Epiphone Valve Junior Combo

Features? What features? A volume control, on/off switch, well that's it! Don't get me wrong lack of featues adds to this amp's charm (an low cost). You can concentrate on playing, rather than tweaking dials all day.

This amp is bigger than it looks online. I have a Roland Microcube and expected the Valve Junior to be about twice its size from the looks of it in pictures. No -- it's huge. It's as tall as most small combos and just a little smaller in width and weighs around 30lbs.

Out of the box it sounds very good. Yes, there is the 60Hz hum people are talking about, but in my case it was not so bad. As everyone is saying the stock Sovtek tubes suck. I had a Groove Tubes GT-12AX7-R laying around I tossed in after the second day and it improved the tone quite a bit. Then I ordered a set of JJs (ECC83s and EL84) and that really made the amp sing. You don't need to rebias the amp when changing the power tube, in fact you can't. Don't worry about it. Just swap and enjoy.

Clean as a bell up to around 12:00. Sounds great against P90s. If you never used a valve amp, you will hear tones you did not think your guitar could make. Who needs reverb? This amp has depth all on its own. Past 12:00 you are in the overdrive zone. Responds really well to pick attack. Classic rock sounds great against its OD and it's LOUD. Too loud for my small apartment. Cranked to 10 you get natural distortion. Forget disto pedals, modelers, and all that artificial stuff -- this is real distortion. It's not for metalheads looking for the tight recto sound but if the opening chord of "Won't Get Fooled Again" defines rock for you -- you won't be let down.

From experience Epiphone is top notch when it comes to service, but to be honest at 30lbs you better have an authorized repair shop in your area if it breaks because shipping will probably cost you more than the amp in the end.

Great value for the price. An excellent entry-level tube amp. You can pay hundreds more for something that sounds the same, but why?

ONE KNOB!! Speaker Out. I can use a larger speaker if needed. I don't use rack gear so no issue with the lack of an effects loop. This amp is a players amp. If you need a lot of sounds use a pedal or two. I usually just plug in and crank up.

I mainly play 2 Strats. One is an '89 American Standard with Van Zandt pickups and the other is a Jimmie Vaughan Signature model. I also have a '60's Silvertone/ Danelectro with a single Lipstick Tube pickup. I play all sorts of music from Jazz and Blues to Heavy Metal to Punk to Country and Americana. I was mainly after a Class A amp that didn't cost a nut. I had just looked at a Mini Cat at $700+ a week or two before I saw this little guy at GC. I have a kid in college and a daughter who just started driving. It was a no brainer to get this amp.

I don't think that this amp is any noisier than a lot of more expensive amps either. I have a boutique amp that is noisy and I have owned a bunch of different Marshalls and Fenders that are noisy and I play single coil pickups so it ain't an issue.

The one thig I would like to see would be a larger speaker model as well. I really love the late '50's/early '60's Fender Deluxes. A 10" model would be cool but, a 12" model would even better. I find that is lacks a little bit in the headroom department because of the speaker.

I realize that this amp is hitting a price point and maybe a demograhic point as well. I can't imagine a younger cat really liking this when a Modeling Amp or pedal would be more cost effective to him. I have a big pedal board and a lot invested over the years and a young player just startng out needs as much variety as they can afford or are willing to invest.

This is a kind of a fuzzy area. The day I brought it home, I killed the tubes. The both of 'em! I'm pretty sure that the amp I bought was the factory's favorite demo amp!! I went back to GC and they replaced my preamp tube with a GT Mullard reissue at no charge. I figured if they would do that I would buy a pair of the GT EL-84's to go with it. It sounds KILLER!! I don't expect to have any other problems except replacing tubes. I have owned it since last July and since I replaced the tubes I haven't had any problem.

n/a

I really like the variety of tones that can be produced with my fingers, pick attack and my guitars volume knob. My friends are nothing but complimentary about the amps sound and volume. I play in situations that involve as many as 7 other musicians at a time and never have a problem with volume.

I have a couple of Rivera extensiion cabinets and with a 12" or a 2-12" cab this little amp isn't little anymore.

IMO this is the greatest value in a new amp since I can't remember when. I have been playing for 26 years and this amp is probably less money than my first amp. I started out playing tube amps and I currently own a Rivera and a 1963 Fender Tremolux. I carry this amp all over and I was able to buy a Mustang to get to the gig faster. My pedalboard is bigger than this thing!! If this little dude was stolen I would replace it with 2. Hell, I might get another one to run stereo!!

