Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb

This amp is collectively owned by my band. Cops the look of real blackface amps from the 60's. Crap tubes (gone), reverb (still sucks), & Fender logo. Nice clean sound when you throw the tubes in the garbage and buy a quality set. Perfect set of features, yet the sound quality of one of the major selling points (reverb) sucks ass. I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't just buy a decent original on the used market for half the money. Those originals are what all those great records were recorded with.

New production Fender amps are really bad (from the ice-picky princeton ri, to the blah hotrods). This amp has a very good clean sound though (but expect that you'll have to drop mega-bucks after purchase to get it). Personal taste is personal taste, but harsh, crappy speakers, tubes, and reverb still sound bad, if not painful. Buy an original on the used market, and you still have $500 in your pocket to make it sound its best.

I've given up hope that someday Fender will come around and offer a "new classic" instead of recreating "vintage voodoo mojo vibe etc." through advertisement alone. I do hope the recession kicks the bean counters to the curb and someone picks this company up out of the gutter. Good-quality tubes, transformers, speakers, and a solid pine box would be an excellent place for Fender to start recreating some authentic "mojo". I'll give it a 5 for the excellent clean tone, 0 for the rest.

This has just about all the features I could want in an amp. I'm all about simplicity and this amp has that. When I bought it, I was looking for an amp with tremolo and no master volume. I give it a 9 because it could have come with better speakers.

When I bought this amp, the previous owner had swapped out the whole set ore pre-amp tubes with JJ and EH. This dramatically reduced the noise from stock. I can't even play one at the stores anymore because of the lousy stock tubes. But aren't stock tubes always lousy? This was a great amp and playing at church and for small gigs/jamming.

It wasn't until I turned it past 5 that I could hear the limitations of the current tubes. So I swapped the power tubes for a new set of Winged "C" SED 6L6GCs and swapped V3 and V6 with JAN-Phillips 12AT7WCs that this amp really began to sing. Tons more head room than before. I have much more definition while jamming at high volumes (6-8). A good 12AT7 in V6 is a must for this amp if you're going to play at high volumes.

One more thing about this amp is that I can't seem to get a good tone with humbuckers unless I use a compressor. It sounds amazing with my '94 Fender American Vintage '57 RI strat and my Rickenbacker 620/12. I think this may have to do with the stock speakers. I plan on swapping them out and hopefully it will make it better.

I give it a 7 with stock tubes and a 9 with upgraded tubes because of the current limitations of the stock speakers. There is also the occasional crackle and pop but that's hardly a problem.

The only thing that has failed me on this amp is the little cable that connects to the internal speakers. It seemed to have a loose connection and would crackle sometimes. I replaced it and everything is good. It has been in and out of my trunk many times. I have only bent one of the tilt-back legs which was because of my carelessness.

Never had to deal with them

This is a great amp if you put some love into it (new tubes). It has a lot of potential in stock form to be a real player's amp. It's simple and easy to get a good tone out of. For someone who wants a vintage-esque tone with some originality, this is a great amp.

Well I got the mod bug and decided to do the Moyer mod to my CVR. Also changed out the P10R's as they were kinda flubby in the bass department. 2 hours and 15 bucks for the mod plus 190.00 for a set of Celestion G10 Vintage speakers. The Reverb is great now, the cleans are vintage Fender and I have all the headroomn I will ever need. I can get to 7 on the volume knob without the early breakup and the volume knob on my guitars still give me some drive. Guess I'll leave it alone and just play it now. Much better overall, but not gonna get drive at bedroom levels anymore.

My parts o caster with Vintage Tall Boys(Rio Grande) sounds really sweet now, and my Tele has all the twang you will ever want. 5 stock, and 10 modded.

too new to tell and the warranty is now void so I guess only time will tell.

who knows, did get a T-shirt, or at least I'm supposed to.

Love this amp now with any style pickup I have tried. May just have to get an axe with P-90's as I got a feeling this will scream or sing as needed.

Not bad for a scratch and dent that UPS just dropped off upside down on my front porch.
Just an update on my earlier review. I changed the power tubes to Tung Sol 5881's and the pre amp v1 and v2 to tung sol 12ax7's. The change is amazing. The cleans are Fender. They sparkle and shimmer. It still starts to break up early but with the new tubes it's much nicer and the farty bass is a thing of the past. Still an 8 cause Fender uses crappy tubes from the factory

The bright channel is bright, but if you eq it some it gets that sultans of swing tone with the volume on 3 1/2. I can now get some really stellar tones from my faded SG, and my tele and strat just sing.

it's new so only time will tell.

got the spec's and schmatics with no problem

It's a keeper

Bought this new in Jan 05 from a Guitar Center in Seattle. Simple feature, two channels, normal and bright, vibrato and reverb (go figure). 40 tube watts. Love the tilt back legs, wish I had that on my original Blues DeVille.

I play my 62 re-issure US Strat, 62 re-issue Japanese Strat (with EMG DG 20s) and my Yamaha SA 503 TVL (ES 335 copy with P90s) through this amp, with a Dual Overdrive pedal and several others depending on what I'm playing. I mainly play blues stuff with this amp, and occasional classic rock. It was noisy when I got it, but swapped out the Groove Tubes with JJs and all is sweet now. There is a very low level of noise occasionally, but I attribute that to single coil as well. This amp seems made for single coil or Fender guitars and in the blues/classic rock vein. This amp does break up earlier than other amps that I have. This is basically a VibroKing in lightweight combo size. If you want metal, get a Marshall or Mesa.

I've had to swap out the tubes (but the JJs are so sweet, I would have likely done so anyways) and have had to replace the reverb tank. I have a Fender dealer here who is an *** so I pay out of pocket to fix my stuff.

I haven't had to deal directly with Fender, so I don't know.

I love this amp for what it is. I have been playing for 30+ years and play blues/classic rock/modern rock. I own a 65 Bassman head, a Blues Deville and this amp and they all have their functions. I love the others for what they do, but this one drips with blues tone. I would likely get another if something untoward were to happen to this one.

New 2009 Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb - paid $1200
All tube 40 watts
Two - 10 inch Jensen Speakers - open back
spring reverb *** Warning
vibrato
two channels - reverb and vibrato settings work on both channels
tilt-back legs
46 lbs

*** Warning - this spring reverb is not the classic Fender fantastic reverb of yesteryear!
It is weak and thin, and must be augmented for surf lead guitar! Why Fender chose not to put the same reverb as they did in all the other '65 re-issues (Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, Super Reverb, and Twin Reverb) is beyond all understanding. Hopefully they will do a 65' reissue and fix this blunder. I was so disappointed I took the amp back, but a good friend told me to augment the puny reverb with the Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail reverb pedal. Problem solved for $90. This was a big step for me because I haven't bought a pedal since the Gibson Maestro fuzztone I bought in 1965 to play the Satisfaction riff, As a 60's guitar purist and studio musician, to me pedals are cheap phoney copies of what we did in the recording studio. If you want Hendrix - turn the amp to 10 (that's what he did).
I play a Paul Reed Smith bolt-on neck, custom 24 fret guitar, and play mainly 60's top 40 hits. My all-time favorite amp is my 1965 Super Reverb, but at my age (62) it's way too heavy to gig with. plus the amp did not survive a basement flood. This amp with the pedal nearly equals the Super Reverb in tonal quality, and it's about half the weight. I play surf lead guitar, and classic old rock'n roll - clean with a touch of natural tube distortion for sustain. I have always plugged straight into the amp - no pedals ever (except now the reverb one for this amp only). My normal volume level with bands with this amp is at 2 to 3 and a half. As with any classic Fender tube amp, 4 and half and above distorts according to taste and how hard you crank it - I nearly blew the windows out in the store when I played Sunshine of Your Love on volume 10 for a test - exact sound of the record with fantastic sustain. Too bad about the reverb - it would have gotten a 10 rating.

Amp is new, so we shall see. I am still gigging with the Fender Princeton Reverb I bought in 1976, so hopefully this amp will follow suit. I bought it for a fuller, cleaner sound and more horsepower for larger venues (12 watts VS 40 watts).

Fender is famous for it's support and 5-year warranty. I am a loyal Fender customer as well as a longtime local store customer. I do not foresee any problems.

I have been playing guitar since 1959, and have been lead guitar in bands since 1963. I did a world tour with my Mosrite Ventures model guitar and my 65' Super Reverb in 66' and 67', and it is that sound I was looking for, especially for the surf tunes I do. This would be a perfect amp if it wasn't for the puny reverb - the amp's tone is rich, clean and full and classic Fender in every way except the reverb. The Holy Grail reverb pedal is a cheap and good fix when added to the amp's reverb, but the best would be the 63' Fender Reverb unit ($750). Of course Fender could fix the problem if they just did the reverb like they did in '65 - if they did that, I would give it a 10. If this amp were lost or stolen, I would begrudgingly buy it again, as I cursed the "modern" spring reverb.
As for my other gear, for my Beatle band, I use a Vox AC 15 with my Gretsch Tennesse Rose (same that George played on Feb 9, 1964 Ed Sullivan Show). The Vox reverb is vastly superior to this particular Fender, but not to my Princeton Reverb. The Vox-Gretsch combo is a must for Beatles, but that is a different subject.
One final complaint - I had to buy a Fender cover for this amp ($20) - you would think for $1200 they would include a cover.

Mine is a 2003 vintage, it is very versatile; but don't think I would use it in a small venue. Two traditonal Fender channels normal and bright. No frills. Currently being used in an airplane hanger and at larger outdoor venues.

My Les Paul struggles for tone in this amp, my USA Double Fat Stratocaster sounds outstanding! It fits my rock a billy, country, blues roots to a tee. Mine is not noisy, although when I turn up the reverb it starts to feedback above 5. This amp sounds really good between about 4-7 in volume. The fellow I bought it from seemed stunned that the normal channel sounded so good. I don't think he ever used it. The distortion is great. It's there but not in your face.

To soon to tell; but every Fender I've ever owned has never let me down.

Fender customer support is always very helpful or as helpfull as they can be.

I've been playing over 40 years. I have 2 brown Deluxe's, 2 blackface Princeton Reverbs, 2 Mesa Boogies a Studio Caliber DC2 & a DC3. A blackface Fender Vibrochamp, a Champion 600. And a 1959 Tweed Fender Deluxe.

If it were stolen or lost or sold I don't know if I would buy it again. Although I really like the sound of this amp I'm wondering if there is something out there with the same sound in a slightly more compact package.

I was originally going after a Fender Super Sonic; but this one stepped in and sold me.

The amp just looks great and after switching over to my Strat it sounds off the wall. My bandmates were all smiling by the end of rehearsal last night.

Brand Spanking New. Very Vintage tones with good cleans, and a ton of nice juicy tube overdrive. It has 2 channels and both the reverb and vibrato work on them(Why, who knows) no switching without an A-B pedal. Wish it had better tubes from the factory(they are horrible) the speakers are real farty new but they seem to be breaking in quickly and clean they have a nice sparkle. I mostly play this as a practice amp, and to sit in with friends at open mic nights and it does the job nicely. It has all the posibilities, but it still needs some time to losen up for that Fender tone we all lust after. Better tubes would have got a higher score

I play mostly vintage rock, southern rock and surf and this amp has plenty of tone for these styles. The knock about hiss may be seserved, but the amp I got is quiet as a mouse. No more noise than my Vintage Twin(silver faCe 73) This is great for most styles, but you will need pedals for metal(duh). The cleans are very Fender, but you need to use your volume knob on your guitar to get the best tone. The overdrive is a little early, but on this amp I can turn the volume up to 5-6 and the drive is just getting that sweet bluesy bite and sustain. Up at 8 it gets a little farty(it's new give it some time and watch out) all in all I like and figure it's a keeper. It's not a Wintage VibroVirb yet, but it may be one day

to new don't know

Never delt with them, heard both good and bad but no first hand knowledge(my first new Fender)

Been playing off and on for 30+ years and have owned a bunch of nice sounding amps and Gitfiddles and this one with singlecoils will do me for now. I was looking at the Deluxe Reverb, but wanted to try a verb cause I love the tone of the onld ones. I hope it breaks in quickly, but you can't rush the good stuff. It has a lot of possibilities and only time will tell.

I bought this amp for gigging in a cover band at local bars. I liked its simplicity, light weight, tilt back legs and versatility. I bought it off eBay for $800 in 2002 and have played out with it 1-2 nights per month. The amp has been great for me and what I want, plenty of power (I usually have volume set 3-4 and roll back guitar volume because 3 is too loud for a bar). I'm set up in no time and a quick tweak of bass/treble/reverb for the venue and I'm sounding good. No channel switching, but I solved that with an A/B switch and I set the 2 channels up at different volume levels in order to get a solo boost. I give it a 9 here for sound versatility, not for bells and whistles.

I play a Parker Fly Classic through this amp and with it I get a wide variety of sounds. The bridge pickups give an edgy powerful cutting tone and the other reviewers are correct that the amp is very responsive to pick attack and guitar volume. I can get nice warm tones through the bridge pickup. The Parker lets me split the humbuckers into single coils and with that I get a nice strat sound.

The amp does break up well but I like that and it has a really nice overdriven, singing tone when the volume is up. I really feel like I can go from clean and quiet to ripping just by using my guitar volume.

I use a Tube Screamer for distortion and find that I can do classic rock, blues rock and modern rock distortion depending on how I set the levels on that pedal. The amp handl;es that overdrive pedal nicely. I've recently added a digital delay and chorus and along with the built in reverb (which I like) and vibrato, I have most musical styles covered.

I find that the amp cuts through the band mix well and I always get compliments on my tone from guitar players and non-players alike.

I had the tubes replaced, but I haven't changed the speakers, still it sounds good. A tad noisy at home when practicing, but not noticeable at all when playing at a gig.

I've been using it for 6 years and never had a problem. I don't bring a backup.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing for over 20 years, although I've not been a big gear hound. i also have a Line 6 Ax2 amp that I got when they first came out. I have fun with the modeling and effects, but when I used the amp live, it got lost in the mix and was impossible to get balanced sound levels using the different settings. Overall it was too complicated which was what led me to look for a small, lightweight lower wattage tube combo.

I think the 2x10 configuration can sometimes be a little lacking in the low end dept, but for me, in my real world, this is just what I was looking for.

This was a new amp right out of the Musician's Friend Warehouse. It is very versatile, for a Fender blackface style amp. I really liked the way the channels both had the reverb and vibrato and also the lack of a middle tone control I liked (call me old fashioned but I just prefer treble and bass).

This was such a mixed bag. The good part: The sound was warm, round, full spectrum. Lots of nice low end along with a good balance in the mids and highs. Probably one of the best sounding Fenders I have heard in a long time.
The bad part: The reverb did not change from level 3 up to level 10. It was that way on the one in the store as well as one that I ordered so it is not a one unit issue. I rarely turn the reverb up past 3 but that did not feel right and it was unlike any other Fender amp I have ever experienced. The worst was the hiss. Just Google "Vibrolux noise" and you can see what is out there. I wish I had done that before I bought the amp. The noise level was unacceptable. To test, I plugged my blackface Twin into the same outlet as the Vibrolux, turned them on, no guitar and the hiss from the Vibrolux was excessive. Adding reverb, vibrato, pedals, all made it even worse. Thanks to the good people at Guitar Center (they own Musicians Friend) I took it back for a refund. I was not about to spend money on all of the fixes I saw on the internet to repair what Fender should get right in the first place. The Custom Vibrolux is a great little amp, right size, power, etc., but the noise is a problem. Due to the hiss I rate this down.

I have never had a Fender amp give me reliability problems and I did not keep this one long enough to find out.

Who knows about Fender--it is easier to get in touch with AT&T. Kudos to Guitar Center though for making it possible to return a piece with which you are unhappy. the rating below is for Guitar Center, not Fender (I am not an unhappy Fender customer,I have many of their guitars and two of their amps other than the Vibrolux).

Really wish they would do a PTP version of this amp. It is such a great configuration and without the noise, has such a great tone. With noise so bad it is not a keeper and Fender should be ashamed for putting out such an inferior product that retails for over $1000.

I just got a 2007 Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb on a whim from Geetar Center! its so far the most versatile amp in my collection, which consists of 6 amps- (from smallest to largest) a 1979 Fender Champ, a 1961 Silvertone 1482, 1997 Vox AC15TBX, 2002 Fender Deluxe Reverb, (this, my Vibrolux) and a 1966 Bassman Head with a 2x12 Avatar cab loaded with a Jensen P12Q and C12Q. there are 2 channels, normal and bright, both can use the Reverb and Vibrato, which i like having use of very much, especially in this amp. no channel switching, effects loops or headphone jacks to speak of. there's no features i wish it had and theres nothing on this that i never use! i have been using this amp everywhere but the studio, since my deluxe has a bit more clean headroom to it, but i most certainly prefer having less headroom live. power to this amp is a strange issue, since compared to my deluxe reverb, its about the same volume, but overdrives WAY quicker

im playing primarily with 3 geetars now a days- a 2006 Custom Shop Les Paul Special single cut (2 P90's), a 2005 Gretsch Electromatic G5129 that i had Duncan Antiquity P90's retrofitted onto and took all the knobs out of the circuit except for the pickup switch and master volume and a parts o caster with an All Parts neck, Ash Body, Bigsby, mini humbucker in the neck and P90 housed in a telecaster pickup in the bridge, a phase switch, 4 way selector for the pickups either in series or parallel. all geetars have .13 gauge flatwounds. it should be noted that i took the original Jensen P10R's and put in 2 C10Q's in it for extra headroom as well as put in all new JJ Tesla preamp tubes (NOS power tubes coming soon). it suits all my styles to a tee! i play in the Arkhams, check us out at www.myspace.com/thearkhams and it works better than my deluxe reverb, which i always had a problem getting to overdrive, as it overdrives later than this amp, even this amp is more powerful. this amp has SOME noise to it, but nothing overbearing! so far its made 3 gigs and all 3 were successes in terms of balance and mix, so im happy! again, i have only been plugging into the normal channel with the volume on 3 (were not that loud of a band live, since our singer plays an upright), the treble 3/4 of the way up and the bass at just below 4 (higher than that, and the bass is REALLY overbearing, but that is good, since every other amp i got doesn't get nearly as much low end as this, and if i ever use anything aside from P90's, I'm going to NEED a channel as dark as this one). im probably going to experiment with a 12AY7 in the preamp for the bright channel one of these days, since that will yield lower gain and a more sparkly tone, which i haven't heard yet on this amp! in terms of the actual type of sound this amp makes, it sounds like a halfway house between a tweed deluxe and a deluxe reverb, as the tweed is much darker than this, but the deluxe reverb is more sparklier and cleaner than this and having that sound REALLY works in the Arkhams! this amp DEFINITELY gets VERY distorted at higher volumes, as even at 3 on the normal channel, it gets the distortion (with less highs) that my deluxe gets at 7, and much more than 3 and its in a different musical style sound, as it looses the old school flavor of the rockabilly/garage/r&b/merseybeat/surf/instrumental music that we play and that is why I'm interested in trying a lower gain tube in the bright channel, but at 3-even 4 (depends on the pickup) which is PLENTY loud.

i haven't had it long enough to know how the dependability factor is(i got it in October), but i always bring my deluxe reverb to shows anyway just in case anything goes wrong. so far so good. i always carry a spare set of tubes (or 2), speakers and fuses just in case something goes wrong

ive never dealt with the company, or had warranty work done, but i have MANY of Fender's products and they all seem to hold up well!

ive been playing for over 20 years and do 2-3 gigs a week (on geetar with the Arkhams and bass with various other awesome bands from the NYC area) and i mentioned the geetars and amps i have in previous sections of this review, but i own all rugged gear. if stolen or lost, i would EVENTUALLY get another one, as my budget is kind of tight these days. there's nothing i hate about it. even the new speakers went in without having to take out the chassis (a first for me) i chose this particular Vibrolux cause i played it in the store and liked it better than almost any other Vibrolux i ever played through. it warms up RIGHT AWAY in all channels and that is a definite first for me, as most other amps are cold and harsh until they hit like 4-5 and then they only marginally warm up! last things i want to share is 1) check out the Arkhams at www.myspace.com/thearkhams and 2) musicians, dont get fooled by the 'vintage' or 'handwired' or 'custom' tag some amp and geetar companies put on their product. trust your EARS and not the price tag fior quality!

Follow up to previous review directly below this one. All tube,two channel, very simple plug and play amp. Not a lot of bells and wistles. Just reverb and vibrato. Being a simple man, I find a simple rig to suite me better. I gig with 2x tubescreamers, a compressor, and a modulation effect(not named because depending on the amp I play I might use different ones)!

