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Combo v. Half Stack?


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Hey everyone, besides the output and things are there any significant differences between the combo and half stack version of the VJ? I havent gotten one yet, but I am itching for it, and im just wondering if its just which one I decide on or if there are some advantages to one or the other, for instance I heard the combo is too stuffy and gets really hot. Thank you!

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Combos cost significantly less than getting a head and a cabinet. Combo also has the tubes inside the speaker cabinet, meaning they're getting physically abused (directly screwed to the speaker cabinet, and right behind the big speaker!); you can get little titanium rings with bumpers on them to act as shock absorbers to reduce the damage, but I hear very little on their actual effectiveness.

 

The half stack comes with a 12 inch speaker. Bigger speaker means bigger volume, and 12 inches versus 8 inches gives you 12.5 more square inches of surface (50% bang for your tube power). It does of course cost roughly $100 more!

 

I can't comment on the tube torture issue, but a bigger speaker will give you way more volume. Mind you, I'd love a smaller speaker for my valve, or an attenuated output; the thing is LOUD.

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I got the VJr half stack with the 12" extension cabinet a few weeks ago, as I did not have any speaker cabinets already, and anything from the pawn shop was going to cost at least as much as the new one.......Plus , the entire matching set just exudes "class"

The amp is loud, but more than that, it has a "presence" with the 12" speaker that you cannot get with the 8" spkr in the combo.

 

As to attenuating the system to get the bluesy tone without the loudness, I bought a kit from a fellow on ebay who sells mods for the VJr and others, to attenuate the loudness from the speaker.....I built the "box" form, so it does not attach to the amp at all, but goes between 2 cables from the amp and to the speaker. It could be used for other rigs later.

It works. However, to get the full tonal effect at reduced loudness, you still might wake your wife up on Saturday morning....#-o

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the speaker cabinet is really well made. several plys of birch, no voids in mine that I could see. Well fit, no sloppy glue.

To me, the cabinet is worth the 130.00.. try pricing single 12" cabinets on ebay without speakers and they cost about the same as the vj with an eminence speaker.

 

The tolex is a bit soft and tends to cut fairly easily.. but it will be the same on any of them so.. there you go.

It's really meant more for staying home .. or in the studio with mods *S*..

get a nice cover.

 

your tubes will suffer a little more from heat and vibration in the combo.

the stack will get you girls.

the girls will get you beers.

sheesh. how much can you ask for?

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Hey Follow -

 

These guys are all right on the money, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents regarding mods on these because I started my mods on a combo and then later hooked it up to a 12" cab and felt like I hadn't really been even hearing the nuances of the mod work I was doing til then....

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speaker sensitivity.. it gets mentioned at least as much as any other mod as something that will give you a real tone boost.

If you get around 100db sensitivity.. which is close on the vj cabinet.. less close on that little 8" combo speaker.. you'll get brighter and louder and richer tone.

 

TWANG

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