In this video I'm comparing a 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb to a 1976 Marshall JMP Super Lead. I'm playing both amps through a 1971 Marshall 4x12 model 1960A.
The Vibrolux is a bit rounder and slightly less brash, but honestly I love it. I am surprised! We all know the cab and speakers are so important to the sound but this really shines a light on that.
Amazing tone. I love the Vibrolux amp myself. Also your experiment reminded me that on the fourth Extreme album Waiting for the Punchline Nuno Bettencourt played through Fender Vibroverb into 4x12 Greenback speakers. And he had killer tone!
This is a question I've been struggling with a lot lately. You've very much inspired me to stop looking at new amps and start finding speakers I connect with! I hope we see more videos like this exploring the power of the speakers and the cab.
two great amps going through a 4x12, it's always fascinating to hear how similar some of the vintage Fenders and Marshalls can sound, the Vibrolux in particular is almost a holy grail amp to me with a tone of it's own. Great playing and great demo, Johan, keep up the good work, cheers!
@Johan When you did compare the original bassman vs the Fender blues hotrod 4x10 I was wondering wich model of fender amps is comparable to a Fender hot rod 4x10 but the non-tweed version. Thanks a lot ❤
@@JohanSegeborngreat to see the love being shown for silverface fenders, finally...much of the new pcb stuff makes them seem like absolute gems by comparison
Johan, these results are very interesting and eye opening. I've always had the preconceived notion that vintage Fender amps are best as clean, pedal platform amps. But paired with the right cab, it's clear they can get into Marshall crunch territory.
I’ve had a Silverface Vibrolux on my wish list ever since I found out that Audley Freed doubled some of the guitar tracks on Cry of Love’s 1993 Album with one. The main amp was a 70’s Marshall JMP but the Muscle Shoals studio the band used, had a 1977 Vibrolux hanging around which was added to the tracks. Audley said he believed it was possible that the Fender might actually have been the original Jimmy Johnson amp, from the famous Shoals studio band.
Oh man, my first real amp at the age of 15 was Fender Vibrolux reverb but I wanted to be louder, so I traded it to a 100w Laney Klipp with a Marshall 4 x 12 cab. I have good memories of that Fender though... I remember firing that Laney head up in an apartment building turning the (probably faulty) bright switch on, it got staright into full throttle and I almost got kicked out for using it again, haha. Funny thing was that when I opened up the Laney head, a sticker in it said it was inspected by 2 Swedish named people! I've gone to the "Marshall law" since and ADA MP1, Peavey etc.... Cheers Johan for still doing all these reviews, much appreciated and we still got some beers to down one day!
What i've learned having 40 years in the music busines is that a Fender has a great clean channell and it is a perfect amp to use with your favorite overdrive or distortion pedals. Marshall clean channell for me does not sound quite well, but the Drive channell too often sounds just great. Especially the plexi models. I personally prefer Fenders with pedals in the clean channell. Tube screamer and plexi pedals..... anyways..thats not objective...just a personal preference. Great video... best wishes...
I think it gets close enough that you could fool many in a blind test. I wouldn't hesitate one bit to use it in place of the Marshall where and when appropriate. Excellent comparison and video Johan.👍🏼
Life is just sweeter with a 4×12" to crank...🤗 That Fender sounds great but for my ears the Marshall wins. I would love to hear that Vibrolux modded for EL-34s...😁😁😁
Vibrolux a bit more scooped. Wonder how they compare in a mix. Vibrolux sounds amazing though. Those Fender Silverface late 60’s early 70’s are awesome and still affordable. I have a Silverface Bandmaster Reverb which sounds very similar to the Vibrolux. Very similar circuit. Nice one Johan!
John you have no doubt answered this Q before but can I ask what the deal is with always wearing headphones? are they playing a background click track or purely to attenuate the volume?
