trying to pick a new amp..

[ted s]

hey folks.. been thinking about getting a Vox ad30vt for a while, but suddenly wondering if I want all the adjustments for amp/cab sims. and effects. Been reading DVM's Epi.valve.Jr info and other sources. I think I like the idea of straight-stick little tube amp. I am not a gigging guy so I don't need blow the roof off volume. I currently have a Traynor TS-15 solid state. Volume wise is plenty. I have heard the V.Jr in person and was quite blown away by the tone and volume coming out of this little 5W box ! I don't understand it, 5 tube watts sounded huge, what's the deal with that ? I figured output is ouput ? Can anyone give me Coles noted explanation on that ?
What flavour of cab. would be a good match for theV.Jr. head ?

thanks

Ted

 

[ted s]

Anyone have feedback ?

 

[warren0728]

lopoline cabs have a good reputation and have tons of different grill cloth and tolex options.

http://www.lopoline.com/home.html

they also sell on ebay

http://stores.ebay.com/Lopo-Line

i am told the 1x12 or 2x12 are a good compliment for the valve jr. head.

I have the combo and it is a rocking little amp. I play it more than my ad30vt

ww

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Ted - if you're thinking of the Valve Jr. and wanting a cabinet to go with it have a listen to a clip that oldguy posted somewhere. That was a great sounding version of a Valve Jr through an Avatar cabinet. Pick his brains about it.

 

[Spudman]

lopoline cabs have a good reputation and have tons of different grill cloth and tolex options.

http://www.lopoline.com/home.html

they also sell on ebay

http://stores.ebay.com/Lopo-Line

i am told the 1x12 or 2x12 are a good compliment for the valve jr. head.

I have the combo and it is a rocking little amp. I play it more than my ad30vt

ww

Lopoline (formerly SS Cabs) also sell on some other sites for a little less money. Goggle them. It saves them Ebay costs and Paypal costs as well by taking the bay out of the picture. Find what you like of theirs online then call them and place the order. Same price as the auction sites or otherwise.

I have their 1x12 and it's a small box and sounds a bit boxy too. I have a vintage Celestion in it, a 25 watt. I think almost any 2x12 will sound fuller and can be used for a wider variety of applications. For just a little bit more $ the 2x12 is a better way to go because when you do finally hear the JR into a 2x12 live you are going to want it because it blows the 1x12 away. Save some money and do it right the first time...Unless you get the Ear Candy 1x12, but you can get several other speakers for the price of one Ear Candy cabinet.

 

[warren0728]

i think (not positive) lopoline makes a larger 1x12 cabinet now to get rid of some of the boxiness....i know they will if you ask them...but spud is right...through a 2x12 it should be awesome!

That first link is their new website so find what you like and give them a call!

ww

 

[duhvoodooman]

I have heard the V.Jr in person and was quite blown away by the tone and volume coming out of this little 5W box ! I don't understand it, 5 tube watts sounded huge, what's the deal with that ? I figured output is ouput ? Can anyone give me Coles noted explanation on that ?

Sure. Power and volume are two distinctly different things. Assuming that everything else is the same between two amps (and it never is!), a 50W amp would be 10 times as loud as a 5W, right?

Not even close! That's because volume is logarithmically related to power. Hence, 10 times more power is required to merely double the volume. So a 50W amp will only be twice as loud as a 5W, other things being equal. That's why that little Valve Jr. is still a mighty loud puppy! See more details HERE....

 

[warren0728]

very true...that's why i am thinking that my next amp is going to be a 1/2 watt gilmore jr. from these guys....sometimes the valve jr. is still too loud!

http://www.guytronix.com/home.html

and run it through a lopoline cabinet

ww

 

[ted s]

Good info. there guy's, DVM, my head hurts now..
So, I am assuming a cabinet with a couple of 12's could be quite a flexible ie: not married to a particular head ?

 

[Tone2TheBone]

very true...that's why i am thinking that my next amp is going to be a 1/2 watt gilmore jr. from these guys....sometimes the valve jr. is still too loud!

http://www.guytronix.com/home.html

and run it through a lopoline cabinet

ww

How much are those 1/2 watt Gilmour Jrs? Do you know?

