Stevie Ray Vaughan Discussion

[tosta]

I noticed nobody mentions here Fender Vibroverb amp and I wonder whether other Fender amps such as Super Reverb or others can duplicate better SRV sound. I read that Stevie was using Vibroverb predominantly in the first part of his career e.g. in 1983 (El Mocambo). Is this correct? I wonder if 1964 Vibroverb Custom reissue would be a good choice for an amp to get SRV sound from the first records. Please advise.

[Breakneckblues]

SRV used Vibroverbs a lot. However, he used them with his Supers and the wide variety of other amps he had. That Vibroverb custom is a nice amp but pretty much not worth the price. You can get a great SRV sound by cranking up a Super reverb with a strat style guitar and a good overdrive pedal set clean and loud. Beefy strings also help you there too.
The Vibroverbs had one 15 inch speaker which gives you a throaty punchy sound. The four ten inch speakers will move more air and have a better high end response.
I've had a lot of success playing supers and can really nail the SRV tone but try as many amps you can find and see what you like. I tried the Vibroverb and wasn't crazy about it. I say go with an old black face super if you can find one. I don't know what kind of budget you're working with but the Chicago Blues Box Roadhouse combo is the balls. They're pricey but worth it. Any way there's my two cents.
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"Like my brother Jimmie says, I play like I'm breaking out of jail."

-SRV

[tosta]

Thanks for this. How would you then rate Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb reissue. It gets a lot of very good reviews on Harmony Central for its bluesy sounds. Would this be a good choice in terms of SRV sounds?

[Breakneckblues]

Its a nice amp for blues, to be sure, but I'd have to say its not gonna give you a great SRV tone. They don't have enough clean headroom to do the Stevie thing. Check out the reissue super reverb.
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"Like my brother Jimmie says, I play like I'm breaking out of jail."

-SRV

[voodoo364]

I kinda' built my own VV clone in a head/cab format. I use a 65 Bandmaster AB 763 circuit with a Twin output tranny. The big iron cures the anemic low end the BM seems to suffer from. The AB763 is the same circuit of the VV and Super among others,minus the reverb. I purchased a 1x15 Weber Cali into a Crusty Cab. The 15 gives you that thunderous low end that typifies SRV's tone. I am a big fan of the El Mocambo tone and it's all Super and VV. The 4x10 provide the mids and the VV shakes the floor. It's cool I run the bass very low 2-3 and sounds so full! Treble 5-6 Mids are preset with a 6.8 resistor. Oh yeah, 5751 in too!
I am also a big Trower fan and he used 2x15 Fender cabs with Marshall heads early on...

[Christopher X]

Is this Fender Vibroverb the same thing as the vibratone i think it is?,and tosta you say the early part,what did he use later,the one i metioned above.And also this is the sound he use's to get that leslie amp sound right,thanks on songs like cold shot,could stand the weather,the things i used to do etc...
Like could someone tell me all the songs they know of that the vibroverb or vibratone is used on,like my favourite SRV track life without you has is right im shure through the whole song or parts at least.Like the sound on the song is this or is it all his effects like the tube screamer etc...on,dose anyone know for shure,thanks.
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Christopher X

[Gamedojo]

The vibroverb and vibratone are completely different things.

The confusion comes because SRV used to DRIVE his vibratone (think of it as a big speaker cabinet that has a rotating drum) with ONE of his vibroverbs. He disconnected the internal speaker in the vibroverb and hooked it directly to the vibratone.

Almost every recording of Stevie has a vibroverb in the mix. since he used multiple amps almost all the time, its very difficult to isolate exactly which is wich and where.

But... there is one CD that is the quintisential Vibroverb sound and thats "In Session" with Albert King. He only used his 2 vibroverbs for that recording, and you can tell by watching the video on Youtube. Its got the fender spank but its got a sort of midrange grind that only vibroverbs have (since they use 15" speakers).

I think SRV liked the vibroverb the most, but always ran them along with another amp to add clarity (i.e. Super Reverb + Vibroverb...or Dumble + Vibroverb..etc)

Most of the tone you hear from him is the amps without a tubescreamer. There are specific moments where I could point out when he has it on or off, but thats difficult to describe. Basically, as a rule of thumb, pay attention to the sustain. If it seems to linger longer and seems thicker, he probably has the TS on. He almost never ran it when doing rhythm or chorus parts, just mainly on heavy soloing.

[voodoo364]

The "In Session" tone is total VV. Quite frankly that recording serves as a baseline for "my" tone. I have tried for years to replicate that tone LOL!
"In Session" and "El Mocambo" illustrate the VV tone and the VV/Super tone...awesome

[Gamedojo]

[Christopher X]

Thanks for the info Gamedojo,but the vibratone is what gets that leslie effect right and thats easy to tell like on the songs i mentioned,even on life without you at montreux in 85 you hear it.
But for life without you,you are saying its mostly the tube screamer that gets him those long sustain sounds he dose on the solo's,thanks.
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Christopher X

[Gamedojo]

[Christopher X]

Thanks Gamedojo for the info,on the leslie i always thought thats what SRV had,like did he have any of them?.
As i was told here oe elsewhere? he used the fender vibratone to get that leslie effect,the original ones where made for keyboards/organs i think too right?.And then that tubescremer effect when he starts the solo and use's it a lot realy in the solo is realy cool,that sound it makes i like a lot.
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Christopher X

[Gamedojo]

[Christopher X]

Thanks again Gamedojo for the info,though i dont realy think i understand it all ,as i dont have a guitar or play one to know all about them things mentioned,thanks.
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Christopher X

[Gamedojo]