Vintage Sound Amplifiers Super Reverb Reproduction 410 Combo

I talked to Rick off and on for over a year finally made up my mind in July 2008. I had owned a 65 Black Face Super Reverb and it was stolen, so I had bought a reissue which never quite sounded right. I have been playing for over 40 years and let me say this amp sounds better than the original 65 that it replaced and the tremelo mod is outstanding.

I play Blues through a Fender Strat with an Xacttone modded TS-9, and this amp just makes them sing. All of the Bass and Tone anyone could want for the style I play, and is solid and crystal clear until I kick in the tube screamer. I have never had to turn it past 5 so not sure where it distorts but at 5 with a tube screamer it will tear your ears out for a 45 watt amplifier.

This amp is solid have already put it to work, loaded on and off the trailer many times and back again. Rick uses only the best available parts and electronics, hand wired and custome built.

Rick was real easy to talk to when I originally called him in 2007 we talked several times, and he was never pushy about are you ready to buy or anything just friendly and stood behind what he was telling me. He kindly gave me the names and contact info for several working muscians that I called and ask about the product, and each had exactly the same thing to say, great guy and great product. As a result of my purchase in 2008 I can now say the same thing, great guy, great product, always available to take your call or calls you right back.

In 40 years of playing professionally this is absouletly the best amplifier I have ever owned and I own 9 at this current time. If this one were stolen the first thing I would do as the others have said is call Rick and order another one.

As with the prior reviews, I had Rick of Vintage Sound built a pre-CBS AB763 Super Reverb in June. Being an "old school" guitar player who plays blues and alot of slide guitar, I wasn't looking for effects but straight up tube tone and definition. This amp has plenty of that plus alot of power punch. As said before by others, Rick uses the best components he can get. The tremolo by-pass really kicks it up a notch by taking power used by the tremolo circuitry and putting it back into main line. I don't use tremolo much anyways. I can't say enough about the clear definition of this amp and the tones that can be produced. I had Rick special order Weber DT-10's for it. There is a very noticable difference using the bright switch on this amp as well, which I had not seen in other SR's I've tried out. Came with new foot switch and amp cover. New Mojo cabnet.

Although I haven't had the amp that long, I have had a chance to put it through it's paces and I can't say enough about the variety of tone that can be had for such a simple amp. Rick uses Ruby tubes which are good, but better can be had. I contacted Lord Valve in Denver to give me some ideas and wound up buying a whole new set. I have only replaced the pre-amp tube with a tung-sol which gives it more bite than the Ruby. I also pulled the first pre-amp tube for the first channel. Since I play in the vibrato channel, it gives it a little bit more snarl to the sound. I use a 2000 historical re-issue of the Les Paul/SG. My two favorite amp settings are: v:9;t:9;m:3;b:3 and v:6;t:6;m:5;b:4. Speakers break up at v:6 pretty well. Cranked to 9 and controled by the guitar settings you can get some real nice distortion/tones and notes hold pretty well with controled feed back. The DT-10's, which are clones of the Pyle MH-1020, really gives this amp the sound I was looking for. For slide guitar it gives me everything from an early Johnny Winter sound to Derek Trucks sound when really pushed. I'll have more later once I have all the tubes replaced and re-biased.

Since I have not had it that long, I'll save this for later.

For the first contact I had with Rick at Vintage Sound I have been totally amazed at the support and backing he has given. This is a man who stands behind his product. I was having trouble at first with microphonic pre-amp tubes and Rick sent me a new set plus some old tried and true used ones. Then, I had problems with the fuse blowing right after that problem was fixed. Rick was in Nashville when I called him and since I live about 45 minutes from the main road he would be taking to get back home, he said he'd stop by and replace the entire amp unit with a new one. I can't tell you how flabergasted I was at this. True to his word, he did it! I haven't had a bit of trouble from it since...just pure enjoyment. I told him I was delighted that in this day and time of "sell it and forget it" that it was great to see the customer still gets some respect. Thanks Rick. You're the bomb man!

Overall, this is the amp of my dreams. It gives me the sound I want. The tone, power, simplicity and the fact that it has all new components in it except for the power transformer make it the ideal amp for me. I looked a long time in pawn shops, Ebay and guitar stores for a SR and what it came down to was an issue of common sense. Do you want to buy something that is high cost vintage that will probably need lots of service, or, something that is exactly like it in the specs, but will have what you want in it as far as components right off the bat. I have played through Marshalls and other Fenders in the 35 years of on and off playing I've done, and I've loved them all. But this amp is actually giving me more bang for the buck than any of my prior amps. It definitely beats out those solid state mod amps in my humble opinion. A friend of mine who I play guitar with alot came over to hear it. I cranked it up and hit a note on it and he jumped. He couldn't believe it was just 45 watts. If I bought another amp, you better believe it would be from Rick at Vintage Sound. The only change I would make in it is different tubes, but thats it. For the price and the dedication to great service, you can't lose.

