I’m intrigued as to everyone’s thoughts on the two 10” speakers in the Vibrolux - aside from the odd session with a Princeton, I’ve not had much experience with 10” speakers. What’s your thoughts? Love ‘em? Loath ‘em?
I'm not a fan of 10" speakers. I modded the hell out of my old Princeton trying to get what I wanted from it. Turns out I much prefer amps with a lot more headroom
Yeah alot of popular guitarists get sponsored from brands, the loyalty normally comes with whatever brand is at the top of the contract. Then real famous guitarists get to pick and choose who makes a guitar for them. Real talented or popular guitarists get signature models. Again much like a sponsorship just with a backend deal on sales because of the association. Its a complicated industry, the amps side of things is totally different. Most pros use modified gear you can't just buy.
Who the fuck is this guy? I just stumbled upon this video randomly and that was one of my favorite solos I've ever heard in the opening. What a pleasant surprise. That solo deserves all of the subs.
Hey all, Ignazio Vagnone from Jensen Speakers here. Chris, awesome find with this Vibrolux, and moreover because of the speakers you found in it! I'd wish to drop a little bit of info background about the speakers that are in this Vibrolux. The Jensen P10R-F are a special version of the standard P10R, the reissue of the speaker used in the Tweed Bassman, Deluxe 5E3 etc. Fender commissioned us this version, to be originally installed in the Custom Shop '57 Bandmaster and in the 20th Anniversary edition of the Vibro-King amp. Then these speakers were "set free" to be offered as replacement speakers and not exclusive anymore to Fender. How do they differ from the standard Jensen Vintage Alnico P10R? They have a different membrane, mounted on the same voice coil and magnet assembly. The goal was to have sweeter treble, and warmer bass ranges. A sort of "aged tone", if you wish to consider it so. Moving further: in principle, how a 10" differs from a 12"? Assuming size would be the ONLY difference, rarely the case though, the 10" will have less moving mass (smaller, lighter membrane), so it might have slightly more efficiency in the upper midrange and treble, and it might deliver a higher sense of immediacy, a sensation of a quicker reaction to the transients. It might also deliver less power in the bass range. The 12" may sound fuller, move more air, and maybe sound slightly less "forward" and more "relaxed". Will a 2x10 sound bigger than a 1x12? Most likely yes. It will move significantly more air. Will a 10" have less "headroom" than a 12". Once again, if the cone diameter is the only difference, while voice coil, magnet etc. are all the same, no, they will have likely the same power handling and efficiency/sensitivity. I hope this might be interesting for the community... Feel free to hit me for info and tech chat at anytime!
Hey Chris, for what it is worth, I have been playing guitar for 62 years and I have been playing through two amps, most of the time, since the mid 70's. For the last 8 to 10 years it's been a combination of Fenders, Dr Z and Carr amps. The Fenders are '67 Super Reverb, Vibrolux Reverb, Deluxe Reverb and Princeton Reverb depending on venue size. I almost always use a Fender with one of the other two brands for the same reasons that you discussed. The great thing about pairing a Fender amp is the diversity of power and speaker combinations. If you can find one, a vintage 2x12, 45 watt, Pro Reverb should give you what you need.
Unrelated to the video but I just gotta say, I remember seeing a video of yours years ago on the King of Tone pedal and being so impressed with your playing and sense of melody and feel with your licks. Years later I started seeing Cardinal Black stuff pop up on my social media feed and thinking “hey, there’s that awesome guy from RUclips!” Glad to see you gaining more success and recognition, Chris.
Pro reverb has a similar sound to the Super Reverb. After running 12in speakers for a long time, the 4x10 in a super reverb is something magical. Super heavy but magical at nearly any volume.
Glenn Frikker touched on an interesting point about tone and amps. I think as guitarists, we believe we can find the 'perfect' tone. I've found great sounds and then come to play the same setup another day in the same room. Same guitar, amp, and pedals that are all dialled in just how they were, but now it doesn't sound the same. I was hoping with more experience this would change bug even sound engineers have the same problem. In a constant strive for perfection we can become so caught up in all the dials and gizmo's we forget to just play. Remember when you started out with a cheap guitar and tiny amp. Remember when you could pick them up and the only issue with your tone was that it wasn't loud enough? Now we have all the guitars and gear we wanted but never feel happy with it. This is a mental thing more than an issue with the tone. Our hearing is always changing even throughout the day. I think the best thing is just adjust for your room and ask somebody else what they hear. Sound is so subjective perhaps the aim as a performing guitarist you should aim to find the sound that your listener responds too. Keep up the great content and awesome playing.
I own an original 1976 Ampeg V4 that was modded with upgraded tunes and transferformer too back in 1978......its in absolute mint condition - I will put that enormous headroom up against any amp ever built ....its the most underrated amplifier of all time , Ampeg is mostly known for bass rigs ....but in a small window they made guitar amplifiers (the V4) that just is heads above anything they've ever built or iv ever heard!!! ....or ....I just really lucky and the head is their best they built at that moment in time !!!!....Happy Holidays everyone !!!....be safe + healthy!!!
I personally think it's worth playing around with speakers in the Pro Reverb before changing amp all together. The predicament you are in sounds similar to mine, I found a nice Jensen sorted it out and brought back a bit of that bite instead of the creamback bark.
Absolutely agree. Changing from Celestion to Eminence didn't quite do it for me. Then I put 2 25w rated Jensons in a 2x12 cab and found everything I was looking for. Game changer, and a relatively cheap one at that.
Awesome, as always... well, first of all :) Peter Frampton's sound ALWAYS has a way of making other guitarists on stage sound smaller and less present :) It's uncanny... and like others have said, experimenting with speaker types and brands may get you closer to your ideal, because the Pro Reverb has given you everything you needed until this last experience. Best wishes :)
The speakers in the amps make a big diff. I put some Jensen Falcons in my 2x10 cabinet to replace the no name speakers and it came to life like magic, love those Jensen speakers. I use a 1x15 cabinet as well, it had some old vintage organ speaker in it, sounded great, but the speaker wore out several years later, started making scraping sounds, , weird eh? Perhaps the 50 watts of tube power did it in? I put in an Eminence Beta 15 and I'm not really happy with it. Might have the old one re-coned or try another. It's all touchy stuff getting the rig right. Love your tone dude, killer playing! Come to Austin Texas, you guys would be a hit. I'd come see you play.
Dear Chris, I think with such great feel, control and intonation like yours, you would really benefit from an amp that has more headroom and "size" for the lack of better terms. I would really love to hear you in the same context with a nicely dimed Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive e.g. and see if that sounds more open and lively. Also give those newer Stereo Magnatones a try... the Twilighter for example.
@ChrisBuckGuitar I love the sound of 10’s and 12’s together. You get the cut and clarity from 10’s and the 12” acts like a subwoofer filling out the sound. Have you thought about running a 2x10 Fender Ext Cab off of the Pro Reverb? Think of it like listening to a Soundbar on a TV without a Subwoofer, then adding a Subwoofer and wondering how you ever lived without it. I think your a fabulous and tasteful guitar player and your journey to refine your tone to compliment your playing is a joy to watch.
I’ve owned every vintage Fender. In their original stock form the Pro has softer fatter low end warmer and bluesier, the Vib has tighter and less bass, not brighter, so it cuts through better with a band. The Pro is nice and warm for bedroom playing, but gets lost in the mix on stage. However everything changes when you swap speakers from vintage to new, and especially when using the chassis as a head cab running to new production speaker cabs. Boom! Radical sound departure from stock combo. Try playing a Vib into a 2x12 cab or a Pro into a 4x10 cab. Wow!
Did you happen to discuss the tone you are chasing with Frampton or his techs? Not that you aren’t seasoned, but they have been around the block in every size venue imaginable. I haven’t heard you live from America, but your tone choices seem impeccable and you sound like Chris Buck with any piece of equipment I have heard you play through.
The Vibrolux is my absolute favorite amp. Sadly sold mine and have been kicking myself since. I have a Deluxe Reverb now and think of trading or selling for a Vibrolux.
