Epiphone Valve Junior

[batchainpuller]

I'm interested in this model for a practice amp however I can't decide between the head or the combo. I'm not looking to spend very much; I believe a 1x10 cab would probably suit my needs. I read somewhere that the head version has a DC filament supply as well which would reduce the ambient hum the combo apparently suffers from.
I can't spend very much right now but I'd rather get the head and a cab if you guys think it would be a better option than the combo. Many thanks for your help.

[pullover]

Get the head. The combo comes with just an 8". Why limit yourself to an 8" speaker?  You want a 1x10 now but if you decide later on you want to try it with a 4X12 cabinet you can.

[daydreamdelay]

I talked to that place Jackson and they have a few heads in stock for $95, they price match too if you can find a better deal online.. just write down the url for them

[Jay]

Get the head.  The head has some minor circuit changes that are an improvement over the combos with regards to noise/hum.  Not to mention there are a ton of people modding these things as well so if you're inclined, it can be tweaked to be a real boutique level amp for just a few bucks.

[batchainpuller]

I talked to that place Jackson and they have a few heads in stock for $95, they price match too if you can find a better deal online.. just write down the url for them

Thanks Justin and everyone else - you've made up my mind. Any suggestions for a (cheap) yet decent 1x10 cab?

[daydreamdelay]

np 

there's a seller on ebay who sells 1x10 cabs, pre built for $100 and diy kit for $80

they look pretty good but you'd have buy a speaker (another $30-$100+) and would have to ask if they'd ship to Canada as it says US only.. worst case you could have it sent here and pick it up, probably more trouble than it's worth for you but it's an option.

You don't see a lot of 1x10 cabs 

[holy-reverb!!]

this would make it sound so much better.

http://www.mercurymagnetics.com/pages/mainframe.htm

[pullover]

Thanks Justin and everyone else - you've made up my mind. Any suggestions for a (cheap) yet decent 1x10 cab?

Cheapest, build your own out of old bookshelves like this guy did.
http://www.diyguitarist.com/GuitarAmps/FFSpeakerCab.htm

[holy-reverb!!]

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/wccabs.htm

[batchainpuller]

I still have an old Marshall VS-30R solid state combo with a 1x10 speaker. Presumably I can just use the combo with the Epi head?

[Vinkie]

Sure you can, the head can use 4/8/16 ohms loads. If the speaker lead is too short you could easily solder in a longer one. You could also remove the amp from the chassis and make a new baffle board to cover up the empty space but then it would maybe be better to sell the marshall and buy or build a nice cab, which isn't really that hard to do.

[batchainpuller]

Sure you can, the head can use 4/8/16 ohms loads. If the speaker lead is too short you could easily solder in a longer one. You could also remove the amp from the chassis and make a new baffle board to cover up the empty space but then it would maybe be better to sell the marshall and buy or build a nice cab, which isn't really that hard to do.

Thanks, Vinkie.

[Who Ran The Iron Horse?]

I just bought the combo. It's been waylaid at a warehouse somewhere though, annoyingly.

By the way, the improvements that were made to the circuit with regards to hum are now in the combo version too. The only difference now is the head has 8 and 16 ohm outputs, whereas the combo still has just 4.

[batchainpuller]

I just bought the combo. It's been waylaid at a warehouse somewhere though, annoyingly.

By the way, the improvements that were made to the circuit with regards to hum are now in the combo version too. The only difference now is the head has 8 and 16 ohm outputs, whereas the combo still has just 4.

Good to know. Are there any cosmetic differences between the new generation of combos and the older ones in case I find one used and want to tell them apart? Regards.

[Who Ran The Iron Horse?]

Yeah, I think so. The old versions have three stripes running through the centre of the  control plate, while the new ones have two stripes at the top. The old ones look better in my opinion, but looks schmooks if the sound is improved.