Fender '64 Vibroverb Custom

this amp was made in 2003, that's the year i bought it brand new in anyway. it is pretty much a straight forward blackface fender amp with the addition of the caesar diaz mods, not real hard to figure out.

i use primarily fender guitars, teles and strats (all single coils). for overdrive pedals i use a bk butler tube driver, a line6 dm4, and a marshall jackhammer (not in that particular order), and the only effects i use are a fulltone clyde wah, a fulltone deja vibe, and a line6 dl4. the amp handles all of these pedals great if i don't drive the amp too hard. past 6 on the volume and it starts to break up and you lose definition when you're running the overdrive and delays. thats not really a problem though because on 4 1/2 or 5, and that is loud trust me, is about as loud as the amp is gonna get, go past that and it just breaks up more. you do get a little more head room with the solid state rectifier but i prefer the softer response of the tube rectifier. if you don't use alot of distortion pedals and want to get dirt from the amp, it does remain articulate and punchy all the way up to ten, even with the mod function engaged which gives the amp more bottom, drive, and a little more mid range. beware though, like i said, this amp is loud and cuts really good. unless you're playin festivals or really big rooms you're not gonna want to crank it to much, but it does fatten up nicely at a relatively low volume. i play blues, rock, funk, country, and some jazz. it handles all of these styles great. i've even played a couple of metal gigs with this amp and for an open back combo it held up very good. the only reason i'm not giving this, or any other amp for that matter, a 10 is because there is no one amp that can do it all. this is a highly versatile amp though and i can recommend it to just about any guitarist of just about any genre and look em in the eye when i do it.

been having this amp now for 6 years. i tour pretty steadily all over the u.s. and canada with the larry garner band (shameless plug), and this is my main amp. i have not had any problems with it, and come to think of it, i haven't even changed any of the tubes in this amp since i've bought. this thing still sounds consistently great. it is hand wired, so just about any qualified amp tech at any music store should be able to fix whatever problems occur.

never dealt with em'.

like i said earlier, i can't give any amp a 10, but i love this amp. one reviewer was complaining about the price and that a twin is a better deal at half the price, but you gotta take into account that this thing is hand wired with a finger jointed pine cabinet. none of that printed circuit board, ribbon wire, production line, get it out as quick as you can mess. in that respect it is a hell of a good price, and because they won't make these things forever, it should appreciate in value nicely. if it was lost or stolen, i would definitely get another one.

2006 Fender '64 Vibroverb Custom. Hand-wired, point to point, solid pine finger-jointed cabinet, all tube 40 or 50 watts from a pair of 6L6's, 15 inch Eminence speaker, tube reverb, tube 'vibrato', the tilt-back legs that every combo amp should be born with... just like grandpa used to make! Mine even has the cool, shiny little '60 Anniversary' round metal badge on the back plate because it was made in '06. But this is essentially a brand new 1964 Fender amp. Normal and Vibrato channels have the usual 'blackface' controls, no mid control, tube driven vib and reverb. As already listed this model has the extra Diaz mods which give you a switch for either solid state or tube rectifier, and a switch for a higher gain 'texas blues' sound which disables the 'normal' channel and vibrato to use their tubes. The good thing about the Diaz mods is they're hard-bypass switched in and out. When they're off they are completely out of the signal path.

These amps are deceptively simple. It's just a Fender blackface amp right, with treble and bass.. how more dumb can you get? But I'm giving a 10 for versatility because there is actually an incredible range of useful and great tones in this amp. The Vibroverb has the two different voiced blackface channels, then the bright switch really changes the character of each channel, and it has the texture and dimension shaping effects of reverb and 'vibrato' on board too. Spring rev and vib are overlooked as retro kinda sounds and I think people forget just how weird and freaky these effects can get when pushed. This amp doesn't force you to sound like '64, it's just an amp.

Like most musicians I don't play 10 different styles of music, I'm just trying to play original music in my own way, and the Vibro lets me take my sound in any direction that suits my taste. I play garage rock in my band, and rootsy groovy rock in a friend's combo. I play professionally, record and tour clubs, festivals, pubs... 40 tube watts is all I've ever needed in volume. There's definitely enough clean headroom in this amp for me to get the sound I need in any venue and I could easily get more clean volume too by switching in the solid state rectifier and swapping out the V2 preamp tube for a softer 12AT7.