Yes, i thought so too... for Chris' soloing, that Pro amp seems to delivery a rich soulful sound, like a female blues singer. Michael Landau and Buzz Feiten used to swear by Pro amps :)
@@seanemmettfullerton I went into my local shop, they had a blackface Princeton upstairs that I wanted. The vibrolux just came in and was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. I tried it loved it and bought it. Serendipity maybe?
@@smelltheglove2038 Awesome! Either way, you'd have something nice :) I'm just now realizing what the AB763 tone stack is... that shimmer sound was quite a game changer.
Always been a fender guy but after bad times with light but odd sounding super reverb tone master I swapped with a mate for a Mesa Transatlantic 30. Amazing amp. Totally nice cleans in a tweed way and actually quite lightweight. They don't make it anymore (not metal enough (at all) for their core market. Strongly recommended. I'm 56 and have tried everything..
Your in the same boat I was in 10 years ago. You use Fender, I use Marshall (clean). I know right? The issue you have is you want the ping and you want to fill the mid. Why are you using a tube amp? If you want the Fender Ping and mids, replace the ac30 (or derivative there of) with something that you have broad EQ control with. Not to over saturate your sound, but build a reinforcing layer. The best sound combo I have ever heard (Now I am going to date myself) was a Sunn Enforcer and a Sunn Beta Lead mixed. The Enf was a tube amp that was heavier than a fridge and the beta was a nice generic solid state amp. The combo was wide, bright and complete. The feeling you describe is a 3 to 5k scoop you want back. That is the mids of a solid state amp. Trying to stay away from modelers, and falling prey to "if it doesnt have tubes its trash" thinking. So just food for thought. Kindest regards.
Awesome context on how the amps pair with one another. Amazing playing as always. I would bet that the Magnatone Twilighter or Twilighter Stereo would pair nicely with the Cooper. Of course that beautiful pitch shifting vibrato would be a nice touch at times but I’m partial obviously lol. Thanks for always inspiring Mr. Buck. My brother and I are huge fans of your work! Reaching out from South Louisiana btw✌️
Just a treble booster, Chris. You love that thick midrange, but it could all use just a touch o’ slice. 😉 Stay with the Reverb and add a teeny weeny EQ pedal before the drive.
I have 100W of face breaking Marshall power, and have no such problem! Without my Rock crusher attenuator, I would go deaf! Now I have both, ball breaking push, and sweet on edge tube goodness, with a tone I can totally dig. I may try a few different speakers to see if I can hone my tone, but it's not a priority, and I always keep in mind that my discerning ear is more critical than I can expect most listeners to even care about, and the audience are not listening for the tone coming out of my amp, as much as the emotion going into it. I could only wish to be able to convey as much of it as Chris Buck in that regard.
It all depends on the setting. If you are in a small club a small p. A. And really only vocals going through it. You kinda need a real amp. Playing at a church or any place where they do silent stage or you have to travel light then a helix, kemper, quad cortex is definitely handy. If I was recording I’d definitely want the real thing to play through. And to those trashing the modeling profilers, those things get you %95 of the way there. They are really good at mimicking a mic’d amp. Especially the new universal audio pedals.
SRV used a Fender Vibrolux amp with EV speakers for awhile. Try different speakers, they can make a huge difference. Or just get a late 50’s Fender high watt tweed twin. IMO, the best amp Fender ever made, but Joe Bonamassa might have bought them all. 👍
I Love Seeing and hearing your Music struggles Brother- Promise your self to record everything you can in these early years-you never know - How far you will go ! Good luck !~
There's some kind of phenomenon with amps in ultra loud settings, where the more harmonic amps like the Vibrolux actually perform better. I just sold a 64 Showman (best sounding amp I've ever had) for a 76 Princeton (more tame but suits what i'm doing) because of the inverse problem you have. Thanks Chris! PS. You sound incredible in all the clips.
"were intended to be used at 11" and thank the almighty gods that people had/have the instinct to turn it all the way up or rock and roll would never have happened!
I've always struggled with ten inch drivers. I'm always found that a 12 inch is more fully voiced and more dynamic. I've always used to amps (peavey classic 60 and vox ac15hw1x) had the best of both worlds from peavey big sound and drove and the vox to brighten up the sound. I've now sold both amps and I'm going to buy my dream amp, a magnatone 2x12 twilighter stereo.
Chris - Can't wait to see the video on Deluxe Reverbs. I own the 64 custom and swapped the speaker to an Allesandro GA SC64. The stock speaker in the 64 custom is a Jensen 12CQ - it's nice but breaks up very early, which would not be ideal for the large stages you play. If you want a lot of headroom you could consider a Weber 12F150, which I had in my amp for a while. For me, that speaker is also like the Jensen in the sense that it's also a bit too scooped and lacking midrange, even though it was A LOT louder and had a ton more headroom. The Allesandro sits right between the two in terms of headroom and gives a lot more midrange content. It takes pedals (especially fuzz) very well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you get the chance to try one. Cheers.
I'm a big Victory fan and use my V50 clean through a V212 cab. Masses of headroom on the clean channel and sounds great at virtually all settings above 20% master output. The signal through the setup is very neutral with little colouration of the guitars natural sound (Albert Lee MM90). Not a fan of the Copper though. It seems to colour the signal more than an AC30 to my ears. As others have mentioned I think headroom is crucial for somebody who uses the amp relatively clean (as I believe Chris does). I set the preamp to get the right tone and adjust the master to get the correct "loudness" for the stage size. Something you can't do with a smaller wattage amp as the output stage when driven hard will massively affect the tone. Great for those who like OD from the amp but not good for those who want a clean platform.
More clarity in the Vibrolux to my ears. Very nice tone. I had a Blues Deville with a 4x10” config…lovely amp but silly loud for anything other than a large auditorium!
Chris. Whatever problem you are having with your Pro Reverb, we aren't hearing it. You are a wonderfully talented player, have a great band, and are climbing your way to stardom. Quit worrying about your gear and enjoy the ride!!! The greatest still-living guitar God plays arenas with a 25W bandmaster, one strat, and a wah pedal these days. I found this to be a sobering lesson in gear.
Pro Reverb for me Chris. However, listening to an amp in and out of band settings will garner different results. All vintage fender amps have varying degrees of mid scooping (with the possible exception of the Super Reverb) and that’s why a mid boost pedal works so well with them. But, I understand your style of playing, including high note articulation, won’t necessarily benefit from just a mid push for soloing in particular. However, you do need to be heard above the band, so perhaps you just need a little more mic volume and some Klon-type frequencies as opposed to TS? Brilliant playing as always, Chris. It’s a pleasure hearing you.
hey Chris, love your work and the new band, thanks too much. here in the states the various incarnations of the 2x10 fender style amps have always been popular. fender's own original vibrolux has often headed the list. 60's blackface are coveted and usually well maintained. both in the 2x10 and thee 1x15 formats. SRV and Cesar Diaz said the '64 1x15" shipped with a grey service cord was the holy grail of 'em all. I have had older and newer vibrolux amps and they were pretty amazing and useful. fender sweet yet still punchy. these days i still have a 2x10 in my life. 50w handmade from the nederlands called 'koch'. designed by phenom player greg koch and built by koch as a classic design, superb vintage tone, loaded w/ features, and not too heavy to work with. comes with a 5 button switching floor panel. not cheap. truly inspiring. i recommend you find one in your travels and stretch it out. cheers bro, pick on !
Could not agree more exploring different speaker configrations may be extremely interesting. There are a handful of 15" speakers that are really sweet, and quite some really good 10". BTW, the Greg Koch signature amp uses 2 Jensen Falcon 10" (C10-40FA)...
Hi Chris! I had a Fender Prosonic about 25 years ago. It had 2 10'' speakers and it was ferociously loud... Great drive channel with 2 drive knobs and a lovely twin reverb sound. Changed my mind about speaker sizes! Happy Crimble!
