Is THIS the Finest Guitar Amp FENDER Ever Made?

[@TheGuitologist]

Guitar: www.zioguitars.com/shop/brad-linzy-the-guitologist-signature-meteorite Microphones: Guitar Cabinet - sE Electronics VR1 Passive Ribbon amzn.to/3KiVsCN Shure 55 (vintage 1960s): amzn.to/402yapT Drums were miced up with a single vintage Shure 565: amzn.to/3SdKfVP Audio Technica AT4040 used as a drum room mic amzn.to/3IhYV1x 1: Become a Member on Locals: theguitologist.locals.com/ 2: Donate via Paypal: paypal.me/guitologist?locale.... 3: Buy Merch: bit.ly/GuitologistMerch

[@johnspina318]

Brad wow you left out the also awesome Blackfaced Pro Reverb 2x12....65 thru say 68...40 watts and I own a 67.

[@TheGuitologist]

@@johnspina318 My bad. That one too.

[@glenkepic3208]

Nice work, Brad!!

[@lorenzomcnally6629]

I detected a strong Remembrance" to "Little Black Egg," on your Demo of Reverb Vibrato tune. The "NightCrawlers," ?? if I remember my 6th grade dance hit! I still dig that sound and riff. This VibroLux is the best, it's an amazing blend of all the best features of 6L6 magic with Reverb and that filthy authentic 1960's High School Black Strobe Light .....Vibrato ......Teen Age dance world. I remember it like yesterday as a 14 year old in 1969..the girls with long hair parted in the middle and the Furry necked coats with micro mini skirts with the Petouli oil and African Trading beads and the feathers in the head bands ....... Man that Fender VibroLux Amp Rules that World.

[@4034miguel]

I do not know why, but almost evry time I make a commentary recently, on whatever channel I have these "reach me on Tele-gram" replies. It is annoying, I do not why KZbinr cannot do anything about it. As Always, I will report it.

[@johnwelsh2769]

Thanks for servicing my amp and doing this great video on it! Since I got it back I have played it for several hours and it is fantastic. The issue it had is gone and it is running perfectly. You are the man!

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for letting me work on it, John. It was my pleasure. You should take my advice on that RCA 12AX7 tremolo oscillator tube and pull it out of the amp and replace with a cheap modern tube. Keep the old one in a box in back of the amp to use down the road as a V1 or V2 replacement. I would have done that for you, but it didn't occur to me until I was editing the video. ;)

[@johnwelsh2769]

@@TheGuitologist Will do! I have several newer 12AX7's, so that is an easy task.

[@tommyburnhamsmusic]

What was the issue? my Vibrolux has a few probelms it had a new transformer a couple of years ago and new valves but everytime i turn it on it just buzzes and makes a horrendous noise. reckon it could be caps ??

[@Wildman9]

What a great example of a vintage amp. Thanks Brad for bringing great amps to us. Most people today are into newer models . But us old geezers are into the older amps. 👍🎸🎸🎸

[@Tyrannosaurine]

I don’t think most people are into the modern thing at all. I personally don’t really know anyone that doesn’t crave a vintage Fender or Marshall amplifier. What you want and what you can afford are different, unfortunately. Heck, most “modern” amps these days have modeling with settings for various tweeds and plexi’s and everything else. Everyone wants that tone except metalheads, who do still cherish the 70s and 80s Marshalls especially the JCM800s. Them or early Boogies. Kids and Metalheads want the most gain they can get. It’s true.

[@jimhazel1544]

@@Tyrannosaurine Well said, I prefer vintage whenever possible but my older amps are a bit Watty (my new word for too loud).

[@billyparham630]

People buy what they can afford. If you have an artistic bone in you, you don't wait two years so you can afford an amp, you grab what you can grab and do the best you can.

[@Mr-pn2eh]

I appreciate both old (favorite old amp is JCM800) and new (favorite new amp is blackstar st James 6L6 combo).

[@bobbystereo936]

Why is it the older we get, the cleaner we play?