 

[Robert]

Or/and get the AD50VT and run it through a cab! That is what I do, and it sounds great to me.

 

[warren0728]

How much are those 1/2 watt Gilmour Jrs? Do you know?

$239 for parts only...i think the $289 is for them to assemble it but i'm not sure...

http://www.guytronix.com/contactordering.html

ww

 

[Spudman]

very true...that's why i am thinking that my next amp is going to be a 1/2 watt gilmore jr. from these guys....sometimes the valve jr. is still too loud!

http://www.guytronix.com/home.html

and run it through a lopoline cabinet

ww

Get a THD Hotplate or a power soak. They will work with most amphs and that way if you do decide to get one of the 1/2 watt amphs then you have an attenuator for it already ... in case it's too loud.


Personally...earplugs are a lot cheaper.

 

[warren0728]

Personally...earplugs are a lot cheaper.

not as cool or as much fun! i am really moving towards low wattage tube amps....and also have a line on a vintage kalamazoo model 2 (gibson)

http://www.rru.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/Kalamazoo/M2/

ww

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Man it must suck living in the city.....no cranking of amphs? That stinks!

Those amph kits look cool though.

 

[warren0728]

oh i can crank them.....that's not the problem R

i am just intrigued by the extreme low wattage tube amphs....must be a phase i'm going through!!

ww

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Yowza! I'm intrigued. So Loopoline, Avatar, or Earcandy? 2x12 or 4x10 or 4x12. Yikes! Too many choices. I only want to buy a cab once. So I'd rather it be the right one, tone, flexibility, etc than to be jonesing a year later for something different.

 

[ted s]

Thanks everyone with your feedback and suggestions, I have a plan...(rubbing hands together) I think I'm going to go for the Vjr head. Rather than spend what could be large $ in comparison on a cabinet I will add jacks to the back of my Traynor TS15 to easily disconnect the traynor amp and plug in the head (the Traynor has 2 inputs so she stays intact). It's a 2x8 @ 8 ohms per in parallel for a final of 4 ohms. I'm thinking that will get me in the door and if I am really happy with the head I will build my own cabinet.

What say ye ??

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Personally, I have always loved the idea of turning a combo into a Frankenheadcab. That is, installing and input and an output jack into a combo amp so that it can act as a cab for another head or a head for another cab. It's kind'a like the native american or chinese concept of using *every* part of an animal.

I'd install an input jack into my soft grey matter if I knew how.

I already have an output jack, but unfortunately for y'all I refuse to remove it.

 

[ted s]

Ok, I done went and did it, 1 Epi.Vj head.. I'm stoked..just have to put jacks in my Traynor. A friend is a carpenter by trade, I may get him to build me a nice cab. If I hadn't read all the posotive posts about this peice, I never would have tried it out, might have been a bit of gear snobery, serious. I have learned a lot about gear hanging out here. Thanks for all the info.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Cool Ted! Congrats!

 

[oldguy]

Here, Ted, if you're interested.
Hope it helps. A good tube swap will really bring a V. Jr. some mojo, also.

http://www.savefile.com/files/3102

http://www.savefile.com/files/55041

Glenn

 

[ted s]

Thanks guys, but I have a question.. what is the proper pronunciation for Epiphone ? I've alway said e-pi-phone, but my wife read it and said e-pi-phonee ?

 

[stingx]

Does your wife pronounce fragile fra-gee-lay too? Hahahah just kidding. It's Eh-peh-phone.

 

[ted s]

good one Stingx !
Did a quick jack-ectomy and gave her a go, holy crap ! what an extrememely cool amp ! I can only imagine what it would sound like through a set of newer/better/larger speakers, very cool tones indeed. Best $150 Can$ I've ever spent on gear.
We don't need no steenking tone controls !
If the head is rated for 5w, and you were going to hook into a couple 10's or 12's, what would be a realistic rating for the speakers wattage wise ?

thanks again.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Does your wife pronounce fragile fra-gee-lay too? Hahahah just kidding. It's Eh-peh-phone.

That's fraw-jeel

I heard an audio clip where someone talked about his Demeter pedal which he pronounced as an American would pronounce limiter.

That has *got* to be wrong, it must be based on the goddess Demeter ponounced as in "damn! duh meter ate my quarter".