As I wrote below the sound quality of this amp was already very good but very noisy when I first got it. which is one reason for writing another review. I want to say that before any new owner go and try abunch of new expensive, extensive mods on the amp, first try CHANGING the tubes (stock tubes are cheap) I am currently using Tung-Sols in V1,V2. These are a bit mid-rangy, but very detailed, and yield thicker single notes. Very nice! I've also changed speakers. The P10Rs were nice understand. Nothing against them. But I read in an interview with SRV's amp tech that he changed SRV's JBLs to EVs. I just happened to have a pair in my Rivera Concert II. So I tried them. Sure enough SRV to the bone (with the speakers and Tung-Sols). As if the amp alone didn't have enough SRV vibe. So I put the P10Rs in my Fender Super w/ a pair of C10Qs(great).Had a extra pair of Eminence Copperheads I put in the Concert II replacing those EVs. Alls very well. The EVs are not as sparkly in the top as P10Rs(they tame the top end slightly) but the retain the chime (wonderfully thick) in pos.2and 4 on the guitar and gives the amp a more muscular tone.The tone would come somewhere between Copperheads and P10Rs. Copperheads are another very strong sounding and middy speaker that many put in the Custom Vibrolux (sounded a tad to dark for me). But before many expensive mods please try some of these changes. And remember no speaker or tube sounds good with every thing and there is always combinations of amp circuit-tube-speakers to consider. Thats why I never trash any speaker, tube or amp. What works in one may not work in another. Vibrolux was good out of the box, but I.m an SRV tone freak so I went for that tone.Awesome amp.

So far 5751s have gone microphonic in v2 but not 12ax7s. Currently trying a GT5751M that seems to be holding up.

Haven't talked to Fender. Prefer other owners.

I've been playin' for 15-20 yrs. and currently own Fender Super 4x10, Peavey C50 4x10, ConcertII 2x10, Roc Pro w/4x12 cab, Fender Cyber Deluxe,Roland 405, Westbury 60. But I wanted a Vibrolux since I became aware of them and it does not disappoint. If it were lost or stolen I would replace it because of size, weight, simplicity,kick back leggs, and tone to the bone makes it worth it. And it is as loud as you need.The only thing I wish it had would be channel switching. Remember cheapest and quickest mods with this amp are tubes and speaker changes. Happy tone hunting.

This is the amp everyone calls a reissue which is not, but is a modern interpretation of the "blackface vibrolux" This vibrolux was produced in the 90's after the brownface model. The amp has two channels (normal and brite) with two inputs each (normal and a padded -6 decible on each side. Reverb and vibrato works on both channels. No effects loop or headphone jack or channel switching. The amp also has the stock Jensen P10R speakers (2x10). Simplicity sometimes is best. This thing is Plug-n-Play !

I'm using this amp with strats with mainly Van Zandt blues pickups. I play blues, southern gospel, and church worship music (which sometimes include playing at biker blowouts[gospel rock]. When I recieved the amp (bought it off e-bay) this sucker was noisy It hissed and popped rediculously. The amp was publicly unusable. Great tone, but unusable. I thought" the old lady is really gonna get me now", because two weeks before that I had just bought a Concert II, Reviera Era at$650 (This SOB is fire),but I always wanted a Vibrolux. So according to other reviews written here, I retubed the amp, put an AT7 in the phase inverter and bingo. The amp runs as quiet as any other tube amp that I own and the tone, and volumn says FENDER VIBROLUX.....FENDER VIBROLUX.....FENDER VIBROLUX....

I can't really say yet. I only took position about a week ago. I would probably try gigging without a back up. I usually bring just a Behringer V-amp pod to go directly into the board. Getting old and can't carry too much more. This was another reason for buying the Vibrolux, light weight portability and tone.

Never have had to deal with Fender. Have heard some horrendous tales.

I've been playing for about 20 years. I own a Fender Super 4/10,Peavey classic 50 4/10, Reviera Era Concert II, Fender Cyber Delux, Fender hybrid Roc Pro w/4x12 cab. If this amp were lost or stolen I would definitely seek to own one again. I love this amp for it's tone and it's portability and size. The only thing I don't like is if you're going to buy an amp like this new for approx.$1200.00 you shouldn't have to change tubes at those prices,even though by some reviews, many spend that money and retube and replace speakers anyway (I didn't buy new). I think this amp ranks right behind my Concert II in tone but the Concert II is heavier. This thing does have tone. I love it. Get one used and be prepared to retube.

back to basics, fender style!no small slider switches(fender twin etc)
Normal and bright channels and 2 inputs Hi and low for both.
Also tremolo and reverb that works on both channels.
Everything works as it should and does it very well

I play blues and rockabilly with a gretsch duo jet, Fender strat and a guild starfire, The amp makes all the guitars shine, it breaks up on about 3-4 but it is so dynamic that depending on how hard your pick attack is, Small amount of noise at living room levels ,but once playing , it does'nt matter as i have old vintage amps that are far more noisy!
Reverb is not as cavernous as a twin but more usable,. tremolo is simply fantastic.
I also use a carl martin red repeat delay which nails a really authentic gritty twang and at 4 on the volume as more than loud enough with clean if you back off a bit!

As all fender amps are , i used to use a selmer zodiac twin , but always had to take my back up laney, now ,the vibrolux does it all for hours with out problem and lighter too!

bougtht second hand but mint so dealings with fender as yet

been playing for 17 years and wish i had bought a fender valve amp before, had Vox Ac30 ,selmer zodiac twin 30, laney vc30 ( kind of a pattern forming here of british 30 watt amps) all have been good but never quite there .
If it were stolen i would get another
PCB over hand wired,Depends who built it? boogie amps don't have a problem selling high end PCB amps, as long as the speakers and valves are matched well there's not a problem,
Selmer is hand wired and that can be a right pain at times.
Might have bought a fender super reverb ,but vibrolux sounded warmer and more portable! so it gets my vote

Mine Is A 2007.
This amp Is the foundation for all style's
Blue's, Rock, Hard Rock, Country, Even Metal
2 Channel's, Normal' Brite.
I use the normal. The reverb work's on both channel's unlike the 65 Twin. Tried the brite but to thin for a strat, Maybe LP.
I use this amp at home and gig's.
The most powerful 40 watt's I've heard.
Tube's Tube's and Tube's. 2-10 Jenson's Handles with Impact.

I have an american deluxe strat with SCN pickup's.
This amp with my setup,I can play all style's.
It has a little hiss, But It's a high gain amp, As soon as I start playing the hiss goes away even at the lowest volume.
Great Clean tone's. Crank it up and WOW! Handle's pedals well. I traded a 65 twin for this baby and I do not plan on going back. Best Overall tone and spank's the Twin, Belive It or not. I've had to many amp's to count In my 29 year's, And this Is one of the best I've played through, Hand's down! To get the best reverb change the reverb tube and put In a 12AX7. Now that's reverb!

It's a Fender

I have dealt with fender before, Great customer support.
5 Year warranty enough said.

Like I said I have been playing for over 29 year's, You know how us guitarist are on trading. But I tell you this amp Is Mean,Loud and hold's the tone all the way up. I've had stack's. But this amp will hold any volume you need.If It was lost or stolen I have Insurance.This amp Is only 46 Lbs. And will stay up with any volume you need. Great freaking amp By Fender.

Mine is an '07 Model purchased at my local GC for about $1100. Some of the other reviewers have already done a pretty good job of identifying the features. Basically you have two channels, normal and bright. There is also a reverb and vibrato onboard effect. The tiltback legs are a nice touch.

Before I get into sound let me explain what I was looking for when I bought this amp and why I'm so high on this amp.

I am primarily a 'clean' Telecaster player with few effects. I might use an OCD and that's about it. My playing tends towards old style blues and some country folk. I also like to break out my Rickenbacker 12 for a change of pace.

I needed an amp that could handle a medium sized club and cut through a bass, drums and unmic'd P.A. It needed loud, clean and portable.

This amp is the perfect intermediate amp between a Deluxe Reverb and a Twin.

I don't know what else to say except the sound is absolutely fabulous. The sound with a Telecaster or Strat is very big and rich. I have played everything from a Byrds type 12 string thing to chickenpicking to BB King to Jimi Hendrix and this amp handled it all.

However let me talk about the modifications that I did to make this amp better. Fender took the old Vibroverb amp and changed it to the Custom Vibrolux Reverb. Some of the changes were for the good ie 2 10's instead of a single 15 and Celestions over Oxfords. Some were not for the good ie reverb in both channels and no neg. feedback loop.

The new version is designed to breakup early. It does. But it also results in a lot of hiss at bedroom/living room levels that would be annoying. However this is no problem in a live setting because the ambient noise cancels it.

Also there is a legitimate debate as to how you might like the breakup. As stock it breaks up at about 3. If you do the mods it will break up a little later at about 5. It's a matter of personal taste.

If you go on the Fender Forum websites you will see ample dicussions about the mod which are highly recommended.

Without the mods the amp gets an 8. With the mods it is a solid 10. In this class there is not another amp I've heard in my 40 years of playing that matches it.

So far I can't tell. It is a PCB which gets a bad rep. Purists will argue PTP wiring is more reliable but I haven't had trouble with my other PCB reissues and I drive them pretty hard.

I have not had an issue that required support.

I've been playing for 40+ years. I have 15 guitars and 10 amps and 15 stompboxes. I know what is good and what is not.

The CVR, as it is known in Fender circles, is my primary bluesjam/openmic local medium sized gig amp. Other guitar players request to use my amp because they love it so much.

What I really love about this amp is the clean headroom with just a little breakup at tolerable levels. With the onboard reverb and vibrato I find I only need an OCD or TS9 for the lead parts. I play primarily on the bright channel. I also really like the fact it is relatively portable. My Fender Bassman is great but it is bulky and heavy. The CVR fits in the trunk of most cars.

This is a new (Jan 2008) CVR. I've left the Jensen speakers, and stock groove tubes in it. Despite not having 16 channels, and a gazzilion knobs, this amp is 100 time more versitile than most people give it credit for. If you ask me a great sounding simple amp is more versitile than a bad sounding modelling peice of junk.

Awesome clean sound. I like the bright channel, classic blackface fender snappy tone. The bass response is perfect. I think Hot Rod Deluxes for example, have a boomy, muddy, flappy bottom end. This amp has a tight sounding bottom, with plenty of "body" in the sound.

Im using a handmade Australian Tele (www.tomkinsguitars.com) with Duncan 5 2' (Brent Mason/Nashville Set).

The amp is a tad noisy at idle, but only if you put you ear up to the speakers.

The break up is maybe a tad early, but that is why we bought it instead of a twin.


Seriously, if you cant get a good tone out of this amp- you are a bad player.

Its new, so i cant comment. Has 5 years warranty, though.

Screw fender, get your local amp guy to work on it IF it needs it.

I love Danny Gatton, Eric Johnson, George Benson, Jerry Reed, Tommy Emmanuel, Steve Morse, Larry Carlton and other high end players. I use a Tubescremer, DynaComp and a Boss DD6 Delay in front of this amp and i get a monster tone.

I think it has just the right amount of headroom, and the reverb is great. So is the tremolo.

I want another one!!!

This is the perfect amp for me and my style of play. I use some reverb and a little vibrato to play mostly solo jazz stuff. The sound I use is similar to Ted Greene. Other than these effects, I don't use any of the other features. The amp has a lot of watts. It stays fairly clean for me. I would like to change the tubes to something of higher quality. I also hate new Jensens, so I put a Weber F150 and a A125. These amps should come with the cover. Why not?

This amp sounds very good with the stock Jensen crap and the Groove Tubes. It sounds good enough to buy. That means, with top shelf speakers in it, it is majical. I really love the sound of this amp. I feel like it would be great for any guitar. I use a G&L Bluesboy Semihollow no f-hole. It stays on the middle position (neck hb bridge sc). About 80% of my playing is fingerstyle. This Fender amp pulls the mud off of every note but doesn't rob it's body. There is some hiss on the amp. It is nothing compared to some others that I have auditioned. Mesa is rediculous! I think a tube change will be the solution. If the vibrato is up high, the hiss will go along with it... that's annoying. But, so is having the vibrato up really high... so, I don't really care. My hiss is not bad enough to mess up a recording, and I play solo clean jazz with a tele style guitar. I give this amp a 10 because it doesn't need any pedals, and I just like it. I'm sure other people do to.

This is a reliable Fender amp. It needs tubes. I bring a backup to work, but it is a piece of crap Marshall 1x8. That shows how much I trust the Vibrolux.

I have a local amp guy.

I have played since I was 4. Now I'm 26, and have a amp that I really like. I would recommend this amp to anyone who wants a great simple amp with reverb and vibrato. I chose this amp over a Victoria amp. I saw this as having more potential, and it was cheaper. I am really happy with my choice.

I don't believe this amp was built with 'does it all and then some' in mind. It's like Fender says - "not a reissue, but rather a modern interpretation of a classic Fender". That said, when you stack it up against some of the amps Mesa has to offer for instance, (for 2 - 3 times the price, I might add) you are obviously going to come up a little short with this amp. It's pretty bare bones, but the vibrato is second to none if that's your thing. I don't even personally use the vibrato yet, but I can appreciate a good thing when I hear it.
I guess if you count sound as a feature (which in my mind is the most important reason anyone should by an amp) then this amp gets a 10 for the styles I use it for. I'll give it a 7 in the event someone reads this who is looking for a more versatile amp.
Some points to consider:

- Normal and Bright channels, can't switch between the two with the footswitch.
- Footswitch enables/disables only reverb and vibrato features.
- 4 ohm external speaker jack.
- 40 Watts at 4 ohms
- 2 x 10" Jensen speakers
- Very Loud for such a little amp
- breaks up nicely at a volume of around 2.5 to 3.
- responds AMAZINGLY to pick dynamics.
- 'Cuts through' better than any amp I've ever tried of it's size.
- Might not get the crystal clears you want from a Fender amp on stage because it breaks up so early. you could mic it, but then a gain pedal might sound thin in comparison to if you use the gain with natural breakup.
- No effects loop.
- More than enough power for most small to medium clubs. In fact, the only reason you should ever need to mic it would be when playing quite a large venue where you need to fill a lot of air. It's THAT loud!

Before I get into "sound", let me just say that I am a VERY bare bones player. I like 6 tones - Strat clean, strat clean with some natural tube breakup, overdriven strat. Now, replace the strat with a Les Paul standard, and you complete the 6 tones I typically use. I don't currently use any 'effects', but that may change down the road.
For what tones I personally like, and considering I usually play small, medium or large bars or clubs only, this amp does it all.
Right now I use a Boss Blues Driver in front of the normal channel right into either the strat or Les Paul, and that's ALL I need.
I had said earlier that the amp breaks up at 2.5 to 3 which also happens to be the volume level I use for most clubs I play in. Because the amp is so responsive to pick dynamics, you want clean, play lightly. You want a little grit? Dig in and you got it at that volume level. Tap the blues driver and you've got INCREDIBLE drive and sustain that cuts through any band in those surroundings. Strat OR L.P....
Now, my musical styles fall into the aggressive blues/funk/jam band/rock categories, so ambience, effects and drop D chunk metal are not priorities on my list. I just needed a simple amp at an affordable price that would cut through a LOUD trio, sing with a drive pedal, and provide some natural grit when needed.
For my needs, this amp provides!
That said, as my musical styles change down the road and I find myself needing more, then maybe this amp won't be getting a 10 from me.

So far I've been fine, and I bought it second hand....Gig once a week with it.
I did upgrade the tubes, but to be honest, the difference would only be detected by the snobbiest of tone snobs, but I'm metioning this because maybe putting the new tubes in it are giving it a longer life?
I have the original tubes handy, but stupidly never take them with me to gigs as backup. I guess that means I consider the amp very reliable.
I'm sure just writing this will come back to haunt me, so I'm going to start packing those backups in my gigbag!

Have never had to contact Fender about anything, and I've owned 3 strats and two Fender amps, but that does not necessarily mean their customer support is worth anything. No warrantly - second hand.
I don't really have a foot to stand on here, and until I get any customer support, bad or otherwise, I have to give them top marks.

I've been playing for 20 years, I'm a semi-professional musician. Now own a jumbo Takamine acoustic, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Fender American Deluxe Strat, this amp, other gear not worth mentioning.
Have owned MANY other electric and acoustic guitars and amps over the years, so I have a pretty good idea of what is decent especially for a barebones approach - I prefer to not hide behind a lot of smoke and mirrors.
Despite my glowing review of this amp, if it was stolen, I would go higher end simply because music is treating me better and better as time goes on, so I could afford something that does what this amp does plus more. But, for the $850 Canadian I shelled out this amp has been incredible. I get comments on it's cutting sound from seasoned veteran players all the time, so it's gotta be doing something right.
What do I love about it? The tone and ability to cut through the mix. Will never get lost...What do I hate? Nothing. For my needs it does the trick.
Compared it to Fender Hot Rod Deville and Traynor YCV40WR(?) Deville was WAY too loud and would only break up at RIDICULOUS volumes, sounded like crap with any pedal I tried it with. Traynor could not cut through like the vibrolux. I would get lost in most band situations. An effects loop would be nice (but not necessary for my needs now), a GOOD gain channel would be nice (no pedal), but this is just nitpicking....You asked!

Two Channel - you all know the details by now. This is a VERY versatile amp if you know how to use it. Everyone adds pedals and such. The Vibe is just the perfect place to start. Read on for how to make it super versatile...

I use this amp in large halls and small clubs. I use the external jack and run another 4 ohm cabinet with two Celestion Vintage 30s so I'm running at 2ohm.
Here's the secret to making this amp SING!!!! - get a THD Hotplate and crank the amp! Whoa. That makes this amp come alive. With this set up you can control your volume and get beautiful power tube distortion and harmonics. Get a 4 ohm hotplate. You can run 2 ohms into the 4 ohm hotplate you just can go over 4 ohms
I have no noise problem either. The hotplate has a built in noise reduction system

Excellent - Fender got this thing figured out a long time ago. It's a tube amp so you got to go prepared - a couple extra power tubes and rectifier tube and you have nothing to worry about.

Just go to the dealer or any local dealer if it needs fixed.

Been playing a long time, 40 years. I have a lot of other amps. A mode four, a TSL, a Twin, and a pig nose. I could give up any of the others, they can;t do what this amp does.

Classic fender options

It??s a great sounding amp for medium clubs. The clean sound is just what I want from a fender amp. I play a fender strat and a fender tele. This amp works well whith single coils and responds the way I like it.
This amp has a hiss and I don??t recommend it for home practise.
Reverb?? Even if you turn the nob to 10 it doesn??t respond at all.
Breaks up around 3-4 and gets loud too soon for my use.

To make it short. It??s a nice amp for those who want to play whith a cranked up amp. This amp breaks up too soom for my taste and the hiss is a problem in a studio.

I sold it and bought a -76 pro reverb. My back don??t like it but the sound of a SF point to point amp suites me better.

I love the reverb and tremolo. I DO NOT like the Normal/Bright input section. Why not just have a bright switch and use the extra space for some mid control? It looks like a cool retro touch, but not practical.

BRILLIANT. It really responds to the input signal. Very interactive, clean, biting, whatever. A real Fender tube amp.

Straight up, no Frills Tube Amp! Two channels, no switching. Plenty of Power! Gave it a 9 because 'no frills' is what I wanted!

Playing a 60th Anniversary Standard Strat with EMG David Gilmour SA Pro rig into Boss ME-50 into CVR amp.

Yes, it has a measure of 'white noise', but I expected it to because I read most all the reviews and I knew it was comin'. However, the 'white noise \ hiss' doesn't bother me at all because I don't hear it except when I'm not strummin; even at lower volumes.

Has the classic Fender Tube Sound that I personally love the best and gets loud pretty fast (though not as fast on the volume pot as the Hotrod series). I can actually turn this up to 2-4 in the house (if no ones home). *The HR Deluxe I couldn't get it to 1!

Mostly play at home, occasionally at Church. This amp will hold its own most anywhere (could be miked for larger venues).

Sounds great right out of the box. I got it off of Ebay as new 'Scratch & Dent' from a fender dealer. Cant find any scratches or dents at all! Good deal!

This amp stays clean at lower volumes (1-3 to 4) begins to break up around 4 and up. Of course, I can't take it that loud in the house! I use the ME 50 to give me breakup at lower volumes. The two work together very well. Doesn't have Effects loop, but I've never been able to use one to my audio advantage anyway. Other reviewers said the amp was 'pedal friendly' and I believe they are right.

I've had many, many Fender amps and have only had to have two taken in for repairs. One was a Solid State Champ 30 which quit working when I got it home (ie, my 1st Fender Amp), the other was a Fender HR Deluxe which blew a Power Tube the first week and the shop guy said to put it through the amp shop to make sure no other problems.

n\a - However, I have called Fender several times over the last years to ask questions about guitars and amps, etc... I always get the help I need.

Great Tube Amp. I'm a Fender Dude 100%. Have owned many other amps over the years both S. State and Tube. The Tube wins out every time. The only other brand of Tube amp that I fell head over heels in love with was a Carvin Vintage 16. That's an incredible amp! But Fender fills the bill here!

New "custom" Vibrolux Reverb 2005 all tube

My main guitar is early eighties 57 Strat reissue with Duncan vintage strat pickups. This amp sounded really good at the store but at gigs it broke up way to soon. If your miking this won't be a problem. The tone was good but not OMFG. I set about to remedy the situation. The first thing I did was put in ceramic tone tubby 10's. Yes, I know the Alnico ones are the ticket but I wanted the extra efficiency of the ceramics. The difference was huge. The tone was vastly improved. The jensen alnicos it came with are a joke. Garbage. Next I put in an output transformer and choke from Mercury Magnetics. This gave it another nice improvement. The amp now sounds delicious, can "cut" through the drums. it is really loud with excellent touch sensitivity .These improvements ain't cheap @$450.00 but I got a good deal on the amp which you should be able to find as well. Stock its an ok amp but if you want to go the tuner route as I did you can get an amp that rivals the boutique amps for half as much.

no problems so far.