[@vibrolax]

In 2000, I was given a 67 Vibrolux Reverb with a blown OT, 16 ohm Utah speakers, and leaky caps, missing back panels, etc. I was just learning to repair/restore tube amps, so this was my first full restoration. It became my gigging amp, and has needed no further repairs in the past 20+ years.

[@mpwiedemann]

I had the pleasure of recording a record with one of these and it was magic. My best Fender amp experience.

[@NoCantsAllowed]

Really digging the new mini-song set idea. Can tell you put a lot of work into all the separate demos. They came out great!

[@TheGuitologist]

Glad you like it!

[@FuriousMess]

Dude! your drumming has really come along. Nice demo guitar playing too, really tasty. The amp repair was superb on a GREAT amp. A friend that's passed used to play that same amp and it brought back some memorable moments. Lucky guy that owns that there amp.

[@normanhenderson9290]

Love your homage to Uncle Doug... very good video... good god your drummer looks familiar (I know, old joke)... thank you for your amp brilliance!

[@hessex1899]

There are two channels that make my day better. You and Administrative Results. Thank you for posting. :)

[@benlogan430]

These old amp repair videos are pure gold my friend! I just snagged a 1959 Sano Excelsior model 10 in mint condition for $299. I can’t afford to pay the big dough for a sweet vintage Fender like this.

[@spkay31]

Thanks for another great video servicing this awesome Vibrolux Amp! And thanks for not skimping on the demo of the finished product, not everyday we can hear a classic jem like this.

[@rayhogan785]

Haven't seen one of your amp servicing videos in quite a while. Glad to see you using a scope, signal generator, dummy load, and your digital multimeters to analyze the circuit. Looking like a professional tech! Also nice to see you give the amp a practical test also. GOOD VID Brad!

[@TheGuitologist]

I do think the videos are more entertaining without a scope, but it seems to go quicker with one. I just want the average Joe to know he can get good results troubleshooting without one. But I have hundreds of videos showing that.

[@gearmeister]

After watching how thorough Bradley is with amps, I'd say I would definitely send him any amp with zero regrets

[@scamp2268]

These are the videos we love to watch Brad your the best 👌

[@Geopholus]

@@TheGuitologist yes for sure. i learned servicing with a 'scope. My 1st job at a hi-fi shop in 1967 sold McKintosh Amps (spelling?) and they used to have a Mac Clinic once a year. It was a big event. "scopes , sweep oscillators, and a graph generator came out., as well as a distortion analyzer. They would verify the specs of any amp brought in, by customers and then compare it to one of their amps. The ears always confirmed what the instruments said. The mac's always won hands down in terms of power and low distortion,... (no guitar amps,...per se) A 'scope makes it so much easier to diagnose the specific problems. especially ultrasonic osc,... which in tube amps is hard to diagnose conclusively by ear if it just gradually comes in as You play louder. 100 Mhz 'scope makes it easy to see.

[@jtbracknell]

Outstanding job Brad. Seeing the service work on amp was great and the tunes at the end were icing on the cake man. Great job brother man.

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Yes, Brad IS really getting there as a tech..

[@ozratman]

The playtest is Badass Brad and the greescreen overlays really add to your videos. Keep them coming.

[@jimdep6542]

Great job reviewing this incredible amp. What a joy it would be to plug into that !

[@kylegreen8581]

No idea why but for some reason I just really appreciated the ambiance and editing of this video.

[@timmotel5804]

Most enjoyable to watch and hear you actually reviewing, testing and replacing parts as necessary. No one ever video's this work. Very enjoyable and fun watching you. Thank You. A beautiful collectible amp indeed.