That live at Andertons solo blows my mind every time I watch it. I challenge you to do a video breaking that down, what you reckon Chris? haha .. Awesome job on 'January Came Close', great record👍
Amps that fly under the radar are Rivera amps. Essentially all of the Fender goodness you want with extra mods. I have a Clubster Royale Recording Top and it is absolutely nuts. I have it stocked with NOS tubes and it is magical.
I'd be intrigued (if I were you) to test pairings. Pro/Copper vs Vibro/Copper vs Pro/Vibro the last one of which may be surprisingly good, or surprisingly same-y. Might also be worth trying the Pro through a 2x10 or 1x10 to see if the speakers bring that top out of the Pro. (*note I am a 10' speaker fan, so biased.)
Hi Chris , I saw you at the Glasgow show you mention . I remember we spoke about the Buck and Evans show at the Cathouse where you had to lug your gear in up the mega -stairs 🤣At that gig sometimes I felt you weren’t really cutting through the mix , I even wondered whether it was bits where you were finger picking rather than using the pick . Get yourself an old Fender Super Twin … no prisoners with that but the weight of a coffin 🤣
To my ears, those tonal differences will not matter for the general audience, it is a guitar players rabbit hole. They sound a tad different as isolated tracks, but In a band context, they probably blend in in a similar way. It is still a fender, it is still mid scooped, etc. What matters more is your expression as a player and what you feel more comfortable with. As a listener, I wouldn't care for this differences at all.
love em dude- i use 1 10 vox bin and 2/ 12 fender bin. all powered by a 50watt tube head--- i have had pro guitar cats say my rig sounds loud and amazing. dude ur sound is so good . pls dont worry man
Thanks for a very informative video. I wish I could enjoy the nuances in the variations. I’m nearly deaf so most amps sound the same to me. What I can hear is the style and attack. I love your style. Merry Christmas to you and your family and Band.
Never in a million years thought I would like 10's until I was chasing Jeff Buckley tones and now my Vibrolux is the only amp I use to record cleans. They can obviously reach Hendrix territory too with the right speaker choice to provide enough headroom since Bassmans have 4 so a 2x10 might require higher efficiency models to prevent fuzz from becoming fizz but that's about it. I'm using 10" Celestion V's like the pair that were in the Blackstar Artist 30 which you inspired me to buy long ago haha they seem to handle any dirt well. Welcome to the club!
I found a very clean stock 68 Custom Vibrolux for $750 about 8 months ago but frankly my slightly modded 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue gives me the tone I desire. There are some advantages to the Vibrolux other than more watts, of course it's the 2 separate channels and the ability to jumper the two channels to get a third unique tone from this amp. It is certainly nice to have them both for different gigs but I will say for living room play I am a big fan of the Fender Pro Jr as the EL 84's create such a warm growl. Sadly my 65 Princeton Reissue is collecting dust these days. Cheers Chris have an amazing weekend!
I think most of us would kill to have an amp crisis that sounds as good as that! It’ll be interesting to see (hear) how the Vibrolux sounds at The Patriot. Last time you were there with B&E in June you had a Shotmaker, that sounded pretty sweet, any word on that? All the best for the shows this weekend, sadly I can’t make it to either!!
I've been gigging the Mesa Lonestar head with matching 4 x 10 Jenson cab for almost 15 years. Much prefer the 4 x 10 as compared to the 2 x 12 cab with Vintage 30's which I also still own because I couldn't bring myself to sell the matching cabs. Looks impressive with both stacked up in our practice room!! You've got roadies now!!!!! Get a 4 x 10!!!!
FYI, the speakers you have in the Mesa 4x10 are the Jensen P10R "Vintage Reissue", slightly brighter and tighter than the P10R - Fender version that Chris has in his Vibrolux :)
Definitely, the Vibrolux. The Pro Reverb has a mid-range that is much more in that wooly area. The Virbolux mid-range is definitely closer to that 900-1200Hz. However, that Victory amp definitely has tons ...maybe too much...in the 1500-3000Hz. Maybe try the Pro Reverb or Vibrolux through various Celestion speakers. I find that speakers/cabs make more of a difference than circuits.
I've been a proponent of the 2 different amps thing for years, it just makes things sound way huge and full of depth. Currently its a dreaded red knob Fender super 210, and a Mesa Boogie DC-5 the fender is 2x10 and the mesa a single 12, together they cover a plethora of tones, I'll run them through an AB-Y peddle and switch back and forth from both to either individual... that an overdrive, wah, and a tuner... cover nearly every tone I'll ever need.
There are so many factors when comparing amps. Working with a trusted builder to fine tune your amp once you've decided on which platform you want to use could help resolve the issues your hearing. Sometimes it's as simple as changing a speaker, on occasion changing components in the tone controls.
Chris I have a vintage Drip Edge (67/68) Twin Reverb with one JBL and one stock speaker. I think that would be the perfect amp for what you need. Even a reissue might be something to check out. But It is good to hear you like the originals better. Mine definitely has something special.
Hey Chris, I used to work at Fender as an amp engineer, and I agree with other feedback that the speakers are a very important part of the overall sound. I sat a couple of offices down from the guy who worked on Pete Townshend's amps and might be able to put you in touch with him if you're interested... let me know.
I have an original 69 Vibrolux Silverface drip tray with blackface circuitry and Oxford 10" speakers. Depending on the gig situation I sometimes run it with a 2 x 12" 75W Celestion box. I find if I need to cut through the mix a little more on any particular night (room dependant) I run it with the standard 10" but if it's a "bright" room I tend to run the 12" Celestions which tends to "round out" the top end some. Running the 12" Celestions its a Twin type sound but with less volume to break up point and being 75 W speakers the break up is all in the pre amp with great articulation from the speakers, particularly cool in a smallish room. Not sure how you will go in a larger venue with the Vibro but good luck and enjoy the ride. It might not be the amp you want, but at least you'll know what you don't want! 🎸
Shwmae Chris, The Twin Reverb is the ultimate monster. You just need to tame it before you can get the sound you need and a crane to get it on the stage. The Twin Reverb has an ultra linear output which tidies up the quality of the output signal to essentially hi-fi level. I have the 135 watt version ... tidy!
Firstly your are truly one of the guitar greats of our current era. While watching this I thought to myself you have such a unique and recognisible sound I bet I would be able to quickly know it is you no matter the amp or rig. That being said I always felt like you have a distinctly smooth tone not much upper high end. To me that is your "sound". Loads of mids. Maybe that just what your ear likes... and then that is your sound. On getting lost in the mix. Maybe your engineer can make more room for you in the approriate freq. Just a thought.
I was in the same dilemma as you are having. I bought a vibrolux and swapped out for 2 celestrians. Paired with a super reverb, the tone is wider across the spectrum. Bright with mid-range, very articulate.
I dig the Vibrolux. That being said, I'm of the mind that the speaker matters way more than the amp, so I would change the speaker before I change the amp. That being said, you're a skilled enough player that even if you plug into a Gorilla, you'd probably sound fantastic. I wouldn't worry too much.
My old man had a tiny gorilla in the 80s. He played his Les Paul custom through it. To be fair, he was in The navy and we were in Hawaii at the time and moving around the world from Germany, Scotland to Hawaii with his old Marshall stack and plexi that I saw in pictures wasn’t reasonable lug around the world along with three small kids and all the crap that went along with us.
In the 80s I worked for a guy that was a distributor for gorilla amps. I got a gg60. The largest one they made. 10" speaker. I've had it since then. I take it to rehearsals. I get more compliments on that amp.
Fwiw (almost certainly very little), I preferred the Vibrolux. I thought that the top end of the Vibrolux was sweeter, and less spiky. Of course, we’re talking tiny discrepancies, which would be barely noticeable to the average guitarist, let alone the average punter. But when you’re in a position where you can feed the ‘need’, then I say, have at it. Fantastic playing, as always, and it’s so good to see such a great guitar player get (at least some of), the recognition they deserve.
The musician is talking there and not the fans. Fans wouldn’t care less if it lacked some treble as they love seeing their favourite artists and have no issues with the tones.
I have a pro reverb and (counter intuitive as it sounds) if you turn the mids right down to 2-3 that top end comes back and you cut the mix just fine...not I also have the bright switch on for gigs. I am considering switching out the neo speaker. Mics up fine and is great to make it portable but im sure it's the weakest link. I pair mine with a Vox AC similar to Chris (but its a budget AC15) and my ears struggle to tell a marked difference in a live setting when played together. In conclusion, drop the mids to 2/3, drop some bass out 3/4 and trebble up on 6/7. Investigate the neo speaker and keep the copper paired with it.
Vibrolux all day for that! Pairs incredibly well with anything. Got mine as a wet amp, still pushed. Clear, vibrant and immediate. Many people have done speaker swaps just to put the cheaper originals back in, Fender hit it out the park with that one man!
The Les Paul is the right guitar for you. You always sound your best when I see you playing an LP and you seem to be the most comfortable playing it. The music that pours out of you when you're playing an LP is perfect. And the punch,smack,slap,kiss,smooch,brash, whatever word you want to use there, of the upper mids is kind of your signature and if you were to add too much brightness it would take away from the sound that I identify as, "oh that's Chris Buck."
Well, I’ve had Deluxes (silver & black face), a ProReverb, and a Vibrolux. I liked them all but the Pro was the most satisfying to play. However I’m now using Two Rocks for bigger shows because they hold together better at volume - you should check one out. As far as my Fender journey is concerned, I’ve ended up with 2 Princetons with Celestion G10 gold speakers, to my ears perfect for smaller gigs, but nowhere near big enough for your needs Chris.
My personal view is 2 complementary amps with distinct character and different speakers. I use a twin reverb ( 2 tight 12" C12K Jensen speakers 4 ohms ) and a CS Vibro king ( 3 soft Jensen P10R 10" speakers for 2 ohms ). Works wonder :)
Sometimes it’s a speaker choice. If you have friends with a lot of speakers, try different ones with your Pro. For example, I have two ‘66 Princetons. I changed the baffle and put a 12” Celestion Creamback in one. I can always change it back, but it changed that amp in some really positive ways!
As a guitar player and recording engineer I'll say the 57 and ribbon mic combo was invented for Fender amps. The mid push of the 57 is just perfect for filling out that tone and then just pushing that ribbon up under the 57 to taste for your highs and lows works a treat. I see in most of those big show it looks like you're playing with in ears so you aren't hearing the amp nearly as much as you're hearing the mics. If going thru the OX same still applies but with fake mics. You have the tone and your playing is sick so if I were you I would experiment with mic placement/mixes/choices if I were you and you can get plenty happy without having to torture yourself switching amps all the time.
Oh and I dig 10" speakers especially for all the lead stuff you do they are quicker and do have a bit more mids (which is why you'll find so many Vibrolux's usually sitting right next to a Twin in lots of old studios). 12" speakers do have that chonk though and are smoother in the cleans in my opinion.
Thanks Chris, this was a great look into what's happening in your world. You are right, the Vibrolux may be a better option. I've really only used 12" cabs myself, except for a brief experiment with a 15" about 20 years ago. I've thought of switching my fender devillle 212 to the 410, but after seeing how it effects your tone ... maybe next year ,,, maybe
If you want that classic Fender sound from a new Fender amp, use the right speakers. My favorite for this era of amps are the WGS G12C and Jupiter 12LC (or 12LC-P for a Deluxe Reverb). If you want presence and volume, the G12C wins.
I use a 1988 red knob fender" the twin "to do that its a clean amp and a dirty amp in one that you blend and it has a bunch of push pull knobs .it's loud AF I only use it if I'm playing with a drummer. I also have a black face twin reverb 68 reissue for the living room
I dearly love that Vibroking 3x10 amp that Fender reissued for a while. Also 3x10 Bandmaster is thing of absolute beauty. 10" speakers are really underrated, mainly by European players. Seems like USA players dont mind that much.
Interestingly enough, Fender commissioned to us the development of the P10R-F for the '57 Bandmaster and the Vibro-King 20th Ann. If you're familiar with the tone of those amps, you know how the P10R-F that Chris has in his Vibrolux may sound like :)
I was making dinner and was looking away when I heard the two clips. Straight away the vibrolux amp sounded better to my ears, it seemed to have more sparkle and midrange, all the usual adjectives guitarists like to use when describing tone, haha! Weird Segway but have you ever tried a Diezel? They don't just do gain monsters, they do amps like the Paul which are much more geared to clean/crunch tones.
I converted my Super Sonic 60 from 1x12 to 2x10 Jensen (it has a Vibrolux'ish preamp stage) and it's night and day. Think dynamics besides tone also, it's just a tighter impuls response, I can only imagine a player of your caliber liking it because of it's immediacy. Great projection and cut aswell. And it's way lighter, not sure you're carrying your cabs yourself still, in the case of doubt the crew will also like them :)
@@JensenSpeakersVideos well, given your name I think you rightfully can :) 2 x P10R 8Ω wired in series, the obvious choice. Bit of a mismatch with the 60W poweramp, but no issues there for years.
You are my favorite guitar player... but, I always thought watching you, please turn that sweet reverb tone off, and that sweet attack room tone, and use ' ugly treble middle no make up' tone, (at least on a big stage) (room tone is sweet, but doesn't let your dinamics go up, only down) ... and you will be King. Love you Man!
What a great problem to have! I vote for the Vibrolux. It sounded snarky in a very pleasing way, which may make it a very workable solution for the larger venues.
chris , experiment with speakers and cabinets with 2 speakers each, and then not having 2 of the same init as well, a 2x12 with a v30 and greenback with my jtm45 and a greenback and blue on my ac30 changed everything!!! id put the pro rev through a 2x12.
I’m intrigued as to everyone’s thoughts on the two 10” speakers in the Vibrolux - aside from the odd session with a Princeton, I’ve not had much experience with 10” speakers. What’s your thoughts? Love ‘em? Loath ‘em?
I love the Vibrolux. Eminence 1028K speakers sound the most authentic vintage (and are light too!), but there are LOADS of great choices available.
I'm not a fan of 10" speakers. I modded the hell out of my old Princeton trying to get what I wanted from it. Turns out I much prefer amps with a lot more headroom
That said I do think the vibrolux sounds good. Do you set both amps clean?
Love my 4x10 Deville.
Love em! Worked fantastic for OG Baseman's and they're good enough for Greg Koch, and he's a tone giant literally and metaphorically
I like the fact that CB seems to have no undying loyalty to any guitar brand.
When you can play like that, any guitar is gonna sound amazing.
Yeah. I like he make any guitar sound amazing
Yeah alot of popular guitarists get sponsored from brands, the loyalty normally comes with whatever brand is at the top of the contract. Then real famous guitarists get to pick and choose who makes a guitar for them. Real talented or popular guitarists get signature models. Again much like a sponsorship just with a backend deal on sales because of the association. Its a complicated industry, the amps side of things is totally different. Most pros use modified gear you can't just buy.
Loyalty to tone 🤙🏽
Because the big ol paycheck for a signature model and sponsorship hasn’t come yet.
Who the fuck is this guy? I just stumbled upon this video randomly and that was one of my favorite solos I've ever heard in the opening. What a pleasant surprise. That solo deserves all of the subs.
Enjoy it, but watch out, Chris' guitar playing makes you addicted!
Hey all, Ignazio Vagnone from Jensen Speakers here.
Chris, awesome find with this Vibrolux, and moreover because of the speakers you found in it!
I'd wish to drop a little bit of info background about the speakers that are in this Vibrolux. The Jensen P10R-F are a special version of the standard P10R, the reissue of the speaker used in the Tweed Bassman, Deluxe 5E3 etc. Fender commissioned us this version, to be originally installed in the Custom Shop '57 Bandmaster and in the 20th Anniversary edition of the Vibro-King amp. Then these speakers were "set free" to be offered as replacement speakers and not exclusive anymore to Fender. How do they differ from the standard Jensen Vintage Alnico P10R? They have a different membrane, mounted on the same voice coil and magnet assembly. The goal was to have sweeter treble, and warmer bass ranges. A sort of "aged tone", if you wish to consider it so.
