Looking for a new amp...

[The Saint]

Hi Folks

New to the boards, but a Shadows fan since a kid. I have an old Traynor valve amp which I use purely for home use.

I'm thinking of adding a new amp and have been looking at the Vox Night Train 15w head, plus a cabinet. DV247 is doing a reasonable deal.

Has anyone here used them or had any experience? I'd like like an AC15/30 but the prices are just silly.

The new amp will be home use only and seems to have a good advantage in that it can be run at 7.5w which should mean it can be overdriven at lower volume.

Thanks in advance

Graham

[hank2k]

I have the night train really good amp well recommended portability and plenty loud enough

[darkie]

I use a nite train,and find it a really good sound for Shads stuff and a lot more porable than the AC15 Heritage,loud enough too.

[didier]

Jan 8, 2012 0:59:40 GMT The Saint said:

I'm thinking of adding a new amp and have been looking at the Vox Night Train 15w head, plus a cabinet. DV247 is doing a reasonable deal.
Has anyone here used them or had any experience? I'd like like an AC15/30 but the prices are just silly.

The Vox Night Train 15W with the DV247 cabinet is not cheaper than the Vox AC15C1.

If it's for home use only, the AC4TV might be enough...

Didier

[Deleted]

Hi

I have a Vox AC4 Head and Cabinet version. Got mine from DV24/7

Deceptively loud amp !!

I also have a Vox VT40+ I am impressed with the sound I get from it.

George.

[ray]

hi i use a VT60 BLUE FACE NICE SOUNDS AND LOUD REGARDS RAY

[The Saint]

Thanks for your replies..

Didier, thanks I obviously hadn't looked hard enough at the Vox AC15/30 range! The only ones I had seen were around £1000....

The Night Train seems a bit more portable in any case. I think the only option it to try them out, but I can't find a dealer that has them all in stock for an A/B comparison.

I suppose what I'm really asking is if the Night Train is a good choice for Shad stuff.

Thanks again.

Graham

[twang46]

Hi Graham

You asked.......

I suppose what I'm really asking is if the Night Train is a good choice for Shad stuff.

My opinion is .....YES ;D

Cheers

Dick.

[hank2k]

Hi graham definitely perfect for shads stuff

Thanks

[Deleted]

Fender Pro Junior or Blues Junior... Made in USA if you can find one..Perfect

Jim

[fenderbullits]

Hi

I have 2 Fender amps 60 watt valve and 90 watt solid state both too loud for in doors.So I got a Vox AC4TV and thats what I use every day at home,simple controls and the ability to select 4,1 or a quarter watt so can be overdriven at low volume.There are some good videos on UTube with the AC4TV check them out.

cheers

Martin

[asimmd]

Hi All

Just wondering how something like a Blackstar HT-1 or HT-5 would compare with the Vox AC4TV?
There is the added advantage that the Blackstar has a dedicated Line Out for silent recording,I just don't know how Blackstar Amps compare tonewise.

Alan

[Deleted]

You won't get more simple than a Fender Pro Junior - 1 Volume and 1 tone, all valve. Mine is a 96 Made in USA and I have put a Weber Ceramic doped speaker into it. 15watts so can be quiet enough to use at home but I have gigged with this and never had to turn up beyond 6. The dial goes to 12. I put my friend Ron onto these and he got one and is very pleased with it.

Here he is Ron using his (made in Mexico with Weber Speaker)...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H8WZlRuu2U&feature=related

Here's me using mine (made in USA with Weber Speaker)...


Jim

[Deleted]

Hi Alan, (asimmd)
(I sometimes do the odd day looking after a music shop in Chesterfield so I take advantage of the amps that come through from time to time and try them at home) So;

I have the AC4 at the moment and I've had a Blackstar HT-1 side by side with it. The AC4 wins easily although one has to say they are both fairly bright amps.
I tried a Blackstar HT-5 at home also and although these are really great amps for many genre's of music I wasn't able to get a Shadows tone at all.
Tony

[asimmd]

HI Tony,that sorts that out then,I was drawn to the Blackstar because of it's direct out for recording,but as you can't get a decent tone from it,I'll have to think again.

