64' VibroChamp cabinet butchered

Twangbanger · April 25th, 2008, 02:41 PM

My bud gave me a 64' Vibrochamp that someone had cut the cab to make it like a head. Horrible job. It was given in trade out for some guitar repairs. Great deal on my end.

The chassis is pretty decent and the solder joints are untouched. Missing most of the knobs and no tubes. Transformers and pots date to 64' and are all intact. The handle and chassis straps are intact as well.

My options now are........

Find a replacement cab, silverface or aftermarket
Have a local guy make me one to exact spec as the original
Have the same guy make me a piggy back style setup like the bandmasters and such, but with 2 8ohm 10's. Some mini tilt back legs too.

With all that being said, what speakers should I use if I go with to 10" or maybe 8" 8ohms. I want something that has a high db rating for more volume.
If I go to the normal champ style, I'll use a weber or find a vintage jensen.

eugenedunn · April 25th, 2008, 02:50 PM

Champs and VibroChamps are 3.2 ohm impedance amps..... you must do one of the following since you've got a bogus cabinet:

1. Get Weber Z-matcher and use any speaker or combination of speakers you want.

2. Build a parallel-wired 2x10 or 2x12 4-ohm speaker cab, which would be compatible with the 3.2 ohm load the VC wants to see.

3. Get a 4-ohm single 10-inch or 12-inch to use in a cabinet

Personally, since your original cab is a washout.... I'd go with a replacement combo cab of some kind like the ones that Allen Amps makes.... and specify you want to to make it a 2x10 combo. Perfectly portable and loud if you put in some efficient speakers..... Go with the Weber California's or Weber Michigan's.

Twangbanger · April 25th, 2008, 02:52 PM

Yeah, I know about the load matching....I'm a tech.
I'll look at what Allen has to offer.

Gregg_G · April 26th, 2008, 04:43 PM

Personally, I vote for the head cab & piggy-back option - it's what I did. Although my chasis wasn't as untouched as yours so I changed out the OT with a larger Hammond wired for 8 ohm.

Here's what I did - http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-centr...hamp-head.html

Twangbanger · April 27th, 2008, 01:31 PM

So how have you liked your 2X10 cab?

Gregg_G · April 27th, 2008, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twangbanger

So how have you liked your 2X10 cab?

I love it - I hadn't ever played two 10's before so it was sort of an unknown as far as expectations go. It makes the Champ sound HUGE with a solid and tight low end. With two 10's moving more air than one 12, it's a big sound.

I haven't paired the Champ with any of my 2x12's yet but I'm loving the versatility and portability of a Champ in a head cab.

marshman · April 28th, 2008, 11:48 AM

Someone built/had built a champ/princeton piggyback rig in RED--very cool, 2x8 if memory serves.

A set of 4 8" Jensen Mods in a single cab, all finished in blonde tolex--NOW you're talkin'!

endzone · April 28th, 2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marshman

Someone built/had built a champ/princeton piggyback rig in RED--very cool, 2x8 if memory serves.

A set of 4 8" Jensen Mods in a single cab, all finished in blonde tolex--NOW you're talkin'!

Texsunburst59 made a really cool Vibrochamp stack. Maybe he can give you some input on it. Link below to view a pic of it.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-centr...lean-tone.html

Twangbanger · April 28th, 2008, 07:41 PM

Cool, I like that!

Gregg_G · April 28th, 2008, 08:07 PM

Let me know if you want the name of my cab builder. I'll shoot you a PM with his e-mail.

studio1087 · April 29th, 2008, 12:46 AM

This is so cool. Wow. Very Nice.........

Twangbanger · November 2nd, 2008, 09:16 PM

I've resurrected my Champ! Yes!
I found a 65/66 cabinet on ebay, won it and the matching grill(another auction). Spent $230 on the cab. Put a 64' Jensen C8R in it bought from ebay for $30. Caps, tubes, and parts...another $35. Had some NOS tubes. Total = about $300 spent to restore it back to period correct.

All I'm missing now is the logo.....have you seen how much they go for?

Singin' Dave · November 2nd, 2008, 09:51 PM

Very nice! That looks most clean!

I too have been looking for a fender tail logo, and they are seemingly pretty hard to find and in demand. No idea what they go for, but will be following this thread with interest.

Texsunburst59 · November 2nd, 2008, 10:08 PM

Hey Twangbanger, my local amp guru could hook you up. If you're interested in having him do the project for you,then you can e-mail me at
texsunburst59@yahoo.com I'll give you his contact info so you can wheel and deal with him 1 on 1. Here's pics of 2 piggyback combos he built.

AnthemBassMan · November 3rd, 2008, 07:59 PM

-Dang, man! Those Vibro Champ half stacks are making me drool!!!!!