Both sound fantastic. I've found, while using my modeler, how vitally important good IR's are to the sound. Got to hear and see a Matchless DC30 with matching 2x12 cabinet this past weekend with a full compliment of great sounding pedals. Very visceral compared to the modelers, even running through loud PA's. Also, got to hear a Strymon Iridium through the same pedals. It got 9/10 of the way there to the tone. God bless and rock on 🎸😎👍
Excellent! I wish we had known this back in the mid '70s (not that any of my circle of friends could have afforded a Marshall 1960 cabinet). A good friend had a '73/'74 Vibrolux and used to kick it because it wasn't loud enough! We had fun with that amp though. I remember him cranking it up and the basement door opening followed by a command to turn it down. He replied "But we need to burn the carbon out of the tubes!" The response (thinking about having do the the same with the family car)..."OK, but don't take too long then..." We still laugh about that, 50 years later!
I've got a 1975 Vibrolux Reverb that is VERY modified; Blackfaced on channel 2, and "Marshalled" on channel 1. I changed out four of the cap values and it made a big difference. Swapped out the speakers for some "E" series JBLs and it made even more of a difference. If you wanted to, you could swap out the original speakers for something more British sounding. I used the JBLs because that is what I already had, and JBLs will never let you down {everybody has their own personal favorites}. With this set up I have a very versatile amp that will do whatever I want it to do. The Vibrolux Reverb was Roy Buchanan's amp of choice, and if it was good enough for Roy, it's good enough for me!
Great comparaison. You are right they are pretty close. What are the speakers in your cab? My home rig is a vibrolux into attenuator into a Eminence Private Jack. As a fender guy I didn't know how was this close to the marshall sound. You open my eye. Maybe it's time to go to the obsure side ;-).
The Fender does seem better balanced. Is it more responsive to play? I bet the slightly rounder bottom end on the Fender could be tightened up with a slight boost.
I'll take (what I consider to be) one of the best Fender amps ever. The Vibrolux is a great amp with tons of tonal qualities. Versatile, not too big to carry around. My Brown cover 1964 was easily the best amp I've ever owned. This one ruled in the mids and even low end, tighter, nice. Don't be afraid to experiment with different speakers (when running as a combo) to really dial it in.
Since you're not using those Hiwatts, you should send me one! ;) I love all these amps. I just have an Origin 20C that I run stacked with a Jazz Chorus 40, but I love those, too! Mostly I just love guitars and amps in general. You always have great tones!
Johan, I’ve always been curious about your opinion on the Celestion Seventy/80, which is a great speaker, as far as I’’ concerned, much maligned because people tend not to fiddle with amp knobs. The channel is awesome! Cheers.
Fender sound little more uncontrolled in a very good way and more darkish and wilder and harmonic I pick the fender all way down Could the power tubes play a role I have always have this feeling when I compare 6L6/5881 with EL34 It’s just as the American tubes opens up like a flower blooming and the Brit’s closing the sound more Awesome playing and a good looking (sounding) guitar
I have both, and after trying a similar experiment : if looking for a permanent solution, vibrolux is no substitute, too round, dynamics and aggression lacking. but it IS a decent substitute in a pinch.
The Vibrolux is IMO the best Blackface Fender amp, with the Bandmaster reverb TFL5005 for the Silver serie. The combo is enough powerfull for most of the situations and easy to move, you don't need a big SUV to go to gig !
It's funny how many of us start on Fender amps, try different amp brands, and than just end up realizing. That the sound we were looking for is a Fender amp when it's cranked up.
Love Vibrolux amps, I do think they're somewhat taylored for 10" speakers, would love to hear a comparison with the Vib through Marshall 4x10, i.e. 1965a cab
How are they tailored for 10" speakers? All Fender amps have similar preamps, and primarily 2 types of tonestacks - the early ´Marshall type´ and the later ´Fender type´.
I have a similar Vibrolux, but it needs a 4ohm load so it's not so simple for me to hook it up to other cabs (only have 8ohm cabs at the moment). Maybe try it with 2 cabs...mid 70s Ampeg V4 4x12 with a mix of modern Emi British style stuff, and a Sourmash 2x12 with Scumback ceramics. Could be an interesting setup to mic, the Sourmash cab with those speakers is much more mid forward, more late 60s sounding with a decent amount of compression, while the big Ampeg is just a monster in every way.
