I’m intrigued as to everyone’s thoughts on the two 10” speakers in the Vibrolux - aside from the odd session with a Princeton, I’ve not had much experience with 10” speakers. What’s your thoughts? Love ‘em? Loath ‘em?

Who the fuck is this guy? I just stumbled upon this video randomly and that was one of my favorite solos I've ever heard in the opening. What a pleasant surprise. That solo deserves all of the subs.

Hey all, Ignazio Vagnone from Jensen Speakers here. Chris, awesome find with this Vibrolux, and moreover because of the speakers you found in it! I'd wish to drop a little bit of info background about the speakers that are in this Vibrolux. The Jensen P10R-F are a special version of the standard P10R, the reissue of the speaker used in the Tweed Bassman, Deluxe 5E3 etc. Fender commissioned us this version, to be originally installed in the Custom Shop '57 Bandmaster and in the 20th Anniversary edition of the Vibro-King amp. Then these speakers were "set free" to be offered as replacement speakers and not exclusive anymore to Fender. How do they differ from the standard Jensen Vintage Alnico P10R? They have a different membrane, mounted on the same voice coil and magnet assembly. The goal was to have sweeter treble, and warmer bass ranges. A sort of "aged tone", if you wish to consider it so. Moving further: in principle, how a 10" differs from a 12"? Assuming size would be the ONLY difference, rarely the case though, the 10" will have less moving mass (smaller, lighter membrane), so it might have slightly more efficiency in the upper midrange and treble, and it might deliver a higher sense of immediacy, a sensation of a quicker reaction to the transients. It might also deliver less power in the bass range. The 12" may sound fuller, move more air, and maybe sound slightly less "forward" and more "relaxed". Will a 2x10 sound bigger than a 1x12? Most likely yes. It will move significantly more air. Will a 10" have less "headroom" than a 12". Once again, if the cone diameter is the only difference, while voice coil, magnet etc. are all the same, no, they will have likely the same power handling and efficiency/sensitivity. I hope this might be interesting for the community... Feel free to hit me for info and tech chat at anytime!

Dude that was an awesome performance!

Both amps sounded great to me and your tone at the Royal Albert Hall was spot on.

Unrelated to the video but I just gotta say, I remember seeing a video of yours years ago on the King of Tone pedal and being so impressed with your playing and sense of melody and feel with your licks. Years later I started seeing Cardinal Black stuff pop up on my social media feed and thinking “hey, there’s that awesome guy from KZfaq!” Glad to see you gaining more success and recognition, Chris.

Honestly i get shivers everytime you play guitar. Seeing you live in the house of rock tomorrow, cannot wait man!

I like the fact that CB seems to have no undying loyalty to any guitar brand.

Dude your singer is smokin’! Love your tone during that solo as well. Nice!

You play some seriously good stuff man 👍

For what it's worth, I definitely preferred the vibrolux over the pro reverb, the treble seemed a bit more noticable

Really enjoyed the playing here. You make less more. And then when there is more, it's more of less being more, which is great.

Dude. That playing at the beginning! Love it.

Awesome context on how the amps pair with one another. Amazing playing as always. I would bet that the Magnatone Twilighter or Twilighter Stereo would pair nicely with the Cooper. Of course that beautiful pitch shifting vibrato would be a nice touch at times but I’m partial obviously lol. Thanks for always inspiring Mr. Buck. My brother and I are huge fans of your work! Reaching out from South Louisiana btw✌️

Great video. Also, WOW, the Vibrolux sounds amazing: more character down quiet, quite a bit more presence cranked up.

Hi Chris! I had a Fender Prosonic about 25 years ago. It had 2 10'' speakers and it was ferociously loud... Great drive channel with 2 drive knobs and a lovely twin reverb sound. Changed my mind about speaker sizes! Happy Crimble!

Thanks for a very informative video. I wish I could enjoy the nuances in the variations. I’m nearly deaf so most amps sound the same to me. What I can hear is the style and attack. I love your style. Merry Christmas to you and your family and Band.

