Anybody tried the Valve Junior?

[dolivas]

Stealth attenuator maybe? to get a "headphone" out.

[smopo24]

i just got a valve jr combo and i love it! sounds fantastic! i just may get a few mods done to improve the sound a bit, and buy some new tubes.

[smopo24]

the new tubes made all the diference! i bought a Tung-Sol ECC803s gold pin; and a Ei EL84.

[johnS]

Wow, that I would like to hear!

On a side note, I just picked up a second Celestion Greenback for VJH #2. Now saving my pennies for a speaker cab, then I'll be kicking it with 10 full watts of stereophonic power!

[pacAir]

I bought a Valve Junior head and it is awesome for recording. My band's demo really needed some punch and I brought the VJ Head to multiple sessions and we recorded a number of solo tracks and "color" tracks with the head and it sounded great!

There are several reasons that the head is better... 3 output jacks for 3 different impedances without having to use a selector switch (each output transformer impedance tap has its own jack) and the head has DC heater voltage for the tubes (the Valve Junior combo uses AC for the tube heaters). My VJ Head is DEAD QUIET, even when cranked! No hum at all! I have found it to be amazingly quiet!

I can highly recommend the head for recording. There is nothing like real output tube distortion to make a guitar solo sing and inspire the performer to maximize the feeling on a take while recording.

[Uma Floresta]

They sound kind of farty to me when you turn them up... maybe it depends on the cab you're using (assuming you've got the head, not the combo)

[smopo24]

Originally Posted by Uma Floresta

They sound kind of farty to me when you turn them up... maybe it depends on the cab you're using (assuming you've got the head, not the combo)

people complain about the combo sounding "boxy"; and it does. i had a rattle in the combo, exchanged it for the head......fantastic. it sounds awesome through my genz benz 2x12. you may want to replace the stock tubes to get rid of the farty sound, or swap out the speaker.

[Whoopysnorp]

I'm thinking the Valve Jr. head will be a nice Christmas present for my dad that will hopefully get him back playing the guitar after a hiatus of, what, six or seven years now. He's got a 120 watt '80s Randall solid-state head, a Peavey 2x12, a pair of homemade 1x12s, and a bunch of pedals. The last few times I've heard him talk about guitar, he's said "man, I'd like to have a nice little amp". I can't afford to give him a Boogie Studio .22 or something but I can afford this.

[smopo24]

Originally Posted by Whoopysnorp

I'm thinking the Valve Jr. head will be a nice Christmas present for my dad that will hopefully get him back playing the guitar after a hiatus of, what, six or seven years now. He's got a 120 watt '80s Randall solid-state head, a Peavey 2x12, a pair of homemade 1x12s, and a bunch of pedals. The last few times I've heard him talk about guitar, he's said "man, I'd like to have a nice little amp". I can't afford to give him a Boogie Studio .22 or something but I can afford this.

yea, it's a steal for the price. and i'm sure he doesn't care about all of these crazy mods, and different high-priced tubes.....besides, who can afford a vintage tweed champ or orange practice amp anyways?

[dagosto]

Originally Posted by smopo24

yea, it's a steal for the price. and i'm sure he doesn't care about all of these crazy mods, and different high-priced tubes.....besides, who can afford a vintage tweed champ or orange practice amp anyways?

After my recent experience I would say wait for the reissue Fender Champion 600. Yeah it's a bit more but it will be worth it.

I just recently purchased a valve junior head and there was no sound coming out. I exchanged for a new one and had the same problem with the second one. I could probably fix whatever the problem is pretty easily but that would void the warranty. So now I will eagerly await spending 3 times as much for the fender.