Sounds like the only difference is that the Vibrolux has a 12at7 instead of a 12ax7 in the signal path, not including reverb. So I looked at a schematic - indeed the phase inverter tube is 12at7. Rip that tube out and put in a 12ax7 tube and I am sure it would sound 100% exactly the like the marshall.
It's hard to tell the dynamics with youtube, but from what I can hear the marshall top sounds much more harsh and sharp. I'll take the fender. Rock on.
Not as much difference as you'd would think! Although the Marshall has the signature midrange growl and the Vibrolux has a bit more high-end chime and rounder bass. Maybe the moral of the story is that the speakers influence the sound/tone more than anything else in your rig.
the fender is diffinetally a broader tone, but its awefully close to the marshall, only better (bias check I'm kinda anti marshall, but for uh... weird reasons i.e. everyone seems to love them, and they do sound killer, but I'd like to sound different)
I found a Vibrolux with an extra tube mod that puts this in hi-gain territory, yet retains all the classic clean reverb sounds on the vibrato channel. I suspect it would work on any silverface normal/vibrato amp. Here's a primitive vid of it: ua-cam.com/video/6m8syiwfd5Q/v-deo.htmlsi=k8sA4jVaR7yMwkNV
Anyone else here wishing they could go hang out at Johans house? I mean look at all that absolutely amazing gear!!
I’ll buy the beer and steaks!
Yes
And this guys a cool cat !
Really want always assumed it was his house.
@User-je6ok cool!
The Vibrolux is a bit rounder and slightly less brash, but honestly I love it. I am surprised! We all know the cab and speakers are so important to the sound but this really shines a light on that.
Thanks!
Amazing tone. I love the Vibrolux amp myself. Also your experiment reminded me that on the fourth Extreme album Waiting for the Punchline Nuno Bettencourt played through Fender Vibroverb into 4x12 Greenback speakers. And he had killer tone!
Thanks! Yeah great player!
This video proves what I say since many years: a good closed 4x12 can change a "quiet" combo amp in a wild beast. Good job, Johan!
This is a question I've been struggling with a lot lately. You've very much inspired me to stop looking at new amps and start finding speakers I connect with! I hope we see more videos like this exploring the power of the speakers and the cab.
Johan, your videos are like a cup of fresh coffee in the morning!
Have you ever tried the Hiwatt Hi-Gain 50 amp? I think you would do it justice!
two great amps going through a 4x12, it's always fascinating to hear how similar some of the vintage Fenders and Marshalls can sound, the Vibrolux in particular is almost a holy grail amp to me with a tone of it's own. Great playing and great demo, Johan, keep up the good work, cheers!
Thanks Mark! I’m a huge fan of the Vibrolux too. Cheers!
@Johan When you did compare the original bassman vs the Fender blues hotrod 4x10 I was wondering wich model of fender amps is comparable to a Fender hot rod 4x10 but the non-tweed version. Thanks a lot ❤
@@JohanSegeborngreat to see the love being shown for silverface fenders, finally...much of the new pcb stuff makes them seem like absolute gems by comparison
Wow can’t believe it! I love the Vibrolux more than a Marshall . Guess I have to buy that 4x12 cab next. Great Comp! Thnx
Thanks Johan. Keep the passion! This is an amazing comparison.
Johan, always a pleasure, hope you are doing well and having a great New Year
Johan, these results are very interesting and eye opening. I've always had the preconceived notion that vintage Fender amps are best as clean, pedal platform amps. But paired with the right cab, it's clear they can get into Marshall crunch territory.
