It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:09 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:50 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
Got a used one with a road case today.
I'm guessing it has had the Mods done due to the lack of problems reported here and elsewhere.

This amp has a touch response and a tone extremely similar to my 68 Bandmaster Reverb, Excellent Spank and Sparkle !
The Reverb is strong and sounds great now that we installed a good 12AX7 in V-4
It was noisy before the swap.

40 watts 2x10 reverb and vibrato/trem what more can ya ask for ?
its the one and only pcb amp in my collection and I really like it !

Edited to add, it also has a pair of Ragin Cajun Eminence speakers in it and I'm guessing that is a huge improvement over the Italian Jensens.

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:36 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
Sweet! :)

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:59 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
blues bondsman wrote:
it also has a pair of Ragin Cajun Eminence speakers in it and I'm guessing that is a huge improvement over the Italian Jensens.


You have guessed correctly, weed-hoppah.

8)

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:44 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
Blues...you are on a roll! Sweet pickup...a friend of mine has one of those, he likes it but I have yet to get a chance to pick with it, sounds like it might be a very righteous choice!

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:46 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
It fits in with the crowd pretty well ! :mrgreen:

I've never heard one of these stock so i don't know what the Hiss is supposed to be, but I've chased down enough old carbon comps that were sizzling by now to have some kind of idea.
The reverb again was very noisy till we swapped out the V-4 reverb return tube.
There is still a 12AX7 in v-3 (cheap from china) and I imagine some more tube swaps will bring this amp into the top three in my line up !

Image

Image

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 2:52 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2012 6:36 pm
Posts: 75
Congrats on the new amp man. Nice score.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:53 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
I put a 5751 in v-2 and some other vintage glass in this little beast, Real sweet amp !
The 2x10 configuration makes for a nice full sound, I can't help but wonder what some vintage style webers would do for it ????
The Ragin Cajuns are just fine for now !, I do have the treble on (4) and the bass on (7) to combat the fairly bright eminence speakers.
But EQ does wonders :mrgreen:

I'll have the parts to finish my Tele with the GFS PAF in the neck and eventually a Texas special in the bridge, five way switch etc...... Gonna make the Vibrolux Scream !

I do Love me some hot Texas Blues !

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:09 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Alnico Weber's would likely warm up the tone, albeit with some loss of efficiency compared to the Ragin' Cajun's. But with 40 watts on tap, the amp has power to burn. I wouldn't be too concerned with the reduced SPL.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:43 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 6:05 pm
Posts: 684
Location: Canada
Welcome to the club! I've got a pair of Webers in my CVR. A 10A125 and a 10F150. They sound faaaaaantastic!


I'm pretty sure the reverb send tube is supposed to be a 12AT7. Searching around the net I found this tube layout:

2x6L6 power tubes
v6 12AX7 phase inverter
v5 12AX7 tremolo
v4 12AX7 reverb recovery gain stage
v3 12AT7 reverb send
v2 12AX7 bright channel gain stage
v1 12AX7 normal channel gain stage

_________________
The ultimate Rolling Stones experience!
https://www.facebook.com/TheMainStreetExiles


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:46 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
Hey PTM
Ya that's the correct layout
The 12AT7 in v-3 had been swapped out with a cheap 12AX7 when i first got it and now has a nice 6060 (12AT7) in there, V-4 had a very noisy 12AX7 and it too was replaced, as per the tube chart with a good NOS RCA 12AX7.

I'm making a list of Amps I can let go of (seven very nice tube amps in my practice space) and this one is not on that list, the idea of a fairly light weight 2x10 with 40 watts and Reverb in a relatively small package is very appealing to me.
A real plus is the excellent tone and picking response I get from it.

Overall I have to say this amp is worth a good solid look if sweet Tube tone, Reverb, Tremolo and a small footprint (low weight) package is what your looking for.

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:18 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
I have really grown to like this amp !
Even in the road case it is weight is not too bad, The tremolo is very cool !
It really reminds me a lot of the sound of my old 68 Bandmaster reverb, but the tremolo is much better in this "vibrolux"
Fender really should have named it something else :mrgreen:

Why in the whole wide world did Fender not put a bias pot on these ???
Pro Tube and no way to adjust bias !

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 5:07 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 6:05 pm
Posts: 684
Location: Canada
Yes, these really are underrated amps - even in stock form. Despite the complaints of early breakup, they really do have a ton of volume early on the knob. I know I can't run mine into breakup territory even on stage without blowing the rest of the band into next week. I run it clean and use pedals for dirt.

_________________
The ultimate Rolling Stones experience!
https://www.facebook.com/TheMainStreetExiles


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:32 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
I don't get the complaint about low headroom either, Mine has plenty to spare even at stage volume.
The dude that sold it to me said it had the "mods" but the only thing it seems to have different is the reverb is only on the bright side.
Very lively as if the negative feedback mod was never done, My dirty Girl clone had an adjustable NFB pot and so I'm hip to low or zero NFB and this amp seems to be at low or zero, lots of sparkle and if you dig in hard it puts an edge on the notes.

Call me crazy :shock: but are the things people are fussing about the very same things we desire in an amp ???
Unless were playing straight up jazz right ? 8)
I have to put pedals in front of my Bassman amps or crank my piedmont 3/4 or better to get that sound.
Sounds like Fender freaked out some folks by giving them what they wanted and now they don't know how to take it :mrgreen:

Darned if you do and darned if ya don't !
But hey I liked the first Super Sonics too

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 1:43 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2012 6:36 pm
Posts: 75
So with this amp, are any of you guys using the normal channel rather than the bright? I really like the idea of getting to use the reverb & vibrato on the normal channel. I want to try one of these out, and agree that early breakup is not such a bad thing.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Got myself a Custom Vibrolux Reverb today
Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 1:54 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
Mine has the mod removing the reverb from the normal channel for noise purposes supposedly, again I never played through a stock one.

I use the bright channel and EQ in a bunch of bass and back out some treble, I get nice bouncy sound with an excellent bottom end response.

I do like the normal channel for nice crunch setting and then use the AB switch to pop back over to the bright channel for my rythem settings.

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: