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Epiphone Valve Junior Modifications

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WOW... Very nice ~~OLDGUY~~ exactly what I wanted to hear out of a stock Valve Junior Head! now about that Avatar cab..open back or closed? which speakers? and thank you..:)

As for conversion...What software do you track with? You can use Lame with Audacity for complete free setup which works pretty well.. reference post: http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=470&highlight=audacity
 
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Thanks, Justa. I'll check out the link. As for the Avatar cab, it's a "semi-open" back w/ one Celestion vintage 30 and one G12'H which is supposed to let the vintage break up early enough and the G12 carry the low end "oomph".
I record through an older Boss BR 532 digital recorder, convert the "BR" file to a "WAV" file with the Boss software, but wanted a way to convert the wav to mp3 in order to save space when I download. I'll sure check out the audacity and lame links, I think that would help me alot. I'm not very computer smart, but, man, I love to play!:D
Glenn Hughes
gen-u-wine Mizzurah hillbilly:D :eek:
 
Justaguyin_nc said:
... but all this talk about this Epi got me wondering... My problem is..I never can find sound clips on how this amp without and with mods sounds..
Click to expand...
Justa - I came across some Valve Jr. head clips over at the Harmony Central forum, and thought you might be interested in hearing them. Here's the link:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1255784&highlight=valve+clips

And some others over at the Institute of Noise, a Line 6 site. As luck would have it, the guitar used on all of these clips is a Squier 51! Coincidence . . . or not . . . perhaps fate is telling you something? I'll also forewarn you that the the dude playing on these clips can really bring it, too. Here's the link:

http://www.instituteofnoise.com/L6/ampclips.asp#Epiphone

(*in a voice of foregone conclusion*) Let me know when you order one. ;)
 
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I was going to post this over on the Valve Jr. sound clips page, but since it didn't have anything to to with sound clips, I decided that I'd include it here, as there may be some folks working their way through this thread who it would benefit.

One of the things many people are saying about the Valve Jr. is that its tone is a bit on the "dark side". Not to fear Young Skywalkers - there are plenty of ways to brighten up the already great Class A tone - one of which is tube selection. I'd sent an e-mail to Eurotubes yesterday to get some input on what they would recommend for my soon-to-be-arriving Valve Jr. head. Here's what Jay at Eurotubes had to say:

We've been retubing a lot of these lately and a JJ EL84 in a grade anywhere between a #30 to a #36 are quite nice with the #36 getting a bit less headroom and the #30 staying cleaner.

For the front end you can either use the JJ ECC83S or the ECC803S. I do not recommend the ECC803S for the VJ combo amps but they are just fine for the head version. The ECC803S is a lower gain tube with a real thick mid and a little brighter high end so if you choose to use one of these I would recommend a matched triode ECC803S that is at 90+ in gain.

If you want to maintain the amount of gain the amp has now then you can use a matched triode ECC83S that is between 105 to 110 in gain.
Click to expand...
So, as you can see - even between amps that are similar, as in the Valve Jr. combo & head, small differences in tube type can have a significant effect on the overall tone structure of the sound. Again, it's something to keep in mind for any amp - not just the Valve Jr.'s.

The speaker, of course, will also have a dramatic effect on overall tonal response. Different sizes, magnet types, magnet weights, cone material, and power handling capabilities will all have unique and individual tonal characteristics. If you're using the head version, the type of cabinet you use will also have a big effect on how the tone of the amp is projected.

Speakers & tubes are fairly simple change-out mods that have immediately noticeable tonal benefits. Moving into some of the more advanced mods, like installing a brighness switch, or adding components / circuitry to reduce ambient noise, will improve overall amp response / efficiency, as well as enhance tone. Obviously, these mods will involve more time & monetary committment. But if you're willing to go the extra mile, I will definitely say that there are some pretty impressive rewards as far as guitar tone is concerned. My guess is that tone2thebone's Valve Jr. sound clips post will eventually acquire enough hard audio evidence to promote these findings. ;)
 
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I was on the Mercury Magnetics Valve Junior Mod kit page

http://www.mercurymagnetics.com/pages/specials/ValveJrPjt/EVJ-01.htm

and found this little nugget that allows you to tell whether your Valve Jr Combo has the same wiring (complete with DC filaments) as the head.

I called Epiphone about 6 months ago asking if there was a way to tell
the difference (eg a serial number), both types were in stores at that time, & he said that there was no way to know.

