Vibroverb

[Fumbles]

Hi all. I am not an amp builder or tech. Rather I’m a guitar player of some 50yrs.

I have a Fender Custom Shop ‘64 Re-Issue Vibroverb with the Cesar Diaz modification-15” driver.

3 or more years ago I was really excited to get this amp but to be honest though…….I find the sound of the Vibroverb taught and brittle. Certainly not a magical sound. Never been able to find that. I tried. I found an early 60’s JBL D-130F and put it in but unfortunately when I tried cranking the amp to around 7.5 it tore the cone on the periphery so I put the Eminence back in.

And thats trying all the options. With the Diaz mod, w/out it……with the diode/solid state (?) or the tube rectifier. Nothing makes it super special. So I put the amp away for a couple years but now I’m curious about gigging with it again and giving my modeling rig a break.

I see these amps sell used for $2500 online. It doesn’t sound like what I would expect a $2.5K ‘boutique’ anp to sound like.

Is this just the nature of these amps? I have an early 70’s Twin Reverb, the 135W silverface model that are not supposed to sound good. The two amps ‘feel’ very similar in terms of how they respond. For sure they need pedals in front to help them out.

Even though I am an advanced player, I don’t know all the correct language to describe what I want out an amp.

A punchy yet also soft attack like natural tube compression comes to mind. Creamy. Not too trebly or bright. Easy to push into distortion at club levels but with the ability to be nice and clean when rolling off the volume. Something like that.

I’ve considered getting a Rivera Rockcrusher but am skeptical about dropping another $700 if it doesn’t give me what I want out of it.

Does anyone have any thoughts about these amplifiers? Are there any mods that would help? Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[jazzbass]

Hi fumbles,

each ear reacts differently to sounds, I learned the hard way not to trust the judgment of others, even if trained as technicians or players, I can advise you to see this site:

https://fenderguru.com/?s=Vibroverb&submit=Search

they make a reasoned analysis of all the production, the sound, the possible modifications.

A hug Franco

[Fumbles]

Thanks for the link Franco. Heading there to read.

[jazzbass]

Hi fumbles,

I did some research on Vibroverb and Vibrotrem because a friend of mine asked me to build one for him. I've already built three clone amps of Dumble projects for him.
A couple of years ago he bought a recently produced Fender Vibroverb and asked a technician he knew to do some modifications to it......he was not happy with it and sold the amp.

Now, struck by nostalgia, he wants me to build one for him.
Poor him

A hug, Franco