Epiphone Valve Junior Combo

I really can't complain about the available features, as anyone who looks at this little combo will clearly see it was designed to be very simple.

The one feature that I really would have liked to have seen on all versions of the combo would be 4/8/16 ohm speaker outs on the rear panel. Most of the speakers I've ever wanted to try with this amp have been either 8 or 16 ohms. Happily, I see the newest revision of the combo has this feature.

The revision of the combo I had sounded a bit stale to me with the stock Sovtek tubes. So like most other Valve Jr owners I replaced the stock tubes with some new ones. I used a JJ EL84 and a JJ 12AX7.

I'm really impressed by how well this amp takes to pedals. I use a Maxon OD808 reissue for my overdrive sound and that really sounds warm through the Valve Jr. It's extremely easy to get a solid, warm overdriven sound. For heavier sounds, I use a Krank Distortus Maximus. This pedal also sounds really great through the Valve Jr, and I'm actually able to get some reasonable sounds for metal (n.b. it's an 8" speaker.. don't expect miracles!!). My Holy Grail and DL4 also sound quite full with this little monster.

I think that the worst thing about the sound this little combo produces is that it is very mid heavy and can be a little muddy sounding. There is a relatively easy fix for this. I've found using a GE-7 (or favorite eq pedal) can do a lot to tame the wild mids.

I think the stock speaker is for the most part quite good for the price of the amplifier. I think the only think I could want more there is a little bit better bass response. But hey, it's an 8" speaker. Maybe I want a bit too much.. :)

I have tested the amp with both passive (SD59/JB) and active (EMG81/85) pickups, and I have been very happy with the performance with all pickups. Of note, I think the Seymour Duncan 59 sounds particularly impressive. I really love the creamy tone I get out of that pickup with this amp.

I've had it for about 5 months now and no issues.

Haven't had to speak with them. I have had zero issues so far. I know others who have had to deal with warranty work though, and their experience was positive.

I bought this little combo for home practice and recording, and I really can't say that I've had any disappointments. It's served it's purpose well, and other than the lack of 8/16ohm speaker outs, I'm quite happy to keep singing it's praises.

This little amp is as simple as they come but in the blues , "Less Is More" !

The Valve Junior Combo version #3 has improvements that now make this the best deal on the planet . Wow is exactly what came to mind after about 2 minutes of blowing my harp through the new Valve Junior Combo version #3 . I absolutely loved version # 2 head and combo that used a 4 ohm speaker but this new version has upped the stakes considerably !

The new version is so open-fat-rich and full sounding that it is like a 7 to 10 watt amp that is completely hand wired ( which it is not) . The 16 ohm "Eminence" speaker ( engineered in the USA and made in China ) that comes standard in the new version is the loudest 8 inch speaker I have ever played through . At first I thought the speaker was a bit harsh but after about 10 hours of playing it has now transformed into a keeper ( most every speaker has a break in period before it reveals the true sound it is going to produce ) . After getting the 16 ohm "Eminence" broken in it has turned into a speaker that has a very aggressive growl and penetration that will cut through the mix in a band setting . Really , this amp will do fine on it's own in a small club setting unmiked .

What I like to do is turn the Valve Junior Combo version #3 about 3/4 wide open and back off 3 or 4 clicks on my harp mic for rhythm and backup playing . She stays a bit clean this way but still a touch of hair and grit when ya cup the mic tighter and blow a little harder . And when you reach over with your pinky finger and turn the volume wide open on the mic , it is like having a tiger by the tail . The power and touch dynamics are so organic and bottomless that it makes playing and practice fun again .

The speaker and amplifier circuit are very well thought out and matched . I tried the combo with other speakers and the "Eminence" 16 ohm speaker ( that it came with ) did the best job of bringing out the full potential-range and depth of what this amp is capable of . This amp is pretty even across the board as far as the low-mids-highs are concerned . But it does lean a bit more toward the mids to highs . But when tried with various other speakers the amp acts like a chameleon and adapts to them .

For playing amplified harp this is the BEST I have ever played through so far ! The Valve Junior Combo version #3 can be a little kitten and cleanly purr , but crank the volume and you unleash the "TONE BEAST FROM HELL" . How in the world can they make and sell such a quality amp like this for $149.00 ? Heck , the cab alone is worth that , it is built like a tank .

Mic this baby and it is mind blowing ! Take 2 of the Valve Junior Combos and a "A/B/Y" pedal and you are good to go with a loud band . With the pedal , use one combo for rhythm and then kick in both for a scorching lead solo . Two of these at the same time , cranked , is like having a religious experience .