...his pants are now on fire.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two versions of the Valve Jr. Combo in circulation. We call the first "Version 1" and the latest "Version 2." There are several minor external case differences but the Version 1 circuit board is a lot different than Version 2 units.

The easy way to identify if you have a Version 2 unit is by first 4 digits of the Junior's serial number are the date code (MMYY). Version 2 Junior's have a date code of "0106" (January 2006) or later. Version 2 models also have a slightly larger Epiphone logo with added black trim. The Valve Jr. Head's circuit board is the same as the Combo's Version 2.
 
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Well, You guys finally got to me... I have yet broke on the Vox... but for this little change and all the good reviews...
I already had the Harmony 5 watter, but it was (notice I said was) a combo and I would have to wire it to go with my Avatar cab...
soooo... At $99.99 from Musciansfriend with free shipping I figured just the outputs to 4/8/16 was worth something.
I have some extra tubes already I can try playing with when it gets here. And it will look good sitting along side that little Crate Powerblock.

Question: Whats a good cheap A-B switch to go from one amp to the other into the cabinet?
 
congrats on the new amp.....i think when the new cab they are building for the valve jr amp is available i might get rid of my original version one combo and pick up the head and cab....then get a guytronix gilmore jr kit and run that through the cab as well!

ww
 
Congrats, Justa, bet you're gonna like it.:) Gets some good OD sounds cranked, lots of fun to swap tubes and hear the changes, too.

If you want tons of info on the V.Jr. you can go here... modding and some generalizations, but good reading IMO.

http://www.18watt.com/index.php

more info there than anyplace I've seen yet.
I'm gonna put a new Hammond output transformer in mine (the 125DSE).
I'll let you know how it turns out.
The stock transformer is 7.5Kohms impedance
The Hammond is twice the size and wires to 5K imp.
An EL84's optimum is 5.2K. Twice the iron/winding within .2K imp. should be better.
We'll see if it really makes a difference or is just a waste of $40. :D
 
Justaguyin_nc said:
Question: Whats a good cheap A-B switch to go from one amp to the other into the cabinet?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you are looking for in an A/B switch, but I have these two Behringers and they work for switching between guitars or into different amps. If you need one to handle the signal from 2 different amps into a single speaker cabinet then you'll have to look at Radial Engineering Headbone. (they ain't cheap) http://www.tonebone.com/tb-headbone-ss.htm

Otherwise...

http://www.music123.com/Behringer-Dual-AB-2-Channel-Footswitch-i156798.music

http://www.music123.com/Behringer-Guitar-Amp-Selector-i156780.music
 
Spudman said:
If you need one to handle the signal from 2 different amps into a single speaker cabinet then you'll have to look at Radial Engineering Headbone. (they ain't cheap) http://www.tonebone.com/tb-headbone-ss.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Spuds...

My goodness... thats twice as much as either amp.. lol..

I guess I can always get up and plug it in and out.. sheesh... that's the only thing out there ?
 
avatar cabs my A**. sorry but theese guys really push my buttons. I too am a tone snob, and own a pair of valve JR's that are modded. One is a rhythm head and the other is a lead head playing onto a 4x8 cab that was once a 50$ guitar research cab but I rebuilt the inside and loaded it with celestion super 8s. I worked at a place where kitchen and other cabs were built and took my old avatar there (the 2x12) and had the head carpenter/builder dissect it. It was built by someone who didn't care about quality. Sorry, I know they sound good but to me its a ripoff. there speakers are the only saving quality. IMHO the best HAND BUILT CAB are these www.earcandycabs.com

If your serious about your tone check em out. I sold my Avatar in hopes of getting one of theese, but my mother had cancer and I quit my job to take care of her. I want one SOOOOOOO bad.

You can pick the woods you wanted built with, and the speakers. Check out the info on theese.
 
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+1 on the Ear Candy. That's what I've been saying all along. They really put some thinking into what they do, and they are really nice guys too. I ordered some connectors from them and they sent extra...just because.:)
 
LagrangeCalvert said:
If your serious about your tone check em out. I sold my Avatar in hopes of getting one of theese, but my mother had cancer and I quit my job to take care of her. I want one SOOOOOOO bad.
Click to expand...
Whoa, Joshua. You can talk to us about the dealing with your Mom's cancer if you wish. If you'd rather not, we'd understand that too. Good luck Dude!
 