[@timmotel5804]

@Wendy and Geoff Pattison Thank You

[@blackdogbite]

My exact amp. 1965 OJ. Love it. Mine was messed up by previous owners.... original speakers and baffles had disappeared and a new baffle held an enormous 12 EV SRO speaker. So with that, I felt free to improvise with it without incurring the wrath of the vintage police. I cut a new baffle for one 12" and one 19". I have a hemp cone Tone Tubby 12 and a vintage Jensen C10N. The 10 is plugged into the extension cabinet jack so I can pull it and run the amp as a single 12" similar to the DR... although at 8 ohms instead of 4... So the amp runs differently. I hade the channel 1 tone stack modified to be same as 59 Bassman. I had a cathode bias switch installed into the polarity switch location. With a flip of the switch I can run in cathode biased mode.... more touch sensitivity, more compression, browner tone, less volume. A benefit of cathode biasing is that I don't have to worry about tube bias. I can pull and plug any tubes. Normally I run NOS Tung Sol 5881. Other stuff going on too, but this is the beauty of finding a "user" amp. I love it.

[@jakemitchell1671]

I own a '72 VR that I had "blackfaced" several years ago. I put Jensen speakers in, and it sounds fantastic. It's about the perfect combination of size, power, and tone for a full band setting. I have a Pro Reverb, too, which basically the same amp in a slightly larger cabinet to accommodate the 12" speakers. But at the end of the day, NOTHING beats my '68 Princeton Reverb for pure tone. Not powerful enough for band gigs, but for recording and small venues I've never heard anything better. GREAT video!

[@abebrock5559]

Love the troubleshoot, fix, demonstrate format. More of this please !!!!

[@johnhartley3022]

Played one a guy brought to a jam and it was ok. Then I reached back, noticed it was running really quiet, so I turned it up to about 6, rolled the guitar back a tad….and was smitten. Clarity, dynamics, sweet highs with real bottom end and all delivered at a gig gable volume. The best

[@planefixerguy5188]

Mr. Brad. Its been a minute since I've been able to sit down for a full service video. This one struck me as maybe the best one I've seen. Was very well presented as far as editing and production etc. Whatever changes you've made in recent memory large and small, the recipe is working. I appreciated the run time, it was a very palatable bit of my day. The demo at the end was very polished and a leg up on the one's using the camera mic. Really showed off the amp well. I know the peanut gallery doesn't have a problem saying things when they think you did something wrong so I wanted so speak up when I thought you did something right.

[@Mauitaoist]

As the owner of a vintage 64 Princeton reverb I enjoy your programming immensely thank you sir

[@j.jester7821]

I love the sound of 2 10" speakers. I dont know why they are not more popular. I had to build my own 210 cabinet because noone makes them. I loaded it with Jensens (which sound better than celestions that cost 3 times as much) it is an open back and sound great with just about any amp head.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

A perfect video. The amp checkout and then the EPIC jam at the end. And although petty and irrelevant, the clean shaven look is much more you. That's the Guitologist I became enamored with and it's nice to see him back! You look 20 years younger.

[@lazvt8469]

Discovered this channel today....loved everything about this episode!

[@Islander2112]

Excellent content, and I wish I owned that amp! Your drumming is improving and getting tight! I appreciate the work it takes for you to present all of this, thanks for sharing!

[@TheGuitologist]

Much appreciated!

[@BrandochGarage]

Thanks for your playing at the end. Some great tones.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for listening

[@C_Melvyn_James]

Used to have one of these (I think that's it, anyway) in the guitar shop/music store I worked at years ago (early 90's). We alternated between have a tag on it that said, "Not For Sale" and "$ 1, 000, 000.00" . Once again, great video. Props, Brad!

[@dwightburns6699]

sweet amp, always a pleasure to see you engaged with a beauty of an amplifier, great video brother Brad!

[@TheGuitologist]

Glad you like it!

[@vincentl.9469]

i can see a Tonemaster clone on the way !!

[@cackpolt]

Shame on the music community for not collectively subscribing to your channel. Any guitar player who’s not subscribed is clearly leaving knowledge on the table!

[@joelaughlin2815]

I gave mine to my grandson, he loves it! Powerful, but not too heavy. Great all around amp!

[@Guitarzan8]

The part I was looking forward to learn from, was covered by your sweater, cleaning the pots.

