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Post subject: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 3:51 am
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Well, I have been round the block and back with my 68 CVR, with me being in the UK and the fact that these amps were scarce last year I ordered mine online and took a chance on it based on the specs. It ticked all the right boxes of what I wanted. Shared reverb on both channels, 2 x differently voiced channels, gorgeous looks, a 2 x 10 smaller lighter weight cab compared to the Twin, 35W etc..... However I wasn't best pleased and after a handful of jam nights breaking it in I was left wanting a tiny bit more. Straight away I found the 6L6 Bias was set super cold, I found out that Fender did this basically to make the "bias vary" vibrato work more effectively. but it leaves the amp stiff and cold. I don't rely on the amps Vibrato much at all I barely use it so I've sacrificed the Vibrato in order to bias the amp warmer. The Celestion ten 30's were taken out, ( I didnt really get the feel for them) I swapped the standard 12AT7 Phase inverter to a JJ 5751 (to allow the output to drive more dynamically, which funnily enough, did exactly that)

I then get the Speaker swap bug, which is a terrible affliction and a rather expensive hobby.

I put 2 x Jensen C10Qs in...... at lower volume levels it was great but up loud with a band it was anaemic, on the bottom end in particular. I read many people have said the same about the C10Q, I got them cheap so it was worth the try. Out went one Jensen C10Q and in went a Jensen Mod 10-50...... it sounded great, though a slightly untraditional Fender sound.

Then I found out about WGS speakers. In went a G10C ribbed cone & G10CS smooth cone.... both 75W speakers... wow, super loud, punchy, bright, crisp, full bottom, sparkly top clean fender tone, massive magnets........ but my Overdrive (TS9) sounds pretty nasty with them, it also made the amp so damn heavy. I don't quite know what's going on with these speakers especially in this configuration, it should have been perfect...... but, you read the hype about products and think your on to a winner, but it goes to show, you just don't know until you try. The cleans were really great but you just cant drive it well at all, it sounded nasty.

Fast forward a few months and something clicked in my mind after hearing Shane from the "in the blues" youtube channel rave about his new super reverb with 4 x P10R's saying its the best back line sound he's ever had, thats including a Two Rock, 65 DRRI... plus others. I know 2 x P10Rs have been used in the old CVR and with a 12 AX7 Phase inverter it makes the amp very drivable with low headroom and they are not peoples favourite speaker as singles or even pairs. So I thought id give the P10Qs a try. They are smooth coned as opposed to the P10R's ribbed cone, higher wattage, 35W/40W with a slightly higher sensetivity than the P10R. well, they are in and it sounds very very good, the best so far I think. maybe i'll try my Jensen MOD 10 -50 along with one P10Q to see what its like with one ceramic one alnico, but I think 2 X P10Qs just might be the ticket once and for all. I know everyone gives the Italian Jensens a bad rep, but they really ain't that bad at all, they don't deserve the bad critique. It is all subjective and different for everyone, but I really did write off the Jensens at one point because of everyone saying that "this and that" brand were much much better, when in my reality, it was just not the case.

Dont give up on this amp yet guys! I know some friends of mine passed up on the CVR in favour of the Deluxe or twin, saying its the least favourite of the 68 series. The Alnico speakers have given the amp a nice compression and chime, plus a bit more hair on the clean going in to breakup. The custom channel and vintage channel are much more distinctively different to each other now, its even more like 2 amps in one and it sounds great. Fender, you should try these speakers in this amp at the factory.....

The thought did cross my mind, but I won't be selling my 68 CVR anytime soon now.


Last edited by steve13881 on Wed Oct 28, 2015 5:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:47 am
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"Straight away I found the 6L6 Bias was set super cold, I found out that Fender did this basically to make the "bias vary" vibrato work more effectively. but it leaves the amp stiff and cold. I don't rely on the amps Vibrato much at all I barely use it so I've sacrificed the Vibrato in order to bias the amp warmer. "
Can you give a detailed description of what the vibrato sounds like with the warmer bias? Thanks

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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 6:06 am
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the vibrato still sounds very nice to be honest. but i just dont use it so i dont mind it not being 100% as stock, i'd rather the amp felt better and sounded better then just have a killer vibrato. I read that it just gets more of a deep throb with a colder bias which is apparently why Fender set them up that way, probably to save the life of the output valves as well no doubt. I saw some videos where people said the same with the 68 Princeton reverb too, that they bias them cold to get better vibrato effect. This system works in a totally different way to the octocoupler circuit used in other fender amps. my amp feels and sounds a lot better for what I play with the bias adjusted.


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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 6:10 am
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AFAIK, the tap for the bias supply voltage is upstream from the bias pot. So the pot shouldn't have too much effect on the voltage to the vibrato section. Similar setup to the original blackface VLR:

http://bmamps.com/Schematics/fender/vib ... _schem.pdf


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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 7:58 am
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Thanks to you both.

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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 2:07 pm
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You are quite persistent in chasing that perfect sound. I will say that your way is much more cost effective than mine. I just bought different amps. I am at the point that I blend the sound of two amps to achieve the sound I like. I am using a Supro Royal Verb paired with either a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue or a Fender Twin Reverb. Maybe I should have tried your method, I would have spent a lot less money. I am glad you seem to have achieved your goal.


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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 3:26 pm
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You can also try a pair of the Eminence Lil Buddy 10" Hemp Cone speakers, darker and richer but still good highs. Each is 50 watts, so plenty of power handling. I put one in my Super Champ X2, and it improved both the drive channel and the clean channel a big bunch.

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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 4:48 pm
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Coming up on one year too for same amp. I really like it. Having two channels is great. I'm keeping it stock. Alnicos would make it weigh a ton. The amp is very portable as is. I would like a twin but just too big


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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 1:54 am
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The WGS speakers I tried have 35oz magnets, they made it heavy as hell like a fender twin! The Jensen alnicos are pretty slender man, 10oz magnets. The Celestion Ten 30's are a bit heavier with 13oz magnets. So its made the 68CVR even lighter which is great for my back.

I understand more about the alnico vs Ceramic thing, mechanically at least, just putting the tip of a screw driver to the side of the magnets, the alnico magnets are so much stronger than the ceramic magnets, the magnetic pull of the 10oz Alnico Jensen is 3 or 4 times stronger than the 13oz Ceramic celestions. perfect explanation as to why alnico magnets are so slinky on speakers, they need a fraction of the mass of magnet to get the magnetic strength.


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Post subject: Re: Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb one year on.
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 3:00 pm
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I would have to agree on the Italian Jensens having some appeal tone wise. They don't have the tone of a vintage Jensen, but I put a pair of Mod 12 inchers into a Bantam Bass amp I refurbed. I did it mostly because it was a winter project I was looking to sell so I was looking to keep the costs down. But the more those speakers broke in, the better it sounded. By the time I was ready to sell it the tone was very nice, even highs full mids and the bottom rounded out nicely. They were a toneful surprise.

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