sweet INEXPENSIVE tube amp

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orvilleowner

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Check out the US$120 Epiphone Valve Junior tube amp.
It's got a 12AX7 and EL84 tube set up, 5 watts. 8" speaker.
One volume control that dials in some pretty nice distortion.

Last night, I used it in a band practice, the first since getting it as a Xmas present. I set the volume at 3:00 and my American Standard Strat sounded real good through it (mostly using the neck pickup).

I'm going to let my DIY Amp Guru buddies examine it and suggest mods.
What a great inexpensive toy!
 
Yeah, I love my pro junior too but they are like twice the price of the Epi's.
Also at 15 watts they are LOUD! I mounted my PJ in an old Legend oak cab with a 12" and it moves alot of air!
I might have to check out the Epi, I need a new toy.
 
no joke the pro jr is loud! I cranked that baby up in a small room with stone walls and I had 30 db (firing range haha) earplugs in and it STILL rattled my brain... I literally had to turn it down because even with the heavy duty plugs in it was still killing me.

I just dropped my original vintage NOS Mullard EL84s and a NOS GE 12AX7 in the pro jr.... **** what a difference. That baby is SWEET now. Any top-end harshness that was there (which I attributed to the speaker) is now gone. Awesome.

Have not tried the epi, interesting but I have little use for something that quiet.
 
I'm sure the Fender Pro Junior is a nice little tube amp, but I've been "playing" with the Epiphone Valve Junior ($120) amp I got at Christmas.

There are various mods posted on the web ... I ran them by a coworker who actually knows something about amps (that's not me) and he okayed a few changes.

So far, the changes involved moving around or removing a few resistors. This increased the gain and let me tell you, this little cheapo amp can roar! It sounds real nice through an old Marshall 4x12 cabinet.

This was my first "class" in amp repair/modification ... I'm ready to learn more.

BTW, the amp is now available in a Head version for under $100 !!!
 
I've got an Epiphone Valve Special in the kitchen. 5 watts and a little bit more costly than the Junior. Also fantasitc value and enough noise to keep my kids out of the room thereby making life peaceful and quiet. Except for me, of course, which is at it should be. What else would you do in the kitchen anyway? Recommended.
 
I've heard stories about veteran players using two of the Epiphones in line over their old boutique amps.

Very cool idea for little money.

I'm still in the market for a small tube amp, it's the way to go as far as I'm concerned. Forget full stacks!

I'm considering a Pro Junior or (a little more expensive) an Orange Rocker 30. You know what it's like this GAS thing!
 
Some sound clips from Finnish guitar forum:
http://www2.mikseri.net/artists/?id=55813
&
http://koti.mbnet.fi/hannu-h/sampleja/valvejunior/

Mod pack for Epiphone:
http://www.mercurymagnetics.com/pages/nav/valvejr.htm
there should be some sound clips with the mod on that page too.
 
That Mercury Magnetics "Mod Pack" for the Epiphone Valve Junior is interesting, but Expensive!!

Of course, they want to sell you some of their Transformers ...

the most interesting thing, for me at least, is the "Pi Filter" that they put on the power supply .... that may remove some of the noise/hum. But before I try that modification, I may try rerouting the Filament leads. Some "gurus" report that the poorly designed PCB is the source of the noise (filament lines running too close to signal lines), so rewiring the filaments off of the PCB could be a "cheap" improvement.

In your bedroom, the noise from the Combo amp might not be for you, but in reheasals with my band (drums + bass + me), it was not an issue! The Head version of the amp is supposed to be fixed, that is, none of that noise/hum.

But the main reason I bought one of these was to learn about and how to work on TUBE AMPS.

If you have a cabinet, for $100 the Head is quite a bargain. It's got Tube Tone for sure. And the 5 watts gets plenty loud.
 
For the money, those are very nice amps Im sure. But if u are willing to spend a bit more, go on ebay and buy a nice Reverend amp. They quit making them about a year ago, but most (including myself) think the sound rivals that of a marshall. Mine is a 20/60 Kingsnake, with a UK/US/LO-FI schizo knob. Put it on UK with the 20 watt switch on, and i swear its a marshall. No effects on the amp though, its all business, its for pedals. Bought it on ebay for 350
 
I was thinking about buying one but I've got my Zvex Nano so I don't really need one at the moment.
There are mods around the net.
I've been working on tube/valve amps for years as a part time thing away from my usual thing which is an Electronics Engineer.
I'm sure you know but be careful doing any mods because of the high voltages involved.

http://www.euthymia.org/DIY/VJmods.html

I think I will buy one soon and do a few mods on it.
I think they are made in China.
 
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