Members Thunderbroom Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 As I mentioned over the weekend (and just posted a pic thread of), I played guitar with my rock band (the one I'm trying to ease out of). Anyway...I had fun playing guitar on a few songs, but my amp (Boss MG-10) was woefully inadequate. I'm not planning to switch to guitar, but the other guitarist in my band suggested that I should play more guitar with the band. I've wanted a nice amp for my rehearsal space anyway, so maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. I want a tube amp that's under $500 (as far below as possible) that I can practice, rehearse, and gig with (should the opportunity present itself again). Peavey ValveKing 112 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenfascist Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 The Valveking will be your overall best bang for the $. But the reverb on the Fender will be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thunderbroom Posted January 23, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 Originally posted by zenfascist The Valveking will be your overall best bang for the $. But the reverb on the Fender will be better. I think 50w is a bit much though. I agree with you ont he "bang for the $", but it seems from reading that there may be some reliability issues with the ValveKing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bud-Man Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 Sorry to hear the little amp didn't cut it Between the three amps you have listed, that valveking may be a good option. But, I have never heard one- When I first saw them I thought it was a lot of tube amp for about the lowest price I have even seen- I definitely recommend the Blues Junior though over the Pro Junior. The main reason is Blues Junior has a sweet reverb that just completes the Fender sound- that and it has a 12" speaker- for $100 more these features are definitely worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members i_wanna_les_paul Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 If you're wanting max versatility, I'd go with the VK. When I played one, it was really good for a cheaper tube amp. Plenty of gain, workable EQ section and capable of lower-gain sounds. If I were to get one, I think I'd replace one of the preamp tubes with something a touch lower gain to increase the variety. The guys on the guitar amp forum have played around with replacing speakers and tubes, so if you want some simple mod ideas, you can search over there. If you're playing only or mostly blues, the VK may not be your #1 choice. Yes, it can get bluesy sounds, but it's not voiced quite as well for that as a Classic 30 - one of the better small tube amps for blues. I'm not a huge fan of those Fenders. They lack the gain of the Peaveys and I don't like the way the OD sounds. The VK is on my "to buy" list. In the realm of tube amps, I'd rather have a Zinky, but for the price, the VK is a great amp, IMO. Dustin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thunderbroom Posted January 23, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 My rock band does a wide variety of songs. Some artists we cover include: Norah Jones, Heart, Wilson Pickett, CCR, Jack Johnson, The Cure, and Led Zeppelin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melville Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 I've been thinking about picking up some guitar gear, and the Peavey Classic 30 is what's really caught my eye online. I haven't gone to try it out in person yet, but it looks like a great amp for me based on the stuff I've read online. I know that's been suggested to you in an earlier thread, but I just thought I'd throw it out there again. If your worried that the Valveking is too much wattage I've seen a power attenuator being sold on eBay that goes in the effects loop. I've never used it so I can't speak for how well it works, but the item number is 7383084371 if you want to check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gspointer Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 I assume you will try them out yourself, but I like 2 channel amps more than single channel. I also think you need to listen to the 50 watt in a clean, 0 breakup volume, I don't think it will be as loud as you think. If you are not interested in a crystal clean sound the 15 to 30 watt units will be fine. I like a very quiet stage and the 2 channel amps allow a clean and distorted sound at the same volume. The dirty channel is the preamp tube distortion, which many feel is not as good as power tube breakup, I tend to agree, but the difference is negligable, the average bar patron does not notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 78pbass Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 The biggest difference to me is that the Fenders are MIA, the VK is Chinese made. It may be small to some, but I prefer to support US whenever I can. That said, I like the Classic XX. I have not tried the VK, but the Classic is pure tubey goodnesswitha RICH clean channel. The dirty is nice, but they really jam with pedals. .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Onkel Bob Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 I wonder if this will work... I believe they had three of these at a school I went to: Or it might been the larger one... You could always tell who the good guitarists were from the amps they chose. There was this one, a roland jazz chorus or a marshall of which I don't remember the precise type. But it wasn't with tubes. So the best guitarists at that school all went for the peavey's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike fitzwell Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 Two of my buddies have Fender Hot Rod Deluxes and IMO they are fantastic sounding amps, especially for the $$. 40 watts into a 1x12. Realtively small and light. They have a very warm sound when run clean. Great reverb too. I think they deserve a look considering the type of music you're playing TBroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrJoshua Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 I don't know if they make them anymore, but I get great sound out of my little Epiphone Galaxie 10 combo. The Galaxie 15 is a little bigger, but I've had good results at band practices by putting an SM-57 on the Galaxie 10 and cranking it. My dual-humbucker Ibanez sounds very sweet through it. Class A, all tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenfascist Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 Originally posted by Thunderbroom I think 50w is a bit much though. I agree with you ont he "bang for the $", but it seems from reading that there may be some reliability issues with the ValveKing. My dad had one for a few years and it never gave him problems. And why not have that extra power just in case you need it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassment zombie Posted January 23, 2006 Members Share Posted January 23, 2006 Hey there T-broom, you know how much I love my Pro Jr. Here are a few posts from the 1st 2 pages of a Pro. Jr. thread (which is over 600+ posts long!) The PJ is a pleasant little class A/B push-pull 15-watt Fender amp with about 85% of the signature Fender high-end sparkle, breaks up nice. Not much bottom end. Records well for journeyman tasks, is surprisingly loud enough for bar gigs. 10" Eminence speaker. I use the PJ as a backup, but have used it in smaller venues. We always mic. Great amp.Took it to a Katrina charity gig a few weeks ago that our singer had set up; the other amp for the four bands was a Twin. Three other