[@TheGuitologist]

I've shown that probably 100 times before. I use MaxPro Electronics Lubricant. Spray in the opening and turn the pots a few times to remove grime. There's a link to the stuff in the video description under "STUFF I USE".

[@heymrguitarman7637]

I rarely understand these amp videos but I do enjoy them.

[@telecasterman18]

Wow, Brad. I’m blown away by your instrumentation. Excellent drumming, bass lines and guitar. Now I know you don’t just love the amplification portion of music, but all the main aspects of actually making it. 😎

[@anthonyrichard461]

Forgot to mention the Pro Reverb with 2/12's and 2 6l6 output tubes. I have a 67 Vibrolux, 67 Super Reverb and a 66 Pro Reverb and its hard to say which one is my favorite. All sound great and sound great for different venues/sizes

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Before I got my own Vibrolux Reverb, I played a long-term loaned 1965 ProReverb... I would say its my 2nd favorite amp of all time, with my Vibro being my most favored. It was luck and good fortune that brought me to it in 1968, now 55 years ago, and I have never stopped enjoying it. You have an amazing collection there... I can think of non others I would want myself.

[@anthonyrichard461]

@@jenniferwhitewolf3784 Thanks, I am very blessed to have these amps as well as many Tweed Fenders from the 50's. Each has its place. Good Day

[@WakeMikey]

Dude the amount of amp knowledge you have is just mind blowing. And great licks too!!! Great sounding guitar and amp combo. Love it.

[@PedalTour]

Love your show your one smart dude, I wish I knew more about the guts of these vintage amps. It’s hard to find good tutorials on them

[@Ppuffdiddleydangdoof]

Great, informative patter. Thanks for a very educational video Brad.

[@Patriot-American]

Had a 65 Vibrolux Reverb in the early 70's when in High School. Best amp I ever owned ....

[@christianlacheze3323]

Owned two of those. My favorite ever: so deep and subtle

[@ralph_clay]

Roy Buchanan used to play through a Vibrolux dimed. Sounded amazing!

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

You are correct sir! And it sounded fantastic!

[@what1864]

great video my fav part is always your demonstration of the amps you repair at the end of the video's this one is next level sounds wonderful ....

[@bessiebraveheart]

Hello from England. Love your Brilliant Channel. Obviously subbed. Thank you.

[@TheGuitologist]

Welcome aboard!

[@Mojoman57]

Thanks!

[@TheGuitologist]

Thank you!

[@jordangunit3078]

Great videos as always. Watching boardwalk empire in the background, or during breaks? It was a great show. I’ve watched a couple times through along with the sopranos. The vibrolux is awesome. I am building my first deluxe reverb kit. Always been good at soldering and electronics projects. I still have a ton of holes in my understanding of how the amp actually works.

[@allancrow134]

One of the finest. Those vintage Fenders are in a class by themselves, especially for the clean tone. :)

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Crank the volume to 7ish and you get an incredible edge. They would dirty up, real nice. :)

[@allancrow134]

@@rosewoodsteel6656 I prefer a good Marshall if you want to turn it up.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

@@allancrow134 Understood, but turning up a 40 watt amp is a little easier on the ears than firing up a Marshall. :)

[@ronwood7155]

Very informative, Brad. You always do a great job. I wish that I could understand most of what you are saying!! LOL I had a brown faced fender vibroverb back in 1967. It had only one speaker which was gone. I sold it in 1972 along with a 66 Fender jazz bass. I think I got 400 bucks for both of them! I needed the money because I was being sent overseas. Makes a man sick!! Thanks for your channel.. Ron Wood Sr. (Gold Star Father)

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Glad I stuck around till the "Test with a guitar"! You may be right about it being "The Fender". I swear I can hear the paper tone frim those olde speakers, wonderful, I don't think the owner needs any FX pedals. Fantastic stuff! Could the chassis be the same configuration as a Pro-Reverb or Super Reverb? GZ34, 2x6L6 and at7s and Ax7's ?

[@jeffchilds4021]

Awesome wall of funky old amps!! I love that kind of gear! You’re awesome brother! 👍🏻👍🏻💪🏼👊🏻

[@bamabluesman]

Cool amp. Nice variation of tone examples at the end. If I lived closer, I would like to jam some time.

