Small guitar amps

[DJL]

The Vox Pathfinder is the best dollar for dollar value that you will find.

Is the Vox Pathfinder a "tube" amp, if so, please tell me more about it? Thanks.

 

[RichHead]

Roland Cube 15 (has EQ, distortion settings or clean, input for other device and for headphones, aux--about $99) or Cube 20 (has all that + reverb-about $175)

Yep, yep. I previewed this amp next to Crate and Fender practice amps. The distortion is awesome. Has a recording out too.... (Cube 15 that is)

 

[LocusLarsen]

Is the Vox Pathfinder a "tube" amp, if so, please tell me more about it? Thanks.

Its not tube, but I have a hard time believing VOX would release it if it didn't sound good.

 

[DJL]

Thank you LocusLarsen.

 

[bongolation]

I think the Princeton is 65 watts and I really want less power.

There have been numerous Fender "Princeton" amps over the decades, all of them substantially different in configurations and outputs. The "Princeton Stereo Chorus" is a 2x25.5WRMS=51WRMS solid state amp that has quite a following among clean Jazz players, particularly. It's a snazzy little amp that is more popular than the later DSP version. It's fine at low volumes and the combined stereo 51WRMS is nothing like a monophonic 50WRMS tube amp. There are a lot of features, such as a front-loaded mono/stereo effects loop.

I bagged one of these brand new for $199.99 when they were blown out in 2001 and use it as my bedroom amp. I think MSRP was something around $599.

 

[bongolation]

For a small recording amp bang for the buck, the Fender Pro Junior is great. Seriously.

Yeah, the Pro Junior is interesting. Here's what I've noticed: People who don't really know any better get the Blues Junior. People who are sharper get the Pro Junior.

The earlier versions of the Blues Junior were lemons. The reverb (which I bought my Blues Junior specifically for) suffers from a poor circuit design and is basically worthless as reverbs go. Most are noisy and weak. After stonewalling the problem for years, Fender finally did a reverb circuit upgrade in 2001 (moving the reverb circuit in the signal path and changing the reverb OpAmp - yes, it's a solid-state reverb - from a TL072 to a 4560) and the current Mexican-made Blues Juniors have a somewhat improved reverb, though it's still not great. Relatively few American-made Blues Juniors were made with this mod in the few months between the introduction of the new circuit and the production move to Mexico.

The Pro Junior is a simpler and better-sounding design and eliminates the reverb entirely. The real guys prefer it to the Blues Junior, which I'm sorry to say is pretty grossly overrated. I regret buying my Blues Junior, though it's a pretty good one as Blues Juniors go.

 

[bongolation]

Roland Cube 15 (has EQ, distortion settings or clean, input for other device and for headphones, aux--about $99) or Cube 20 (has all that + reverb-about $175)

That's the "Cube 30."

There is a Roland "Cube-20," though, and it's one of my favorite amps: An ugly little burnt-orange sucker from the '80s that has just amazingly rich clean jazz tones for recording and an acceptable overdrive. It was expensive at the time and apparently a very basic amp, but it has wonderful sound for a little fellah, a real gem. These have a real cult following.

 

[bongolation]

He everyone. I want to pickup a few small 10 to 20 watt tube type guitar amps for my small studio.

I just noticed this application note (hey, I'm reading the thread backwards!) and I want to add a point to my Blues Junior comments above.

I got the Blues Junior for exactly the same purpose and found it totally unsuitable for two main reasons: One, the reverb circuit hiss on most of the MIAs is such that it results in an unacceptable noise floor for recording at low volumes and, two, the amp has to be really cranked to sound good. Low-volume recording levels don't cut it on the Blues Junior and it's a loud 15WRMS, as any owner will tell you. The Blues Junior sounds OK when you really open it up but it's nothing special at lower volumes.

A few months ago, I talked with a studio engineer about the Blues Junior's problems and he said that he had recorded "dozens" of them from various production runs and approximately half had the reverb noise to an objectionable level.

So, check it out on the one you buy. Fender uses just about the cheapest board components on these, so the noise tends to accumulate.

 

[LocusLarsen]

.....just a side note kind of question........

Those Fender DuoTones that are form the custom shop........ya know, the Blues Junior with a 12" and a 10" speaker. Do they have a different wiring configuration, reverb, etc. For $1200 it seems to me you shoud get more than a BJ plus a 2nd speaker in a different Cab.

 

[mam]

pathfinder!

I use the Vox Pathfinder. Studio & ocassional gig use. Sounds GREAT. Solid State but I like it.

mam

 

[DJL]

There have been numerous Fender "Princeton" amps over the decades, all of them substantially different in configurations and outputs. The "Princeton Stereo Chorus" is a 2x25.5WRMS=51WRMS solid state amp that has quite a following among clean Jazz players, particularly. It's a snazzy little amp that is more popular than the later DSP version. It's fine at low volumes and the combined stereo 51WRMS is nothing like a monophonic 50WRMS tube amp. There are a lot of features, such as a front-loaded mono/stereo effects loop.

I bagged one of these brand new for $199.99 when they were blown out in 2001 and use it as my bedroom amp. I think MSRP was something around $599.

I had no idea that there were so many different versions of the Princeton. That is good information to have. Thank you very much.

 

[DJL]

Re: Re: Small guitar amps

I just noticed this application note (hey, I'm reading the thread backwards!) and I want to add a point to my Blues Junior comments above.

I got the Blues Junior for exactly the same purpose and found it totally unsuitable for two main reasons: One, the reverb circuit hiss on most of the MIAs is such that it results in an unacceptable noise floor for recording at low volumes and, two, the amp has to be really cranked to sound good. Low-volume recording levels don't cut it on the Blues Junior and it's a loud 15WRMS, as any owner will tell you. The Blues Junior sounds OK when you really open it up but it's nothing special at lower volumes.

A few months ago, I talked with a studio engineer about the Blues Junior's problems and he said that he had recorded "dozens" of them from various production runs and approximately half had the reverb noise to an objectionable level.

So, check it out on the one you buy. Fender uses just about the cheapest board components on these, so the noise tends to accumulate.

Ok, I'll be careful and keep an eye out for that. Thank you for your help.

 

[DJL]

Here's another guitar amp thread https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=79772 I added this link to this thread for future members searching.