Epiphone Valve Senior?

[elenore19]

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ValveSrHD/
So I just ran across this while cruisin' through sweetwater..
Anyone know if it sounds good? I've heard great things about the valve jr.

Well if you haven't heard about it, at least now you know

I sure hope it can get super loud...

 

[hungovermorning]

Definitely interesting, but with all of the extra bells and whistles and extra voltage, I think I'd wait a bit and see how they hold up. The little ones didn't have enough voltage to hurt themselves. But the other question of course is, what else can you get for $299 new, and the 4 12ax7 probably give the power amp enough of a pre amp signal to make the amp at least enticing.

 

[elenore19]

Definitely interesting, but with all of the extra bells and whistles and extra voltage, I think I'd wait a bit and see how they hold up. The little ones didn't have enough voltage to hurt themselves. But the other question of course is, what else can you get for $299 new, and the 4 12ax7 probably give the power amp enough of a pre amp signal to make the amp at least enticing.

Yeah, exactly. I'm thinking it's my next amp. (Won't be buying it for at least a year sadly...)
But yeah. Still would love to try one of these things out.

 

[RejectionNinja]

The reason I like my Valve Jr. is 1) it cost $99, 2) it hasn't caught on fire, and 3) I have a couple different preamps to drive it. By itself, I don't think it sounds that great. With a preamp, it's a fantastic all-tube option for really, really, cheap.

However, if I have to use a $200-$500 preamp with a $360 Valve Sr, I would be disappointed. In other words, the Valve Sr. had better sound pretty rad all by itself, because there are other options around that price point. The 15W Peavey Windsor is $400, [Fender cranked up the price of all of their products by like 40% and are now hilariously overpriced], the Vox VT50 is $400, the Vox VT30 is $270, the Marshall MG50FX is $400. If you go used, the Peavey Classic 30 runs right around $350.

The Valve Sr. has competition. But who competes with the Valve Jr? Basically nothing but the Blackheart, and I've never read a review that prefers the Blackheart over the Epiphone. (I have never played the Crate.)

 

[rayc]

Count your blessings - look what we have to pay downunder & this doesn't include delivery from this cheap web based store!

Valve Junior Head
5W Tube Head with 12AX7 and EL84 Tubes In Stock $299

Valve Junior
5-watt, Tube Combo Amp In Stock! Last One $359

 

[RejectionNinja]

yeah the prices in Australia are tough. Google currently quotes that exchange rate as $196 USD for the Valve Jr. Head.

I've been toying with the idea of building low watt amps here in the US. It's really not that difficult, especially if 4 out of 5 people in your circle of friends are electrical engineers.

If I lived in Australia, I would be in business like yesterday.

 

[Supercreep]

I've been toying with the idea of building low watt amps here in the US. It's really not that difficult, especially if 4 out of 5 people in your circle of friends are electrical engineers.

I am listening with rapt attention.

 

[ggunn]

I've been toying with the idea of building low watt amps here in the US. It's really not that difficult, especially if 4 out of 5 people in your circle of friends are electrical engineers.

I am an electrical engineer. Unless your friends are over 60, they weren't taught anything at all about tubes and tube applications in engineering school. I graduated in 1986, and I sure wasn't. I looked for tube classes and got laughed at.

And when you total up the cost of materials, prep, assembly, and trim, it's going to be really tough to build an amp from scratch for significantly less than what it would cost you to buy something comparable unless you make a whole lot of them so you can buy supplies in huge quantities.

If it were "really not that difficult", then a lot more people would be doing it.

 

[RejectionNinja]

I am an electrical engineer. Unless your friends are over 60, they weren't taught anything at all about tubes and tube applications in engineering school. I graduated in 1986, and I sure wasn't. I looked for tube classes and got laughed at.

Nobody, really, was ever taught anything useful in college.

Except for the ability to find a book and teach himself.

And when you total up the cost of materials, prep, assembly, and trim, it's going to be really tough to build an amp from scratch for significantly less than what it would cost you to buy something comparable unless you make a whole lot of them so you can buy supplies in huge quantities.

Indeed! When there is a challenge, we should quit!

