No Blackface? - Did Fender Make an OOPSIE? - 1981 Vibrolux Reverb Service and Demo
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- In this vid we'll service a 1981 Fender Vibrolux Reverb that oddly still has a Silverface faceplate. By the early 80s, Fender had switched back to Black face. This amp could be the very last of the original Silverface era with a transformer dated 4th week of 1981.
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I dressed up as Michael Jackson for Halloween once. True story. I had the Beat It jacket and everything. I was such a badass kid.
I did Mr. T in 5th grade. Black- faced, my blonde hair died black down the middle and roach clips + over - gold.
@@williambaker1136 I ate Mr. T cereal when my mom let me get it.
They will hunt you down bro! lol
It was easy to dress up as Michael after his "vitiligo". Is there such thing as whiteface? maybe weaves?
You're lucky that the Home Of Hypocrisy (and Steve King and Agolf Twitler) , the GOP, hasn't found out cuz they'd be calling for your head too.
Great video Brad... As a Aussie tech myself for over 40y I cant say you did anything wrong here, but I did have a chuckle when you landed those bias voltage problems. I have my own ideas as to what caused it though you got there in the end... they are a nice amp...
Brad i love the tech stuff but you should do some videos with just your playing as you are a excellent player with loads of tasty licks. I'm sure most of your subscribers would agree!!
i was just gonna post something very similar. was even gonna use the word tasty! great playing for sure.
I agree. Enjoy Brad's playing and would think others would benefit from learning some licks from him.
i wish i had his right hand technique. i dont even know how to get it, to tell the truth. Any suggestion?
Thanks, y'all are too kind. On right hand technique, I did a video on that a couple years ago. ruclips.net/video/EZE0CTiuMn8/видео.html
I just had sort of a imaginary hoax run through my mind where Brad would just rip and Shred and then do a Hendricks /Pete Townsend Ending by just reaming the speaks busting up a customers equipment just for a few laughs.....
Nice sounding amp. Definitely has that Fender vibe.
Nothing like that old fender clean sound with a bit of reverb.
Dirty Leslie that picture is my mistake , I have never corrected it . In fact I am a lefty that plays right ! But yes you are indeed right , power to the lefties ! Lol
Came for your "Mammy" rendition. Left at the end missing my '74 Fender Bassman 100 head. Another great repair video. Thanks, Brad!
To me,this amp was sounding amazing at the beginning.
Liked just for the reverb crash. Everything sounds better with a good reverb crash in it.
Probably one of the last V.R. amps ever made in that era. By 1980 Fender had gone back to blackface cosmetics on the Deluxe and Princeton. Another tech has done mods to make it more like the AB 763 circuit, changing the bias balance back to a bias level control and replacing some resistors in the phase invertor circuit. The GZ34 swap you mentioned would be a good idea. It raises the B+ and take 2 amps of load current off of the power transformer. At that point in time Fender's large amps were covered by 2 schematics that were simply labelled 70 watt and 145 watt depending on how many output tubes it had.
Hey Brad, you’ve got excellent tone man.
Don't be reluctant about that radio to guitar amp conversion, that sort of thing will be awesome to see.
Fender didn't phase the Blackface plates back in all at once. They started in 1980 with the newly updated Paul Rivera amps such as the Concert/Concert II and then slowly started putting black panels on the other models. I used to have a 1981 Fender Champ that was still Silverface. It was made in the first few weeks of '81 and had both '80 and '81 parts.
I figured that was the case. This is the latest SF I've seen from the original run. Makes sense they might have had more Vibrolux Reverb faceplates lying around than some other models too.
@@TheGuitologist If you want to do a cool mod on that amp, play the Vibrato channel with the V1 tube pulled. Because of the shared resistor and capacitor network, pulling the V1 tube while using the Vibrato channel or pulling the V2 tube while using the Normal channel, gives it a much better tone in my opinion. Some people actually install a switch that can do this.
I have a Princeton Reverb ll amp from the early 80s. I bought it in 1989 for $250. It's a kick-ass little amp.
I have a 72 Marshall Superlead with a plexi front and metal back. It has the laydown transformer. I bought it while stationed in Scotland in the mid 80's when nobody wanted the old Marshalls anymore. I questioned it on some amp forum years ago and some believe it was a "parts" amp. Instead of throwing older parts away they used them to build amps after cleaning out the storage areas.
7025 is just a low noise selected 12AX7. Today we can buy 12AX7 that are selected for exceptionally low noise if desired, so its not a big deal. My 1966 Vibrolux Reverb blackface is STILL working fine on the original high voltage filter electrolytic caps... I suppose because, not over-used to thousands upon thousands of hours, but used often enough to keep the caps formed.