I would rate it a 5 before the mods, a 9 after

The amp is "fender-simple". Four inputs total and two channels non-switchable (normal and bright), plus reverb and tremolo in both channels. Two 6L6's for power, and 5 12AX7 and one 12AT7. It is a 2x10" speaker configuration and mine came with Eminence Blue Alnico speakers. Controls include volume, bass and treble in both channels. The type of circuitry in this ampilfier is reminiscent of Fender Bassman-style amps where channles can be jumpered for greater tonal versatility. I rate high in versatility because though it does not have 3 channnels and other bells and whistles, it is transparent enough to fit any playing style (even metal with the right distortion pedal) and suits any guitar.

It is a ver classic-type Fender sound. The amp loves to distort and at 40Watts it is loud! Past 3 o'clock the beautiful creamy tube distortion Fender is famous for starts to come in. It is nice to jump both channels to control the EQ and level of brightness in the distortion.
I use a Gibson Les Paul Junior Special, an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, an Electra Omega, and a Cort Beck 6. Each guitar has its unique voice through the CVR, and the tones and amount of distortion can be controlled using the volume know in the guitar. Amps liek these are no plug-and-play. It offers an amp[lified version of your playing abilities, so if your attack and control suck, the sound is going to suck. This amp "forces" you to engage in better guitar playing and improving your chops, so in that sense it is inspirational.
I plug my guitars into a HAO Sole Pressure, A Keeley-Modified BD-2, a DOD FX-69 ("Grunge"), a DOD Stereo Chorus and a Danelectro Fish n Chips EQ. All distortion pedals sound great through it, and the chorus is amazing when plugged into this amp. Lush and rich harmonics, great seering distortion sounds, light twang clipping, and any other sound you can dream of has come out of this amp and my pedals.

Never a problem. Still has the original tubes after 6 years (though i will be repalcing the m soon)!

Never needed!

Great amp and part of my collection which includes a '65 Fender Twin and a 1965 Fender Bassman head.

I think my amp is a '95/'96 - it's got the "Fender 50th anniversary" sticker on it- I haven't actually tracked the serial # as it doesn't really make much difference to me. It came with the Emminence "blue frame" 10's which I have switched out to Weber "signature" 10's(alnico 20 watt 8 ohm). I own several other tube amps, so the lack or additon of features don't affect me except that if one amp doesn't have something I need for a specific gig, I'll use another amp that does. That being said, this amps features are usually enough to get me by. The lack of midrange control doesn't bother me, and the reverb and tremelo ( not vibrato! ) are very nice sounding.

I play all types of guitars/pickups (single coils-strat, tele, dynasonic and P90 - alnico and ceramic, as well as humbuckers- alnico and ceramic, passive only ). I prefer this amp with single coil pickups. Humbuckers tend to get dirty a little too soon for my liking and given the control layout on my humbucker equiped guitars ( standard 4 knob ) it makes it a little daunting to get the controls just where I want them-too much fiddling around. I've never had the hissing problem that so many folks seem to have with this amp. It just isn't an issue either live or in the studio. This amp goes from clean to raunchy (that's a good thing ;-)...) with the twist of the guitars volume control and or light/heavy picking. Very touch sensitive and dynamic. I recently did a gig with a lap steel through this amp and it sounded amazing!

I've been using it for a year without problems. I use it on gigs all the time-never with a backup(carry two amps? what are you kiddin' me?) If it wasn't reliable, Ijust wouldn't use it period!

I've been playing gigs for 25 years, and this amp is truly a keeper. I would definately want to replace it if it were "lost"(huh?) or stolen. I also own a: Fender Priceton Reverb II, Fender Blues Deluxe, Fender M-80, Danelectro NiftyFifty, Homebuilt 5F1(all tube champ circuit) several speaker cabs. with Celestion, EV, Fender "special design", and Emminence speakers. Though the "CVR" isn't the best at everything, it is a great combination of excellent sound that covers a lot of ground, moderate power(easily handles club gigs) and good portability (40lbs is on the high side of what I like to lug around but it's worth it for the sound of this amp).

silver face 68-70 model 35 watt originl parts and condition i play blues with a 73 strat although i have played most types of music with it' versitile as it is '

single coil strats seem to blend well with this amp ;clean and warm
sounds coming from its two 10; fender designed speakers and spring reverb , nice creamy sustain can be achieved by turn volume up over 8

i have owned this amp since 1973 and have gig it off and on up until this day . with out any service or repair apart from valve change of course.

n/a

ihave been playing for 33 years and also use fender twin 80s red knob
blues deville laney pro tube 65 baldwin vibroslim guitar
i have never come across such a sweet sounding amp although a bit weighty for its size . far in front of marshall orange vox etc at this time, and still pretty hard to beat today

This amp has limited features and I added a couple that i'll address later. The amp stands on it's own just fine though. It is not the most versatile amp on the market but that's what effects pedals are for and this amp love's most pedals I have tried with it and in that way it become's very versatile because it has a great basic tube amp tone that you can build most anything on. It is a two channel amp but it is not channel switching without an A/B box. The tone controls are independent however so with a box it's no problem. Channel one is just a basic channel with volume, treble, bass and two inputs, hi/low. This channel has more gain than channel two and can be easily modded to scream. Channel two has volume, trebel, bass, reverb, and tremelo (speed and intensity). It is a great tube driven tremelo that I never use. This amp is the LOUDEST 40 watt amp I have ever heard. It easily keeps up with my 60w Marshall and since I changed the speakers it will kill it.
Now for the other features... I had a friend who know's how to really tweak an amp work on it for me, he is an "Admiral" in the guitar navy... anyway, he fixed the reverb so that it only works in channel two. That may sound like a step backwards but in doing this it also makes the reverb DEEP, very deep and just wonderful. The stock reverb is just ok, but nothing to talk about. He also added a negative feedback loop switch to the back plate, maybe something else too, I don't know exactly, but it basically switches the sound of the amp between the Vibroverb and the Vibrolux sound. It is a discreet difference but I like it. He also set the amp up with 6L6GC tubes instead of the stock 5881s. This will give the amp a more classic blackface Fender tone. I changed the speakers and this was the biggest change in the total sound of the amp. I removed the stock alnico blues out for a pair of Weber C10Qs. This gave the amp an immediate significant volume boost and it also made the bass much mo betta'. With the blues I had to keep the bass at 12:00 or less or it would get all muddy and crap but with the C10Qs I can turn the bass all the way up and the volume too...and it will handle it well. I did lose some of the SRV kinda vibe that the amp had with the stock speakers. I mean the Webers are cleaner. I have not decided if I like this or not and I have the amp and the old speakers sitting out in the floor here, thinking about switching them back just to see/hear. or maybe switching one of them back. I guess sometimes you lose one thing when you gain another.
One more thing about this amp... It don't play quiet AT ALL... it has no low volume setting at all. Quiet is loud with this amp, so if you need an amp that you can play really quiet and really loud...this ain't it, unless, of course, you plug into a pedal first. Then you can turn the amp up a little and the pedal down but then you are going to hear the pedal tone instead of the amp tone. This was the second good amp I bought and i'll alway's keep, because it's a keeper.

I use Stratocasters almost all the time. Besides a couple of Strats I have a Suhr 2001LE, a LP, a Telefaker, and several others. They all sound good through this amp because it's a good amp.
As I said, with the right pedals and effects you can make this amp suit most any style because it has such a great tone to begin with. The amp is very quiet as tube amps go. On it's on it has a classic blackface Fender amp sound and stock it really has a great SRV vibe to it and stock it has very little headroom as it begins to overdrive before you get to three on the volume...it's a good thing though. If you need more headroom, change the speakers or buy a 2x10 or a 2x12 cab and put cleaner speakers in it and just plug the amp into it if you need to. BTW, the minimum ohm load for the amp is 2ohms so you can use most any speaker cab with it if you watch what you're doing.

It's a Fender. It's a Fender tube amp. All tube amps need service and stuff but mine has never let me down. It is well made.

I have no idea but I find that most companies give good customer service and since Fender has been around for over 50 years I think we would all know it if they has poor customer service. This is Fender...not UPS.

I think a lot of this amp and whenever anyone hears it they comment on how good it sounds. Then again they say that tone is in the fingers so... J/K

It is a beautiful sounding amp with tons of potential. Basic blackface Fender with a little more aggression than some. Sweet but hot. I love it!

We all know the classic fender layout and features. The 'Lux lacks a mid control.

This thing was downright crappy. I say was because I got rid of it already. It was treble harsh, goes from no bass to too much bass and sounds like a cheap distortion pedal is always on. Don't buy this thing! It doesn't sound like the original. The '65 Deluxe Reverb and '65 Super Reverb are both far superior amps, they actually sound good and can do the same job. The only useable sounds I could get from the amp was with neck pickups, and this is a problem if you like to play Les Pual Jr. type guitars w/ only a bridge pickup. The amp's volume knob is worthless, the damn thing goes from not on to loud. I love Fender amps; I own several, vintage and new reissues, but this damn thing sounds like the cheap Crate solid state amp I played as a kid. It sure doesn't have any classic blackface tone. Fender, please take this thing off the market or fix it. And I've tried others and they all sound like this, it wasn't just mine.

It always worked, at least.

Don't know, luckily my local music store is great in the service department!

This thing sounds horrible. Don't buy it! The '65 Super Reverb is great if you want headroom and the '65 Deluxe is the way to go for a small club amp.

I have owned this amp since 1999. The vibrato and reverb sounds are unbeatable. The 40 watts is more than loud enough for club gigs.

I originally wanted a Twin, but went for the Vibrolux to a couple hundred bucks. If money was no object, I would still get the Vibrolux. Very similar tone, but much lighter to carry. I play a tele, strat and Les Paul. All sound great through this amp, so it is very versatile. Volume 2 is enough for band mates to cry turn it down. Anyhing past vol 4 is muddy, but way to loud to be an issue.

Sounds great with pedals...especially the tube screamer ( Keeley modified).

6 years of great service with no problems yet.

Never had to deal with customer support.

I have been playing about 22 years. The Vibrolux is my main amp and I have played mostly Fenders over the years . If stolen I would get another one. It is a classic. I also have a Line 6 Spider II practice amp, but I have been looking seriuosly at the Dr Z Mazerati combo which will be next my big next purchase. Nice mix of Vox / Marshall/Fender tones. Mmm.

Made circa 2003. Basic 60s style Fender combo with two non-switchable channels (normal and bright, but you can overcome this with an A-B footswitch and foot pedals to add effects), but does have several subtle but excellent improvements over a basic combo. The reverb and vibrato are global across both channels - very nice! Can't argue with an all tube, only 47 pounds amp that needs no casters to haul around. Be a man and carry it, easy to prop up on the back seat of my Ford Explorer like a person, and won't go nowhere unless you are a wild driver. Pushes 2 internal 10 inch 8 ohms PR-10 Jensen speakers in parallel at a 4 ohms load (some of my all time favorite speakers) for a clean, classic sparkling Fender sound, but can be warm and honking as needed. If this is not enough, you can add another 4 ohms load on the external speaker jack and run it at 2 ohms like a Super Reverb. Yes, you could hook up a 4 ohms 4x12 cab to supplement the 10s. Just don't go below 4 ohms on this extra load, or 2 ohms total load between the internal 10s and the extra cabs. So, is simple, but has notable and expandable features, so to speak. 40 tube watts delivers for most mid sized venues I've played (remember a tube watt typically sounds three times as loud as a solid state watt, so this is like a 120 watts solid state amp, loud as needed).

A hidden feature beyond a basic combo: Breaks up nicely around 4 on the volume, starts venturing into Marshall JCM-800 territory if you need it (a little less gain, of course). A mild mannered looking amp that is a beast in disguise. I watch dozens of people walk by it and never even try it out in my many music store travels, because it looks so polite with the white knobs against a black face panel. Have seen it in two movies now, so producers must like its blackface, white knobs, gray grillcloth, classic 60s Fender cosmetics. Could be cool with an effects loop, but front end pedals are fine with this amp. I rarely use effects loops anyway, mostly lean towards pedals. No direct out, or headphones, so miking is the only option if you don't have an extra cab and need more volume, thus a 9, because I really like it, but it does not have all the bells and whistles possible in this medium high price range. Still, this amp can honk and not make you go deaf in a live situation. Useable at controllable volumes, depending on your pickups, effects, etc.

I have about 8 solid electrics. 79 Gibson LP Standard with Ibanez V7 and V8 pickups (try it, you may like this combination - I saved the 80s Gibson replacements if I ever sell it, don't worry, this LP was a player to begin with), 2001 Heritage H535 Classic with Seymour Duncan 59s, 90s era 3 bolt G&L hot rodded Legacy (2 Fender Vintage Noiseless, DiMarzio Tone Zone S in the bridge, coil tap and 7 position G&L expander switch like an S-500) and ASAT Special, Godin LGXT with Duncans, Cavin AE-185 and DC-145 (HSH vice DC-135 SSH), 3 tone sunburst Fender Squier 20th Anniversary standard Strat w/3 traditional single coils (great standard 22 fret Strat for low bucks). This amp sounds good with all of them, is a great reference amp for hearing a guitar's true tones. Thus, can cover the MOR genres of CCM, classic rock, 60-70s pop-rock and new country that I play. Is noisy, but not noticeable in a gig situation. If the band is really loud, hook up an extra cab or go through the PA with a mike. However, really cuts through without all that in medium gigs where folks know how to blend and not keep turning up. This vibrato beats most other vibratos by miles, stays strong and does not loose volume, sounds real good. Born on the Bayou by CCR, here ya go, played that on gigs, real nice.

Just drove it 2000 miles round trip to a big gig in MD. No problems. Sounded great. Conversely, my 70s Silver Face Vibrolux w/black face mods crapped out on me and did not sound anywhere near as good.

I never gig without a back up on tube amps, but it has been very reliable across my gigs.

Be smart, turn your amp off after the gig, and let it sit a half hour before moving it while you pack up the rest of your gear. Lets the circuit and tubes cool down. Tubes are it for me, no comparison, the real sound I want in 40 years of playing, though I dabbled in solid state here and there, including modeling amps. I always come back to tubes for live gigs.

I have not had a problem so far, but know my local dealer will service this amp. To be conservative, an 8. Can't argue with a 5 years warranty on Fender amps, nice.

I got this amp new, but traded a bunch of gear straight across for it, worth about a 1000 to me. You can get 'em cheaper, mainly because so many people walk by and totally ignore them, so they eventually get blown out at $700 to 750. Their ignorance is your gain. E.g., I got mine on this trade, after it collected dust 8 months in my local Fender dealer's store. But I was playing it and keeping my eye on it for 3 months waiting for this favorable trade and got it. Would like another one.

I have had a lot of amps in 40 years, tube and solid state. I presently also have a Peavey Ranger 212, a 70s Fender Vibrolux Silver Face (with black face mods), a Crate Blue Voodoo Half-Stack, a Traynor YCV-20 class A, a Carvin Nomad 112, and a Carvin Quad X-15 Tube pre-amp. All this stuff is nice for one thing or another, can deliver good tones, depending on the gig, practice situation or recording need. This Fender just seems to be my most versatile, user friendly, easy to use gig amp that saves my back and gives me a good tone for medium size venues. I would like to get another one eventually as I can make trades or come up with extra cash. Maybe trade one or two of these other amps for it. Dunno how things will shake out in terms of my collection next year, I always keep exploring in music stores, but I can recommend this amp as a good meat and potatos work horse that sounds real good, looks nice and classic Fender, and does not break your back while delivering great tube tone. If it was not Fender reaching into your pocket for the name plate bucks, Traynor is a great tiube alternative for bang for the bucks, I would say it was an overall 10. Since it is a bit pricey for an average joe like me, I will be conservative and give it a 9. But, it is a real cool amp for its price range, or you have the bucks or can trade into it, etc. At any rate, worth a look and listen, you might be surprised.

Not the amp you want if you are looking for a lot of features. Two channel ("normal" and "bright"), vol/treble/bass controls for each channel, nice Fender reverb, and great sounding tremelo ("speed" and "intensity" controls). That's it. A very basic amp. Two 10" speakers, 40 watts. Almost forgot, it's got tilt-back legs which are very cool.

I've had this amp for a number of years, so the honeymoon period is definitely over. When I first bought the amp, I almost immediately returned it back to Guitar Center because it was so noisy I thought it was flawed. Turns out the new replacement was just as noisy! With better quality tubes, the noise is really not bad.

Over the years I've used this amp primarily as a practice amp, rarely getting above a volume of about "3". Sounds GREAT at low volumes... classic Fender. A couple weekends ago my band had two gigs. I used this amp, and as we got louder as the evening progressed (and I got my volume up around 4-5), the clean sound became really flabby and farty. Kind of how I imagine a blown speaker would sound. Not overdriven and musical at all. I took the advice of other reviewers on this site and replaced the stock speakers (I put in Celestion Vintage 10 speakers). WOW, huge difference! I'm really anxious to play live so I can crank this baby up, but it seems to have solved the problem (playing quite loud at home when the wife is out, and the flab is gone!).

That's what motivated me to write this review. Don't give up on this amp and sell it prematurely. Try new speakers (and good quality tubes) first.

Nothing has ever actually broken, construction seems solid. I'm only giving it a "6" because stock out of the box Fender seems to have scrimped big time on the speakers (and perhaps on the tubes as well). For the price paid for this amp, it should NOT be necessary to change out the speakers to get a good sound.

Rating of "1" is being very generous. From what I can tell, the Fender website has absolutely no way you can contact them. That's inexcusable for a corporation the size of Fender. I don't see any link to "contact us" or "customer service" or anything. If it's there, it's well hidden. Fender, shame on you!

Now that I have put in decent speakers, I'm really happy with this amp. It took me a while to figure it out

I bought this amp new in 2005 & I believe it was made in 2004. It's a basic, vintage-style Fender amp so it's "features" are amazing for an amp made in about 1962, but really not very amazing to the modern word. It has 2 non-switchable channels (Normal & Bright), reverb & one of the best tremolos I've ever heard. I use this amp at gigs where my Fender Super Reverb, Tweed Bassman LTD, or Peavey 5150 would be too loud. The Custom Vibrolux sounds so full and warm at low volumes, even though it has 2 6L6 tubes just like my other Fender amps. They must have designed it to deliver at lower volumes, maybe? I agree with other reviews--this amp starts to break up at about 3 1/2 or 4 and only gets dirtier as you crank it. That works PERFECTLY for me, but I understand why that annoys others.

It does a few basic things really, really well. If you're looking for flexibility, look elsewhere.

I play this amp out with a bunch of very different guitars. I play a 1982 '62 Reissue Strat with Seymour Duncan stacked humbucker pickups, a 1965 Gretsch Double Anniversary, a 50's (Reissue) Telecaster with a Duncan Broadcaster pickup, & a recently-manufactured 2-pickup Danelectro. I like the sound of all of these guitars through this amp, and the amp doesn't require too much tweaking if you switch guitars. I usually roll off a little bass & drop the volume a hair when switching from a single coiled pickup to a humbucker. I play roots rock, pop and a little country music. It suits my playing very well. I play a constant mix of rhythm and lead. I have a pedalboard with a volume pedal, a Fulltone Fulldrive 2, a Jekyll & Hyde overdrive, Boss Trem/Pan (used only with my non-trem amps) and a Danelectro Echo, The amp takes effects really well, though it absorbs volume differences at certain settings--if you play the amp really dirty you need to feed it a HUGE distortion boost to get a lead to cut through. I use my Fulldrive for a clean boost with this amp & the amps dirtys up nicely with the spike in volume.

My gigs lately have been pretty small places, so I've purchased a THD Hot Plate and I'm actually taking 4 to 8 db off the amp out of the speaker out. This amp is pretty quiet when played clean, so this should tell you something about the venues. (The Hot Plate ended up being so helpful that I ended up buying one for each of my other amps, btw)

The amp is just as noisy as any stock 50's or 60's Fender I've ever owned. I really don't care about the hiss, but it might become annoying in the studio (I haven't recorded with this amp yet). The hiss from my Super Reverb never ruined any tracks for me, but I'm not a nit-picker and my hearing isn't what it used to be for high frequencies. The noise might bother some.

I never use the "Bright" channel, so this is basically a one-channel amp for me. It has 2 10-inch speakers, which normally doesn't supply enough bottom for me, but in this amp it seems to work. I used to own a blackfaced Fender Pro Reverb with 2 10's and it never delivered the bass that this amp does.

When I first plugged this amp in at my regular Monday gig the singer commented on how amazing my guitar sounded. Between sets I had 2 different people comment on my "amazing tone". I now get comments like this all of the time, so I haven't used any of my other amps since I bought this one. I mentioned the tremolo before--it is just amazing. The reverb is good, too. Both features are foot-switchable and available to both channels (though the front panel is layed out as if maybe the reverb is only available to the "Bright" channel--this is not the case.)