Hey Chris, for what it is worth, I have been playing guitar for 62 years and I have been playing through two amps, most of the time, since the mid 70's. For the last 8 to 10 years it's been a combination of Fenders, Dr Z and Carr amps. The Fenders are '67 Super Reverb, Vibrolux Reverb, Deluxe Reverb and Princeton Reverb depending on venue size. I almost always use a Fender with one of the other two brands for the same reasons that you discussed. The great thing about pairing a Fender amp is the diversity of power and speaker combinations. If you can find one, a vintage 2x12, 45 watt, Pro Reverb should give you what you need.

⚓️ Thanks Chris 😎

Happy Christmas Chris from Conspiracy Theory mid wales and happy new year to all of Cardinal Black

The Anderson’s Session sounds amazing. Cheers.

Pro reverb has a similar sound to the Super Reverb. After running 12in speakers for a long time, the 4x10 in a super reverb is something magical. Super heavy but magical at nearly any volume.

Chris, greetings from LA. Kudos for your tour with Mr. Frampton! Come see us in the US! Happy Holidays.

I Love Seeing and hearing your Music struggles Brother- Promise your self to record everything you can in these early years-you never know - How far you will go ! Good luck !~

Awesome, as always... well, first of all :) Peter Frampton's sound ALWAYS has a way of making other guitarists on stage sound smaller and less present :) It's uncanny... and like others have said, experimenting with speaker types and brands may get you closer to your ideal, because the Pro Reverb has given you everything you needed until this last experience. Best wishes :)

Love listening to you play! you sound great through any amp but I am partial to the Pro Reverb and Victory Deluxe.

insane mastery

the deluxe reverb definitely hits home

To be honest Chris, I absolutely love the sound you got out of the Victory 40 Deluxe!!! I never understood why you put it aside. I thought it gave you that "something different" and I have loved it ever since you did the video on it. Just my thoughts.

Great Chris!!! Nothing Is casual !! 🤟🤟🤟🤟🎸🎸🎸🎸👏👏👏👏🤗from Italy 🇮🇹👋

I think most of us would kill to have an amp crisis that sounds as good as that! It’ll be interesting to see (hear) how the Vibrolux sounds at The Patriot. Last time you were there with B&E in June you had a Shotmaker, that sounded pretty sweet, any word on that? All the best for the shows this weekend, sadly I can’t make it to either!!

Always been a fender guy but after bad times with light but odd sounding super reverb tone master I swapped with a mate for a Mesa Transatlantic 30. Amazing amp. Totally nice cleans in a tweed way and actually quite lightweight. They don't make it anymore (not metal enough (at all) for their core market. Strongly recommended. I'm 56 and have tried everything..

That live at Andertons solo blows my mind every time I watch it. I challenge you to do a video breaking that down, what you reckon Chris? haha .. Awesome job on 'January Came Close', great record👍

Sounds superb to me. I wouldn't change a thing.

Vibrolux all day for that! Pairs incredibly well with anything. Got mine as a wet amp, still pushed. Clear, vibrant and immediate. Many people have done speaker swaps just to put the cheaper originals back in, Fender hit it out the park with that one man!

holy shit, that guitar is beautiful

Great video as always! Considering the sounds you like I’d highly recommend you to try a Hook Wizard amp. Sure it’s pricey, but after trying easily 20 amps over the last 20 years (in room and live) I’ve settled for it. Never ever played something so perfect in every situation and with every different guitar and style!

Thanks Chris, this was a great look into what's happening in your world. You are right, the Vibrolux may be a better option. I've really only used 12" cabs myself, except for a brief experiment with a 15" about 20 years ago. I've thought of switching my fender devillle 212 to the 410, but after seeing how it effects your tone ... maybe next year ,,, maybe

I've been a proponent of the 2 different amps thing for years, it just makes things sound way huge and full of depth. Currently its a dreaded red knob Fender super 210, and a Mesa Boogie DC-5 the fender is 2x10 and the mesa a single 12, together they cover a plethora of tones, I'll run them through an AB-Y peddle and switch back and forth from both to either individual... that an overdrive, wah, and a tuner... cover nearly every tone I'll ever need.

I think they both sound fine, just go with what inspires you

What a great problem to have! I vote for the Vibrolux. It sounded snarky in a very pleasing way, which may make it a very workable solution for the larger venues.