A bit of an update on my Valve Junior combo:

In recent months, I hadn't been playing it much because even with the bright switch mod I did, I found it quite dark sounding, with little top-end definition & sizzle. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I wired a switch into the output jack, and hooked up the 8 ohm output from the output transformer along with the 4 ohm output that was already wired in. (The stock OT in the original Valve Junior combo came with both 4 and 8 ohm outputs, but the latter wasn't hooked up.) So now I can switch between the two output impedances and run either of my two 8 ohm cabs with it (a 1x12 and a 2x12). Well, after a bit of playing through those, it's become obvious that my problem wasn't with the amp, but the little 8" speaker that comes in it. The amp really comes alive through either of those two cabs I have--a huge difference. I'd read comments from several sources that the stock speaker in the VJr combo was a very decent sounding 8" speaker, and that replacing it with a more expensive one didn't make that much improvement in tone. Well, either (1) those people are idiots, (2) the speaker in mine is a lousy or defective one, or (3) 8" speakers suck in general, because the amp sounds 100% better through either of the two cabs.

So if there any of you Valve Jr. combo owners out there who haven't tried using an external speaker cabinet with it, by all means, give this a try. And if anyone needs directions on how to wire in a toggle switch with the 4 and 8 ohm outputs, let me know and I'll send you a diagram.

I may try another 8" speaker in the combo itself, but I don't want to spend much. Maybe a relatively inexpensive Weber or something....
 
I put a Jensen MOD 10" 70 Watt in my Pignose G40V amp, and I love the sound. Good and cheap speakers. Their 8" 20 Watt goes for less than $20.
 
duhvoodooman said:
I may try another 8" speaker in the combo itself, but I don't want to spend much. Maybe a relatively inexpensive Weber or something....
Click to expand...

I've never heard an 8" speaker I liked. They all sound tiny, weak and constricted to me.

Having said that, I do have a pair of 8" Webers I plan to put in a 2x8" cab.

I run my VJ through a 1x12" ported cab loaded with either a Celestion or a Carvin/Eminence Celestion knock off.

tung
 
DVM,

I have a EVJ combo (version 2) and have not done any mods on it ..... yet. Been looking through the Epi forum and other places to get ideas on mods and think I might start with a new OT. I was looking at getting the Hammond 125ESE to replace the stock OT. From what I have read, this mod makes the most difference and is definitely worth it. Do you still have the original OT or did you replace it? I looked at those 8" weber speakers too.....looks like they are a decent price.

GG
 
Guitar Gal said:
I have a EVJ combo (version 2) and have not done any mods on it ..... yet. Been looking through the Epi forum and other places to get ideas on mods and think I might start with a new OT. I was looking at getting the Hammond 125ESE to replace the stock OT. From what I have read, this mod makes the most difference and is definitely worth it. Do you still have the original OT or did you replace it? I looked at those 8" weber speakers too.....looks like they are a decent price.
GG
Click to expand...

I'm not duhvoodooman, but I've done quite a few mods to Valve Juniors.

The Hammond 125ESE will make a big difference. Physically, it is about 3-4x as big as the stock OT. So you'll get a better low end response. The stock speaker may not be able to produce it however, YMMV. The stock OT has a primary impedence of 7.5K, which is too high for the EL84 which wants to "see" about 5K. The other advantage is that Hammond can be configured for 5K.

If you do replace the stock OT, save it. It works well with 6V6 and similar tubes (6AQ5, 6CM6, 7408, 5871, etc.) I put one in a Champ circuit and it sounds better than when used with an EL84.

Once you change the stock OT, your voltages may go up. You might want to mod the power supply and rebias the power amp so that your amp doesn't eat tubes:

http://www.diycustomamps.com/valvejunior.htm#vjbias

BTW, be careful when soldering the PCB in the Ver2 amp, they are very fragile: the traces will lift if you apply to much heat with the soldering iron.

If you want to mod the preamp section, I can make some recommendations.

One last thing: if you have a DMM that only measures up to 300v DC, you could fry your meter measuring some of the voltages in the VJ.

tung
 
tunghaichuan said:
....I do have a pair of 8" Webers I plan to put in a 2x8" cab.
Click to expand...
Which model 8" Weber, Tung? They make a bazillion of them!

