ValveTrain Amplification Classic 205 Combo

Purchased new in May 2009, directly from the manufacturer. That in itself was a good experience; the amp arrived the next day on my front porch. Simple features: Volume/Tone/High gain input, Low gain input, on/off switch. The main feature are simplicity and rich tube tone. For my taste, less is more. If the amp featured vibrato, it would be all I would ask for.

I am primarily a Blues and late 60s/early 70s guitarist, and accompany a female vocalist from time to time, typically playing small gatherings. The amp is sufficient. In the event of playing to larger rooms, I would mic the amp.

I've played it with a Hamer equipped with humbuckers, so far. I look forward to playing other guitars through it, most specifically,a Fender Stratocaster, equipped with Gold Lace Sensors.The variety of sounds is at the hands of the player, articulation through the guitar's controls and picking dynamics will drive the amp in whatever direction one may choose. It is very responsive and surprisingly full for an eight-inch speaker.

The 205 also enhances the harmonic overtones beautifully, and is quiet when idling. It nails the tweed Princeton tone, which is exactly what the builder states was the inspiration for the circuitry, which is faithfully executed. This amp has the tone i have appreciated in many vintage amplifiers, with the added benefit of using new components, so longevity is built in to the design.

I imagine it will be reliable, given the quality of the materials used to fabricate the amp, and the degree of workmanship evident in the construction and detailing. These methods and components are time-tested. A simple, effective product, and worthy of trust.

In anticipation of trouble-free performance, based on these factors, I would give the 205 a high rating.

Rick was very willing to work with me on whatever would have been my preference at the time of negotiation. ValveTrain is a friendly company to do business with, customer rapport is top notch.

I've been playing for something like 35-37 years. I've owned many excellent guitars and amplifiers in those years, and have developed a pretty thorough understanding of what to expect from different products, in terms of quality of build and sound. I love the fact that this amp is light enough to easily transport, yet will hold its own for small sessions. I compared it to vintage Fenders, Magnatone, Univox, Ampeg, and Victoria. I love the tome of this amp, and would not hesitate to purchase another. These consistently high ratings I am giving this amp are well-founded. I believe that this is a gem. Few amps possess the ability to combine quiet operation, no hum, hiss, or noise, with the high gain, creamy break-up. It has the ability to chime when dialed down to a clean level. This amp is the product of great engineering.

The Valvetrain 205 is "inspired by" a 1955 Tweed Princeton (5F2A) and is a point-to-point hand wired class A 5 Watt combo with a Weber ALNICo sig8S speaker in a pine mojo cabinet
covered in a smart retro two tone "Black&Tan" tolex.
The amp has High and Low inputs and Volume and Tone controls and a power switch.It runs off 5751/6v6/5Y3.All information is on the Valvetrain Website.
It is a small portable amp ideal for home use and recording.
The simplicity is its strength.Pure tone.
Play rythm and single note rythm patterns and don't need reverb and don't use pedals.

"Low Watt" but very loud with an amazing range from clean and warm into a deep articulate driven voice.Can be very "roots" for rockabilly and blues or even garage sounds but also just
beautifull for alt.country and jazz.
Found some hot jazz tones from a Guild Starfire 4 with Fender made Guild HB1 pickups and
some cool blues phrases given emphasis by the amps response to pick attack which is incredible...the clarity of chords and the accent given to rythm playing from pick attack is Stax funky!
The mini humbuckers on a USA Epiphone Riviera are brighter and just sparkle but can get into a psychedelic r'n'b garage sound.
The amp is so responsive and there is an authority in the voice of this amp and a tone that has mystery and depth.
The amp is built to the highest quality and can be very loud but mostly the tone from this little amp is Big...this amp has soul.

The Princeton 5F2A is a simple circuit and the build quality of the Valvetrain 205 is excellent.
The amp is handbuilt in the USA using high quality components which are all listed on the Valvetrain website.
Owing to the simplicity of the point-to-point handwired circuit in a real pine cabinet and the
standard of workmanship and finish the amp should last at least a lifetime.

Purchased from WeSellGuitars of Bradford who are the U.K. dealer and Rob was both knowledgeable about Valvetrain Amps and very helpfull in sorting a "black&tan" Valvetrain 205 for ??495 which was delivered U.K. mainland in 24 hrs insured for a ??10 fee.
Valvetrain have good customer support and will discuss the amp needs of their customers.
(Mojo also make the later slightly wider and taller Princeton cabinet that is actually the same size as a Harvard and will take a 10" speaker and an "inspired by" 10 watt 1x10 Tweed Harvard from Valvetrain sounds like a great idea to discuss......)

This is the best sounding amp I have played through after having a Peavey Classic 30 and a Fender Pro Junior and the mini humbuckers on a USA Epiphone Riviera love this amp and the
Guild Starfire 4 Fender made HB1 humbuckers sound class.
This is the first real quality amp I have owned and the semi-acoustics have never sounded better.
The Weber ALNICo sig8S which is said to be brighter and smoother with a later break up really works well in the dimensions and the volume and tone controls are very sensitive giving the amp such a range but mostly because of the simplicity of the princeton circuit the amp really lets you hear the individual voice of a particular guitar.Good value quality amp.