I was in the same dilemma as you are having. I bought a vibrolux and swapped out for 2 celestrians. Paired with a super reverb, the tone is wider across the spectrum. Bright with mid-range, very articulate.

hey Chris, love your work and the new band, thanks too much. here in the states the various incarnations of the 2x10 fender style amps have always been popular. fender's own original vibrolux has often headed the list. 60's blackface are coveted and usually well maintained. both in the 2x10 and thee 1x15 formats. SRV and Cesar Diaz said the '64 1x15" shipped with a grey service cord was the holy grail of 'em all. I have had older and newer vibrolux amps and they were pretty amazing and useful. fender sweet yet still punchy. these days i still have a 2x10 in my life. 50w handmade from the nederlands called 'koch'. designed by phenom player greg koch and built by koch as a classic design, superb vintage tone, loaded w/ features, and not too heavy to work with. comes with a 5 button switching floor panel. not cheap. truly inspiring. i recommend you find one in your travels and stretch it out. cheers bro, pick on !

I own an original 1976 Ampeg V4 that was modded with upgraded tunes and transferformer too back in 1978......its in absolute mint condition - I will put that enormous headroom up against any amp ever built ....its the most underrated amplifier of all time , Ampeg is mostly known for bass rigs ....but in a small window they made guitar amplifiers (the V4) that just is heads above anything they've ever built or iv ever heard!!! ....or ....I just really lucky and the head is their best they built at that moment in time !!!!....Happy Holidays everyone !!!....be safe + healthy!!!

hey, chris! i just missed meeting you by a week or so, as i'd left a few days of sessions at the self-same studio --- it's one of my faves.

More clarity in the Vibrolux to my ears. Very nice tone. I had a Blues Deville with a 4x10” config…lovely amp but silly loud for anything other than a large auditorium!

I like the pro reverb by itself the best.

Hello Chris. Big fan of yours, over here in the US. Congrats to you and the band on your tour with the legendary Peter Frampton. I’m wondering if you have tried a Fender Vibro-King? I saw Pete Townshend at VH1 Rock Honors The Who, and his sound using Vibro-Kings was amazing! His amp sound blew away that of all the major warm-up acts that preceded them. Thanks for doing Friday Fretworks. Cheers!

Never in a million years thought I would like 10's until I was chasing Jeff Buckley tones and now my Vibrolux is the only amp I use to record cleans. They can obviously reach Hendrix territory too with the right speaker choice to provide enough headroom since Bassmans have 4 so a 2x10 might require higher efficiency models to prevent fuzz from becoming fizz but that's about it. I'm using 10" Celestion V's like the pair that were in the Blackstar Artist 30 which you inspired me to buy long ago haha they seem to handle any dirt well. Welcome to the club!

The pro reverb is hard to beat, trust your ears 😊. Cheers Chris

I personally think it's worth playing around with speakers in the Pro Reverb before changing amp all together. The predicament you are in sounds similar to mine, I found a nice Jensen sorted it out and brought back a bit of that bite instead of the creamback bark.

The Vibrolux pushed to tilt will be sweet! I don't think you will be disappointed on the stage with it. I am not familiar with the P10R, but I love the P12Qs. They work great to balance out the low mids with my Budda Superdrive V40.

I found a very clean stock 68 Custom Vibrolux for $750 about 8 months ago but frankly my slightly modded 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue gives me the tone I desire. There are some advantages to the Vibrolux other than more watts, of course it's the 2 separate channels and the ability to jumper the two channels to get a third unique tone from this amp. It is certainly nice to have them both for different gigs but I will say for living room play I am a big fan of the Fender Pro Jr as the EL 84's create such a warm growl. Sadly my 65 Princeton Reissue is collecting dust these days. Cheers Chris have an amazing weekend!

