Fender Vibro-King 3 x 10" Combo - USA

The Vibro-King holds a special place in Fender's amp history, not as a reissue of an old favourite but as a genuinely new design, first released in 1993 out of the Fender Amp Custom Shop in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was the work of designer Bruce Zinky, who set out to combine the most sought after elements of Fender's vintage amps into a single hand wired instrument that had never quite existed before, right down to its distinctive triple 10 inch speaker configuration. Fender itself described it as a return to a great hand wired amp tradition while adding features that vintage originals never offered. The result was an amp with a huge, three dimensional voice and a tremolo and reverb combination so deep and lush it earned a reputation among players for what's often described as an "underwater earthquake" wash, a sound that has made the Vibro-King a favourite of blues and roots players who want vintage tone with genuinely modern headroom and detail.

This example is a genuine Fender Vibro-King, USA built at the Fender Amp Custom Shop in Scottsdale, serial number 3662, finished in blonde tolex with oxblood grille cloth and chrome hardware, including the tilt back legs on the rear panel that are such a signature detail of the model. Under the hood it runs a hand wired circuit with 12AX7A preamp tubes and a pair of 6L6 power tubes for 60 watts into its three 10" speakers. The front panel carries the full Vibro-King control set, dedicated Dwell, Mix and Tone controls for the reverb circuit, a Fat switch, and Volume, Treble, Bass and Middle for the main voice, along with Speed and Intensity controls for the tremolo. The rear panel carries the Fender Amp Custom Shop badge along with the effects loop and external speaker jacks, confirming this as a genuine Scottsdale built example rather than a later standard production piece.

Condition is excellent, presenting as a clean, well kept example with bright, unmarked tolex, a clean grille and tidy control panel. This is a genuinely special amp, hand wired in small numbers by Fender's own Custom Shop and prized by players for a depth and complexity of tone that the standard Fender line has never quite matched.

Specifications:

Model: Vibro-King

Power Output: 60 watts

Power Tubes: 2x 6L6

Preamp Tubes: 12AX7A

Rectifier: Solid state, fixed bias with adjustable bias pot

Speakers: Three 10" speakers

Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass, Middle, Fat switch

Reverb Controls: Dwell, Mix, Tone

Tremolo Controls: Speed, Intensity

Cabinet: Hand wired, built at the Fender Amp Custom Shop, Scottsdale AZ

Covering: Blonde tolex with oxblood grille cloth

Hardware: Chrome hardware with tilt back legs

Country of Origin: USA

Serial Number: 3662