Moving further: in principle, how a 10" differs from a 12"? Assuming size would be the ONLY difference, rarely the case though, the 10" will have less moving mass (smaller, lighter membrane), so it might have slightly more efficiency in the upper midrange and treble, and it might deliver a higher sense of immediacy, a sensation of a quicker reaction to the transients. It might also deliver less power in the bass range. The 12" may sound fuller, move more air, and maybe sound slightly less "forward" and more "relaxed".
Will a 2x10 sound bigger than a 1x12? Most likely yes. It will move significantly more air.
Will a 10" have less "headroom" than a 12". Once again, if the cone diameter is the only difference, while voice coil, magnet etc. are all the same, no, they will have likely the same power handling and efficiency/sensitivity.
I hope this might be interesting for the community... Feel free to hit me for info and tech chat at anytime!
Thanks Ignazio! Very much appreciated mate. I’ve been meaning to give you a shout actually - I’ll drop you a line over the weekend 🙂
For what it's worth, I definitely preferred the vibrolux over the pro reverb, the treble seemed a bit more noticable
Really enjoyed the playing here. You make less more. And then when there is more, it's more of less being more, which is great.
@chris___buck Reported.
Hey Chris, for what it is worth, I have been playing guitar for 62 years and I have been playing through two amps, most of the time, since the mid 70's. For the last 8 to 10 years it's been a combination of Fenders, Dr Z and Carr amps. The Fenders are '67 Super Reverb, Vibrolux Reverb, Deluxe Reverb and Princeton Reverb depending on venue size. I almost always use a Fender with one of the other two brands for the same reasons that you discussed. The great thing about pairing a Fender amp is the diversity of power and speaker combinations. If you can find one, a vintage 2x12, 45 watt, Pro Reverb should give you what you need.
Both amps sounded great to me and your tone at the Royal Albert Hall was spot on.
Dude that was an awesome performance!
Unrelated to the video but I just gotta say, I remember seeing a video of yours years ago on the King of Tone pedal and being so impressed with your playing and sense of melody and feel with your licks. Years later I started seeing Cardinal Black stuff pop up on my social media feed and thinking “hey, there’s that awesome guy from RUclips!” Glad to see you gaining more success and recognition, Chris.
Honestly i get shivers everytime you play guitar. Seeing you live in the house of rock tomorrow, cannot wait man!
Pro reverb has a similar sound to the Super Reverb. After running 12in speakers for a long time, the 4x10 in a super reverb is something magical. Super heavy but magical at nearly any volume.
Yup!!
Good shout. Remember being very pleasantly surprised by a Super a few years back. But then I went to lift it...
Glenn Frikker touched on an interesting point about tone and amps. I think as guitarists, we believe we can find the 'perfect' tone.
I've found great sounds and then come to play the same setup another day in the same room. Same guitar, amp, and pedals that are all dialled in just how they were, but now it doesn't sound the same.
I was hoping with more experience this would change bug even sound engineers have the same problem.
In a constant strive for perfection we can become so caught up in all the dials and gizmo's we forget to just play.
Remember when you started out with a cheap guitar and tiny amp. Remember when you could pick them up and the only issue with your tone was that it wasn't loud enough?
Now we have all the guitars and gear we wanted but never feel happy with it. This is a mental thing more than an issue with the tone.
Our hearing is always changing even throughout the day. I think the best thing is just adjust for your room and ask somebody else what they hear.
Sound is so subjective perhaps the aim as a performing guitarist you should aim to find the sound that your listener responds too.
Keep up the great content and awesome playing.
I own an original 1976 Ampeg V4 that was modded with upgraded tunes and transferformer too back in 1978......its in absolute mint condition - I will put that enormous headroom up against any amp ever built ....its the most underrated amplifier of all time , Ampeg is mostly known for bass rigs ....but in a small window they made guitar amplifiers (the V4) that just is heads above anything they've ever built or iv ever heard!!! ....or ....I just really lucky and the head is their best they built at that moment in time !!!!....Happy Holidays everyone !!!....be safe + healthy!!!
I personally think it's worth playing around with speakers in the Pro Reverb before changing amp all together. The predicament you are in sounds similar to mine, I found a nice Jensen sorted it out and brought back a bit of that bite instead of the creamback bark.
Absolutely agree. Changing from Celestion to Eminence didn't quite do it for me. Then I put 2 25w rated Jensons in a 2x12 cab and found everything I was looking for. Game changer, and a relatively cheap one at that.
@@davidkeane2399 which Eminence did you go for?
Awesome, as always... well, first of all :) Peter Frampton's sound ALWAYS has a way of making other guitarists on stage sound smaller and less present :) It's uncanny... and like others have said, experimenting with speaker types and brands may get you closer to your ideal, because the Pro Reverb has given you everything you needed until this last experience. Best wishes :)
The speakers in the amps make a big diff. I put some Jensen Falcons in my 2x10 cabinet to replace the no name speakers and it came to life like magic, love those Jensen speakers. I use a 1x15 cabinet as well, it had some old vintage organ speaker in it, sounded great, but the speaker wore out several years later, started making scraping sounds, , weird eh? Perhaps the 50 watts of tube power did it in? I put in an Eminence Beta 15 and I'm not really happy with it. Might have the old one re-coned or try another. It's all touchy stuff getting the rig right. Love your tone dude, killer playing! Come to Austin Texas, you guys would be a hit. I'd come see you play.
Good taste... the Jensen Falcon 10" are used by the mighty great Greg Koch... and he knows a thing or two, right?
Dear Chris, I think with such great feel, control and intonation like yours, you would really benefit from an amp that has more headroom and "size" for the lack of better terms. I would really love to hear you in the same context with a nicely dimed Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive e.g. and see if that sounds more open and lively.
Also give those newer Stereo Magnatones a try... the Twilighter for example.
@ChrisBuckGuitar I love the sound of 10’s and 12’s together. You get the cut and clarity from 10’s and the 12” acts like a subwoofer filling out the sound. Have you thought about running a 2x10 Fender Ext Cab off of the Pro Reverb? Think of it like listening to a Soundbar on a TV without a Subwoofer, then adding a Subwoofer and wondering how you ever lived without it.
I think your a fabulous and tasteful guitar player and your journey to refine your tone to compliment your playing is a joy to watch.
Chris, greetings from LA. Kudos for your tour with Mr. Frampton! Come see us in the US! Happy Holidays.
I’ve owned every vintage Fender. In their original stock form the Pro has softer fatter low end warmer and bluesier, the Vib has tighter and less bass, not brighter, so it cuts through better with a band. The Pro is nice and warm for bedroom playing, but gets lost in the mix on stage. However everything changes when you swap speakers from vintage to new, and especially when using the chassis as a head cab running to new production speaker cabs. Boom! Radical sound departure from stock combo. Try playing a Vib into a 2x12 cab or a Pro into a 4x10 cab. Wow!
Did you happen to discuss the tone you are chasing with Frampton or his techs? Not that you aren’t seasoned, but they have been around the block in every size venue imaginable. I haven’t heard you live from America, but your tone choices seem impeccable and you sound like Chris Buck with any piece of equipment I have heard you play through.
The Vibrolux is my absolute favorite amp. Sadly sold mine and have been kicking myself since. I have a Deluxe Reverb now and think of trading or selling for a Vibrolux.
Generally the Pro Reverb was my preferred sound but one passage on the Vibrolux had a very nice chime.
Yes, i thought so too... for Chris' soloing, that Pro amp seems
to delivery a rich soulful sound, like a female blues singer.
Michael Landau and Buzz Feiten used to swear by Pro amps :)
I absolutely love my drip edge vibrolux. It’s not as expensive as the other more popular vintage drip edge amps. It’s my perfect amp.
@@smelltheglove2038 I hear you... it's articulate and powerful. How did you discover it? Did you rent one or know someone who had one?
