Fender Vibroverb 63 Re-issue

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I just picked up an early 90s Vibroverb:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330244042784&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

I've only really played my Blues Deluxe for the last 15 years - I have one or two guitars :wink: but only the one amp, till now. I don't count the Blues Junior. So it feels strange playing something new. I'm surprised how different it sounds. I'm missing the mid control, I tend to turn it all the way up on my BD, so the new one sounds a bit hollow in the middle, if that makes any sense?

I need to try it at rehearsal to see what it really sounds like, but I wondered if anyone else had one? Any tips on how to get the best out of it?

Mike
 
Does it have an adjustable bias??

If so, go to the tubestore.com and buy the following

Tung sol re issue 5881 power tubes.. buy a matched pair rated at 20 or 21(their number rating system)...

then buy the tung sol 12ax7's and tung sol 12at7's to replace the ones you have in there.

Check the plate voltage with your "bias rite" bias meter..(get one if you dont have one.)

then set your bias in those 25 watt tubes to about 65ma to 70ma(thats about 60% dissapation)..(that is if your plate current is near 450 or so.

that amp will sound super sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Congrats, Mike ... great score, I guess ... !!! :lol:

Swapping the tubes often is the cheapest way to influence a sound positively with a surprising result ... :wink:
Roger
 
I don't know what adjustable bias is, & I have no intention of touching anything inside it. My knowledge of amps is minimal! I need to try it out at rehearsal to see what it really sounds like. If it needs a service & re-valve, I'll get my local tech to do it for me. If I do it, I'll probably get it all wrong.

The sound is already growing on me, even though it's quite different to the Blues Deluxe. 8) It's the only amp I've played since I got it.

The original tubes on my BD lasted 15 years! I was told by the seller that this one had new valves quite recently.
 
You should read upon mods for your amp Mike, there are some cheap and easy mods that can give your amp awesome tone. Its all a bit overwhelming at first but it can be very worthwhile.

Mick
 
You're assuming it doesn't have awesome tone already Mick! :lol: I haven't had a chance to find out yet.
 
stratman323 said:
My knowledge of amps is minimal!

So - reading about different opinions and mods could change your status ... :wink:
I've learned alot about my DRRI visiting the appropriate sites ... :lol:
Roger
 
I don't mind messing with pickups on a Strat or a Tele. But mains voltage? No thanks! Too much chance of me messing it up! I'll get my tech to make any changes - after the fret jobs he's done for me on a few guitars, I trust him.
 
The Vibroverb doesn't have adjustable bias. But cranked this baby will sound sweet. Get a HotPlate or Weber mass so you can crank it without going deaf or over running the drums and bass.
 
I get the impression, from playing it at home, that it isn't as loud as the BD. So it should hit mild overdrive at gig volumes when the BD didn't.
 
stratman323 said:
I don't mind messing with pickups on a Strat or a Tele. But mains voltage? No thanks! Too much chance of me messing it up! I'll get my tech to make any changes - after the fret jobs he's done for me on a few guitars, I trust him.

Tinkering with tubes can be as addictive as tinkering with caps or pots ... believe me ... :lol: :lol: :lol:
... and if you take that your amp isn't connected when swapping the tubes it isn't dangerous at all ... :wink:
Roger
 
There's always the option to get a master volume control fitted to increase flexibility (if I can work out where to put it!), but I wouldn't want to do that until I'm sure it's a keeper. Until then, I'm using two different overdrive pedals - one for mild crunch, the other for greater gain.

Still over a week till the next rehearsal.... :(
 
Mike, as you know I'm more of a Marshall man, but the concepts are the same. If the amp's sweet-spot is turned up to 7 (or whatever) fitting a MV won't help. 90% of the sound of a good old valve amp comes from the power-stage, fitting a MV means that most of your tone will come from the pre-amp, it might sound good, but it certainly wont sound the same.

The marshall powerbrake is the best thing I ever bought, it means my JTM45 still sounds like a JTM45 at lowish volumes. Other alternatives are a hot-plate (personally don't like them) a Weber Mass, or getting powerscaling fitted.

Running your amp 'hot' like this means you can do a lot more with just the controls on your guitar rather than use pedals, it's a much more satisfiying approach, and sounds better too!
 
Hmmm. Won't using one of those things mean that I lose the clean headroom I have? I do prefer a clean sound for around half the songs in the set - if I use an attenuator to improve the overdrive sound, surely all I will be doing is reducing the overall volume, and therefor my ability to get a clean sound at decent volume?
 
It's just another dial, Mike; you can turn it up and down mid-set with everything running IIRC (as it sits between your amp and speakers, and "soaks up" the volume).
 
Exactly Alan! Just think of the attenuator as a master volume that works! With the amp set so it breaks up when you dig-in, you can set the overall level with the attenuator to whatever is appropriate for the venue then just back off the guitar volume to clean it up, or stand on the overdrive to really make it sing!
 
Sounds perfect - but nothing's perfect, so where's the catch? Sorry to sound so suspicious, but if these things are so good, why don't all manufacturers fit them as standard?
 
Simply money! a good attenuator is a few hundred quid, add that to the price of an amp and it makes a big difference. It would also be a bit daft, as you can share one attenuator between many amps (not at the same time) so you don't need one in every amp.

A master volume will get you close to the sound you want in an amp that was designed with a MV, fitting one to a non-MV amp would probably be rubbish. If the sweet-spot of the amp means you need to turn it up louder than required for your venue (or bedroom) then the only answer is attenuation or powerscaling.
 

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