I give the Valve Junior Combo version #3 my highest rating , a (7) Harp Salute . It also deserves my next coveted award , and that is my "Nasty Harp Award " , When ya crank that volume knob on the Valve Junior Combo the tone gets so fat and nasty/chewy , the way Chicago Blues should sound and be played . At one time I was a bit obsessed with tube heads and extension cabinets , but they take a while to set up and there is more to carry . I still like them but there is something to be said for the portability of just grabbing the little Valve Jr. Combo and running out the door to the gig.

Epiphone has hit a Grand Slam with the Valve Junior Combo version #3 !


http://bluzharp.tripod.com

I have only had this version # 3 for about 2 months but I have a version # 2 head and combo that has seen more biker bars and spilled beer than a
a motorcycle .

Awesome !!!!! I have had contact with Bob Burns and other techs there and they are a delight to deal with .

This is like my wife ! This is the amp of my blues harmonica playing dreams !

This is my second review. Don't want to be a bore but do want to pass on what I think greatly improves the amp.

I have owned this amp for a year and read about all the different mods you can get. Well, all I did was replace stock Sovtek tubes for JJ Tesla's (cost ??18) and it is now fantastic.

If you want a clean sound then it's great.

If you want natural power amp distortion then it's great.

As others have said before me..turn the amp on 30 minutes before playing it.

Solid so far.

A totally brilliant amp.

It needs tone controls. Mine had big treble boost problem.

The cab with it looks great but the speaker sounds bad-Too much treble...the Head Its like a bad pedal tone nob that doesnt give enough bass freguency; I think it needs a larger value in the head circuit too allow more bass. Im not a mod expert but I think it might be cap on the guitar input that needs a larger value probably?
My vox valvetronix 30 sounded much better. I took the junior head and attatched it too a few great speakers and it was much better!!It still did not beat my vox with stock speaker. Heres the bad part. I then hooked up a small cheap crate practice amp to this same great speaker and the little small amp sounded better than the tube head.
I can only imagine what my vox could do with this cab. In all fairness the Junior head was pretty good alone with a different speaker. I returned it to Gc mostly because I hated the speaker cab. I love Epiphone and play their guitars. I did love this little head, but mine was just way too bright. I posted this just too help balance the reviews as these reviews influenced my decision to buy. The head did sound good with a $400 cab, but was way too bright.

I can't say, I didn't own it long enough-looked well made.

I give it a 6 only because of its low cost. Mine was too bright and unusable without heavey eq. I might try the Blackheart amp designed by the same russian guy who desiged this head; it has tone controls and a cut switch to 3 watt. Oh and the VJ head was too loud to actually practice in mid to full overdrive. Im sure the Valve Junior head can sound great with the right voicing mod -I just dont have the skills or time to fiddle with it. I hope I didnt ruffle anyones feathers with this review, I did love this little head, I may have just got a bad unit with too much variance in a couple circuit parts that didnt complement each other.

One volume pot some speaker inputs and one internal speaker all you need.
I know it's not any features really but thats what this amp is a 5w class a valve combo practice amp!

It does one sound a straight very strong and warm clean sound! i use a few guitars on it a Fender Japan Tele a PRS Custom 22 and an Ibanez hollowbody and it sounded great with all of them and worked really well with all types of pick-ups.
If you want a distortion sound just pick a pedal you like and run it through the front easy as and sounds great and has a surprising amount of volume!

Now i ordered this via the internet and i recieved one and it made no sound whats so eva, probaly due to the speaker or the jack input which was a big let down so i swapped it for another one and exactly the same problem! so i thought i'd try one more incase it was me being stupid and the third one worked fine! i hate to knock it down points but 2 in a row is pretty bad.

There is no customer support in the Uk for Epiphone! the shop was alright but the lack of company help sucks.

If you get one of these that works then is a great amp and does exactly what its supposed to!

This amp only has an on/off switch and a volume control on the front panel, but on the back it has speaker outputs for 4, 8 and 16 ohm. Based on the the range of clean to over-driven tone that results as an increase or decrease in the volume level, the option to use a variety of external speakers, and the really loud 5 watts that this amp puts out, I find this amp to be both simple and versatile.

This amp with an 8 ohm 12 inch Mesa closed back cabinet and an Fender American Telecaster produces a nice range of sounds. The low level clean sound has just the right amount of bite and drive. The high volume level distortion also sounds good with the Telecaster.

This amp appears to be very well built. It is solid and the attention to the detail of fit and finish is as well or better than many amps costing significantly more money. The manufactures 5 year warranty seems to imply that the amp will be reliable. I use the amp without a backup for small gigs and rehearsals.

