Tweet
Just picked up my Custom Vibrolux reverb from a local amp guru guy. It's the first time I'd had it serviced, and I'm very pleased with the results.
He checked everything out, and found a common export fender fault: the amp’s input transformer was set to Australian 240 volt rather than NZ 230 volt. Apparently most of the new fenders he gets in have this problem. Changing the voltage has given the amp a 3db volume boost, and tightened it up a bit. Its amazing what that simple fix added to the amp.
He also installed a negative feedback circuit. Basically, the CVR is fender’s discontinued mid 90s-era 63 vibroverb ri with some mods done by Bruce Zinky of the Custom Shop. One thing Zinky did was remove the negative feedback loop to give the amp a more dynamic sound and lower the headroom to get earlier overdrive. I had him put the loop in and make it switchable via a mini toggle under the chassis. With the loop in, the amp sounds more like a regular blackface fender, tighter, and with much more clean headroom (much quieter, too). Switch the loop out, and the amp jumps in volume, sounds zingier and (for lack of a better term) more SRV-like. It’s cool to have both options. It’d actually be a pretty cool overdrive boost, but it would need to be footswitchable.
Can't wait to gig it tonight. the amp may be loud and clean enough to gig without that bane of my existence, the mesa recto duo. I still love the sound of 2x12s, though.
I also got a new power supply for my tubeman. I'd forgotten how cool the blues channel of that preamp is.
He checked everything out, and found a common export fender fault: the amp’s input transformer was set to Australian 240 volt rather than NZ 230 volt. Apparently most of the new fenders he gets in have this problem. Changing the voltage has given the amp a 3db volume boost, and tightened it up a bit. Its amazing what that simple fix added to the amp.
He also installed a negative feedback circuit. Basically, the CVR is fender’s discontinued mid 90s-era 63 vibroverb ri with some mods done by Bruce Zinky of the Custom Shop. One thing Zinky did was remove the negative feedback loop to give the amp a more dynamic sound and lower the headroom to get earlier overdrive. I had him put the loop in and make it switchable via a mini toggle under the chassis. With the loop in, the amp sounds more like a regular blackface fender, tighter, and with much more clean headroom (much quieter, too). Switch the loop out, and the amp jumps in volume, sounds zingier and (for lack of a better term) more SRV-like. It’s cool to have both options. It’d actually be a pretty cool overdrive boost, but it would need to be footswitchable.
Can't wait to gig it tonight. the amp may be loud and clean enough to gig without that bane of my existence, the mesa recto duo. I still love the sound of 2x12s, though.
I also got a new power supply for my tubeman. I'd forgotten how cool the blues channel of that preamp is.
Comment