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Initial shot I thought yes the best Fender amp ever!,,,, The Pro reverb!! But it,s a vibrolux.nice.

[@TheGuitologist]

Same circuit.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

Brad, you really know your stuff, and you're a really cool dude. So glad I found your channel!

[@txtele]

I love your channel I work on amps for a living in the DFW area and there are some incredible amps that come across my bench on a weekly basis but I have to agree with you this is one of fenders masters in a certain respect they certainly sound incredible

[@PrinceWesterburg]

That was a superb new format - loved the airy music in the backround at the start during the sped up part. The green screen composite at the end was great too! The amp sounds really interesting, plenty of bite and bags of tone but not the usual Fender sound - maybe the ceramic magnets in the speakers doing that? It sounded rather like but better then the MusicMan amps that had 2x10" Eminence cones. Great video Brad - I love that my home theatre setup is fed from your laptop and pure talent!

[@rjo8500]

Yes, I have a ‘65 Vibrolux with A125’s and it has more of that “usual Fender sound.” However being a long time Marshall head I preferred the sound of this one over mine. To get that level of grind I’d have to run a pedal, usually a Klone, in front. I’m curious to know where he had the volume and tone controls set at?

[@glenclifton4563]

Great job as usual!! Always better than the last. Thank you Brad!!

[@jamesreaves5534]

Great Video. This is the one I've seen from You. Not that Your other videos aren't good, I just really enjoyed this particular video God Bless You and Your Family!! Jimmy in NC....

[@vr6jettar]

Brad, I am very impressed with your skills on the kit. I'm a drummer, and you're progressing at a great pace! Keep it up brudda! Watch out Gadd!!!

[@TheGuitologist]

I appreciate that! Been practicing a lot the last year or so. I think it shows.

[@vr6jettar]

@The Guitologist It definitely does bud. Keep on it. They say it takes 20 years to become an overnight success. I think you'll best that estimate by ½ 👍🏻

[@blucheer8743]

I have a vibro-champ blackface pretty sweet sounding with a Rick 12-spring plugged in

[@TheDavisSchool]

Bought my black faced vibrolux in 1980. Used of course for $100. It’s been thru hell with me but I always maintained and serviced it properly and it’s still played daily. My #1 studio amp. never disappoints. Best amp investment I’ve ever made.

[@TheGuitologist]

Nice investment!

[@peteraustin370]

All the Fender valve Twins are great..!!!..Bought my Fender The Twin 100w..valve amp new back in 92...many many gigs on and still going strong..occasional service helps...great reverb and extra drive controls ...red knobs....but no vibro ..no tilt back legs....heavy to lug around but worth every moment..!!...I pull out rear castor wheels on gigs for tilt...parking close to a wall etc..!!!!!

[@alguitarchristie]

You're a great player Brad! Great Blues chops man! I don't know too much about amps, but I watch your videos as it's fascinating to me!

[@boogama1]

Livin a humble dream man! Everything sounds great, can't wait to see you hit the different genres based on the different amps you service 👍👍

[@EazyDoor]

You and your twin make a great garage band! Cheers from Germany, Brad.

[@songboy765]

That jamming with yourself was awesome! --Elvis

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks Elvis.

[@songboy765]

@@TheGuitologist -Thanks for responding. Where can I deliver your Cadillac? --E.P.

[@MarkLedfordCustomGuitars]

I traded a Squire Jazz bass, a Squire Bullet Strat, and a partscaster for a 1967 Deluxe Reverb with code QH and original footswitch. All original except the speaker. Huge score. I had almost contacted you to have you look at it, but it's already sold and went to a collector in Nashville.

[@TheGuitologist]

Boy that must have been SOME Partscaster!

