# Calling Wild Bill



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I am thinking of picking up the Fender Vibrolux reverb custom. I tried it out at L&M last night and loved the thick tone I was getting. The only caveat this amp has and its a well known fact is that it has a hiss and hum problem. I read on another forum it was something to do with the Negative feed back loop or something, designed so that you could get reverb and tremolo on both channels. I heard there was a mod to fix this. Now I don't care if I can't get reverb and trem on both channels as long as its on the main channel. If I'm pretty sure your close to me. If I buy this amp can you mod this? Also I'm just wondering if there is anything that can be done about the early break up. For some this is a bonus but I like so much other stuff about this amp, small, lighter than a twin. 40 watts, excellent tone, but would like it to stay clean a little longer. Although if nothing could be done about this I wouldn't mind as the grit at around 3 or 4 was so slight and actually quite nice sounding.


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

The recording studio at the college where I work bought one about three years ago. It had the hiss and a few other issues. The hiss is caused by the absence of a negative feedback loop. Putting one in gets rid of the hiss and also increases the clean headroom a whole bunch. By putting the reverb back onto the Bright channel only, also takes out some hiss and really improves the reverb with a couple of small cap changes as well. 

If you do a search on the web for Mark Moyer mods, you will find some great simple mods to the Vlux custom that will really improve it tons. Mark has been modding these since they first came out.

These are great little amps and I've been considering one as a mate to my 69 SFVR.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Ripper said:


> The recording studio at the college where I work bought one about three years ago. It had the hiss and a few other issues. The hiss is caused by the absence of a negative feedback loop. Putting one in gets rid of the hiss and also increases the clean headroom a whole bunch. By putting the reverb back onto the Bright channel only, also takes out some hiss and really improves the reverb with a couple of small cap changes as well.
> 
> If you do a search on the web for Mark Moyer mods, you will find some great simple mods to the Vlux custom that will really improve it tons. Mark has been modding these since they first came out.
> 
> These are great little amps and I've been considering one as a mate to my 69 SFVR.


I think you just sold me on this amp. I was teetering a bit because of the problems. Although I liked the tone so much I probably would have bought anyway. Getting rid of the hiss and increasing clean head room and you transform this amp in to what I've been looking for.
I'll have to get someone else to do the mods for me though. As easy as it may be I don't get in to anything electrical.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Ripper said:


> If you do a search on the web for Mark Moyer mods, you will find some great simple mods to the Vlux custom that will really improve it tons. Mark has been modding these since they first came out.


I read the Moyer mod and that is exactly what I want. I've been searching for this type of amp and have played just about every amp that Fender currently has out. Its a shame I have to buy the amp and have it modded to get what I'm after.


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> I read the Moyer mod and that is exactly what I want. I've been searching for this type of amp and have played just about every amp that Fender currently has out. Its a shame I have to buy the amp and have it modded to get what I'm after.


True enough but it is a great sounding amp once the mods are done. Some guys change out the speakers too. Wild Bill can do these mods standing on his head.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Ripper said:


> True enough but it is a great sounding amp once the mods are done. Some guys change out the speakers too. Wild Bill can do these mods standing on his head.


Don't think I'll change out the speakers. At least not right away. If I remember correctly I think Bill once said that he can put a switch in so that I could choose between NFL or not.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> Don't think I'll change out the speakers. At least not right away. If I remember correctly I think Bill once said that he can put a switch in so that I could choose between NFL or not.


Yep! Often on an old amp when I put a 3-wire cord on it that makes the ground reverse switch redundant. So I steal it to use for turning the nfb on and off.

Thanks for the endorsements, guys! Still, I think I'm a little old and fat for headstands!:smile:


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Wild Bill said:


> Yep! Often on an old amp when I put a 3-wire cord on it that makes the ground reverse switch redundant. So I steal it to use for turning the nfb on and off.
> 
> Thanks for the endorsements, guys! Still, I think I'm a little old and fat for headstands!:smile:


I'm just waiting for a Dr Z airbreak to come in at L&M then I'm going to also pickup the Vibrolux Custom. Should be sometime this week. How much would it cost me to get you to do the Mark Moyer mods?


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## Adicted to Tubes (Mar 5, 2006)

Funny how going back to the way Fender did it originally makes it sound better.Go figure?

www.claramps.com


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Adicted to Tubes said:


> Funny how going back to the way Fender did it originally makes it sound better.Go figure?
> 
> www.claramps.com


Funny thing about this amp...remember the '63 Vibroverb re-issue?..its essentially the same amp...with a few mods. The circuit board and chassis is the same. If you notice, for those that go in there to do the mods themselves, the components missing on the board are the ones you install for the mod.


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

Wild Bill said:


> Yep! Often on an old amp when I put a 3-wire cord on it that makes the ground reverse switch redundant. So I steal it to use for turning the nfb on and off.
> 
> Thanks for the endorsements, guys! Still, I think I'm a little old and fat for headstands!:smile:


never too old especially with a few beers for encouragement! :banana:


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Ripper said:


> By putting the reverb back onto the Bright channel only, also takes out some hiss and really improves the reverb with a couple of small cap changes as well.


Ironic that there is a popular mod for the DRRI to do just the opposite - to spread the reverb from the Bright Channel to both.


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

allthumbs56 said:


> Ironic that there is a popular mod for the DRRI to do just the opposite - to spread the reverb from the Bright Channel to both.


it's also a fairly popular mod for older fenders too. It can be kept on the vibrolux custom if you convert the verb in it over to vibroverb specs.


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