willr Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 14 year old Daughters first Amp for First electric Guitar. choices are Valve Junior Combo Amp, or Studio 15R Amp. I play bass so I don't know which one she would want for her birthday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klast Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 14 year old Daughters first Amp for First electric Guitar. choices are Valve Junior Combo Amp' date=' or Studio 15R Amp. I play bass so I don't know which one she would want for her birthday.[/quote'] My daughter started out with a Roland MicroCube, which was enough until she started in a band. Another alternative would be a Vox, e.g. DA5. Klas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willr Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 the problem is the 2 amps are part of a value pack so they are the choices the valve JR comes with a Les Paul 100 the 15R comes with a Les Paul Special II Since both packs are priced the same, does the version of Les Paul cause one pack to be better then the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-theory Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 For a first-time player, I'd go SS. Besides, that package includes headphones...a parent's dream! Trust me, you'll MUCH prefer that to a cranked valve junior while the chords are being learned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefoxicy Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 I used solid state starting out. It's nice, it's quiet, headphones work, etc. The day I got my VJ (a month into playing) though my world totally changed. Does your daughter know you're getting her stuff? If so, take her to Guitar Center, let her play on a solid state amp and on a VJ (combo or head/cab-- mind you the half stack sounds awesome compared to the combo!) and decide what she likes. And the Special II is crap out of the box. Replace the nut at the very least ($10 pre-cut pre-filed), but I can't STAND the pickups and the tuning machines are weak. I hear good things about the Les Paul 100 (you might want to get a graphite or bone nut to go with it anyway). How much are you paying for the value pack? $200? $250? A LP100 is $270 and a VJR combo is $130 but the value packs tend to be ridiculously cheap. If you're paying around $400 I'd say screw that, get her a Les Paul Studio for $320 because it's worth the hit; but in reality they sell those packs for a massive discount and they're great value. Just remember, music is an expensive hobby; one day she's either going to wind up with a $300 modeling amp or a $250 VJ half stack (depending on if she decides she likes tubes or solid state), and be begging for some $500 Epi or a $250 Strat. The thing I've come to understand is that, as a starting player, I noticed immediately that it's not just learning guitar that keeps me there. I had crap equipment, but I got into modding my amp and guitar. If I was stuck with a guitar and amp I didn't like, I would have given up already; the only way you learn to play is to actually enjoy doing it. On that line of thinking, I'd seriously recommend taking your daughter out to guitar center, letting her try the two guitars and amps, and then dropping the money on the spot for whichever set she likes better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 LUCKY DAUGHTER! I too started out on solid state amps - and hated that I never sounded like anyone I liked - but stuck with it anyway to learn technical aspects and theory. If she likes any vintage type tones, she will want to go tube -- nothing else comes close. BUT, BEWARE tube amps are loud -- the 5w Jr. ver 3 will rattle your neighbors' windows when those tubes are working up there in their glorious sweet zone!!! If that doesn't fit your situation, but she still wants tubes, then buy it and tame that beast with a "Tube Cube" ($85 - 150) attenuator (from "vspeed" on eBay at less than half of a THD hotplate $299). I bought a ver. 3 Jr about three months ago and for the money would have to say it's the best thing out there. Me, I'm going to play on... :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefoxicy Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Bruce also has a $60 attenuator... but the Tube Cube is probably better. Steve what do you think? http://cgi.ebay.com/BITMO-10-UATOR-Mods-Kit-Epi-Valve-Jr-PLATE_W0QQitemZ140180102367QQihZ004QQcategoryZ10171QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Bruce also has a $60 attenuator... but the Tube Cube is probably better. Steve what do you think? http://cgi.ebay.com/BITMO-10-UATOR-Mods-Kit-Epi-Valve-Jr-PLATE_W0QQitemZ140180102367QQihZ004QQcategoryZ10171QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 I have no experience with Bruce's $60 version. I have multiple speaker cabs and ea. have different ohm ratings... so the TUBE CUBE's ability to handle all of them EVEN ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!! made it my pick. Me, I'm going to play on...:- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willr Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 thanks for all the answers. I see the Jr amp has a 4 ohm output on the back, I could build an attenuator so she could use head phones if that is what I need. Plus She lives in the other side of the house, I can't even hear her play the acoustic guitar. Or I could move her down to another room in the house that is insulated. I have all my Amateur radio gear in there so I made the room somewhat sound proof so I could talk in the middle of the night and not bother anyone. from what I am reading, it sounds like the Les Paul 100 is the way to go over the Special II. If she sticks with it, Dad don't have a problem buying better stuff at a later date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefoxicy Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Will, if your room is soundproof there you're set. Go ahead and buy her a nice loud amp for your acoustically insulated room, and spend $15 on a pair of Hearos hifi earplugs (not 50 cent plugs!) and let her go wild deep into the night. :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangedogs Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 let her RAWK! :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefoxicy Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 She might need some instruction to know how to rock :- Or some friends who like guitar and can show her. Oh wait. This would involve her being locked in a soundproof room with boys, wouldn't it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 don't worry about the volume.. you can get good tone at lower volume.. just not so much the distortion.. but.. the vj combos 8" speaker is low efficiency and pretty useable. Saw in other post you went for it.. cherry burst and vj combo.. good deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willr Posted March 22, 2008 Author Share Posted March 22, 2008 don't worry about the volume.. you can get good tone at lower volume.. just not so much the distortion..but.. the vj combos 8" speaker is low efficiency and pretty useable. Saw in other post you went for it.. cherry burst and vj combo.. good deal! Not the Cherry Burst. She has been showing me the ebony one at MF for months. Its back ordered but her birthday is a month away so I got time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robo Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 The VJr and LP100, would be a MUCH better deal if the same price. I have a Special II. Nothing special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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