Valve Jr

Vic Winters · #1 02-17-2011, 06:03 AM

I'm debating picking one of these up used and running it through a 1x12 alongside my main amp to add some extra grind/distortion. Would this be feasible or does it lack the power to get serious volume?

scotch · #2 02-17-2011, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

I'm debating picking one of these up used and running it through a 1x12 alongside my main amp to add some extra grind/distortion. Would this be feasible or does it lack the power to get serious volume?

What's your main amp?

I;ve done a cranked Valve Jr. on bass. It's a cool tone, but not loud enough to hear in a live context with typical 'rock band' stage volumes.

For recording, it's a great idea. Or, if you had it mic'ed up on a large stage with good monitoring it would work well.

JonnyAngle · #3 02-17-2011, 02:37 PM

Mine will be coming in tomorrow via UPS. I plan on running 2 Eminence Basslite s2010's with mine! I'll let you know what I think after tinkering with it.

Vic Winters · #4 02-17-2011, 02:41 PM

I use a 1001RB-II or BL600 depending on my needs. Do you happen to have any recordings of it with bass?

s_mcsleazy · #5 02-17-2011, 06:36 PM

i actually mic mine up and send it to the p.a allongside my bassman.

but i do warn you

ITS LOUDER THAN YOU THINK

JonnyAngle · #6 02-19-2011, 11:34 AM

Its really loud on guitar, it will make your ears bleed! It is not as loud on bass but I'm going to try a 12ay7 do it doesn't break up so much

christw · #7 02-19-2011, 11:41 AM

Hah! I ran only my mids/highs to a Vox based 5w tube amp of mine (from a full-range SVT-II/610) and just getting into mild distortion the amp was equivalently capable as a crash cymbal for purposes of murdering your hearing tubes.

JonnyAngle · #8 02-19-2011, 03:14 PM

I went with a 12at7 and the breakup is much better

Calaverasgrande · #9 02-19-2011, 04:22 PM

I would actually say that the Valve jr doesnt break up like you would think. Maybe its the tube I have in it now, but even with an LPB1 in front of it I never get very much grind or sustain out of it. At least not compared to what an SVT, YBA1a or Mesa Bass 400 does.
I do like how it sounds as a practice amp. About 90% of my home recordings are that amp plugged into various cabs, with a pedal if I need fuzz or anything else. The lack of EQ is nice actually!

JonnyAngle · #10 02-19-2011, 10:32 PM

With a12ax7 mine breaks up at about sixty percent. I live to have it dimed

JonnyAngle · #11 02-26-2011, 06:38 AM

After some more tinkering....

Put a jj's EL84 in there and throw out the stock tube. I've got a 12ay7 on order that I'm going to try out, but I was loving the tone that my GE 12at7 had. Personally, I don't think you need to mod these amps, just put some decent tubes in there!

fivestringgecko · #12 07-19-2011, 10:35 AM

I picked up a Valve Jr. a while back for kicks after reading some info around Talkbass on it. After trying it out in the store with an Ampeg SVT 2x10 cab (which sounded pretty great!!!), my VJr. sat on a shelf for a while until a couple weeks ago. I tried it out with my PF115 just out of curiosity, and again... sounded pretty darn good!

With the stock 12AX7, I was able to get some decent volume out of it before it broke up, but that was at about 30-35% on the volume knob. Out of curiosity, I swapped the stock tube with a 12AU7 and am now able to almost max the volume knob before it breaks into overdrive. It's not that there's now more volume, it's more that now the volume knob is more usable across the whole scale. Getting into the amp's sweet spot sounds good with either tube, but the 12AX7 had more of a "rock grind" sound than the 12AU7, which still had the same general vibe, but quite a bit smoother.

This makes a great practice amp for sure, and I could see definite uses in a studio. It wouldn't hold up for high-volume gigs of course, but with the 12AU7 you might be able to get away with using this amp and an efficient cab for a small venue (like small jazz club or something with PA support). I was able to get enough volume out of the VJr./SVT210 setup in GC to turn heads and rattle a couple things. I didn't get as much volume out of the Epiphone/PF115 setup, which I attribute to the fact that it's a 1x15 cab rated at 450 watts vs. the 200 watt 2x10 SVT.

All in all, a handy little amp for low-volume/practice stuff. It doesn't have as much low end as I'd like, but it is a guitar amp after all, and still sounds quite good. I'm itching to finally get an Ampeg Micro VR stack and be able to pair the 2x10 with the VJr.

5sg.