I'm currently using a Marshall Class 5 which makes a fantastic racket but is very loud for 5 watts. I use the "headphones out" trick into another cab to keep the volumes reasonable. Just wondered what others were using?
I'm currently using a Marshall Class 5 which makes a fantastic racket but is very loud for 5 watts. I use the "headphones out" trick into another cab to keep the volumes reasonable. Just wondered what others were using?
Of the 2 I've owned, I like the Epi VJ head (current version). I had the Vox AC4TV but just wasn't into the closed back sound. I put a '59 RCA 12" speaker in the Epi VJ cab and better tubes. Love it.
Heard good things about the Marshall.
I have a few small valve amps
Marshall Class 5
Blackstar HT-5
Epi Valve Jnr
Vox ACTV
The most flexible, for me, for using at home is the Blackstar because of the master Volume. The Class 5 and Epi are a bit to loud. The Vox is good in that it goes down to a quarter of a watt (10" speaker version).
I have taken each of them to jams or small gigs. The Epi is the least versatile, having just the volume control. The most versatile is the HT-5 with the Class 5 and Vox somewhere in between.
All are excellent amps for the money though
i'm about to pull the trigger on a tube practice amp, so i love to read opinions from owners.
If anyone is in the market for a Vox AC4TV8, J&R has them for $119.00 right now with free shipping.
Vox AC4TV8
The Fender Super Champ XD should not be overlooked. I have had one for a few months now and really like it. Big enough for small gigs, small enough for practice and home use.
I love my SuperChamp XD. I wouldn't mind a Vibrochamp as well... A bit less power, though I'd probably want to convert it to a 10" speaker. I've raved ad nauseum about the SCXD. It's a great little performer for practice.Originally Posted by workknot
If I'm practicing bottleneck, I use my old Oahu, Chicago 51. If I need cleaner, I use my hot-rodded SF Princeton Reverb. It can actually work on a lot of gigs if the band is not too loud. 20 watts, BIG PT, DrZ OT, 12" Celestion, tilt-backs.
I have a Vibro Champ XD, and find it VERY versatile. I generally just plug straight in for practice. "Look Ma, No Pedals!!"
I also have a Champion 600, that is a lot of fun. it overdrives very nicely, and also has a nice clean sound.
From GC I bought and returned a Roland Microcube, a Champ 600, a Bugera V5, and a Roland Cube 30 before settling on a Super Champ XD. I will not put down any of those other amps but I will say that once I had played the SCXD for a couple of days and replaced the speaker I could find no reason to keep shopping.
THROUGH ALL OF OUR SENSES WE ARE AT THE END OF THE DAY JUST GODS WAY OF TASTING THE UNIVERSE
A Fender G-Dec Jr for guitar & a Traynor TBM-10 for bass--both easy to carry around the house, so I can practice anywhere & also with headphone jacks.
The G-Dec has backing tracks and different sounds--so lots of fun that way too.
Yeah--not tube amps, but that's what I use.
Last edited by zontar; 08-10-2010 at 01:49 AM.
I've been a pilgrim on this earth, since the day of my birth, I'm a long way from my home.
+1
IMO, any amp with a single 10" speaker fits this thread (small amp). Some of us have compared the Vibro version of this amp w/ the SCXD. The differences were significant for me during an A/B comparison. Super Champ XD has a larger speaker, 15 watts (5 for the Vibro), and channel switching.
This amounts to more volume if cranked at home, or getting together somewhere else-at a jam!
I love my Fender SCXD, but I use that for gigging....here is my favorite amp for home practicing.
ADK
you know I'd say this one but my wife actually came running when I put it at power setting one with the sensitivity switch all the way up. Even with the sensitivity switch all the way down and volume at 1 I still got gaff for it.
It's not down in the 5-watt class, but at home I use my Blues Junior.
I find my Blues Jr. a bit too loud at home. Pulled the trigger on the 8" Vox AC4TV that J&R has on sale. Am debating a Vibro versus a Super Champ....
will chime back in after I've played with the Vox a bit...
I've been thinking about getting that Vox as well. Will look forward to hearing your feedback on it.
I'd like to hear about that vox too. I had been playing at home with a marshall valvestate and initially thought it sounded okay but as time goes by I find myself liking it less and less. Almost time to dump it and get a valve practice amp.
first impressions of the AC4TV8
it came yesterday, plugged it in and gave it a quick try...
my Tele just sparkled on the clean tones, the breakup was nice, over driven..not sure there...need to find enough without it being too much...but plenty of volume for a bedroom amp and on the 1 watt or 1/10 watt settings, not too loud at all
with the Firebird it sounded very good, not quite as Vox chimey as the Tele but had a surprisingly good low end for an 8" speaker....
recovering from a migraine today so am laying low...
more when my head will let me
so far, I'd say it's a keeper and it was a screaming deal !
The more I play through this little amp, the more I like it. It's a keeper. I tried my Twin Tube Classic pedal with it and found that it never sounded better. I can control the really over driven sound much better with the pedal. The clean sound is great, the Tele sounds great. I A/B'd a bit with my Blues Junior yesterday. I'm quite happy with this as my main amp (for now). I took the Jr. in and put it on consignment, it's a nice amp but more amp that I need.
I saw the thread about J&R blowing these out at $119 (or less), thought for the price, a nice little bargain, what the heck...but this amp is very good. I'm glad I ordered one.
This vox does sound nice!
