The Epiphone Valve Juior Thread

[smoore98]

...

[indravayu]

Originally Posted by smoore98

Modification Links (including companies that make kits):

http://www.mercurymagnetics.com

http://www.valvejunior.com/

http://duhvoodooman.com/VJr/VJr_mods.htm

Epiphone amps forum (lots of helpful people/threads here):
http://www.gibson.com/products/epiph...n=topics&fid=4

Also:

http://users.telenet.be/svokke/valve...ior%20mods.htm

http://www.musicplayer.com/cgi-bin/u...9;t=013261;p=0

http://www.klugemusic.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1

http://www.euthymia.org/DIY/VJmods.html

And, if you are a member of the 18watt forum, there is a VERY long thread there on the VJr:
http://18watt.com/modules.php?name=F...t=valve+junior


Search on Ebay for the "Bitmo" mod kits.

- Chris

[scrubs]

A user over at the Harmony Central forums put the head through a number of different speakers: http://www.instituteofnoise.com/L6/a...s.asp#Epiphone

As for pedals, I only own a few, but like the Blues Driver to add a little grit and volume boost to my VJ (head). I have the Behringer copy of the Tube Screamer en route and will try to post my comments after I've tried it out.

[Arsene]

I just ordered the BitMo spanky mod form eBay. Seems to be easy to do, and reversable.

[Blast9]

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php?t=98295

Just in case you haven't seen it!

[FFTT]

The BitMo Trio mod looks interesting for $49.95 + $6.50 shipping

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll..._promot_widget

Of course installing any mods will void your warranty, but that does seem to be bothing
anyone.

Also define "EASY" mod.

It would be fantastic if someone had the time to put together a "how to" Quicktime
movie on how to install these mods.

[Arsene]

Originally Posted by smoore98

Arsene: Can you provide links or references to the Bitmo's? If you do this mod, let us know how it sounds before and after. If you can record a sample before and after and provide the recording chain, that would be great too.

Will do! I don't know when the mod pack will arrive but I will post results & samples in this thread.

The link to the BitMo Spanky mod is here

[indravayu]

Originally Posted by smoore98

Arsene: Can you provide links or references to the Bitmo's? If you do this mod, let us know how it sounds before and after. If you can record a sample before and after and provide the recording chain, that would be great too.

The guy who created the BitMo mod posts to the Epiphone forum (I provided a link above) - check there for more info on him and the mod.

[Arsene]

I'm really tempted to get the TRIO mod, but after affairs with amps that had a gazzilion knobs, I am kind of taken in by this amp's one-knob-philosophy... so I think i'll just stick with the Spanky mod...

[FFTT]

My Ibanez AF105 simply screams through this little doozy.

I prefer the sound at 11:00 to anything beyond the 12:00 position simply because it gives me better control between the clean and dirty tones.

With the volume all the way up, it's a wall of sound and insane feedback.

Had and absolute blast goofin on A/C D/C's She Shook Me All Night Long
and Led Zeppelin's Mysty Mountain Hop.

This little amp lets your guitar and your playing style be the tone controller,
as it should be.

[Jonboy79]

Originally Posted by FFTT

This little amp lets your guitar and your playing style be the tone controller,as it should be.

I think kids that are just getting their first amps and guitars should start with this amp and actually learn how to control the amp with their instrument.

[FFTT]

I added my Danelectro Daddy O pedal into the chain and found myself in stadium
wall of sound territory without making my ears bleed.

At the moment, the only mod I'd like to install on this amp would be a standy
switch.

[FFTT]

I've been looking at the Earcandy cabinets and wondering if a single 12 will do
for both bass and guitar or if I'm better off going for the 2 X 12 cabinet.

I hear lots of people running the VJr Head through 4 X 12 cabinets, but I want something more portable in a solid wood cabinet.

I'll be testing it today on a single 10 and single 12 original Flitesound cabinet.
Unfortunately, I won't have any way to record the results.

[huck]

can anyone recomend the best mod to end the frigging hum issues once and for all?

i have the second version, but it still hums like a mother...i hate that...one thing is to have a bit of texture on your track, the other is to feel like you're recording under a high voltage power line.

[blackwatch]

[Jonboy79]

Originally Posted by huck

can anyone recomend the best mod to end the frigging hum issues once and for all?

i have the second version, but it still hums like a mother...i hate that...one thing is to have a bit of texture on your track, the other is to feel like you're recording under a high voltage power line.

Read, or sell the combo and buy a head, they're whisper quiet.

