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Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb 120V

SKU: # 421696   |   Model: # 227-5000-000   |    Product Reviews4 Reviews  Write a Review
Fender
Fender
\'68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb 120V

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1968 was a transitional year for Fender amps, with tone that was still pure Fender but a look that was brand new. With a silver-and-turquoise front panel and classy aluminum drip edge grille cloth trim, the Twin Reverb received a fresh new face as it remained the backline amp of choice for pros and amateurs everywhere. Clear, deep and powerful, it produced big tube tone, with world-class Fender reverb and vibrato effects. For countless guitarists ever since, the Twin Reverb has been the go-to amp for classic Fender sound.

The 68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb Amp pays tribute to the classic look, sound and performance of Fenders l Silverface amps. In a special twist, both channels boast reverb and tremolo, and the custom channel has a modifi Bassman tone stack that gives modern players greater tonal flexibility with pedals. The amp also features quicker gain onset and reduced negative feedback for greater touch sensitivity. The 68 Custom Vibrolux Reverbs dual 10 Celestion TEN 30 speakers also deliver a more distinctively rock n roll flavour.

• Series: Vintage Modified
• Amplifier Type: Tube
• Speaker: Two - 10" Celestion Ten 30 Speakers for Crunch Modern Tones
• Inputs: Four - (1/4", Two custom, Two Vintage
• Speaker Jack: Two 1/4" Parallel
• Channels: Two - (Custom and Vintage)
• Controls:
- Custom Channel: Bright Switch, Volume, Treble, Bass
- Vintage Channel: Brigh Switch, Volume, Treble, Bass, Reverb, Speed, Intensity
• Effects: Reverb, Vibrato
• Impedance: 4 Ohms
• Wattage: 35 Watts
• Preamp Tubes: Groove Tubes 4 x 12AX7, 2 12AT7
• Power Tubes: Groove Tubes 2 x 6L6
• Cover/Grille Cloth: Black Textured Vinyl Covering w/ Silver-Turqoise Grille Clothe
• Control Panel: Silverface Style
• Handle: Molded Plastic Strap w/ Nickel-Plated Caps
• Knobs: Skirted Amp Knobs
• Pilot Light Jewel: Blue Jewel
• Included Accesories: 2-Buttom Footswitch, Fitted Amplifier Cover