[@MarkLedfordCustomGuitars]

@@TheGuitologist no, the guy was a picker. had a family call him to clean out a house they were going to have dozed. He found it and a Gibson Thor ( i got both in the trade). He liked the color of the partscaster and was going to use the others for parts to build jug band instruments lol

[@vincentperez4756]

Great job Brad! No mention of the bass in the credits Good audition by Brad & The Clones

[@TheGuitologist]

Bass was a 1979 Hofner 500/1 straight into the board.

[@vincentperez4756]

@@TheGuitologist Thanks Brad 👍

[@ben156]

I have a clone of a 1963 vibrolux circuit with a 112 Fender style cab. The tremolo circuit was changed with an LED trem circuit to make it reliable vs the bias wiggle blowing tubes originally... Its my favorite sounding clean amp in 20 years of amp collecting.

[@71rcode72]

I would agree. Of the dozens of vintage Fender BF/SF combos I've owned over the years mostly from the mid1960s, I kept my 78 vibrolux...the first one I ever bought for $150 in 1989. Amazingly versatile.

[@shade057]

The maintenance part of this video is nice. But the end 1-man sound demo is even better. 💪🏻

[@TheGuitologist]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@lorenzomcnally6629]

I detected a strong Remembrance" to "Little Black Egg," on your Demo of Reverb Vibrato tune. The "NightCrawlers," ?? if I remember my 6th grade dance hit! I still dig that sound and riff. This VibroLux is the best, it's an amazing blend of all the best features of 6L6 magic with Reverb and that filthy authentic 1960's High School Black Strobe Light .....Vibrato ......Teen Age dance world. I remember it like yesterday as a 14 year old in 1969..the girls with long hair parted in the middle and the Furry necked coats with micro mini skirts with the Petouli oil and African Trading beads and the feathers in the head bands ....... Man that Fender VibroLux Amp Rules that World.

[@godfreydaniel6278]

Vibrolux amps are marvelous, splendiferous amps - electronic perfection. BUT - let's be real - to get the best out of them - and their best is truly magnificent - the player is courting permanent hearing loss. If it's just you and the amp, it BEGS you to turn it up - no, just a little more - no, just a little more - until you're lost in deafening nirvana - 'cuz there's just no end to the better and better eargasms you're getting - it literally has no place on the volume knob where it stops sounding better. A dangerous thing...

[@biggsounds8330]

I’ll give you that, mine needs to run up to about eight before it really breaks up, but my god it’s glorious

[@manningfeldner]

Amen. I’ve got one from ‘67. I stopped using pedals live because I genuinely don’t know of a pedal that can recreate the sounds of that amp. I got a Dr. Z brake lite to cut a few dbs off the top and that’s the rig. Absolutely incredible.

[@stevencancel1727]

Raising the ohms to 8 ohms(16 ohm speakers parallel to 8) and using lower efficiency speakers can drop output to club level

[@godfreydaniel6278]

@ Thanks for that. It's also been suggested to convert to 6v6's...

[@briguylor]

Excellent video Brad, thank you. I gig with the 68 silver face reissue of this amp and love it. I have always liked Fender "10's" for some reason and also own a red tolex 80's Prosonic which is a beast that I use in bigger venues.

[@paulburger1157]

Nice work Brad, and your vid production has really evolved, thanks

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for noticing.

[@thesimulations8900]

Awesome. I own a '73 Vibrolux and it is the easiest going amp I own. Loves most guitars and pedals and always sounds great.👍

[@djbadandy1]

i havent watched your vids in a while...wow your drumming has really come along dewd!

[@richfiryn]

A close friend of mine owns a 1960 Tweed Vibrolux nicknamed The Whooly Mammoth because of how frayed and worn the tweed covering is. It is absolutely the best amp I personally have ever played through using either a Tele or a Strat.

[@TheGuitologist]

Sounds like a beast.

[@ilovecheeseburgers7462]

If the drummer's playing to fast, do you holler to yourself to slow down? Great video, glad to see the amp repairs are still part of the channel.

[@TheGuitologist]

We do have our musical differences, but we’re working through them like professionals.

[@thecappy]

C10NS. I too have a ‘66 Vibrolux. It really is the best model. Great sounding, perfect amount of power for everything, and quite light.

