Vibrolux Reverb AA964 vs. Deluxe Reverb AB763: what are the differences?

Yep, very much the same amp and even the same size! Just a 6L6 2x10 DR.
Same small filters
same small choke

Why 1964? I dont know, but they made the non reverb BF Vibrolux a AB763, They maybe didn't fully decide on the reverb version until '64 I guess. Maybe they were debating on if they even needed a 2 x 10 in their lineup?

BTW, I converted my 65 BFDR to 6L6's for a while. It was a much brighter amp... too bright for me really. Just the 6L6's I guess.

 

The .Vibrolux Reverb is a 1964 circuit. The First BF Vibrolux was the AA763 Vibrolux 1x12 without reverb. Imho, they should have built the Vibrolux Reverb in that 1x12 format...just as they should have built the Pro .reverb in the 1x15 format instead of calling it the VibroVerb. The 2x10 should have been a Super Reverb...just as all .Supers had been. The 4x10 guitar amp should have been continued as the Concert/Concert reverb.I don’t know why they did not stick to their establish tube/model relationships. fwiw, all BF/SF guitar amp circuits are very similar if not identical in the preamps. The Super Reverb used a .033mfd midrange cap versus the .047mfd in the others, iirc.

 

The only other thing I could find was the 2-amp fuse instead of the 1-amp fuse...which goes with the bigger iron and tubes.

 

Very cool, Professor. And I'm jealous. I've always wanted to play a VR; they seem to get at least as much love as any BF amp, if not more.

The 1964 thing makes sense; so in effect it is part of the family. For those who don't know it, I imagine Rob's comparison table and his whole AB763 comparison page would be handy. I suppose we could mentally add the VR and the '68 Custom VR'; and you've done the VR homework for us "on the board," as it were.

 

The Vibrolux Reverb followed the AA/AB 763 1x12 Vibrolux Amp. The new design was drawn up in September, 1964; hence the AA964 designation and had 2x10" speakers with on board reverb. It was put into production in October of 1964.

 

The faceplates have different names on them. The rear plates also have slight differences. The Vibrolux frequently has the wrong circuit number on the tube chart and the Deluxe doesn't.. The Vibrolux has a 27K resistor in the bias circuit and the Deluxe has a 10K. The Vibrolux has a 100 ohm tail resistor in the NFB circuit and the Deluxe has a 47 ohm.

 

I just converted a 1968 VR to a 1x12" format with Bassman multitap iron and I like it much better. 3x10 or 4x10 is great, but the 2x10 array just doesn't cut it for me.

 

I have had trouble with 2 x 10 also. in 4 x 10, the use of those lightweight cheap speakers seems to work out, be it Tweed Bassman or Super rev. In 2 x 10 they need to be more robust IMHO. Although there have been some 2 x 10 I liked. It just seems like a finer line to walk.
I've never had the BF 1 x12 Vlux but have had 2 of the Brown ones and they are superb small amps that will do most any gig.

 

I have wondered several times why my 1965 VR tube chart said AA763. It never occurred to me that it was just the wrong circuit number! Doh!

 

That small difference in that tail resistor has to do with the output impedance of the OT, correct? In the 8 ohm amps, there is that 47ohm. With the 2ohm and 4 ohm OTs, they used the 100ohm.

 

I've tried my Vibrolux Reverb into both 4 ohm 12" and 15" speakers and prefer it with the 2x10 format.

I agree that smaller magnet 10" speakers don't work well in this amp. I wouldn't run a pair of Jensen P10R/C10R's or anything with the same specs. While they work well in a 4x10 format, they just don't hold together well with this circuit. Both the Oxford 10L5 and Jensen C10NS, were stock offerings in the blackface era and work well.

 

Tube charts often are irrelevant and grossly incorrect. I have owned a mint 1967 5e3 Deluxe that had a 5F6A Bassman tube chart in it. I have owned a SF Dual Showman Reverb that had a chart for an AB165 Bassman.

 

Next you're gonna tell me I can't believe everything I read on the inter-webs???!!

 

Wow, @theprofessor , you start the most interesting threads.

I assume it’d be possible to build a 6V6 VR. Or would that be a 2x10 DR?

 

The 6G16 Vibroverb is also very similar to the AA763 Deluxe Reverb, same tube line up / functions / controls but running 6L6's / 5881's. Also has no bright switches & even has the 47pF "Bright" cap on the reverb channel.

 

The 6G16 has a bias vary tremolo circuit...big difference compared to the opto-isolator in the DR and larger
Fender BF/SF guitar amps. The tapped treble pot is a biggie, too. My prototype Pro has those tapped treble pots and it does something different from any BF amp.

 

At one time I owned a drip edge circa 1968 Deluxe Reverb and same year Vibrolux Reverb. I sometimes would gig with both of them, what a great sound.
They are almost exactly the same size, IIRC the VR is 1 inch wider to accommodate the 2-10" speakers.
Both are similar, the 6L6s and 10s in the VR plus more power made it different.
I'd love to have one of each again , back then I decided that I liked the DR better so I sold the VR.

Looking forward to seeing the progress of your build theProfessor, I wish I the the time patience and know how do to build an amp.
I've refurbished a bunch of them but I had someone else do the electronic work.

 

Seems like the $130 difference between a Deluxe-Amp and a Vibrolux-Amp, in 1964 dollars. must've been mostly profit.