This lil beauty has great "features" in that it has exactly what I need from a tiny practice amp, and nothing else. Just a volume knob, all tone adjustments can be made on the guitar, and one 4 ohm speaker jack to which a cab or other amp can be hooked up. That's it, straight up. I don't know if Epiphone changed the components or assembly procedure for this amp at all, as I read so many people here saying the speaker was crap and the tubes are crap and the noise is loud, etc. I find none of these things to be the case. Limited in a sense, but too many features can be limiting as well...

Let it warm up a bit, that seems to 'warm' the sound as well. I turned the volume knob all over the place and can't say that I agree with people who've said the speaker breaks up too early. I did get some distortion with the volume about two thrids to three quarters of the way up, but not really before. The sound is actually quite "pristine". Clear, pretty, real. I think that the speaker is quite good, and while everyone's saying that "everyone knows" that Sovtek tubes aren't any good, they get reviewed as being nearly as good as EHs and JJs, but cost less, so that's in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Unless you really like to talk about how you 'modify' the hell out of everything you own, there is no need to alter this amp, unless it came to you faulty in the first place. It sounds effin great!

I have been playing on it with my Washburn WI66 pro, which has 2 seymnour duncan Humbuckers and the VCC tone pots which also acts as coil splitters. It sounds great throughout the dial of settings, the fully selected humbuckers are thicker and a bit louder, the single coil settings are more sparse and clean. All totally usable. I have a 2x12 cab with Eminence legend 125 speakers, hooked it up and for 5 watts, the sound was huge. I have 3 other smallish practice amps, this one is by far the nicest, I will definitely be using this baby to record. What a deal!

I'll refrain from evaluating this as of yet. The FedEx delivery man kind of dropped in on the ground when it arrived, I was a bit worried, brought it home - works fine. So far so good.

Haven't tried yet.

Overall, this is a super deal. Really. Don't compare this thing to 100 tube heads or other high voltage gear. Its purpose is different. Its a recording / practice amp which is probably actually loud enough to be used in small gigs mic'd. It sounds fantastic. No frills, well built to my eyes and ears. Very cute as well. This thing is a gem, and its at such a great price! Can't go wrong with the Valve Jr., I wish I had bought it months ago!

This has been so covered that I won't waste time here....
The features are basic, which I like - it would be great to have an effect loop, but maybe I'll do a mod for that one day.

I am playing a custom built hollow tele with GFS Lil Puncher (modern vintage pickups) - going though a George Dennis Limiter/Volume - Marshall Echohead - Daphon overdrive - Behringer PH1.

So like everyone finds it had this horrid hum. So I carried out a combination of the two different mods mentioned here. I changed the input jack to a high input, increaded the capaicitance and the the DC power fix. I put in an Electro Harmonx preamp valve and a Harma Crogenically treated power valve - check out www.watfordvalves.com
Now the hum is reduced to a more soothing tone (!) and it starts to break up earlier.

All my friends with Fender Bassman's, Fender Deville's and Deluxes really like it now. It's not to sound 'to die for' - but for the price and the experience I have gained doing these mods, it is well worth the money.

I play british style rock (rhythm, I use acoustic too) and I play in church too, no-one can crank their amps to the level they are intended to be used at.... I CAN!! Mike it up and go.

It's not as good as a #700 valve amp... but I didn't pay that for it!

I will be using this amp... and the bonus is it is sooooo little and light!
But I have only had it a couple of months and been modding it! So no rating is given here.

Um.... well.... I have voided the warrantly to make this little amp great.
So they won't support me, but I haven't obeyed them! it would be unfair for me to rate them here. (The UK distributors do repsond to enquiries very quickly)

This is my first amp that I have purchase for electric. Been playing acoustic and bass for years.
I'd buy it again.
I may look into getting an extension cab (though there is a Fender Deville cab at church so I'll try it with that.

I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THIS AMP I WAS THINKING WHAT WILL I GET
FOR MY MONEY BUT WOW IT IS A VERY WELL MADE AMP EXCELENT

GOOD SOUND PLAY ABOUT WITH IT AND ENJOY IT AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK
GOOD FUN

CANT SAY YET NOT HAD IT LONG BUT IT FEELS SOLID

NOT USED THEM BUT SEEM OK WHEN NEEDED HELP BEFORE

WELL MADE NICE CLEAN SOUND MADE UP

2005

5 watt all valve combo
1 input
1 volume
1 12ax7 valve
1 EL84 Valve

Looking at this it seems the features are very basic on this amplifier and the music i play is metal, really high gain mesa style distortion, the reason i have this amplifier however, is to use it with my pedal. And my pedal has 5 EQ's on it so the lack of controls on the epiphone is really not an issue for me. I bought this for bedroom use and maybe recording use at a later stage, so for these purposes it has more than enough power. It does seem really loud for a 5 watt amp. If i was not using a pedal with this amp i would have given less than a 5 because it is so basic but i will be generous and give it an 8.