@@seanemmettfullerton I went into my local shop, they had a blackface Princeton upstairs that I wanted. The vibrolux just came in and was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. I tried it loved it and bought it. Serendipity maybe?
@@smelltheglove2038 Awesome! Either way, you'd have something nice :)
I'm just now realizing what the AB763 tone stack is... that shimmer sound was quite a game changer.
Always been a fender guy but after bad times with light but odd sounding super reverb tone master I swapped with a mate for a Mesa Transatlantic 30. Amazing amp. Totally nice cleans in a tweed way and actually quite lightweight. They don't make it anymore (not metal enough (at all) for their core market. Strongly recommended. I'm 56 and have tried everything..
The Anderson’s Session sounds amazing. Cheers.
Your in the same boat I was in 10 years ago. You use Fender, I use Marshall (clean). I know right? The issue you have is you want the ping and you want to fill the mid. Why are you using a tube amp? If you want the Fender Ping and mids, replace the ac30 (or derivative there of) with something that you have broad EQ control with. Not to over saturate your sound, but build a reinforcing layer. The best sound combo I have ever heard (Now I am going to date myself) was a Sunn Enforcer and a Sunn Beta Lead mixed. The Enf was a tube amp that was heavier than a fridge and the beta was a nice generic solid state amp. The combo was wide, bright and complete. The feeling you describe is a 3 to 5k scoop you want back. That is the mids of a solid state amp. Trying to stay away from modelers, and falling prey to "if it doesnt have tubes its trash" thinking. So just food for thought. Kindest regards.
Fender Super Reverb AB763 Schematic handwired with 4x10" Jensen! 😎
It's a Vibrolux with steroids... and 6L6gc tubes for more low end.
Awesome context on how the amps pair with one another. Amazing playing as always. I would bet that the Magnatone Twilighter or Twilighter Stereo would pair nicely with the Cooper. Of course that beautiful pitch shifting vibrato would be a nice touch at times but I’m partial obviously lol. Thanks for always inspiring Mr. Buck. My brother and I are huge fans of your work! Reaching out from South Louisiana btw✌️
Just a treble booster, Chris. You love that thick midrange, but it could all use just a touch o’ slice. 😉 Stay with the Reverb and add a teeny weeny EQ pedal before the drive.
holy shit, that guitar is beautiful
I have 100W of face breaking Marshall power, and have no such problem! Without my Rock crusher attenuator, I would go deaf! Now I have both, ball breaking push, and sweet on edge tube goodness, with a tone I can totally dig. I may try a few different speakers to see if I can hone my tone, but it's not a priority, and I always keep in mind that my discerning ear is more critical than I can expect most listeners to even care about, and the audience are not listening for the tone coming out of my amp, as much as the emotion going into it. I could only wish to be able to convey as much of it as Chris Buck in that regard.
I think i can feel your "pain" and "pleasure". Thanks
Gosh, you sound so good. It is you. Not dependent on the amp you use.
It all depends on the setting. If you are in a small club a small p. A. And really only vocals going through it. You kinda need a real amp. Playing at a church or any place where they do silent stage or you have to travel light then a helix, kemper, quad cortex is definitely handy. If I was recording I’d definitely want the real thing to play through. And to those trashing the modeling profilers, those things get you %95 of the way there. They are really good at mimicking a mic’d amp. Especially the new universal audio pedals.
SRV used a Fender Vibrolux amp with EV speakers for awhile. Try different speakers, they can make a huge difference. Or just get a late 50’s Fender high watt tweed twin. IMO, the best amp Fender ever made, but Joe Bonamassa might have bought them all. 👍
The speaker makes the biggest difference in the whole signal chain.
Agree, I think different speakers are likely more impactful than a different amp.
You play some seriously good stuff man 👍
There is the value of good teaching.
I Love Seeing and hearing your Music struggles Brother- Promise your self to record everything you can in these early years-you never know - How far you will go ! Good luck !~
There's some kind of phenomenon with amps in ultra loud settings, where the more harmonic amps like the Vibrolux actually perform better. I just sold a 64 Showman (best sounding amp I've ever had) for a 76 Princeton (more tame but suits what i'm doing) because of the inverse problem you have.
Thanks Chris! PS. You sound incredible in all the clips.
Thats a good point, I dont think anything, including the volume switches on the guitar, especially those, are intended to be used at 11
"were intended to be used at 11" and thank the almighty gods that people had/have the instinct to turn it all the way up or rock and roll would never have happened!
I've always struggled with ten inch drivers. I'm always found that a 12 inch is more fully voiced and more dynamic. I've always used to amps (peavey classic 60 and vox ac15hw1x) had the best of both worlds from peavey big sound and drove and the vox to brighten up the sound. I've now sold both amps and I'm going to buy my dream amp, a magnatone 2x12 twilighter stereo.
Chris - Can't wait to see the video on Deluxe Reverbs. I own the 64 custom and swapped the speaker to an Allesandro GA SC64. The stock speaker in the 64 custom is a Jensen 12CQ - it's nice but breaks up very early, which would not be ideal for the large stages you play. If you want a lot of headroom you could consider a Weber 12F150, which I had in my amp for a while. For me, that speaker is also like the Jensen in the sense that it's also a bit too scooped and lacking midrange, even though it was A LOT louder and had a ton more headroom. The Allesandro sits right between the two in terms of headroom and gives a lot more midrange content. It takes pedals (especially fuzz) very well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you get the chance to try one. Cheers.
I'm a big Victory fan and use my V50 clean through a V212 cab. Masses of headroom on the clean channel and sounds great at virtually all settings above 20% master output. The signal through the setup is very neutral with little colouration of the guitars natural sound (Albert Lee MM90).
Not a fan of the Copper though. It seems to colour the signal more than an AC30 to my ears.
As others have mentioned I think headroom is crucial for somebody who uses the amp relatively clean (as I believe Chris does).
I set the preamp to get the right tone and adjust the master to get the correct "loudness" for the stage size. Something you can't do with a smaller wattage amp as the output stage when driven hard will massively affect the tone. Great for those who like OD from the amp but not good for those who want a clean platform.
Quad Cortex from the current offerings is the answer. Sound, touch, and user interface are currently top of the heap.
More clarity in the Vibrolux to my ears. Very nice tone. I had a Blues Deville with a 4x10” config…lovely amp but silly loud for anything other than a large auditorium!
Chris. Whatever problem you are having with your Pro Reverb, we aren't hearing it. You are a wonderfully talented player, have a great band, and are climbing your way to stardom. Quit worrying about your gear and enjoy the ride!!!
The greatest still-living guitar God plays arenas with a 25W bandmaster, one strat, and a wah pedal these days. I found this to be a sobering lesson in gear.
Who's that?
@@DBMorris Clapton
@@chuckfarley7642 I knew he didn't run through much. But I didn't know what amp he was using.
Thanks 👍🏼
Sounds superb to me. I wouldn't change a thing.
Pro Reverb for me Chris.
However, listening to an amp in and out of band settings will garner different results.
All vintage fender amps have varying degrees of mid scooping (with the possible exception of the Super Reverb) and that’s why a mid boost pedal works so well with them.
But, I understand your style of playing, including high note articulation, won’t necessarily benefit from just a mid push for soloing in particular. However, you do need to be heard above the band, so perhaps you just need a little more mic volume and some Klon-type frequencies as opposed to TS?
Brilliant playing as always, Chris. It’s a pleasure hearing you.
hey Chris, love your work and the new band, thanks too much. here in the states the various incarnations of the 2x10 fender style amps have always been popular. fender's own original vibrolux has often headed the list. 60's blackface are coveted and usually well maintained. both in the 2x10 and thee 1x15 formats. SRV and Cesar Diaz said the '64 1x15" shipped with a grey service cord was the holy grail of 'em all. I have had older and newer vibrolux amps and they were pretty amazing and useful. fender sweet yet still punchy. these days i still have a 2x10 in my life. 50w handmade from the nederlands called 'koch'. designed by phenom player greg koch and built by koch as a classic design, superb vintage tone, loaded w/ features, and not too heavy to work with. comes with a 5 button switching floor panel. not cheap. truly inspiring. i recommend you find one in your travels and stretch it out. cheers bro, pick on !
