Epiphone Valve Standard 112 Combo

i love this amp for its simple features and basic settings, its like having a blank canvas where you can do blues/rock/metal (if you use pedals of course).
its got some nice (but simple) effects built in, a digital reverb that goes from 0-10 this sounds pretty good, then a rotary switch with delay/chorus/flanger effects, these effects are pretty basic (all set to different timings/settings) but still sound good.
i use this amp at home and it has a lot of power, could easily gig with it if i wanted to.
the tubes that came with it appear to be SOVTEK made, maybe one of the cheaper brands of tubes but they sound ok.
i looked on a website for amp tubes and it would cost about 50GBP to replace them all

the amp on its own has only 2-3 sounds, a clean bluesy tone, then when its turned up it has some nice rock sounds it seems to distort a bit with the gain at 10 and volume at about 3, this is loud enough to play at home.

it has a 12 inch speaker inside with an epiphone sticker on it, i might replace this for a celestion one.

seems dependable ive only had it a month though, since its a tube amp id have a backup if i gigged with it, the front panel and rear of the amp get Very hot from the tubes, i hope the wiring is ok inside...

havent dealt with them, seems to have a 5 year limited warranty with Gibson

this is a real nice amp for the price i paid id get another if it was stolen (or maybe the blues deluxe) these epiphone amps are really cool.

I'm not a fan of amps with lots of bells and whistles. I personally feel that your amp (by itself)and your guitar should be able to make the music without much help. So I was happy to see that you can completely bypass the 3 DSP effects all together and kill the reverb if you want. At that point all your left with is 15watts of AB tube power and it sounds really good for this set up and price range. (2 EL84 Power Tubes, 3 12AX7 Preamps). Usually everyone likes a little reverb in there anyway and I think this is some of the best sounding reverb that I have ever heard out of something this size. Its definately controlable and not overbearing. (But it can be set up so it sounds like your playing in a giant concert hall thats empty)It doens't have that tinny sound to it...probably complements of the tubes.
I also really appreciate that Epiphone decided to mount the speaker off center in the cabinent to balance the weight of the power transformer. As a result, you can pick the combo up by the handle and the weight is centered on it, unlike my late 70's Bass Man that tipped to one side when you picked it up.

Nothing short of outstanding. I have played a lot of Orange amps in this configuration (though with a little more power) and this amps keeps up just fine in the clean end. The tube break up (controlable via the gain knob) is excellant. However, I think that if you have a guitar with "good" pickups in it, you'll get better results than some of the cheaper standard hardware that is usually in our guitars. The tubes are all Soviet made Sovtechs. So I'm thinking about putting in some JJ power tubes to "cream" up the sound a little bit. This will help the overdriving of the tubes also (because EL84's contribute to the distortion, too). And if I decide that I still want more I may try some more expensive preamp tubes. But as far as an off the shelf amp goes, for this size it sounds great. Oh and I tried the 5 watt class A little brother,the Special, and the Standard BLOWS it out of the water in the Tone department. Seriously, spend the extra 40 bucks and get this amp instead. If you don't believe me that there is a night an day difference in tone between these 2, do what I did, plug them both in, turn them up and let your ears tell you which one is better.

I have not had this thing very long but I have taken it apart and compared it to other amps that I have owned. Inside I have found a very simple configuration with solid parts, spaced nicely inside it's mount (nothing looks shoved in there) and all the hardware is solid, and well constructed.
I wouldn't think twice about using this for a gig, though with any tube amp, I would make sure I had a set up spare power tubes (EL84's are cheap...15-20 bucks?) and an extra preamp tube just to be safe. The cabinet is solid, it has a strong handle thats anchored through the cabinet and into the metal chasis of the amp.

I have not had to deal with customer support. Though on their official website the amp is advertised as a "class A push-pull" amp. Obviously thats not possible, you can be one or the other. (Class A or Class AB) So if I ever did need tech support, I hope this is NOT an indication of the type of assistance that I can expect.

So I have been playing for about 8 years now and done some touring and recording. I wouldn't hesitate to take this amp on the road or in the studio. I think it sounds great, looks cool, functions well, and its really easy to dial in your "sound" that your looking for without fussing much. I would recommend this amp to anyone who is looking to spend a few hundred dollars on an amp and wants that "tube" sound. For this price, why not have the real thing!?!

This amp is okay on features. It's pretty bare bones which works for me. It has a DSP circuit, but if that isn't your thing, you can bypass it via footswitch. It's only one channel so to get a good gain sound out of it, you gotta use a pedal. I used this amp at gigs and it holds up great when you stick a mic in front of it. The best feature to me, is the master volume.