I've only had the amp for a few months. I bought it with a cracked cab (can you believe that stupidity)? It looks like shipping damage to me. I'm surprised the amp works at all. They gave me a huge discount and it was the only one left in the store, so I bought it broken--I loved the sound that much. I keep meaning to glue the thing, but I have this weekly pub gig (and other random shows) and I really don't want to play without it so cracked it remains until we get fired (or the amp fails).

unknown. I've never had to contact Fender for anything in 25 years of playing their guitars and amps. ????

I look this amp as a one-channel amp & I love the sound of it. It's a very basic amp--a one-trick pony in a way, but if you enjoy it's voice that might be enough for you. I'm completely satisfied with it. I've never enjoyed playing any amp so much & I've never gotten so many complements on my guitar sound. I'd replace it again in an instant. I just love the warm, responsive tone and feel of this amp. It sounds like a great brown-faced Fender with maybe a touch of a tweed Fender Deluxe, only louder. I don't expect every amp to be able to do everything, so if I'm playing a gig that is too loud for this amp, I'll just play one of my others. I like it's low-volume tone so much I'm really going to miss it when I play a bigger stage, though.

Basic Fender layout, read the other reviews.

As is true with most modern Fenders, the stock version of the amp is lacking. The Jensen speakers break up very early and lack character. When I got mine there were 2 rattling Fender labelled preamp tubes, thankfully the previous owner had installed a new set of JJ 6L6s which are an improvement.

I immediately pulled the 2 bad preamps, and replaced them with NOS GE 12AX7s. In V1 I installed a new GT 12AX7M. Next I pulled the Jensens and tried a pair of Weber C10Qs, which were much better, but weren't great, so I swapped those out for a pair of the new Eminence Ragin Cajuns.

The amp now sounds dramatically better. The bass is tight and very strong. Like all Fenders there's a definite scooped mids with a prounounced treble bite. Not ice picky, but not shimmery like a Vox type circuit. This is not a clean amp, though mine doesn't have the hiss problem others have mentioned. Around about 3 or 4 on the volume the amp starts to overdrive, with the stock Jensens I started getting speaker break up at 2. It continues to get louder up to about 6 or 7, then mostly saturates as you crank it. It does get very loud, particularly through the new efficient speakers.

The tone of the amp reminds me quite a bit like a Deluxe Reverb, except a bit darker and much louder due to the 6L6s and the 40 watt rating. Nice warm Fendery overdrive when pushed, perfect for blues. The amp handles overdrive pedals well. I've tried it with AC and RC Boosters, FD II, Bad Monkey and a Vintage Rat. Lots of different tones to be had just by hitting the front end with something a little different. I predominantly play a Strat with Fralins, PRS CU22 with Dragons, LPs with Voodoo 59s and Antiquiites and PRS CU 22 with Lollar P 90s. The amp works well with all of them.

The reverb is ok. It's not a big drippy reverb like you get in the SF and BF Fenders, but it is warm and adds a nice depth to the tone. Once you start cranking the amp it becomes unnecessary, so it's nice to have the reverb pedal to kick on and off as necessary. The Vibrato is ok as well, not like a classic Fender Brownface, but servicable.

Stock I give the amp a 5 for Sound quality. With better tubes and speakers I give it a solid 8.

I've owned 2 modern Fenders a Hot Rod Deluxe (long since gone) and this. So far no problems with reliability with either.

N/A

I've been playing for almost 40 years and own a bunch of amps. EL 34 Shiva, Route 66, Carr Rambler, 1967 Bassman, 1970 Champ, 1971 Princeton Reverb, 59 Bassman clone, Vox AC 15 TBX, 1974 Pro Reverb, Univalve, A couple of Jenkins Sound Shop Cabs (1X12 and 2X12) a Fender Tonemaster 4X12 with 2 V30s and 2 G12H30s.

I bought this as an easy to travel amp with classic overdriven Fender tone, and a bit more balls than the Carr Rambler. I'm pretty satisfied with what I ended up with at the price.

Not much here, but I'm not into gadgets. Normal and Bright channels, volume, treble, bass, tremolo, and reverb. 40 watts with 2 Jensen speakers.

I have an American Strat with antiquity pickups and a Standard Les Paul. I have an original blackface Super Reverb and was looking for an amp that could produce a similar sound and would be easier to gig with. I a play blues-rock, jazz, improv style - kind of Allman Brothers/Widespread Panic. I guess I'm spoiled from the beautiful sounds of the Super, cause this amp doesn't cut it at all for me. It sounds decent at about 3 or less, nice clean Fender tone. But as soon as you turn it load enough to hear over drums it breaks up a lot and is almost impossible to get a completely clean tone out of it. Also, due to the limited ability to EQ the amp I had to use my EQ pedal (which I also have to use for the Super). When pushing the bass and mid up a little the amp clearly didn't respond well, as it lost all sustain and seemed to 'fart out.' As others have reported the amp is pretty noisy - I don't think it would pose too much of a problem if you were recording live but if you were to isolate the amp for recording purposes the hiss would definaletly show up in recording.

I only had it a week, but it worked fine.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years, and playing out for 5 years. I just wanted a smaller version of my 67 super reverb to gig with. I knew going into it that nothing is going to sound quite like a Blackface Super, but was disappointed with the Vibrolux none the less. Just didn't cut if for me - it breaks up a little to early for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice natural Fender overdrive, but I also like a nice clean sound which I couldn't get at a loud volume. It sounds great with the volume at 3 or less, but isn't quite clean enough when playing with a rock drummer.

a 2004 vibrolux custom reissue which i got about 4 months ago.
amp has two channels: normal and bright with reverb and vibrato and a footswitch with both. it takes two blue (rated 4) GT6L6 power tubes and has no effect loop.

the amp is not very tweakable at all, i wish there was a mid and perhaps a master volume control to control the breakup on the amp. the concept of this amp is they removed all the frills (ie. effects loops and mid. and drive channel and the like) and all thats left is "great tone."
the amp is very loud (45 watts) but it has so much gain that it breaks up at a ridiculously low volume.

i use a 1982 ibanez as-200 for jazz, fusion, funk and pop stuff.
i use a early 90's jap strat for blues and rock.
my pedal setup is guitar - keeley modded rat - crybaby - boss dd-6 - ernie ball volume pedal.

so heres the deal-

1. the amp is VERY noisy when turned on. using tremolo makes it even louder as does any sort of distortion unit. ive recorded 3 or so times with it and every time ive had comments from the engineer about how loud it is.

2. the amp sounds very nice for low volume stuff. i like it for jazz in clubs...thats pretty much it. ive used it on about 15 top 40/pop gigs and was not impressed at all. the breakup is so early that its pretty much impossible to get anything clean at a slightly high volume. also i didnt really like the way it took pedals (esp dist. as it made the pedals tend to sound buzzy and brittle)

3. when the amp did break up, the tone seemed to take a sort of nose dive. it seemed to be all treble and mids with no sustain. the breakup was so brittle that it was impossible to get a nice sweet lead tone, no matter what pedal i used. i tried some ruby tubes matched to fender blues and the breakup was slightly nicer...but still not tolerable to me.

right when i got the amp i had to take it into my amp tech guy because of a strange crackling and popping sound. he said that basically the stock soldering job was terrible and he re-did all the work for me.
a couple months later, something happened to the bass cap and the bass stopped working. i would chalk this stuff up to UPS throwing it around as well as stinky work by fender. but fender took care of it all on warranty so i guess the service was pretty good

n/a

im in the process of selling this amp right now. i dont mean to be really dark about the amp, but i dont see alot of reasons to get one. with some better tubes and a nicer speaker it would probably sound alot better, but id rather put the effort into a higher quality amp. i recently purchased an allen accomplice 1 X 15 combo which i think sounds amazing, and MUCH more blackfacey than the 67 vibro reissue (www.allenamps.com).

i guess my final comments are:
the amp is nice for low volumes or blues (with better tubes) but if youre looking for a clean tone anywhere other than your living room, then look elsewhere.

it's a non switchable 2-channel amp with the most wonderful tremolo and an average reverb in it, "spiced" with an odd hiss and other funny noises. a simple amp with no other features (well, you can imitate a steam engine with the tremolo and the hiss, if that's of any use...)

I use this amp mainly for country rock. the signal starts from a tele, goes thru a little compression into a mellow overdrive, further into a lead overdrive, slapback echo into the final booster pedal, all good quality. I really like the crunchy sound of the amp, which starts around the "10 o'clock" setting, but that's already a bit too loud for most of the gigs. that's why I use a little overdrive from a pedal. to be loud enough with a drummer, "9 o'clock" setting is fine for me, a clean sound, a lovely one. be careful with the bass settings. it has too much bass response and farts pretty soon.
usually I connect a 2-12/ 4 ohm cab to it. it's not getting louder, but it improves the sound I want, and for some reason I think the amp likes it, too. it's a real loud 40 watts amp, it seems louder then my 50 watts marshall jcm 2000. the first gig I played thru the amp was opening for zz top. the biggest stage in switzerland, and the cvr didn't let me down at all!
I really like the little yeller. don't missunderstand my rating, it's not a diamond 10, it's not a golden 9, but a lovely, silvery 8. for a 1 to 10 scale, an 8 is absolutely high level. it's a pro amplifier, even with the hiss'n'hum.

it didn't let me down until today. it's built a bit weak, especially the rear tube cover seems pretty loose. but, as with all tube amps, handle it with care. use a flight case if you can afford it, or at least a soft cover for transportation. I don't use a backup amp. I would if I'd be a pro, I'm "only" semi pro with about 50 gigs a year.
the hiss and hum seems normal in this case and is no reason to worry about.

if you're not a big name, fender is a pain in the ass. the company is too big to worry about little fishes like me. I once waited 3 month for spare parts... switzerland? who cares about that little fart in the middle of europe? ah, they're all rich there, let's go for tripple the price...
so, I'm the idiot, if you look at it. could buy different gear, just as good or even better and cheaper. it's paradoxical, I just love it.....( 'cause I'm a fool......?)

too expensive, very noisy, yet my favorite amp......
the most wonderful tremolo, it works through the power tubes and they blink when the effect is on.
definitely not an amp for everybody. it's a "brutal honest" one.
it can improve your playing a lot due to it's pure tone and dynamic response. you won't be able to fake around with that one. I like honesty. i want to get better. so I found my amp in the cvr.
if lost or stolen, I might check out another (overpriced) fender amp, like a bassman, vibroking, super reverb or the like. but I won't loose it and no-bloody-body will steal it. it's my friend with all its pros and cons. again, I give it an "8". there's only a few "10-ish" amps on the planet, posessed by some freaks who most probably don't even use them. I'm sure there are better amps around which deserve a "9". good luck in finding your favorite amp.

98 model. Extreemly versatile! 2 channels (Norm/Btight) All tube circuitry w/solid state rectifier. 2x10 Jensen Alnico's. Plenty of power. Rated 40 watts. Use it all the time!

My main guitars are US Reissue Strat's and a Custom Shop Tele. Play all types of country, blues and rock. It does them all very well. It's a litle noisey. (Fender knows how to fix this, they just won't)Damn penny pinchers nowadays! Produces every fender tone you can think of. Crystal cleans, texas blues, jimi tone even brown sound when really pumped hard. Starts to break up around 4 on volume control. Simple controls.

I had to replace a noisey preamp tube. Other than that, no problems at all.

That's a joke. Fender has no customer support!

I've played for 30 plus years. I have several other amps, but this is my favorite. I would buy it again and will buy another one in blonde soon. Love the tones and versatility. Hate the noise. Compared it to reissue deluxe and a reissue concert. It smoked them both. It needs nothing more. Turn it on plug in and play. Just like the good ole days!

It's a 2002 model (so it says on the back!)
All i wanted was a good clean amp - hell, i really got one!
2 channels (normal & bright) - no FX loops - who needs them anyway?
40 BIG valve watts - massive!

I use 2 strats (one original late 70's Jap Squier neck & pickups with custom LH body, and one American Standard - poor by comparison with the jap pickups) and an Epiphone Sheraton. Play anywhere from Beatles to Crowded House, Stones, Fleetwood Mac, BB King, Clapton, SRV, The Who etc.
It's a bit hissy when turned up but so what? the drums drown that out!
This amp really sings! I wanted a good clean amp which would break up nicely when turned up - yep! hits the nail right on the head there - and it responds nicely to the player's attack. Now, when I bought it, I used it with a Boss GT6 in front of it - it was weak, thin, farty and I was wondering if i'd got the right amp.......however, the following evening I dug out my old pedals (i never throw anything away - just in case)and it made sense! I put in front of it.....cry baby wah, Dod Overdrive (for cruch at low volume), Aria Distortion (more of that in a sec), Boss Chorus and Boss DD5 delay. Now, the Aria Disrortion was lent to me by a friend - it looks crappy but sounds unbelievable - anything from a real SRV Tubescreamer (it actually sound closer than my old tubescreamer!!!) to c creamy David Gilmour sound - i couldn't believe how it sang!
Another thing - don't stand this amp on anything - put it on the floor for a great bass response!

Only had it for a coupla weeks to replace the Hot Rod Deluxe that decided to fry itself. I was concerned that because it's a PCB it might be a bit shitty but fender seem to have got the build right - tubes mounted in the metal chassis, filter caps on a separate board etc. I've used it for 6 gigs and - fingers crossed - no problems. I'm capable of sorting minor problems myself (replace valves, fuses, speakers etc) and have a tech friend to help with the bigger stuff. I'll replace the Groove Tubes valves with some proper ones - i really am not suckered into the Groove Tubes quality thing yet.....there's much better out there (sylvania, svetlana etc...).

I contacted Fender UK when my Hot Rod died and they wanted #410 (uk pounds) for just the PCB that the power valves are mounted on! I think they're taking the piss! So i'll pass on Fender's 'Customer Support!.........actually, the tech guy i spoke to at fender apologised and said i'd be better hand building the board - it'd be cheaper and more reliable that way! Let's leave it at that!

Been playing for 24 years semi-pro - hundreds and hundreds of gigs. I also own: Hot Rod Deluxe (currently being rebuilt by hand), Fender Bassman 10 from 1971 - great amp but no reverb), Fender Champ (1971) and a Laney VC30 for a backup. I love this amp so far - it does everything i want sonically - just don't stick a GT6 in front of it! Great reverb and exceptionally great Vibrato - very useable! I bought it cos I love the clean Fender sound - you can add anything outboard as long as your basic sound is there. This amp really does it for me - very portable also. As I said before - don't put this thing on a chair/box/case etc - leave it on the floor for a great bass response! Only thing I wish it had was a cover - but my Hot Rod cover fits so not the end of the world! I really believe Fender products are way too expensive in the UK - this thing would have cost me #1300 new! As it was, i got an ungigged amp for half that and still think it was expensive. If it had been hand-wired i could have accepted the overblown price but hey.....people will pay for the product.

Probably a 2003/4 made. All the product details available on the web- I wanted an amp which had fat valve/tube tone, not too powerful or heavy. Vibrato and Reverb, plus it had to sound good with a Strat and Tele

I use a Strat with custom shop overwound pickups and a Tele with a full size humbucker in the neck position.
the Vibrolux Reverb is perfect for my styles -country rock, rockabilly and a little blues. Gets dirtier as you turn it up.
I gig regularly and it has to cut it in this area...not a bedroom amp. I don;t know where all this noise talk comes from for this amp - it is about the same noisy as all the other tube amps I have used -VOX AC30, Fender Bassman, numerous Marshalls. The noisiest amp I ever used was a Peavey Transtube -yuk.

So far so good -Fender stuff has always been reliable for me

Always had good service from Fender -not yet needed for this amp.

Been playing in bands since 1970. A Custom Shop Strat and a Mex Tele and the Custom Vibrolux Reverb is my gigging rig (plus a BOSS Blues Driver and Dig. Delay). It has replaced a Fender Bassman Reissue purely 'cause I wanted something a bit smaller and wanted reverb and Vibrato onboard. It sounds similar to the Bassman when working hard, though not quite as much bottom -the Basmman is still to me THE best raw guitar amp...but the Custom Vibrolux Reverb is a more practical choice. If I won the lottery, I would keep the CVR and buy another Basmman and a VOX AC30 and then use a 3-way selector switch for heavenly sound selections.

It is a 2002, with the Jensen P10Rs, 6L6, preamp tubes, blah. Everyone knows the features of the amp. If not, just read all the previous reviews.

It has reverb and tremelo on both channels so I mostly use the normal mode. There is a bright channel, too, of course. The amp has no Negative Feedback Loop so you may quiver at the potentiality for hiss--not to mention, there is a 12AX7 in the PI slot of the amp, but this is intentional. Early breakup is the name here. I don't rate amps features beyond what they do for me. For me, I wanted an amp to go with my Fender Jazzmaster that would break up early and give off tone slightly closer to the early Fender tweed and brown tone (not traditional Blackface), so this amp met everything I expected from an amp. Though, I don't think the amp is for everyone, and surely isn't versatile for a lot of players striving for clean or heavy gainy tones, either. It's good but not divine for all.

Oh, where do I begin... I think many complain about hiss. And while I must agree with some that there is an audible hiss, it is in no way apparent when you're playing. In fact, the hiss is not even that bad. Some people just wince at the slightest bit of noise and this amp has it. Remember, there is no NFbL so you're going to have some hiss. Not to mention, the 12AX7 in the PI slot will add gain and some noise, too.

I usually set the amp around 4-4.5 with the treble at 3 and the bass at 4. I use the reverb at 4, as it is not very deep like the other "vintage designed" fender tube amps. You don't really notice it until about 3 on the knob.

Aside from tone, the tremelo is absolutely stunning on this amp, as well. It is not like the traditional BF tremelo that is thinner and more choppy (like a distant helicopter). With the inensity set to the max (where I always have it), you get a thick, chewy sounding tremelo that is very brownish to my ears--I owned a '62 Concert (harmonic vibrato) and the tone is similar.

It is a brightly voiced amp, though, the midrange focus makes the tone a little sweeter than the DRRI or Twin Rev. I prefer this amp because I feel like my sound is never dull or lost in the mix. I have just enough brightness that is not shrill sounding or ice picky (though, if you crank the treble, this will happen) and that is perfect for me. I used a DRRI and the tone was so sharp and bright that I had to aim it away for me to enjoy playing on stage. It was REALLY bright. This amp, however, is not so. In fact, you'll get more woofiness if you crank the bass (but be wary--if you crank the volume and the bass too high you'll farty overdriven tones) and great tube driven tone. I like the beginning of the drive on this amp--with my settings you get volume (yes, it is loud) and you'll get a good eq'd balance, as well.

Oh, my setup is: CIJ Fender Jazzmaster (w/p90), Ibanez TSilver 808 (from AnalogMan), Ibanez CP-835 II (808 series compressor), Ibanez HD-1000 delay/harmonizer rack unit, boss tu-2, and a volume pedal (*I play indie, roots, lo-fi rock with some blues and jazz influence, as well*). Sure, it is a simple setup. I get drive tone, compression, and delay/crazy sounds if I need them. I have rev and trem courtesy of the amp and I enjoy using them, as well. I have always been a bit of an uneasy tone searcher. I often feel compelled to move around until I find something better. This amp really does everything I want from an amp. Sure, I might change my mind, but that means I will buy another one to go with the Custom Vibrolux Reverb. This is a permanent feature for me. It is such a sweet looking fella, and you can't deny the tone this amp creates is just so nice to the ear. I just feel comfortable now--and that usually does not happen with and amplifiers. Maybe that is good and maybe it is bad. Who knows. But the tone is great for blues, jazz, funk, and whatever you want because it is just straight up tube driven tone that Fender epitomizes. You don't have to fight this one in order to get what you want. Though, changing the tubes or maybe a speaker may help articulate something you prefer in the amp. I still have the stock speakers and tubes--but I will be changing the tubes soon, as they are almost 2 years old now. Yeah, I'll put in some SEDs or TADs.

I've only had it for a little while, though, at two years the amp is running strong. Just don't beat these guys and you'll be a happy CVR owner, I'm sure. If I reviewed this amp a year from now, I could give a satisfactory rating; therefore, I'm opting away from this one.

Never spoke with them--I have a tech who takes care of me, anyway.

So again, I play indie, roots, lo-fi rock with some blues and jazz influence, as well. Yeah, that one is vague, huh?

Anyway, the sound from the Vibrolux is stellar. I know I would keep this amp and wish to replace it upon losing it. If that could happen? I chose it because I wanted organic, raw tube tone and Fender glazing to go. The CVR has everything I need for clean, driven, and whatever from an amp. I've experimented greatly, too. From a 70's Twin Reverb, '66 Bandmaster, '62 Fender Concert, '83 Concert II, '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, then a PTP DR, as well, to a Peavey DB 210, and the CVR seems to please me best. I dearly miss the brown amp, but I'll get over it. I've got Fender and Drive together. Yummy.

I'll keep her for the long haul, no doubt.

The features are simple and fine for this price range. An effects loop would be nice but then again I paid $650 for the amp on ebay....

