Okay - I think several of you convinced me that the Peavey Classic 20 would not be a good choice for harp so I am on to thinking about other tube amps. Any pros or cons of the Epiphone Valve Jr. - say vs. the VHT Special 6, Brugera V5 or Fender Champ 600 all of which were recommendations. I may have a line on one at a good price. Does the age of the amp matter in this case (I thought I saw someone comment on the web that older models of the Valve Jr. had some bugs that were later corrected, but I may not be remembering correctly). Thanks to all of you. Rich
Last Edited by on May 23, 2012 11:07 PM
The first units that had a problem with excess hum are easy to spot. There are two stripes that run across the face of the chassis. If these stripes are at the top of the face, it's a newer model. If they are running through the middle of the face, it is a version 1 that is going to have some hum. There was also a transformer change at some point, but I think the old transformer sounds fine, so I wouldn't worry about that.
I'm curious: In what ways was the 20-watt tube amp with a 10" speaker found to be inferior to 5-watt tube amps with sporting either a 6" or 8" speaker?
I only saw one post in the Classic 20 thread advising against it. A few folks with Classic 30's said that they were a bit loud, but that the loudness was potentially useful in gigs with loud-crowded rooms. And I've played through the similar Delta Blues 115 and loved it. If you can score the Classic 20 at a good price, I'd still go for it Rich. They aren't made anymore and are getting scarcer on the market every day.
Although the Valve Jr. can turn out to be a great little harp amp after the necessary modifications, I think I'd go with either the VHT Special 6 or Bugera V5. The Special 6 is a harp-proven amp, and for the money it's a damn good investment that'll hold its value. The V5 on the other hand, is more versatile in my eyes than either the Valve Jr. or the Special 6 because it has its own three-way power attenuator and a built in reverb. It does have a gain control as well which can be a tricky thing to deal with on harp. And it uses an 8" speaker as opposed to the 10" in the VHT, but sometimes that can be modified depending on the layout of the cabinet interior.
---------- Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by on May 24, 2012 9:12 AM
Once again, thanks to all of you - if nothing else I am getting an education about tube amps. Hawkeye the specific criticism is that the Peavey 20 is a good clean amp, but that I'd be disappointed in being able to make it dirty. While it doesn't have to be the dirtiest amp in Seattle, I do want to be able to make it growl a bit. If the general consensus is that I can get it there, then I am all in.
@Rgsccr: happy hunting! If you have a guitar store close that carries lotsa low output tube amps, go down & play through 'em again. If they have a practice room you can use to test 'em, lug 'em over there, one by one-- and take the mic you're gonna play through, and any effects box you might use... like a delay or reverb, if you're into that. Play through 'em at your practice volume, and then crank 'em up some to see how they act. In general, any amp with a digital fx circuit (tube/ss hybrids) can steer you wrong if you don't try it just on the tube circuit. Built-in digital effects can increase feedback, rob tone, and mislead you on the amp's characteristics. If you want tone, work on getting a good tight cup on the harp, and practice alot. All this gear talk is important, but if you're gonna have fun playin' with other guys-- often getting up with strangers-- you should be able to walk up to a stage mic eq'd for vocals (not a dirty tone) that's run right into the PA,and sound good enough for you & everybody else to enjoy it. The cheaper amps mentioned in both of these posts will do the job (including the 20), and whatever you get..you'll probably buy more amps if you stick with it, so it ain't the end of the world.
Thanks Little Bubba - all good advice. I mostly practice accoustically or sometimes through my Pignose Hog 30, and understand that the most important thing to learn is good technique (still got a ways to go but making progress). Bad playing and an amp will only get you louder bad playing. So far the only store I've found near me is a Guitar Center which has the Peavey 20 in the price range I am looking at. Everything else they had was quite a bit higher priced. Still, I will go back and try it along with some other tube amps.
Last Edited by on May 24, 2012 10:15 AM
I'd even play through amps that are outa your price range, when you run into one. You never know when one'll come up for sale used and then you'll maybe remember if it's something you'd want. I had a very valuable experience one day at Dave's Guitar in LaCrosse, Wi.: they had a whole line of 5-watt amps in a row on the floor, going from cheapest to boutique. I played probably 5-6 of 'em, from the cheap Epiphones,Fenders,Vox,etc., to the Victoria,custom shop Fenders, etc. I ended up trading my Silverface Champ for a Epi Valve Special, with my eyes wide open.