This amp can do vintage stuff very well. It stays clean even with the gain all the way up. If you want a natural gain, you need a pedal. It's great for blues. I run a fuzz pedal in front of it to get good classic rock tones.

I've only had this amp for a month or so, but it's worked great so far.

Never had to deal with them.

This is a great amp. If you want a straight up, no frills, blues amp, buy this...

I thought it looked really cool, the dsp was pretty lame I thought kinda ruins the whole vibe.

This amp has the worst sound ever, it's not personal preffence, it's common sense. It is so farting and hardly any gain. The DSP effects are rubbish and they hiss when you turn them on. Reverb is a pisstake. I'm giving it a 2 cos the clean tone is okay, just okay.

The handle has come away already after a few days. I'm concerned about the hiss on the dsp channel so I wouldn't rely on it to keep its chaz in the heritage.

Thought it looked ace but sounds like shizen. Piece of shit, I am glad I didn't buy this thing.

I purchased this amp new in 2006. 1 channel, 10 watt class A all-tube amp with digital effects, a footswitch to turn the effects on and off, a three-band EQ, a gain knob, a dedicated DSP reverb, and a master volume. There is an extension speaker output on the back. The amp has gorgeous, retro styling. Very classy amp. The amp is made in China.

I'm giving this a 10 for features because this amp has every feature I was looking for, which was a 1 channel, all tube Class A amp around 15 watts. I was trying to stay pure and simple. The addition of digital effects was actually a disappointment to me, but with the effects bypassed you would never know they are there. They are fine, albeit limited, effects when in use. In contrast, the DSP reverb on this amp was a welcome bonus and is very good.

The portability of this amp is hard to beat. The construction is solid, the weight enough to speak of quality, but not enough to break your back.

I went to pick up a Fender Blues Junior at a music store I could trust. When they didn't have one in stock, the guy took me over to this amp and told me I would be surprised. When I started to leave, the guy said, "You should try this amp." 30 minutes later I walked out with one.

I am convinced that, hands down, this is the most perfect amp ever built for any situation.

The tone is the best I've ever heard. I sold my Mesa after buying this amp. I basically leave the master volume knob at 60% all night, or my stage volume is too loud. I tweak the Gain knob if I want a different tone. It breaks at all the right places. Want a pure clean? Turn back the gain knob to 6 and its a lush goodness that mixes well. If you're like me, you like that clean that breaks just a little. Set that gain knob at 7 or 8, and that's where this amp is really sounding great. Set the gain to 9, and you've got an understated overdrive going.

I've never had such an easy time setting pedals. I bought up a Boss Super Overdrive and dug out my old Chorus Ensemble, Digital Delay, and Jimi Hendrix wah before going to the store. 30 seconds later, I had the best overdrive sound I'd every gotten. I bought the amp, drove straight to the gig, and was the first to be done with sound-check. The other guitar player was fiddling with his Victoria for half an hour.

When it's that easy to be setup and have good tone, then you know you have the right amp.

The digital effects themselves aren't bad, but there isn't much control over them. You get chorus, flange, and delay at 4 or 5 presets each. I have a chorus and delay pedal, so set it to flange in case I want to trip-out a solo or line. Frankly, I haven't used it yet.

The reverb is very good, and has its own separate control. I don't tend to use reverb in a club, but if you want some, you're all set.

I asked the owner of the music store if they had gotten any back for repair, and he said none. So far, no problems. But I haven't owned it long enough to offer an opinion.

No experience. Epiphone is an old name in the music industry, though, and owned by Gibson.

The perfect amp for any situation. Do you need more than 10 watts these days? If you can't hear yourself at rehearsal with this thing, the problem is your band, not your amp. For shows, just put a mic on it.

More than 12 years I've been looking for this tone. At $299, I can't think of a better deal.

Single channel class A tube, some DSP effects

Surprisingly good tone. Very open, not too compressed. Awesome sound with humbuckers. Very little real distortion...really just tube overdrive, but I think it will make me a better player, because I can't mask my ability with fuzz or other noise. Not as glassy as a fender, but still sounds very very good. Not much clean headroom at all, but that is also okay...it is not meant to be gigged with (at least not without a PA). I have only had it a week but I find it to be really cool.

Again, I have only had it a week...cannot say anything bad about it.

No experience here.

I have been playing for about 15 years, mostly by myself in my basement these days. Have an Epi Sheraton II with Duncans, a Washburn Maverick with humbuckers, and a Fender Tele. Love the sound of the Epi with the amp, and also the Washburn. The Tele has trouble overdriving the amp...the single coils don't seem to have enough juice to do it.