[@300ampeg]

Before starting the video I saw the preview screen and yelled VIBROLUX not because I could tell what it was from the picture of the back of the amp but I assumed that anyone in their right mind would agree that the Vibrolux is the best Fender guitar amp ever made.

[@mark5150ty]

That circuit sounds amazing👍

[@tsyde2008]

I didn't look too far back in the comments but it may be not listed as a Vibrolux, because there is a schematic for a baseman AA864 from Fender. The baseman also had 2 speakers the vibral X could be an export model as well. I may be wrong but I don't think Fender doubled up on numbers.

[@tomjones2348]

Fascinating! I'm 67 and purchased a new Twin in 75'.

[@righty-o3585]

The little thumbnail for your video in my KZbin feed, the back of that amp looked like a cassette tape for a second

[@TheGuitologist]

I see it. Can't unsee it now.

[@davidharder7512]

Very cool guitar pieces, nice playing and pretty dang cool drum work, my friend! BTW . . . I love to watch your amp work videos. They have a way of calming me, which may sound strange. But, hey . . what can I say. Very fun video! Rock on, brother man! By the way . . . I absolutely LOVE that Mustang with the P90's.

[@boboala1]

Wow! This was a very lovely & sentimental video for me...and educational, too! Brad, ya took me down memory lane to 1975 - I had just moved my sophomore year in HS to St. Louis from a small town in '75 & being a last-born preacher's kid/bastard didn't find it easy to fit in. Except for the guy sitting by me in soc. std. class was geeky, too, and I soon found out he had a guitar & amp(!) Me being in the HS band & hearing KSHE classics in the making ('Bohemian Rhapsody' was getting SO many plays that year! I'd love to have the royalties alone off that song!) helped me learn guitar fairly quickly (you know, like 'Ridin' The Storm Out', 'Black Dog', 'Slow Ride', etc.), and guess what amp this dude had that I played on all the time at his house? Yep, a Fender Vibrolux Reverb! It was crisp/loud & I dug the way the tubes glowed. (I think we punished his dad & poodle Ralphy via 'Twangibels' a bit too much at beddy-bye time, though! ;-) My 1st experience ever hearing/playing an amp! And he had a Fender Telecaster style guitar I guess they still make: it was like pretty/natural wood grain, had matching 'big' PUPS (which now I know were humbuckers - yes?) and I believe had an f-hole, but just 1 maybe. And as you & several of your subscribers know, I saved my church weekend janitor money & bought a 300 Watt Peavey bass amp head and 2x15 cabinet so that he, I, and another dude could form the Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde band. (buy the album! ;-) Good times! Ah, them little miniature cold green ales on a hot Friday summer night band practice, CHICKS, amps, guitars, and an abandoned house on church property w the electricity still on! F yes! (Sounds good to me now!) Now, about that strange Zio guitar, you were playing. Your signature Zio guitar - is very nice/unique! I'd love one! I'm proud to be a subscriber of somebody being honored in such a neat way! However, I currently have planned to possibly acquire ahead of you an 'Unknown Hinson' signature model guitar from the Reverend Company. (The former Squidbilly is a hoot as Hinson for any newbs reading this who are not familiar with him. You'll also chuckle at what it was he called Dolly Parton that led to his termination from the show after 14 years leading the cast!) I thought it was some vintage Fender model you'd fixed up. Then saw the link for the Zio in your descr. and chortled a bit at the $2500 price...until I looked at the pics/specs on the website & thought - this is actually a very nice, well-designed, innovative, and quality instrument. Made in the USA, too! (What is a 'Triple Shot ring' on the PUPS? And did I see 2 small switches on the PUPS? Phase or coil tap?) And the big maple fretboard inlays really caught my eye! I love 'em! (No more Mother-of-Toilet inlays, please!) And gnarly techie metal knobs worked for me, as well as about a dozen other well-thought-out features! So, I looked at how much a LP Standard is going for at Sweetness Water - $2799! $300 bucks more for the same old - same old! C'mon Gibson, let's get a bit more innovative/creative...huh!? But the kicker for me is, the LP hard case (similar to my old '92 Gibson M-III, so I guess their solid body guitar cases still share the same parts & design flaws: I zoomed in best I could on the (faux) leather handle and it's thick & substantial where you grip it. But then the leather (Naugahyde?) attachments to the sharp skinny brass riveted pieces (Gibson accountants saving money!) are only 1/3 or 1/4 at best as thick as the other part. What this means is IF you gig a fair bit with a new LP you'll soon be tying on some rope for a handle as I have since way before Y2K! (I'll wager that HS Gibson case line-items for a good chunk of change towards that $2799 bottom line. But not for me anymore...! Keep up the good work, Brad, and I hope to see more repair videos (esp. electronic) 'cause it's what I crave in my quest as a lifelong learner!