2008 5 Watt tube amp.Dead simple 2 inputs high or low on/off volume & tone.I wish it had reverb,but I use a pedal & it's fine.The tone control is useful other 5 watt amps I looked at did'nt have a tone control.I use it for practice & after I got I cranked it & it's plenty loud enough to play a small gig.This amp works great for Jazz,Blues or Classic Rock which are the styles I play.

The sound qulity is great.I've played some vintage Fenders & this amp comes close in tone compared to those amps.Low noise, it really brings out the woody tone in my Heritage.Playing chords you can hear each note clearly.I play a Heritage H 535 with Seymour Duncan humbuckers this amp has given me the sound I was looking for.The distortion is not brutal,but this is not a death metal amp.Cranked it will break up, again it works great for blues & classic rock

I have not gigged with the amp yet,but it looks to be solid built.No plastic components the handle is made of leather & fastened to the cabinet securely.All the workmanship on the cabinet looks immaculate.If I take care of it & treat with the normal care for a tube amp it should last a lifetime.The warranty on this amp is 2 years.

You know I read the other guys review saying the owner called him, well he called me too.I called him because there was a ringing sound coming from the amp when I played certain notes on the guitar he called me right back & figured it might be the rectifier tube he sent me a replacement tube I installed the new tube & the amp worked great.He also responded to my emails.He sent the new tube free of charge plus an amp cover I ordered .When I called I was'nt put on hold,transferred,reffered to the dealer,reffered to the repair tech,transferred to a call center outside the couhtry.And he called me right back not the next day the whole process took about a week.

I've been playing guitar for 28 years.If the amp were stolen I would replace it.What I love is the tone & the fact it's very light. I also own a Heritage H535 & 2004 American series Strat.I wish it had reverb,but other than that this amp is not lacking for much.I think for the money even though it's not cheap plus the customer service this has to be the best 5 watt tube amp on the market.

Very simple a sort of clone of a champ--but better. Vol and tone.

Using a Hamer korina Jr and a Custom Shop Strat Pro

Cleans up beautifully with guitars volume

Roars when dimed on guitar and amp

Pretty simple lay-out and meticulously constructed. I just bought it, but the pine box is solid wood and built tight.

This is where greatness becomes better! The amp sounds so wonderful, there is an articulation in each note--you can hear the vibration in each string--they are individually voiced! But there was a problem with two of the tubes. They were microphonic. Rick, the owner builder called me and responded to my email. Yeah--thats right--HE CALLED ME!, helped me determined that the tubes were microphonic and sent me two new tubes. No screwing around--just sent them. All this even while the amp sounded great, even with the bad tubes. Just a real honest craftsman that supports his product! Worth the money for sure.

Cheap--no, great with great service YES. My amp is just a piece of art!

This amp has very few superficial features, but it has all the actual features I wanted.
High and Low inputs, Volume, Tone, Power switch, 4 and 8 ohm external speaker jacks.
Some people may complain about not having a Standby switch, but just turn the volume all the way down before turning the power on.

The sound quality of this amp is better than I expected.
When I first got this amp, I thought the 8 inch speaker would be a joke and sound tinny. I couldn't have been more wrong.

My intent was to try lots of different pedals, but when I plugged an overdrive into it and cranked it up, my experiment stopped.
The pedal I use with this amp is the MXR Dime distortion, which really doesn't get the Pantera sound, but it gets the Leslie West tones that I love when driving this amp. Just full on ballsy 70's classic rock. It drives my 2 12 cabinet with ease.

This amp on it's own, gets the clean to gritty blues, it really is a loud amp for it's 5 watts.

Tube amps "hiss" but this one is very quiet and I have no complaints about that.

The mods I intended to make were add an IEC power jack, and external speaker jacks. When I took it apart, I found that it already has an IEC power jack, along with 4 and 8 ohm external speaker jacks.
The overall construction of this amp is excellent, thick beefy chassis, large transformers, beautifully constructed cabinet, ALNICO speaker, and flawless tolex.
It turns out, that it already has everything that I would want to add or change. The external jacks are even labeled with an engraved plate.

AS far as reliability, I have had this for a couple of months, it has survived lots of car trips with no trouble. I am also not easy on the electricals of this amp, I run it wide open and pushed with the Dimebag distortion, and it fires up everytime.

Valvetrain excells at customer support. They answered the e-mail I sent, and were professional and courteous in their replies.

I was nit picky when I got this amp, it had some styrofoam embedded into the feet from the packing materials. The amp is bagged, and placed in a foam lined box, the bag shifted during shipping.
I would not deviate from the way they pack, the retailer rebagged the amp for shipping when I bought it online and shift happens

Valvetrain sent new feet even though I was just being a picky bastard.
Plus they made at my request, and for a nominal charge, a baffle so I could use a 10" speaker if I choose to, along with a high quality padded amp cover.

