Custom Vibrolux Reverb what gives ?

[T Prior]

all this talk about the 65 Deluxe and the RI supers ,How come there is not much talk of this amp? or did I miss it ?

I saw one yesterday , maybe for the first time at GC, probebly the first time I noticed it. I had a few minutes and I sat down and played a pretty nice Tele thru it and ABC'd it with a Deluxe VM and a Deluxe RI. In my mind , no contest. You can keep those VM amps...

The brand new Deluxe is just under a grand @ 22 watts, nice, the Vibrolux reverb is basically the same price @ 40 WATTs with 2X10's and reverb/vibrato in both channels. And , best of all, it sounded great !

So why is everyone chasing the Deluxe amps and not much talk about these ?

yes, I am thinking of one....I could seriously see me using this amp full time.

Anyone else using one ?

t

[scantron81]

I played one a few months back and was very impressed with it and almost ALMOST sold my DRRI to get one but the reverb was a little lacking and I decided to pass. But gosh now you posted this and I'm reconsidering.

[machogriz]

from what i've read the CVRs are rather noisy compared to their original silverface and blackface counterparts, but I'm no expert

[Al Watsky]

I guess its cause' it seems folks are very interested in small amps these days, least' on this board (though all of these amps are small, really)
and the 40 watt package is pretty darn loud, so its not bedroom friendly. I don't play in my bedroom.
I've used the reissue vibrolux on several gigs when the backline folks have them available and didn't notice them being very noisy.
Any thing would be more noisy than my blackface amps, they are silent at idle. No PCB Fender is as quite, but on a gig thats not a big deal. They sound right and they have Reverb and Tremlo.
The Fender Reissue series is a winner. They always seem to work. Played a festival gig in Denmark last week and used a 65 Deluxe Reverb reissue and it was perfect, same monitor tech as Roskilde and it worked out fine.
I would have been happy for a Vibe Reissue , but they never have seen one in Europe.Talk about a Vibrolux will get you no where over there.

[mellecaster]

They are Great Amps...and can usually be found in nice Bedroom condition for around $700.00.

[T Prior]

Originally Posted by mellecaster

They are Great Amps...and can usually be found in nice Bedroom condition for around $700.00.

Yes, from what I have seen this is correct and I suspect I am now changing amp gears...again

But I do need to wait until I put the Bandmaster set together,I just did get a nice head and did some small miniumal work on it ( caps in the vibrato circuit) and I do have a pair of Eminance 12's , but I am still seeking a nice mid 60's cab..but right after that..

I can see a Custom Vibrolux in my future ! And no I am not rich and rarely spend cash on anything, but now and then I do splurge and one of these amps in the 650 to 7 range would be a nice deal and I certainly would gig with it a few times each month.

tp

[Donnie55]

I know you guys are talking about the RI`s , I havent seen or heard one. But years ago I saw Roy Buchanan playing thru one in a club. Sold me I have always wanted one. I gotta go check out the RI`s now I guess.

[Middleman]

Vibrolux's are the tonic for recovering Twin owners. Lighter, amazing sounding, keeps up in almost any band. Sold my twin and bought a Vibrolux in 1981. The last amp you will ever need. Err.., ignore that last comment you can never have enough amps.

[Joe M]

Originally Posted by Donnie55

I know you guys are talking about the RI`s , I havent seen or heard one. But years ago I saw Roy Buchanan playing thru one in a club. Sold me I have always wanted one. I gotta go check out the RI`s now I guess.

The Custom Vibrolux that the OP talked about isn't the same as the Vibrolux that Buchanan played; similar, but not the same. The DRRI, PRRI, TRRI, etc. are supposed to be copies of the original's, but the Custom Vibrolux isn't. They're nice amps but not reissues....

[Donnie55]

Thanks for the tip Joe. I will keep that in mind when I go to test them out. Are they way different than the originals,, besides the obvious ?

[Wally]

the CVR is built on the same PCB as the Reissue of the 1963 Vibroverb 2X10....which was FEnder's first amp with on board reverb. Indeed, these amps are not Vibrolux REverbs or a Ri thereof as JOe notes.
FEnder removed the negative feedback loop form the circuit of the '63 VV and arranged the effects to function on both channels. REmove the effects from the Normal channel and the hiss diminishes. INstall a negative feedback loop, preferably with a pot to adjust the resistance, and one can have a 'stock' sounding amp...or with a pot to adjust have the choice of stock '63 VV versus a hotter more harmonically richer amp.

[FiddlinJim]

I inherited a CVR recently, and found it to be pretty hissy at low volumes and the reverb is not as "deep" (surfy) as you can get with, say, a DR. I play mostly at home and so the hissy at low volumes is an issue with me, but it won't be with everybody. I also don't need an amp to be gainy; I prefer clean in this kind of amp.

As Wally points out, the CVR circuit board is the same as the '63 brownface VibroVerb Reissue (discontinued), but has some different-value and removed components. So, with the help of some instructions found on the 'web, I reverted it back to the '63 VV circuit which happens to suit me better. It adds NFB back in, adds some separation between the channels (no more Reverb on both channels), modifies the reverb circuitry a little, and adds an adjustable bias control. The results are much less hiss, much deeper reverb, and later onset of breakup. It still doesn't seem as midrange-scooped or chimey as the Deluxe Reverb RI, since the circuit is much closer to the brownface era amps. I couldn't care less about not having Reverb on the Normal channel.

I also changed the reverb pan to a 3-spring Belton and it's almost too much, but much better sounding than the Accutronics in my opinion. And... Weber ceramic speakers.

I got the amp for free, and I am able to do this kind of tinkering to get what I want without much investment. Lots of people like the CVR the way it is (my friend who died loved it). I'm happy with the VibroVerb in CVR clothing I have now.