For a straight 'Fender' type tone ala Stevie Ray, Los Lonely Boys and Robert Cray etc. this amp is dead on. If you want to play clean jazz great, Texas or smooth blues great, if you want to play Hi-gain metal then buy a Peavey 'Satriani' model or a Boogie rectifier. I've owned a Vibro-King a few years ago and this is a poor man's Vibro-King (unlike the Vibro-King it has cheesy, flimsy construction, noisy circuit boards, shared reverb etc..) sounds a lot like the Vibro-King yet with more noise and hiss. Nails the Fender sound though!

This thing is built really cheesy. The back boards to protect the speakers and chassis are about 1/4" thick (I'm serious!!!) I don't believe I have ever seen that in the 30 plus years that I have been playing guitar. I had to change out all the tubes for NOS quality Mullards to make the amp even usable. The circuit boards on the inside are thin and cheap, seems to me that Fender went as cheap as possible on the inside parts too. No wonder the amp is noisy!

Have never contacted them...

If you change the tubes and baby it you will get a close replica of the Vibro-King sound for 1/2 the cost. The reverb is kinda noisy yet very big and usable. This amp weighs about 1/3 of my Matchless DC30 so that rules too! (then again it's because the amp is made cheesy so....)

The amp was probably built after 2002.
The amp has two channels, normal and bright. It has no channel switching, no separate gain knob, no frills. It's all tube -- tube reverb and tube tremolo. 40W 2X10 gets pretty loud for an amp this size. If you are looking for versatility, get something else. This is one cool amp but it's not for everyone. It's great for players who has "expressive" styles -- pick attacks reall jumps out. I'll give the features "5" because whiel I LOVE it, it's not for everyone.

I use a custom G&L with their vintage style alnico-pickups. I also play a '75 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with stock (mini!) pickups. I use pretty much one stomp box - a Tubescreamer that has the old chips in it. I have a Vox wah but it sucks all the good tone out of the guitar, so I rarely use it. I play blues (Bluesbreakers-era Clapton, Albert and Freddie King stuff, etc etc) and Dire Straits etc. The amp, for this style, is AWESOME. I know I'm not supposed to give glowing reviews but this is one awesome amp. Play it clean, with the volume knob set around 3-4, and I swear it is the most beautiful sound you ever heard. The notes sound just absolutely amazing. Drag your pick across the strings, hit a few hard notes -- it sounds like the amp is talking! It picks up EVERY little thing that's going on on your guitar. Crank it up and it breaks up really really nice. I found that the Tubesreamer really contributes to the expressiveness of the amp. It gives it a nice warm overdrive that's not harsh sounding. I love both the normal and the bright channels. Normal is darker sounding, and I think it sounds better than the bright channel at lower volumes. The bright channel sounds great too, like an old Fender clean amp sound. Also, the real swampy reverb/remolo thing is nice. It's not an overkill reverb like those newer cheap sounding reverb.

How brutal is the distortion? The distortion is not very brutal. There's no preamp so you have to crank it up. But I like it. If you are looking for a brutal distortion, you ought to get something else with "Marshall" or "Mesa Boogie" or something else written on it. This amp is strictly for those who appreciate clean warm tubey killer responsive old-school amp. Oh yeah, it is noisy as heck. I swear I hear the radio on it sometimes. But that contributes to the "charm" of this amp, I guess.

I've only had it for a little while, but it's working great so far. It's light, so it's real ideal for carrying around. I assume it's reliable until it breaks.

I have never had the privilege of conversing with the Fender folks. I'm sure they're competent -- they DID build this amp afterall.

I have been playing for 14 years and I think this is my favorite amp so far. I have a Fender Blues Deluxe that isn't hotrodded, and I bought it because it was relatively cheap and was covered in tweed and it was my first tube amp. I stuck with it because the clean channel on the Blues Deluxe actually sounds good. Or so I thought. Man this Vibrolux thing sounds so good, I daydream about it all the time.

I will definitely get this amp again, unless I can afford to buy a Vibro King or the Caesar Diaz customized amp that Fender now offers, or I get a crazy deal on old Fender amps on ebay.

I love it that this amp is such a responsive amp. You gotta play it to really believe it. When I bought it, I walked into the store thinking I'll buy either (A) the Cybertwin or (B) the Fender Pro Reverb. The store didn't have the Cybertwin but had the lesser model (CyberDeluxe?) and it sounded cool with different distorted settings, but it just didn't sound "real" when it was clean. So I played the Pro Reverb, the first all tube Fender amp with channel switching, and I thought great, this thing plays nice clean and real crunchy distorted, so it's a versatile amp! Then, as an afterthought, I plugged into the Vibrolux and it was like, "did it just play that??" I sat in the back room for about an hour playing the Vibrolux. I had the Pro Reverb and the Vibrolux next to each other, and it was no match. I just had to have the Vibrolux. The clean sounds didn't even compare. The Vibrolux sounded so alive compared to the Pro Reverb. So now I'm a happy owner of a Custom Vibrolux Reverb amp.

I don't wish it had anything else. I think it's perfect the way it is. But I can't stress enough, YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT! Don't just buy it online because you may be one of those players looking for a smooth quiet amp, or a real cruncher, and this amp isn't smooth, quiet or crunchy. Also it's really noisy. Think of it this way -- if you had to compare this amp to your relative, it's not your swanky banker cousin or your punk nephew. It's your grandpa when he used to raise hell. So try this amp if you're looking for an amp that sounds like, eh, your grandpa when he was younger.

I purchased this amp new. It made the Tele's and Gretsch guitars (as well as a cheapo DeArmond guitar) I played while trying it out, all sound terrifc - and I mean terrific (and I played country, blues and jazz flavored tunes through it). It has 2 channels, reverb and tremolo, not much else but it has TONE! I sold a Vetta for this so you know it has to sound good! I just play in my home studio, so this amp is plenty loud at 40 watts.

I play a variety of Fenders, Gibsons and Gretsches and I think this amp makes them sound like they're supposed to. But again, it sounds great for the types of guitars and music I like to play and hear. This amp isn't dead quiet (and I'll mention something about that in the reliability section). And it does go from clean to dirty then nasty as you go up past 3 on volume knob. But I like that!

The amp came with a bad reverb tube from Fender (it sounded lke glass rattling every now and then when I played on the "g" string) and it was the wrong tube at that according to the schematic - see the next section for more on that). I'm not a techy type so at first, I was heart broken about the intermittent noises (because this amp just sounds so good w/those Alinco 10" speakers). I thought that maybe the reverb tank went bad because after an hour or so some plinky noises were coming out from it (and I wasn't even playing!). The outcome is in the next section. So for Fender, a "1" for stressing me out at the get go. But I haven't had the amp for long so I'll let you know in a year.

Well, I buy my gear from a great guy (Brian) at Russo's Music in Trenton, NJ (and here's a shameless plug for an awesome Mom & Pop music store - they're on the web at http://www.russomusic.com). So I brought the amp back, Brian played through it until it did what I told him it did (how many sales people do you know that spend 30 + minutes listening for a customer's complaint about intermittent noises?). When he heard it, he knew the problem and replaced the reverb tube with a EH tube and that's when he also noticed Fender used a different tube from the schematic). Bottom line, my heart's been mended and I'm back in luv with this amp! So a "10" for Brian and Russo's.

I've been playing guitar for 30+ yrs. I also own a '62 Bassman head and cabinet and a Fender Custom Shop Bassbreaker and I enjoy the Vibrolux sound so much more. I would definitely replace this amp as it meets all my requirements (which are simple): great tone, responsiveness, reverb (and tremolo). I recommend you try one out.

Bought this used, but dang near mint, in 1998. The fellow who had it before me was a cowboy who played acoustic guitar. He wasn't happy with it, but then that's not what it's designed for. Mine is a '96 in blonde Tolex. I think it 's prettier than the black Tolex ones out now. When I bought it I really knew very little about tube amps (and I suppose I still don't!), but I fell in love with the tremelo. I use it to play in the house and have gigged with it a few times. No problems cutting through. It's a LOUD 40 watts, as you can read from others below.

For Strats, usually leave it on the Bright setting, trem at 3, reverb at 3, bass at 4-5, treble at 7, volume 2-3. The controls are pretty simple, and compared to the versatility of modern amps, it is almost primitive, so i give it a 6 for features.

Play Tokai Silver Star 70s Strat replicas, Fender Hendrix Tribute Strat, Reverend Slingshot, '58 Guild T100D, Les Paul Pro Deluxe, a Girlbrand Tele, and a few other mutants through this amp. The Strats sing and sparkle, the P90 guitars can really bark and so do the Teles, but the Guild jazzer takes some fine tuning to dial in a good sound. It's very difficult to get a bad sound on this amp, even with cheap guitars.

It was designed by Bruce Zinky (designed the Vibro King and a slew of other amps) late of the Fender Custom Shop (hence the Custom name) although it was built on the factory floor. It's obvious that this man knows how to get very, very good tone out of a box.

Yes, it's a bit noisy. If you yank the volume up it gets worse, but I think that for the tone you get (the beautifully rich clean Fender Strat sounds) it's an OK tradeoff. When I gigged I never heard the noise. When I play at home, I don't notice it anymore. I guess there are some players who wince at the slightest amount of hiss but I'm not a purist.

It's a great amp for rootsy blues music and surf, although the reverb seems a bit anemic at low volumes for Man or Astro-Man stuff. I suspect the reverb gets better at higher volumes. The product literature says for maximum tone to dime up the amp and play a Strat at a volume of 2, but I Strat pinky swell a lot and am afraid of ripping my ears off, or having my wife throw me out of the house.

I think this amp sounds best clean, because the reverb and tremelo are so subtle and rich. I use an Ernie Ball volume pedal with it for some guitars, and sometimes fool around with a Dan-Echo pedal, which has about two decent tones IMO. But it sounds so good by itself that it reveals what most pedals really are (at least in my opinion ): little tone suckers. If you have a good tube amp to begin with, why muck it up with pedals? It also forces you to play better, I think, because there's not a lot of processed signal to hide behind.

It can really nail the SRV stuff with decent pickups (I use the Van Zandts Blues). I don't think this would be a good fit for players who favor ripping Les Paul crunch but that's what Marshalls are made for. On the other hand, Peter Green got some might sweet tones out of his LP Standard through a Fender Twin ...

Seems pretty study and hefty. Just retubed last year - the originals lasted 8 years, and if one of the power tubes didn't start arcing last year I might have kept them in longer. I guess if I were a professional player it would be senseless to travel without a backup set of tubes.

Also I probably should run a small fan behind it as it gets a bit hot but I'm lazy, I guess.

Never needed service. The warranty is long expired, plus I bought it used. Every time I phoned Fender for general information about other things, they seemed helpful.

Been playing for more than 30 years. It's a hobby. My goal is to be a really good Strat player for an amateur. I try to sound like me rather than Hendrix, SRV, etc. and there are days when I'm halfway decent. Never took lessons beyond a folk guitar class in the 1970s. Can't read music but have good ears.

I probably would buy another if it were stolen (it hardly ever leaves the house) but I would check out other amps that seem interesting, such as some of the Carrs or maybe a custom builder like Bruce Zinky if they made a low-watt model. These blonde Tolex/Oxblood grill cloth amps are getting rare now, as they only made 100.

I really got lucky with this one. I had no idea how good it was when I bought it. I have gone through the whole GAS routine with guitars, finally settling on Strats, but I've never felt the need to buy another amp. That should say something.

Did I mention it's NOT for sale?

New, 2003 vintage, 40 watts
2x10 Fender Alnico speakers
2 Channel, Reverb, Trem, Bass, Trebble
2 button footswitch
I play country and blues, some 70's classic rock. I was using 4 amps (Blues Jr. to a Vibro King stack) and setting a Power Soak between them to calibrate the volume. I was never satisfied. So, I too a year, thought about it, and bought the new Vibrolux - Then had a tech put in a 2nd stage MASTER VOLUME mounted in the "Aux Speaker" jack on the back panel. Fener Re-Issues are pretty vanilla, but this master volume mod expands the amp's versitility from a 5 to a 7.

With the master volume mod, I get clean sounds in both channels to about 3 and focused "dirty" sounds to maybe "7". The ampp is really rough after 7.

Never had any trouble with Fender, but I keep a Blues Jr. for a backup.

Fender is pretty good responding to email.
Most tech manuals are posted as Adobe files on the Gearhead site.
Warranty was 3 years, but the mod voided such. I've never had Fender troubles, so, I'm not worried.

I've been playing 35 years, never to my potential.
This year I quit playing out, and focused on getting my studio set up.
I redefined my goals, switched equipment, and am working on a song list.
I intend to practice with my giging equipment, recording as I go.
Perhpas in a couple years I'll feel like playing out again.
This amp is a definitive part of my plan.
Not too much to say about the amp. It's not like the Fender Vibrolux of the 60's. Both channels are tied together for reverb and trem (don't like that part.) Circuts are all solid state boards powered by a classic line of Fender tubes.

An effects loop would be nice for some players, but I've never really used one.
A balanced line out would be good, too. But, I'll get along miking the amps.

I purchased this amplifier used from a friend during the year 2000, so I'm thinking that it was probably built in 1999. I play a mixture of blues and jazz and also do a lot of slide guitar work. I needed a medium output tube amp that had could produce a nice clean sound as well as a warm overdriven sound. The Virbrolux has two channels, "normal" and "bright", each with two inputs. Input 1 on each channel is louder than input 2. The amp also has reverb and vibrato. It comes with a footswitch. It has two "blue frame" 10 inch alnico speakers. The amp is rated at 40 watts RMS.

I play Telecasters, Strats and a Les Paul Standard. The Vibrolux sounds great with each of my guitars. I just have to change the tone and volume settings slightly for each guitar. This amplifier does have a little "hiss" sound, however it isn't noticeable while playing. The tones that I can produce a very good for my style of playing. When the amp's volume is set any where from around 4 to 7 it breaks up very smoothly and warmly. I especially love the tone for slide guitar. It absolutely growls!

I've never had any problems with this amp.

I've been playing for about 30 years and have owned many different kinds of amps and guitars. In adsdition to the great sound of this amp, it looks cool too. It has a vintage black face look with ivory colored knobs. I really enjoy the sound and portability of this amp (45 lbs). I got it at a steal ($450.00). I think they go for about a grand new. I highly recommend that you buy one of these!

This is a recently (post 2000) issued Custom vibrolux Reverb. It is not intended to be a reissue of any earlier Vibrolux but it still has the look of an older amp. It is all tube (except for the rectifier, I'm sure) and has a normal and bright channel which are quite different in tone. It has a footswitch to switch on reverb or tremelo (or what Fender calls vibrato). It can't be said that the amp is versitile in relation to the modeling amplifiers with built-in effects but it has the most important feature, great sound.

I consider this an "uncorked" amp, to borrow a term from street racers. Uncorked street-rods are without their mufflers, this amp is without a feedback loop and therefore it hisses a bit, but it also is louder than any 40 watt amp I've ever come across. It is much more sensitive to dynamic playing styles. It's wonderful to get this much volume and awesome tone from such a light-weight amp. It is for live performance. I did not notice the hiss at all when performing with my three piece band. I play strictly clean, no distortion, and mostly instrumental. Even though it has built in reverb, for serious reverb an outboard unit is required.

I've been playing with dedication since the early 70's. This is an amp I intend to keep for a long time. It's easy on the back and fills the bill for loudness and great clean tone. i.e. it's the perfect replacement for a Twin Reverb for moderatly large clubs. I have two twins and a Super, but the Custom Vibrolux will be used most often.

2003 Brand new. I paid around $1100.00 w/ tax.

Only thing I want to make clear on this amp is that it is VERY noisy. If you play at home it will drive you crazy if your use to a quiet amp. I have no doubt that on stage when the signal to noise ratio is increased that it would be fine. The tone is nice, but for those people who want to use it at home beware. I had a professional amp tech try numerous combinations of tubes and that is not the answer. It is a noisy amp period. I took it back.

The basic features: Normal and Bright channel both with Reverb, 2 inputs, and treble / bass EQ's. The back panel includes a footswitch (controls reverb and tremolo) and cabinet output. Basically nothing special but it's all you really need...

I played my 2 Strat's, Les Paul, and my friend's Gretsch T-Rose thru this amp (no pedals) and they all sounded sweet. The clean sound is nice, warm, thick, and very responsive to picking. The amp starts to break up slightly around 4-5 producing a nice bluesy overdrive. Using a TS808 in front as a clean boost, I was able to coax hard overdrive out of the amp with ample gain (i had the gain setting on the TS808 on "1"). The overdriven tone sounded nice and rich - even with those horrible re-labeled Fender tubes...can't wait till I put in some decent tubes!

Alot of people complained about this amp being noisy - I had no such noise problem at all. In fact, my Rivera M60 is noisier than the Vibrolux, but the CVR is not quieter than my Dr. Z Route 66.

The CVR has the classic tone you would expect from a 2x10" type amp - nice clean and a rich, warm, deep overdriven sound. Only cons are that it does break up a bit early and it has limited volume.

I've dealt with Fender before in the past (not regarding this CVR) and they are downright AWFUL! CLEAN UP YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE FENDER!!!!

If you browse all the reviews below you will see that people either love this amp or love to hate it (or maybe they love to hate Fender? who knows).

In my humble opinion the CVR is a great amplifier, and if you have confidence in your playing, and decent chops I think you will be able to appreciate this amp too. My other two amps are the Rivera M60 and the Dr. Z Route 66 - great amps in their own right. My CVR stands right up there between the heavily PCB based Rivera and the pure point-to-point wired Route 66. It's a nice tonal balance between the two and I'm happy to have one in my arsenal.

A simple straight forward rig. Classic Fender tone. Awesome Vibro and reverb! As little or as much as you could need. The Classic reissue Jensens were a must for it's sound.

Again the Classic Fender sound. I am a professional blues musician I am a harp player. I must have plugged into 10 different amps (Fenders..the only amp of serious blues men) and for me the Vibrolux had incredible cut, yet the warmth of vintage sound. The Devilles can't touch it! The Prosonic was too warm with no cut for harp..fantastic sound for guitars however. Harp on this amp reaches out and slaps you in the cheek and caresses your soul at the same time. The vibro is killer

Can tell yet I' had it only a short time.

From previous oppinions I'm glad I have'nt had to experience this area yet.

I've been blowin' harp for 27 years. Have had countless amps from A-Z. Vintage rigs to modern rigs. This amp has that same vintage sound most of us stive for...but in modern rig. I would replace it overnight if anything happened to it. I can find no flaw in this amp for what I like. I had gadgets and gizmos that are designed to compensate for a lack of skill. I am not a purist, but have no use for effects with my style of playing and music. This is a no BS amp for no BS players..It is not a Marshall, it is not a Mesa Boogie......Thank God!!! I think it will be classic highly sought after amp in the future!

This amp was manufactured in June 2000. I bought it new from a local store in my area. I basically bought it because I needed something bigger than my Blues Jr. Looking at the features in the catalogue, I thought that this amp should not sound bad... It's an all-tube fender amplifier, which has a beautiful vibrato. The reverb sounds quite weak, but when you turn your amp up it becomes more and more present. No effects loop, not DI inputs, not headphones, no nothing. Onlt two channels that can't be switched. The two channels are very uselful because I don't need to carry another amp for the lapsteel. It's the basic fender amp. I give it a 10 because despite the seeming lack of feature, this amps does everything I want. Although this amps seems to be a "plug and play" kind of amp, it is not at all the case. Let me explain further...

I'm using an American Vintage '62 Stratocaster made in 98. I still have the original pickups, I don't need anything else. The effects I use with it are a Fulltone Fulldrive2 FM (older version) and a RMC1 wha-wha.
It is very easy to say : what's that amp? It is quite difficult to get the right sound with it. All the knobs interact with the others. It means that when you turn the volume up or down, you've got to re-think your equalization. Tiresome? Maybe, but once you've broken in this steer, you've opened the gates of tone heaven. A signal doesn't come fully equalized from the guitar into your amp. This difference is proportionally emphasized when the signal is amplified. This amp is extremely sensitive. It reproduces exactly what to feed it with. be careful what you plug in it. Beware of the way you're playing too! You have to fight with it for some time. The first times I gigged with it I sounded like crap, too bright, to dark, too loud, gosh! I can understand that some people get fed up with it and say it is a piece of junk. But then, little by little, I learnt to use it, and I can telle you now that no one around got THAT fender tone but me. Give it an other chance before selling it.
However, I changed some tubes, I put sveltanas 6L6GC and JAN 12AT7 for reverb and PI (instead of the 12AX7) and get a sweeter tone. A tesla ecc83 makes the tremolo quiet.
It is an old-style amp : turn the volume up, it overdrives, you can control it with your guitar volume. However I find that it breaks up a little too soon. I like it though, but you have to re-think the equalization if you plan to play above 3 or 4.
Roll off the bass or you'll get the dreaded farty sound.You can sound louder by adding a bit of treble, depending on your guitar.
This is the amp you'd better know before you buy it. There's one which is still waiting for a home in another music shop in my city. I you buy it at random, you might love it or completely hate it.
Hiss is not a problem on stage. Sometimes the amps makes some strange noises but when you play, it cannot be heard. The amp's tone is so warm, chimy, crunchy, with my strat it is such a pleasure. As far as the cosmetics are concerned, I love the white knobs. I wish I had bought a blond model, but I wanted the jensen speakers and didn't want to spend more money on other speakers.
I wish it had more reverb, so I give it a 9.

