Just got an Epiphone Valve Junior head .....

[Lt. Bob]

... those of ya'll that know me know I have a fairly serious amp collection and I use it a lot. So I know amps and let me tell ya' ......
For $100 this is a killer little head. It's built super solid and looks very cool. It goes from bluesy to a crunchy rhythm to an endless sustain to total distortion but it never gets so mushed together that you can't distinguish notes.
It's not too loud for recording but it's still probably loud enough for quiet gigs.
But I think it's forte is gonna be in the studio providing rich tube sound without bumming the neighbors.

Yes, my Mesa or my Marshall 6101 are better ...... but for anyone lacking a nice tube sound ..... this is the cheapest way I see to get it.
If you've been missing that tube sound .... this is your chance .... get one before they change the design ....... the head, not the combo.

[travelin travis]

Lt. Bob, have you put an overdrive in front of the amp yet? I wonder what it would sound like with an ocd pedal. Congrats on getting the amp.

[Lt. Bob]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

Lt. Bob, have you put an overdrive in front of the amp yet? I wonder what it would sound like with an ocd pedal. Congrats on getting the amp.

I'll try that tomorrow and I'll let you know.
I've read that it likes pedals so I'm hopeful.

BTW ....... I live in Florida now ..... pm me if you're anywhere near the Daytona area and we'll try to get together.

[Henry Mars]

I bought one of these things a few weeks ago and I love it. Reminds me of the amps I used to play through when I was a kid. I love the sound of my 55-77 LP with the P90's.

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Lt. Bob

I'll try that tomorrow and I'll let you know.
I've read that it likes pedals so I'm hopeful.

BTW ....... I live in Florida now ..... pm me if you're anywhere near the Daytona area and we'll try to get together.

Actually, I'm not in Florida anymore Bob. I've been in Oklahoma for the last 8 months. I picked a pretty crappy name when I started using this bbs. I could change it but what the hell. My brother lives in Deland. Next time I make a visit, I'll hit ya up.

If you get a chance, post some sound clips of your Junior. I've heard a couple of the combo's thru sound clips but not the head version.

[beezelbubba]

You said "got" and "head" in the same sentence!

[Dogman]

Originally Posted by beezelbubba

You said "got" and "head" in the same sentence!

You need a good asswhooping son.....

Congrats Bob.....

[Lt. Bob]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

My brother lives in Deland. Next time I make a visit, I'll hit ya up.

I live in Deland so you won't have to go far.
I'll try to post a clip but it'll be Sunday or Monday before I can get to it.

[Anfontan]

Damn, looks like another amp I need to pick up....think I'll be able to hide it easily with the others so the Mrs. won't notice?

[Micter]

I have the combo and modded the heck out of it. It is nothing like stock. I also have a head on order. I placed the order on March 12th and have a delivery date of Sept. 19th. LOL!

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Lt. Bob

I live in Deland so you won't have to go far.
I'll try to post a clip but it'll be Sunday or Monday before I can get to it.

Damn, I should have had you take your sax over to my brothers house and play happy birthday. His birthday was 2 days ago. That would have weirded him out..........some guy just showing up at the door with a sax...........he has'nt been there long and does'nt know too many people yet. It's a small world. I was there just before christmas.

[Lt. Bob]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

Damn, I should have had you take your sax over to my brothers house and play happy birthday. His birthday was 2 days ago. That would have weirded him out..........some guy just showing up at the door with a sax...........he has'nt been there long and does'nt know too many people yet. It's a small world. I was there just before christmas.

ROTFLMAO!!!
Would that have been funnY?!?!?! hahaha!

We'll have to figure out something to do like that.
Just don't get me shot.

hee!

[Track Rat]

I'd like to hear it Bob. I'm always on the quest for amps/gear.

[hixmix]

Originally Posted by Micter

I have the combo and modded the heck out of it. It is nothing like stock. I also have a head on order. I placed the order on March 12th and have a delivery date of Sept. 19th. LOL!

What mods did you do on the combo and how much did you spend on parts?

[Micter]

Originally Posted by hixmix

What mods did you do on the combo and how much did you spend on parts?

R1 pulled out
R2 to a 22k
Input jack swapped for an old Marshall style plastic
Put a 1meg resistor from the tip to ground
added a jumper from ground of jack to ground side of R8
R8 to a 1.5k
C4 to a 10uf 15v cap
C3 I put the cap from C4
on top of R6 I put a 500 pf 400 V cap

I did the DC filament voltage mod as well

I put an Eminence Legend 8

Total with the speaker was around $100. I would probably not have upgraded the speaker looking back. That was $75 of the total cost.