Amazing

Hey Chris! I used to own a 1970 silverface Vibrolux Reverb with original tubes and speakers. Regret selling it a lot. Those amps work really well, especially with p90 and humbuckers offering more clarity, top end and attack at the front of the note. Two 10 inch speakers and nice headroom help with that. Those amps are still quite affordable for what they are. Try one if you get a chance. As far as gigging ams are concerned, the Deluxe reverb Reissue is perfect. Also, an interesting amp i a Hot Rod Deville Landau edition that offers two clean channels, but it is definitely better with single coils and it needs replacing one speaker to a Creamback :) Love your playing, man! Keep up the great work with Cardinal Black!

I liked your tone through the Pro Reverb for the single note stuff. The Vibrolux Reverb had a spankier rhythm and the DR was middle ground. It makes sense why you like that DR. ✌🏻

This is great content though, Chris! It’s interesting to get insight into your journey, with the various comparisons! If your hooked on that fender sound, have you tried the brown panel amps? The brown vibro would have a touch more midrange (also has the gorgeous harmonic trem) If I were trying to find an American sounding amp for your rig I would try a ‘Z master’ which is based on a tweed band master. You could put the Jensen p10s in if they float your boat. It depends how much dirt you like to get from the amp too. For me that’s always the challenge - getting an amp with the right power so that you can run it hot enough without it taking your head off. The matchless laurel canyon is a stunning amp in the black deluxe realm. They aren’t cheap, but then neither are original black panel amps!!

Chris I have a vintage Drip Edge (67/68) Twin Reverb with one JBL and one stock speaker. I think that would be the perfect amp for what you need. Even a reissue might be something to check out. But It is good to hear you like the originals better. Mine definitely has something special.

I think i can feel your "pain" and "pleasure". Thanks

I've played an old marshall 4x10 (72 or 73 18 watt green backs x4) for years and love it.

My two stage amps are the Fender 68 reissue Vibrolux and a Marshall studio plexi. You will absolutely love the Vibrolux, I certainly love mine for punchy Fender cleans; the only downside is it’s is fairly low wattage and breaks up way to easy at higher volumes

Shwmae Chris, The Twin Reverb is the ultimate monster. You just need to tame it before you can get the sound you need and a crane to get it on the stage. The Twin Reverb has an ultra linear output which tidies up the quality of the output signal to essentially hi-fi level. I have the 135 watt version ... tidy!

Generally the Pro Reverb was my preferred sound but one passage on the Vibrolux had a very nice chime.

What a player

There's some kind of phenomenon with amps in ultra loud settings, where the more harmonic amps like the Vibrolux actually perform better. I just sold a 64 Showman (best sounding amp I've ever had) for a 76 Princeton (more tame but suits what i'm doing) because of the inverse problem you have. Thanks Chris! PS. You sound incredible in all the clips.

The Vibrolux sounds amazing !!!! ....much better then I thought it would - I would add a little more bass to the mix though.

The Vibrolux is my absolute favorite amp. Sadly sold mine and have been kicking myself since. I have a Deluxe Reverb now and think of trading or selling for a Vibrolux.

@ChrisBuckGuitar I love the sound of 10’s and 12’s together. You get the cut and clarity from 10’s and the 12” acts like a subwoofer filling out the sound. Have you thought about running a 2x10 Fender Ext Cab off of the Pro Reverb? Think of it like listening to a Soundbar on a TV without a Subwoofer, then adding a Subwoofer and wondering how you ever lived without it. I think your a fabulous and tasteful guitar player and your journey to refine your tone to compliment your playing is a joy to watch.

Hey Chris, thanks for showing us your tracks in such a detailed way! Was quite interesting to hear how your guitar sound works both in a band context and on its own. I'm just wondering where's the Victory V140 Super Duchess gone? When did you stop using it and why? Just a side note: I know as a player you listen to your own sounds in a very, very special and specific way. On Guitar Summit I heard you through a Helix. Whatever amp or device you're using, you still sound like Chris Buck. I know subtle differences can be quite important, but as a listener I can tell you: Your playing style has a very unique voice on its own, regardless of amp and guitar you're using. And I think this is way more than most guitar players will ever achieve and way more valuable than any piece of gear.