Overall, this is a REALLY cool amp. I have had Boogies, and most recetly a Peavey Classic 30 modded with a Vintage 30 and JJ tubes. I may explore getting new tubes in this and maybe a new speaker, but really I have to spend some more time with it before I will know if it's needed.

Class A tube amp, 1 channel amp with master volume, 15 watts, 12 inch speaker, effects and reverb.

Update: I Use a Musicman Sub1 and Epihone Les Paul junior. Amp has a great tone, nice blues break up. Not much clean headroom so if you want loud clean volume forget it, get a Peavey Classic 30. This amp sounds fantastic with overdrive or distortion pedals, rich, warm, fat full tones. This is partilly do to the speaker, I have tried several others but alway come back to the original one. I have been able to get more headroom and keep the amp sounding pretty close to the original tone by using a AT7 tube in the first socket and a AU7 in socket 2 and a Eminence legend GB12-8 (8 ohm) speaker and various pedals for overdrive.

No problems so far

Never needed them

The sound you get from this with pedals is amazing the tone is great,very little clean headroom.

i'm gonna give it a 6 because by itself it's pretty much a one-sound amp, you get kind of a marshall sound out of it, but it's completely its own sound, class A tube, and it sounds wonderful, it makes me feel like my ears might orgasm or something, really buttery nice tone. the effects are $%^& though...

i'm into DEATH METAL and i have to say, i stick 2 overdrive pedals in front of this amp with the gain all the way up, boss super distortions, and i get amazing noise-free distortion reminiscent of Cryptopsy on their "once was not" album. really full...yet at the same time, it's not a fuzzy sound, like people would think would be good for metal, you can hear clearly the individual notes, and the picking response....damn this amp, for the price, is so amazing.

i've gigged with it before, ran it into a 4x12 and mic'ed that, and i've never heard anything better.

also its PERFECT FOR RECORDING.

i've had it for about a month and a half, moved it around, hasn't failed on me yet. it does run quite hot, but whatever, the output tubes glow orange as soon as i turn it on for a while, like someone was saying...i thought that was normal...? i'm not worried about the amp.

i called gibson support and they couldn't tell me how to switch out the speaker. i'm kind of confused, if someone knows how to do that pleaase email me at exhumed@dartmouth.edu

i've been playing for about 8 years, always searching for a tone that could give me a good foundation to build a heavy distoriton off of...plugged into this thing and it was perfect. i dont really like the retro looks but they're kind of cute and they're growing on me...not very death metal though haha

Mine is an 04/05 model. By now im sure u know the features so i wont bother listing them again. Really its got all the features i want out of it (15 watt tube amp is really only for practice and small jam sessions.
Really i just wish it had a lead channel built in it.

As far as a rig i run a godin solidac(H-S-H, acoustic bridge incase u dont know the guitar) with ts9dx tubescreamer, GCB-95 crybaby, holy grail reverb. I play pretty much anything and everything and this amp is perfect for that. the natural sound is perfect for flooding it with effects. For a new amp it does have its good and bad days, but ive read thats becuase of a bogus capasitor, dont knwo if i care enough to fix it though. The reverb and dsp on it are absolute junk, dont even listen to them.... go out and by a holy grail... best pedal ive ever purchased. To clarify when this little baby is on..... its on!

I havent owned it for very long but ive already had some worries about it. Nothing has actually gone wrong with it, but im sure everyone has owned/played an amp that they always think is gonna fry itself. As far as gigging without a back up i wouldnt gig with it at all, really i would recommended this amp when u want great tube tone and dont want the old people downstairs to call the police. I would say its as reliable as anything being made out of the states these days

I've never dealt with epiphone for repair, but anything ive ever returned has gone smoothly

Ive been playing for about 5 years now, this is the first tube amp ive ever owned and am happy with it. miss the solid sate though

Final update on this amp. See other reviews below.

Still absolutely loved the sound of this amp when coupled with a distortion pedal. Just Freaking awesome. Smooth sounds even at real low volumes.

after a month of regular use, and almost every day, after about 15 minutes of playing, the sound would gently fade out, have no signal for around 10-20 seconds and then fade back in, and sometimes to a slightly softer volume.

What the F. is that? It's a new amp. I talked to an amp tech in town, and he said many chinese built amps have real poor soldering connections, and with what one of the other reviewers said, overloads some of the circuitry.

I wish I could have looked the other way due to the great sounds this puts out, but man, after only a month and having electrical problems. I didn't want to wait years down the road and keep finding other things going wrong with it so sent it back to MF. Great return policy.

Epiphone emailed me back soon after so props to them

Awesome tone, poor workmanship.

Good luck to others who have this amp. If you got a diamond in the rough, then good on you.