I’ve had a Silverface Vibrolux on my wish list ever since I found out that Audley Freed doubled some of the guitar tracks on Cry of Love’s 1993 Album with one. The main amp was a 70’s Marshall JMP but the Muscle Shoals studio the band used, had a 1977 Vibrolux hanging around which was added to the tracks. Audley said he believed it was possible that the Fender might actually have been the original Jimmy Johnson amp, from the famous Shoals studio band.
Amazing! Who would have thought. Great work to see the Nordin again. Great video Johan!
Thanks Eddie!
Oh man, my first real amp at the age of 15 was Fender Vibrolux reverb but I wanted to be louder, so I traded it to a 100w Laney Klipp with a Marshall 4 x 12 cab. I have good memories of that Fender though... I remember firing that Laney head up in an apartment building turning the (probably faulty) bright switch on, it got staright into full throttle and I almost got kicked out for using it again, haha. Funny thing was that when I opened up the Laney head, a sticker in it said it was inspected by 2 Swedish named people! I've gone to the "Marshall law" since and ADA MP1, Peavey etc.... Cheers Johan for still doing all these reviews, much appreciated and we still got some beers to down one day!
What i've learned having 40 years in the music busines is that a Fender has a great clean channell and it is a perfect amp to use with your favorite overdrive or distortion pedals. Marshall clean channell for me does not sound quite well, but the Drive channell too often sounds just great. Especially the plexi models.
I personally prefer Fenders with pedals in the clean channell. Tube screamer and plexi pedals..... anyways..thats not objective...just a personal preference. Great video... best wishes...
and yet in this video there's not really much of a difference with both cranked.
Sounded damn close. Your playing was great as usual man. Doesn't matter what you play thru Johan, you got the hands man....
Hey Johanna! Long time no hear 😅 Sounds great As a Marshall should ❤❤!!!
That is crazy how close they are to each other!
Great demo! There were riffs where I preferred the Fender, some where I preferred the Marshall, and some where I'd be happy with either.
Same here!
I think it gets close enough that you could fool many in a blind test. I wouldn't hesitate one bit to use it in place of the Marshall where and when appropriate. Excellent comparison and video Johan.👍🏼
Wow that is a lot closer than I would have thought
Nice guitar. Like the looks of that.
Vibrolux vs hiwatt would be great!! This is great too!
Life is just sweeter with a 4×12" to crank...🤗
That Fender sounds great but for my ears the Marshall wins.
I would love to hear that Vibrolux modded for EL-34s...😁😁😁
Vibrolux a bit more scooped. Wonder how they compare in a mix. Vibrolux sounds amazing though. Those Fender Silverface late 60’s early 70’s are awesome and still affordable. I have a Silverface Bandmaster Reverb which sounds very similar to the Vibrolux. Very similar circuit. Nice one Johan!
Used to play a twin with a pair of celestions and it basically just sounded like a bit cleaner Marshall… most is in the speakers:)
John you have no doubt answered this Q before but can I ask what the deal is with always wearing headphones? are they playing a background click track or purely to attenuate the volume?
Both sound fantastic. I've found, while using my modeler, how vitally important good IR's are to the sound. Got to hear and see a Matchless DC30 with matching 2x12 cabinet this past weekend with a full compliment of great sounding pedals. Very visceral compared to the modelers, even running through loud PA's. Also, got to hear a Strymon Iridium through the same pedals. It got 9/10 of the way there to the tone. God bless and rock on 🎸😎👍
Thanks man! Rock on!
Excellent! I wish we had known this back in the mid '70s (not that any of my circle of friends could have afforded a Marshall 1960 cabinet). A good friend had a '73/'74 Vibrolux and used to kick it because it wasn't loud enough!
We had fun with that amp though. I remember him cranking it up and the basement door opening followed by a command to turn it down. He replied "But we need to burn the carbon out of the tubes!" The response (thinking about having do the the same with the family car)..."OK, but don't take too long then..." We still laugh about that, 50 years later!
i can't imagine having an amp bigger than 10 watts and thinking it wasn't loud enough lol i guess it was a different time back then
Damn! That Marshall sounds good!