Is there only a tone control and no separate bass/mid/treble? I've never had an amp like that- no problems there? Just curious.
amazingly good sound/tone IMO..
this amp has volume, tone and the attenuator (4, 1 0r 1/10 watt)
I guess you could use an EQ pedal if you needed more tone control. This is an amazing little amp for the price. I haven't been happy with most of my recent purchases. This is a nice brak in that pattern. It has suprisingly good bottom end for a little speaker. You can run it through other cabinets if you'd like.
I like those chickenhead knobs!
I'm way in the minority liking heavy bass out of a tele- (who'd 'a thunk?) I'll have to test this guy out. Gotta admit thought that I am moth and the flame with my v4
Yeah! What he said. I love my XD.
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The Oahu for bottleneck and lapsteel, and the PR, 20 watter, for cleaner practice. Although at 20 watts, the PR went to a lot of gigs.
I had an Epi V Jr modded for me, changed the power tube to a 6v6 instead of the EL84, added a gain pot, and tone as well as low and high input jacks and the main thing is a bigger out put transformer. This amp is so different now, very clean and bright but with out hte flabby bottom end. it has tons of clean head room and souns good down low or cranked. The gain gives some crunch but not real heavy. With my TS808 and Holy Grail reverb in front it is a very cool rig. The guy who did the work basically hand wired the mods and completely ditched the PCB. Not quite sure how to post a pic or I would thow one up here.
this definitely classifies as a small amp in my book and is my current favourite...
looks amazing.. now I wonder how much these amps go for... are they cheap there? if they are really cheap, and one great sounding amp, paying for shipping and taxes for one could be worth it... I just want something that has like 15 - 50watts, with very good reverb and superb cleans..this definitely classifies as a small amp in my book and is my current favourite...
The Reverberocket isn't that cheap because they are fairly rare- at 18 watts it is nice for practice but wouldn't really get super loud.
If you want a loud vintage ampeg you have the mid- 1960's Gemini II or VI- 30 watts, great reverb and vintage tone. These amps are largely forgotten and the value is pretty low- $300-$500 depending on condition. Looks kind of like the Reverberocket with the blue diamond tolex.
If you want LOUD with tons of headroom you move into the late-60's ampegs with the SVT- like the Gemini 50 watt 212. Totally different amps. Really they are like a mini combo version of the v-4. Look at this one- left for dead- they'd take $225 for it- I know because I called.
GuitarCenter
yeah you won't get it for free- but compared to a vintage Fender or Vox Ampeg is dirt cheap. Shipping in your case is a real killer you could be doubling the cost of the amp. Ampeg did do a reissue of the Reverberocket a few years ago but I really couldn't comment on whether they are good or not- I think some were made in Korea and some in the USA but I am not 100% sure.
Too bad you are so far or I would sell you my Peavey 30- I haven't switched the thing on since I bought the RR.
I have a Johnson Laredo T-25R amp that I've used at home and for small gigs for quite a few years now. I have upgraded the original speaker to an Emminence Red Fang and that really gave it a lot more kick!
They claimed it was 25 watts-I would have to discount it down to 15 watts or so with the tubes that they used. The knobs are metal knob similar to the ones on a Telecaster-very solid! There is also a wet/dry contour knob for the effects loop well.
It was about $275 when I bought it several years ago.
My amp is slightly different, there is a standby switch instead of the headphone jack.
• 25 Watts RMS
• Power Amp: 2 x EL84 Tubes
• Pre-Amp: 2 x 12AX7 Tubes
• Accutronics Reverb
• 10" Alphatone Speaker
• 1/4" Input/Output Jacks
• 3-Band EQ
• Footswitch Jack
• Effects Send & Return
• 14.5" x 17.25" x 9.5" at 25 lbs
I too do the bedroom trick with my Class 5.
It looks interesting, but i have no experience with it. I have been play through a SCXD and a Blues Jr. I love both, but would like to get rid of the Blues Jr.
I have three small amps, that I like a lot: A Fender SCXD, VHT Special 6, and an Orange Crush 30R. I'm a guitar teacher, and I use the amps for lessons. I also use them for band practice and indoor gigs. I rarely use my 40 and 80 watt amps any more.
My little practise amp is a Valve Jnr clone that's been hot rodded by RAT electronics in the UK. http://www.ratvalveamps.com/
It started life as a cheapo Chinese made Harley Benton GA5. The chassis and cabinet are just about the only things that remain of the original. It has an 8" Celestion speaker and dual power tubes (switched via the front panel). I've currently got an EL84 and a 6L6 in there, so at full volume I'm getting a little over 10 watts from it when in the overdriven bias mode. The power scaling feature allows it to be used anywhere down to sub 1 watt levels too with no loss of tone, so it's a very flexible little amp.
Last edited by Captain Bb; 01-09-2011 at 06:22 AM.
I did the dumbest thing sometime back. I had a really nice Blues Junior that had all the BilM mods done to it. I had more money in mods than in amplifier. I also had come up with an empty matching Blues Jr. Cabinet with the matching Fender speaker still installed in it. When Bill did the mods I got him to install a speaker out jack. That Blues Jr. setup with 2 x 12's in little light weight boxes was a great setup. So then I got the GAS for something else, who the heck remembers what it was, and I sold that little amp system on eBay for about half of what it was worth. I miss that little rig.
Big Ron
Big Ron
Chattanooga, TN
We've all done it I guess Ron. I've sold a couple of guitars I wish I hadn't, that's for sure!
Yep. I use mine for small gigs/church. Would use for practice/home if I ever did the latter.
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I use a Peavey Valve King Royal 8 and it's still to loud to crank in my apartment. It sounds nice, I'd like more features on it though. I'd like to build one using a 12AT7 for power tube. Something I could push pretty good at low volume.
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