SlagJones Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Happy new amp day to me! Just got a used Epiphone Valve Junior. It sounds pretty good and the exterior is in pretty good shape. A little dusty so I don't think it has been used in awhile, the corners have a couple of small dents and a couple of screws in the back panel are stripped but nothing major considering I got it for a pretty good price. The serial # starts with 05 so does that mean it was made in 2005? It sounds good so I think the tubes are still good for now. Should I go ahead and change tubes? What tubes are suggested? Any hints, tips, suggestions for a new Valve Junior owner? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjones200x Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 You can tell which version it is by the serial number. i know if its 14 digits long then its a Version 3. V3's also have a black printed circuit board. I done the bitmo trio mods and it gives your more options to play with. There easy to do and not to much money either. Well you pay for the info cos the parts arent that exspensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Play it! Usually most go with JJs.. I like a 5751 in the preamp.. I suggest that having some different preamp tubes is a good idea.. 12at7 12ax7 5751 12ay7.. they vary as to power.. the 5717 has as I recall about 30% less .. and I like it's sound the best. If it has the 68K on R1, I'd swap that.. for 1M for sure. that's easy.. and will give you a hotter signal from the input.. more tone.. but really, don't rush. wear those tubes out a while.. get real used to it's sound, then think about changes. congrats. cool aint they? TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlagJones Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 You can tell which version it is by the serial number. i know if its 14 digits long then its a Version 3. V3's also have a black printed circuit board. I done the bitmo trio mods and it gives your more options to play with. There easy to do and not to much money either. Well you pay for the info cos the parts arent that exspensive. The serial # has 8 digits. starts with 05. Does that mean anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlagJones Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 Play it! Usually most go with JJs.. I like a 5751 in the preamp.. I suggest that having some different preamp tubes is a good idea.. 12at7 12ax7 5751 12ay7.. they vary as to power.. the 5717 has as I recall about 30% less .. and I like it's sound the best. If it has the 68K on R1' date=' I'd swap that.. for 1M for sure. that's easy.. and will give you a hotter signal from the input.. more tone.. but really, don't rush. wear those tubes out a while.. get real used to it's sound, then think about changes. congrats. cool aint they? TWANG[/quote'] I have been playing it and it sounds great regardless of my novice skill. If this is tube tone then I LIKE it! I cranked it up and it opens up to a nice loud volume. It reinforces the fact that tone ultimately comes from the fingers. I think it will help me get to the next level of playing where people wouldn't mind hearing me play. I will play it good and hard for a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 The serial # has 8 digits. starts with 05. Does that mean anything? Yes -- 8 digits = version 2 (could be modified since it's pre-owned): 05 could signify the year. My V3 ser # starts 0060207... which could mean June 2' date=' 2007 (or 6 February 2007). I have not seen anything definitive but industries typically use dates in their serial #..., plus we know for a fact that Epi does it exactly this way for their guitars, so.... If this is tube tone then I LIKE it! I cranked it up and it opens up to a nice loud volume. It reinforces the fact that tone ultimately comes from the fingers. Your logic is fuzzy. If tone all comes from your fingers, then it doesn't matter what gear you use. "Tone from the fingers" is a tired, meaningless phrase used by others to intimidate new players. Make no mistake, skill is important and gear is important. But when it comes to tone, everything is everything. Enjoy your VJr... always at their best when played loud and proud! Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlagJones Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 Your logic is fuzzy. If tone all comes from your fingers' date=' then it doesn't matter what gear you use. "Tone from the fingers" is a tired, meaningless phrase used by others to intimidate new players. Make no mistake, skill is important and gear is important. But when it comes to tone, everything is everything. Enjoy your VJr... always at their best when played loud and proud! Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-" You are right, that was a muddled thought. It just seems that every little movement my fingers or pick makes comes through loud and clear through the amp and really lets me know when I am sloppy but also rewards me when I hit that note just right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlagJones Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 SlagJones wrote: The serial # has 8 digits. starts with 05. Does that mean anything? Yes -- 8 digits = version 2 (could be modified since it's pre-owned): 05 could signify the year. My V3 ser # starts 0060207... which could mean June 2' date=' 2007 (or 6 February 2007). I have not seen anything definitive but industries typically use dates in their serial #..., plus we know for a fact that Epi does it exactly this way for their guitars, so.... [/quote'] Ok, are V2 still supposed to have some background hum? Mine does and when you turn it up it gets buzzy. Nothing I can't handle but it is noticeable. When changing tubes on a VJr do they need to be biased? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-theory Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Congrats on the old amp purchase! I personally don't care much at all for the stock Vjr, but they make great modding platforms. If tone all comes from your fingers, then it doesn't matter what gear you use How would it be possible for us to identify famous guitarists from one recording to the next, if tone was largely about the gear? Do you think all of these artists have used the same exact gear throughout their entire careers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-theory Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Ok, are V2 still supposed to have some background hum? The excessive hum due to poor design was corrected on v2. Mine does and when you turn it up it gets buzzy. Sounds like a stock Vjr then! LOL! You'll get SOME hum from outside sources...dirty AC, flourescent lighting, bad cord, poor guitar grounding, etc. When changing tubes on a VJr do they need to be biased? The bias on the output tube is absurd from the factory, but it's kind of a moot point to dial that in when the output transformer on the v2 is crap anyway. You're only going to get so much of an improvement, no matter what you do, unless/until that's replaced. With the stock bias, you'll eat power tubes faster. Big whoop. It'll still sound mushy, even with the bias dialed in, until you replace that iron and make some other changes in the circuit to correct some of Epiphone's goofiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangedogs Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I have 3 tube amps (2 old ones and a V3 VJ Combo) - never met one that didn't have some kind of hum - nature of the beast I think... I love it It adds warmth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I think he might be talking about what I experienced when I got my first vj. that is, I'd been practicing through two solid states. a behringer and a marshall. in fact, the marshall was my second one, because I like the first and wanted to add some efx so I upgraded. When I got the vj. I fel the moron of all time and space. How could I have spent all those months since my fender hot rod deluxe deluding myself into thinking the ss amps were good enough, or good, or.. anything at all. The vj told me exactly what I had been doing. getting sloppy, hiding behing distortion, efx.. Making up for lousy tone with stuff. Burying my practice in excuses the amps would make up for. but the vj said.. hold it, hot shot. you are starting to stink up the place. I was so much more in touch with what I was doing, that ever since then, except when I'm using the micro cube to learn a part, the vj is on. My trusted friend, willing to give me the truth and still stand by me. Able to let me reach farther and encouraging me to do just that. That's tubes, brethren. And it's a pretty neat thing to have. Sure you can crank up a ss amp and, say, use increased treble to 'hear' things.. but the response just isn't the same. We all know the drill I think. And Slag is just finding some happiness. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlagJones Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 I think he might be talking about what I experienced when I got my first vj.that is' date=' I'd been practicing through two solid states. a behringer and a marshall. in fact, the marshall was my second one, because I like the first and wanted to add some efx so I upgraded. When I got the vj. I fel the moron of all time and space. How could I have spent all those months since my fender hot rod deluxe deluding myself into thinking the ss amps were good enough, or good, or.. anything at all. The vj told me exactly what I had been doing. getting sloppy, hiding behing distortion, efx.. Making up for lousy tone with stuff. Burying my practice in excuses the amps would make up for. but the vj said.. hold it, hot shot. you are starting to stink up the place. I was so much more in touch with what I was doing, that ever since then, except when I'm using the micro cube to learn a part, the vj is on. My trusted friend, willing to give me the truth and still stand by me. Able to let me reach farther and encouraging me to do just that. That's tubes, brethren. And it's a pretty neat thing to have. Sure you can crank up a ss amp and, say, use increased treble to 'hear' things.. but the response just isn't the same. We all know the drill I think. And Slag is just finding some happiness. TWANG [/quote'] Right on, brother. Right on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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