Rick built me a pre-CBS AB763 circuitry Super Reverb clone from the ground up in Spring 2007. This is not a silver to blackface mod and has all the features of a blackface super reverb plus the Diaz tremolo bypass mod, which takes this amp's balls out of the vice and lets it run free. Rick uses the best available parts (Mercury transformers, Sprague Blue Atom caps, Orange Drop filter caps, cloth push back wire, ANY Weber speaker you want, etc.) I've used it at home and for both indoor and outdoor gigs. It is plenty loud and, if you want the old true clean fender blackface tone (only a bit better)and straitfoward simplicity, this is it. The rating for this category seems to be based on versatility so I give it a 9 as it can do anything that a superior quality old blackface amp can do but it is not a modelling amp, thank God.

This is, of course, it's primary selling point. I play a stock 2005 Strat Plus (single-coil neck/mid; HB bridge) through a stock Ibanez TS-9 out of this amp. No frills, mostly blues and blues-rock. I waited a few months to think about this in order to reach as holistic an opinion as I can get. I loved it when I first got it and my regard has only increased over time. It blows away any vintage super I've played (and I've played through more than 20 different ones regularly). The sound is of course the same but cleaner and bigger. This amp won't start breaking up till volume is at 6 or 7 and that is most likely louder than you'll ever need it. My standard gig volume is around 4, which is crystal clear and cuts through the band easily. Naturally it handles a TS-9 beautifully and sounds simply overdriven at whatever volume you need. I don't want to dwell too much on trying to poetically "capture" the sound in words nor imply that whoever should get this amp will sound like the people I'm going to name below (nor that I can sound these guys either). I will use names because people likely want to hear what an amp can do rather than hope that their own personal dictionary corresponds to the one employed by the reviewer. I'll start by saying that I heavily favor Stevie Ray's tone as do so many reviewers apparently and will try not to overly dwell on comparisons to him. That said, with my stock gear I can get a decent approximation of SRV's neck PU tone on the song "Texas Flood" and his 2nd position PU out of phase tone on the "Couldn't Stand the Weather" riff. I refer to that "full" tone that doesn't necessarily come with mere loudness. The mid PU position can get you to Albert Collins territory (ie. nice bite yet full sounding). The mid'bridge out of phase position gives a great Robert Cray or Robby Blunt sound. The bridge is a great country killer hot pickin sound. In other words, this amp will do anything you can do inside the Fender straight tube amp range. I asked Rick to put Weber Michigans in the bottom which gives this amp superior bottom end fullness. Again, this amp will sound like a super pristine 60's blackface super reverb only a bit more so. It is NOT any noisier than a new tube amp would be. Fact is, I can't praise vintage sound enough for the achievement here.

This amp is built solid with only the best available parts ( see above or visit www.vintagesoundamps.com). The wiring is immaculate, the construction is tight. It developed a slight hum when I first had it but Rick fixed it right up, no charge (not even shipping from Texas to Florida and back!) Frankly, I still don't know whether that initial hum was something I did or not. Since that first week the amp has gigged and rehearsed without a hitch.

You can't imagine the integrity and generosity of this man at Vintage Sound. First, after answering several emails of my just telling him what I wanted and if he could do it, he sent weekly updates of my custom amp's progress (with pictures). The amp arrived on time but I was a bit unsatisfied with the bottom end response and asked if he could replace the bottom speakers with Weber Michigans. Though Michigans are more expensive, he did this free-of-charge and paid shipping to and from my door. As I said before, my amp had developed a hum and I was afraid it was because my footswitch had gotten stuck to a speaker magnet while the amp was on, causing a short. After several long distance trouble shooting emails, Rick just paid to have me ship the amp back to him, where he checked everything thoroughly and replaced the speakers. Rick gives a two-year warranty on anything he does and is better than Wal-Mart ever has been at honoring it, and then some. I would not have expected the attention and support, especially free of charge that Rick has delivered. They don't come like him any more.

I've been playing for 25 years and have been a typical vintage tone junkie. I like it straight up - guitar+amp, overdrive, maybe some color here and there (ie. univibe, slight delay, etc.) This amp delivers, and is built with all new parts so none of the worries of old gear. I bought this amp blind off Rick's website - scary, I know but Rick walks his talk. I would buy another in a heartbeat; costs slightly more than true vintage but you KNOW what you're getting and it sounds AT LEAST as good as the best old gear, to say nothing of Rick's solid gold backing. You want vintage Fender tone, Vintage Sound is where you'll find it.

