Fender Vibratone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fender Vibratone is a Leslie speaker-style cabinet with a single rotor made for electric guitars by Fender Musical Instruments. It is basically identical to the Leslie Model 16 except for the logo. The cabinet was introduced in 1967 and continued in production until the company discontinued it in 1972. It was most notably used by Stevie Ray Vaughan both live and in the studio, as well as The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
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[edit] Early Beginnings
Don Leslie, the inventor of the Leslie speaker, founded a company named "Electro-Music" and stayed in business until the early '80's. He had three workshops throughout the country and his last workshop was operated in Pasadena, California. "Electro-Music" has produced various tremolo units that contained a "drum" made out of Styrofoam, motor, rotor support, etc. The units came on a plywood board and occasionally included a "driver", or speaker. Today, they can be found on eBay and other auctions for vintage items. Hammond-Suzuki took over Electro-Music.
Don built these units into a plywood cabinet that contained rectangular speaker ports made out of aluminum. The speaker ports were built on the sides and top of the cabinet, and were also miked because of no internal amplification. This model was called the Leslie 16, which was produced throughout the 1970s. There was also a later model built called the Leslie 18, but it had a bigger loudspeaker.
[edit] The "Deal" with CBS
After 1965, CBS bought Fender Musical Instruments and acquired the patents to Don Leslie's invention. Fender/CBS made a deal with Leslie to produce their own product. Fender called this the "Vibratone", which was, coincidently, the first Leslie speaker ever produced.
They were produced throughout the late '60's and early '70's and over the years in production, the Vibratone looked different cosmetically.
[edit] Mechanics
The Fender Vibratone operates on 117 Volts, 60 Hz A.C. current, and puts out 60 watts of power. It can handle 100 watts of power.
The Vibratone works as described in the following below:
- The Vibratone is connected to the amplifier. The signal fires the sound from the main amp's speakers into the Vibratone's speaker.
- The signal then fires into a "drum" made out of molded expanded polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam. The "drum" is 15 inches in diameter and 6 1/2 inches in height.
- The "drum" is connected to a 2-speed electric motor by a belt. The belt is connected between a rotor spindle and a motor pulley.
- The motor makes the rotor turn at 2 different speeds, therefore directing the sound to the top and side vents because of the design of the rotor.
- The grille vents are miked because of no internal amplification in the cabinet, and is necessary in order for the effect to come through the sound system.
As mentioned above, the motor has 2 speeds. The speeds can be selected by a foot switch, which has the same exterior as the foot switches of the Fender tube amps in the late '60's. There are two switches: one selects either the amplifier's output or the Vibratone's output (labeled "Leslie"), while the other selects between the two speeds (labeled "Trem"). The Vibratone's "chorale" speed, also called "chorus", is a lush , shimmering effect and rotates at 40 revolutions per minute (RPM). The "tremolo" speed is the warbling effect that most recognize as "organ-like" and rotates at 340 rpm. The Vibratone basically works the same as a Leslie 16. In fact, it is the exact equivalent of the Leslie 16, except for the logo.
[edit] Physical Specifications
The Vibratone cabinet is 29 inches high, 21⅛ inches wide, and 14¾ inches deep, weighing 63 pounds, and the cabinet itself is a leatherette covered case made of finger-jointed pine, like most guitar cabinets. The rear panel on the cabinet is not removable, but the components are the same as the original Leslie Model 16.
[edit] Sound and Style
The Vibratone has both Amplitude and frequency modulation effects. Amplitude modulation produces a tremolo effect, similar to the "Vibrato" control knobs on Fender tube amps. Frequency modulation is pitch shifting, sometimes called the Doppler effect. The Vibratone produces both of these effects. It can also produce a variety of effects combinations ranging from chorus effects, phasing, flanging, tremolo, and vibrato.
[edit] Miking the Vibratone
As mentioned above, the cabinet is unamplified. Therefore, the cabinet must be miked and runned through a sound system. However, it can produce desirable effects.
[edit] Pros and Cons
Unfortunately, even when many consider the Vibratone cabinet to have a pleasing sound, there are good points and bad points in acquiring or owning the cabinet.
One of the major reasons is the cabinet was discontinued in 1972 and no longer made, making it difficult for most to find a Vibratone in a music store.
The rotor's path is sometimes, but not always, a problem with live musicians. When the rotor rotates, the sound travels in a vertical direction, rather than a horizontal path of a Leslie. As a result, the sound is not always projected to the front of a room.
Although the Vibratone has some disadvantages, the Vibratone has changed the sound of electric guitar since the mid-1960s. For one, the cabinet produces a Leslie effect specially for electric guitars. It is also easy to connect, and most of the cabinet is just air, except for the rotor and electronics.
[edit] Similar effects
Rotary speaker simulators are an alternative to the Fender Vibratone and serve as a low-cost substitute for guitarists and musicians. Many times, these stompboxes can be just chorus effects. Some major brands of rotary speaker effects include the following:
- Dunlop Univibe
- Dunlop Rotovibe
- Univox Univibe
- Line 6 Roto Machine
- Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe
- Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble
- H&K Rotosphere
- Danelectro Rocky Road
[edit] The Future of the Vibratone
To the current day, Fender Musical Instruments has not made a reissue of the Fender Vibratone. Many have said that the Vibratone is worthy of a reissue. As mentioned above, these are the only effects that get close to the Vibratone, or Leslie speakers in general, but can't quite simulate the sound of a real Leslie speaker. However, even though they're hard to find, they can be found in vintage item auctions today.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Inside The Fender Vibratone - This web page has everything you need to know and more about the Vibratone.
- 1971 Fender Vibratone Owner's Manual
- McMASTER-CARR - An industrial supply webpage that contains parts for the Fender Vibratone
