Valve Jr. version?

[TheX]

How doe I check the head of a Valve Jr. to determine the version number at a glance?

[TWANG]

the power switch has no lines on it.. v1 and v2 had a circle and line in white.

a few of the early v3's did too.

so that means you can check the serial number on the back.. I forget what that is though.. longer or shorter.. someone here will remember.

 

after that you can pop it out and look at the board. green? v1 or 2.. black. V3.

[Steven Lister]

you can check the serial number on the back.. I forget what that is though.. longer or shorter.. someone here will remember.

 

V1 & V2s have serial# of 8 digits or less. V3 serial# is 14 digits on mine (others here have said 14 also). V3 power switch is plain red (& lights up when on)' date=' V1 & V2 was red with an I/O printed in white on it.

 

TWANG is right about board colors. If it's important to you, know that "popping out" the circuit board/chassis to determine the board's color may void your warranty. Since serial numbers are printed on the back panel, seems easy enough to just look there to verify a V3.

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[wpkg]

version 3 is the one that doesnt need any mods.

[strangedogs]

version 3 is the one that doesnt need any mods.

 

[Steven Lister]

--- TheX: Looking at buying a VJr. head? Good call, and definitely worth your while to verify/buy the V3 (unless you seek a less expensive used platform just to mod). Maybe you're fond of ZZ Top (given your Austin locale)? V3 does some terrific gritty, greasy Top-like tones (I punch mine with a Keeley/Boss BD-2 through a 2x12 with Eminence Cannabis Rex and a Peavey Blue Marvel). I'm fond of saying about the V3:

PLUG IT IN, TURN IT ON, WARM IT UP, CRANK IT UP, AND PLAY IT LIKE A JIMI/JIMMY thing!

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[frankjohnson]

version 3 is the one that doesnt need any mods.

 

Mine is a pretty early V1 Sn 08061380

 

I never did mod it, and may not. It does well with a Jekyll and Hyde, and the cab has a Warehouseguitarspeakers Veteran 30 in it.

 

I have been waiting to A/B it with a modded one, or a V3

 

What can I expect to hear? I also use a BBE Boosta Grande in front of it and the tubes were changed out for JJ's.

 

I am mostly a bass player, but have used this for rthym and let soem real players use it. No complaints. It works as it should - but again - no upgrades.

[Eracer_Team]

no hum on the rev3 is the first thing you notice compared to a rev1.

Frank are you sure you have a rev1? i have a rev2 head that starts with 08xxx

 

look for the graphics running though the middle of the input jack and the volume control.. that's a rev1 all others have the VJ name and the black graphic lines near the top of the amp.

[frankjohnson]

I am not sure if this helps -

 

 

I bought it pretty early after they came out. I was pretty sure it was a V1

 

what do you think?

 

 

Edited - BTW - I bought the cab about a year later - the week they went on the market as a pre-order item.

 

Edited again - And ..............I have NEVER gotten any hum - it is damned clean!

 

( used to be on the OLD....Old Epi forum - back when Bobskippy, heliman and some others were up and around.)

[layboomo]

That's a version 2........if that were a version 1 and you plugged that strat in you wouldn't even want to be in the same room! They were really that bad. To my knowledge...and I may be wrong on this but most of the version 1's were combo's? Perhaps someone who knows exactly will chime in. Looks like these...all version 2's(but modded)

[Eracer_Team]

Guess what Frank?... GOOD NEWS!

rev1's never ever came as heads.. only combo's.

So you have a rev2. That's the good news.

You’ll never have hum… DC heaters…

 

So the only the only thing you have to ask yourself is do I want to leave it be or do I want to learn what this mod'ing thing is all about.

In the “mod’ing” field; you can play with voltages to adjust them, you can remove the 7k output transformer and install a 'closer' matched 5k output transformer for your EL84 output tube.. BTW this is not my sole idea nor Gil/Layboomo’s but from the amp builders before us.