[@cantyouhearmeknocking1961]

The amp (and playing) sounds awesome! Hard to really tell thru a laptop speakers though. A buddy of mine has that same amp, so I know how good it sounds. It also takes pedals really good too. Just an awesome amp. Every time I go to his house, he already has it out for me to play. He is a Fender nut, and he has 16 fender amps that are all made in the 50's-60's. All of them are in about the same condition as the one you serviced, and all are pretty rare.

[@TheGuitologist]

Very cool! Sounds like we’d all make fast friends.

[@cantyouhearmeknocking1961]

@@TheGuitologist Probably so. Just hit us up after nap time..

[@confusedbyzebras6348]

Man I really dig your ear, guitar style and the compositions. I'd love to lay the bass in that stuff!

[@ro307805]

I'm in Ashland Kentucky and I've got a 1962 Gretsch executive country gentleman amp I need rebuilt. Works and sounds great all original except fir tunes. 2 Jensen Bluebell 12's in great shape in it

[@TheGuitologist]

I'd happily look at that. If you want to hit me up in about a month or two, I should be clear to take in more work by then.

[@MrWalleye]

Loving the jam sessions you're doing at the ends of these videos these days. I think it'd be hilarious if you were to wear different disguises when playing the drums or the bass or whatever 😁

[@TheGuitologist]

Good idea!

[@valvenator]

​@@TheGuitologist I like that idea, As long as you don't do the girlfriend/sister Stevie T thing 😁

[@paulcargo4233]

The Zio and the fender were made for each other...damn close to perfect

[@TheGuitologist]

Agreed. The ability to switch between humbucker and single coils gets the widest range of tones possible between one amp and one guitar. It's the perfect setup for a player like me who doesn't use a lot of pedals.

[@kenster865]

As it turned out, I had Marsh Amps in Florida build be an exact (or as near-exact a clone as possible) of a 2-10 Vibrolux Reverb some 12-14 or more years ago. I put two different Celestion 10's in it based on suggestions at the time. It's always been one of my fave amps and I gigged it for some time until I retired from doing gigs around 2014. It'll be around until I die!! :)

[@Docsjeff]

Played multiple Fender tube amps for 50 years and never saw the guts or brains on a tube amp.Talk about over my head!

[@Justarandomspacemonkey]

My dream amp. Great video Brad. The mini jams were🤌nice

[@peterburi2727]

Being a player since 63, I had probably every collectable amp. I remember these. Had one for a short while before I traded it in for a blonde Bandmaster. If I only knew then what I know now.

[@mohamedtlass3842]

The Blonde Bandmaster is amazing as well, that harmonic tremolo… and the presence control…

[@kennethquintini658]

Love the old iron and fender rocks!

[@50Something]

I still have my 69 Bandmaster Reverb, it's a great amp as well! Great drumming man!

[@strat0871]

Good job Brad. Very nice amp, I have a '79 silver panel vibrolux reverb (with pull boost) and I love it too !

[@chrisdecato]

A dying art! Sad that many of these amazing old beasts will be lost to time without the service they need... thanks so much for sharing!

[@the4thway51]

Good to see a repair video again and hear a fender classic gently breaking up .