Epiphone Valve Jr... halp!

[AprioriMark]

Ok, yes, I've searched through what people have had to say about this amp in various threads.  I'm just looking for specific advice from people who might know best.

I'm considering getting one of the 5w heads, having it modded to replace the transformer and throw in a brightness boost, and then also have a custom cabinet made.  Oh, I'm also having some of it rewired to eliminate the hum.  Now, I know for a fact that these (at least the combo versions) are enough volume for a lot of the playing I'll do, and I love the Class A tone (not being trendy, I actually do like it a lot). 

Here's my big question:  Should the cabinet be a single speaker, or two smaller ones?  8"? 10"?  What's pushing it and what's reasonable?  Is there a way to squeeze out a tiny bit more volume through speaker options?  I would like to match ohms.

Thanks!

-Mark

 

[tfarny]

Well that sounds like a lot of work and expense when you could just as easily order a BF champ from ceriatone and be done with it. Speakers will make a huge difference in volume and tone, 8" is only for little practice amps, don't bother. Get a single 12" - a 2x12 may give a bit more volume. A closed back cab will be louder than an open back but I think I prefer the sound of open backs. Either way, if you want to maximize the volume from a little amp, an efficient 12" such as an Eminence Legend, Celestion V30 or Greenback, or others, is the way to go.

 

[mayfly]

I agree with tfarny - If you're going to go through that much work, don't start withe the valve Jr.  You'll be throwing away most of the amp.

A ceritone will do you nicely.

 

[Kostas]

I have the head version, completely unmodded. It's not a special amp but it serves as an... amp when I'm between amps. For sure the sound is not class A :icon_scratch:

I wouldn't choose a speaker smaller than 10".

Mercury Magnetics has a kit for this amp. Amp + kit is almost $500. You can find better used amps.

 

[jimh]

+1.

By the time you spent spent that much time, effort and money modding an 'OK' amp, you'd have been better off building something (big +1 to Ceriatone) or getting a better used amp.

I'm all for modding and building.  It's a great way of learning.

As for the speaker.......  Go for a larger speaker if you can.  Good tone comes from moving air. 
A more efficient speaker will give you more 'bang' for the Wattage input.  It was discussed in some detail here. http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=7907.0

 

[Rick]

+1 on the 12 inch speaker.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I built an AX84 5-8 watt class A amp.  It offers a lot more opportunity for modifying it to your tastes sonically and you also can change it up a heck of a lot easier.  A decked out kit was under $400.  It drives my Marshall 1960 cab with no trouble at all.  It does sound different than the larger amps, but you can get it to scream at lower volumes, and it is a very quiet amp (that relates to back to me working on it to reduce hum)

If you are going to put in the work, you might as well start from a kit.  They have a very nice board to get answers from, very similar to here, and a well designed product (Class A amp.)  So if you know what you want, and are patient putting it together it might be a good idea for you to read about.
Patrick