I've got a 1975 Vibrolux Reverb that is VERY modified; Blackfaced on channel 2, and "Marshalled" on channel 1. I changed out four of the cap values and it made a big difference. Swapped out the speakers for some "E" series JBLs and it made even more of a difference. If you wanted to, you could swap out the original speakers for something more British sounding. I used the JBLs because that is what I already had, and JBLs will never let you down {everybody has their own personal favorites}. With this set up I have a very versatile amp that will do whatever I want it to do. The Vibrolux Reverb was Roy Buchanan's amp of choice, and if it was good enough for Roy, it's good enough for me!
Great comparaison. You are right they are pretty close. What are the speakers in your cab?
My home rig is a vibrolux into attenuator into a Eminence Private Jack. As a fender guy I didn't know how was this close to the marshall sound.
You open my eye. Maybe it's time to go to the obsure side ;-).
The Fender does seem better balanced. Is it more responsive to play? I bet the slightly rounder bottom end on the Fender could be tightened up with a slight boost.
Cab : the most impactful piece of entire electric guitar chain.
I'll take (what I consider to be) one of the best Fender amps ever. The Vibrolux is a great amp with tons of tonal qualities. Versatile, not too big to carry around. My Brown cover 1964 was easily the best amp I've ever owned. This one ruled in the mids and even low end, tighter, nice. Don't be afraid to experiment with different speakers (when running as a combo) to really dial it in.
damb dude sounds great
Since you're not using those Hiwatts, you should send me one! ;)
I love all these amps. I just have an Origin 20C that I run stacked with a Jazz Chorus 40, but I love those, too! Mostly I just love guitars and amps in general. You always have great tones!
Thanks! Glad you like it 😉
Hi, Johan!
Looks like you are right. Its possible to perform with both of 2 amps and not to worry about the sound. It's gonna be good!
See you!
Sig
Thanks man glad you like it!
Just bought a Vibrolux 🎉
Might have to change out the Rola drivers to something more fun, any recommendations?
Great demo as usual.
Thanks! Congrats! I have CTS ceramic in mine
I'd rather have the bite of that Marshall, but.... that Vibrolux sounds great!
The silver Vibrolux Reverb is a sexy beast. A completely different animal than the predecessor. I had a ‘67 with untamable bass.
That room mic sounds proper.
Johan, I’ve always been curious about your opinion on the Celestion Seventy/80, which is a great speaker, as far as I’’ concerned, much maligned because people tend not to fiddle with amp knobs.
The channel is awesome!
Cheers.
Crazy how much mid range that Vibrolux had when cranked properly. A sound I would never associate with a black/silver panel fender
Fender sound little more uncontrolled in a very good way and more darkish and wilder and harmonic
I pick the fender all way down
Could the power tubes play a role
I have always have this feeling when I compare 6L6/5881 with EL34
It’s just as the American tubes opens up like a flower blooming and the Brit’s closing the sound more
Awesome playing and a good looking (sounding) guitar
Wow, they sound surprisingly similar…
Now we need the Vibrolux vs Hiwatt!!
I have both, and after trying a similar experiment : if looking for a permanent solution, vibrolux is no substitute, too round, dynamics and aggression lacking. but it IS a decent substitute in a pinch.
The Vibrolux is IMO the best Blackface Fender amp, with the Bandmaster reverb TFL5005 for the Silver serie. The combo is enough powerfull for most of the situations and easy to move, you don't need a big SUV to go to gig !
I am quite surprised and I have a 72 Vibrolux.. I bet w/ a few tweaks on a GE-7 it could get very close.... Will have to try it through my 4x12
Both ROCK! \m/
handlade en marshall super bass 1992 från 1984 (i jmp mk2-utförande) för ett par dagar sedan. har du någon generell och kul info kring dessa?
Coolt! Super bass låter väldigt bra hela vägen fram till 1990
It's funny how many of us start on Fender amps, try different amp brands, and than just end up realizing. That the sound we were looking for is a Fender amp when it's cranked up.
johan could you do a test using speakers against irs?? my bad if you did a video on this..