The only Vibrolux i ever played through was at a small radio station Christmas party 5 years ago. The station's manager claimed that he bought it at a yard sale from one of his buddies/neighbor on long island who was a member of Blue Oyster Cult, and who claimed it was Hendrix's practice studio amp at some point. It was a brown very early 60's Vibrolux. No actual provenance to speak of, but the amp sounded amazing regardless of it's origins.
It didn't look like it had been gone through. It had a two prong cord, and i was playing it improperly grounded, and singing through a microphone which ended up electrocuting me in the mouth. It was in the middle of a song and i managed to play it off like nothing happened.
It was a nice experience, and i hope that the Hendrix story was true. Just thinking im touching the same knobs Jimi did was really special.
I'd say that guy was just a member of an actual cult and not the band. LOL! That's a cool story though but it just seems hilarious to think that someone would be selling something at a yard sale that once belonged to Jimi Hendrix. That stuff is probably usually sold at Christie's for exuberant amounts of money.
@@SimpleManGuitars1973 No, the yard sale took place in the 70's before Jimi acquired the cult following he got in the 80's and 90's when people really realized that someone like him doesn't come around very often. When Jimi died, the news just called it a negro musician overdosed on drugs and people went on with their lives. It's later that he got the fame he deserved while he was alive. And at thay point you started having people claiming that their stuff belonged to Hendrix to con people. Anybody that had a 60's strat and a drill in the 80's and 90's could have tried to pass it off as a Hendrix guitar.
But no, the owner of the amp is a minor radio celebrity that had a radio children's show in the 70's and early 80's. He does know a lot of famous New York people like Howard Stern, and other people in that category like BOC Long Islanders, so i don't think he's lying. Plus he's really wealthy and isn't trying to sell the amp or pass it off as anything it's not. He was very nice to me, and we were trying to get a project going together that fell through, and i just kind of stopped hanging out with him and with his circles, and i kind of have to be vague when telling that story, and leave names out because they are reasonably influential and powerful people that i don't want to piss off.
I went to a Cult concert in Atlanta once.Too darn loud even for a young 20 year old kid.
Blue Oyster Cult rented a huge mansion on Eatons Neck near JP Morgan's estate near Northport NY where I grew up. They had tons of equipment that they traded and swapped with many Long Island musicians. The summer parties at their place were epic in 1976 thru 1980.
Nice save.
I think 2X10 is a pretty nice set up. That fender on fender sound after the repairs is great. All day long.
Holy balls! I love this channel!!! Lol the title had me rolling!!
In a day and age when bikes tvs phones are disposable its nice to see you fix things kids dont know how to fix stuff anymore when i was a kid you had a schwinn and it lasted you would fix it if something happened to it
Ahhhhh, the Fender reverb just cannot be beat! The vibrato of the other hand is a different story :)
"...right now I need a Telecaster through a Vibrolux turned up to ten." John Hiatt
What I dig about your amp videos is it’s like just hanging out with you watching the work and learning along the way. Dig it.
That's a particularly sweet-sounding amp. Everything I would want a Fender to sound like.
Good vid Brad ... I like it when you show actual soldering ... Much appreciated
There's more of it on Channel 2. Some stuff I edited out of this one.
Dude. I'd have a blast in that work room. Lol
I am now on a quest to find a late 70’s - early 80’s Vibrolux. Love 10 inch speakers 🔊. Touch response and tone for days makes the Vibrolux one of my all time favorite amps. 🇺🇸🗽🦅👍🏼👍🏼
Yes! I want to see more Fenders and Marshalls on the channel! I love looking inside of those.
I like your attack on the strings. I always watch demos and a lot of guys barely hit the notes and there’s a big difference. I just watched one demoing distortion (pedal) on a vibrolux and you can tell he was barely hitting the strings….no power.
Great demos.
WOW THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS , THIS IN A WAY MAKES ME HAPPY , ALFRED NYC / PR
So damn good '81
Great channel man
This Is my favorite amp ever by Fender.....bucket list
Great video Brad. It looks like you missed an electrolytic capacitor on the board. You point at it at 29:39 it's to the left of the one you replaced, under some white wires. I could be wrong... all I know about amp repair I learned on this channel and on Uncle Doug's channel.
You are correct. I saw that while editing. I swear it wasn't there before I went to edit the video. :D
I get nervous watching you poke around with your fingers! You should make sure you tell the viewers that you are discharging caps so no one gets juiced following your lead. Love your repair vids. The best!
So I'm one year older than this amp. Oh man, i want it so bad. The owner is so lucky to have this.
Absolute excellence in every area Brad. Detailed discussion, narration and quality footage supported with some tasty playing that really shows the beautiful tones of that lovely amplifier. A valve amplifier enthusiasts porn channel! You are the Ron Jeremy of your craft! Brilliant!!
I always forget what a great player you are man! Hopefully one day we can jam (probably not, but that would be cool)
He’s a great player
Great video. Always learn a lot watching.