Other features that matter to me are
- the external speaker parallel out lets me plug in my old Fender 2 x 12 box alongside the 15, for a tighter, closed back kinda low end and even more stage spread and air being moved.
- I can carry it in one hand! Yes, at just under 24 kilos this is only 5 kilos heavier than the 22 watt Deluxe Reverb, and quite a bit lighter than a Twin. It's not too heavy, not too large a box. I freaking love that! (my other amp is a 70's Ampeg, see 'FREAKISHLY HEAVY').

I use a Fender USA Jazzmaster, USA Stratocaster, Gibson 'Howard Roberts Fusion III' (f-hole with standard PAFs), 1963 Silvertone 'Jupiter Stratotone' with deArmonds, and a late 60's Teisco Telecaster copy. My live pedal setup is very basic:
Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah > Seymour Duncan Clean Boost > Fulltone OCD > Boss TU2 Tuner - into the Vibrato channel of the Vibro. Depending on the size of the gig and how energetic I feel I will use the Vibroverb in stereo with a mid 1970's Ampeg V4 head into a 70's Fender 2 x 12 box, OR just run the 2 x 12 cab as an extension on the Vibro.
In my own band I also run a theremin through a delay and into the 'normal' channel on the Vibro, and I pump the output to overdrive the first tube a little, getting a smooth sweet dirty sound.
In the roots band I play both electric guitar and a Hammond organ clone through the Vibroverb, getting a warmer tube tone on the Hammond sound. So I'm using a range of sounds, and both channels on the amp.

The Vibroverb is not noisy at all, no hiss, no mains hum - but then my guitars are wired well and my pedals are powered properly so I wouldn't expect it. Sound wise it gives that eternally classic Fender blackface tone perfectly. The frequency range is a more scooped in the mids than the Marshall sound, with extended low and hi frequencies from the 6L6s. The 15 inch speaker is more throaty and warm than I expected. It thumps in the low end, reproduces mids well and has the right Fender shimmer and sparkle too. Using a closed back 2x12 box gives more heel-of-hand Marshall-Quad kinda low thump, and more attack for a tighter more agressive rock sound. Combine that with the open-back 15 and it's a deep deep wide sound!
It doesn't matter what guitar I plug in I can get superb shimmering clean sounds instantly, or warm, deep, fat rounded tones, or biting electric jangle-attack, or crank it for harmonically rich tube overdrive, or back off my volume pot for a whole spectrum of changes in the amount of sustain, overdrive, attack and sparkle. The Vibroverb is very very very responsive. I am addicted to Fender amp vibrato and I use the spring reverb quite a bit too - it's not just for surf! The rev and trem on the Vibroverb are as good as any Fender amp.
Other reviewers have complained/noticed that this amp is loud. I don't have a problem playing at practice volumes on 2ish, around the level of an acoustic guitar, it doesn't sound as good as at a club but it sounds fine for home practice. I guess if you are a SRV fan and you want that sound from this amp then you are going to have volume troubles. I may be one of the few people who bought this amp who doesn't like Stevie Ray Vaughan - no disrespect, I'm just not turned on by his playing or his sound, it doesn't relate to me musically. I did not buy a Vibroverb to try and sound like Stevie Ray, or anyone else.
With the tubes I'm using this amp stays clean until around 5 or 6 on the volume then starts to add smooth, harmonic overdrive until 10. It's still very useable at 10, but you need to dial out a lot of bass, like on any Fender amp. I'm not a blues player who uses the amp overdrive sound all night, I like to switch between clean and overdrive with my pedals... so I don't use the Diaz extra gain mod. I can't imagine why I would ever sacrifice that fantastic throbbing 'vibrato' and my theremin channel just to get a little more preamp gain! I do like the solid state rectifier switch tho. Mostly I use the tube recto, but it's nice to have that option and you can definitely hear the increased bass, headroom, and slightly tighter response. Once the tube rectifier gets warmed up by its close proximity to the transformer it can start to get too soft, depending on what you want on the night! I like that slight squeeze on the note you get with the tube recto, the amp feels like it breathes more.

