Opinions for tube amp...

[MarkDonMel]

Wow!  Thanks so much for all the responses.  I'm not just blowing smoke but this board is fantastic and has an awesome community.  Thanks!

I am looking for an amp with all tube overdrive.  I am really into late 60's early 70's overdriven sounds ala grand funk, sabbath, cream, etc.  I enjoy listening to mainly rock and roll and punk, but I love playing classic rock.   A fuzz and wah are my favorite effects and I'm looking for a good sounding tube amp whose sound I can tweak with my guitar and a couple pedals.  I had no idea that the epi valve junior was even around!  I have seen it but routinely glanced over it after seeing "5watts" without even looking to see what it was (rookie mistake).  It seems to be a great value, and with the holidays just around the corner, I think I'll get one (if someone doesn't buy it for me, I'll buy it myself).  I do agree with a few of you who mentioned starting off by modding an already put together amp, I think I feel more comfortable with that for starters.  I'm now thinking of getting a valve junior head and trying to tackle some of the mods I've seen in some of the links you provided, again thanks!

I have read reviews, and any info I can find on the net, including about 40 harmony central user reviews I've read.  But, does anyone know of a sound sample or two?  I did find a few on one site, but they showcased how the amp sounded with a certain mod added.  I'm hoping for some stock sound samples.  However, for a hundred bucks, and the fairly easy return policies that most larger music stores have, I think its probably worth it to buy regardless. 

What do you all think?  Anyone else own one, or more? 

Rookie question...  Can you cascade them?  I've never done this with an amp, I've only ever owned one a Legend 50w 'Rock n Roll' 2x12, but I always see guys with like multiple marshall or laney heads with towers of speaker cabs.  What does it do?  Increase the gain? output wattage, loudness? or??

Thanks again you all, I really appreciate the help and input.

[bancika]

try youtube, I downloaded few nice valve junior videos form there

[MarkDonMel]

Well, thanks again all for the helpful opinions.  I went out and bought a valve junior head tonight, too late to play it right now but I messed with one a little at guitar center.  This amp sounds pretty damned good, I'm impressed, especially for the price.  It has a really nice overdrive once it warms up, too.   

by the way... I'm not sure about other Guitar Center stores, but the one in Cerritos, CA has these things on sale right now for $89.99! but they only had 2 left after I walked out of the store... 

I think that the tube amp kits and projects will come later for me, as I learn a few things so I don't turn my schlong into jerky by messing with high voltage.   

Also, thanks for the youtube idea.  We have a gnarly firewall at work that wouldn't allow me to view, and I went to the store on the way home, so I didn't have a chance to watch any vids before I purchsed, but thanks.


**I have a couple further questions for some of you more experienced gurus.

1.     Know of any mods to add a gain pot so I can load, or whatever its call, the preamp tube and get more gain at a lower volume?

2.     I have a Legend 50w 'Rock -n- Roll' 2x12 amp.  I am planning on using the speakers (because they plug into the back of the amp with a 1/4 inch plug).  I thought I would just plug the two 12 inch speakers in and play.  But, I started reading the directions and about the dangers of plugging the wrong ohm speakers into the wrong jack and possibly damaging the amp.  I am hoping for help here.  The speakers wires converge into one 1/4 inch plug, which I am assuming means that they are running in series?  The ohm rating on the speakers is 15 ohms.  They are g12 - 65 rola celestions.  So, I was planning on just setting the head atop my amp, unplugging the speakers from the back of the Legend amp, and plugging them into the valve jr.  However, I have no idea how to calculate ohmage in series like this, if that's even what I need to do, I don't know.  Bottom line, I'm clueless and don't know which of the three jacks to plug the speakers into!

As always, any help would be most appreciated.  Thanks, Matt.

[MartyMart]

Here's what I did for a master volume which works a treat :
R5 is a 220k to ground just before the grid stopper ( R15 1k5)
Remove it and wire a 500k log pot from where C2's pad/lead is and make a cut
in the trace just after that, use a 5mm drill bit.
Pot wiper goes in the hole where you removed R5 ( and on to R15)  and other pot lug goes in the
ground hole from the removed R5 !  Easy
You just heed to drill a neat hole in the front for the pot.
Allows you to crank the original vol pot for preamp crunch and dial back main volume pre-power tubes.