I've gigged countless times with it an never had a problem.

Never dealt with Fender France. They wouldn't help me because I bought the amp from an unauthorized seller.

It is all the same a bit expensive. But I do think that this amp is a good amp, which does its job extremely well if you remain in its domain (that's too say, old rock 'n'roll, rockabily, country music, etc.)You've got to learn to know it.
To make a long story short, you've got to play for years to enjoy it fully. It is not a Hot Rod Deluxe. It is not an amp to play in your bedroom. It is an amp to play on stage. That's all.
When my father hears me play (I'm 21 and playing for 8 years), he says that it reminds of his youth in the 60s, that the music he used to listen had the same guitar sounds. And I exactly feel the same when I listen to his old records.

Bought new in Switzerland. Manufactured summer 2000. Well known Fender design, 2 channels with reverb and tremolo, 40 Watts power, 2x6L6 Groove (Sovtec) power tubes, 5x12AX7 Groove (Sovtec) preamp tubes, tremolo and PI, 1x12AT7 reverb driver. 2xJensen 10" blue alnico reissue speakers. Common Fender style control panel. PCB board design. Diode rectifier.

The original factory configuration:
Sounds brittle and cold as ice. Hiss like a waterfall. Farty low end.
The reverb is weak and useless. The amp's original factory configuration is useless and my rating is 1-2.
My modifications:
Changed ALL the tubes and replaced with NOS. Replaced the PI tube with NOS 5751. Replaced the reverb output capacitor with the original BF Vibrolux Reverb value. Changed the values of the power tubes bias resistors and increased the idle power of the power tubes. Installed a negativ feedback loop. Removed the 47pf treble bypass cap.
The modification improves the sound+reverb dramatically. The sound is clean but not brittle. It "signs" with volume setting 5-6. Some hiss is still audible, but the amp is more quietly then before.

It works. Never broked down.

I don't even think to contact Fender Support again.

The modified amp is now O.K. but that's all. I've been playing since 1962 (Rock'n'Roll and R&B) and never played anything else on stage then Strats and Fender amps. For recording sessions my '66 BF Deluxe Reverb and for gigs my '67 BF Vibrolux Reverb. And I tell you: no other new Fender amp compares to the sound of the vintage BF Vibrolux Reverb! The (new) Custom Vibrolux Reverb and one '63 Vibroverb Reissue are my emergency-backup amps.

This is bascally a 40-watt, all tube, 2x10, non-channel switching amp with tube reverb and tube tremelo. Yes...tubes, tubes and more tubes. A bunch of (5) 12AX7s, a 12AT7 and a couple of 6L6 power tubes. There are two input channels with their own volume, bass and treble controls, but there is no channel switching...you could however a/b from one to the other if you want. Channel 1 is standard, channel 2 is bright. Each channel has two inputs, one standard and one that is attenuated (-6db I think). There are master controls for Reverb and Tremelo, each accessible via the included 2-button fottswitch. There's an extra speaker jack on the back, but that's about it. This is a very simple combo, so it isn't supposed to have a lot of features. I think its everything it needs to be, which is basically a single channel amp that breaks up much earlier than other Fender amps. The preamp on this amp is designed to break up early - you can overdrive the amp at much lower volume levels. If you want clean headroom, get a Twin or something else. Note that there is no mid tone control, but I find that it is not needed and I do not miss it. Speakers are 2x10 Jensen P10Rs w/Alnico Mags.

Let me preface this section by reminding you that I have never been a Fender guy. Some people think Fender can do no wrong, but when I was looking to make a change in amp, I was skeptical about Fender as an option. As a matter of fact, I don't like the rest of the pro tube series nor do I like the hot rod series. However, when I plugged into this amp, I couldn't believe my ears.

I cannot tell you how full this little amp sounds. Never did I think a 40 watt 2x10 would keep up with an 8 piece rock/funk band, but I find I can't take her much above #2 on the volume before I'm overpowering the rest of the band. I'm used to solid state and some other tube amps that you have to crank just to be heard, but the sound coming out of this little jem is so complex and multi-dimensional that it can be heard within the mix of a band without having to be loud. Its very strange...especially considering its relatively low power and smallish speakers. I run my guitars throught the bright channel, where I get this very open, transparent, chimy clean tone that is absolutely wonderful...even with the stock groove tubes. I bought some Sovtek preamp tubes and Svetlana power tubes and I can't imagine how it will sound after I get those in there. Again, this amp is clean up till about 3 where it starts to break up very nicely at around 3-4. Even at 3 or 4 the amp is louder than is usable in my situation. I mainly use what I call a Les Paul/Strat hybrid. Its a Washburn Custom Shop NX6 in Padouk (relatively bright tonewood) with a Duncan 59 in the neck and a Custom 5 in the bridge. I have the ability to split both pickups for a ton of tone variations. I also use a Washburn HB30 (335 clone) with a Jazz in the neck and JB in the Bridge. This amp with these guitars and a couple of choice pedals in front give me just about any tone I need. I go from either guitar to a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah, a Carl Martin compressor, Tech 21 NYC Double Drive, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Guyatone MD3 delay into the amp. I used to use the compressor all the time on my other solid state amps (Tech 21 Trademark 120), but I neve use it here...there's enough natural compression in the amp. The Double Drive gives this rig a rich yet natural sustaining distortion and a ton of gain when I want it. The Sparkle Drive lets the clean shine through with just a bit of hair around the edges. The amp's tube reverb is very natural and warm. Its very different from the outboard reverbs I used in the past, but it is so musical that I use it most of the time and do not miss the outboard units. The tremelo has limited uses, but it is stunning when you do kick it in. I deducted a point for the the stock power tubes, which aren't up to the mark with some other offerings...even changin the last 12AX7 from a GT to a Sovtek made an audible (and favorable) difference in sound (smoother).

I deducted points mainly because Tube Circuitry is inherently less reliabe than solid state. Also, when I brought the amp home, I noticed the last preamp tube was microphonic. The store replaced it free with a Sovtek, and the sound was even better.

Never had to deal with Fender, but I have complete faith in my dealer Parkway Music in Clifton Park, NY.

AN absolutely fabulous amplifier. Its tone inspires me to play more and to play better. For what it is I love everything about it. Its even smaller and lighter than its larger competitors. No mid tone control? No problem...this amp doesn't need it...nor does it need a a lot of tone tweaking at all. Just turn it on, plug in and enjoy.

Amp is a late 90s. Amp is good for Blues and Blues Rock. I don't play much of anything else with it. 2 channels, normal and vibrato. No FX Loop, No frills. Wish it had a lusher reverb like a Twin. I never use the Tremelo effect. 40 tube watts, plenty loud for all my gigs, mostly too loud. I rate it a 2 in this catagory because it's a one trick pony, but it is a really good trick.

I use a strat with noiseless pickups and it sounds excellent.
It suits my style awesome (SRV Hendrix Trower) It's a little noisy with my OD pedal and there is a little hiss, but not that noticable.
Amp has a good clean with that slight break up, that gets better the louder it gets. Very nice! If you turn this bad boy up to like 7, you get a fantastic blues tone, but it's too loud for most clubs, so I use a TS9 to push it at low volume. The distortion is not brutal at all, more like singing overdrive. This is not a rock amp by any means.

I've gigged it hard for about 6 months now. Never had a problem yet.
It's never broken down. It does tend to change it's sound a lot. But it's the rooms. Some rooms it sings in, others it sounds dead and I have to mic it a little. I am going to have it serviced soon just to be safe. I always carry a 1x12 Peavey Bandit for Backup no matter what.

Never had to call Fender and I've had tons of their products. Like any piece of gear, if you take good care of it, it will work right for you.

I've been playing for 24 years. wow I'm getting old!
I have a strat and a bunch of pedals and also a Hot Rod Deluxe.
I love the simple approach to this amp, and it always sounds good. I like to just plug in and set my sound and go. I hate tweak boxes. I bought a Line 6 Flextone and returned it after 2 days. I can't stand having to keep playing with settings during a gig. With this amp, the only thing I ever have to adjust is the volume.
If it were stolen, That would be a lucky theif. he would get a tone monster and I'd be a little upset. Hopefully my home owners insurance would cover another one.

Amp is first year of production(1995 I believe) beautiful Blonde Tolex!I also play a Mesa Boogie Mk IIb,Fender Hot Rod Deluxe,Fender Super Champ(1984),and a Fender Blues Jr.This amp has very basic yet utlitarian feature,2 non switchable channels,Fender reverb,beautiful vibrato, 2 ten inch speakers, and tilt back legs.

I play blues,R&B and covers with a 7 piece horn band using mainly Strats and Teles with occasional P-90 equipped PRS McCarty and a Les Paul Standard.When I first bought this amp, I was soon disappointed in its low headroom(starts breaking up at about 4)because I had been used to channel switching amps with definite clean and overdrive channels.However, this amp has broken my habit of playing with the guitar volume knob dimed and I realize how dynamic this amp is. Roll guitar knob down, cleans up nice; take it to ten and be rewarded with GREAT bluesy drive. The sweet spot on the amp for me is;Input 1 on normal channel, Volume at 4-5,Bass 6,Treble 8-9,reverb 4-5, and vibrato to taste. My amp does hiss some, but in live situations, it isn't is not a problem. I use a pedal board with Boss CS2 compressor,OD2 Super Overdrive, CE2 Chorus,TR3 Tremelo,and DD2 Digital Delay; all of which work well with the amp(however can increase hiss depending on settings).

Had one of the speakers putz on me within 2 years but had it quickly replaced at a Authorized Fender Warranty repair shop with no problem at all.

See Above!

I have been playing 29 years semi pro(weekends) in clubs,corporate events, weddings,opening for nat'l acts,recording, just about any kind of musical situation you can imagine and own numerous tube amps and guitars. If this amp were lost or stolen I probaly would try something else I have never owned(perhaps a Class A amp like Vox,Matchless, Gibson GoldTone)While I do really enjoy my "Custom" Vibrolux Reverb, it is not the "end all,be all" amp for me. In fact it only sees about 20-30% of my gig time because I pick and choose various amps for different gigs!

Alright class, does anyone know what mass-market schlock is? Yes, Johnny...Well, sir, mass-market schlock is ordinary, overpriced junk that looks good to a large cross-section of uneducated consumers. That's right Johnny! Can anyone give me some examples of mass-market schlock. Well sir, how about Bayliner Yachts, Carnival Cruises, General Motors and Fender Musical Instruments. Yessirree solid garbage for those with time on their hands and little disposable income.

That describes me and my 1995 blonde tolex Custom Vibrolux Reverb Amp. It's a pure modernday knockoff of a 1960s Leo Fender amp, nothing more and nothing less. Everything about this amp and everything else produced for mass consumption is all about subjectivity.

Sounds...simple...brittle treble and bass that can only be used at low volume. Hisses like a rattlesnake. Produces limited volume when called upon. Too loud for home use and not loud enough for stage use. Virtually no headroom; starts to breakup with volume set at 3. Don't use humbuckers unless you want drive at lower volume than 3. Dealer spent a few hours retubing with American N.O.S. tubes and accomplished nothing, in fact, the amp broke-up sooner. This is a little boy's rock amp at a young man's price point. It's pretty though (see how we masses are reeled in).

Bought new in August 1995 and hasn't failed yet!

Been playing since the late 1950s. Are you impressed? I must be good. For all you know I haven't learned anything new since 1961 so let's cut the vanity crap, we're all big stars.

Note the overall rating; pure mass-market schlock. Did I mention how pretty the amp is? Would you like to buy it?

This is a very basic amp. It has that famous Fender clean "chime" and a nice overdrive when cranked 5+.

The amp is not a Carr Rambler, but it's not $2000 either! I was looking for something with good clean with would overdrive nicely when pushed and this amp fit the bill. Definitely an amp with Mojo!

No problems so far - but I've only had it a couple of weeks.

Fender seems to respond to emails.

This is a basic amp with tons of tone, incredible dynamics, pick response, enough power for small clubs, and fairly low weight. I'd buy this amp again if it were stolen (or I'd save my pennies for a Carr Rambler).

2002 with Groove Tubes and Jensons.

Pure Tube Tone Great Reverb and I Love the trem wich is very unusual for me because I normally hate trems, the Jensons are perfect.

Right out of the box the damm light doesn't work and the footswitch is garbage, other than than that, I have finally found the amp for me.

I will be calling them soon for the light issue I will comment later.

I just purchased this amp, however my Tele is a Tele now, and my Strat is a Strat now meaning so far Perfect. this amp is beyond my expectations so far.

Purchased about 1 year ago almost new but second hand nonetheless, 2001 model, black tolex. Features-wise, it's somewhat loaded for a Fender amp, with both Tremolo and reverb on each channel(normal, bright). Compared to my other amps though, it's quite a let-down. No effects loop, channel switching anything, etc. Lots of Fender clean, but the kind that somehow magnifies any mistakes, rather than smooth clean like an old blackface. More knife in the ear clean. Tons of that "honk" with a strat though, if that's your gig... Powerwise it also doesn't have the clean headroom one might expect from 40 watts, and get's lost in the mix if you need to crank it. Better to pick it up and throw it at the drummer. Nice pulsing Tremolo, though I don't use it much. At stage volumes the hiss isn't an issue.

I just can't see how the sound category is rated this highly! Used with both strats (w/wo humbuckers), LPs. First off, it has a ton of hiss at idle. Even more if you put Trem on. Even more if you connect a foot pedal. Now I know, people say oh, you need to change the tubes. Point is, I have several buddies playing these damn things, and many have changed the tubes and they still hiss. Take a look over at the Fender Forum website and you'll see the stories. Also, there is a guy below that talks about "too much bass" and putting the bass control on 1. In my experience, he is exactly correct. Anything over 1 or 2 on the knob and you get the ugliest, flubby base wet-fart noise outta the 2 tens I've ever heard. Total shit-box kinda noise. When it's not farting-out, it's pretty much a one-trick pony. No real distortion a higher volumes, just gets kinda creamy distortion with moderate volume.

I had no mechanical trouble with this amp, other than the aforementioned hiss which is a feature of these. There was a curious hump of adhesive the size aof a silver dollar (4-5 cm) on the top under the tolex--no doubt a sign of quality control. Plugging in the footpedal amplifies the hiss, so don't do that.

bwahaha! 5 year warranty. In all fairness, it didn't hiccup while in my stay so I can't really dog them on this amp. Generally, I've had little/no success with Fender warranties in the past, however.

Been playing long enough to be particular about my tone. Compared this side by side to a Mesa Rectoverb combo I also own--no comparison in my book. In summary, the is the amp version of those shitty coffee beans that were in a commercial a few years back. You know, where the guy is sitting on these crappy coffee beans, and he says he sold them, and then the guy he sold them to sold them to someone else.

Vibrolux owners no the specs, pretty plain actually but its good that way. no messing around with settings. easy to tweek.

Fender stratocaster with Lace sensor pickups. Play manyly blues but works great with pedals as well.

No problems yet.

No problems yet.

Plainly needs a 10 for sound. Have owned many amps in my day and nothing comes close to the fender warmth and tone!! I have searched for the great tone and warmth and tried all amps! I also have a twin reverb II. Awesome aswell!!! I don't understand why other companies cannot build a great sounding amp like these ones!

I believe this amp is a 2001 or 2002. It has the Jensen speakers. Basic Fender class A/B design; two channels (Normal & Bright), no effects loop, reverb & vibrato, all tube, just a good old basic Fender amp-Exactly what I want. I use it for Classic Rock, R&B, Straight/Swing Blues and Texas SRV type Blues,light Jazz & Country. I'm a working pro gigging usually 3 nights a week minimum in clubs, corporate/wedding type gigs, & outdoor festivals. The amp is a VERY loud 40 watts.

I'm usually a vintage-type Strat guy with minimal pedal(s). This amp, again, is very typical Fender in that it will pretty much cover any styles I need to play. The infamous "hiss" is definitely there at any volume level (I have a Blues Jr. thats the same way), but on the gig it's really not as annoying as it is alone in your living room. The amp is VERY Fender, very much like a 2x10 Super Reverb would probably sound (which is why I bought it), although unlike a Super, it breaks up very quickly (just past 3) which I'm still not too sure I like, but I've considered getting different tubes to eliminate some of the hiss, and if I do I'll probably go for more headroom from the power tubes. It's very warm but very tight and punchy, with good bass response. The treble end can be a little overwhelming if you don't EQ it just right. Beautiful tube over drive at about 4 on up. This amp really sounds like a Fender should.

We'll see. I'd never go to a gig without a back-up in the trunk, and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with PCB Fenders. I've had some that were as dependable as the sun rising every morning and some that I couldn't keep working for more than a month at a time. So far so good...

5 year warranty, several authorized dealers in my area, but I'm pretty sure I'd just take it to my amp tech if it broke down. He'd get me fixed up in time for my next job, which for me is all that really matters. If it cost me some money I'd just write it off anyway...I'm giving a low rating however because of all the horror stories I've heard about Fender Customer Service.

I've been playing professionally for about 20 years. I have a 1966 Super Reverb that has been my main amp for 10+ years, but I've been looking for something smaller and WAY LIGHTER for alot of the corporate/wedding type gigs. This amp is exactly the sound I've been after and the size/weight I've been looking for. t's not perfect, but it's very close to what I want without having to shell out $2000 for a Carr or Dr. Z. The jury is still out on the dependability (it's a new Fender for crying out loud!), but I hope it becomes my new workhorse. It's a little too pricey for a PCB amp in my opinion, but such is the world we live in (don't get me started...)

1996 "blonde" model. 40 watts. 2 10" blue frame speakers (mine are not the Jensens that Fender uses in this amp today). Two channels (Normal, Bright) each with Bass and Treble controls. Tube Reverb and Tremelo on both channels. Footswitch for reverb and tremelo. Jack provided for an extension speaker cabinet. This amp only has a few sounds so I give it a 7.

This is one of the best amps I have ever played. I bought it new in 1996 because I thought it had some sounds that were similar to the Vibro-King (the amp that I really wanted) for a grand less than the VK. People say this amp is noisy; I say "so what." Clean or distorted, the sound is tremendous. Its so warm and FAT that you will go crazy. Also, it gets that sound at the perfect volume for my band. With humbucker guitars, I generally use the bright channel with the Volume at 3-4, the Bass at 4, the Treble at 5-6, and the reverb at 2 (with Strats I often lower the treble even more). The reverb may not sound like much in the store. At gig volume (this amp is made to be played in concert), however, the reverb really seems to get much stronger, and it sounds great. I won't even tell you about the Tremelo. It has to be heard to be believed (you WILL cry).

This is a Fender amp with 10 inch speakers. Yes, the bass can get loose if you keep the bass knob high when the volume is very loud. Turn the bass knob down when the volume is cranked.

I hear that this amp gets even better with the Jensen speakers. I can hardly imagine that. This amp is already "like Butter." (You think I like this amp?)

I have giged with this amp dozens of times (micked and unmiked) over the last six years. No problems, ever. Of course, I always carry spare tubes and fuses.

I have been playing for 22 years. I own three other tube amps, four electric guitars, and various pedals (which I never use with the Vibrolux Reverb). This is my favorite amp of the amps I own (I still want a Vibro-King, however).

I have been the proud owner of a '99 "Custom" Vibrolux for the last two years. The features have been adequately stated already. This amp is still doing for me exactly what it was originally bought for, no-frills, balls-to-the-wall clean tone! I don't need distortion in this puppy, that's why I have an A/B box for my JCM900.

Gobs and Gobs of pure Fender TONE. I use a '96 Fender Strat Deluxe Plus w/ Rio Grande PU's. I use big Ernie Ball 11's on my Strat. My playing style is based mostly in blues, with some funk and hard rock thrown in there. The amp is just wicked. I use the first input of the bright channel, with treble at 4, bass at 8, reverb on 2, and volume between 2.5-4 When turned up above 3, the tubes start to break up very sweetly. The neck pickup of my strat results in a very big, tight bottom end. Chords really cut through the mix well. I find with just running a straight signal into the amp I can extract a mulitude of different sounds by varying my phasing and picking attack, along with switching pickups. It is quite sensitive to your playing. The vibrato is nice, adds a little bit of noise though.

It is fairly sound. After years, I'm on the original tubes, and the only thing that has broke is the vibrato/reverb footswitch, which is not a big concern for me since I don't use the vibrato very often and I always leave on the reverb. Fender's products of old have held up quite well. Hopefully I can still be playing on this amp 30 years from now.

I don't think I really hate anything about this amp. It seems I keep on finding new tricks she can pull. I own a number of effects and they all sound phenomenal on the Vibro.
The day I bought this amp I played on about 10 other Fender tube amps. Of all the current products made by Fender this side of the custom shop, I found that the only amp that could come close to the Vibrolux's tone would be the '65 Deluxe Reverb re-issue (to small for me). Since then I have played on a multitude of other amps, many of which I have found interesting, but none could replace my Vibrolux. One day it may be retired in favor of a sweet boutique amp (Bruno Cowtipper 45 anyone?), but I ain't getting rid of this feller.

