Fender Vibrasonic

Bill Hisle · From: Shawnee, Kansas, USA

Does anyone have any experience with Fender's most recent edition of the Vibrasonic Single 15", 100 watt tube amp. I think they quit production in '98. 4 channel with 2 for guitar and 2 for steel guitar.

Any thoughts? I play mostly guitar w/some steel thrown in, and I play mostly in small venues. Up to this point I've found that lower watt amps work better for me (as opposed to say, a Twin Reverb) as I can get better tube saturation at lower volumes. Does anyone know how the Vibrasonic sounds (for both guitar and steel) at lower volumes. I'm thinking the 100 watts may be too much for the places I play, but I like the idea of the single 15" for "fullness of sound.

Thanks.

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

The higher wattage amps will always sound
fuller at a lower volume. If you want
tube saturation though, you'd have to crank
it up to high to get it. Maybe using a decent
quality overdrive pedal with the 100 watt amp
would be one solution. There's a ton of good
ones to choose from.

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Steelin' Video * * * Clip-1* * * * Clip-2

Joe Smith · From: Charlotte, NC, USA

Bill, the Vibrosonic is a great steel guitar amp, but it may be too clean for lead guitar. I am using a 1975 vibrosonic for steel and I have had no problems with it.
The only down side is the weight. I have to use a cart to roll it around.

David Cobb · From: Chanute, Kansas, USA

I would guess the Vibe's were a low production run, right? They don't surface too often, it seems.

Rich Weiss · From: Woodland Hills, CA, USA

These are nice amps for steel. I didn't even need to use the steel input. I generally play through a Session 400, but I was borrowing one for a short time. It sounds very sweet in a small room because it's so big and present, yet it cuts great at low volumes. I played through one at a concert at McCabes Guitar Shop, which is a small venue. It was a trio situation where the steel could be heard clearly, and it sounded lovely, much better than my Peavey.

[This message was edited by Rich Weiss on 03 December 2002 at 07:05 PM.]

Chris DeBarge · From: Boston, Mass

Bill, I had one, it sounded great but was just too powerful. If a Twin is too much for you, than so would be this amp, as it is essentially a Twin reissue with a 15.

Wish I could be more helpful, but this is a problem that people have been grappeling with almost forever. Too loud or too soft, never just right!

Bob Metzger · From: Waltham (Boston), MA, USA

If too much volume and power is a problem but you want an amp that still sounds full, you might try a Fender Super Reverb, provided you don't try to make it work on too massive of a gig. I was playing guitar thru mine as usual and someone requested I play a couple of steel songs so I dragged my single neck along to the gig and played the thing thru the Super Reverb. At fairly low volumes the 4x10" speakers create a really full sound but this rig has its limitation as far as volume (it'll start to breakup about 5~6 on the volume control). You can trick out the 'normal channel' for steel EQ and add reverb to both channels and have yet another cool rig for certain venues.

BTW, the Vibrasonic Reverb has two actual channels. Each of those channels has 2 inputs.

Bob M.

[This message was edited by Bob Metzger on 05 December 2002 at 02:51 AM.]

Bill Hisle · From: Shawnee, Kansas, USA

Thanks for all your replys and info. The Vibrasonic sounds like a great amp, but just too much power for the places I play, which is mostly schools and smaller venues.
http://www.probablecauserocks.com/

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

Bill i done checked out yer website and i really dig what you guys are doin'

All the Best to the Musik Police

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Steel what?

Michael Holland · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

I recently purchased a used "Custom" Vibrasonic ('95) with stock everything. It sounds GREAT for my USA Schecter Tele/Strat hybrid, but doesn't stack up to my other big tube amps for pedal steel. It sounds, well, Fender-y. Not a bad thing, but it doesn't have as much control as I'm used to and my other big tube amps give me a fuller, richer tone. On the up side, the Vibrasonic's reverb and tremolo are exceptional and it's a superb guitar amp.

I find it curious that the 'two power tube' amps (Super Reverb, Pro Reverb and Vibroverb) are thought to be 'not enough power', but the big 'four tube' models (Twin, "Custom" Vibrasonic, Dual Professional) are commonly labeled 'too much power'. What's in between?

