custom vibrolux mods

[phsyconoodler]

Has anyone done the Moyer custom vibrolux mods?I'm going to do them to my custom vibrolux soon,but was just wondering if anyone else has done them.
  I'm eventually going to put my own board in but in the meantime the mods will do.
 I swapped out the speakers yesterday for a pair of Celestion Vintage 10's and I don't like them much so far.Maybe after the mods I might like them.They are much louder than the Alnico's and love pedals,but the woody tone is missing.
  The biggest complain is the hiss and almost no clean headroom.I know it doesn't have negative feedback.I guess
I'm more of a Blackface guy.

[JayB]

Has anyone done the Moyer custom vibrolux mods?I'm going to do them to my custom vibrolux soon,but was just wondering if anyone else has done them.
  I'm eventually going to put my own board in but in the meantime the mods will do.
 I swapped out the speakers yesterday for a pair of Celestion Vintage 10's and I don't like them much so far.Maybe after the mods I might like them.They are much louder than the Alnico's and love pedals,but the woody tone is missing.
  The biggest complain is the hiss and almost no clean headroom.I know it doesn't have negative feedback.I guess
I'm more of a Blackface guy.

Never heard of it.  I'm not a big fan of the CVR at all. I'm a blackface fan myself. Tweeds I like too. Adding the feedback would probably tame it quite a bit.

[phsyconoodler]

Ok,added the mods last night.Added negative feedback,removed the reverb from the normal channel,did a few resistor changes.
Results? It increased the headroom substantially,less trebly on the bright channel,more of that blackface feel.It's so quiet now,I have to listen to hear if it's on.
  It's where I like it now.Still have the 12AX7 in the PI position.
  Now I like the Celestion Vintage 10's more.
  I wasn't a fan of the early breakup of the Custom Vibrolux.

[phsyconoodler]

The Celestions have come back out and the Blue Eminence Alnico's are back in.
  The amp sounds very good now.Like it should.Doesn't break up until 5 now with my Lace Sensor equipped strat.I like it that way.It would get real gritty at 2-3 before.
  Grit is nice in a smaller club but where I play it was too dirty.
Sounds a lot like a Deluxe Reverb except a lot more power.It has a Vibro-verb PI and feedback loop now.
  The Fender PCB traces are not good.Very thin.

[plexi50]

I did them to one 3 months ago. I have a folder with all the mods and pics for changing all the resistors and so on

I also changed the OT out for a Classic Tone OT

http://s356.photobucket.com/albums/oo5/plexijtm45/Vibrolux%20Custom%20Mods/

[FiddlinJim]

I inherited a CVR from a friend who passed away last summer. I did the Moyer mods (except for the 12AX7 reverb) and I'm very happy with it. I put a 3-spring Belton reverb tank in it and it was too much. I also had Weber 10F150s and I am convinced that the magnets weren't helping the reverb feedback any... The Accutronics tank that was original to it is pretty dull sounding. I recently put a new Mojo 2-spring tank in my Deluxe Reverb and it sounds great. It's more lively than the Accu, but not as hot or out-of-control as the Belton. So, I think I'm going to get a Mojo tank for the CVR/VV and it should be great.

Glad you like your CVR->VV. I concur!

[tommytornado]

I did the "Moyer" mods to a friends CVR a couple a months ago. I also replaced the reverb and PI (which were ceramic 500pF) coupling caps and the preamp .022uF coupling cap with film/foil types. And, modded the bright channel's tone stack to BF specs... AND, pulled one of the blue frames and replaced it with a ceramic C10Q.  The owner was/is thrilled.  I didn't know a PCB amp.. especially one with really crappy thin traces like the CVR..  could sound that good.  It totally competes with anything boutique I've built or played through.               

[phsyconoodler]

I'm liking mine just fine,but it's going to be hand-wired when I get the time.I'm going 100% 6G16 vibro-verb.
  I like the stock accutronics tank for the reverb.I wonder who makes Mojo's tanks for them these days?
The best reverb I've ever had was on a Blonde Bassman I built.I added reverb to a 6G6B circuit and used a Gibbs tank.Wow! Now that was reverb!
  I want to try a couple of alnico Weber's or maybe a couple of Tone-Tubby's if I can save the coin!
The amp sounds good now,but it still won't hold a candle to my own builds.It is missing something.The PCB is puzzling the way it's designed.Fender engineers must be low on the pay scale.

  I have a 1000.00 de-soldering station and the traces still lift sometimes.
If I was building a PCB I'd do it exactly like the original layouts were done.And I wouldn't use any 1/4 watt resistors or the bargain-basement caps they use.I think the transformers are ok but I bet a set of Hammonds or Heyboers would be better.

[tommytornado]

I really like the CVR platform.. The tall 2x10" cab with tilt back legs sounds really big and it's not much heavier than a deluxe reverb.  And I'm glad to hear someone with way more experience than I have a few issues with the traces lifting.  Of the 30ish solders I did, I had three lift and fall apart on me.  grrrr...  The resulting improvement in performance tone was worth the frustration though.   

[phsyconoodler]

I've always liked 2-10's.But I hate PCB's,even though I work on them every day.
  Design,design,design.On paper is not always the same as in actual service.And the bean counters are ever present.I cam almost see the beady little eyes of the Fender bean counters looking at me over my shoulder while I work on these amps.