Could not agree more exploring different speaker configrations may be extremely interesting. There are a handful of 15" speakers that are really sweet, and quite some really good 10". BTW, the Greg Koch signature amp uses 2 Jensen Falcon 10" (C10-40FA)...
Hi Chris! I had a Fender Prosonic about 25 years ago. It had 2 10'' speakers and it was ferociously loud... Great drive channel with 2 drive knobs and a lovely twin reverb sound. Changed my mind about speaker sizes! Happy Crimble!
That live at Andertons solo blows my mind every time I watch it. I challenge you to do a video breaking that down, what you reckon Chris? haha .. Awesome job on 'January Came Close', great record👍
Amps that fly under the radar are Rivera amps. Essentially all of the Fender goodness you want with extra mods. I have a Clubster Royale Recording Top and it is absolutely nuts. I have it stocked with NOS tubes and it is magical.
About Rivera amps…True.
I'd be intrigued (if I were you) to test pairings. Pro/Copper vs Vibro/Copper vs Pro/Vibro the last one of which may be surprisingly good, or surprisingly same-y. Might also be worth trying the Pro through a 2x10 or 1x10 to see if the speakers bring that top out of the Pro. (*note I am a 10' speaker fan, so biased.)
I've played an old marshall 4x10 (72 or 73 18 watt green backs x4) for years and love it.
Hi Chris , I saw you at the Glasgow show you mention . I remember we spoke about the Buck and Evans show at the Cathouse where you had to lug your gear in up the mega -stairs 🤣At that gig sometimes I felt you weren’t really cutting through the mix , I even wondered whether it was bits where you were finger picking rather than using the pick . Get yourself an old Fender Super Twin … no prisoners with that but the weight of a coffin 🤣
To my ears, those tonal differences will not matter for the general audience, it is a guitar players rabbit hole. They sound a tad different as isolated tracks, but In a band context, they probably blend in in a similar way. It is still a fender, it is still mid scooped, etc. What matters more is your expression as a player and what you feel more comfortable with. As a listener, I wouldn't care for this differences at all.
One option is to use an expansion box with a complementary different speaker. This way you might be happy with just one amp…
Dude your singer is smokin’! Love your tone during that solo as well. Nice!
love em dude- i use 1 10 vox bin and 2/ 12 fender bin. all powered by a 50watt tube head--- i have had pro guitar cats say my rig sounds loud and amazing. dude ur sound is so good . pls dont worry man
Thanks for a very informative video. I wish I could enjoy the nuances in the variations. I’m nearly deaf so most amps sound the same to me. What I can hear is the style and attack. I love your style. Merry Christmas to you and your family and Band.
Never in a million years thought I would like 10's until I was chasing Jeff Buckley tones and now my Vibrolux is the only amp I use to record cleans. They can obviously reach Hendrix territory too with the right speaker choice to provide enough headroom since Bassmans have 4 so a 2x10 might require higher efficiency models to prevent fuzz from becoming fizz but that's about it. I'm using 10" Celestion V's like the pair that were in the Blackstar Artist 30 which you inspired me to buy long ago haha they seem to handle any dirt well. Welcome to the club!
Great video. Also, WOW, the Vibrolux sounds amazing: more character down quiet, quite a bit more presence cranked up.
I found a very clean stock 68 Custom Vibrolux for $750 about 8 months ago but frankly my slightly modded 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue gives me the tone I desire. There are some advantages to the Vibrolux other than more watts, of course it's the 2 separate channels and the ability to jumper the two channels to get a third unique tone from this amp. It is certainly nice to have them both for different gigs but I will say for living room play I am a big fan of the Fender Pro Jr as the EL 84's create such a warm growl. Sadly my 65 Princeton Reissue is collecting dust these days. Cheers Chris have an amazing weekend!
I think most of us would kill to have an amp crisis that sounds as good as that!
It’ll be interesting to see (hear) how the Vibrolux sounds at The Patriot. Last time you were there with B&E in June you had a Shotmaker, that sounded pretty sweet, any word on that?
All the best for the shows this weekend, sadly I can’t make it to either!!
I've been gigging the Mesa Lonestar head with matching 4 x 10 Jenson cab for almost 15 years. Much prefer the 4 x 10 as compared to the 2 x 12 cab with Vintage 30's which I also still own because I couldn't bring myself to sell the matching cabs. Looks impressive with both stacked up in our practice room!! You've got roadies now!!!!! Get a 4 x 10!!!!
FYI, the speakers you have in the Mesa 4x10 are the Jensen P10R "Vintage Reissue", slightly brighter and tighter than the P10R - Fender version that Chris has in his Vibrolux :)
Definitely, the Vibrolux. The Pro Reverb has a mid-range that is much more in that wooly area. The Virbolux mid-range is definitely closer to that 900-1200Hz. However, that Victory amp definitely has tons ...maybe too much...in the 1500-3000Hz. Maybe try the Pro Reverb or Vibrolux through various Celestion speakers.
I find that speakers/cabs make more of a difference than circuits.
Lets just go ahead and go all out. Get a Two Rock and be done with it. You are a professional guitar player and one of current greats. Get a Two Rock
I've been a proponent of the 2 different amps thing for years, it just makes things sound way huge and full of depth. Currently its a dreaded red knob Fender super 210, and a Mesa Boogie DC-5 the fender is 2x10 and the mesa a single 12, together they cover a plethora of tones, I'll run them through an AB-Y peddle and switch back and forth from both to either individual... that an overdrive, wah, and a tuner... cover nearly every tone I'll ever need.
Great Chris!!! Nothing Is casual !! 🤟🤟🤟🤟🎸🎸🎸🎸👏👏👏👏🤗from Italy 🇮🇹👋
There are so many factors when comparing amps. Working with a trusted builder to fine tune your amp once you've decided on which platform you want to use could help resolve the issues your hearing. Sometimes it's as simple as changing a speaker, on occasion changing components in the tone controls.
Chris I have a vintage Drip Edge (67/68) Twin Reverb with one JBL and one stock speaker. I think that would be the perfect amp for what you need. Even a reissue might be something to check out. But It is good to hear you like the originals better. Mine definitely has something special.
You really can't beat a Twin Reverb for live gigs. There is a reason Jerry Garcia and countless others relied on them.
Hey Chris, I used to work at Fender as an amp engineer, and I agree with other feedback that the speakers are a very important part of the overall sound. I sat a couple of offices down from the guy who worked on Pete Townshend's amps and might be able to put you in touch with him if you're interested... let me know.
I have an original 69 Vibrolux Silverface drip tray with blackface circuitry and Oxford 10" speakers. Depending on the gig situation I sometimes run it with a 2 x 12" 75W Celestion box.
I find if I need to cut through the mix a little more on any particular night (room dependant) I run it with the standard 10" but if it's a "bright" room I tend to run the 12" Celestions which tends to "round out" the top end some. Running the 12" Celestions its a Twin type sound but with less volume to break up point and being 75 W speakers the break up is all in the pre amp with great articulation from the speakers, particularly cool in a smallish room. Not sure how you will go in a larger venue with the Vibro but good luck and enjoy the ride. It might not be the amp you want, but at least you'll know what you don't want! 🎸
Shwmae Chris, The Twin Reverb is the ultimate monster. You just need to tame it before you can get the sound you need and a crane to get it on the stage. The Twin Reverb has an ultra linear output which tidies up the quality of the output signal to essentially hi-fi level. I have the 135 watt version ... tidy!
Firstly your are truly one of the guitar greats of our current era. While watching this I thought to myself you have such a unique and recognisible sound I bet I would be able to quickly know it is you no matter the amp or rig.
That being said I always felt like you have a distinctly smooth tone not much upper high end. To me that is your "sound". Loads of mids. Maybe that just what your ear likes... and then that is your sound.
On getting lost in the mix. Maybe your engineer can make more room for you in the approriate freq. Just a thought.