I have an original 69 Vibrolux Silverface drip tray with blackface circuitry and Oxford 10" speakers. Depending on the gig situation I sometimes run it with a 2 x 12" 75W Celestion box. I find if I need to cut through the mix a little more on any particular night (room dependant) I run it with the standard 10" but if it's a "bright" room I tend to run the 12" Celestions which tends to "round out" the top end some. Running the 12" Celestions its a Twin type sound but with less volume to break up point and being 75 W speakers the break up is all in the pre amp with great articulation from the speakers, particularly cool in a smallish room. Not sure how you will go in a larger venue with the Vibro but good luck and enjoy the ride. It might not be the amp you want, but at least you'll know what you don't want! 🎸

I have that amp and love it, I was surprised it never quite caught on! My one gripe was the speakers washing out too soon, so with that taken care of I think it'll be great!! Little low headroom maybe? But running nice and bright with a bit of the trem running over that Copper and I'm sure it'll be magic!!

Sometimes it’s a speaker choice. If you have friends with a lot of speakers, try different ones with your Pro. For example, I have two ‘66 Princetons. I changed the baffle and put a 12” Celestion Creamback in one. I can always change it back, but it changed that amp in some really positive ways!

The Les Paul is the right guitar for you. You always sound your best when I see you playing an LP and you seem to be the most comfortable playing it. The music that pours out of you when you're playing an LP is perfect. And the punch,smack,slap,kiss,smooch,brash, whatever word you want to use there, of the upper mids is kind of your signature and if you were to add too much brightness it would take away from the sound that I identify as, "oh that's Chris Buck."

love em dude- i use 1 10 vox bin and 2/ 12 fender bin. all powered by a 50watt tube head--- i have had pro guitar cats say my rig sounds loud and amazing. dude ur sound is so good . pls dont worry man

Nine minutes in and I agree with you on your preference for the Pro. The Vibrolux made your P90s sound almost like humbuckers.

I’d stick w the same amp you’ve been using/love. It sounds great.

Gosh, you sound so good. It is you. Not dependent on the amp you use.

Fantastic playing, as always, but I did like that '65 deluxe reverb... Nadolig Llawen!

Fender Super Reverb AB763 Schematic handwired with 4x10" Jensen! 😎 It's a Vibrolux with steroids... and 6L6gc tubes for more low end.

I've had my Black Panel Vibrolux Reverb since 1975 , used. I like the projection of the 2 10" speakers. I pair it with my Bassman and it fills a room a cuts through.. Gregor Hilden has a channel. where he plays a lot of different guitars and mostly uses a Vibrolux for a good balanced tone.

Did you happen to discuss the tone you are chasing with Frampton or his techs? Not that you aren’t seasoned, but they have been around the block in every size venue imaginable. I haven’t heard you live from America, but your tone choices seem impeccable and you sound like Chris Buck with any piece of equipment I have heard you play through.

The amp and the sunburst Jazzmaster-very good.

I've always struggled with ten inch drivers. I'm always found that a 12 inch is more fully voiced and more dynamic. I've always used to amps (peavey classic 60 and vox ac15hw1x) had the best of both worlds from peavey big sound and drove and the vox to brighten up the sound. I've now sold both amps and I'm going to buy my dream amp, a magnatone 2x12 twilighter stereo.

Chris - Can't wait to see the video on Deluxe Reverbs. I own the 64 custom and swapped the speaker to an Allesandro GA SC64. The stock speaker in the 64 custom is a Jensen 12CQ - it's nice but breaks up very early, which would not be ideal for the large stages you play. If you want a lot of headroom you could consider a Weber 12F150, which I had in my amp for a while. For me, that speaker is also like the Jensen in the sense that it's also a bit too scooped and lacking midrange, even though it was A LOT louder and had a ton more headroom. The Allesandro sits right between the two in terms of headroom and gives a lot more midrange content. It takes pedals (especially fuzz) very well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you get the chance to try one. Cheers.

Hey Chris, I was in Maur and couldn't detect any crisis at all. The band and you sounded incredible! Here in the video I like the crunchiness of the vibrolux.

Well, I’ve had Deluxes (silver & black face), a ProReverb, and a Vibrolux. I liked them all but the Pro was the most satisfying to play. However I’m now using Two Rocks for bigger shows because they hold together better at volume - you should check one out. As far as my Fender journey is concerned, I’ve ended up with 2 Princetons with Celestion G10 gold speakers, to my ears perfect for smaller gigs, but nowhere near big enough for your needs Chris.