L8R,
Matt

April 25th, 2008, 02:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
Twangbanger Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Marble Falls, TX Age: 28 Posts: 870 32 Photos	64' VibroChamp cabinet butchered My bud gave me a 64' Vibrochamp that someone had cut the cab to make it like a head. Horrible job. It was given in trade out for some guitar repairs. Great deal on my end. The chassis is pretty decent and the solder joints are untouched. Missing most of the knobs and no tubes. Transformers and pots date to 64' and are all intact. The handle and chassis straps are intact as well. My options now are........ Find a replacement cab, silverface or aftermarket Have a local guy make me one to exact spec as the original Have the same guy make me a piggy back style setup like the bandmasters and such, but with 2 8ohm 10's. Some mini tilt back legs too. With all that being said, what speakers should I use if I go with to 10" or maybe 8" 8ohms. I want something that has a high db rating for more volume. If I go to the normal champ style, I'll use a weber or find a vintage jensen. __________________ Play'n tele till I drop! *************** Bryan Hibler

April 25th, 2008, 02:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Twangbanger Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Marble Falls, TX Age: 28 Posts: 870 32 Photos	Yeah, I know about the load matching....I'm a tech. I'll look at what Allen has to offer. __________________ Play'n tele till I drop! *************** Bryan Hibler

April 27th, 2008, 01:31 PM	#5 (permalink)
Twangbanger Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Marble Falls, TX Age: 28 Posts: 870 32 Photos	So how have you liked your 2X10 cab? __________________ Play'n tele till I drop! *************** Bryan Hibler

April 28th, 2008, 11:48 AM	#7 (permalink)
marshman Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SE PA Posts: 987	Someone built/had built a champ/princeton piggyback rig in RED--very cool, 2x8 if memory serves. A set of 4 8" Jensen Mods in a single cab, all finished in blonde tolex--NOW you're talkin'! __________________ 42

April 28th, 2008, 07:41 PM	#9 (permalink)
Twangbanger Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Marble Falls, TX Age: 28 Posts: 870 32 Photos	Cool, I like that! __________________ Play'n tele till I drop! *************** Bryan Hibler

April 25th, 2008, 02:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
eugenedunn Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Sacramento, CA Age: 55 Posts: 839 37 Photos	Champs and VibroChamps are 3.2 ohm impedance amps..... you must do one of the following since you've got a bogus cabinet: 1. Get Weber Z-matcher and use any speaker or combination of speakers you want. 2. Build a parallel-wired 2x10 or 2x12 4-ohm speaker cab, which would be compatible with the 3.2 ohm load the VC wants to see. 3. Get a 4-ohm single 10-inch or 12-inch to use in a cabinet Personally, since your original cab is a washout.... I'd go with a replacement combo cab of some kind like the ones that Allen Amps makes.... and specify you want to to make it a 2x10 combo. Perfectly portable and loud if you put in some efficient speakers..... Go with the Weber California's or Weber Michigan's.

April 26th, 2008, 04:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
Gregg_G TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 95 11 Photos	Personally, I vote for the head cab & piggy-back option - it's what I did. Although my chasis wasn't as untouched as yours so I changed out the OT with a larger Hammond wired for 8 ohm. Here's what I did - http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-centr...hamp-head.html

April 28th, 2008, 08:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
Gregg_G TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 95 11 Photos	Let me know if you want the name of my cab builder. I'll shoot you a PM with his e-mail.

April 29th, 2008, 12:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
studio1087 Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Near Milwaukee Age: 44 Posts: 4,230 36 Photos	This is so cool. Wow. Very Nice......... __________________ JLG Carry On

November 2nd, 2008, 09:16 PM	#12 (permalink)
Twangbanger Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Marble Falls, TX Age: 28 Posts: 870 32 Photos	I've resurrected my Champ! Yes! I found a 65/66 cabinet on ebay, won it and the matching grill(another auction). Spent $230 on the cab. Put a 64' Jensen C8R in it bought from ebay for $30. Caps, tubes, and parts...another $35. Had some NOS tubes. Total = about $300 spent to restore it back to period correct. All I'm missing now is the logo.....have you seen how much they go for? __________________ Play'n tele till I drop! *************** Bryan Hibler

November 2nd, 2008, 09:51 PM	#13 (permalink)
Singin' Dave Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: Chicago Age: 40 Posts: 334	Very nice! That looks most clean! I too have been looking for a fender tail logo, and they are seemingly pretty hard to find and in demand. No idea what they go for, but will be following this thread with interest.

November 2nd, 2008, 10:08 PM	#14 (permalink)
Texsunburst59 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 357	Hey Twangbanger, my local amp guru could hook you up. If you're interested in having him do the project for you,then you can e-mail me at texsunburst59@yahoo.com I'll give you his contact info so you can wheel and deal with him 1 on 1. Here's pics of 2 piggyback combos he built.

November 3rd, 2008, 07:59 PM	#15 (permalink)
AnthemBassMan Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ohio. Tuscarawas County Farm Country! Age: 42 Posts: 441	-Dang, man! Those Vibro Champ half stacks are making me drool!!!!! L8R, Matt