I have only used this amp with my PRS Custom 24 with 2 h/b pickups but the guitar is very versitile in that it has a 5 way pickup selector. This amp alone would not suit my music style at all but that is not what i bought it for. I recently purchased a Mesa/Boogie V-twin pre-amp pedal. For those who dont know, it is basically a distortion pedal with valves in so u can really get that boogie tone. with this pedal and the valve junior i can get a brilliant sounding distortion and the beauty of it is it is an all-valve set up in my bedroom, which i just love. So sound quality wise I love it.
My dad also loves it too, he plays 50s/60s style blues and he just plugs straight in to it, and he tells me it gives a 100% authentic old skool tube sound. It is clean till about the 3 o clock then breaks up to provide a "marshall valve crunch"

A word about the so called "hum" that everyone on here seems to mention. I may have just got a good example of one but the hum that comes out of it is so quiet you hardly notice it, and from what im told, all valve amps hum to a certain extent anyway.

have only had the amp for 2 weeks but it looks in great shape. The quality is exeptional when you look at the price. Loks like it will last me years. Although i do intend to upgrade the valves and speaker at some point.

Have not had to deal with them in anyway so cannot comment.

I have been playing guitar for 5 years now, Own 2 PRS Custom 24s, A Marshall Mode 4 half stack and Mesa/Boogie V Twin Pre-Amp. Have been in my most recent band for 10 months - www.myspace.com/tocara.

If this product were stolen i would track down the little ****, or perhaps buy another one.

All in all this is a brilliant piece of kit and for less than a hundred quid, you can experience true valve tone in your bedroom.
Great product Epiphone, Highly reccomended

Volume and on/off. Seems simple enough... I give it a 7 because there's no tone tweaking. This isn't a knock, it just happens to be true. The single tone that the amp does generate is surprisingly good, and loud enough to practice with (without putting your hearing at risk), yet quiet enough to let you hear the other guys in the band.

I'm using this amp with a '57 Les Paul Jr. and a '74 Les Paul Custom. Turned most of the way up, the amp gives a nice, girthy overdrive that nicely compliments a Les Paul's thick, chunky sound. For leads a pedal is recommended. Again, the lack of tone adjustment means that tone tweaking will have to come by way of tube rolling or circuit tweaks. (Of course, for $120 that ain't bad ... and doing the mods can be kinda fun.) I'd say, however, that the basic sound is very high quality, and that's important. All the tweaks in the world won't save a bad amp.

One thing I'd like to mention here is that I've got what I think is an early version of this amp with the two cutouts in the back panel. I think the version with only a single cutout (by the tubes) sounds "boxier"; this version of the VJ will likely sound better if you take the back panel off.

The amp is too new to make a comment.

No dealings with Epiphone.

I base my rating on "bang for the buck". For $120 this amp is AMAZING. In the past I've owned a tweed Fender Champ and a cream Gibson GA-5T. I've also heard the Victoria "Champ" clone and the new Gibson GA-5 "Goldtone". All in all, the Valve Junior leaves me with no reason to think that much -- if anything -- would be gained by purchasing these far more expensive amps. Sure, the Valve Junior has no tone adjustment, and it does hum. Same thing applies to all the other single-ended amps I just mentioned. I'd suggest that if you want true value for the money you spend, geteting the Valve Junior is a no-brainer. Even with the cost of some different tubes, a replaced capacitor here and there, or even a replacement for the stock Weber Signature 8 speaker, you'll still be way ahead on price.

Just the volume knob and you do NOT need anything else if you are a good player, I used to own, for example Roland VG-88v2 where you can adjust everything and anything and run it through the PA system ... or I owned the Variax and multichannel amps - yet this is BETTER as you plug in a great guitar and you have THE SOUND & THE TONE, but warm it up for an hour and then it's optimal !

I give it 9 as I would have liked the more connecting options.

That's 10 and no doubt it is 10 even with a stock tubes and speaker (as long as you CHOOSE a good unit - wise advice as these are made in Asia).

It sound much better than any digital or virtual amp or box as it has the dynamics and tone and just the right range for my Strat and Les Paul. All you do is open volume to about 2 pm and you PLAY for days as you can adjust everything else on your guitar.

I ovcasionally add Morley disto, volume, wah or another OD808 like Maxon or Baby Blues and this amp sings. Perfect for all styles.

As suggested I did test it with THD Univalve up front but it needs no Univalve frankly as it sounds great as it is and just the extra boost is all you need. No reverb - do not need one as it sounds great.

