altair Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Hey Epi-friends! I'm in the market for a new amp, I've found that on my Toneport I keep coming back to a few settings that I really like so I thought hey, why not get a real amp to sound like that? I was wondering if any of you have owned/played any of the amps listed below? Can you tell me your experience and maybe share some advice? BTW they're all combo's. - Kustom HV65 (or HV100) -- this is a hybrid amp - Kustom Defender - Blackheart BH15-112 - Blackstar HT5 Also, there's some new amps coming out that I'm also interested in. One is from Epiphone (you know the one...) and the other is a Bugera V55. TIA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjones200x Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Hi there mate, hows your price range. I own a Laney LV200 which has loads of sounds readily available by just adjusting the gain reverb ect. This is a hybrid amp too. Depends on how much volume you need to. The HT5 will only be as loud as an epi VJ. Obviously better tho. Someone i know had one and he said it was really great. And i assume your interested in the valve seniour too? this would be a hell of a lot louder so up to you. I have a Epi Valve junior i like but dont play due to the fact it has to be cranked to get the sound i play with and i have a Orange tiny terror which i play on 7 watt mode and great for home use at half volume. Full blast on 7 watts is very loud at home and 15 watts is too loud for home i think. Well was to loud for my bedroom 18ftx12ft. My other amp like i said is a Laney LV200 and this is the most versatile with a clean channel which is lovely sounding and is footswichable to a crunch channel and then there is a lead work channel with more distortion available. Reverb on clean and distorted channels too. What type of music you play? Have you searched the amp types on youtube? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altair Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 Thanks for your input fellows! I appreciate it. I love playing blues, middle-of-the-road-rock, funk... the mellow-gain stuff, so to speak. Ideally it should have a bit of punch when it's time to solo. I must admit, the amp settings I just go back to on my Toneport is the Blackface... it just sounds great with my Wilshire, and quite versatile going from nice clean (add some reverb and chorus for that extra "oohh yeah") to tube-like breakup to a great rock crunch. Of course I can't afford a real classic Blackface, but the amps I've put on my list seem to have that same versatility. That is, as far as I can hear it from the Youtube clips. I'm aiming to give them all a good try before I make a final decision. For functionality, I'd like to have the amps be somewhat "future-proof", so I can hook up a speaker cab and maybe an effect loop as my guitar playing skills improve. It would be nice if its volume could keep up with a band, but also remain useable for practice. Built-in effects would of course also be fun, but it's not a real factor for me. Basic tone is more important to me at this stage than a bunch of fancy gizmo's, hence I'm not looking for modelling amps. My Toneport can give me more sounds than any modelling amp could lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 If money is a limiting factor, bona fide all tube amps are going to strain your budget. I 'm a little biased, but check out the Peavey Vypyr Tube 60 or 120, street price around $449-$649 before you make a decision. You might find that all your stompboxes are already in this one. If you like what you hear, it's a good deal and has a REAL tube preamp, using both halves of a 12ax7 for two stage preamp and an output section with dual or quad 6L6 tubes. The schematic on the tube 60 power amp is typical when compared to other tube amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 You need this: new board all new parts and 6V6 tube. *S* Not done yet though. Gotta put in a standby. maybe that's all I'll do, it sounds great as it is. my point is.. get vj and mod it. and you too can have a lug nut knob! I might add tone and/or gain.. but so far. the admontion that one hears often.. do it all with your guitars controls.. really makes more sense on this map than any I've done so far. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altair Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 See, I've been considering the VJ but I'm a bit ehh... weary of doing any modding? On the other hand, modding your own amp will create your own sound. Yesterday I've watched some Youtube clips of Brian May, he built his guitar from scraps out of the fireplace! Meh, so many choices... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Here is a video by Mathias Arp. He does a Dire Straits style fingerpicking takeoff. On the sidebar, there are several other demos of various sounds from EVH to country picking, to blues, and others. All audio is taken from the amp with a mic into the board. Worth Watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjones200x Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Modding the Valve junior is easy, well the basics are simple enough. I like mine but im selling it to but a 2x12 cab. Very warm tone indeed with the right tubes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenrirlupus Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 asking about blackheart is essentially asking about crate. blackheart is to them what "valve" is to epiphone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 altair.. some of it is easy. .some of it isn't so easy. the problem is the stock board.. it's kinda flimsy in those copper traces.. the solder pads can lift with too much heat or heat applied too long. and taste is different.. even someone describing in a way you think is good may not be exactly what you think is good. A good stock V3 VJ is not a bad thing though. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Well, you've had the Vox, Epi, Peavey folks...and, those are all good/great choices. I like Fender, and Marshall amps, myself. I play bars, and small clubs, and my Fender "Blues Junior" is plenty, for those...would work well, in larger venues, if mic'd! If you need/want more...Hot Rod Deluxe (or Blues Deluxe), DeVille's, or on up the scale, Deluxe Reverb (Awesome amp, for ANY style...save arena "metal," maybe?), or the venerable Twin Reverb! That one is hard to beat, IMHO. Not cheap, but...you really don't want a "cheap" amp....trust me, on this. No matter which brand you get, get a really good/great one. You won't be sorry, even if you have to save a bit more/longer to do so. Cheers, CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Seems everyone is getting into the modeling arena. I saw a Mesa Boogie ad in the new Guitar World Mag that came yesterday for a new Mesa Mark V. It has three channels that all have switched emulation modes designed to emulate pretty much any amp that Mesa has produced, plus a Tweed setting. I agree that buying quality is a good idea, especially if you are buying an amp to use professionally. You can't go wrong with a Fender, Epiphone, Vox AC series, or Marshall tube amp if that's the sound you are looking for. The thing these days is that people want an amp that nails the sound of all of the above in one box. That's one of the reasons that players carry a Strat and a Paul and swap out for different songs, not to mention a slew of stompboxes and effects units in a floor case. So, amp manufacturers are producing amps using recently available technology that can emulate most any sound available on your favorite CD. Yes, there will be differences in feel, response, and other nuances that an experienced player will notice, but the untrained audience will hear the sound that was on the CD of their favorite player when you use that model. I remember when Peavey first hit the market with amps that were designed to go up against Fender. Everyone called them cheap knockoffs and argued about whether they were tough enough to stand up against Fender, Vox, and Marshall, which were the amps of the day. They were offered at a price point that made them attractive and they soon became the amp of the weekend warrior, who coudn't afford the high prices of the legendary contenders. I think that this is where we are at today. The new modeling amps will have to prove themselves reliable and worthy. As for the bedroom players, they are very attractively priced. Will they stand up against the test of time? Probably, but at the prices they sell for, you can have a backup for a very attractive price and still come out with money in your pocket. Page 150 of the August Guitar World (came yestereday) reviews the Peavey Vypyr 75. Several pros and NO cons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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