The amp has a 5 year warranty on every thing except the tubes.

I purchased this amp based on the previous reviews, the low cost of the amp, the ease of changing tubes when and if desired, the low wattage, and the company name. The great sound and quality of the amp is a bonus.

It's just a simple straight forward EL84 amplification circuit. The output transformer but mainly the speaker provides all the tone it has to offer. Tube amps can't get more simple in design than this.

The circuit and ouptut transformer are fine. But the main thing is the speaker and that is crap. It is efficient and loud but at the same time it sounds very brittle and metalic. In no way this is a vintage tone as they claim.
No amount of mods will improve this. I've connected this speaker to another amp and it sounded just as bad specially when driven hard.
Even at low volumes I can't get a decent sound and EQ don't fix it when recording tracks.
It sounds good when I use it for keyboard though because it's so bright so no need for a tweeter.
Sometimes I use the amp just as a head to a decent speaker cabinet and that makes all the difference. It sounds "normal".
This amp just needs a good speaker that's all. No mods or anything else.

Extremely well build amp. Almost an overkill. It's nice to see somehting build so well these days, specially in China. It'll probably work for a 100 years privinding you change the tubes couple of times.

Not needed.

Cheapest tube amp available, mediocre sound for guitar, ok for keyboard with it's original crap speaker.

Volume, line out

This amp is pretty dark. If you are looking for nice cleans, I would stay away. This amp is made to be pushed, not to the extreme, but definitely pushed. I have used it with a strat HSS and a tele. This amp treats effect pedals well. I have tried it with a humbucker into a metal zone into a 7 band equalizer and it got a great metal tone. You can get everything from Black Sabbath to Mastodon. It would not do Nu Metal or chain-saw type distortion. It does blues very well. I like a lot of alternative and indie rock, so it is a little to dark for me, but an equalizer helps a lot. I also use a weber attenuator with it to get good power tube saturation.

Built like a tank

N/A

I have been playing for 5 years now. I play a custom guitar into a couple effects into either this or my Ampeg Jet. I would cut my losses. I really like it, especially in combination with an equalizer pedal and an attenuator. I love how easily tube saturation is achieved, but I wish it was voiced a little brighter. At the end of the day, I am glad to have it in my arsenal.

input jack, volume control, power switch. only play at home.very loud when cranked.

great for old school blues and rock. starts to get a bit gritty at 10'o clock with humbuckers, at 3 o'clock it's very loud & very dirty! will sustain for ever - gary moore style. with single coils it starts to get gritty at just over 12'o clock and gives a great blues tone. if you need any more, use a good overdrive/distortion pedal.

bought mine in october 2005. hummed and buzzed like hell! took it back to sound control in stockton-on-tees, and they changed it for a newer model-this one is really great.

never used epiphone as sound control sorted out my problem. however, i understand epiphone do supply a 5 year warrenty.

i have been playing for around 30 years, on & off. this little amp sounds great for what i do. i have, over the years, owned a lot of good stuff, mesia boogie, fender, marshall etc, and this amp is up there with them - honestly. if anything happened to it i would buy again, without hesitation.

no need to explan the features...
bought it 1 jear ago..

sounds nice at all.changed the tube for EH 12AT7 for more clean headroom,sounds nice after about 50 hours.the tubes need some time to "warm up",about 20 min.i play mostly bluesrock and some dirty pop with a fender strat(made of different strats,with a tele neck).this guy is very honest with nearly no compression.you get what you give,means it shows every wrong note and mistake.you need to have tone in your fingers,so this is no beginners amp.it breaks up nicely at about 1 o clock(with gainboost mod).i dont like its sound,when the vol is full,sounds to damaged.guess its a speaker distortion.the speaker is ok at all,but too small,to give a real punch.gonna build a new cab with a jensen 12" to get more volume and punch.it works in a band,but you have to mic it.the sound is "classical",it has no modern rocksounds and no metal attitudes.he likes tubescreamers and stuff,but sounds muddy with modelling stuff.different guitars have very different sounds on this amp for there is a very short signal chain and no toecontrol at all.it can be modded very easily.it doesnt sounds like a marshall or a fender,it has some kind of its own sound

gigged a lot with it.still workin

i??ve been playin 4 a while.i have seen lots of equipment,and this one i pretty cool.no boutique tone,but its ok since i like unpolished dirty sounds.u can play the blues on a highend superamp,but with this one,its more authentic i think.best partner is a good guitar a good cable,a booster or tubedrive and the vol knob at the guitar.crappy guitars will sound crappy.you can get a lot of different sound,as long as u know how to get them from your guitar.you get,what you give