I did play LIVE with a band and had no problem to be heard even with 2 conga players and the drummer as this 8'' cuts through nicely !

Sure if you want it very clean you may mic it through the PA yet in practice it is loud enough for all the usual small gigs and 8kgs only.

I give it 10 as it is class A and it feels and sounds like class A which means you get all the finest expressive boutique tones for $120!

No rpoblem in 6 months. And NO hum on my model !

No idea.

If you play guitar, you just have to buy one. It is the best gift you will give yourself if you have a good guitar and play well.

I think that any decent guitarist with this amp and Eric Johnson Strat can get a sonic Nirvana: guitar for $2000 and the combo for $120 !!!

I do have another Jensen speaker and more fine tubes but at present I use everything stock. Whoever did not give 10 for the tone is either deaf or unlucky with a faulty unit or simply cannot play.

My summary: just buy one (but test the actual unit before taking iz home as these are all Asian made). I will buy the socond one and sell my boutique amps. 'nough said. Thanks Epiphone (Gibson).

Purchased new in January 2006.

Amp Features: One Knob: Volume. One channel. Class A Tube (1x12AX7, 1 EL84). 1x8" speaker. Only one thing I'd like is a master vol control.

Styles of music: Blues - Electric/Slide/Acoustic

I got this amp for a regular weekly gig at a small club. Allows for the nice warm, bluesy OD at a respectable level.

I might look at swapping tubes to see about different types of tone that are possible, but right now, it's fine.

So far, so good. Gives me that old 1950's/1960's blues sound (can you say Elmore James) that small, over driven amps of that period have.

No tone controls to mess up your sound. I get the actual sound of my guitars where all the tone controls I need are. Using with the following guitars: 1951 Epiphone Century Archtop/flat back, 2006 Washburn HB15 archtop, 2005 Strat type I built ("Texas" GFS Premium Alnico pickups).

I do run a Digitech RP50 for reverb, delay and level balancing and, if need be, can tweak bass/mid/treb tones there. Occassionally use a DOD 250 OD for some added crunch.

Bottom line: Sounds great with or without pedals.

Seems solid. Time will tell as I play every week.

Not used.

It is what it is: Simple, warm and surprisingly LOUD. Worth it for playing the music I do (blues/rock). Some might find it limiting without tone controls. I find it freeing. Gives me the true color of my instruments.

I'd buy another if stolen (after hunting down the perpetrator) or if lost. Remember, I'm using this for a specific purpose/music. It might not suit everyone.

My first comment is "THIS IS NOT A FENDER CHAMP, DOES NOT SOUND LIKE ONE IF YOU EXPECT IT TO BE YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED LIKE ME." I've been playing since I was five. I've owned every great amp there is, here are some examples so you know what my reference point is: Tweed Harvard, 64 princeton reverb, 68 champ, (2) 68 broncos, (3) silverface vibrochamps, silverface deluxe, (2) Vox JMI ac-10, Vox ac-4 (worst sounding amp ever made) Supro thunderbolt, Magnatone 213 (I think that's the number it's like a tweed deluxe except with vibrato) A late 80 marshall tube combo, a regal tube combo. Those are all the tube amps I think I have owned I maybe leaving some out? Of all these the epiphone valve junior sounds the most like the late 80s marshall tube combo which is not that outstanding. Out of the box I was VERY impressed with this thing. The cabinet, knobs, cosmetics, speaker, tube layout, transformers, feel of the amp was of something way more expensive and reminded me of a champ. This amp is WAY bigger than you will expect. I like the fact it uses a computer electric cable as I have a brown paper bag full of extra ones. I plugged it in expecting to hear a fender champ sound. Let me tell you what I did hear: HUM. Loudest hum I ever heard. My amp is brand new, I'm sure was treated okay in shipping. This amp hums more so than amps that are damaged. Had I not been aware of this amps reputation for the hum and just plugged this in I would take it right to the repair shop. It's really bad, annoying and its so loud I can hear it over the distortion pedal. I tried different sockets in my house, turning off lights, different locals. Everything. These amps hum. Some people here have suggested masking this with the distortion pedal or something. That's like turning up the radio when the car is not working right. The hum is so bad I am not sure if I can practice with this amp and I don't know if I would record with it. The hum really bothered me. I do not feel it has anything to do with the amp being dropped, the speaker or the tubes. People talk about replacing the tubes in these. I've had mullards, RCA and brimars. They do not make that much difference over sovteks. I feel there is some kind of design flaw in all of these. I don't want to have to deal with "mods" or anything or tinker with the amp. Why buy an amp you have to "fix" before you can use it. The most affordable bench fee of any tech I know is about $60 to service an amp like that. Add that to the $119 I paid for it that's around $180. That's putting you in fender champ territory which we all know we want to buy but either can't pay or won't pay the money for.

