BF Fenders

[Mark]

At one time or another I've owned every BF Fender amp other than a Champ. Super Reverb was my mainstay for years, than a Deluxe and then a Vibrolux. But my fave for years has been my 66 Pro Reverb. I don't know why it doesn't get the love of those other amps. Yes it's almost as heavy as a Twin, but much more manageable volume wise and to me it's the perfect club amp.

 

[ScottTunes]

Just thought I'd share the few remaining BFs in my "collection"

The '64 Bandmaster is my current stage amp. Competing for the stage position is a '61 Brown Vibrolux (not shown).

 

[ScottTunes]

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[68goldtop]

Hi!

At one time or another I've owned every BF Fender amp other than a Champ... But my fave for years has been my 66 Pro Reverb. I don't know why it doesn't get the love of those other amps...

Very cool!
And yes, I share your love for the Pro Reverb!
I used to own two - a "minty" ´65 and a well-played ´67 - and I should have never sold the latter...
It had the original Utahs and it sounded amazing - clean or overdriven

Here´s the "minty" one:



However, I couldn't really use them in the places I used to play, and I have since been very happy with my ´67 Deluxe - my main amp for the last 10 years or so!



The other two bf´s I owned were a very nice ´66 Princeton (which I should have kept as well!) and a ´66 Bandmaster, which was nice, but I don´t really need/want it back



cheers - 68.

 

[buddyboy]

Greatest line up amps ever created, in my book. I've owned dozens over the last fifty years.

Currently own (and gig):

'65 Vibrolux Reverb
'65 Deluxe Reverb
'65 Twin Reverb
'64 Super Reverb

 

[brookdalebill]

I love em’.
They’re the pinnacle of what I want in a clean tube amp.
Until I switched to Roland Cubes, BF Fenders were my go-to amps.
I need to get another soon.
A Vibrolux or Pro, this time.
I may experiment with some neodymium speakers.

 

[SoK66]

At one time or another I've owned every BF Fender amp other than a Champ. Super Reverb was my mainstay for years, than a Deluxe and then a Vibrolux. But my fave for years has been my 66 Pro Reverb. I don't know why it doesn't get the love of those other amps. Yes it's almost as heavy as a Twin, but much more manageable volume wise and to me it's the perfect club amp.

Same here. Got my first in '66 and it was promptly stolen from our rehearsal space. Found another one in '92 and foolishly sold it as part of a de-GAS-ing in 2016. Found another one a couple years ago and I'll let the estate sale handle it when that day comes. Killer amps, but don't tell anyone!

 

[Michael Smith]

Does this one count?

 

[Milspec]

My guess would be simply because you could pull 2 power tubes from the Twin and pretty much get the Pro. Makes more sense to just buy the Twin and cover both bases with one amp.

That is what pushed me to buy the Fralin VVT combo, it is essentially a Pro Reverb or a lower powered Twin depending on how you choose to look at it.

 

[Wally]

At one time or another I've owned every BF Fender amp other than a Champ. Super Reverb was my mainstay for years, than a Deluxe and then a Vibrolux. But my fave for years has been my 66 Pro Reverb. I don't know why it doesn't get the love of those other amps. Yes it's almost as heavy as a Twin, but much more manageable volume wise and to me it's the perfect club amp.

The AB763 Vibrolux is a rare one. Some hold that if Fender had maintained that 1x12 format and added Reverb that it would be the most valuable BF Fender amp on the market. The later 1964 Vibrolux Reverb circuit is my favorite BF/SF Reverb amp.

That

My guess would be simply because you could pull 2 power tubes from the Twin and pretty much get the Pro. Makes more sense to just buy the Twin and cover both bases with one amp.

That is what pushed me to buy the Fralin VVT combo, it is essentially a Pro Reverb or a lower powered Twin depending on how you choose to look at it.

The small OT in the Pro Reverb yields a different thing compared to a TR.