One of the reasons I figured this amp was worth the financial pain is for the inherent reliability of a handwired, solid wood cab, point to point amp. The amps I've had the least trouble with over the years have been the vintage ones made in the same way as the Vibroverb. I always carry spare fuses and tubes, every pro has to, so with regular maintenance and the usual care this amp should still sound fantastic every time it's turned on, long after I'm dead. I expect this to be the only amp I need for the rest of my life. That's the original manufacturing philosophy behind it, and the other classic Fender amps. I'm glad Fender have realized why their old amps are so prized and now make a small collection of handwired beauties. It's worth the extra expense. Like many players I just wish they'd add some more of the original designs to the range. If they made a handwired blackface Bassman head of this quality probably half the guitarists in the world would want one!

There's been no need for service or repairs yet, but I've had only good service from my local fender dealers so I don't anticipate any problems.

Like i said, my Fender dealers are straight up guys. No issues.

I've been playing professionally since, uh, sometime in the 1970s, but I was very young when I started... really...

I chose the 64 Custom Vibroverb after using an original 1964 Vibroverb for a recording session a couple of years ago. I loved the combination of the blackface tone, the rare 15 inch speaker, and the lower wattage and weight than the Twin. It was the best amp I'd ever played through - and I wanted one! I have owned, borrowed and rented many amps over the decades, various vintage Australian hand-wired tube amps, Marshall JMP and JCMs, Vox AC30s, Hiwatt, Sound City, many different models of Fenders, and my current Ampeg V4 tube monster.

The Vibroverb is without reservation my favourite amp I've ever used or played - it's the most alive, harmonically rich, responsive, dynamic, and uniquely three dimensional sound I've ever had. It makes me smile. It makes me want to play, it makes me want to book more gigs so I can crank it up with my band!

My last Fender amp was a blackface Deluxe Reverb Reissue, and I also compared the Vibro closely to the '65 Twin reissue, '65 Super Reverb Reissue, and a friend's original 65 Super. For my taste the Vibro doesn't have that clinical sharpness that characterizes a Twin, you can get warmer power tube sounds out of it's 40 watts, and I like the fatness and smooth attack of the 15 inch speaker more too. Fender Super Reverbs are fantastic amps, but they break up quite a bit earlier than the Vibroverb, take up more space in the van, weigh more, and aren't as versatile with external speakers because of their 2 ohm output impedance. I like the '57 Twin handwired reissue too, but it sounds a little more boxy than the Vibroverb and without trem & rev it could never be my main squeeze!
If my Vibroverb were stolen I'd collect the insurance money and go right out and buy another one, and complain about having to rely on my Ampeg in the meantime!

This amp is loud and clean with significant headroom. The Diaz mod is terrific, but turn it on while in stand-by mode or you'll hear a loud "pop" that will turn everyone's head. I use it for Blues and Rock but it certainly handles Surf, Jazz, Rockabilly, and Country with ease. Put some echo on it and it's a killer! No Mid knob but that's no big deal.

Dripping with outstanding tones, clean or overdriven. Not a heavy-metal buzz saw amp! I use it with Teles, Strats, and Harmony H-44 Stratotones and all sound fantastic. The reverb is almost too lush. The vibrato is useable but not the best I have heard. I did own an oriiginal '64 Vibroverb. Sold it 15 years ago and this is the closest by far I have come to it since. More variety with the dual rectifier and Diaz mod than the original had. It is great! Yes it costs more than a twin but I have owned 3 twins and none sounded quite this good. As this is a limited production amp I anticipate it'll hold its value.

No problems as of yet!

I found this great amp used, so I don't intend on going to Fender for repairs. Will likely use Friendly River Music in Maine as they've done very good amp work for me in the past. That's where I bought it.

I've been playing 25 years and currently own many other amps. Right now I have a Zinky Supro Sahara, Fender 1964 Deluxe Reverb, 1965 Princeton Reverb, 1972 Quad Reverb, and a 1972 Marshall 100 Watt w/ 4x12 cab. Used to own many many more cool vintage amps. This Vibroverb is among the best sounding amps I have owned or played. The 15" speaker is perfect for the music I play. It's loud, so in smaller venues I'd use my Marshall powerbrake. It's in mint condition and came with a flight case.