The amp I bought from Vintage Sound--Rick, was a Super Reverb 4x10 early model silver face, point-to-point wiring, that was completely rewired back to black face specs (AB763 circuitry) with all new Sprague filter caps, electrolytic caps and Orange Drop tone caps, fitted with a matched set of Ruby 6L6 MSTR power tubes, a Ruby rectifier, and all Ruby preamp tubes. It was placed in a new Mojo black faced spec finger jointed pine cab with a new reverb tank, black face plate, Fender cover, and correct black two-button footswitch with a sound going through a stock set of Jensen PR10's.

My name is Mike Moore and I am Managing Partner and Founder of Mooretone Vintage Guitars, LLC and we have auctions all the time on eBay--read our reviews here as well. About this amp and what I am so thrilled with.........we build vintage correct S-type guitars and our pickups are also made to vintage specs. So, my personal amplification needs are simple--old AB763 Blackface Tube amps from the 60s--Pre-CBS. I have owned, Vibroverbs, Deluxes, Twins, Vibroluxes, Tremoluxes, Vibro Kings, Bassmans and Bandmasters, Mesa Boogies,Sunn Solaris, Peavey classic 30 and 50, Marshall JCMs, etc............I recently sold my Ceasar Diaz tricked out Custom Shop Vibroverb, because when you were in the Tremolo, it went dead--total Fender crap circuitry, which if you have any tone at all, you can hear it--it is like going from 80- miles per-hour to slamming on the brakes--it just dies. So, I am surfing eBay one night, and come across this Cat (Rick) from Vintage Sound Amplification--we talk--he sells me on this Super Reverb loaded with original Jensen PR10s he has for sale and tells me "Hey, I can do a Tremolo trick for you, which is to use an on/off switch on the Speed knob, so when it is off, it like a power booster--complete bi-pass and that means tone, tone, tone............"yeah Mon" I sais, how much--$2,100.00 Delivered to your door--brand new. I priced the used vintage ones with old caps and God only knows what else wrong and they are going for like $1,600.00! Well, being a Custom Guitar Builder, I thought, better put my money where my mouth is, and take the plunge like so many of our great customers have done for us--trusting us to deliver our products like we describe them--I trusted Rick. Sure enough, 3 days later the UPS Mug delivers it and I am like shaking nervously unpacking it. Let me tell you all, and ya bess hear me, as anyone who knows me knows I am a huge critic of Fakes and Phonies in the Guitar business--this amp just smokes anything I have ever owned--hands down. It is like a Vibroluxe on Steroids or a Vibroverb on Qauilludes--I mean it is dead balls-on accurate to what I have been searching for, for over 15 years now--total Blackface tone and SRV vibe to die for--"Tin Pan Alley"--no problem. Kick on the TS 808 with Brown mod, and wah-la........."Pride and Joy".........kick off the Screamer and roll off the tone slightly and wah-la--"Chitlins Con Carne". I mean honestly, I was blown away by the clarity of every nuance of my picking, whether it was Hybrid or Octaves like Wes Montgomery stuff, or digging under the 13-58s on my axe and talking "Skies Are Crying"..........man whatever I threw at this amp, it just bounced back with balls and drive that you cannot buy anywhere--I know--I have been so sucked dry by eBay crap--old wore out pieces of crap that blow up after an hour at a gig because the caps are old or the tubes haven't been tested since Janis was alive. You know what I mean fellow Tone Junkies. So, guess what--Rick now builds a line of amps for us at Mooretone Vintag Guitars--you will pay for them, but man..........you will never need another crapy "Vintage All Original" which means totally unreliable piece of collector junk once you buy Rick's Vintage correct new amps--hey, you are only as good as your gear--wanna sound like a Pro--get the good stuff. Wanna sound like you are some Guitar Center Bargain Hunter--guess what--your music will suck not because you do, but because your gear does! It is called SAVE YOUR DAMNED MONEY KID, AND THEN GO GOLD! Want a killer amp--look up Rick at Vintage Sound Amplification--you will kiss the ground he walks on once you get one of his amps.