 

Rev3 changed a few resistors to match what the modd’ers were doing to their rev2’s. Epiphone really read this forum at one time!

So resistors 1&2 are changed, R8 and R9 are changed and they changed the output transformer to 5k ohms.

That’s it from what I can see in the schematics that was changed from Rev2 to Rev3.

So 4 resistors at about 15cents each and a transformer at about $25. Or you can buy yourself a Rev3 head for about $130.

 

Just remember that most of the mod information is now over at www.sewatt.com and don’t forget to understand the safety rules too.

[layboomo]

Guess what Frank?... GOOD NEWS!

rev1's never ever came as heads.. only combo's.

So you have a rev2. That's the good news.

You’ll never have hum… DC heaters…

 

So the only the only thing you have to ask yourself is do I want to leave it be or do I want to learn what this mod'ing thing is all about.

In the “mod’ing” field; you can play with voltages to adjust them' date=' you can remove the 7k output transformer and install a 'closer' matched 5k output transformer for your EL84 output tube.. BTW this is not my sole idea nor Gil/Layboomo’s but from the amp builders before us.

 

Rev3 changed a few resistors to match what the modd’ers were doing to their rev2’s. Epiphone really read this forum at one time!

So resistors 1&2 are changed, R8 and R9 are changed and they changed the output transformer to 5k ohms.

That’s it from what I can see in the schematics that was changed from Rev2 to Rev3.

So 4 resistors at about 15cents each and a transformer at about $25. Or you can buy yourself a Rev3 head for about $130.

 

Just remember that most of the mod information is now over at www.sewatt.com and don’t forget to understand the safety rules too.

[/quote']

 

Yup that's what I thought ET........the difference between a version 2 with a 5K and a 7K OT and is Huge. It really makes quite a difference........and yeah absolutely none of what I say hasn't been said many times before by builders far more knowledgeable than me! Epi basically implemented some of the more popular mods suggested by EE's in the version 3....but they skipped a few that many people think should be included.

[cGil]

What can I expect to hear? I also use a BBE Boosta Grande in front of it and the tubes were changed out for JJ's.

 

Expect to be amazed by what you thought was good, and by what you'll find you've been missing. A Hammond 125DSE (or 125ESE) will give the amp a much wider tonal spectrum from top to bottom, and far more clarity and note definition than you're getting with the 7.5k version 2 OT. Simply put, upgrading the v2 OT is a phenomenal improvement. It is has earned it's rightful place as THE biggest bang for the buck you can do for the tone of a v2 VJr. Few other tone mods come close to the difference a new OT will make in that amp. The OT is half of your tone! The speaker is the other half. The amp and tubes behind it are just the cook's spices and supporting cast. Yeah, I know ALL tone comes from the fingers, but without quality amplification, you're not hearing ALL of your tone!

 

A word of caution. You should also expect to become hopelessly addicted to modding amps as soon as you realize how easy it is to make such wonderful improvements that you can do for your amp, any time you please. That happens a lot.

 

Gil...

[Steven Lister]

A Hammond 125DSE (or 125ESE) will give the amp a much wider tonal spectrum from top to bottom' date=' and far more clarity and note definition than you're getting with the 7.5k version 2 OT. Simply put, upgrading the v2 OT is a phenomenal improvement. It is has earned it's rightful place as THE biggest bang for the buck you can do for the tone of a v2 VJr. Few other tone mods come close to the difference a new OT will make in that amp. The OT is half of your tone![/quote']

 

Hammond 125ESE = $60 (best ebay price)

VJr. V2 market value = $80 - 100 (current ebay auctions - so you can sell the one you already own)

Total investment = $140 - 160 + labor time to mod it

 

New VJr. V3 = $129 (includes upgraded PCB also)(MusiciansFriend reg. price)

 

The math says: If the joy of modding is right for you, then take your wallet out first and then go for it.

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[frankjohnson]

thanks for the info. I will put some thought into this. I still would like to try a new one side by side. I might consider repacing it and letting this head go to a modder.