I was in the same dilemma as you are having. I bought a vibrolux and swapped out for 2 celestrians. Paired with a super reverb, the tone is wider across the spectrum. Bright with mid-range, very articulate.
I do have a pair of Jenson Neo 12's in an open back that I Like- Tens are great, and very even, but they do wear out quicker than Twelves !
@Time stamp 5:30ish , I expected him to say “I guess you guys ain’t ready for this yet , but your kids are gonna love it” !!!
I dig the Vibrolux. That being said, I'm of the mind that the speaker matters way more than the amp, so I would change the speaker before I change the amp.
That being said, you're a skilled enough player that even if you plug into a Gorilla, you'd probably sound fantastic. I wouldn't worry too much.
My old man had a tiny gorilla in the 80s. He played his Les Paul custom through it. To be fair, he was in The navy and we were in Hawaii at the time and moving around the world from Germany, Scotland to Hawaii with his old Marshall stack and plexi that I saw in pictures wasn’t reasonable lug around the world along with three small kids and all the crap that went along with us.
In the 80s I worked for a guy that was a distributor for gorilla amps. I got a gg60. The largest one they made. 10" speaker. I've had it since then. I take it to rehearsals. I get more compliments on that amp.
Fwiw (almost certainly very little), I preferred the Vibrolux. I thought that the top end of the Vibrolux was sweeter, and less spiky. Of course, we’re talking tiny discrepancies, which would be barely noticeable to the average guitarist, let alone the average punter. But when you’re in a position where you can feed the ‘need’, then I say, have at it.
Fantastic playing, as always, and it’s so good to see such a great guitar player get (at least some of), the recognition they deserve.
The musician is talking there and not the fans. Fans wouldn’t care less if it lacked some treble as they love seeing their favourite artists and have no issues with the tones.
I have a pro reverb and (counter intuitive as it sounds) if you turn the mids right down to 2-3 that top end comes back and you cut the mix just fine...not I also have the bright switch on for gigs.
I am considering switching out the neo speaker. Mics up fine and is great to make it portable but im sure it's the weakest link.
I pair mine with a Vox AC similar to Chris (but its a budget AC15) and my ears struggle to tell a marked difference in a live setting when played together.
In conclusion, drop the mids to 2/3, drop some bass out 3/4 and trebble up on 6/7. Investigate the neo speaker and keep the copper paired with it.
Vibrolux all day for that! Pairs incredibly well with anything. Got mine as a wet amp, still pushed. Clear, vibrant and immediate. Many people have done speaker swaps just to put the cheaper originals back in, Fender hit it out the park with that one man!
The Les Paul is the right guitar for you. You always sound your best when I see you playing an LP and you seem to be the most comfortable playing it. The music that pours out of you when you're playing an LP is perfect. And the punch,smack,slap,kiss,smooch,brash, whatever word you want to use there, of the upper mids is kind of your signature and if you were to add too much brightness it would take away from the sound that I identify as, "oh that's Chris Buck."
Well, I’ve had Deluxes (silver & black face), a ProReverb, and a Vibrolux. I liked them all but the Pro was the most satisfying to play. However I’m now using Two Rocks for bigger shows because they hold together better at volume - you should check one out. As far as my Fender journey is concerned, I’ve ended up with 2 Princetons with Celestion G10 gold speakers, to my ears perfect for smaller gigs, but nowhere near big enough for your needs Chris.
That AMAZING SOLO was played using a Squier Jazzmaster. Just saying...
My personal view is 2 complementary amps with distinct character and different speakers. I use a twin reverb ( 2 tight 12" C12K Jensen speakers 4 ohms ) and a CS Vibro king ( 3 soft Jensen P10R 10" speakers for 2 ohms ). Works wonder :)
Sometimes it’s a speaker choice. If you have friends with a lot of speakers, try different ones with your Pro. For example, I have two ‘66 Princetons. I changed the baffle and put a 12” Celestion Creamback in one. I can always change it back, but it changed that amp in some really positive ways!
As a guitar player and recording engineer I'll say the 57 and ribbon mic combo was invented for Fender amps. The mid push of the 57 is just perfect for filling out that tone and then just pushing that ribbon up under the 57 to taste for your highs and lows works a treat. I see in most of those big show it looks like you're playing with in ears so you aren't hearing the amp nearly as much as you're hearing the mics. If going thru the OX same still applies but with fake mics. You have the tone and your playing is sick so if I were you I would experiment with mic placement/mixes/choices if I were you and you can get plenty happy without having to torture yourself switching amps all the time.
Oh and I dig 10" speakers especially for all the lead stuff you do they are quicker and do have a bit more mids (which is why you'll find so many Vibrolux's usually sitting right next to a Twin in lots of old studios). 12" speakers do have that chonk though and are smoother in the cleans in my opinion.
Thanks Chris, this was a great look into what's happening in your world. You are right, the Vibrolux may be a better option. I've really only used 12" cabs myself, except for a brief experiment with a 15" about 20 years ago. I've thought of switching my fender devillle 212 to the 410, but after seeing how it effects your tone ... maybe next year ,,, maybe
If you want that classic Fender sound from a new Fender amp, use the right speakers.
My favorite for this era of amps are the WGS G12C and Jupiter 12LC (or 12LC-P for a Deluxe Reverb).
If you want presence and volume, the G12C wins.
I use a 1988 red knob fender" the twin "to do that its a clean amp and a dirty amp in one that you blend and it has a bunch of push pull knobs .it's loud AF I only use it if I'm playing with a drummer. I also have a black face twin reverb 68 reissue for the living room
I dearly love that Vibroking 3x10 amp that Fender reissued for a while. Also 3x10 Bandmaster is thing of absolute beauty.
10" speakers are really underrated, mainly by European players. Seems like USA players dont mind that much.
Interestingly enough, Fender commissioned to us the development of the P10R-F for the '57 Bandmaster and the Vibro-King 20th Ann. If you're familiar with the tone of those amps, you know how the P10R-F that Chris has in his Vibrolux may sound like :)
@@JensenSpeakersVideos good information. You guys are doing stellar job with these speakers
I was making dinner and was looking away when I heard the two clips. Straight away the vibrolux amp sounded better to my ears, it seemed to have more sparkle and midrange, all the usual adjectives guitarists like to use when describing tone, haha!
Weird Segway but have you ever tried a Diezel? They don't just do gain monsters, they do amps like the Paul which are much more geared to clean/crunch tones.
I converted my Super Sonic 60 from 1x12 to 2x10 Jensen (it has a Vibrolux'ish preamp stage) and it's night and day. Think dynamics besides tone also, it's just a tighter impuls response, I can only imagine a player of your caliber liking it because of it's immediacy. Great projection and cut aswell. And it's way lighter, not sure you're carrying your cabs yourself still, in the case of doubt the crew will also like them :)
Super interesting! May I ask which speakers have you chosen?
@@JensenSpeakersVideos well, given your name I think you rightfully can :)
2 x P10R 8Ω wired in series, the obvious choice. Bit of a mismatch with the 60W poweramp, but no issues there for years.
@@mad24r45 awesome :) Thanks!
You are my favorite guitar player... but, I always thought watching you, please turn that sweet reverb tone off, and that sweet attack room tone, and use ' ugly treble middle no make up' tone, (at least on a big stage)
(room tone is sweet, but doesn't let your dinamics go up, only down) ... and you will be King. Love you Man!
Dude. That playing at the beginning! Love it.
What a great problem to have! I vote for the Vibrolux. It sounded snarky in a very pleasing way, which may make it a very workable solution for the larger venues.
chris , experiment with speakers and cabinets with 2 speakers each, and then not having 2 of the same init as well, a 2x12 with a v30 and greenback with my jtm45 and a greenback and blue on my ac30 changed everything!!! id put the pro rev through a 2x12.
The difference between the two really becomes apparent once the overdrive kicks in. Much more high-end response in the Vibrolux
Chris my brother man. The told srv same thing I'ma tell you. If u sang bro. U would rule the world. Man. !!!
No thx. Scammer!!!!!