guitarists scoffed when they saw they would have to use the PJ; three other guitarists walked away believers! I sometimes run my Pro Jr. through an attenuator and record with it, sometimes through a speaker sim, totally sweet O/D. Great clean tones too. Everyone I played it to wants one. Telepbrman here, and over the past years I have had 2 Black ones, 1 Blonde, and 3 Tweed; 6 of them. I play Buchanan style Tele and my current rig is 2 of the Tweed Pro Junior's, nano verb to split em', Deja Vibe, Blues Driver, and DM-4 Delay. The Pro Junior is currently first in line of the Fender tube amps, and it's first, because it is a prue Fender tone monster.... Funny story.......at the weekly jam I usually attend at a friends house a fellow shows up with with a Cybertwin and an E. B. Musicman. Now he is a much better guitarist than I am and plays regularly in a local band. This is the first time that I have jammed with him. I have my LG and my Pro jr. My lil' amp is sitting back in the corner between several other larger amps. We had a great time and the night went well. When we were done and packing up... two of us toating out the Cybertwin. Went back inside and reach down and one handed picked up my Pro Jr. He looks kind of wide eyed and said "thats what you were using tonight? I thought you were playing through that one." Pointing to a Traynor Custom Valve 40 that was sitting beside my amp. He could not believe that I was using the little Pro Jr. He commented on my tone and still could not beleive that I was getting all that sound and cutting through the mix with such a small amp. We all have jammed again since then with equally pleasing results........just having fun!!!! I could post many, many more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phatster Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 broom...my first instrument is/was guitar{no stones please} so I do have some opinons about this subject.I have several tube amps{from 200 to 10 watts},My favorite amps now tend to be the 10-20 watt variety,a combo with a 12 seems to be the rig of choice.If you go with a combo I would buy a used one with the idea of micing it....the natural distortion or clean sounds are just right! My favorite brand at the moment is Hilgen,closely followed by univox.You need to look for amps in the early to mid 60's to get the mojo.Don't ignore the tube Sears models,you will find several on ebay.At least with tubes you can have fun switching tubes for that ever elusive tone.I can't remember what guitar you play broom,but I recommend semi-solid for your purposes. My .02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emprov Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 A guitarist that I play with from time to time picked up a Traynor 40T, all tube 210. Great little amp! He got it used for around $400. Not sure what they go for new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thunderbroom Posted January 24, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 Originally posted by phatster I can't remember what guitar you play broom,but I recommend semi-solid for your purposes. My .02. Route101 Rincon Tele-clone from a company that's no longer in business. They were the Avatar of their industry, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brake Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 you want a Peavey Classic 30. much better than any of the amps you've posted, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members y-o-y Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 Originally posted by brake you want a Peavey Classic 30. much better than any of the amps you've posted, really. +1 Also consider a used Crate Vintage Club 30 or 50. Class A with sweet distortion/OD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnyswonger Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 My secret weapon is a Danelectro Centurion from the 60's. Most of the guitar on my record was played through it...I think I paid $200 for it. The lower right side in this pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zamfir Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 If you're playing live/rehearsing with several people, I'd head towards 35-50W. Though I admit the Pro Junior does intrigue me. A bit beyond your budget (599 new) but maybe worth looking at is Carvin's 212 BelAir. Lot of headroom. New, the stock tubes sound very nice. I've turned the heads of resident top-flight jazzers with it. Retube the onboard preamp (five tubes, ~100 total for the ones I got off dougstubes.com), and IMO, the clean sounds are just a joy to wash yourself in (and with the right tube in the V1 slot for maybe 30-40 USD) the onboard "soak" distortion will sound nice and classic). I love mine, even more now that it's retubed. I would beware retubing the (four tube) power amp section, though. Mine blew up with some Yugoslav EL84s (probably flaky) in there, so I went back to Sovteks. It also weighs around 55 lbs., but hey, tube amp with two speakers, whaddaya want. Pic: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brake Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 Originally posted by bnyswonger My secret weapon is a Danelectro Centurion from the 60's. Most of the guitar on my record was played through it...I think I paid $200 for it. The lower right side in this pic. mmm....60s tube amp...... my secret weapon for guitar tones is a 65 traynor yga-1a (they were modelled after plexis of the day). it sounds like heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnyswonger Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 Originally posted by brake mmm....60s tube amp...... my secret weapon for guitar tones is a 65 traynor yga-1a (they were modelled after plexis of the day). it sounds like heaven. Yeah, old traynors are great. The Dan has a pretty nice tremelo circuit in it, and the verb's not half bad either. If I need something a little more ...um...aggressive, there's always the 100W marshall superlead... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brake Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 Originally posted by bnyswonger Yeah, old traynors are great. The Dan has a pretty nice tremelo circuit in it, and the verb's not half bad either. If I need something a little more ...um...aggressive, there's always the 100W marshall superlead... what's in that pile on the left there? i see a peavey, but that's all i recognize. oh, and what's your address? no real reason..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flatcat Posted January 24, 2006 Members Share Posted January 24, 2006 I have a 50W Crate vintage club head. I used to have the 2x12 combo years ago. It's a great amp. The circuit is similar to like an AC-30, it has EL84 tubes. The clean sound is really amazing. The OD channel is OK too. Reverb is OK, not great. I really love this amp. I bought a 2x12 slant-top cabinet to use with it, and I think it sounds great. If you can send an XLR out to the board, a used Tech21 Trademark 60 might be a good bet. Mine sounds great, but it's not really that loud. It's lightweight and really has lots of great sounds, but you'll need to dime it in order to be heard in a louder situation. A lot of good sounds available on it, though. I heard a slightly modded Peavey Classic 30 a couple of months back - this surf-type band opened for my Beatles cover thing - and that amp sounded incredibly good. VERY, VERY loud 30W. I'm happy with the Crate - and those are cheap and worth seeking out - but that Classic 30 rocked. If my Crate dies, I'd happily buy one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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