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Low Power Tube Amps


LPCustom

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You can find out quite a bit about me from my site - VerneAndru.com. As far as music goes, I did the industrial design on the Pigtronix EP-1 Envelope Phaser and have been involved off and on in the industry for the past 30-ish years. My main gig is film-making/animation. Music adds the mojo to the pictures - hence the attraction. I'm a sucker for gear and like hanging with like minded people - which I believe I've just found a whole bunch of, so I'll probably be around for a while.

VerneAndru.com <- that's me

oKee.com <- my project site

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Originally posted by Verne Andru:

I'm expecting Fender will do a re-issue of the Champ. With all the buzz about low-watt amps, it's conspicuous by its absence.

It's not a Champ, but it looks like Fender is going to get there feet wet in the small wattage arena: http://www.fender.com/products/princeton/

IIRC, MF is selling them at about $1000. I'd love to have one, but for the $, I'm going to have to stick with my Epi Valve Jr. head.

Avoid playing the amplifier at a volume setting high enough to produce a distorted sound through the speaker-Fender Guitar Course-1966

 

 

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Hey Picker - not really. It depends on the box and what they are using the op-amps for. Not all opamps in a circuit are for the audio path, so unless you know the circuit it's pretty hit or miss. I know there are 3 TL072's in the Pigtronix Disnortion but only 2 of them are for audio. And the only reason I know that is I know the guy who built it. Perhaps the best way to go about it is to pull the unit apart, make notes of the obvious suspects - they are usually in an 8-pin DIP package - and use the cross-reference lookup page at Texas Instruments site. Unfortunately TI doesn't always show their TLE's as replacements even though they are compatible. Worst case is you replace them all and risk wasting a few dollars on an unnecessary swap. Wish I could be of more help - sorry.

VerneAndru.com <- that's me

oKee.com <- my project site

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I have the VJ combo, with some hum, and the VJ head that I use with the combo's speaker or a home made 1x12 Celestion. I love the sound with the 1x8. I mix in a little reverb and OD, plug my CD player into a 15 watt ss amp and play along. The sound brings me back to another time. Most young people I speak to crave power, when I think they should crave tone. An old guys view!
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I've been looking for a cheap, small single-volume tube amp that I can crank at low volume. I need something more portable and much quiter than my goltone... I know about the epi vj, but how's the fender pro junior?

-Andy

 

 

"I know we all can't stay here forever so I want to write my words on the face of today...and they'll paint it"

 

-Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon)

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Pro Jr. and Blues Jr are both 15 watts which still gets pretty loud but portable and gigable. If you're looking in the 15 watt area, Vox has recently released it's AC15 that looks pretty good. And there's Oranges Tiny Terror that's switchable from 15 down to 8 watts.

 

5 watts is loud enough to piss off the neighbors but not loud enough to gig with unaided. If you want an upscale EVJ, Gibson has a G5 out - basically a PTP high end version of the EVJ. Bit pricey but apparently sounds great if you have the budget. Then there's the Mini Z, Peavey Valveking 8, etc. None have an FX loop though, except the soon-to-be-introduced Peavey JSX, if that's important to you and they are all pushing 8" speakers - which I guess some people like.

VerneAndru.com <- that's me

oKee.com <- my project site

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  • 3 weeks later...

With NAMM 2007 underway, there are a number of new entries in the low-watt category. Fender has released the Champ 600 rumored to street around $200:

http://frontlinelive.fender.com/blog/images//WinterNAMM2007/Champion_600.jpg

 

And Peavey has introduced their Windsor Studio to street for $499:

http://www.harmony-central.com/ProductImages/Large/000008449.jpg

 

The Peavey is the first amp I've seen that actually has, IMO, the feature's right for a recording combo:

 

* Class A power amp designed to use various octal power tubes, including EL34 (stock), 6L6GC, 6550, 6CA7, KT88, KT66, KT77, KT90, KT100 or any variation on these types

* Two 12AX7/ECC83 preamp tubes

* 15 watts RMS into 4, 8 or 16 ohms (selectable)

* Exclusive Power Sponge output power attenuator

* No negative feedback in power amp

* High and low gain inputs

* Preamp gain

* Low, mid and high EQ

* Footswitchable Boost

* Footswitchable effects loop

* Master volume

* Spring reverb with level control

* Transformer-balanced XLR recording output with unique mic simulator

* XLR ground lift switch

* Dual speaker outputs

* Power and standby switches

* 12" loudspeaker

* U.S. MSRP $499.99

 

I'm sure they'll be more, but it is a good time to be in the market for low-watt amps.

 

Anyone run across others, post em up.

VerneAndru.com <- that's me

oKee.com <- my project site

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