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.