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Post by NattyBumppo on Apr 14, 2005 13:26:17 GMT -5
Time to replace the crappy little Crate amp I got when I started playing again last year. For $65.00 it served its purpose well but now I feel the need to upgrade.
I've read a bunch of posts here regarding the Blues Junior and it seems like a fairly good bargain though I haven't been able to plug into one yet as both local shops are awaiting shipments. I did manage to play for 30 minutes on a new Peavy Classic 30 and man oh manischevitz, was it ever saweet albeit a little pricey at $519.00. It's also much more than I need given the only playing I do is in my basement ...no gigs or even jam sessions although I may be able to hook up and jam with my nephew's band sometime.
I mostly play classic rock, blues and will play some jazz style stuff as things come back to me. My preference is for an overall clean sound that I can get a bit of gain into when I want a touch of grit. If I want heavy grit I can always use a pedal but it has been my experience from years ago that if the amp can't give a good, loud clean sound then you can't fix that with pedals. Also, I don't want anytihng that requires a darn PHd in electrical engineering to work! The Roland Cube 30 sounds like a great less expensive compromise to the Peavy and Fender tube amps and has headphone jacks and a CD input for jamming along with my favorite bands. I like that idea but again, no local shop has one in stock to try and I'm VERY reluctant to buy an amp without hearing it first.
Here are some amps I've got on the short list. Would love to hear opinions, comments and suggestions.
Classic 30 (loved the sound!)
Blues Junior
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
Roland Cube 30
Both the Classic 30 and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe are way more than what I really need but I can't help but wonder if I get the Cube 30 will I be in this same situation a year from now? Oh yea, guitars played n the amp will be Les Paul Custom, my old ES-125 and soon to be in hand Epi DOT.
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Post by Ol Geezer on Apr 14, 2005 13:37:15 GMT -5
NB, I'm way out of touch with current amps, but I do have a DOT and have found its sound to my liking best when played through a variety of classic Fender amps. Once yours arrives, be sure to try it through some available Fenders before you decide.
Also, if you can, try to buy something you won't "grow out of" anytime soon....
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Post by CAFeathers on Apr 14, 2005 16:27:42 GMT -5
OK.
The Fender Blues Jr, which I have, is a decent little amp, however.... The cabinet is made of particle board, the speaker sounds flat, and the tubes should be replaced with better ones.
The tone (I plugged into a different speaker) is very clean, with late break up. Very Fenderish.
All in all it is worth what it sells for.
Roland Cube 30, I don't have one of these, but I have a friend who does. Great little amp, he mics it and plays it at live shows. Sounds good either clean or distorted.
Well worth what they go for.
Peavey Classic 30. While I dont have one of these I did have a Peavey Classic 20. Great little amps.
A little pricey for a small tube amp combo, but you would probably be happy with it.
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I have not even checked one of these out so I have no opinion on them.
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Post by JoMan on Apr 15, 2005 16:43:37 GMT -5
i kinda like all of the fender hot rods, iv'e tried them all (not the 4x10 verison of the deville though, but i'd hope i will...) and i think they're really nice amps. i finally went with a '65 twin reverb 'cause i thought it had a little more vibe, a littler warmer, mor ehonest in a way.
and i really tend to say, if you want a classic fenderish tube amp and are looking at the hotrods (especially the deville), you really should consider giving yourself a kick in the ass and buy a '59 bassman or a twin reverb or deluxe reverb or whatever. From what I've heard the current reissues are very good and my twin certainly is a great amp, a little to big for me as ive found out though...
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Post by NattyBumppo on Apr 15, 2005 17:14:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the response gang. Geezer....What you said about not buying something I'll grow out of soon makes a ton of sense. On the other hand I don't want to spend more than I have to for what amounts to solo jam sessions in my basement. I'm VERY tempted to pull the trigger on the Cube 30 and the price is certainly right but I have a feeling I'll still lust for that classic tube sound. Feathers....great info, thx. I especially like hearing about your buddy who gigs with the Cube 30 and that you like the sound. JoMan....I know what you mean. The Fender tube amps are awesome! Back when I was playing in bands I had a Fender Super Six Reverb which was basically a Twin head mounted on a cabinet with 6, 10" speakers. I can't believe I sold that amp for $100.00  but considering I only paid $200.00 for it I guess that wasn't too bad a deal. I need to find a place that has these amps in stock and plug into them each for a while. It amazes me that none of the 3 local shops have the two Fenders or Cube 30 in stock. Maybe that means they sell em' as fast as they can get em'? |
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Post by sandman on Apr 16, 2005 7:30:05 GMT -5
I picked up a crate vfx5112 for less than $400 on ebay. Its a 50 was 1x12 combo that is all tube. Has some effects with it but the tone of this thing and the clean are its strong points. Its got plenty of power to push a short stack and and small enough to haul around. You can get them for a god price because people overlook it because of the crate label. check out the reviews on harmony. www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/Crate/VFX5112_112_Combo-01.htmlIf you haven't pulled the trigger yet. I really recommend you at least check these out and look for one. They can be had consistently on ebay for $400 or less. A lot of amp for the bucks. The down sides on them are from the reviews, service is spotty and if you need to replace tubes, they are a little hard to get to. The more I play mine, the happier I am with mine. |
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Post by NattyBumppo on Apr 18, 2005 18:18:42 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestion Sandman.