I’ve always thought it was a mistake when Fender started doing the 65 reissues they didn’t reissue the Blackface Vibrolux Reverb. One of my favorite amps but originals are getting hard to find.
They did a "Custom" Vibrolux which might be up your alley
When Brad says “Metal Film” he means Metal Oxide when he’s talking about replacing resistors in the power/screen/bias position.
I still use Carbon Comp resistors in replica amps.
989 is the EIA code for Magnetic Components, parent company of Classic Tone. That replacement output transformer is for a Black/Silverface 50 watt Bassman. Popular mod for Vibrolux and Bandmaster amps.
Thanks, Matt. You're correct. My bad on that. I do that all the time with those.
Russell E Simonetta Metal film resistors are great. Low noise and very accurate tolerance, I have used them in higher gain amps with great success. Very cheap too.
The Guitologist no problemo. Just trying to help your viewers if they plan on doing their own work.
Look forward to seeing all these amps, some great videos ahead 😎
Welcome to my favorite RUclips channel bro. Don't worry, yours isn't far behind. 😋
@@russianbot2397 likewise 💪
What a great sounding amp!
just great to see the repair vids are back Brad
Love the 304/Flatwoods Monster sticker!! WV represent!!
The enormous top end of a Vibrolux with the Reverb, coupled with the robust low end give them a 6L6 scooped feel. For single coil guitars, they pronounce the features of that pickup. A long time favorite, but having blown enough 10" Jensen's, I moved to 12" ceramics.
I learn so much, about Carbon Comp resistors. I thought they were preferable, but I've had my share of heat problems, exploding resistors, exploding tubes... I guess I need to keep the amp in a cooler environment, not sitting on top of other amps.
Great playing, everybody loves a Lux. Can't wait to see the future videos, I love to learn. Thanks Brad!
Some builders swear by carbon comp in signal paths. Heat can be an issue. Those resistors will rise in value over time.
Thanks for sharing, great video with fine playing to 'cap' it off
Glad to see some repairs coming up Brad
You’ve got yourself a new sub. Keep up the good work 👌🏿
Welcome. A scantily clad lady will be along with your cocktail and air sickness pills shortly.
Great video dude, and that Fender banner looks great!
Such lovely playing at the end
Wonderful playing man✌
Cool that you are playing more these days. You even got a compliment from TJ Armstrong. I think it would be good to hear you play more too. It's cool to see everyone's style and how people interpret things.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Amp knowledge AND UN- PC humor, cheers to you, Sir!
thanks Brad just what the doc ordered, heading down your way soon for my sons vocational school competition. I have 1980's music man 210 65 that my dad bought for me when i was a young teen (I'm 60). never done anything to it but beat her down. lots of gigs.I'd like to drop her off.
Man that thing sounds great
Thanks Brad. That amp sounds great!
The Vibro sounded good before the repair; it sounds Damned Sweet after the repair!
You killed "Boris the Spider"
People might have to go back to cat videos.
Good to see and here the Tele again. It suits your style better than the PRS.
Brad did you write the music for Mississippi Burning or Sling Blade by chance? Lol, ... my uncle had a Silverface VR much like this one. That thing was so pure (and very loud). At least that is how I remember it from my younger years. Miss him and my pop rehearsing and some of the binding happenings that go along with those activities.
Most of the very best memories in my life are inextricably enmeshed with music.
I bet, you could design, and manufacture an awesome fuzz box. Go on...make one, and give us all something that drops our jaws. You could make a mint!!! Another thoroughly enjoyed video. Keep up the great work. 👍☀️👍
your such a great guitar player
Absolutely perfect Brad.
Eight minutes in and a thumbs up for the playing.
Brad, I wish my storage room was that neat and tidy.
I always use 5w resistors for my bias supply, I know it's overkill , but never have to worry about failure, same with all my cathodes,5w or 10w for bigger tubes, never had a amp comeback. I use over rated caps to on certain things, I might cost a couple dollars more why not. My amps that I build I use all 2w resistors flame resistant, I play hard loud and for hours never had any problems, I also put silicon diodes on my rectifier s tubes so they never fail, 1000v type, I overkill everything, it's doesn't cost much more.
That amp sounds GREAT!
Nice playing!
Back in the late 70's and early 80's Fender was funny with their logos on the amps. I had a 1984 Fender Sidekick Reverb 65 which had the 'Made in USA' Fender logo on the grill even though the amp was actually produced in Japan.
Interesting. Wonder if someone did that at the store...
It was sorta like the Elizabeth Warren of amps. Actually Japanese but "identified" as American. LOL!
With the USA logo, that actually make it about 1/1024th Native American.
I have that exact amp only I think it's 85 and doesn't say made in USA. I use it for a keyboard amp.