MM.

[fixr1984]

For checking your speakers use a DMM. If you have one.
set it to Ohms scale. Touch one lead to the tip of the cable going to
the speakers and the other lead to the shaft part of the cable.
That shoud give you the ohm load of the speakers and you can plug
into the proper jack on the VJ.
Another gain pot idea is to remove R6 and R7. Put a jumper in where R6 was
and put a 500k pot where R7 was. Page 30 at www.18watt.com has a bunch of
mods. Dont forget to drain the caps before working inside.

MartyMart's idea is a good one also. (didnt want to sound like yours was bad..lol. Judging by
all your post on 18watt you have a little more knowledge about these than me. )

[d95err]

Rookie question...  Can you cascade them?  I've never done this with an amp, I've only ever owned one a Legend 50w 'Rock n Roll' 2x12, but I always see guys with like multiple marshall or laney heads with towers of speaker cabs.  What does it do?  Increase the gain? output wattage, loudness? or??

No. You don't cascade amps. Never.

There are lots of internet rumors about certain artist getting their unobtainable magic voodo mojo tone by cascading amps. Those rumors are simply caused by misunderstandings. Usually, it's non-technical people who see multiple amps on stage and think they must be cascaded. There are some exceptions, where for instance you could use the preamp of a small amp into the poweramp of another larger amp, but that's rare.

Big towers of amp heads and stacks are run in paralell for the added volume (I think Yngwie Malmsteen used 34 Marshall 50W heads in the "loud 'ole days"). You run the guitar to a splitter box and run one output to each amp. Some artists use two different amps in paralell to get a mixed sound (e.g. one clean, one dirty amp), but never cascaded.

Ok, there are exceptions. Some amps have line outs, and with a dummy load, they could be used as a preamp and run into a separate poweramp.

[MarkDonMel]

I do see what you are saying, no cascading the amps, got it.   I do have a dmm, and damn it to hell if it isn't in storage... I just realized it, all my tools and parts are there.    Looks like I'm going digging for it today.  Thanks for the gain pot/master volume ideas.  My user info or whatever is pending at 18w so I will soon be able to check those out.  I have some new pots around here somewhere, so it looks like the first mod I'm attempting on this will be the master volume.

If I have never plugged this amp in, and I bought it un-opened from GC, is it safe inside at this point?  i.e. am I going to get shocked to hell?

Thanks!
 

[d95err]

If I have never plugged this amp in, and I bought it un-opened from GC, is it safe inside at this point?  i.e. am I going to get shocked to hell?

Whether it will be to hell or some other place is not up to me to decide... 

You're not likely to find high voltages inside at this point, but you can't be sure. Always assume there is high voltage inside a tube amp until you have drained the filter caps yourself. There are lots of tutorials and tips for how to make a tube amp safe for working on the tube amp sites.

The easiest solution (which won't help you this first time) is to keep a resistor permanently soldered across the first filter cap. Most DIY amp schematics have this by default, but commercial amps usually don't (saves the cost of one whole resistor...). Check some DIY amp schematics for suggestions on drain resistor values.

[MarkDonMel]

haha, funny.  Thanks for the advice.  I'll definitely look into some safety guidlines and such before getting involved in all that.

[fixr1984]

www.valvejunior.com
Here is another site for mods. They also tell you how to
drain the caps to make it safe. There was also talk on there about a
bleed resistor already updated on the head version. That would make the caps
drain without you having to do anything. I still wouldnt assume they are empty
till i took a voltage reading.

[Minion]

There are a few really easy tube amp Projects out there, one that is good for a beginner would be a "Fender Champ" clone....It only uses 2 Tubes and a few caps and resistors and Diodes and an output transformer and a Power transformer.....

There is one tube used as a rectifier but you can replace that with a bridge or some 1N4007 Diodes.....

You can find the schematic here:

http://www.drtube.com/schematics/fender/champ-5c1-schem.gif

and a wireing layout here:

http://www.drtube.com/schematics/fender/champ-5c1-layout.gif


You could possibly build one for about $50 if you look on e-bay for Parts.....

I am actually in the process of rebuilding an Old Garnet combo tube amp...These are some of the most sought after and rarest tube amps arround so I should be able to get a pretty penny for it after Fixing it.....


Cheers