If it were "really not that difficult", then a lot more people would be doing it.

Like cooking yourself dinner! It seems like something that nearly anybody could do, but instead, there is a huge industry where people cook dinner for someone else! If cooking yourself dinner were really not that difficult, then a lot more people would be doing it, and all these restaurants would be forced to close.

Thanks for the input. We'll be sure to send you a unit for review.

My principle partner is currently wrapped up prototyping a project for the DOD in addition to his day job. The DOD project will certainly make him a large amount of money. He's got a wife and kid on the way, so that put tube amplifiers on the back burner, understandably.

 

[ggunn]

Indeed! When there is a challenge, we should quit!


Thanks for the input. We'll be sure to send you a unit for review.

I never said to quit, just do your research thoroughly. When you said it would be easy, it sounds to me like you haven't researched it enough... yet. There's a reason why even the low power small run boutique amps are so expensive; it's not that easy to build them and turn a profit.

And by all means, send me a unit for review when you get into production; I'll be happy to put it through its paces and let you know how it stands up to the rest of my gear. Rolleyes right back atcha. ;^)

 

[RejectionNinja]

I work in the DC beltway area with some VERY nerdy friends. The production costs may be an obstacle, but the technical aspects will be at most a learning opportunity. We were all set to order the equipment to start prototyping when my friend's side project was picked up by the military. Since then, I've seen him 3 times in the last 6 months.

If someone wants to put up $150k in start-up money to lure him off of his current project, be my guest. Until that happens, I just have to be patient until he has more free time. (I'm not an EE - the entire project depends upon my friend.)

 

[ggunn]

I work in the DC beltway area with some VERY nerdy friends. The production costs may be an obstacle, but the technical aspects will be at most a learning opportunity. We were all set to order the equipment to start prototyping when my friend's side project was picked up by the military. Since then, I've seen him 3 times in the last 6 months.

If someone wants to put up $150k in start-up money to lure him off of his current project, be my guest. Until that happens, I just have to be patient until he has more free time. (I'm not an EE - the entire project depends upon my friend.)

Cool. Do you guys plan to do anything innovative, or will you just mix and match old RCA circuits like most everybody else does?

 

[DrewPeterson7]

Nobody, really, was ever taught anything useful in college.

Hey, I learned how to mix a hell of a gin and tonic in college!

 

[Zaphod B]

Hey, I learned how to mix a hell of a gin and tonic in college!

Well, now, that's a tough one.

 

[Supercreep]

I'm ready to buy a low watt head if your ready to build one for a competitive price.

 

[MatchBookNotes]

Nobody, really, was ever taught anything useful in college.

Except for the ability to find a book and teach himself.



Indeed! When there is a challenge, we should quit!



Like cooking yourself dinner! It seems like something that nearly anybody could do, but instead, there is a huge industry where people cook dinner for someone else! If cooking yourself dinner were really not that difficult, then a lot more people would be doing it, and all these restaurants would be forced to close.

Thanks for the input. We'll be sure to send you a unit for review.

My principle partner is currently wrapped up prototyping a project for the DOD in addition to his day job. The DOD project will certainly make him a large amount of money. He's got a wife and kid on the way, so that put tube amplifiers on the back burner, understandably.

thumbs up on your poignent reply, I'm a cook and thought that was funny, but cooking is so easy people are just lazy as pig stuffed to the brim so you'll always be able to make money on something that is desired. I've been trying to talk a friend of mine into the small amp making project for awhile too, we both have a large circle of friends who're musicians so we have a test market so i totally agree with you

 

[RejectionNinja]

Hey, I learned how to mix a hell of a gin and tonic in college!

Ok I stand corrected. Technically I also learned that after enough Jack Daniels, I'll start telling my current girlfriend how HOT my ex-girlfriend was. That was a very important lesson.

So now I drink Scotch.

 

[elenore19]

Ok I stand corrected. Technically I also learned that after enough Jack Daniels, I'll start telling my current girlfriend how HOT my ex-girlfriend was. That was a very important lesson.

So now I drink Scotch.

Haha. Definitely actually laughed out loud at that.