[zoff]

Originally Posted by blackwatch

This looks vaguely familiar, did Quicksilver Messenger Service use this rig?

[huck]

Originally Posted by Jonboy79

Read, or sell the combo and buy a head, they're whisper quiet.

well i've been reading about hum mods for a year or so, and there's so many that i can't make up my mind. also, i have no DIY knowledge, so was wondering if anyone could step up and say: "this def. looks the best out there, it does this and that, and it's by far the more widely sought", or something like that..

i want to get these snappy mods as well to make it more versatile, but i doubt they address the hum.

as far as the head goes, how on earth can it be dead quiet, if the circuit is the same and if the problem is clearly within it, and not speaker/speaker connection related?

[blackwatch]

Originally Posted by zoff

This looks vaguely familiar, did Quicksilver Messenger Service use this rig?

ha...yeah! Nice Spot

[Arsene]

Originally Posted by smoore98

Only a few appear to be paying attention to the topic of this thread or why it was created. I'm done with my contributions to GS. have a good day....

Come on guys... This is (at least to me) important info... let's stick to the VJ facts!

Scotty, thanks for the tests... I'll let you know how the Spanky mod fares.

[TAVD]

OK, here are the changes that I made to mine.

Removed R1.
Changed R2 to 33k (1% metal).
Added 1M across the input jack.
Might've changed R7 to 100k (maybe I left it, don't remember).
Jumpered R6.
Ei 12ax7 in V1.
Stock Sovtek in V2.

Without these mods, I would've returned the amp. With the mods, it's usable but still not spectacular. Of course, for $100, it's hard to complain.

[indravayu]

Originally Posted by smoore98

Only a few appear to be paying attention to the topic of this thread or why it was created. I'm done with my contributions to GS. have a good day....

'

Relax, man.

[Jonboy79]

Originally Posted by smoore98

Only a few appear to be paying attention to the topic of this thread or why it was created. I'm done with my contributions to GS. have a good day....

Stop it, that's very immature. People have questions and it ridiculous to tell them not to ask them here. It's what this forums all about and if this is the "official" information thread then I think any information passed from one slut to another is valid and deserves to be here.

[FFTT]

Well I just got back from trying out the VJr though the Flite single 12.

My neighbor who has much more experience with guitars and amps than I do,
didn't care for it since he prefers an amp with much more clean headroom before
it starts to break up.

It was fine jamming at low volume through the Flite single 12 running my Jazz Bass at 11:00, but after testing his vintage Strat, Tele and Les Paul my neigbor couldn't find a tone that he liked.

I'm still happy with it for what it does.

[Arsene]

I guess it's down to taste... I love the sound of this amp BECAUSE it breaks up sooner than others... the other guitarist from my band is kinda like your neighbor.

[FFTT]

After listening to it for several hours using different fine instruments, a lot of the tone came down to attack and speaker selection, but is was also kinda whompy and midrangy regardless of how you played.

The guys doing the Mercury mod described this at that farty tone that starts happening
at anything much above the 11:00 position.

After giving it a go as they say, my neighbor turned me onto the Cornford 6 watt Harlequin and the 20 watt Hurricane, which are most definitley more expensive, but hearing the samples on the web page, the difference was night and day. http://www.cornfordamps.com/

Of course the VJr is an entry level class "A" amp, so considering what you pay for it,
it's hard to put it down too much.

It would be great if there was a mod available giving the VJr Head more clean headroom.

I'm not so sure any of the available mods can help that situation.

[indravayu]

Originally Posted by FFTT

It would be great if there was a mod available giving the VJr Head more clean headroom.

I'm not so sure any of the available mods can help that situation.

Use an NOS 5751 instead of the supplied 12AX7 - 30% less gain, but still has lots of punch.


- Chris

[Arsene]

Originally Posted by FFTT

It would be great if there was a mod available giving the VJr Head more clean headroom.

I'm not so sure any of the available mods can help that situation.

I have actually just received the BitMo spanky mod... who does exaclty that! I will do the mod as soon as I get the JJ tubes I ordered (actually one Tung Sol 12ax7 and a JJ/tesla el84)...

In the BitMo instructions it says this mod effectively addresses this "farty-ness"...

[Arsene]

Originally Posted by indravayu

Use an NOS 5751 instead of the supplied 12AX7 - 30% less gain, but still has lots of punch.


- Chris

Or a ECC803s

[Arsene]

... So I did the BitMo SPanky mod for the VJH (or at least, a part of it...)


Difference is NIGHT AND DAY. I kid you not.


Will post reviews & samples once I play around more with it.