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Post subject: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:07 am
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Just bought an absolute mint '64 Vibroverb Custom, the SRV model with the Cesar Diaz circuit. Something had to go in order to make room for it, so my same-as-new condition Victoria Victorilux Tweed 1x15 is now up for sale on e-bay and reverb.

The best-sounding amps I'd ever played had been that Victorilux, a Victoria Golden Melody, and a vintage Super Reverb owned by Gary Brawer, the guitar tech for Joe Satriani and Neal Schon. I've A/B'd that Victorilux against everything under the sun and it easily bested all comers, until I ran into this '64 Vibroverb at my local Guitar Center, of all places.

I used to own another '64 Vibroverb Custom, more than ten years ago. That one was bone stock, and I simply wasn't ready for such a loud amp that needed to be blasted to the bejeezus in order to sound the way it's supposed to sound. I didn't know about attenuators back then, but they make amps like the '64 doable for me now.

Needless to say, I was quite surprised to see a '64 sitting on the floor at GC. Of course I had to play it. After noodling quietly on it for a few minutes, I was struck by its surprising clarity, bass response, and overall chime. Even at low volumes it sounded glorious with the Jimi Hendrix Mexi-Strat I pulled down from the wall. It sounded so glorious, in fact, that I was compelled to give the amp a serious look. The front and sides of the amp were in pristine condition, and the the top was covered by the factory "'64 Vibroberb" info placard.

Unusual, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

Then I checked out the back of the amp, and there were a lot of obviously non-stock, very high-quality-seeming cables. None of the cables or switches were stock. No plastic anywhere, no rubberized switches. I didn't recognize any of it. Tilting the amp forward...whoa...I saw a very vintage-looking JBL D130F speaker.

I don't know much about vintage speakers, or JBLs in general, but I recalled reading about JBLs being some sort of Holy Grail speaker for Fenders, and the D130F in particular being the Holy Grail 15" speaker for Blackface Fenders. Anyway, as I sat there inspecting the amp, a man came up to me and introduced himself, saying he had enjoyed listening to me play and wanted to say hello. He described himself as a retired thirty-year touring guitarist and a collector of vintage Fender gear.

"Perfect," I thought.

"Take a look at this..." I said, angling the back of the amp towards him.

He peered inside for a moment. Sitting up, he gave me a wry grin. "Well, I'll be. That is certainly not the stock speaker. Do you know what that is?"

I told him that I only knew very little about those speakers, and asked him whether it's a vintage one or some sort of modern reissue.

"I collect those old JBLs. I can tell you it's certainly not new. It's probably at least thirty-five years old, and worth a pretty penny."

I went home, grabbed my Victorilux and brought it to the store, to A/B it (loudly) against the '64. I was confident the Victoria would again come out on top, as it always does, but I was wrong. She had finally met her match.

The 64's asking price was surprisingly affordable, so I made an offer, they accepted it, and I bought it right then and there. Having surpassed my Victorilux, it now joins the Victoria Golden Melody and Gary's old Super Reverb among the best three amps I've ever heard. I'm floored by it, really. It is exactly the Blackface tone I've always wanted, and it's straight-up phenomenal with pedals. I was loathe to give up a hand-wired/PTP/finger-jointed pine cabinet Victoria for anything with a PCB board and the typical shoddy construction of most modern amps, but this one is also hand-wired/PTP/finger-jointed pine, so I'm happy.

There's just one thing, though. I really love its tremolo. It's quiet, deep, throbby...wonderful. I also love the SRV/Cesar Diaz mode, which makes the amp sound like a perfect Blackface with a very clear TS808 or JHS Morning Glory on top. Thick, chimey, gorgeous. Unfortunately, you can't have both with this amp. Part of the Diaz mod involves the elimination of the tremolo circuit and channel one to achieve the extra gain in SRV mode. If you want the tremolo, you have to be in Standard '64 Vibroverb mode.

I would dearly love to have both, together: SRV mode plus the amp's tremolo.

Is this possible, without affecting the tone of the Diaz-modded circuit?


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Post subject: Re: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:49 pm
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AFAIK the primary difference between the "standard" mode and the "Diaz" mode is, switching to the Diaz mode removes the heater voltage from V5 (the 12AX7 which drives the tremolo circuit). This frees up some current to permit the remaining tubes -- principally V2 and V6 -- to run a skosh hotter. I own a stock '64 Vibroverb (with a JBL D130F) so I have no method of comparing it with a re-issue model.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:55 pm
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Wow, so if you have that speaker in your own '64, what I thought I'd read about it must be true.

Nice.


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Post subject: Re: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 3:26 pm
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Half of my collection of Fender amps (sixteen at last count) are JBL-equipped. I love them all......

Image

I make an exception for the 10-inch model. Those things are evil.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 1:52 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Half of my collection of Fender amps (sixteen at last count) are JBL-equipped. I love them all......

Image

Wow ! :shock: Great collection, congrats.

I make an exception for the 10-inch model. Those things are evil.

Arjay


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Post subject: Re: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:02 am
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Ummm, should we alert the authorities to the fact that you kidnapped Eric freaking Clapton?!


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Post subject: Re: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:18 am
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Oh, and amazing collection, btw. Not to nitpick or anything, but I see an awful lot of black, silver and gray there, but no...tweed.

You must have a separate dungeon filled with Bassmans and Narrow-Panel Twins, and Buddy Guy chained to a radiator.


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Post subject: Re: '64 Vibroverb Custom: Possible tweak?
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:31 am
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stevieraygovan wrote:
Oh, and amazing collection, btw. Not to nitpick or anything, but I see an awful lot of black, silver and gray there, but no...tweed.

You must have a separate dungeon filled with Bassmans and Narrow-Panel Twins, and Buddy Guy chained to a radiator.


I'm just not much of a "tweed" guy, though decades ago I did own a thrashed-and-trashed 5F6-A Bassman.

Perhaps someday I'll pick up a narrow-panel Deluxe......

Arjay

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