@@TheGuitologist Yes but Fender will soon issue a 1/1024TH of an apology just to be on the safe side.
great jammin bro, kickin ass , love the way you control feedback too , in case i dont say it enough
Yay. I have been looking forward to this one!!!!!!
You can use a NE556 where one side is used as a clock that drives the second half of the NE556 used as a modulator and should be used to drive high power transistor output stage which gets filtered and send back to inverting side of an operational amp which feeds into the control voltage input of the second half of the NE556, the signal gets fed into the non-inverting side of the operational amp that feeds the 2nd control voltage input of NE556 which is the modulator.
Looking forward to more soldering vidoes!
I heard a Wurlitzer eps through a valve Fender in a band live, never heard anything better since and that was over 40 years ago
Relieved to see that someone else's work space is as cluttered as mine!!!
Vibrolux Reverbs all sound good!
I had to laugh when you said "I can't find any fault with this'. I was thinking the same thing. Still a nice amp worth getting its 100,000 mile service :)
Cool enough, i recently revisited a VG mag, Jan '18 with Freddie King on the cover and there is nice feature on a '68 Vibrolux, first run, drip rail grille and all. Near mint but even it had a cap job.
When you were looking inside, I saw the Sharpie markings for color code from the OT to the tubes, and I said to myself, "That OT has been out, or been replaced." That's weird, though. I so seldom see actually blown OTs in Fenders.
Wow my dad had that same amp from 1976. Freakin heavy! We were told by the music zoo that it needed new tubes and new speakers, so it sat in the closet for a few years. Then in 2005 it got left behind, as my family was evicted. I still have his 76 Strat at least, but I wish i still had that amp.
You're gonna poke your grill cloth out haha Wow, it sounds great right off the bat.
Hi Brad, I have a Fender Blackface Bandmaster that had a voltage problem. It occurred to me that maybe I should remove the bias pot and inspect it. Turned out that when I took it apart, sure enough it was fried black inside. I quickly ordered another pot and everything biased up perfectly. You never know. It always seems to be the the one thing that you would least expect.
Nice catch!
Cut my teeth on the blackface version of that amp with the push-pull...amazing sound.
Hell of an amp!
everything sounds pretty,an good thru a fender it seems..
nicely done Brad.
Why did Fender always label the polarity of the negative bias diode incorrectly? I can only assume they labeled the anode negative to show flow of voltage through the diode?
Enjoyable and educational too. PS enjoy the Tele playing. Well done!
Man, you're playing is on fire in this video! Loved all the funky stuff right before you kicked in overdriven sounds.
*I believe with the push/pull volume... it's a 1980!* I think they were made until 1982... I've got a 1967 blackface. They are one of the best Fender amps ever built! imho:)
Nice playing 👍love your channel!
i predict 2019 is the year fender make a pc announcement that black face amps should be referred to as black plate amps. heard it here first
What was it that made these later era non-master volume amps so damn loud? Did these have bigger +B voltage? I used to own one of these and kind of tried to modify it to BF, but only from the board since I didn't dare to change rectifier or alter the power section. Mine had parts from '75 to '79. If I remember right the amp went clean all the way to max volume what was NOT something I wanted from a tube amp. After changing some components matching earlier era it kind of saturated a bit, but barely. I also biased it a bit hotter than it used to be. For me it was way too loud amp.
Turned out a great video bro
Question re scratchy pots on guitars. Most people think the first thing the need to do is change the pots, especially on lower priced import guitars. I have a a few number of import guitars as well as a few american fenders and gibsons that started making noise from the pots. My solution has been to remove the back cover and spray Deoxit D5 cleaner inside the pots. They act like new, sound totally quiet and the volume and tone controls turn so smooth. Two years after application still no noise. Would like your thoughts to help guys out here that have a guitar they like and are deciding to sell the guitar do thinking they need to replace the pots. A 5 oz can costs about $15 on Amazon can save your axe imo. I now spray it in any new guitar i buy as a preventative measure.
Great sounding amp!
Thats one good sounding amp. Seems very spongy for a silverface.
Good sounding amp n axe once he works his magic touch , great noodling too
Brad what is the cost of what you just did? It would be of interest to me because I have a pro reverb from 1972 that has some funny noises while it heats up and it needs a about 5 pots replaced because it got damaged before I got it and whom ever replaced the pots used the cheapest they could find.Love your channel.
That amp sounds great.
18:18 Black face your thumb? Been there and was happy I did not loose the nail. Cheers!
Nice riffage in B there Bbbbbbbbbrad!!! Your Tele sounds nice on that amp.
I just felt compelled to hit"Like #666"....I love SPF vids,bit I like everything you put up for that matter.You are a great amp/guitar tech & an even better Dad.THAT is why I respect you so much.
“Whacked right out of his scull !!!”
💀💀👽