[hixmix]

I wish I was good enough with soldering to mod printed circuit boards like that. I took an electronics course several years ago and pretty much trashed all the boards I practiced on. Sloppy, sloppy! Changing a speaker is easy enough though.

[donkeystyle]

I just bought the head. i wanted to get it from a local music store, but the store was taking forever to get me one. they told me they'd have them in stock in 7 to 10 days. I had a friend check in on it this week, which was literally about a month after I asked them to get me one.

I ended up ordering it from musicians friend.......I really didn't want to........and anyway. I think it went out today. I've heard the combo before and I liked it, so I'm pretty damn excited.

[blazingstrings]

I got to add my 2cents worth to the Epi tube amp deal.

Maybe I just got the bad end of a first batch but I bought the little combo jr. like 5 watts or so............ All it did was hummmmmmmm and LOUD!
I was so disapointed the floor model worked fine but the store wouldnt sell it to me and the boxed one I first got was humming and the second one was basicly crushed.
Damn shame cause the floor model worked swell.

-Blaze

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by blazingstrings

I got to add my 2cents worth to the Epi tube amp deal.

Maybe I just got the bad end of a first batch but I bought the little combo jr. like 5 watts or so............ All it did was hummmmmmmm and LOUD!
I was so disapointed the floor model worked fine but the store wouldnt sell it to me and the boxed one I first got was humming and the second one was basicly crushed.
Damn shame cause the floor model worked swell.

-Blaze

There's a mod all over the net to cure the humming.......actually, I think there's a couple of different versions to pick from now.

[notCardio]

I'm assuming you've got to have it cranked to get the bluesy overdrive. I need something that I can get that sound quietly, not just 'less than a half-stack'. I've got an early 60's Vibro Champ, and even though I think it's only supposed to be 5W, that sucker's loud. Can you use a power soak with something like that?

[Lt. Bob]

The combo's different than the head. My head is completely quiet and I've seen a bunch of reviews that said the combo's noisy and the head's quiet. My head is definitely quiet.


Yes ...... you could use a power soak with it but I get a nice bluesy tone at 1/4 and I didn't find it that loud. Your idea of loud and mine might be different.
But I could put it in a closet to record and I doubt anyone would hear it.

[Track Rat]

I'd love to get one next to my Rivera Pubster which is sort of a Super Champ on steroids. I know I've been whoring it all over the board but I recently got a '62 Silvertone 1448. Three watts into a 6". It was built into a DanElectro guitar case but I have it in a box I cobbled together. It gets dirty but it won't "scream" It's just about perfect for blues.

[jimistone]

Originally Posted by Lt. Bob

The combo's different than the head. My head is completely quiet and I've seen a bunch of reviews that said the combo's noisy and the head's quiet. My head is definitely quiet.


Yes ...... you could use a power soak with it but I get a nice bluesy tone at 1/4 and I didn't find it that loud. Your idea of loud and mine might be different.
But I could put it in a closet to record and I doubt anyone would hear it.

my first amp ( 1972) was an old (50's or 60's era) epiphone tube combo with one 15....it sounded so good...natural blues tube saturation to die for.

the transformer went south after a couple of years. I threw it away because the music store I was doing business with told me it wasn't worth fixing.
I loved that amp.

Man, I wish I had kept it...but, ya live and learn I guess.

[hixmix]

Originally Posted by blazingstrings

I got to add my 2cents worth to the Epi tube amp deal.

Maybe I just got the bad end of a first batch but I bought the little combo jr. like 5 watts or so............ All it did was hummmmmmmm and LOUD!
I was so disapointed the floor model worked fine but the store wouldnt sell it to me and the boxed one I first got was humming and the second one was basicly crushed.
Damn shame cause the floor model worked swell.

-Blaze

Epi addressed the hum issue. All the ones manufactured after December 2005 have the modifications. Look for ones with anything after 1205(december 2005) in the serial number. Prices were also raised $10 and $20 respectively for the head and the combo.

[Micter]

Well, to my surprize my V Jr. head came in today. I really like the way it sounds through a 2x12 cab, Very nice! I will give it a week or so before I break out the soldering iron.