Great experiment! Are the circuits similar at all?
Thanks! Strangely enough I don’t think they are but I haven’t looked
Love Vibrolux amps, I do think they're somewhat taylored for 10" speakers, would love to hear a comparison with the Vib through Marshall 4x10, i.e. 1965a cab
How are they tailored for 10" speakers? All Fender amps have similar preamps, and primarily 2 types of tonestacks - the early ´Marshall type´ and the later ´Fender type´.
Fender Pro Reverb does it too. Also 40w with tube rectifier
Yeah definitely
Aloha Johan! I know Hendrix started using Dual Showman later on
Aloha Victor! Yeah he did
I think I actually prefer the Vibrolux sound over the Marshall. And I'm a Plexi obsessed guy!
I have a similar Vibrolux, but it needs a 4ohm load so it's not so simple for me to hook it up to other cabs (only have 8ohm cabs at the moment). Maybe try it with 2 cabs...mid 70s Ampeg V4 4x12 with a mix of modern Emi British style stuff, and a Sourmash 2x12 with Scumback ceramics. Could be an interesting setup to mic, the Sourmash cab with those speakers is much more mid forward, more late 60s sounding with a decent amount of compression, while the big Ampeg is just a monster in every way.
Hi! This one needs 4ohm too. The Fryette Power station converts the impedances
@@JohanSegeborn That's a great feature. I've never owned an attenuator, but I might have to keep my eye out for one of those.
Suprised , both great but I preferred the Fender!
Thanks yeah it’s better balanced
very similar to my ear , how about vibrolux vs vox ac30 ?
Yeah we could definitely have a look at that too
Was the Marshall running at 16ohms, and the Fender at 8ohms.........??
Sounds like the only difference is that the Vibrolux has a 12at7 instead of a 12ax7 in the signal path, not including reverb. So I looked at a schematic - indeed the phase inverter tube is 12at7. Rip that tube out and put in a 12ax7 tube and I am sure it would sound 100% exactly the like the marshall.
Yay!
It's hard to tell the dynamics with youtube, but from what I can hear the marshall top sounds much more harsh and sharp. I'll take the fender.
Rock on.
They are close…Damn.
The Fender was pretty good, a little on the flat side but close to the Marshall 🤘🤘
Thanks!
Not as much difference as you'd would think! Although the Marshall has the signature midrange growl and the Vibrolux has a bit more high-end chime and rounder bass. Maybe the moral of the story is that the speakers influence the sound/tone more than anything else in your rig.
Yes, but can the Marshall get that Fender sound?! 😏
the fender is diffinetally a broader tone, but its awefully close to the marshall, only better (bias check I'm kinda anti marshall, but for uh... weird reasons i.e. everyone seems to love them, and they do sound killer, but I'd like to sound different)
sound closer than two Marshalls
I found a Vibrolux with an extra tube mod that puts this in hi-gain territory, yet retains all the classic clean reverb sounds on the vibrato channel. I suspect it would work on any silverface normal/vibrato amp. Here's a primitive vid of it: ua-cam.com/video/6m8syiwfd5Q/v-deo.htmlsi=k8sA4jVaR7yMwkNV
i have a Vibrolux.....WITH 25w GREENBACK 10s!! :0)
is it the fender or is it that YOU johan just sound like a killer marshall amp??
They sound almost the same . One of video's where difference is hard to tell event watch. Im shocked
Yeah really similar. Vibrolux does both Marshall gain and Fender cleans beautifully
marshall is al little more aggressive on the high mids. but they share the same dna eventually.
Yeah both delivers what I look for for sure
Marshall has more teeth. It’s fairly close, but I know which one I’ll pick every time
Could fool me
Marshall has more body and punch 🎸
It’s got more punch for sure but I think the fender’s got more body
Well Marshall is a copy of fender:)
Yeah it is! I’m gonna look and see how close to Bassman (the Marshall blueprint) the Vibrolux schematic is