To be earnest, no amp is perfect, this comes close.
I ordered this in May 2001 and had to wait for 3 months (I ordered it after all your comments, thanx!). Use this amp for acoustic, clean electric and blues to hard rock. 40 Watt power is realy enough, mike for louder situations. This amp is realy quiet, no hiss at all, strange, have Fender finaly fix this problem?

Wow, the first hit (volume on 3) with eather my re'52Telecaster, stand. Telecaster and stand. Strat (of course all USA)gave me a huge smile, with the volume on 5 a even bigger smile! In combination with my Carl Martin Hot 'n drive boost it's ready for recording and gigs. I play a lot of different music styles, and no amp is perfect for all situations but again, it comes close. With this I have more than enough bass and high, reverb and eventualy vibro. Love the weight. Love the looks. Love the sound.

I'm able to fix my own stuff, but it's build so well. 747 Proof!

Play for 18 years semi-prof. Have owned 19" shit, marshall, mesa and so on, after all those years finaly seen the light, dont know why it took so long. People ask me how it's posible such a small thing can give such a big sound! This is the way to go!

this is the amp that i've always dreamed of. i play mostly experimental stuff along the lines of the shaggs first record and the early ornette coleman stuff and this has everything for me. the effects in both channels is a really nice
set up. the reverb and vibrato are enough. this is the best all tube amp on the market in my opinion- i use it in my studio and live and it has worked perfect in both situations.

i run an american vintage 62 jaguar (but i don't play surf music)-no pedals in between-straight to the amp. no matter how many times i go out into my studio i always prove to myself that i can make this set up sound like almost any thing i want to. there are some pages on how to make this thing sound like one of those vibroverbs (for those of you who complain about the hiss) the whole reason that it is there is because there is no negative feedback loop- this tends to make it hiss a lot but one of the sound features of this amp is that you can easily get natural distortion. for those of you who wish this amp was cleaner and had less hiss check out the fender forum; there are all kinds of people who seemed to love this amp and can give you tips to easily make it sound more like what you want. me?... i love the stock everything. i wouldn't change a thing... hiss... or any thing else. it is the cleanest amp that i've ever owned and i have gone from marshall to fender to silvertone to dan electro to fender to this fender. it also gets the toughest distortion
without any pedal (just crank it). i've read that people don't like that this doesn't get too loud but these 40 watts are the best that i've ever heard. i backed away from a viboking because it was a bit too loud. there isn't a bad setting on this amp.

no problems and i have never had a problem with a fender amp (knock on wood)

never dealt with them.

this is my 14th year playing guitar. i can remember the first couple of jaguars that i owned and how terrible i felt after i got rid of them then how happy that i was that they started reissuing them in america-finally... american jaguars... i never felt the same way about an amp (infact i was wondering if ifwould everlike an amp as much as my guitar) until i got this amp. i would definetly do whatever i could to get another if something happened to this

40 watts of power,going through two 10's. Manufactured in 2000.
2 channels. I play through the #1 input on the bright channel. It's got a little more gain there. If I want to tone it down a bit I plug into the #2 input. I play small to moderate size rooms and it's more than up to the task. I wouldn't hesitate to gig it at larger venues.
This amp got BALLS!

I play A standard Telecaster, and a Squier Tele Made in Indonesia. I replaced the neck pickups with "Seymour Duncan's" lil'59 humbuckers.
I play blues with a nod towards jazz,and country. I set the treble on the amp between 3 and 5,bass 6 to 7 or 8. Reverb's at 5-6. I use a blue colored Digitect delay, and a Boss Blues Driver. I set the level to put me up a peg or two with enough added gain to dirty things up a bit.
My main reason for doing this review is to voice how disappointed I am with the noises this amp makes. The hiss is really irritating-but mine makes cracklin' noises too! I checked this web site to see if other players were dealing with this also, and you are. I've been playing for thirty-years and I miss the days that when you paid good dough for your gear,you got good gear.I'll do what I gotta' do to get this amp right, but I'm pissed off that I should have to!

I would not use it without a back up amp.I aslo use a 65 deluxe reverb.(nice amp)

I really want to like this amp. It's got balls and tone,and so do I,but you don't hear me hissin' and cracklin',or is that what I'm doin' now at 3:30 in the morning????

Assume it is a 2000. Features are straitforward. Regular and bright channels each with two inputs, one -6db. Reverb and tremelo. All tube (2 6l6, 5 12ax7, 1 12at7)

Have a mexican strat, TS9 and Boss EQ. Great clean tone even with the crappy mexican strat. Does break up quickly. Power tubes are GT 6L6B's (medium rating). I would like to hear what it would sound like with a quicker overdrive level. However, I think I would prefer that it not break up quickly at all. I have no problem getting my drive sound from a stomp box (TS9 is good, any other suggestions?)

Here's the deal. Bought it blemished from Musicians Friend. Think the reverb tube was broken. They sent another. It has a glassy rattle after it warms up and when I play anywhere near a G. Tech told me that it was probably power tubes. Reluctantly, he sent out a new set. Haven't gotten them yet, but am crossing my fingers that it fixes the noise.

Called Fender in case the above problem was going to be a warranty issue. They were ok, but I would have had to drive 2 hours to have a certified tech check it over. Then, if it wasn't a warranty issue, no telling how much it would have cost to check/fix it. May still have to do that if the tubes don't fix the problem.

Playing for around 12 years with about a 4-year silence. Am back into it now and discovering the necessities of tone. I try to play blues/rock. Have dabbled in heavier stuff, but this amp and the mex strat won't cut that. I bought this because I demanded all tube and I wanted the Fender clean. If it were stolen/lost, I may not buy this model again, but I would have to have a Fender tube amp in my arsenal.

This is a '96 model. All tube, two channels, normal and bright, both offer reverb and tremolo. I play blues mostly, some country and rock.

EC strat, 57RI strat, Mexico '50s tele. Some hiss from this amp, but new and better tubes helps a lot. This amp is a tone monster, the clean sounds are incredible, and the overdrive is smooth, creamy, yet textured. The guitar's "personality" shines through easily. The tremolo is the best I've ever heard. My only problem with this amp is the early break up, which can be tamed with better/other speakers I think. It is easy to control the break up with the guitar volume, but when you turn the guitar down to go clean there's not enough headroom. Other than that, the amp is beautiful!

I've had it for 2 years, no problems so far.

I've been playing for 20 years, and this is one of 4 amps I have. The others are Fender 59 Bassman RI, Fender 65 Twin RI, and an original 69 Fender Super Reverb. The Vibrolux is my favorite amp along with the Bassman.

This is about a 2000 yr. amp. I have read all the other reviews and can not, for the life of me, understand why people keep talking like this amp ain't "loud enough" for anything other than "small jobs"!?
"I", for one, wish the thing was "less" powerful...like, say, "30 watts"! It's too "loud" for most of the Gigs (Blues) "I" do!
I love the Vibrato! It is one of the best I've ever heard,"anywhere", except for "maybe" some, old, 60's "Gibson" Tube amps with Vibrato.
The Jensen speakers are too "trebly" for my tastes...A larger magnet, or speaker-coil, woul've probably done the trick, but I've replaced them with "Carvin Vintage Series" speakers, for "now"...they've made this sound more like I'm using 12" speakers!

I use an American Stnd. Strat, with Texas Specials; a Fernadez with P-90's; and an "SG", but mostly the "Strat".
I've knocked the exagerated "pole-piece elevations" down, on my Tex. Spcls., to fit the radius of my,"unround", neck.
I haven't been bothered by "noise", of any kind,really, but I've played only very old amps all my life, it seems, and that's just part of the "charm" to me,I guess-ha!
Like I say, the "variety" of tones ain't that great to me, cuz it has "too much" Headroom, in my opinion...What "I" do, is roll-down both Bass, & Treble controls, to "zero", and roll "up", the "Volume" knob...to get earlier distortion; or, use my Boss Blues-Driver...
The "Bright" is the 1st Bright channel I've "ever" liked by Fender! I might even "use it" someday (on a gig)-?
This "is" the best-sounding amp "I" could find out there, for "Vintage" Fender tone...I looked at the Blue Angel, but found that amp not loud enough to gig with-Period!

I trust this amp more than I would some old, amp that's been on the planet for 25, to 35 yrs. already! Just makes "sense" to me, to not trust something so "old".
I've had no problems with it, except some "hiss" I now notice, since putting the Carvin "speakers" in-? I thought maybe one of them had/has a "hair-lined crack in it-?", but see from reading other reviews, it's probably the cheap "tubes", or "tube Covers", like the one guy said.

Not too good.
"Once", I got through...then got shifted around, and treated like dirt, mostly, for asking "stuppid questions", I felt (?)

I've been playing "guitar" since 1979...and Harp, since 1964.
I also own a "Blues Junior", which I use on "Gigs",man, waaaay more than I can this "Lux" (cuz of too "much" Headroom)...
I "would" replace it, though, cuz there's nothing out there, except "maybe", a "Carvin Nomad", that sounds better, for the "money" (I'm not paying, "$3K for an Amp"! Ha!!!!!!
I wish it had a Master Volume, or a "Fat" switch, like the "Blues Jr." has, and larger magnet speakers.
I came "close"...to buying the "'50 Bassman-reissue", instead, but, because that has no "Reverb" (which I don't "understand" why not???), and because that amp is a little too "large" for me, with my "Back Problems" to be carrying around...I bought the Vibrolux...But! The Lux "does" have better "tone", too: The Bassman seemed to only have "one" sound-Period...and the only position I could use my Strat on with it, was between the Bridge, & Middle Pick-up.

I picked this amp up new in 2000. After listening to the Vibrolux and the reissue Twin side by side, I was sold. Metaphorically speaking, the Twin was like truckstop coffee. Lots of juice for the long haul, harsh, hot and jittery. The Vibrolux, in contrast, is more like a nice mocha with whipped cream on the top. Smooth and tasty, but still plenty of caffeine to get you going. It has reverb you can swim in, and the vibrato is the best I've heard. I play original music, ranging in style from grunge to old school country, and the amp covers the spectrum nicely. It has one normal and one bright channel, non-switchable. This is my gigging amp, and it is as at home in a hole-in-the-wall dive as it is in large halls. At 40 watts, it needs to be miced in the larger venues. Stick a Shure 57 next to one of the 10s. Problem solved. Sounds like gold.

My primary guitar is a 1998 California Fat Tele w/a single coil on the bridge and humbucker on the neck. With the selector set all of the way to the single coil, the combination of the amp and Tele cuts beautifully through the other instruments for over the top leads. Adding in the humbucker in differing degrees can produce sounds ranging in timbre from creamy to a low and monsterous growl. In and of itself, the amp only has one sound. It seems to me that guitar pickup configurations and outboard gear are what gives the amp it's flexabilty. I'm using an Ibanez Tube King as my only source of the distortion. I tried solid state pedals, but they just detracted from the natural sound of the amp. Maybe I just like tubes alot. I tend not to turn the amp volume above 2 to 3 if I can help it, just because I love how clean it sounds. Between 5 and 7, it starts breaking up nicely. Around 8, it's full on grunge. I've never had it to 10. I'm afraid. Sometimes really loud things come in small packages.

So far, so good. It's the only amp I carry to gigs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Haven't needed it.....yet.

I've been playing for 15 years, give or take a couple. I also own a 1990 Guild D-28, Vox Wah, Danelectro Daddy-0, and some other small stuff. I'm a minimalist.
If it needed to be replaced, I would get another one in a split second. Unless of course I had the extra cash for the Vibro King.
I pretty much love this amp the way it is. I thought the tilt back legs that came with it were pretty cheesy, so now they're laying in the garage.
It has everything I need for my style of music, but it's not an amp I'd wanna have for punk/thrash/metal/etc.

This is a late 90's model that I bought used. I was playing out of a 67 Vox Cambridge Reverb (all tube) that had a mod that increased the wattage from the high teens to mid-high twenties - maybe even thirty. My only issue with the Vox is the lack of clean headroom and it only has one ten inch speaker. To my ear, twin speaker combos always sound rich and sweet. The Vibrolux, of course, has two tens. I think that the reverb and tremelo on both channels is great. I also love that it is a no-nonsense amp. I have a Hot Rod DeVille - for the clean channel alone. You can have the distortion channels.

One mod I would highly recommend is to change the speakers to Celestion Vintage 10s. It made a world of difference. From the factory the Vibrolux is good for a clean, sparkling, country tone. With the Vintage 10's you really beef up the tone.

I am rating this amp at a 10 for this category but it is for the lack of features that screw with the guitar/amp relationship.

I play strats and teles with humbuckers installed (all duncans). I play pop-rock covers that range from the Beatles to SR-71. One thing about the amp is the back ground noise that it produces. The humbuckers seem to cancel out a lot of it, but even with single coils, it is not bad. It's not even noticible in a band situation.

As with most Fender amps, the volume peaks around the 5 position and is negligable after that. I use the amp to provide clean sounds and rely on Boss pedals to create the distortion needed. If you are looking for an amp alone to create distortion, this amp isn't for you. To sum it up I would have to say classic Fender

I have used this amp exclusively for 3 months. Not a long time but I think that this will be my last amp. I have thought about replacing the tube guard in the back. The back protection pieces are kind of weak.

N/A

I have been playing for 17 years. I have a 67 Vox Cambridge Reverb, 68 Fender Bassman head and 4x12 cab, Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12, and the Vibrolux. The Vibrolux is my main gig amp.

If the amp got stolen, I would buy another one and 2 Celestion Vintage 10 speakers.

2000 model, two channels, normal and bright, two ten inch jensen reissues, reverb and tremolo. 40 loud watts. The tone controls are very interactive making it a simple but flexible amp.

I've been gigging this amp for 3 months now and I've decided it's the best amp for me, period. I play funk, soul, rock type stuff in a four piece with organ, mostly club gigs at this point. This amp has a classic blackface sparkle, but is somehow richer than the twin and deluxe reissues. It also has the punch and the tight bass of the twin while overdriving just beautifully at reasonable volumes. I find that with my G&L ASAT Special it has exactly the right amount of headroom for an unmiked club gig. I can go from clean Steve Cropper to raunchy Roy Buchanan (not that i can play like them, but you get the idea) by just picking a bit harder or flicking the volume knob on the guitar. This is just a fantastic sound, definitely the best sound of any current production fender amp in my opinion. I prefer it to the vintage vibrolux as it's punchier and tighter. It's hugely responsive to picking dynamics and it just WORKS. The tremolo is the best i've ever heard bar none. Very buttery. The reverb is not that deep but deep enough.

The amp hisses a tiny bit at idle but i gather a tube upgrade will improve this. Personally I like the sound of the stock Groove (sovtek)Tubes. I tried the Svetlana's but the GT's sound warmer to me.

No problems yet, but too early to tell.

This is just a phenomenal gigging amp especially for a fendery sound, or a classic blues sound. It takes very well to pedals. I highly recommend it. For me the perfect balance of headroom and grind.

I think this amp was a 1999 model. It could be somewhat versatile with the addition of some outboard pedals. It has a normal and a bright channel with no channel switching, no effects loop, no headphone jack etc. The features are the same as a mid sixties Fender with reverb and tremolo. It puts out 40 watts into a pair of crummy 10 blue alnico speakers with all tube circuitry.

I think single coil pickups sound better than humbuckers through this amp and it's pretty good for blues and country styles. The amp has excess hiss that is present even at low volume. If you're looking for clean tone, forget it. It starts breaking up very quickly and the lousy speakers don't help. I swapped the speakers for WeberVST P10Q's and that helped some but, I would recommend ceramic magnet speakers if a swap is made. If you crank the amp up in volume, it sounds fair except that it has kind of buzzy sound to it that is undesirable to me.

I didn't own it long enough to test the reliability of it but, since it has circuit board construction, I wouldn't trust it too far. And forget about ever getting anything out of Fender. They're just another big company that seems out of touch with the individual person.

I had the first pair of speakers replaced with no improvement by the dealer under warranty. I think it has a lifetime transferrable warranty excluding tubes.

I didn't like the amp and sold it for $600 last spring. I've been playing on and off for 35 years and used a fair number of amps but, I wouldn't use this one again. Instead, I'd try to find an original and have it worked over by a good tech.

I bought mine second hand 2 years ago in the UK. I don't have it now for reasons you will find out below.
Features are great for this kind of amp. i.e Tremolo and reverb on both channels (I can live without reverb however).
It looks amazing too and from offstage looks like a real old Fender.
One big minus in this category; Who was the joker who decided to use a flimsy piece of hardboard for the tube protection cover at the back?
What a nutcase, on an amp this price!!! (I beleive it's much more expensive in the UK than the USA)

I'm Using a '74 Tele custom (humbucker in neck position). I don't use the humbucker much, but the middle setting...wow!! unbeatable, so much tone as long as you don't crank it too much. Bridge pickup, a bit scratchy, but still full of tone and character.
Also used with a '64 SG Junior. This is pure vintage warmth.
Turn this amp up past 6 and it gets a bit messy, but I did try it with a strat once and it was more defined at higher volumes.
However you rarely need to turn up past 5 as this is a loud amp.
What is incredible about this amp is that no matter what setting you have volume or tone, clean or dirty it has an incredible sustain which I've not heard on any amp and I've played through almost every type of amp going.
Tremolo is the sweetest thing I've heard, much better than my '64 Deluxe blackface. This is the one factor that would make me buy this amp again, it's so 50's real Link Ray stuff!!

Oh dear, I'm not so impressed by this one.
The build quality is very good (apart from that tube cover), but very good is not good enough for a custom shop amp. It should be unsurpassable!
I know mine was second hand and maybe it had a problem anyway, but I managed to blow the speakers .........twice within 6 months and at #160 (about $250) each time for new ones was the reason I sold it. I would never feel safe about using it extensively live without a backup amp. If I find out for sure that this was down to an inherant fault with the amp, then I'll probably get another one, because it was second hand and the guy who sold it to me might have known about it. Apparently the speakers are rated 15W each in a 40W amp, so maybe it wasn't a fault. I don't know what the nominal rating is. It's not a good idea to have this thing cranked full especially for long periods.
It's a pity. Those speakers are lovely, but only when they're working!

I never got to find out

I've been playing for 12 years and only owned old amps.(My first was a 20W Park combo from the 70's) and I,ve been keen on old Fenders for about 6 years.
As an alrounder, the Vibrolux sounded better than my '58 tweed Princeton, mainly 'cos of the volume, but live I use my '63 Vox AC30. I just know that it won't break down on me on stage.
However comparing the Vibrolux, it fares really well and if it wasn't for the speakers popping every 5 minutes, I would still have it. It is a cool bit of kit.

First off I've had my eye on this little guy for about a year. I don't actually have one yet but I've been constantly checking it out at my shop (Flood Music). This is basically your traditional Fender amp, very simple yet effective. It is not a hundred knob gain monster though. This could lead to less versitilty when it comes to distortion but its so easy to get your basic great clean sound and get going. The amp has two, non-switchable channels, normal and bright. Each channel has two inputs then volume, treble, bass and each channel has the option of the reverb, gain, or intensity. There is no effects loop in the rear, just power standby and a few essential that I can't recall. The Vibrolux also includes tilt back legs. The amp produces a loud 40W through two Jensen speakers (a marked improvement over the vintage blue's). The botton line is thats its a Leo Fender idea, simple and effective.

This amp has been played through primarily humbucking equiped guitars, i.e. my two babies, The Les Paul Custom and Standard. This amp fits me like a glove when it comes to tone. When it comes to musical styles Im really about a 45-year-old man, even though Im about 25 years younger than that. I play alot of CCR, Johnny Cash, Duane Eddy, or anything else thats nice, simple, and old. This amp sounds great on that kind of music but don't expect it to be shreddin' it up with this amp. Noise is a common complaint about this amp, you have to rember that this amp is based on old ideas and while it will let noise through, the circutry will also gives you killer tone. The noise I recieve is caused primarily by flourescent lights and is simply a slight buzz. The pallete of tones on this amp is fairly wide in context of what it can do. You can go from Buddy Holly bright to a nice that thick fat sound for the bass runs. The reverb and tremolo also help to change things up quite a bit. The tremolo goes will very fast and deep while the reverb is wonderful too it will not sound as intense like the Vibro-King's due to the simple fact that it is a one knob set-up as opposed a three knob one. The channel switching is non-existent though in modern terms, you must unplug and plug-in to the other channel to change. I will state again though that the new Jensen 2x10" makes a world of tonal difference. This amp has a neat way of getting your natural distortion tones, it will get loud very fast but after a certain point the volume remains the same while only the distortion increases. The distortion is very different from amp containg a gain set-up, it is loud and really growly, a nice natural distortion.

I have only played this amp in the store, it hasn't broken yet. I can't give an opnion though because I haven't lived with it.

I have heard some bad stories about Fender and some good ones. In my opnion your dealer will have more power than you would. Im lucky because my dealer has an excellent amp tech that they contract out to. This is I believe the best way to get your work done, avoid shipping any musical instrument (its not worth the risk). The best thing you can do is become good friends with your dealer.

