Hi End Practise amp

[32soundz]

I dont know if there is such a thing, I'm playing my AVRI through a VOV vt15 modeling amp at the moment and I was wondering if I should be playing such a fine instrument through a better amp?

So I am currently using the Vox vt 15 modeling amp.

I only play at home (cant play loud)
I only play clean with a bit of reverb (not interested in distortion)
Only play single coil.

I dont know anything about amps, I did a little Googgling and am now considering the:

1,Tech 21 Trademark 30
2,Blackstar HT-5C Combo
There is also a used Victoria 5112 on sale locally but is to expensive really, 800 euro.

Would you recommend one over the other? will either be an improvement over the VOX VT 15

Would you recommend any others?

Thanks in advance

[Sean65]

I'd be tempted to make do with what you have as there is little point in swapping an average amp for another average amp . But if you really want to upgrade to pure valve tone and do your guitar some justice then you should look at a Cornell Romany Plus which has switchable power down to 1/4 watt. Other boutique brands like Carr, Swart etc all have great low power amps.

I'm using a Vox Lil Night Train at the moment, It's not great but it does have a decent valve tone which is just fine at bedroom levels and they're not too expensive either.

http://www.dc-developments.com/corne...plus_combo.htm

[GuitarGeorge]

You can't go wrong with a Princeton Reverb reissue.

[32soundz]

Originally Posted by GuitarGeorge

You can't go wrong with a Princeton Reverb reissue.

Is that the Fender 65 Princeton Reverb? 1000 euro is probably to expensive for me, but wouldn't a 15w tube be too loud?

[32soundz]

Originally Posted by Sean65

I'd be tempted to make do with what you have as there is little point in swapping an average amp for another average amp . But if you really want to upgrade to pure valve tone and do your guitar some justice then you should look at a Cornell Romany Plus which has switchable power down to 1/4 watt. Other boutique brands like Carr, Swart etc all have great low power amps.

I'm using a Vox Lil Night Train at the moment, It's not great but it does have a decent valve tone which is just fine at bedroom levels and they're not too expensive either.

http://www.dc-developments.com/corne...plus_combo.htm

That cornell looks very nice indeed, buy 1000 pounds is too expensive unfortunately, it looks very much like the used victoria I found on sale locally

http://www.victoriaamplifier.com/amp...victoria-5112/

have you heard of them?

So you think the Tech 21 and the blackstar wont be an improvement?

the Carr, Swart amps are they also over the 1000 pounds mark?

[32soundz]

Originally Posted by Sean65

I'd be tempted to make do with what you have as there is little point in swapping an average amp for another average amp . But if you really want to upgrade to pure valve tone and do your guitar some justice then you should look at a Cornell Romany Plus which has switchable power down to 1/4 watt. Other boutique brands like Carr, Swart etc all have great low power amps.

I'm using a Vox Lil Night Train at the moment, It's not great but it does have a decent valve tone which is just fine at bedroom levels and they're not too expensive either.

http://www.dc-developments.com/corne...plus_combo.htm

The Vox Lil Night Train is reasonably priced but dont I also have to buy a cabinet for it? sorry I dont much about amps

[Sean65]

All the decent high end amps are over a grand but you don't have to go there. It's just that the thread title mentioned high end.

Victoria amps are fantastic but pricey and the one you've seen sounds best when pushed so it may be a bit loud for home use.

The Vox Lil Night Train can be bought with the cabinet or you can just buy the head and get a different cab.

Best thing to do is try a few out. I compared the Vox Lil Night Train to a Blackstar and a Fender Mustang and Fender Champ. In the end I took the Vox because I just preferred how it sounded at the volume that I'd use it at.

The Trademark 30 you can get some quite convincing sounds from. It does a decent clean, a marshall crunch and a mesa style full saturation sound but not a great improvement on what you've got.

[musicalmartin]

An orange tiny terror .I must confess I havnt tried one yet but they get great reviews.i did own a Blackstar HT5 head running through an Eminence 105 cab .it was just plain fantastic for overdrive but lacked clean headroom through headphones .I am looking at both of these as I now use a Mustang 1 for practice and and love it .Cornell make some small great high end amps and the Princeton at 800 quid is a fine amp .

[32soundz]

Yep sorry about the misleading thread title, I thought that high end practice amps would cost somewhere between 400 to 700 pounds but I was obviously wrong!

