new Custom Vibrolux? Any good?

Henry Nagle · Post by **Henry Nagle** » 1 May 2005 4:02 pm

Does anyone use one of these amps? I've been looking around for a silverface Vibrolux and there are none to be found around here. This new amp is a little pricey but hopefully quite reliable.
By the way, if anyone has an older Vibrolux in any condition that they're trying to get rid of, please let me know.
Thanks....

Henry Nagle · Post by **Henry Nagle** » 1 May 2005 4:09 pm

sorry.. I think this is in the wrong place.

Steve Howard · Post by **Steve Howard** » 2 May 2005 9:19 am

This is my favorite amp. This thing is the perfect country guitar amp. Not sure though if it is really the best steel amp. I will say it does have some hum to it (little noisy) but it is worth it. It is hard to describe, but I bought a Silverface Vibrolux about a year ago because someone talked me into buying Vintage, but it never satisfied me like the new Custom Vibrolux satisfied me in the music store. So, I sold off my Silverface for $675 and bought a 2 month old "Custom" on ebay for $615 and I am very pleased.

Tone is all perceptive, but the best way I can describe it is the tone of the Silverface was warm, like any tube amp you would play through, but the Custom seemed to have very "deep" warmth. Like the note on your guitar went all the way 20 feet through the back of the amp and then sling shotted back out and slapped you in the face. I know that is a weird explination, but this amp is really special to me. I like it a lot. Much better than the silverface in my opinion.

BTW - I have one for sale if you want it.

Just Joking!!! That is just a jab at the type of emails I get when asking about equipment. Someone swears to me something is so great for 2 paragraphs and then proceeds to tell me they have two of them for sale. Little alterior motive I think.

No, I have one and it is definately not for sale, that should tell you something.

I will say however as we are on a steel forum, I don't necessarily think it is something special as a steel amp, its magic is in the pickups of a tele.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 2 May 2005 10:00 am

The lead guitarist in one of my groups has a silver-face Vibrolux. He leaves it at my house for practice, and I have tried playing pedal steel through it. The low wattage and 10" speakers are not good for steel - not enough headroom and too shrill. However, when I plug a 15" speaker into this Vibrolux it sounds just like a Twin, only less volume. Someday I will get one and have a custom cabinet built to hold a 15" speaker. It will make a great low volume, small amp for home practice or really quiet gigs. Sometimes I jam with acoustic players, and I think this would be enough volume and still have that great Fender tube tone.

Henry Nagle · Post by **Henry Nagle** » 2 May 2005 10:37 am

I'm hoping to get one for double duty at low/medium volume gigs. Mainly for a guitar amp. I've got a Webb for when I really need to assert my presence on steel. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Henry Nagle on 02 May 2005 at 11:38 AM.]</p></FONT>

Steve Howard · Post by **Steve Howard** » 3 May 2005 5:53 am

Can't go wrong with it as a guitar amp and it will get by as a steel amp.

Charles Dempsey · Post by **Charles Dempsey** » 3 May 2005 1:36 pm

I bought a new Vibrolux back in '66, and I loved that amp. Kept it up until a couple of years ago and then sold it because I was out gigging again and didn't want to destroy an antique. I got a Custom Vibrolux (the new one) to replace it. Same tone, same everything as far as I can tell (except reverb works on both channels in the new one).

For guitar, you can't go wrong with a Vibrolux in small to medium venues. To me the 10s are a bit brighter, more crisp, or something, than 12s, and I like that.

Charlie