Epi Valve Junior, is it loud enough?

Catholic · 06-14-2011, 01:02 PM

I have an Epi Valve Jr. and it is a sweet little amp. But you will certainly be getting some nice tube crunch at the higher volumes. It has an awesome clean tone that you could mic. If your after clean tone at high volumes you're gonna need something with higher watts, hence later "breakup". Probably want to go wit a Fender for that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreakThroughWL

Oh, ok thanks. What is a good mic for a guitar amp? I've never had to mic my Marshall valvestate so I wouldn't know.

Sennheiser e609. Specially made for micing a guitar amp. Solid construction, German engineered, sounds awesome, runs about $100 new.

BreakThroughWL · 06-14-2011, 01:06 PM

How loud is the clean tone on it? Like bedroom level or what?

Catholic · 06-14-2011, 01:54 PM

I'd say several times louder than bedroom level. I've never used it with a drummer though. It's about as powerful as a 50 watt solid state amp.

BreakThroughWL · 06-14-2011, 02:05 PM

Well the amp I have now is 40 watts and I've never had a problem with being too quiet. I'm thinking the Epi might just do the trick, or maybe one of the Blackheart amps. I just wish I could find the matching cab to the Valve Jr. everywhere I look says they have stopped making them.

gtrdave · 06-14-2011, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreakThroughWL

Oh, ok thanks. What is a good mic for a guitar amp? I've never had to mic my Marshall valvestate so I wouldn't know.

The standard "go to" mic for amps is a Shure SM57.
They're about $100.
For about $10 more you can get the 'guitar amp specific' Sennheiser e609.
It's got a flat nose grille on it so it's easy to drop over the front and pretty much lay up against the grille-cloth.

Catholic · 06-14-2011, 02:21 PM

I should specify that I have the combo version which I believe is discontinued.

I've heard good things about the Blackhearts, but haven't tried one out.

Catholic · 06-14-2011, 02:23 PM

The earlier suggested Fender Blues Jr. might be a good choice. I think a new one is around $500.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 06-17-2011, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreakThroughWL

Well the amp I have now is 40 watts and I've never had a problem with being too quiet. I'm thinking the Epi might just do the trick, or maybe one of the Blackheart amps. I just wish I could find the matching cab to the Valve Jr. everywhere I look says they have stopped making them.

Personally having owned the blackheart and the valve jr, go blackheart. It is a MUCH better, more versatile amp. It is out of the box, a lot louder than the valve jr, I believe owing to a better output transformer. It has a usable eq, more gain possible and since it is louder, period, you do have more headroom before tube breakup kicks in. Also, the combo and head are nice, but truth be told, I really preferred the combo.

To put things in perspective, I'd rather play a blackheart than a blues jr. And I have played one with a drummer. It would keep up, sort of clean. (I was starting to get a bit of hair on the chords.) Distorted... worry no more if it will keep up. Unless you are playing with a really heavy handed drummer, you would be fine. Clean clean, you would need to mic.

Though for a hair more, Jet city amps have some offerings that are even better than the blackhearts. Really, if you are on a budget, I would seriously consider a jet city amp.