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Post subject: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:00 pm
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Silverface Fender Vibrolux Reverb. Serial number A756253 stamp on chassis on right corner next to yellow UL label. What year was this manufactured?


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:49 pm
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SandyGus, Are you sure about that number? I have this info:

Vibrolux Reverb AA864, AA964, AB568, AA270 (silverface):

A10700 to A11000 - 1967
A11000 to A12000 - 1968
A12000 to A13700 - 1969
A13700 to A23400 - 1970
A23400 to A24500 - 1971
A24500 to A25000 - 1972
A25000 to A27000 - 1973
A27000 to A31500 - 1974
A31500 to A33000 - 1975
A33000 to A34000 - 1976


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:09 pm
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Yes, there is an A756253 stamped on the chassis. I looked at the transformer the best I could tell it starts EIA-906, but the 9 is faded a little so it could be EIA-806 instead. I just found out I purchased the amp right around when I moved into my present home- which would be 1983 or 1984- and it was used, not new. The tube chart is in reasonably good shape and there definitely is nothing stamped on it. The amp has 9 tubes. I need to buy footswitches for the reverb and vibrato so I'm thinking knowing the year of this amp will help me find the correct manual. The amp has RCA jacks for Reverb Pedal and Vibrato Pedal, but there's also two additional jacks marked Reverb Output and Reverb Input. No idea what those are for; both are plugged in with other end of cables terminating inside the cabinet somewhere.


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:00 pm
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Does it look something like this. With both metal stamped and inked?

Image


Those trannies are prolly 606-XXX. Not 906 or 806. 606 = Schumacher. Can you make out the XXX numbers? These indicate year & week of manufacture.

Image


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:31 pm
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SandyGus wrote:
but there's also two additional jacks marked Reverb Output and Reverb Input. No idea what those are for; both are plugged in with other end of cables terminating inside the cabinet somewhere.


The reverb input and output jacks should be connected via a pair of cables to the reverb tank bolted to the inside bottom of the cabinet.

Your serial number indicates a 1977 date of manufacture.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 11:31 pm
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Arjay, Where did you get the serial number info for 1977 VLR? Superior Music only has it through 1976.


Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:39 am
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Maybe you're viewing an older version of the site......?


1970-1989 -Most amps do not have a date code stamped on the tube location chart. These codes are for amps with the serial number beginning with a letter:

B+5 digits - 1975-1976
A6+5 digits - 1976
A7+5 digits - 1977
A8+5 digits - 1978
A9+5 digits - 1979
F0+5 digits - 1980
F1+5 digits - 1981
F2+5 digits - 1982/83
F3+5 digits - 1983/84
F4+5 digits - 1984/85
F9+5 digits - 1979-1980

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 2:42 am
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Last 3 digits are 732. So that makes it a 1977 built in week 32?


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:03 am
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SandyGus wrote:
Last 3 digits are 732. So that makes it a 1977 built in week 32?


No. The digits comprising a serial number are entirely random. Fender used to ink-stamp each chassis with a date code but that practice was discontinued after 1970. If you need to narrow down the manufacturing date within a specific year, the best way is to extrapolate the date codes found on the major components (trannies, pots, electrolytic caps, speakers). Of course this assumes that these parts are original to the amp.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 am
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Arjay, thanks! Word file edited.

:)


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:16 pm
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You might check your cache for other outdated cookies, Steve.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:36 pm
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My serial# is A756253 which according to the posted chart is 1977 (A7 followed by 5 digits). The transformer code is EIA 606-732 (also posted that the number after the 606 indicates dating info.) If I'm understanding all this correctly, my amp is a 1977. Correct? Thanks for all the feedback you've given me. My next question will be where can I find a manual for this amp. Fender.com doesn't seem to have one archived. There's a newer re-issue of this amp but there are some physical differences from the original, so all may not apply in the newer manual.


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Post subject: Re: Is my amp vintage?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 6:18 pm
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There was never a "manual" per se for your amp. All that was furnished during this era was a 5" x 7" white envelope that contained a warranty card to be filled out and mailed in, a small (8-to-10 pages) brochure that described the basic amp functions, and a single-page schematic. Such documents turn up periodically on Ebay.

Arjay

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