Disecting A Epiphone Valve Junior

With the price hike in boutique guitar tube amps, (and rightly so since, depending on the components quality that go into the construction the initial costs can add up very quickly), there seems to be a tone-void gap between solid-state easily accessible (cheap) and the high end tube amps out there.

So, what will you do, if you are a serious guitar player but have no cash to spend on one (two or three) of the big name tube guitar amp?

Epiphone launched the Valve series and with it, an intriguing model called
Epiphone Valve Junior Head, a single ended amp, class A, all tube (!), head version (recently reviewed in the Vintage Guitar Magazine). A simple one-knobbed, robust 5 Watt amp, that can deliver some serious tone into say a matching Epiphone Valve Junior 1×12 Extension Cab via three impedance output jacks (4, 8 and 16 ohms) on the rear. All this with a 12AX7 tube in the preamp section and a EL84 for the power amp.

Nothing special up to now you might say!

But listen to this! The
Epiphone Valve Junior Head Tube Guitar Amplifier, costs USD 149.99, the Epiphone Valve Junior 1×12 Extension Cab costs USD 159.99, or you can get the Epiphone Valve Junior Half Stack for only USD 249.99!!! If that’s not enough, here is also the elegant Epiphone Valve Junior Combo Amp for USD 199.99 !!!
All are shipping free from Musicians Friend!

Something must be wrong, they must have miss-priced it, or there was a typo of some sort. No, it is true. You can arm yourself with tube overdriven guitar tone for a quarter of what other big name boutique guitar tube amps are out there!

And as if this didn’t convince you to put your hand on it, hear this: You can actually mod the amp, – of course if you own a soldering iron and if you can change a spare wheel on your car – to a killer tone machine with a minimal expense by simply replacing the Output Transformer, and changing the tube brands, and a couple of components here and there. More details in actually how to do this found on the www.sewatt.com forum – an absolute place to discuss specific mods on this amp!

There will be a video tutorial on how to do this VERY SOON!

Now, make yourself a favor. Stop playing on your crappy solid-state (or hybrid tube) guitar amp and get your hands on the one (or more) of the two models!

Epiphone Valve Junior Head Tube Guitar Amplifier