An Amp is an Amp?

[rcgtrix]

I will soon have a Vox amp which will be incorporated into my bass rig.
Below is a partial description from the seller.

Up for auction is my Super Berkeley III Solid State Head... Not the tube version, solid state. Comes with the cable used between the amp and the speaker cab... Very versatile, good breaking up overdrive sound at louder volumes, great clean crisp clear tones as well... It sounds great, and does have the MILE DEEP reverb thing going... But I very recently noticed that when this amp gets fully warmed up, it starts to act up a little. It doesn't cut out, or crackle, or anything like that. But it seems that the sustain dropps off if you just let a note or chord ring... But recently while playing a Les Paul thru it, I notice that the ring dropps off into a little fizzle at the end if you just wanted to hear the tone go until it would normally just gradually fade out.

Does this seem to be a simple fix, or maybe something a little more to determine? Or, could this be some kind of money train?

[Munjibunga]

Doesn't sound good. Solid state might make the problem hard to track down.

[JimmyM]

it could go either way.

[BassmanPaul]

Personally I'd not bother. IMO VOX never made a decent SS amp. To buy one that obviously needs work seems disingenuous to me as you simply don't know how much it's going to cost to repair.

[KramerBassFan]

The Super Berkeley III has a 20w SS power section.

I'd like to see even Jimmy gig with that...

Although, i bet you could with a PA... but unless you collect VOX amps or something, i'd pass.

But, it probably needs a cap job. As far as i know, the Thomas Organ Co. was never good about using good caps... or most of its parts, for that matter. Not to mention, Transistors were still half a decade young or so during this time, and still hadn't really been perfected. These tranny VOX's ultimately helped to spell the end of the company... along with the management.

[RickenBoogie]

..and, being a guitar amp, it won't be of much use to a bassist anyway. But to the title question, no, an amp is not an amp. Way too much diversity to even consider at this point.

[aurian4parker]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

it could go either way.

well said

[rcgtrix]

Originally Posted by KramerBassFan

but unless you collect VOX amps or something, i'd pass.

My first real amp was a Buckingham. I always wanted another. I found this very clean Berkeley - same vibe, and a good price.

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

But to the title question, no, an amp is not an amp.

I was trying to justify asking for help (from opinions that I respect and am familiar) with a guitar amplifier in a bass amp forum.

I did receive it and it's pretty much as described. Guess it's off to the shop!

[KramerBassFan]

Originally Posted by rcgtrix

My first real amp was a Buckingham. I always wanted another. I found this very clean Berkeley - same vibe, and a good price.



I was trying to justify asking for help (from opinions that I respect and am familiar) with a guitar amplifier in a bass amp forum.

I did receive it and it's pretty much as described. Guess it's off to the shop!

Cool! I'd own most any VOX amp regardless of construction if the price was right. Then again - i will own most anything if it is priced accordingly..

[MIJ-VI]

A source of Vox parts:
http://www.voxshowroom.com/northcoast/index.html

http://www.voxamps.com/forum/