Is the Epiphone Valve Jr. craze over?

[emu!]

For awhile there, it seems like EVERYBODY wanted an EVjr to hotrod and modify...even if they didn't need one. For just $99.00, it was a steal. But now, MF doesn't sell them and I never see any at GC.

Anybody here still use theirs on a regular basis?

 

[DUB-ninety]

For awhile there, it seems like EVERYBODY wanted an EVjr to hotrod and modify...even if they didn't need one. For just $99.00, it was a steal. But now, MF doesn't sell them and I never see any at GC.

Anybody here still use theirs on a regular basis?

Because there are now so many other cheap little tube amps available.

 

[Post Toastie]

I have one. Have not touched it in 2 years. Traded the other combo for an AC-4 around that time.

 

[J-man]

I remember checking out some demos when I was shopping for a cheap tube amp. I really didn't care for what I heard, at the time, so I bought a Blackstar HT-1R, which I'm extremely happy with.

 

[pondcaster]

Seems so.

 

[Jakedog]

There's ahead and matching 1X12 cab at one of the rehearsal spaces I play in. I use it when I'm there. Great sounding little amp. I haven't bought one, because the only place I would use one (that rehearsal room) already has one. I have no need for it at home, and you can't gig it, so... I do like 'em though. At least I like the one I play through, I haven't used any others. It's bone stock, no mods, and sounds great.

 

[Arbiter]

Stock, the Valve Junior is literally the worst sounding amp I'd ever heard. Mine sat for three years, until I figured I'd try a last-ditch attempt to save it and installed BitMo's "Spanky" mod. Wasn't expecting much.

What a change.

It's now an integral part of my recording rig. Valve Junior for the tweedy sound, Champ 600 for the blackface. May get another Valve Junior off eBay and run a full stereo Valve Junior rig. Love mine and wouldn't part with it for anything now.

But that stock amp...jeez, they could have OWNED the baby tube amp market. Now they have nothing. Sad, really.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

That is the amp that killed EL 84's for me.

Don't like that sound.

Never played a modded on ethough.

I've had one EL 84-based amp that was worth a darn - a 60's Lectrolab kinda/sorta AC-15 in a big cab w/ 2 12" Utahs. Heaven if heaven had sparkly even-order harmonics...

 

[Jazzerstang]

yeah, those things are pretty abysmal. Sounds like your guitar is plugged into a paper cup.

 

[robt57]

I am not trying to be a smart ars, but it was over for me as soon as I plugged into one. But I had a 4 watt 1961 Airline it could not compete with I guess.

 

[KevinB]

Mine has sat unused, and in pieces for the last 3 or 4 years

I learned a lot from it though, and I replaced just about every part of it.

Now my Vox AC4 sounds pretty darn good through the Epi's speaker cab.

 

[dented]

Works for me

I've got others. But for just a little practice amp I like it. I use a Rp1000 with my Tele and I have fun with it. I paid about 240.00 for the stack. If I were to change anything I might swap out the speakers.

 

[PapaBeef]

I tried to plug into 2 at a couple of locals store a while ago.
The first one was scratchy sounding & kept cutting in & out.
Tried a different cord with the same results.
Plugged into a champ & it worked fine.
Went to another store & tried plugging into one there. It was stone dead.
I just figured they had some quality control issues & weren't worth bothering with.
Never even got to really play through one though. But I tried.

 

[chabby]

i loved the cab and found it very useful for other amps, but never the vjr-hated it, couldnt beat the cab for 90 bones

 

[eyerish]

The one I have is WAYYYY modded. It is a little Marshall clone. Sounds great.

Speaker cab and chassis are stock...nothing else.

 

[wallis222]

Stock, the Valve Junior is literally the worst sounding amp I'd ever heard.

I'd rather play through one of those super cheap Fender Frontman 15 dealios.

I feel similarly about the Champ 600, it's like a little muddy lifeless box of blah. With some new tubes and pushing 1x12 extension cab they can be pretty darn good though.

 

[zendriveseven]

I have the head/cab version and it's been sitting idle for a year or so as well. I may look into the mods mentioned above, or just put my older Boss ME-10 in front of it and use it for a livingroom amp. For now it still looks cool sitting in the corner though

 

[bigmuff113]

I've got others. But for just a little practice amp I like it. I use a Rp1000 with my Tele and I have fun with it. I paid about 240.00 for the stack. If I were to change anything I might swap out the speakers.

What kind of volume does that put out?

 

[studio1087]

Sooooo much bass. I liked mine for clean medium volume jazz. (That was about it). I bought a nice EQ pedal the try to change the tone and I got to the point where the "$129 Tube amp" craze wore off and I just favored the tone from my Pro Junior more. I kept spending money to try to turn the Valve Junior into something better. The Pro Junior probably cost less at $300.

I was like a craze.

The Squier 51 guitar and the Epi Valve Jr were the two biggest craze bursts that I remember.

 

[Toto'sDad]

My son got one of those in a deal where you buy the guitar, amp, etc. all together, he sold guitar when his son showed no interest, but kept the amp. We kind of had fun turning it wide open and letting it distort, kind of tinny but fun. I had forgotten about it, I'll have to see if he still has it. Might be fun to mess with again, seeing how much you guys seem to like 'em.