I have been playing for aproxiamately two years. Im just your basic no frills player. The guys you should defintely check out are the ones below me who actually own this cool little amp. If it were stolen I would hope that the store has good insurance (haha). If it were mine and were stolen It would be a good bet that there would be another one in my possesion PDQ. I love this amp's simplicity and marvelous tone. I don't really mind the fact that it does not have any gain features. The problems with this amp are primarily the lack of siganl gizmos. There is no effects loop on the amp but I never use them so it doesn't bother me one bit. The day I was scouting out amps I checked out a Peavey Ultra Gain Plus. These are two completly different animals. The reviews for that amp sum it up, not to loud and sounds great at low levels but I haven't tried cranked up yet. I also thought of my Vibro-King when I played the Vibrolux, I would say that they are cousins. This amp has a little cleaner brighter sound where as the Vibro-King is a chunky tone monster. I love that amp, extremely warm, also simple, and can growl like none other. I am considering this amp due to its nice power of 40W and the fact that is fairly portable. People should also remember the fact this is not a reissue but an update of a classic design. The term Vibrolux reissue is actually a false one. The bottom line that this a great sounding, basic, classic Fender amp!

I'd like to second the emotion of the previous reviewer. I totally love the tone of this amp, which I"ve had for about 6 months now and play almost every day. I also love the vibrato. Listen to "All Things Must Pass" on Anthology III...turn the speed to around 5 or 5.5 and the intensity to about 3 or 3.5 and you can nail that beautiful vibrato George gets on that demo (GET WELL SOON, Mr. HARRISON!!!!), esp. with some echo and reverb. BUT....it's reverb from a Boss pedal....the amp is noisy enough to begin with, as the previous reviewer mentions, without turning up the reverb, which just makes it worse. As you increase the vibrato intensity the hiss increases and matches the vibrato, so I'd guess whatever the problem is it's in the reverb/vibrato circuit, and it pisses me off, but the actual tone of the amp and the quality of the vibrato are BEAUTIFUL!!! It's a love/hate relationship, without a doubt, but so far I'm living with it. I'll change the preamp tubes one of these days and see if that helps, but from what I've read it will probably take more than that. Fender, you came so close with this amp...would it have cost THAT much more to make the thing run more quietly?

This is a '98 model so it has the emminence copies of the Jensen P10s
instead of the Jensen reissues which currently come stock on this amp.
As far as features go, this is a pretty basic amp: 2 channels(Normal,Bright), each with volume, bass, treble, and footswitchable reverb and vibrato available to both. This amp has tiltback legs, looks like a blackface, is 40 loud Watts, 2X10, 6L6 G.T. powered. Basic amp designed in a retro way. It's versatile for every type of music except metal/hard rock.

I use it with a Mexican Strat and a Heritage 535. This amp has a killer tone! Tons of bass but with great clarity and sparkle. It wants to overdrive quite soon (single coils- 5+/-; humbuckers- 3-4),
but the overdrive is great and will make you want to throw away your Klon(well, maybe not). I used to have a Marshall 2X12 60 watt tube but couldn't get enough bass response and bright sparkle to suit me. So I tried a ton of different amps - other marshalls, fenders, riveras, mesa boogies, etc. but then I ran across this amp in a local music shop and I just loved the sound of it- it had everything soundwise that I had been looking for. I guess I've come to the conclusion that all I really need is an amp that has a good basic sound and then tweak that sound with pedals. This amp is great for country, blues, surf, classic rock etc. It's got the tone of classic fender amps. The only thing I don't like is that it overdrives too soon and is it ever noisy!! It makes a kind of hissing that is plenty audible after you turn off the standby switch. But you know what? It doesn't bother me enough to find a different amp because I love the tone so much(which is saying something considering how anal I am about that kind of thing usually).

As far as reliability goes, I've gigged with it almost every weekend for the past year and it has held up fine. The only thing is, when you get it to the point where it will overdrive and play over the twelfth fret on the high E string, it makes a harmonic ghost note that drives me bonkers since its not quite in tune with the signal. I'm gonna bring it in to the dealer and see what they make of it. I don't know if it's the speakers, a tube, or the preamp tube shields I can't tell, but it sounds mechanical in origen. If anyone has any ideas I'm open to advice---really! Feel free to contact me at the address listed here.

Five year warranty!

I've been playing off and on for the past 20 something years and seriously again for the last few. I love the tone of this amp. Everytime I start to get the urge to replace this amp, I plug it in and play and am bowled over by the sound! If it were stolen, I would probably check out a few other amps(i.e Boogie mark I, '65 Twin Reissue, '59 Bassman Reissue etc.) One thing about fender is that they basically have shiddy workmanship in their amps and they overprice them. But overall, the tone is what counts and in this fender produces. Plus this kind of has that Harley-type vibe to it--overpriced, better bring your tools with 'ya but it feels and sounds killer.

This amp was manufactured in 1998--its not a re-issue, but it is an amp with updated specs. ALL TUBE-40W. It has the traditional Fender clean sound, however, the factory installed the 'white' color Groove tubes on it--thus making it easier to overdrive the amp. That's fine, but I prefer to keep it totally clean and use my BOSS overdrive pedal to warm things up a bit. If you buy this amp, make sure you switch to the 'red' colored Groove tubes. It is a very loud amp, however. It is perfect for home practicing, recording (very popular studio amp), and small gigs. The tube reverb isn't as deep as the Twin Reverb, but for most blues/rock sounds it works well. BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT STYLE YOU ARE GOING TO USE THIS AMP FOR. This amp is heavy and it is built well. I'm not to fond of the Blue Alnicos however. It has 2 channels, NORMAL and BRIGHT. Both channels can use the Tube Reverb and Tube Vibrato, but NOT independantly of each other like a Twin.

I use a Fender Strat w/ a Gold Lace Sensor p/u in the bridge, but I normally use the 2,3 and 5th p/u positions. I occasionally use an archtop w/ humbuckers. Both sound great thru this amp. I've tried Peavey and other Fender amps, but for the price and sound quality--I chose this heavenly amp. It is great for surf, classic rock, blues and jazz. IT DOESN'T HAVE BIULT IN DISTORTION (or a Dual Rectifier setup). But if you understand why this amp is biult and for what styles, you'll be able to utilize it well in most situations. No where near being noisy. Be sure to use a surge protector w/ RFI and EMI filters on it. Those are fairly inexpensive and they definitely protect your gear. Also--keep it away from TVs! Like I said before--really clean and has that great clean Fender tube tone. It give it an 8 because it doesn't quite compare to the Twin Reverb, but I find it sound great for what I do. Oh, yeah--it doesn't have a mid range control knob like a Twin.

Very reliable--no problems. I custom made my own amp cover out of vinyl and that works to protect it. Just remember to perform routine checks and cleanings to keep it in tip-top shape. Armour-all, etc. JUST BE CAREFUL TO NOT USE ANYTHING TOO POTENT ON IT. Tubes should last for a long time. When I received my amp via UPS--I found that the Vibrato tube was frosted. Replacing tubes are easy in this amp. 2 Power tubes and about 7 ? preamp tubes. Otherwise, there is no reason why good quality Tube amps (especially Fenders) shouldn't last under 25 years. Take care of it and it WILL last. It's built solidly.

Fender???? Come-on! The warranty covers such things as spkrs, etc. for one year. Find a well respected Fender Authorized dealer and get to know him well (Just in case)!!

I've been playing for about 5 yrs and I must say it works fabulous for my style (Surf-Classic Rock-Blues-Jazz) I would probably buy it again, because it has more power than the Deluxe Reverb, but it is much easier to cart around that the Twin Reverb. I was pretty much in the market for an excellant clean, Fender amp sound and it found it right here. If you want a pro. sound w/ quality--go the Fender route.

I must confess I am a reformed Fender ampaholic. I have owned or tried just about every amp Fender has ever made, vintage to new. After all this I have settled on the Custom Vibrolux Reverb. It may not be right for you but for me its perfect. I like the sound of two 10 inch speakers. Twlelves are ok but the tens cut through a little better. Four tens are great except for the weight and size of the amp. Fourty watts is just the right power, it will break up at low volume for around the house but you can gig live with it too. I've had several original vibroluxes (tweed to black) and they were great but I wanted a new amp that I wouldn't have to worry about old parts failing, keeping it totally original etc... Mine is a blonde 1995. When they first came out in 1995 they were covered in blonde (white) tolex with the flat early sixties type fender nameplate on the wheat colored grillecloth and brownface control panel. Soon fender changed them to black tolex covering with the mid sixties raised fender nameplate on silver grillecloth and blackface contol panel. These blonde ones are hard to find but i just had to have this look. This amp has very basic features just like the original ones. The biggest difference being that you have reverb and tremelo on both channels (there is a simple mod for the old ones that will do this also). I like vintage amps so i don't like all the extras that rarely get used on some other amps and i think its just more stuff that you might have a problem with. All i need and want is tone!

I use mine with a fender custom shop n.o.s. 65 strat and a epiphone dot 335 copy (these are great for the money). I play mostly blues and classic rock. My only complaint with the sound is the hiss that the amp has. This amp distorts very early (around 4). I relaced the driver preamp tube (the one next to the power tubes) with a 12AT7 instead of the 12AX7 and this helped a little. see if you like it. I also replaced the speakers (the fender (eminance) ones are ok but there are better. I tried a lot of speakers but the new jensen reissues are great, the C10Q and the P10R. The C10Q are a little tighter sounding with more mids and don't break up quite as much (better for playing live on stage).The amp breaks up enough anyway. The P10R are better for playing around the house or recording (a little more open sounding, breaking up a little more). I chose the C10Q because they cut through a little better. You will have to decide which ones are the best for you. The celestian vintage 10 is also a great choice for cutting through and midrange but I wanted more of a fendery sound than the british sound. I would like to install a bias adjust pot somewhere on the circuit board but have not looked in to that yet. I just got out my Allesandro tube meter(highly recommended) and tried different power tubes until I found a matched pair of old RCA 6L6's that made the bias around 30 to 35. It is important to match the tubes and get the bias right. I like the sovtek preamp tubes.

I bought this amp used and so far I have not had a problem.

I have called fender to ask some questions and they were not to helpful. The authorized fender repair guy in my area doesn't know much about old tube amps. If I can't fix it myself, I use a local guy who knows a lot about vintage tube amps. He is not certified by fender but I don't think that's important unless it's warranty work.

I also tried all the other new Fender amps. The vibro king is great but too loud for me. The prosonic is nice on the clean channel but I did not like the gain channel. The blues jr. is nice but I wanted more power. The blues deluxe is ok but I prefer the reissue 65 deluxe reverb (also a blonde limited edition) that sounds every bit as good as an original I have.

Not officially defined as a "reissue". Best characterized by calling it "vintage inspired". This is a 40 watt, all tube (Groove Tubes), 2x10 (Fender Eminence replicas of Jenson P-10s) combo. Two non-footswitchable channels (Normal and Bright), each with Volume, Bass, and Treble controls (yes, that's all of them! No Gain). Each channel has 2 inputs ? Input 1 provides 6dB more gain than Input 2). Traditional Fender spring reverb (with a single control knob) and a 60's inspired Vibrato (2 control knobs ? Speed and Intensity). A practical, modern day design tweak allows use of Reverb and/or Vibrato on both channels (a great idea). A two-button footswitch also provides on/off control of these two features. Power/Standby switches are found on the rear panel, as well as an external speaker jack. No effects loop. Overall, a very classy looking amp ? Blackface styling, black tolex, white knobs, tilt back legs (very cool!). At 46 pounds it should be a bit easier to haul around compared to my heavier more awkward 4x10 Blues DeVille (now relegated to backup duty).
In a word, very BASIC features. But as in many things of a musical nature ? LESS IS OFTEN MORE! For this Strat Plus (with Gold/Silver/Blue Lace Sensors) and Tele blues/classic rock player, it's got everything I need.

This amp and I are still on our honeymoon but I think that I'm in love and will remain so. I'm so happy to have something that makes my Lace Sensors sound reasonable. This amp actually gives them some character. I find myself plugging into the Bright channel more than the Normal side of the house. 40 of the loudest watts I've ever heard ? more than enough to gig with in most medium clubs/bars. This is not a good bedroom amp. Although I also play a Les Paul Standard, this amp was made for Fender single coil axes ? no doubt about it. This is the tone that's been rattling around in my head since I was a kid back in the mid-Sixties ? and I'm thrilled to have found it again. If I had to describe this amp's tone with a single word, I would say that it "sparkles". The only things I put between my guitars and this amp are a Tubescreamer and Vox Wah. And with the way this amp readily produces warm overdriven tones, the Tubescreamer may not be in the starting line-up for much longer. I've also noticed that this amp is very responsive to pick attack ? digging in just a little produces a dramatic transition to a slightly more dirtied-up tone. Likewise, backing off on the pick or transitioning to finger style brings you right back into the clean zone.
Which brings me to one of my few negative comments ? this amp breaks up a little too early for my tastes ? starting at about 3.5 on both channels. I think the "real McCoy" mid-late 60s versions of these amps wait until 5 or above. I would like to have a little more clean headroom to work with. My proposed workaround is to crank the volume control to about 7 to 7.5 and use my guitar volume to control tone. We'll see. I may also consider Celestion Vintage 10s and NOS Sylvania 6L6 power tubes at some time in the future. But like I said, we're still on our honeymoon right now -- it's too early for that type of thing. My only other minor complaint is that this amp tends to be "hissy" and pops audibly (though not too terribly loudly) when footswitching. I can live with it though. However, I'm considering Texas Specials to replace the Lace Sensors ? so this might become more of an issue then.
I would not describe this reverb as being typically "Fender lush" ? it is more of a subtle type of reverb effect. Being used to my Blues DeVille where I typically set the reverb control at 3 to 3.5, I find myself dialing the Vibrolux control up to 5 to 5.5. Again, this is OK since I don't see myself doing a whole lot of Ventures / Dick Dale covers. I do like this reverb better than that of the DeVille.
To be honest, I can't make a valid assessment of the Vibrato feature ? because I'm struggling with how best to use it and integrate it into my musical genre. Never used it before in all my years of playing. But...I think that once I have more experience with it I'll learn to appreciate it more.
In a word, considering my blues/blues-rock orientation, I am initially very pleased with the sound qualities of this amp. And considering how anal I tend to be over tone, that single statement speaks volumes in favor of this piece of gear.

As a member of the Professional Tube series of the Fender product line as well as supposedly sharing some of the production features used in true "Custom Shop" products, I expect great things from this amp in terms of reliability. Considering the fact that the Owner's Manual is a whopping 7 pages long (including the covers..you gotta love it!) there aren't a whole lot of bells and whistles to cause problems. I like what I see so far. It appears to be a quality product. My hope is that I will never have to know anything more about the 5-year warranty other than the fact that I have one! Could you use this amp on a gig without a backup? Probably. Would I? No. But this has nothing to do with the amp -- it's my own personal preference. If it can break...it will. Count on it. Much too early to make an informed comment on reliability -- time will tell.

I paid a slightly higher price by buying this amp from a local dealer ? as opposed to going the catalog route. That gives me a name and a face that I can easily access any time I want should a problem develop. Another plus is that we have a pretty competent authorized repair center right here in the local area. As I would with any large, bureaucratic company, I intend to steer well clear of Fender customer support if at all possible.

I've been playing off and on for the past 30 years -- as I mentioned above I own a Strat Plus (my primary axe), a Tele Special, and a Les Paul Standard. This amp is taking the place of my 4x10 Blues DeVille as my "number one". I have yet to meet anything in life that is absolutely perfect. However, at this point I'm pretty happy with my purchase decision. My "great amp hunt" / decision process took me a full 6-7 months ? running the gamut from Line 6 to Mesa to Fender and everything in between. Damn near drove my friends and family nuts!! What I REALLY REALLY wanted (still do) was a 66 Super Reverb...but after not being able to find one at an affordable price (note that I didn't use the word reasonable) I stumbled onto the Vibrolux Reverb. The only other amp to make it into the "finals" was the Prosonic (didn't like or need the gain feature). Considering the "semi-reasonable" price and the tonal qualities (if you close your eyes you can feel and hear a touch of Blackface Super Reverb in it), this is a pretty good compromise. If I can sort out my concern over early breakup, I may well have purchased my last amp. Wouldn't that be something? Absolutely would buy it again!

This is your basic Fender combo with reverb. Classic Fender sound. The only deveation is that reverb is available in both channels. the amp also has Vibrato 2X10 40 watts

I use a Hamer Custom ArchTop and a Ibanez SM series(mini 335) with is amp. I also use a Dunlop WHA and a Danelectro Daddy-O pedeal. I play mostly Blues and Rock.

Well heres the RUB! I bought this amp used. I started gigging with it on regualar basis. About the third gig it stated dying. I thought it was overheating so I dug around till I found a Thermister on the AC so I bypassed it. NO HELP. Next I put a fan on it. No HELP! So I ripped the chassis out hooked my CD player to it got out the hairdryer and freon. I got the chassis so hot you could not touch it. It finally died. Turns out it was a speaker that was getting hot and shorting. So I have replaced the Speakers with WeberVST P10Q. I now believe this chassis is just about bullet proof.

Fender customer support is WORTHLESS!!! I have sent them E-mail called that stupid number and never! got a response. I have since found two other guys who have this or other fender amps with the Blue frame 10's and have had problems with them.

Its now a great amp. I would buy it again. I dont think its worth the $1200 bucks retail. But who pays that. Its a 500-600 $ amp

This amp is not intended to be versatile. It is just designed to do one thing - give you a bit of the old Fender experience....tone. It has two channels, but they cannot be footswitched. the reverb does work in both, so you can use an AB box to switch between channels, or do my favorite trick and bridge the channels (plug the guitar into #1 on the Normal channel, then put a patch cord between #2 Normal and #1 of the Bright channel. Then you can adjust each volume and tone to suit.) The amp is deceptively loud for 40 watts, and easily has more than enough volume to gig with. Past three on the volume knob, however, the amp breaks up - either a plus or a minus depending on what you want the amp to do.

The amp sounds great, but my complaint with this amp is the same as with the Vibro-King and the Bassman - the speakers absolutely SUCK. There, I've said it and 'Im not taking it back. I know others will disagree, but that is why this is a great country. The speakers crap out VERY early. Here's a mystery - why build a $2,500 amp (Vibro-King) and put $20 radio speakers in it?? I know, I know......alnico is king. Not these alnicos.
With different speakers (try Eminence of Celestion Vintage 10's), however, the amp picks up and sounds great. It is dark sounding, not jangly like blackface amps, and the preamp is set hot from the factory, so it does break up quickly. But for blues, it is very good, and stomp boxes work very well with it.

No problem, but soes have a bit of phantom popping and hiss.

No problems yet

Overall, a good choice if you like a warm, clean tone that distorts when drive hard. I have owned three, and once I caught on to how much the factory speakers kill the tone, I replaced them and like the amp a lot. I would look for one used, as the list price of $1.199 seems a bit steep compared to what else is in that price range.

Two channels (normal and bright) Tube reverb and vibrato (actually tremolo) Footswitch (reverb/vibrato) Volume, bass, and treble (no mids) Two 10" speakers External speaker jack No effects loop No heavy distortion
The lack of mid knobs is somewhat annoying, as is the lack of very much distortion. When you do want distortion, you have to turn the volume up pretty high. However, I think that a distortion box could solve some of these problems.

When you buy buy this amp, you are paying for the incredible tube sounds and vintage warmth it provides. The normal channel is smooth, while the bright channel is perfect for my folk-rock, R.E.M.-type music. The reverb is nice and the vibrato incredible. The only thing that keeps this amp from being a 10 is the annoying hissing that never stops.

N/A--Just bought it yesterday.

N/A--Just bought it yesterday.

At the price I bought it for, I would buy it again. It is truly a classic among amplifiers with its warm tones and simplicity if design. Thankfully, Fender didn't try to modernize it too much by adding tons of distortion or an effects loop. No matter what style of music you play, this amp will suit your needs, for great sound knows not the boundaries of genres.

40 watt (all-tube), 2 channels (non-switchable), reverb, vibrato, no effects loop, blonde tolex, tan grill cloth, tilt-back legs, not big on features but anybody buying this wouldn't care, it's still a classic!

As I play 50's/60's based material, the amp's sound is perfect, not overly noisy (with a Charvel Surfcaster, anyway) very clean but warm tone. At home I play mostly blues-based material, and the amp also has a great blues tone, although I have to admit, to make it really smooth, with the volume on about 5, it was blowing me out of the room.

As I took it on loan from my local dealer, I can only say I used it for 2 shows in 3 days, transported it about 750 miles, and it gave me no problems at all!

I loved the amp but, as I mic the amp and use the monitor system, I found the 40 watts to be too much for me. I realize this wouldn't be the case for most musicians, but in my situation I could only turn the amp up to about 2 before the soumd was "bleeding" off stage. Because of this, I chose to buy a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, as the tone was equally nice, and the cut in power allows me to let the amp "work" a little more. I'll send in a review on this amp after I have used it more.