I do not know about the warranty of this amp, if it fails, it will be my doing and I will have it repaired. I am not easy on this amp, I punish it hard and make it scream like a little prison *****.

There is no getting around that the Valvetrain amps are pricey, but after you own it, hear it, and love it, the price is worth it.

I bought this to be a good portable practice amp, I did not know that I would use it as much as I do. There is nothing to dial in, just plug in and crank it up.
I own Marshall, Fender, Musicman, Peavey, HIWATT, Crate, and Soldano amps. All of them are big, heavy and way too loud before the tone comes alive and the Boogie has way too many knobs.
This little Valvetrain 205 with an 8 inch speaker is my favorite right now. It's cute, it's portable, and people laugh at it, until they hear it, then they ask "What kind is that again?".

It's a pleasure to just carry a tiny amp, a guitar and 1 pedal to a jam. Not loud enough? just mike it.

Very simple features. Volume and Tone knobs. Two inputs which work great for different types of music. I was looking to get a lightweight, small speaker amp around 5 watts...this just fits the bill perfectly. I love just being able to pick it up and go...reacts very well with changes in the volume knob. I have a A ToneStyler?? by Stellartone and changes in the tone knobs give me very different sounds. I give it a 10 because the amp reacts incredibly great to anything you put into it.

I like blues & Jazz. I also play in a church worship band and tour with another artist who does more rock based music. This can play it all. Take the volume knob around 4, boost it with a compressor or BBE booster and you get great clean sounds for Jazz/Blues. Crank it up to 6 or 7 and now you are into the classic tube amp breakup. VERY SMOOTH....

I got rid of my Fender Pro Reverb and Epiphone Valve Junior head for this. For a 8" speaker, this kicks it big time. Not overpowering, but I am miked up wherever I play, so i don't need more than this.

I see no issues...I have had no issues. It is built very good. No cheesy plastic...all very high quality parts.

I did not deal with the company at all. Bought from a ebay dealer.

You can pay $2,000 for botique amps and even more, but why. I have owned several Classic Fenders, THD UniValve, Epiphone Valve Junior, and several others. For the price and simplicity, at this price this is very hard to beat. I highly recommend this to anyone!

Made in 2006, a recreation of the 1955 Fender 5F2A Princeton. This amp has all it needs to do its intended job.
Single Volume knob, single tone knob, on/ off toggle switch, high and low input jacks, Hand Wired Chassis, 5 Watts of all Tube Power, Classic Tweed Covered Solid Pine Cabinet, Cathode Bias Power Amp, Floating Baffle, Vintage Style Chicken Head knobs, optional Weber Signature Series 8" AlNiCo Magnet Speaker (Weber Signature Series 8" Ceramic Magnet Speaker is standard), 5Y3 Rectifier Tube, GT-6V6C Power Tube, Gold Series ECC83-S Pre-Amp Tube
Also available in the "Tortured Tweed" series if you can't wait for your amp to earn its "road scars"! You relic-heads know who you are!!

Don't judge an amp by how many knobs and switches it has; judge it by whether or not it satisfies its intended purpose. The Classic 205 gives you all the vintage tone that you could hope for, without worrying about the reliability or possibility of theft of a 50 year-old amp.
The Classic 205 is simple to use: Great clean tones up to volume settings 5 to 7, depending on pickups, and beautiful break up beyond that. The tone knob works well to help you shape your sound. This amp is a LOUD 5 watts, so if you need to keep the sound level down and still get the tubes driving hard, just roll back on your guitar's volume knobs and run the amp flat-out.
I have tried this amp with my Les Paul (alnico humbuckers), my Hamer Eclipse (Seymour mini HBs) my PRS with soap bars, my Tele, Strat, PRS SE EG (set-neck strat style), my old Carvin SH-225 (ES335 style)and the results are consistent; this amp brings out the best qualities in each guitar. That is the mark of a great amp. It also runs very quietly; no unwanted noises here! Clean enough for jazz, gritty enough for blues and good ol' rock and roll and portable enough to take anywhere!

The amp is new, but the build quality is such that I am confident that it will be both reliable and sturdy enough to hold up to regular usage. Each ValveTrain amp has its detailed specs listed on the website, http://www.valvetrainamps.com so you know exactly what you're getting.

Rick Gessner at ValveTrain was helpful while I was making my decisions on which amp to buy, and I would do business with him again gladly! I'll be back for another amp; what more can I say?

I've been playing for a long time. I own (and have owned) tons of gear. This amp is a keeper, and moreover, it will be used regularly. If lost, stolen or destroyed, I would most definitely buy another one. The Classic 205 provides vintage tone and great build quality at a price that makes it hard NOT to consider owning one. Buy one now before everyone else catches on and the demand for these amps goes through the roof!