 

[Milspec]

The AB763 Vibrolux is a rare one. Some hold that if Fender had maintained that 1x12 format and added Reverb that it would be the most valuable BF Fender amp on the market. The later Vibrolux Reverb my favorite BF/SF Reverb amp.

That

The small OT in the Pro Reverb yields a different thing compared to a TR.

The Pro does have a smaller OT, but I don't think it alters the tone all that much. A little more break up and maybe more bass, but I can't imagine they would be all that much different. The Pro has often been called the Twin's little brother.

 

[Wally]

Yep…little bro. I suppose all of the BF/SF Reverb amps could be called the TR’s little siblings??? At some volume, they are all much the same.
There is something about the TR/DSR amps that is just a bit punchier, more direct.

 

[schmee]

I have the BF Pro non reverb. 1 x 15. I like it far better than any of the Pro Reverb's I've had. I always had trouble dialing in the Pro Reverb's I had. Not sure why.
The 1 x 12 Vibrolux is a killer amp in the Brown version and I assume the rare BF version, as Wally said.

 

[SoK66]

My current lineup of AB763's: '66 BFDR, '66 BFProR, '68 SFSR.

 

[Les H]

My ex-father-in-law owned the best sounding silverface Twin Reverb I ever heard but if you asked him he said the Blackface Pro Reverb he traded in for that Twin was the best sounding amp he ever owned.

I have never played a Pro Reverb but if it sounded better than that Twin it must have been an awesome amp.

Spec wise I think the OP is correct in that it would be the perfect club gigging amp today.

 

[39martind18]

I love em’.
They’re the pinnacle of what I want in a clean tube amp.
Until I switched to Roland Cubes, BF Fenders were my go-to amps.
I need to get another soon.
A Vibrolux or Pro, this time.
I may experiment with some neodymium speakers.

In my pawnshop steal '79 Vibrolux Reverb, I run a pair of Jensen Neos, and absolutely love the added portability they give to the VR. Tonally, they're pure Fendery Jensen, giving a tight, focused bottom warm mids and all the sparkle that the phrase "Fender clean" infers. They bring out the best that my VR can give, and make it weigh around 40+ pounds.

 

[gridlock]

I’ve also owned most BF and SF Fender combo amps and some models 2-6 times. I am on my first Pro Reverb, and I am also impressed.

Mine is a ‘71 SF Pro Reverb. It is pretty much stock, except for a BF mod and faceplate.

It still has the with original Oxford speakers which sound good. I’ve bee tempted to try a pair of GASC-64’s in it.

 

[Wally]

I’ve also owned most BF and SF Fender combo amps and some models 2-6 times. I am on my first Pro Reverb, and I am also impressed.

Mine is a ‘71 SF Pro Reverb. It is pretty much stock, except for a BF mod and faceplate.

It still has the with original Oxford speakers which sound good. I’ve bee tempted to try a pair of GASC-64’s in it.

View attachment 1101640

If you change speakers, be prepared to have the volume doubled…unless you buy some inefficient speakers. That GA64 SC has an efficiency rating of 100db. From, experience I know that those Oxfords are very inefficient….somewhere in the low 90’d would be my guess.
IF you like what you hear with the Oxfords, keep on playing them and have them reconed when they fall down.

 

[__HKGuns__]

Did I just get lucky that my '66 Pro has C12NA's instead of Oxfords? Or did someone upgrade them in the past? All of the electronics in the amp were original, so I assumed the speakers were as well.

They are 220604, so that puts them in the right timeframe.

 

[Michael Smith]

I’ve also owned most BF and SF Fender combo amps and some models 2-6 times. I am on my first Pro Reverb, and I am also impressed.

Mine is a ‘71 SF Pro Reverb. It is pretty much stock, except for a BF mod and faceplate.

It still has the with original Oxford speakers which sound good. I’ve bee tempted to try a pair of GASC-64’s in it.

Didn't the Pro Reverb get a middle control pot on the vibrato channel beginning with the AA1069 circuit revision? Perhaps yours is older than 1971.