amp to be honest! 

gusman2x

Just be aware that the 10" speakers will have less headroom. I've got a 70s vibrolux, and it sounds gorgeous clean, naturally drive, and with some OD and boost. Can't get a coherent sound out of it with a distortion pedal at volume though. May not matter if you're not into the heavies.

Jaded

I had one for a while, fantastic amp. Wish I still had it but it was just too big for just the bedroom playing I was doing at the time. 

Apparently another reason it has so much background hiss is due to the reverb and trem being active on the "Normal" channel too.. not sure quite how accurate that is but it might be an option in lieu of reintroducing the NFB and changing the headroom/distortion etc.

I always planned on getting as much headroom from it as I could to use it as a platform for pedals, which it takes amazingly well. However imagining if you could get a master volume on one of the channels, that would be incredible! You could use a line selector for clean/dirt channel switching... where is a drool emoticon when I need one!

ThePrettyDamned

Jaded;415924" said:

I had one for a while, fantastic amp. Wish I still had it but it was just too big for just the bedroom playing I was doing at the time. 

Apparently another reason it has so much background hiss is due to the reverb and trem being active on the "Normal" channel too.. not sure quite how accurate that is but it might be an option in lieu of reintroducing the NFB and changing the headroom/distortion etc.

I always planned on getting as much headroom from it as I could to use it as a platform for pedals, which it takes amazingly well. However imagining if you could get a master volume on one of the channels, that would be incredible! You could use a line selector for clean/dirt channel switching... where is a drool emoticon when I need one!

It had a great drive, but maybe not enough headroom for heavy stuff. Almost like a jtm45.

My dream amp would be... A broadly fendery voiced amp with 40-50 watts, fairly smallish-medium head form, mids switch (helps MASSIVELY if using as a clean pedal platform for heavy stuff as fender amps are a bit too scooped, should help level things out), good master volume (MUST HAVE THIS!), big power valves (they always seem to suit me better, though I'm a sucker for an ac30) and effects loop.

So in a single channel amp, I could get cleans, dirtier cleans with master volume and a more middy pedal platform amp that likes quite a bit of Marshally and more modern gain.

The effects loop would let me run a solid state heavy preamp direct into it - which is nice, letting me completely bypass the preamp and get essentially a 40 odd watt metal amp.

So a single channel, do-it-all monster.

ThePrettyDamned

Or, you know, a more powerful jtm45 with master volume an effects loops, which is possibly more likely, and ticks every box pretty much.

robinbowes

Everything but the FX loop:

http://www.guitarworld.com/review-traynor-yba-1-bass-master-tribute-guitar-amplifier

knuckleberryfinn

ThePrettyDamned said:

Or, you know, a more powerful jtm45 with master volume an effects loops, which is possibly more likely, and ticks every box pretty much.

I was going to say, it sounds like you want a modified Bassman, which of course is the more powerful original of the JTM45.  I just built one with a post phase inverter master volume which works well, though the negative feedback is reduced the more the master volume is turned down.  No effects loop though as I only use a reverb pedal.  You're welcome to try it out if you're ever in Norfolk.

photek

I gigged one for a while and got fed up of the background noise. I had it modded to reduce the hiss but it was still unacceptable. if you do get one crank it up to just off full volume and enjoy the smiles they sound epic when wound up!

meltedbuzzbox

ICBM said:

Some of the biggest differences are in the NFB - Brownface amps often have presence controls, whereas no Blackfaces do.

I have 2 black faces with a presence control ;-)

I suspect this is against the norm though. 

ICBM

meltedbuzzbox said:

I have 2 black faces with a presence control ;-)

I suspect this is against the norm though. 

Which models?

Are they transitional ones with Brownface circuits in Blackface boxes? There are a few of those - they even made Tweed-style Champs in Blackface colours at the very end, it was the last to get the new circuit. These aren't really 'Blackface' amps, though.

meltedbuzzbox

I just googled and I see blackface is defined as 63 - 67?

in this case I am very much wrong. 

I have blackface stylings :-D from the 90s

as you were.