WTB: Tatty Fender Vibrolux Reverb, FS/FT '65 BF Bandmaster

[j_howell]

So, before I go do something stupid (namely selling way too much stuff I wanna keep) to finance the almost $3K for the ridiculously, gear dork's wet dream, super awesomely mint Blackface Vibrolux I played this weekend, thought I might check ye Olde Tape Op board out before messing with Evilbay...

Looking for a more reasonably priced V-Lux. Would prefer BF or early ('68, aluminum grill trim) Silverface. Looking for good working order and original electronically (or even with minor issues), but not necessarily great cosmetically. In fact, kinda beat would be good. Thinking about dropping that much coin on a minty one made me scared of the thought of, you know, actually gigging with it and stuff, so tatty is very fine with me, and more affordable. As long as it works and sounds good. I wouldn't even mind a later one (not the modern reissue that's not really a reissue, though. I hate those!), if the price was right...basically, I love the sound of Vibroluxes, and that they are smaller than what I'm using now and have reverb...

Which are the two deal-breakers for me with the Blackface Bandmaster I have now, so I'm looking to part with it. '65 head, '64 cab. Head is near mint except for missing Fender badge and replacement grillcloth that's kinda not so pretty. has original clip thingies to fasten head to the cab. Original except updated 3-prong Ac cable, and relatively unattractive grillcloth- it's not that bad, but not as pretty as original. Excellent working order, maybe the best tremolo in any Fender I've ever owned. Groove Tubes 6L6s. Not heavy.

The cab's a little rougher. It's not bad, just a little more used looking. I am the second owner, and both the previous owner and I gigged with this cab quite a bit. Used, but not abused. Stuffed with period-correct (but new) Jensen C12Qs. Previous owner removed the back panel before I owned it, decided it sounded better open-backed,and promptly lost the panel. Thought about replacing it, but decided I like it open too. Has original tilt-back legs, but not the hardware to fasten the head to it. Probably the lightest 2x12 cab I've ever owned. Sounds great with any amp I've tried it with. 4 ohms, of course, to match the head's impedance needs.

The whole shebang sounds great, don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of this amp, generally speaking. It's just a little too (relatively) aggro for my current needs. Which is not to say that it's all that aggro, but comparatively, as BF Fenders go, it's louder, tighter, and a little ruder than a Vibrolux. More than halfway up, it's a little more early Marshall-y, even...more rock than a Vibrolux or Super or Bassman. And it doesn't have reverb, which is a bummer for me. Also, while it's relatively light, the seperate head/cab thing takes up more room than I can spare right now, especially if I were to buy the Fender Reverb tank I've been considering to remedy the amp's non-reverb-ness. So, while it's a lovely amp, it's just not quite right for my needs at the moment, and should have a happy home where it's appreciated for what it does well...

Ideally, I'd love to find someone who has a tattier Vibrolux and would prefer a cleaner Bandmaster to make a trade with. Otherwise, if you have a V-lux you're looking to sell, let me know, or if you're looking for a Bandmaster, gimme a shout with a fair offer. In or near/ reasonable driving distance of Kansas City is preferable, but not necessary. Can take and email pics of the BM upon request. Just too lazy at the moment to do it before I post this...


Also, would consider trading the Bandmaster for a nice, working Optigan with some clean discs...