Dimensions
• Height: 18"
• Width: 24"
• Depth: 10"
• Weight: 41.8 Pounds

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Reviews

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The speakers are questionably awful sounding at louder volumes 10 of 14 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Guelph, Ontario
This is the first brand new amp I've ever owned. I've always owned vintage Fender amps such as a 1969 Twin Reverb, 70s Super Reverb, 1968 Dual Showman, 1969 Bandmaster Reverb, 1972 Super Six Reverb, and lastly, my all time favourite that I've kept, a 1969 Dual Showman Reverb w/ JBL D130F speakers. My ideal tone is slightly overdriven (still sounding slightly clean). Basically a 60s rock tone. Previously I picked up a used 4x10 DeVille for playing shows but decided to part with it due to not being able to switch the reverb on/off by footswitch. I decided to go for a new amp and I was on the fence about the 68 Twin Reverb or the 68 Vibrolux Reverb. In L&M I plugged into the Vibrolux first and thought it sounded pretty great at lower volumes. I started to turn it up and decided it would be ideal for me since when you're right in front of an amp it sounds quite loud, but I was wrong. i admit my band is pretty loud but we're definitely not thaaaat loud. This 68 Vibrolux has sounded awful past 5 on the volume. To keep up with my drummer I need the volume on about 6 and it is very distorted to me, but not a nice distortion. Just harsh! I've tried different EQing methods and compressor pedals to tame the tone but nothing works. While having this issue I decided to check out other reviews/forums and found many people complaining about the speakers. There were also a bunch of guys saying to wait it out until the speakers break-in (they were probably 'bedroom players'..). I've had my Vibrolux for 5 months now and the speakers are definitely broken in by now. To me the speakers sound even worse now. I decided to use the external speaker output and go into my 1969 Fender 2x15 (JBL D130F speakers) and the amp sounded much much much better. I could actually hear myself in the band and I was able to roll off some of the volume. Last rehearsal I decided to skip the external speaker cabinet set up and mic the amp through the PA. It worked well too but I have never had to mic an amp at a band practice..... I've played through smaller Fender amps like this one and this one takes the cake for worst tone at loud volumes. There's nothing wrong with the amplifier considering it sounds just fine at low volumes and plugging into my separate speaker cabinet for louder volumes. I'm hoping to eventually replace the speakers with Celestion Golds or something that is much more efficient. These cheap Celestion Ten 30s are the worst speakers I have ever heard. I think my old UTAH speakers I had in an original 60s Fender sounded better. If you need volume and don't want to replace speakers, do not buy this amp. It is not a good gigging amp and I found out the hard way. Now it's too late to take the amp back. Dumbest $2000 I've ever spent. When I can afford it I'm going to buy a used Twin Reverb.
Posted by Jawn on Jun 23, 2016
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Get a Compressor for the front end 8 of 11 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Victoria, British Columbia
The '68 Vibrolux, because it has full range 6L6 power tubes, instead of reduced range EL84 power tubes (in the Blues Junior & Princeton), will with its dynamic SAG design, make a burping sound if too much low frequencies get through to fast. To get overdrive instead of a burping sound, EQ down the bass, and compress the front end with something like a Canadian made Empress Compressor, with variable compression ratio. This way you can ride the line where the amp is just starting to overdrive and push it a little to get the amp to really growl. 6L6's can growl in a way that EL84's can't. Plus, I like the fact that the '68 Vibrolux, with its Celestion rock & roll speakers, can be heard with drums at a gig. Because of the reduced negative feedback, increased sensitivity/dynamics, combined with built-in SAG, you need to compensate by compressing the signal. SAG means lag. This means not tight. The amp is slow to get the speaker back into zero position after a note is played. The louder and more low frequencies you get pumping out, the more the speaker is "out of position". If the next note is already coming out before the speaker can get back into zero position then you will get unmusical sounds. What you want is compression to prevent the speaker from being way out there. So when you play fast or loud the speaker can get back to zero position quicker. Some amps, like the Supersonic 100 or Supersonic Twin, have variable speaker damping between tight and loose. Since the '68 Vibrolux does not have this option, compression can get you from clean to overdrive without incident. The reason to have the '68 Vibrolux is that it has enough power for gigs and it won't give you a hernia carrying it. Many gigs don't need a 100 watt amp that weighs close to 100 pounds. The '68 Vibrolux is 35 watts and 40 pounds, very practical. The twin speakers give your sound a 3-D ambience that a one-speaker amp can't give. So this amp will give you more than what the Blues Junior, Princeton or Deluxe can deliver. So, get the Empress Compressor and you will have an amp that can go from clean to overdrive to growl.
Posted by Gord Ahl on Oct 13, 2014
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The Go-To amp you wish you always had 6 of 8 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Victoria, British Columbia
Connoisseurs call the blackface Vibrolux the "Little Vibro-King". Well, yes and no. I have the Vibro-King. The features that are similar are: All amps have two 6L6's. All amps have 10" speakers. The '68 Silverface Vibrolux and the Vibro-King have a tweed sound (Bassman) option. The Vibro-King has a FAT switch and the '68 Vibrolux has a Custom channel. The Vibro-King combo runs 3x10" Jensen speakers down to 4 ohms; with the 2x12" Celestion extension speaker cabinet option, 5 in total speakers operate at two ohms. Pete Townsend of the Who finds the Vibro-King big enough to play stadiums with. Sometimes he runs two Vibro-Kings with the 2x12 extension cabinets. One Vibro-King pushes 60 watts. The '68 Vibrolux pushes 35 watts at 4 ohms into two 10" Celestion rock and roll speakers. Headroom. This is the big difference. The Vibrolux has less headroom when compared to the Vibro-King. The Vibro-King will scream when pushed. The Vibrolux will flap its speakers when pushed if not EQ'd or compressed to a certain degree. The '68 Vibrolux will overdrive nicely if you have it setup optimally with EQ and Compression. It takes some trial and error to nail the proper dynamics that will sound musical. The Bright switch. Audience members complain how tin-e the amp sounds when the bright switch is engaged. The Reverb effect. The '68 Vibrolux introduces a graduating level of hiss when the Reverb is engaged. The hiss is noticeable when playing in a quiet studio environment. I use the amp's reverb effect set low. The effect is pleasant sounding. The vibrato effect. Tube-driven grid-bias vibrato. The Eric Clapton Fender amps have 50's style bias vibrato; the notes vibrate when you stop picking or strumming. That is cool. I also like the '68 Vibrolux and Vibro-King vibrato. The notes ebb & flow as you play. The '68 Vibrolux is Deluxe size & weight. Handy. The Vibro-King is heavy. Not handy. With practice, the '68 Vibrolux can do lots of venues. A go-to amp. Buy it!
Posted by Gord Ahl on Oct 5, 2014
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The Go-To amp you know you always wanted 4 of 6 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Victoria, British Columbia
Putting the included cover on, I noticed the cover label said, "65 Deluxe Reverb". It is the same size as the famous Deluxe Reverb, BUT, it has twice the horsepower wattage and twice as many speakers...Celestion Rock & Roll speakers. The transformer has been modified for SAG to get those 10 inch Celestions screamin' and moanin'. Its the Deluxe on vitamins and Viagra. Be careful, this amp can melt some audience member faces in a small venue. Guilty, as charged.
Posted by Gord Ahl on Sep 23, 2014
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Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty

A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.

Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.

How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
  • Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
  • Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
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  • Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
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Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.

Purchasing additional years of coverage

Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.

If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:

  • NEW products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
  • USED products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
  • GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
  • BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.

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