I don’t know the amp except second or third hand. My biggest concern is the use of tubes: when tube amps got put on a huge pedestal, amp makers began going out out of their way to claim “tuuuuuuuuubes!!!” when the amp is basically a digital amp with a tube, perhaps, in the preamp circuit. On a scale from 0/fully digital to 10/a simple true tube circuit, sticking a tube in the preamp puts you at maybe 3.
Hearing about USB ports and stuff suggest it may be like that. To be clear: for your needs, that may be perfect. These days, digital amps and effects processors like PODs are really great. I can see where this type of approach would be better at this point for you - e.g., I don’t know that I would recommend a finicky stick-shift transmission simple sports car to someone just taking up driving after a long dry spell, you know? Since you have stated an interest in tubes, I just want to make sure you have context.
That Valveking has 3 12AX7s + 2 EL84s, so the tube genetics are all there. I share aceplace57’s concern about the reverb, but from googling it seems other Valveking models have spring reverb, so I’ll guess this one does as well. The rest of that amp looks pretty sweet: switchable power section, two channels, footswitchable boost, effects loop, balanced & USB direct out. Could be a pretty cool amp.
aceplace57, if you like the switchable power section, Egnater has a few models of that sort. Sadly they don’t seem to come with reverb.
Sweetwater has a great video review of that Peavey amp. They demonstrate all the settings and even compare the mic’d recording to the digital simulated mic recording. The Peavey’s got some great features considering the mid range price. It’s on my short list for sure.
I get the feeling the Fender Blues jr is more of a gig amp. Very straight forward design and a classic sound. Not a lot of settings to screw up the sound. It would be hard to set it up wrong with the Fender. The Peavey is great for gigs too, but also has features to tailor the sound and it has recording features. It would take awhile to learn the features and get the best custom sound out of it. Either amp is a great choice depending on what someone needs.
Thanks again for the comments and suggestions. I got to think about this for awhile and save some $$$.
I haven’t forgotten the Line 6 Pod 2.0 option either. I’ve just started reading up on that. I see it can provide USB out for recording too. I’ll be looking at gear reviews for awhile. There’s no rush. I like taking my time and learning the tech options that are out there.
I see advantages to getting a basic amp like the Fender Blues and having the Pod for modeling/recording.
Because of this thread I put a brown tortoise shell guard on my white '62 reissue Strat yesterday. I already had the guard, I bought it for a project a couple years ago but ended up not using it.
Gorgeous. If I got another Strat, it would be a rosewood board, olympic white one with a mintish-green (like the aged originals) pickguard. Total Jeff Beck fanboy guitar.
I bet that sounds sweet through that Carr Mercury. I seem to recall you saying you had one. Those things are badass. They got hyped for a while, but are kinda up to it. Great amp.
Yes, I’ve grown to love the Mercury. It’s pretty much the only amp I use now. I always loved the crunch tones but my two larger Fender amps still have an edge on clean tones. I did some experimentation with tubes and speakers but the stock setup is fine. I’m not saying the cleans are bad by any means but expecting it to match a Twin for clean is asking a lot. All things considered the Mercury would be the last amp to go if it ever comes to that.
I have an older Fender CS mint green guard but it doesn’t look right. Too mintgreen! The real thing has more of a grayish-green color. The ones that come on current CS Fender guitars look more authentic, IMHO.
What is the world coming to? Why, back in my day, I hauled around an Ampeg VT22 that weighed as much as any twin, and laughed at the half stacks it overpowered, and we were grateful (for the casters that were installed). Ok, I still haul around a 500W bass half stack, but it’s lighter than that VT22.
I had to talk my guitarist out of using a full stack with his Dual Showman head at our last show. Good god, those things are loud. I’m actually fairly heartened to hear this trend in guitarist’s amp choices.
I’m curious, did you have to take off the strings first? I wondered if it was possible to get the pick guard off with them on.
I wanted Elixir Nano 10’s on mine anyhow. So I had Sweetwater change the pick guard and strings.
I’ve been reading about mods people do to the Fender Blues jr. Several places do them. A guy called BillM seems to be one of the more popular tech shops. They have kits with capacitors and other parts to improve the sound. I even see Bill M modified amps on Ebay.
I have a couple of Peavey SS amps in the basement and have no issues with them at all; having said that here are a couple of links Ace, that may be of interest to you if you want to build one up yourself. I come from an electronics background as well and was one of the last courses to go through tube theory. Never thought I’d still be using it…
I highly recommend this book, I’ve read it cover to cover a few times now and was instrumental in getting my guitar amp education seriously underway. Ceriatone. Crate prices, Dumble sound.
If you want some wild pickguard and accessory stuff.
I changed strings at the same time but you can change a pguard on a bolt neck guitar (like a Strat or Tele) without removing the strings. Loosen the strings way back but not so much the strings pop off the tuner shafts. Put a capo between the nut and the first fret and clamp them down. Remove the four screws holding the neck on and pull the neck out of the neck pocket and set it aside (with the strings still attached). Remove the pg screws, the two screws holding the pickup selector switch and the screws at both ends of the three pickups. You will also have to remove the knobs and the 1/2" nut that holds the tone and volume pots to the pickguard. The biggest snag you may run into is if the neck is really tight in the neck pocket. It is possible to chip the paint around the neck pocket so remove the neck very carefully. Usually the come out pretty easily. Before I had a capo I accomplished the same thing by wrapping a rag around the neck to protect the finish and then wrapping over that very tightly with electrical tape.
There’s probably a Youtube video demonstrating the whole process.
It has a great paint job. Unfortunately. See, I bought it so the owner could buy my friend’s Fender amp so he could buy a Mesa SOB. I didn’t know much about the guitar. I remember saying “Gee, I could replace those pickups with some …” and the guy looked at me like I was nuts and said “Don’t do that, you’d regret it.” I took his advice, but still didn’t realize the guitar was nearly a collectors’ item (albeit with a replacement neck).
My best friend saw it and said “Hey, that paint job sucks. Let me bring it into the shop and paint it!” He put a lot of effort into it, chromed all the parts, painted it up nice and glossy black.
And cut the resale value in half or more! as I came to find out years later. It’s now worth more in parts than as a guitar, oddly. But with one mod (adding a bar to increase string tension behind the bridge) it’s become my main electric guitar since then (then was 1985).
That bar really helped the tone, too. Without it, the bottom E always buzzed unless played very lightly. Now it’s rock solid and really zings when I play that low E! Now maybe the surf guys prefer the buzz, but that’s their problem. It’s rewired too, so it doesn’t lose treble when the volume is turned down. I understand why some like that, but I don’t. Plus the top controls are disconnected.
After playing it, a friend of mine who’s a great player and tone freak and owner of various vintage guitars and amps said “Name your price!” He really liked the pickup sound. He handed it to another friend and seriously good player (a Muscle Shoals Swamper) who played it and handed it back without comment.
Ooo, Pretty! How important is the resale, really? You aren’t planning on selling it and you are happy with it. My homebuilt Tele will probably never go for what I paid to build it, but at the end of the day, I got exactly what I wanted. Some guitars just have mojo. I did a neck reset on a 61-62 Hofner Club 50 that has been, to quote The Pogues, "Spat on, shat on, raped and abused " that just makes you play 60s rock way better than you should be able to. I really wanted to tell the owner it died under mysterious circumstances and I had to bury it, but I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.
I’ve just started reading up on that. I see it can provide USB out for recording too. I’ll be looking at gear reviews for awhile. There’s no rush. I like taking my time and learning the tech options that are out there.