Well, it seems my budget for an amp just shrunk considerably! This past weekend my son (9 y/o) tried out for a travel hockey club and made number one spot for goalie. While I'm ecstatic for him the reality is that I have to fork over 3 grand (and that's before buying any new equipment). So dreams of a Hot Rod Deluxe, Classic 30 or Delta Blues are just that, dreams. At least that's the way it is for now.
At this point it looks like the Roland Cube 30 is still the odds on favorite with the Blues Junior running a close second but I still haven't been able to plug into either one. A shop 15 minutes away shuold have the Blues Junior in stock next week so I'll give it a try.
Anyone hear anything about the new Peavey Valve King 112? It's got way more power than I need but the price looks awfully enticing for what it sounds like.
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Post by Steelpriest on Apr 18, 2005 20:01:55 GMT -5
What about a real priceworthy solution for now? And saving up the money and pull the trigger on a tube amp later?  You wanna play at home, right? Have you ever tried the Behringer V-Amp? It is a nice little amp modeller, with lots of very useful amp models and a variety of very good effects... and it is at least in Germany VERY AFFORDABLE (kind of a clearance sale) for 99.00 Euros (!!!)... it used to cost about 240 once...  Especially the headphone sound is kick ass, and you can play really loud and won´t molest neighbours or your family. Also connected to a home stereo it gives good results due to a variety of built in guitar cab simulations. Just my two cents... Don´t spend too much money on an interim solution. Sooner or later you will desire another amp and have to resell what you now going to buy...  Steele. |
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Post by NattyBumppo on Apr 18, 2005 20:15:01 GMT -5
What about a real priceworthy solution for now? And saving up the money and pull the trigger on a tube amp later? You wanna play at home, right? Have you ever tried the Behringer V-Amp? It is a nice little amp modeller, with lots of very useful amp models and a variety of very good effects... and it is at least in Germany VERY AFFORDABLE (kind of a clearance sale) for 99.00 Euros (!!!)... it used to cost about 240 once... Especially the headphone sound is kick ass, and you can play really loud and won´t molest neighbours or your family. Also connected to a home stereo it gives good results due to a variety of built in guitar cab simulations. Just my two cents... Don´t spend too much money on an interim solution. Sooner or later you will desire another amp and have to resell what you now going to buy... Steele. I will absolutely check into it, thanks for the recommendation. I know absolutely nothing about Behringer...don't think I've ever seen one. |
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Post by Steelpriest on Apr 18, 2005 20:30:42 GMT -5
I will absolutely check into it, thanks for the recommendation. I know absolutely nothing about Behringer...don't think I've ever seen one. It´s unlikely you will purchase it from Germany, but here is at least information in english language. www.thomann.de/thoiw2_behringer_vamp_prodinfo.html |
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Post by NattyBumppo on Apr 22, 2005 7:51:59 GMT -5
Well I missed out on a Peavey Classic 30 on eBay. I was outbid by $20.00  . Kind of a bummer especially since it was within easy driving range and I could have avoided the shipping costs. If the darn auction ended at a reasonable time I would have stayed up until it ended but it didn't end until shortly after 3 am!!! Who the heck is sitting up listing stuff on eBay at 3 am ? Oh well, my favorite local shop is having a huge blowout sale this Sunday and will have manufacturer reps and some rock star dude on site. I'll take a drive down there and who knows, maybe something will make an impression on me. I'll a little hesitant to buy anything right now knowing that the new Peavey Valve-King will be hitting the stores in a week or two. Would sure like to sample that one before I buy anything. |
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but considering I only paid $200.00 for it I guess that wasn't too bad a deal.
You wanna play at home, right? Have you ever tried the Behringer V-Amp? It is a nice little amp modeller, with lots of very useful amp models and a variety of very good effects... and it is at least in Germany VERY AFFORDABLE (kind of a clearance sale) for 99.00 Euros (!!!)... it used to cost about 240 once... 
Especially the headphone sound is kick ass, and you can play really loud and won´t molest neighbours or your family. Also connected to a home stereo it gives good results due to a variety of built in guitar cab simulations. 
. Kind of a bummer especially since it was within easy driving range and I could have avoided the shipping costs. If the darn auction ended at a reasonable time I would have stayed up until it ended but it didn't end until shortly after 3 am!!! Who the heck is sitting up listing stuff on eBay at 3 am ?