Itsy bitsy combo amps..

[northern_dirt]

Anyone tried either the

Vox Pathfinder 10?

or

Fender 600 champion?

or

Epiphone Valve Junior?

[mjet]

There was a question posted to Steve at Angela's Music on one of his online (ebay) auctions. I'll let it speak for itself.

[Auction was for a Fender Blues Junior Output Transformer]

Q:  Could I put this on my Epiphone valve junior? And would there be any improvement or benefit from doing so? I'm looking for a way to get a little bit more power from the Epi. Jan-12-08


A:  No. We do offer a number of good single-ended output transformers on the HAMMOND TRANSFORMER and FENDER TRANSFORMERS pages of the Angela Instruments website www.angela.com, several of which are commonly used as uprgrades for the Epiphone Valve Junior (e.g. Hammond 125DSE, 125E, Fender 10W Single Ended Output Transformer, etc.). We also have all of these for sale in our EBay store. You won't get any "more power" from your amp by changing the output transformer (that is pretty much fixed by the use of a single output tube and the plate voltage of the stock power transformer...) but you will get much better tone and much, much better bass response. I also recommend changing the crappy tubes that come with the Epiphone for NEW OLD STOCK USA or Western Euro tubes. If you have the combo version of the Junior it's also worthwhile changing the stock speaker for a alnico type (Fender/Eminence or old Jensen) and ditching the horrible sounding particle board cabinet for a solid pine/plywood baffleboard enclosure. In short, you've got a nice little tube amp there as long as you change almost everything. If you want a really good single-ended guitar amp you might want to just sell the Junior and build the Single-Ended 6V6 Guitar Amp project on the Angela Instruments website; it just flat out blows the doors off the Epiphone in terms of tone. Best of luck with your project. Steve Melkisethian/Angela Instruments/www.angela.com

The punchline is applicable to what I've heard about all three of those amps you mention:

In short, you've got a nice little tube amp there as long as you change almost everything.

That's frustrating because we know that all of these companies CAN make a good (some say great), itsy bitsy amp - they've all done it in the past. But now? It seems to be the impossible dream.

[northern_dirt]

Been trying to get away from amps.. but its tough..
Apartment.. don't want the neighbours knocking down my
door at 3am

Id (if I had endless funds) get a Weber attenuator
and some full sized combo's but that's not happening..

[bish]

I started a thread below about Blackheart amps index.php?topic=8868.0 which seem  to be getting rave reviews and low wattage and inexpensive.

http://www.blackhearteng.com/

Currently they have a 5w amp and are coming out with a 15w and "Fractional watt" (would that be 1/2 watt?) Everything I have read is that they are constructed well and sound good out of the box and then you can modify them if you choose too.

If your on a budget like me and just want to keep the neighbors happy this might be something to look into.

-bish

[mjet]

How about one of these guys?

http://zvexamps.com/amp_view.html

[Orang Goreng]

Yannis used to have one of those, I think...

[zhivago]

I did indeed...had it for quite a while...great amp for the apartment....but mostly for dirty sounds....the sound gets hairy past 9 o clock on the volume, and then more and more distorted...through a 4x12, maxed it's actualy too loud for an apartment! 

things can be tamed with different combinations of the 3-way switches, so cleanish sounds can be had round 11 o'clock on the dial...this is with single coils


actually, I wanna buy another at some point...but at the moment, all I want is an old Les Paul, so it'll be quite a while since I buy a Nano again

[northern_dirt]

Those lil ZVek amps look pretty cool..
but seem to be pretty expensive

[zhivago]

they are on the pricey side, yes...but I think they are worth it...if you want Marshall-like sounds in your apartment, they do it

with an added boost, I'd get CRAZY harmonics on guitar solos and stuff...it was so amazing, as the volume was manageable!

the cleans are what is lacking though...they just aren't really there....and the Nano really is a recording amp....if like me though, you are not too fussy with 20 billion tonal options, then you can rock out on one easily.

one of my fave songs to play was "Ain't It Fun" by the Dead Boys....god, it killed completely.....so fucking dirty, but also with strings ringing through....

basically, don't be fooled by it, it's a real amp...100% real.

[northern_dirt]

Im sure it is.. itll be the one "marshallesque" mini I will be considering

[northern_dirt]

So no views on the baby vox?

[fonzie]

I know that the Valve junior and champ 600 usually have humming problems but its really only if you turn it up high. You can buy mod kits to fix them if its too much of a problem. Out of those two, i'd choose the champ 600. Havent tried out the vox one before..

[northern_dirt]

I know that the Valve junior and champ 600 usually have humming problems but its really only if you turn it up high. You can buy mod kits to fix them if its too much of a problem. Out of those two, i'd choose the champ 600. Havent tried out the vox one before..

I think the vox sells for $60 or $70 bux new in store.. thats kinda why im pushing on it

[idiotbear]

I just bought my buddy a Valve Jr for his 30th. He has no decent amp at all, and I like that amp a lot. Also, getting hold of Champ 600s in the UK at the moment is impossible, and not worth going to some ridiculous effort for. The VJr will be fine.

[Pingu]

If you don't mind spending a little extra you could always find a Vibrochamp on the bay. IMO the best bedroom combo out there.

I have an Orange Crush. It's no tubie, but it is dirt cheap and sounds very nice clean.

Haven't tried the Pathfinder, but both the 600 and the Valve Junior are excellent.