Guitar Gal said:
....I was looking at getting the Hammond 125ESE to replace the stock OT. From what I have read, this mod makes the most difference and is definitely worth it. Do you still have the original OT or did you replace it? I looked at those 8" weber speakers too.....looks like they are a decent price.
Click to expand...
No, I didn't replace the stock OT in mine. Haven't decided if I will or not. Between an OT and a new speaker, I'd be sinking another $60 - $70 in the amp, and I only paid $92 for it on eBay! Gotta think about this....

BTW, which Weber model were you looking at, GG?
 
tunghaichuan said:
The magnet says C8SS-8. Know anything about them? I got them about 4-5 years ago.
Click to expand...
Does THIS look like them? Closest thing I can find on the Weber site to that "C8SS-8" designation, ostensibly denoting Ceramic 8" Signature S model, 8 ohm version.

Two models that piqued my interest were these:


Comments/advice? An alnico speaker for $31.50 looks very tempting!

EDIT: Here's another alnico for $35 that looks interesting:

 
duhvoodooman said:
Does THIS look like them? Closest thing I can find on the Weber site to that "C8SS-8" designation, ostensibly denoting Ceramic 8" Signature S model, 8 ohm version.

Two models that piqued my interest were these:


Comments/advice? An alnico speaker for $31.50 looks very tempting!
Click to expand...

I think those are the ones. I believe I bought mine on a close out a few years ago.

I'm not the right guy to ask about 8" speakers, I'm an 8" speaker hater :rotflmao:

Seriously though, the alnico speaker probably would sound better than most of them. Although one caveat is that the EL84 is a bright tube. Since an 8" speaker is going to accentuate the highs, and I tend to think of alnico speakers as bright, you may have a painfully bright amp with alnico. OTOH, a dark speaker might sound muddy.

EDIT: I would tend to think that the Blue Pup would be painfully bright with an EL84.

The best advice I can give you is to call or email Ted Weber and ask him what he thinks.

tung
 
WackyT said:
The Weber C8SS is the old part # for the signature series ribbed cone ceramic model.
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Alt/alt.guitar.amps/2006-04/msg02917.html

What's the sound difference between a ceramic and alnico magnetted speaker?
Click to expand...

My experience is that alnico speakers are brighter and compress when pushed. They sound good Fender Tweed circuits because as those old 50s Fenders tend to be dark/middy. Ceramic speakers sound more middy to me and more agressive when pushed.

Of course there are exceptions. The Celestion G12T-75 (ceramic) sounds painfully bright to me and lacks mids. A lot of metal guys like them to get the "scooped mids" death metal sound.

tung
 
Tung,

Thanks for the info. Will keep this in mind when I start the mods. Have not done anything yet.....still in the planning stages.

DVM,

I was looking at the same weber 8" that you were looking at: https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/asig8s.htm Thought the $31.50 was not a bad price.


:Dude:

GG
 
Well, at Tung's excellent suggestion, I have an e-mail in to Ted Weber asking if there's a particular model that he recommends for the Valve Junior combo. Alnico may well be the way to go, since Tung's description of the old Tweeds as being "dark/middy" is a pretty good characterization of how the VJr tends to sound, IMO. Could definitely use a shot of brightness. But we'll see what Ted has to say....
 
I did a little recording with my Valve Junior last night, to show the difference between playing through the stock speaker and running it through a cabinet instead. The cab I used is a 1x12 that I built with an AB Custom Audio cabinet and a WGS Veteran 30 speaker. Here are two clips, one with my Strat (neck p'up, clean, using the Behringer clean boost pedal I recently bought for a little extra oomph), and the other with my LP (bridge, with distortion/sustain courtesy of a juiced-up Rat clone pedal I built). For both clips, the same selection is played through twice, first through the 1x12 cabinet and then through the VJr's stock 8" speaker. You can hear pretty clearly how much more open the cab sounds, with better top-end definition and clarity. The stock speaker is definitely darker sounding, and has that boxy quality, esp. evident with the LP clip. BTW, I had that brightness switch I installed in my VJr turned on thoughout the recording of these clips; otherwise, the tone would be noticeably darker/duller.

For the Strat demo, I used the intro to a Joe Bonamassa tune that I've been learning (originally a BB King tune). Still some false notes and flubs in there, but I don't claim to be any "Smokin' Joe"! It's a work in progress. For the LP clip, I just used one of my favorite old Jeff Beck/Yardbirds riffs--good for practicing my legato playing.

Here are the clips:
 

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