I'm a big Victory fan and use my V50 clean through a V212 cab. Masses of headroom on the clean channel and sounds great at virtually all settings above 20% master output. The signal through the setup is very neutral with little colouration of the guitars natural sound (Albert Lee MM90). Not a fan of the Copper though. It seems to colour the signal more than an AC30 to my ears. As others have mentioned I think headroom is crucial for somebody who uses the amp relatively clean (as I believe Chris does). I set the preamp to get the right tone and adjust the master to get the correct "loudness" for the stage size. Something you can't do with a smaller wattage amp as the output stage when driven hard will massively affect the tone. Great for those who like OD from the amp but not good for those who want a clean platform.

I love my Vox /Fender combos together....

The speakers in the amps make a big diff. I put some Jensen Falcons in my 2x10 cabinet to replace the no name speakers and it came to life like magic, love those Jensen speakers. I use a 1x15 cabinet as well, it had some old vintage organ speaker in it, sounded great, but the speaker wore out several years later, started making scraping sounds, , weird eh? Perhaps the 50 watts of tube power did it in? I put in an Eminence Beta 15 and I'm not really happy with it. Might have the old one re-coned or try another. It's all touchy stuff getting the rig right. Love your tone dude, killer playing! Come to Austin Texas, you guys would be a hit. I'd come see you play.

Firstly your are truly one of the guitar greats of our current era. While watching this I thought to myself you have such a unique and recognisible sound I bet I would be able to quickly know it is you no matter the amp or rig. That being said I always felt like you have a distinctly smooth tone not much upper high end. To me that is your "sound". Loads of mids. Maybe that just what your ear likes... and then that is your sound. On getting lost in the mix. Maybe your engineer can make more room for you in the approriate freq. Just a thought.

I have owned original versions of both. To me my early 65 pre CBS pro reverb (many think they didn’t make them but they did and Tomo Fugito bought mine), was the best non-Tweed fender amp made. But my favorite fender is a tweed bandmaster.

Dear Chris, I think with such great feel, control and intonation like yours, you would really benefit from an amp that has more headroom and "size" for the lack of better terms. I would really love to hear you in the same context with a nicely dimed Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive e.g. and see if that sounds more open and lively. Also give those newer Stereo Magnatones a try... the Twilighter for example.

I dig the Vibrolux. That being said, I'm of the mind that the speaker matters way more than the amp, so I would change the speaker before I change the amp. That being said, you're a skilled enough player that even if you plug into a Gorilla, you'd probably sound fantastic. I wouldn't worry too much.

Hey Chris, I used to work at Fender as an amp engineer, and I agree with other feedback that the speakers are a very important part of the overall sound. I sat a couple of offices down from the guy who worked on Pete Townshend's amps and might be able to put you in touch with him if you're interested... let me know.

SRV used a Fender Vibrolux amp with EV speakers for awhile. Try different speakers, they can make a huge difference. Or just get a late 50’s Fender high watt tweed twin. IMO, the best amp Fender ever made, but Joe Bonamassa might have bought them all. 👍

I’ve found that using two amps at once can create great tones that fill rooms with rich harmonics. A vibrolux paired with a jcm900 for instance.

I really like that Vibrolux. Seemed to be somewhat more complex in its voice. Very pleasing to me ... and I generally am a Marshall guy.

Fwiw (almost certainly very little), I preferred the Vibrolux. I thought that the top end of the Vibrolux was sweeter, and less spiky. Of course, we’re talking tiny discrepancies, which would be barely noticeable to the average guitarist, let alone the average punter. But when you’re in a position where you can feed the ‘need’, then I say, have at it. Fantastic playing, as always, and it’s so good to see such a great guitar player get (at least some of), the recognition they deserve.

Amps that fly under the radar are Rivera amps. Essentially all of the Fender goodness you want with extra mods. I have a Clubster Royale Recording Top and it is absolutely nuts. I have it stocked with NOS tubes and it is magical.

Quad Cortex from the current offerings is the answer. Sound, touch, and user interface are currently top of the heap.