Lil' tube amps

spauldingrules

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Anyone have experience with the Crate Palomino V8, Epiphone Valve King Junior Combo, or the Fender Champ 600?  I am seriously considering one of these smaller amps for my "upstairs" amp - anyone have any experience with these?  Tone, reliability?  Thanks - oh, and I play HBs to Teles to Strats.

- TS
 
I actually have the crate palomino V16 - I would personally recommend it over the V8 - simply because it has separate gain and volume control.  The V8 is simply set up so that, the more you turn up the volume, the more gain it has.  I prefer the control to go for a loud clean or quiet distorted sound - as the situation may require.  Beyond that, if you ask me, the palomino is an incredible amp for the coin with qualities rivaling >$1000 boutique amps.  I easily prefer it to ANY solid state rig - or, for that matter, many tube rigs.  That recommendation goes beyond style.  The amp delivers whether you want balls-to-the-wall GAIN,  muscle tube overdrive,  a little rich texture, or a bell-like rich clean sound.  With my schecter C1 elite, I bounce from a mid drive classic rock, to a pleasant jazz/clean (blues?) tone with a switch of the coil tap and a turn of the gain knob (balancing volume for sound level.  I shopped amps, researched, and made my choice after MUCH consideration.
 
The Valve JR has gained a reputation as a good platform to mod.  The stock transformers are not very good.  Honestly, if you can afford to do the Mercury Magnetics mod kit,  makes it into one great sounding amp. 

http://www.mercurymagnetics.com/pages/specials/ValveJrPjt/EVJ-01.htm

The Champ 600 is very similar to the Valve JR, and likely has a low quality transformer.

For stock I like the Create Palomino V8. 
 
I play Matamps and have two Minimats EL84 tube version and an 6V6 tube version.

They're rated at 2 / 4 watts and can kick out some noise I tell you.  Very vintage sounding power tube crunch and great with pedals.

www.matamp.co.uk
 
allium_sativum said:
The Valve JR has gained a reputation as a good platform to mod.  The stock transformers are not very good.  Honestly, if you can afford to do the Mercury Magnetics mod kit,  makes it into one great sounding amp. 

http://www.mercurymagnetics.com/pages/specials/ValveJrPjt/EVJ-01.htm

The Champ 600 is very similar to the Valve JR, and likely has a low quality transformer.

For stock I like the Create Palomino V8. 

Actually the mercury magnetics transformers are mostly hype.  All you really need for an Epi VJR is a Hammond 125 DSE combined with a few different resistors and caps to make a loud little tone monster.  Check out www.sewatt.com for the details.  They broke out of 18watt.com to discuss single ended tube amps after the Valve Junior discussions started dominating the board.
 
I hear good things about the Orange Tiny Terror and Electrosonic Solaris. For a little more, there's the THD Univalve. Yeah, I want all and more.
 
Personally, I swear by my wide panel tweed champ (model 5C1).    :toothy12: It would probably be similar to the 600's that Fender has out right now, except that the tweed has a tube rectifier.  The tone is very warm and mellow, with a smooth early breakup.  Crank it to 12 and it's really quite impressive.

:headbang: To hear, listen to "Even So (Deeper Down)" on my myspace page...played with an Epiphone Dot (GFS Dream 90 pickups & no volume/tone controls) direct to amp (on 12).  Lead is same amp, but with an MIM strat (single coil bridge) through a Frantone HepCat first.

I love little amps.  If you can find a working Danelectro Cadet, they're pretty cool and not too loud, even when dimed.   :glasses9:
 
I use a Matamp minimat at home. Its 2w with 6v6 valve and its awesome.

picture.jpg
 
I have the Crate V58 which is the Palomino V8 with an 8" speaker rather than a 10". Same thing pretty much. If you are looking for something for home playing only I'd look elsewhere. It's really way too loud for that. Unless you play at home really loud of course! The reason I got it was for #1. band rehearsals (if I was feeling lazy) and #2. gigs, miked up, for smaller stages or rough load ins. It needs to be cranked up to sound it's best & 5 watts, you wouldn't think so but it's loud.
 
I'm going to London in october and I'm trying to take control of myself and DON'T buy a Orange Tiny Terror!  :toothy12:
 
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