Okay. I tested this amp with two guitars: A peavey predator USA made strat copy with cheap pickups and bad shielding. And, a 58' Gibson es-125 tdc (george thorogood, izzy guitar) with p-90s. I also used a tech 21 GT2 distortion pedal. I tried it with and without. By itself this guitar does not sound too good. The hum gets worse-especially bad after about 2/4 cranked. I compared the amp with nothing plugged in and that dam noise is still there which is a shame cause it's such an impressive looking little amp. The clean sound did not seem "warm" to me it's definitely a tube amp though as it takes time to come on. It didn't sound any better after leaving it run 20 minutes than when it was first turned on. The strat style guitar made it hum more but again it has bad shielding. This amp does not like semi hollow guitars and it sounded farty and crappy. Sort of like the non-tremolo channel on a old vox jmi. This amp does not sound like the beatles and if you plugged Paul McCartney into it would not sound like the beatles so forget all that "class A" stuff which just means it is single ended and is not vox like. This amp does not sound like zep or acdc in anyway shape or form and I do not think Jimmy page is running out to get one. (incidentally page used a supro trojan which is a knock off of a vibrochamp not a thunderbolt. Albert Lee who grew up with page talked about this in an interview in vintage guitar.) What does this amp sound like? In the late 80s Marshall came out with this little expensive tube studio combo with a 6v6 and 12ax7 tube compliment. It had a vintage 12 celestion speaker. I bought one of these dreadful little amps, I think I paid $250 for it back then which is a lot for a small amp like that and this sounds real close to it. Maybe a little bit better. This amp has no real sound of it's own. The best mod you can make to this amp is not changing out the speaker or tubes but getting yourself a Tech 21 GT2 pedal and plugging it into it. Instantly for some reason this pedal takes care of the hum problem and reduces it. Why? Hell if I know. Makes a substantial difference. With the pedal in this you get a great marshall and boogie sound. The clean sound on this amp sucks. Even with sansamp. No way to get good clean "fender" sound on this amp. The clean sounds brittle and shrill. It does not sound pignosey. That would be to generous. Amp sounds beneath solid state clean. I would prefer going clean into a peavey rage 128 than this. This amp really hated my gibson guitar it sounded really bad. I am not sure what it would do with a guitar with humbuckers. Maybe something great. You could practice with a drum kit with this tiny amp with a distortion pedal to boost the signal you could not play out with it. This amp has no real sound of it's own, not "transparent" but like no sound of it's own. It sounds good with the Tech 21 gt2 because it is a great sounding pedal and the best piece of recording/performing equipment I ever bought.

This amp looks solid. The place I bought it from gives a 1 year replace no questions asked warranty in addition to 5 year from epiphone. If I keep this amp I am going to play the living shit out of it! I am not worried about this amp conking out. The chineese are building some good stuff. Very nice work on this one except for the hum

I would not buy again. That's honest. I gave all new tube amp combos a shot and let me tell you what I think. Fender blackface/silverface champ is it and covers all the bases. If you have to pay $300 for a decent one so be it. It's the best sounding amp there is. I bought my first one for $35 in 87. Those days are long gone. Hehe Play the Epiphone Junior first somewhere before you buy. Forget what you read here. If you've never had many tube amps maybe you won't know. I feel a lot better about this amp than any other tube amp they've made. I don't know if I am going to keep mine or not. I am still testing it out. It sounds pretty good with the Tech 21 pedal but that's the pedal. The worst problem with this amp? Really just one big one: HUM. I don't want an amp I have to fix or mod, or do anything to mask a hum. This is not in the realm of normal hum this is like the worst hum I've heard. It's like bad guitar cable 60 cycle hum times ten. I don't want to put money into this thing. I bought the amp because I wanted to save money and not buy a champ. There is no other tube amp in this price range so right there you have a bargain. I would defintely take this over a harmony, tempo or kay amp with radio tubes. Those are shock boxes stay away. I would take this over a kalamazoo too. Play this amp before you buy it that is all I have to say. I can tell you exactly what the amp sounds like. A 1975-2005 marshall circuit board tube amp. I think it will only sound as good as the pedals and guitars you plug into it but your not really hearing the amp but the pedal and the guitar. This amp has no sound. I am giving it an 8 because of the high quality construction and the price. I would not make this the only amp you own in that case by yourself a nice used solid state usa made peavy. You can get clean and dirty sounds with it.