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Epiphone Valve Junior to Bass! A thread of tiny modding and major sound
- Thread starter BassJunkie730
- Start date
I'm getting both the head and the cab for $100 off list. They are New Old Stock,...so if the it's over a bill to get a tech to swap em out,...I'll hold off and do it myself after some practice.
It may sound fine with out the swap. Replacing the speaker is definitely going to happen though. I may see if the shop has a better option for a cab.
It may sound fine with out the swap. Replacing the speaker is definitely going to happen though. I may see if the shop has a better option for a cab.
Together with the new tranny probably more than the actual head cost...
I just got a Harley Benton GA5H (VJr clone) and especially for practicing/toying around it's really nice. I replaced the weird tone stack with a master volume control. I'm going to replace the output tranny and that's about what I want to do (maybe (!) replace the coupling caps with bigger ones).
I also read in some German forum about negative feedback or so (had to use an online translator, not sure if it's right) to get mor bass out of the head.
Actually I need to get another cab some time 'cause the 4x10 cab I got paired with the 5 watts of the head are too much for using it at home...
Casting Resurrection...
...did you get the cab? If so, how was/is it as a bass cab?
Great thread. From reading this thread and others about the VJ, it seems that unless you have the ears of a dog that the amp is ok to use unmodded with a bass speaker for most of the TB'ers.
This is a cool thread! I own an epiphone valve junior for my electric guitar, but since I don't play it anymore, I thought, "What if I could have it changed into a bass amp?". I thought it seemed like a bizarre idea, so I did some google searching and found this thread. I definitely wouldn't be able to do any modifications on my own though. If there was someone who could mod it for me and make it into a bass amp with plenty of watts, that would be an awesome upgrade from what I have now.
First think I'd suggest is re-tubing it (which you can do yourself). I replaced the factory tubes with a JJ EL84 and TAD 12ax7 and the difference is significant...better low-end and vastly improved mid-growl.
You're not gonna get a huge increase in total watts without seriously modding it, tho...the cost factor there starts to become upside-down, IMO.
Wow, haven't see THIS thread in a while!!! lol
I picked up a Valve Jr. on a whim, it was the last one in the place at the GC I usually go to. My contact there gave it to me for $80. The only mod I've done to it was swapping the 12AX7 to a 12AU7. Not really more volume or gain, but the overdrive is a little smoother and now the WHOLE volume knob is usable. With the 12AX7, it broke into crunch at about 10:00. Now I can use the whole volume knob and it doesn't break up until about 2:00. Between 2:00 and 5:00 (max) is where the crunch is.
5sg.
I picked up a Valve Jr. on a whim, it was the last one in the place at the GC I usually go to. My contact there gave it to me for $80. The only mod I've done to it was swapping the 12AX7 to a 12AU7. Not really more volume or gain, but the overdrive is a little smoother and now the WHOLE volume knob is usable. With the 12AX7, it broke into crunch at about 10:00. Now I can use the whole volume knob and it doesn't break up until about 2:00. Between 2:00 and 5:00 (max) is where the crunch is.
5sg.
Blah, blah, zombie blah. If you like this topic this might be of interest. My tube amp skills-having friend bought a bunch of these and messed with 'em, did a gain matrix mod for me, and blogged about it. He didn't do the follow up post because he stopped having enough bench time to justify the blog, but here:
Post One. Post Two.
He didn't mention that he also put in a beefier bass appropriate output transformer too. Hammond, not sure of the model.
I did one micro-gig with it and it's all fart, but still fun. After my friend did his mods, I modded the case:
I got vintage tinsel garland to go where the white piping was, but haven't figured out the best way to attach it.
Post One. Post Two.
He didn't mention that he also put in a beefier bass appropriate output transformer too. Hammond, not sure of the model.
I did one micro-gig with it and it's all fart, but still fun. After my friend did his mods, I modded the case:
I got vintage tinsel garland to go where the white piping was, but haven't figured out the best way to attach it.
Awesome DIY thread.
Be sure to post a pic in the low-wattage-tubesters-official-club.
Low-Wattage Tubesters Official Club
I researched this mod about a year ago, and was excited to get started, but couldn't find a valve Jr. on sale.
When I found a guy that was dumping his Ampeg Jet, I went that direction for my low wattage tube tone.
Be sure to post a pic in the low-wattage-tubesters-official-club.
Low-Wattage Tubesters Official Club
I researched this mod about a year ago, and was excited to get started, but couldn't find a valve Jr. on sale.
When I found a guy that was dumping his Ampeg Jet, I went that direction for my low wattage tube tone.
Don't care that it is a zombie thread, I'm glad it got revived. I've been meaning to do some mods to my Valve Jr. to make it more bass friendly, and this seems like a good jump off point.
Also, I know it's seven years late, but Linear has a version of LTSpice for Mac.
Also, I know it's seven years late, but Linear has a version of LTSpice for Mac.
This thread is super dead, but I just found a dirt cheap epiphone valve Jr combo because someone cut into the cabinet to fit a ten inch guitar speaker. I took out the guitar speaker and put in a basslite S2010 in its place and replaced the 12ax7 with a 12at7 and this thing sounds great for what it is.
