INVESTMENT CHOICE TO MAKE

abelville · April 10th, 2006, 08:20 AM

Well, its not a big investment. I'm interested in one of the following small amps for use of recording, and small venues. My primary style of music is blues and folk.

1. Vox ADVT15 or ADVT30. I like the voices it has at low volume, but I don't know how they sound cranked with a telecaster. I was able to crank it a little bit in the store, but the owner wouldn't let me play it that way long enough to really get use to what I was hearing. Could I get some feeback on that?

2. Blues Junior or Pro Junior. All tube but with printed boards. I like the headroom, but you have to crank to ear bleeding levels for breakup. I would appreciate any thoughts to how to deal with the volume issue. I heard once that a Blues Junior owner cranked the amp to 10, then used a TS9 to lower the volume. Has anyone else tried this and does it really work as far as getting more of a natural tube overdrive?

3. Gibson Les Paul Junior 5 watt amp. Point to point wiring and just a volume knob - no bass, mid, or treble. I've played it and wow!!!! (Screamed like a monkey with napalm on its nads) Also, No reverb. Another like amp is a silver faced 70's champ.

The reason I say investment choice is that I'm looking down the road a bit. Today's modeling amps will be outdated in probably 3 years. Does a point to point tube amp ever get outdated? I could be wrong in my view of this but I always find myself jealous of players who have owned a Fender champ for 30 years.

My chance at the Gibson is fading fast so your insight will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Al

Sidney Vicious · April 10th, 2006, 09:49 AM

Of the amps you mention:

Silverface Champ is the one to get.

The Vox will be dated in three years if its still working.

The BJ/PJ have zero investment value IMHO.

The Gibson MAY retain its value - but isn't it made offshore?

Professor SourTone · April 10th, 2006, 09:55 AM

I'd go for a SF Vibrochamp, or Gibson Skylark. They're around.

abelville · April 10th, 2006, 10:12 AM

Can the older tube amps such as the champ and skylark handle overdrive pedals.

A friend of mine swares that his TS9 fried his champ.

Oh! One more thing. I can get the new Gibson Jr. for only $410.00 bones. Elderly and everywhere else wants $599.00. (not bad for a fresh point to point amp). Also, FWIW - I called Gibson customer service and they said that the Les Paul Junior is made in the US.

Al

Professor SourTone · April 10th, 2006, 11:19 AM

They love overdrive pedals. The old style non-mv amps are exactly what overdrive pedals were designed for. I would get an old amp serviced, though.

You can fry any amp, old or new, with an overdrive pedal. I toasted an output transformer in a 62 Reverbrocket once, but OTs in Champs are more overspecced. Also, the ptp amps are easier to service and fix.

stantheman · April 10th, 2006, 02:00 PM

...and don't forget the Silvertone Amps from the 50's and 60's !!! Those are really COOL units for pocket change and they're gonna outlast a lot of this retro stuff
that's being foisted on consumers nowadays.

PhatTele · April 10th, 2006, 03:59 PM

The great thing about those small amps is that you get to leave your overdrive pedal off for a change. You don't need them with Champs or Skylarks or Tweed Harvard/Princeton clones or the like. I'd say that those overdrive pedals are actually emulating the tone of these little amps. They're perfect for recording. Just turn them up and go.

April 10th, 2006, 08:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
abelville NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 8	INVESTMENT CHOICE TO MAKE Well, its not a big investment. I'm interested in one of the following small amps for use of recording, and small venues. My primary style of music is blues and folk. 1. Vox ADVT15 or ADVT30. I like the voices it has at low volume, but I don't know how they sound cranked with a telecaster. I was able to crank it a little bit in the store, but the owner wouldn't let me play it that way long enough to really get use to what I was hearing. Could I get some feeback on that? 2. Blues Junior or Pro Junior. All tube but with printed boards. I like the headroom, but you have to crank to ear bleeding levels for breakup. I would appreciate any thoughts to how to deal with the volume issue. I heard once that a Blues Junior owner cranked the amp to 10, then used a TS9 to lower the volume. Has anyone else tried this and does it really work as far as getting more of a natural tube overdrive? 3. Gibson Les Paul Junior 5 watt amp. Point to point wiring and just a volume knob - no bass, mid, or treble. I've played it and wow!!!! (Screamed like a monkey with napalm on its nads) Also, No reverb. Another like amp is a silver faced 70's champ. The reason I say investment choice is that I'm looking down the road a bit. Today's modeling amps will be outdated in probably 3 years. Does a point to point tube amp ever get outdated? I could be wrong in my view of this but I always find myself jealous of players who have owned a Fender champ for 30 years. My chance at the Gibson is fading fast so your insight will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Al

April 10th, 2006, 02:00 PM	#6 (permalink)
stantheman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 5,071	...and don't forget the Silvertone Amps from the 50's and 60's !!! Those are really COOL units for pocket change and they're gonna outlast a lot of this retro stuff that's being foisted on consumers nowadays. __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime

April 10th, 2006, 09:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
Sidney Vicious Tele-Afflicted Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Posts: 1,246 13 Photos	Of the amps you mention: Silverface Champ is the one to get. The Vox will be dated in three years if its still working. The BJ/PJ have zero investment value IMHO. The Gibson MAY retain its value - but isn't it made offshore?

April 10th, 2006, 09:55 AM	#3 (permalink)
Professor SourTone Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London Posts: 258	I'd go for a SF Vibrochamp, or Gibson Skylark. They're around.

April 10th, 2006, 10:12 AM	#4 (permalink)
abelville NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 8	Can the older tube amps such as the champ and skylark handle overdrive pedals. A friend of mine swares that his TS9 fried his champ. Oh! One more thing. I can get the new Gibson Jr. for only $410.00 bones. Elderly and everywhere else wants $599.00. (not bad for a fresh point to point amp). Also, FWIW - I called Gibson customer service and they said that the Les Paul Junior is made in the US. Al

April 10th, 2006, 11:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
Professor SourTone Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London Posts: 258	They love overdrive pedals. The old style non-mv amps are exactly what overdrive pedals were designed for. I would get an old amp serviced, though. You can fry any amp, old or new, with an overdrive pedal. I toasted an output transformer in a 62 Reverbrocket once, but OTs in Champs are more overspecced. Also, the ptp amps are easier to service and fix.

April 10th, 2006, 03:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
PhatTele Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 756	The great thing about those small amps is that you get to leave your overdrive pedal off for a change. You don't need them with Champs or Skylarks or Tweed Harvard/Princeton clones or the like. I'd say that those overdrive pedals are actually emulating the tone of these little amps. They're perfect for recording. Just turn them up and go.