Fender Vibrasonic Amp 1961

[supersonicjazzmaster]

Hi guys,

some of you asked for the Vibrasonic Amp.
Here it is.
It´s a 40 watts combo. I would say it´s like the small brother to the Showman.
I´ve played it a lot in the last years. Reliable working horse (like all those old Fender amps).
I love those brownface 15" combos!

It came with the original JBLD130F speaker which sounded good but not good enough to me. Always a bit too thin, I always missed something...
Meanwhile I installed an Electro Voice speaker which sounds INcredible with this amp! Good choice.
On the pics you can see the old JBL speaker.

I guess the amp is retolexed (unfortunately)... It looks like new.

Here you can hear it. On this truck we played of course simply with the amps, no PA.
Just guitar into reverb tank, into Vibrasonic Amp Surf tone heaven.
Here we played our song "Space Module":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8iHnN6r4jI
On this video the JBL was still inside. It sounds good to my ears in this video, but meanwhile the sound has got more power and deepness.

[MechaBulletBill]

oooooh that's very nice!!

[N0_Camping4U]

Cool topic and video!
Which Jaguar man are you in that video?

And what speaker did you get to replace the JBL? I'm a surf guy as well and can't imagine liking anything other than a JBL! So I trust your opinion as a surfer on the Electro speaker.

[supersonicjazzmaster]

Hi and thanks!

I am the white Jaguar man. (A mega good MIJ Jag from 1984, I painted the white headstock by my own)

I replaced the JBL with the 15L model from Electro Voice.
Normally I also like the JBL´s most, but THIS one in THIS Vibrasonic sounded thin unfortunately...
I´ve tested a Neodym 15" speaker, sounded also very good, but the Electro Voice sounds definitely best in my Vibrasonic.

Do you know Satan´s Pilgrims? I guess you know them
I remember, we played through their amps at one gig in Portland years ago. I had a Showman with a 2x15 cabinet.
The sound was soooo amazing!!! I asked for the speakers.... Electro Voice. Thanks to Satans Pilgrims for best sound!!
The EV´s are damned heavy, yes, but they bring the sound!

AND... the EV´s are not so expensive like the old JBL´s.
I paid only 90€ for my EV speaker, it was a NOS, was never played before.
Normally they are about 120€-140€?

[Surfysonic]

Hey Ralf, it was this video that convinced me to hunt down a Fender Vibrasonic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k2Y3bF8mH8. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was this your video? If so, thanks again for turning me on to the Vibrasonic!

I found a '60 Fender Vibrasonic a couple of years ago and I hope to never have to part with it.



















With my '64 Fender Reverb Unit:



With my '62 Fender Bassman, '64 Fender Reverb Unit, and '63 Fender Jaguar:

[DeathJag]

Yes. That’s exactly what I now need, thanks for confirming!

I’m very curious about that JBL vs EV thing! Was the D130f in good shape, reproducing everything it should?

Dan Izen

[andy_tchp]

I bet it'd been reconed; correct recone kits for a D-130 have (sadly) been unobtainium for a long time now.

But my interest in the EVM-15L is now piqued! I kept blowing up the D-130F in my (Silverface) Vibrosonic Reverb. I have a Jensen Neo in there now but it's nowhere near as magical as the JBL.

[supersonicjazzmaster]

Yes. That’s exactly what I now need, thanks for confirming!

I’m very curious about that JBL vs EV thing! Was the D130f in good shape, reproducing everything it should?

Dan Izen

Hi,

I don´t know what us with this at last poor sounding JBL... Yes, maybe it was bad reconed! ...I don´t know.

The EV has got the power you need for those amps.
For me meanwhile the best substitute speaker to the beloved JBL´s.

After trying the lightweight Jensen Neodym I am now mega happy with the EV!

[supersonicjazzmaster]

Hey Ralf, it was this video that convinced me to hunt down a Fender Vibrasonic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k2Y3bF8mH8. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was this your video? If so, thanks again for turning me on to the Vibrasonic!

Ha! Yes, this is my video from a few years ago.

This was the time when I played it with the JBL. I remember at this time I preferred the Vibrato channel.
...I guess ( as others here assumed) something was wrong with this JBL? Much too thin sounding at last.
The sound of the video is also not good...

[Horsefeather]

Andy_tchp, you need to get yourself a K130! It'll handle the power while sounding the same.

[Igorilla]

Ralf, I have an 8 OhmJBL K130 with original cone that I don‘t use (since my blonde Bassman
wants to see 4 Ohms). If you want to check if it is
a reconing related problem or something
else you can borrow it for testing.

BUT after your report , I have to find a 4 Ohm EVM 15L. At least as a backup for my 4 Ohm JBL.

Has a 4 Ohm version of 15L ever existed?

4 Ohm JBLs were built for PA applications only
and are extremely difficult to find in Europe.

[jam007]

very rad amp!

[Shadoweclipse13]

That is an amazing amp Both of the posted videos on this page sound EXACTLY like what I want from a Fender-style amp. What's the wattage on the Vibrasonic?

[Surfysonic]

50 watts, as noted here: https://www.vintageguitar.com/27655/fen ... ibrasonic/

’62 Fender 6G13-A Vibrasonic
• Preamp tubes: four 7025, two 12AX7
• Output tubes: two 5881
• Rectifier: solidstate
• Controls: Normal channel: Volume, Treble, Bass Vibrato channel: Volume, Treble, Bass, Speed, Intensity; Presence
• Speaker: one JBL D130F
• Output: approximately 50 watts RMS

Cool article, good info.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Great article. I might be very enamored with one now. I was hoping it was like 20W I should see if I can find some local vintage amps to try them out.