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Here I go again. My new Traynor, rated at 80 watts or so, is a great amp. No ifs, ands, or butts! Mine is the YCV80Q, with 4 10's. Sounds like a Super Reverb, with turbo! Has the long spring Accutronics reverb, channel switching(and the rock'n'roll channel is WAY hot!), and is about 400.00 less than a Super. Go find a Yorkville dealer, and try one of these babies. It doesn't say Fender, and the warranty is second to nobody.
I know it sounds like I'm working on an endorsement, but I'm not, I promise. This is just a KILLER amp!!

Bill Hisle · From: Shawnee, Kansas, USA

Thanks Crowbear! We do a couple of dozen gigs a year including a couple of the community festivals in the area (KC MO) I'm currently playing through (both Tele and steel) an early 90's Tweed Fender Blues Deluxe, single 12, 40 watts. It really sounds good (lots of compliments from others tho I'm my own worst critic!). I'm just wondering what a 15" speaker tube amp would do for me? I'm reasonably sure I need something between 35 & 50 watts. The "Big" tube amps I've played just don't seem to have the tone until you turn them up, which as I've said, isn't really practical for me. Thanks for all the advice!

http://www.probablecauserocks.com/

[This message was edited by Bill Hisle on 05 December 2002 at 11:41 AM.]

Bob Metzger · From: Waltham (Boston), MA, USA

You could get a cab with a high-quality 15" speaker in it and wire up a footswitch device that switches the speaker to the 15" when you sit down at the steel. When moving back to guitar again, push the switch again and you're back to your standard amp. You could even stick LEDs in the footswitch so it visually indicates which speaker/cab is active, if you like. This would be a cheaper 'experiment' than buying a different amp. Match your ohmages carefully.

Bob M.

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Amp with 6550 tubes are supposed to be the cleanest for steel and PA use! I read that in an old Gerald Weber book. Now he would not lie, would he?
I just recapped an old Aimes, all tube amp with 2-12" Alnicos and 2 each 6550 tubes in the power section. The preamp was typical Fender design using 12AX7 tubes and maybe 12AT7(can not remember for sure). It had the warmth of a Super Reverb and the power of a Twin! It made every Fender amp I had sound bad! It was a not too well known amp made in the seventies back in Kansas.

Buck Dilly · From: Branchville, NJ, USA * R.I.P.

I have an original Vibrosonic. My tech cut back on the power a bit and made it sound a little more like and older "twin". (Don't ask how). It has great power AND sounds excellent at lower volumns. My Super Reverb sounds poor at medium and high volumns for steel. I honestly believe that there is no amp made that sounds great for steel and for guitar. I use separate rigs for both.

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Just a couple of thoughts.

1) If you decide to switch between speakers at the output of the amp, keep in mind that tube amps do not like open loads. They REALLY don't like open loads. If it's only for a fraction of a second it probably won't matter, though. Consult with a tech.

2) If you want to try 6550 tubes in a Fender amp, I don't believe that it will be safe without some additional mods because of the increased heater current required by the 6550's. I remember the article in Vintage Guitar a few years back that Gerald Weber wrote: "Top 10 mods for Steel Guitarists" or something like that.

Talk about a blast from the past! I remember the ads for the AIMS amps. I didn't know they were made in Kansas. Speaking of Kansas: there's another Forum member here from Chanute, Kansas. It was once the headquarters of the famous tuck 'n roll Kustom amps. I loved the photos of CCR and those amps.

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Artie McEwan

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

There may be no perfect amp for steel and guitar! I must confess I have found a lot that were not suited for either!!!

Bob Metzger · From: Waltham (Boston), MA, USA

For the dual cab idea, use a 'make-before-break' switch; also called a 'shorting' switch. However for the small duration of time (< 50ms) between breaking one contact and making another, it isn't a huge deal.

Technically speaking though, this is the type of switch for this job.

Bob M.

[This message was edited by Bob Metzger on 07 December 2002 at 01:50 AM.]

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

I guess you've basically got two choices.
Either (like Buck did) have your larger amp
"trimmed back" wattage wise or "beef up a
smaller amp. Use a solid state rectifier,
some 7581A output tubes (same heater current
draw as 6L6's) & reset your bias. I did that
to my old '65 Deluxe Reverb (except with
Tung-Sol 5881's) and whoooooa....
what a difference!

ajm · From: Los Angeles

How about using a power attenuator, like a THD Hotplate? This would involve no mods to the amp.

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