 

Not without hearing the difference though.

 

 

I could do the upgrades no prob, based on what I have read. I just hate doing a lot to something that is working fine as-is.

 

 

Lets see waht happend next.

 

Thanks again~!

[Eracer_Team]

Rev2 bought some time ago.. already money invested.. so only the OT required and some time..

 

Try an Edcor 15XSE-MS-5K something like $19.95

[layboomo]

Rev2 bought some time ago.. already money invested.. so only the OT required and some time..

 

Try an Edcor 15XSE-MS-5K something like $19.95

 

Just be careful with the Edcor because unlike the hammond's with flying leads....the edcor has terminal strip style connections which means you have high voltage on an exposed terminal strip outside the amp!

[bluefoxicy]

 

Hammond 125ESE = $60 (best ebay price)

VJr. V2 market value = $80 - 100 (current ebay auctions - so you can sell the one you already own)

Total investment = $140 - 160 + labor time to mod it

 

Mind you, a DSE or ESE does improve the fidelity. Oscope the damn thing and see; the signal into the OT looks much better than coming out. A 125ESE will distort far less too; you get way more headroom, possibly not what you want. A 125DSE will give good headroom and more distortion.

[tortuga]

Rev2 bought some time ago.. already money invested.. so only the OT required and some time..

 

Try an Edcor 15XSE-MS-5K something like $19.95

 

This does kind of miss the point. You can sell the Rev 2 on E-bay. The money is already invested but its not gone.

[Eracer_Team]

ok, I didn't miss it.. I got it..

I bought rev2 head for $100~130 some time ago; sell it on ebay $80~100 so $130-$100 = -30: so I am down down as much as $30.

 

Now I buy a Rev3 head for $130, so now $130+30=160.

Now I've got $160 invested in a Rev3 head that may or maynot need more mod's; when I could have just changed the OT for $20 and 4 resistors for $1.

 

 

Yes; Rev2's in 2006 was $99 from MF but they rasied the price on Rev2's to $129 before the Rev3's came out.

 

Or you could have bought a broken Rev2 like I did for $60, fixed it by cleaning the heater fuse holder... Now who's ahead?

 

p.s.and yes gil you have to cover the connectors with heat shrink tube, I do.

[cGil]

If you waste a lot of time in theaters wincing and griping about poor sound quality and solid state clipping more than you spend watching the movie, your ears are probably already in the gold zone and you'll be more likely to notice improvements that mods can make in your amp's tone. So whether to mod or not really boils down to how many zircons you have encrusted in those golden ears, and what it takes to satisfy them. The only for sure thing is, the more good tone they get, the more they'll want good tone! :-

 

Gil...

[layboomo]

encrusted zircons.....Gil have you been listening to your old Zappa albums again? LOL Yeah it's true theres just no going back....sounds like "pro-modder" propaganda to me .......That's it isn't it you're one of "them" aren't you? Sad another tube rollin' tone junkie just like me.

[bluefoxicy]

So whether to mod or not really boils down to how many zircons you have encrusted in those golden ears' date=' and what it takes to satisfy them.[/quote']

 

What does Andy have to do with guitar amps?

[Eracer_Team]

Yup; I comes down to this:

 

http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~eps2/wisc/jpeg/l11sj47.jpeg

 

 

darn URL is too long for the forum... and tiny url creates a useless ad page first.

[wpkg]

If you waste a lot of time in theaters wincing and griping about poor sound quality and solid state clipping more than you spend watching the movie' date=' your ears are probably already in the gold zone and you'll be more likely to notice improvements that mods can make in your amp's tone. So whether to mod or not really boils down to how many zircons you have encrusted in those golden ears, and what it takes to satisfy them. The only for sure thing is, the more good tone they get, the more they'll want good tone!

 

Gil...[/quote']

 

excellent way to put it. I notice that all the time at movies. I can also tell a CD, SACD or vinyl blindfolded (slight exaggeration) so I guess I need me some more VJrs!