Reliability.........please...........this is what sucks about truly vintage amps--they are unreliable, always in the shop, and everyone acts like if it is all original it is somehow a Demi-God of Tonal Heaven. Please--get over it. I know I used to be the same way and you know what..........I started building Vintage Guitars with new parts and using tricks to pre-age the woods and properly dial in our pickups. So does Rick at Vintage Sound--he takes all the old worn out crappola, hand wires everthing back in to proper Black Face specs, and the amp comes to you sounding vintage, but with totally reliable parts--no worries about taking his amps to the Beer Joint and some drunk banging into it--Rick's stuff is tight, right and outta sight! I am totally thrilled and I should know--15 years of building for Pro-level Musicians and years of playing myself--I still practice 3 hours a night--come rain or shine, and my motto is "if it is too loud, you are too friggin old". So, you know I can be heard a country mile from my house--hehehehe--and so I drive my amps to hell and back again for hours per night, then in the shop for open mic nights then to the Blues Bars for gigs. So far, I have not had a single issue at all, and it is funny when the Chicks walk up to my wife and say......."OMG I thought it was the DJ playing Stevie Ray--that was your Husband in that goofy Kimono?" LOL

All I did was to give Rick my personal specs on our guitars, the types of music I play and some of my prefernces--he slammed the Gray Matter into hyperdrive and bam--Super Reverb with vintage 10s and a Tremolo Bi-pass. Why you may wonder? Because I use a 66 Bandmaster in a custom 2x12 cabinet as my main driver and Tremolo amp, the Super for my bottom end and Reverb and a Vibratone for my Deja-Voodoo rotating speaker. My set up is easy--I plug my guitar into my Brown modded TS 808 Tube Screamer, then into our custom Mooretone Fuzz (Germanium Transistors to Hendrix specs) then into the Vox clyde wah-wah, and then into the Univibe--I use this as a splitter to allow each amp to operate separately from one another--I piggy back the Vibratone off the Bandmaster. Okay? What I get that I was missing, was the deep but not overbearing Reverb tank that Rick uses, the hotter pots for the Trebble and Mids and the power booster from his Bass pot--you roll it to 3 and the walls shake rattle and roll. You kick on the Bright switch and you are SRV all day long. I am so convinced of Rick's abilities, I am adding one of his Black Face Custom Twin Reverbs for the main driver and to Piggy back the Vibratone into, and then, I will use the Bandmaster for background Tremolo only--as you know, too much tremolo sucks--not enough and you sound out of tune. Background Tremolo is the ticket. Then, when I can afford it--a custom Vibroverb to finish out the herd. Yeah, alot of gear to lug around, but like I always say.........."If you got it, use it!" It is never too loud and if they say turn it down, I turn it up with the right finger and pack up--c'ya. When you are my age, you get to do stuff like that--hehehehe...........

I play Custom Mooretone Vintage Guitars--yep, the ones I build. Been playing well.......25 years now. I play SRV, Hendrix, B.B King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Albert Collins and me--yep, I can lay it down my own style. I will NEVER buy another Fender made amp. Howard Dumble is overrated. And, Marshall is cool if you are 16 years old. Mesa Boogie is great if you like blowing fuses all the time like mine did. And, da, da, da.... Rick, at Vintage Sound, makes custom Deluxes for recording ( I like his Vibroluxe offerings better though), Twin Reverbs, Vibroverbs--even the rare and exclusive limited 2x12 Vibroverb seen in 1963 only and he also does Super Reverbs, and custom options on any of them--want a Twin output tranny in a Deluxe--hehehehe..........this guy can do whatever you want and make it happen like you imagine it. Overall..........you are either stupid, or ignorant if you think there are not Boutique people out there who build better guitars, pickups, Amps, whatever........better than the Mass Producers. If you are logo stupid, then you get what you pay for. In other words, if you are Brand-stupid, because you like to be sold Lemons and cheaply made, marked up assembly line made crap, then you deserve the be destined to gigging in your bedroom or living room for life. If you are smart,(even Hendrix had an amp doctor, as did SRV, Clapton, da,da,da....) you will open your eyes and your ears, and seek out those of us who do what we do, because we love it--not for the money. You know, in a past life, I was an Investment Banker--Chicago--making loads of dough. I hated my life, myself and the person I became. So, don't think all of us Boutique Guitar or Amp Builders are in-business to sell you something--i turn down business all the time and so does Rick. We want customers who stay with us for the long haul--not some candy-coated pretty boy who knows 3 chords and has only his looks to sell his nasty boring music--anyone listen to Shania Twain--is it her out of tune voice or her boobs that makes her tolerable? Hmm.... Guys like Rick at Vintage Sound, sell a product they stand behind like we do--no games--no let's decipher some 20 page Warranty to find ways to gouge you. It is straight up business the American way--you pay, we deliver and then stand behind it. My overall rating for most, is at best a 5 or 6 these days--Rick, gets my 10! Thank you Rick!