New in 2004, I have used it 4 years now.
Few gadgets here, this was a top AB763 circuit pro amp in 1964
Custom Shop added a Diaz mod which I do not use.
Billed as an SRV Texas blues/rock amp it reproduces other
sounds as well or better. I use it for electric arch-top jazz.

I use several different arch-top guitars with both humbucker and
single coil pick-ups. Following Fender's suggestion for Jazz the Bass is 5, treble is 0 but I play through the reverb circuit into #1 input w/verb set around 2 1/2. I usually use neck pick-up with tone rolled ON.
The signal through this hand-wired circuit and out through the solid pine mounted 15" speaker is beautiful, deep rich and reproduces musical dynamics very well. The 3-D sound is only matched by
other similar amps. I have not heard a solid-state or hybrid amp
yet that is as pleasing to the ear as a quality p2p type tube amp.
You want to keep playing and your audience will dig the sound.
It is a pro tool to reproduce the voice of you and your guitar and the whole train from your mind to the speaker must be continuous. If this last statement makes sense then amps like these are for you. You must know how to use it or learn how to use it. This amp does have
a bit of hissssssss at idle which is easily ignored. Background room noise covers it. Tremelo is weak. Reverb is very good.

The amp is as dependable as as an amp can be. One n.o.s. Philips 6L6 that I had installed fried because of faulty tube construction. I replaced the power tubes and a fuse, problem solved. The stock
power tubes are pretty good but I use an old RCA 12ax7a in V1
and an old Mullard 12at7 as a phase splitter... helps carry the
signal in a good way.

Years ago someone who answered the phone at Fender directed me to a couple of repair centers about an hour drive away to fix a problem with a 1988 red-knob twin that I owned.
Some if not most employees will try to be helpful but Fender is
a huge corporation, dont expect it to be easy and you will not be disappointed.
This amp has had no problems requiring an amp technician.

Playing guitar since early 1970's
I also currently use a VOX AC30 (made in England) awesome tone for electric blues and an Acoustic Image Clarus R solid-state head which is very light weight and decent pro sound.
No hates about this amp and I like the sound...alot. If lost or stolen I would buy again if the Custom Shop still makes it or I would find one of the boutique blackface style amps.
I wish it had a mid EQ but I work around that.
I would like to see Fender use higher quality parts all around.
It took about 50+ playing hours to warm up and smooth out and it seems to sound better as time goes on.
The '64 Vibroverb Custom is a wonderful tool in the hands of a musician who can use it.

'64 Fender Vibroverb Custom combo amp.

This amp is nothing more than a weaker 60 watt version of a Fender Twin with a 15" speaker, but for DOUBLE the price tag. The features are standard, which I think is very limited considering the price tag.

I tried one of these at the local Guitar Center. For the price I was not impressed with the sound. For $2,400.00 I expect a lot more than this amp has to offer. I am curious about all the "rave" reviews given this amp by other people in this category. I did not find this Vibroverb Custom amp worth the price, and certainly not worth the praise. But, if you have $2,400.00 to throw away, this is the toy for you. There are a LOT of better amps in this high price range.

I have never had any reliability problems with Fender tube amps. I have a 66 Bandmaster amp and an old Twin Reverb. Both still work very well after all of these years.

Never called them.

I think Fender is asking WAY TOO MUCH for this amp. It is essentially a weaker version of a Fender Twin with a 15" speaker rather than 2 12's.

Why would anyone in their right mind pay exactly DOUBLE the price for this amp? Here is a much less expensive and viable alternative. It is also what I have:

Buy a Twin Reverb for $1,200.00. That is HALF the price of the Vibroverb. The Twin has 20 more watts of power, and has the SAME reverb and tremelo.

Then, buy a Bass amp extension speaker. I bought an Ampeg SVT-115E extension speaker. It is a 15" speaker in a solid cab with casters and handles 200 watts at 8 ohms. You can plug the "external speaker" jack on the back of your Twin into the Ampeg (or any other cab you choose)cab and either run them both together or temporarily unplug the internal cable and run just the extension cab.

You get essentially the same thing this way, BUT, you save around $800.00 and have more options.

Now, What can you buy with that leftover $800.00 you save by getting a Twin and an extension cabinet?

It's your money. If I had the $2,400.00 plus tax to spend on an amp, I'd want a LOT more amp for my money. Like a 100+ watt Marshal Half or full Stack !!!