Epiphone Valve Junior

Johnny Storm · 22-06-2006 4:42pm #1

This is a 5W all-valve amp for €145 from Thomann (back in stock mid-July)

epiphone_valve_junior_epajr_gitarrencombo_pimx_185116.jpg

It looks a bit gank and it only has an input socket, an on-off switch and a volume knob but it has VALVES! Earlier models apparently had a woeful hum but recent versions have it sorted. Reviews on Harmony Central are very positive. They are said to be very loud for 5W. I'm just looking for a home amp with the fabled valve tone.
Musicians inc, Music Maker and Waltons never heard of them.

Anyone here have any experience of them?

selephonic · 22-06-2006 4:54pm

I have one here, great little thing, but too loud for a practice amp. I've been using it in rehearsals and gigs, will be using it tomorrow night actually. The tone is very good, as good as anything within about 400 quid of it. As I was saying to someone else here on boards the guitarist in my band has both one of these(we got one each) and a fender pro junior and the epiphone wins out.

It's very loud for a 5 watt, but at full whack it sounds soooo good, somewhere between a supro and jmp. Very hard to get though. Try Imuso.co.uk in engerland, that's where we got ours but nowhere else seemed to have them.

At lower volumes I've tried a couple of things to give it more guts and best I've tried so far is a boss Super Overdrive, but I haven't been through too many things, I reckon a DS-1 would set it off nicely.

Build quality is very good too, and it looks sweet.

As regards the single volume, it doesn't really matter too much if you have a nice guitar into it, I've played teles and strats into it and it sounds great but I've been told humbuckers work well too.

Come along to Isaac Butts tomorrow night and you can hear it in the flesh.

Beecher · 22-06-2006 4:55pm

Ive been very interested in the head version...

All reports so far says it sounds great and since im mostly a bedroom player these days 5w is plenty. Hook it up with a pod and your onto a winner

Johnny Storm · 22-06-2006 5:18pm

Thanks for all the great info!

selephonic wrote:

..... but too loud for a practice amp. ......

That's what I was afraid of actually but for €145 I might get one anyway for those special occasions when the wife and kids are out.;)

Dord · 22-06-2006 5:23pm

i was talking to the guy in the old waltons about this amp, he said they had them in before but they all sold out and he cant get any back in. it sucks.

the heads are impossible to find in europe, the combo looks just as good too

there's a BIG modding community for these amps, with many dedicated sites.

Beecher · 22-06-2006 5:47pm

I really want one bad now, been reading up loads of online reviews and apparently this thing is amazing! Nearly just bought the head for $119 off ebay then I realised id need a transformer cause of the different power!

feylya · 22-06-2006 5:50pm

I'm thinking one of those and a tube screamer and you're in blues heaven

selephonic · 23-06-2006 11:39am

By the way, I tried out a mesa V-Twin pre-amp in front of this, and it sounds terrible, so it's not for really high gain stuff. It's very much a "classic" amp sound.

deaddonkey · 23-06-2006 1:16pm

edit: made a pricing mistake.

that's nice, but it can't be great without at least 1 tone control...

Rustar · 23-06-2006 1:34pm

Now KH is going to have to get an A-B-C switch! One for clean Microcube, one for Rectifier Microcube, and one for Screaming Tube Epi!

david · 09-07-2006 12:51pm

Just ordered one of these babies with a little big muff for going to the gaelteacht, ill let yiz know how i get on

lee_baby_simms · 09-07-2006 10:34pm

Musicstore have the 5 watt in stock.

http://www.musicstorekoeln.de/en/Guitars/3_15_GECOMBO_188_A/0/0/0/artikel/musicstore.html

david · 09-07-2006 10:54pm

Thomann too

Karl Hungus · 10-07-2006 7:24am

Rustar wrote:

Now KH is going to have to get an A-B-C switch! One for clean Microcube, one for Rectifier Microcube, and one for Screaming Tube Epi!

I'm afraid not. No interest in the Epi tube amp. I've barely get any use of my Microcube now that I'm all Engl'd up, and I wouldn't even bother with the 2nd cube at this stage. Now you're all thinking, holy crap, what have you done with the real Karl Hungus? Not playing the Microcube? Well, a bit still, but jebus the Engl Fireball dominates all else. It's the sound.

TempestSabre · 10-07-2006 7:42am

deaddonkey wrote:

edit: made a pricing mistake.

that's nice, but it can't be great without at least 1 tone control...

Isn't the tone knob your fingers?

Karl Hungus · 10-07-2006 7:44am

TempestSabre wrote:

Isn't the tone knob your fingers?

Where on the body is the Gain knob?

TempestSabre · 10-07-2006 7:45am

Beecher wrote:

Ive been very interested in the head version...
All reports so far says it sounds great and since im mostly a bedroom player these days 5w is plenty. Hook it up with a pod and your onto a winner

Whats an iPod got to do with it?

Karl Hungus · 10-07-2006 7:46am

TempestSabre wrote:

Whats an iPod got to do with it?

I believe he means a Line 6 Pod.

TempestSabre · 10-07-2006 7:48am

Karl Hungus wrote:

I believe he means a Line 6 Pod.

DOH

Ah never heard of that before. Just looked it up.

TempestSabre · 10-07-2006 7:50am

Karl Hungus wrote:

Where on the body is the Gain knob?

That the Volume knob?

JMArr · 11-07-2006 8:14am

145 for tube tone ..thats a bargain. I was looking for something like this a while back but smallest I could get in dublin was a blues junior for like 500 quid .the 10 watt looks interesting as well for 270...dsp effects & reverb too.I'm nearly sure I saw one of those epi valvers in waltons on frederick street..?

Epiphone Valve Junior

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