[32soundz]

Originally Posted by musicalmartin

An orange tiny terror .I must confess I havnt tried one yet but they get great reviews.i did own a Blackstar HT5 head running through an Eminence 105 cab .it was just plain fantastic for overdrive but lacked clean headroom through headphones .I am looking at both of these as I now use a Mustang 1 for practice and and love it .Cornell make some small great high end amps and the Princeton at 800 quid is a fine amp .

The thing is I've got to buy a cabinet for the tiny terror haven't I? I wouldn't know where to start..

[Lee Harvey]

Give me anything...

I love to play.. that's where I find enjoyment. Plugging into a amp, little whiskey glass full of my favorite drink, and playing the guitar.

[KC]

what does a silver face Champ or Vibro Champ run in your neck of the woods? 5 watts, PTP wired, says Fender on the front. They run about $300 used here so they should be in your price range. Also the Gibson GA-5 if you can find one. I have one & with a Holy Grail in front of it, it gets about 95% of the way to the Swart.

Or save your pennies and buy a Swart. Their 5-watter with reverb is the most delicious little amp I've ever played.

[Teleglide]

I have a VHT Special 6 that I think is great, and cheap. There is an Ultra version with more gain, but you may not need that. They sell both combos and heads - I have the head. It has a 6 watt setting and a 2 watt setting

I play mine through a nice 1x12 open back cab with a Celestion G12H30. It sounds terrific. I also have an Emery Micro Baby - a high end 2 watt amp that sounds amazing when you turn it up - but the VHT is actually better for a nice 3D clean sound.

[32soundz]

Originally Posted by Teleglide

I have a VHT Special 6 that I think is great, and cheap. There is an Ultra version with more gain, but you may not need that. They sell both combos and heads - I have the head. It has a 6 watt setting and a 2 watt setting

I play mine through a nice 1x12 open back cab with a Celestion G12H30. It sounds terrific. I also have an Emery Micro Baby - a high end 2 watt amp that sounds amazing when you turn it up - but the VHT is actually better for a nice 3D clean sound.

Do you mean this one?

http://www.thomann.de/gr/vht_avsp6h_...6_allvalve.htm

[sax4blues]

I own the Tiny Terror and based on your criteria of volume restricted home playing without distortion the TT is the opposite end of what I would look at. With the Orange 1x12 cab mine is a very loud, classic rock crunch machine that cuts through any mix. I play in a band with another guitar and keyboard and they often tell me to turn down.

I had the Fender 65 Princeton RI for about a year and that was beautiful amp for me. Classic Fender tone and if I wanted crunch/distortion I would us a pedal.

[tele_pathic]

I would consider "high-end" to mean anything over $1,500 USD. If that's beyond your means, then I'd say you're not looking at or meaning "high-end" but rather something middling. Since that's the case, it's hard to argue with a 5w tube amp of some sort.

[Teleglide]

Originally Posted by 32soundz

Do you mean this one?

http://www.thomann.de/gr/vht_avsp6h_...6_allvalve.htm

That's the one. Great amp with a nice full sound at 6 watts. The low power setting isn't quite as inspiring, but still nice. It also has a pull boost function, which you may not need.

As I said, I have the head and a small cab, but the combo is also supposed to be very nice.

[32soundz]

Originally Posted by sax4blues

I own the Tiny Terror and based on your criteria of volume restricted home playing without distortion the TT is the opposite end of what I would look at. With the Orange 1x12 cab mine is a very loud, classic rock crunch machine that cuts through any mix. I play in a band with another guitar and keyboard and they often tell me to turn down.

I had the Fender 65 Princeton RI for about a year and that was beautiful amp for me. Classic Fender tone and if I wanted crunch/distortion I would us a pedal.

Thanks for the Tiny Terror info, can you play the Princeton at low volumes?

[Sean65]

Originally Posted by 32soundz

can you play the Princeton at low volumes?

For a 15W amp it does start at quite a low volume actually and sounds great. I had one for a while, wouldn't mind another.

[BelairPlayer]

Among other amps, I have a Vox VT15. It's okay...but I'm trying to get rid of it. There is a really annoying thing that happens on certain models. The (non user controllable) noise reduction really starts to cut in/out on naturally decaying notes. It's especially bad on single coils in non-hum cancelling pickup positions, IMO. It's not unique to Vox modellers. It happens to some extent on all of them. It's just that you can't turn off or adjust the NR in the Vox. Once you notice it...you can never stop noticing it. For that reason alone, I think you can do much better. Try a plain old solid state Vox like the Pathfinder. The Tech 21 you mentioned is great. Loads of great solid state (not digital) amps in the smaller wattage realm for practice.