Jim - Yes the Fender Amp is excellent,but as I said above,I am looking for something with a direct out for silent recording.

Alan

[Deleted]

Valvetronix is probably the way to go if you want line out. You won't find am all valve amp with a line out as far as I am aware. I mic my amp up to record and prefer that to the Valvetronix route....

Jim

[twang46]

Hi Alan

Any amp tech should be able to fit a "line out" to an all valve amp, it's certainly possible on the Vox and Fender valve amps mentioned in this thread.

It's not for me to quote prices on work I'm not doing but the cost of this will be very reasonable (although it will invalidate the warranty on a new amp)

Cheers

Dick.

[asimmd]

I would love to be able to mic up an Amp,but the neighbours would not be forgiving,so I use Guitar Rig Pro 5 instead.

Whether the sound I would get from a mic'd up Real Amp would be any better than what I get from GR5 is something that seems to be debateable.

Alan

[Deleted]

Having spoken to a highly regarded Amp Tech, known to most on here, it seems it would be possible to fit a line out to a valve amp... More difficult to have a muted speaker though. Problem is that it would pick up all the noise inherent in a valve amp and also if D.I.'ing to a computer it wouldn't do the sound card a deal of good apparently.

Alan if you use a condensor type microphone you wouldn't need a lot of volume from the amp.

Jim

[hank2k]

Hi Graham, why not buy something like a Zoom g7 then you can play through it with Charlies Patches headphones on it will be great.

[twang46]

Just to clarify things about valve amps & headphone & line out sockets here is an example from a very well respected amp builder/modder who sells amps that have these already fitted

www.the well known auction site.co.uk/itm/RAT-HOTROD-EPIPHONE-VALVE-JUNIOR-JR-HEAD-V3-AMPLIFIER-AMP-MARSHALL-TRANSFORMERS-/350523245764?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item519cd044c4#ht_3482wt_1396

There are many more available & also kits to make up and fit your own line out sockets if you wish to DIY.

Cheers

Dick.

[Deleted]

Unless I am mistaken, the G7 with EFTP wouldn't give you an amp sim with the echo?

Jim

[asimmd]

Thanks for the replies,I am still open to suggestion as to whether the sound from a real amp would be better than the GR5 Pro I currently use.

Wonder if anyone has used both and could give an opinion?

Alan

[tuftyrock]

hi the zoom g7 has the echoes and the amp sims when programmed with charlies patches and has the advantage that you can i link the g7 directly to a pc to record you can even play backing tracks though the g7
the echoes are not quite as good as a magicstomp or a q2 but is is a very versatile unit
thanks tuftyrock

[solidlg]

Hi Graham,

The subject of a good amp does indeed provide a wide range of choices these days, and for me, being a bit of a collector come hoarder I have 3 amps, as expected a Vox AC15HW, rarely use it, and an Egnator Rebel 20w, used for home practice, and a Fender Deluxe Reverb 22w that I use for stage and rehearsals, and to be honest its the only amp I need, I plug in the Magicstomp with Charlies patches and away I go, I have 2 x Q2's as well, and they never see the light of day, and to be honest the make little difference to the sound.

Naturally much of the sound will come from the guitar, but if one talks about amps I feel the Deluxe Reverb is the very best reliable and punchy amp available, and as we all know the Shads have used them. Not sure what they cost in the UK but you can get them in Canada around $1000.

All the best
Steve

[The Saint]

Thanks for all the replies. We got a bit off topic but hey, that's what forums are for..!!

I have finally managed to do an A/B with the Vox AC4TVH (thanks Didier..!) and the Vox Night Train 15w head and cabinet.

They both sound great and it'll be a tough choice. I like the ability of the AC4TVH to go down to 1/4 watt output. It would be fine for use at home but the Night Train wasn't as loud as I expected and even at 7.5w it would be useable at home.

The AC4TVH looks great (I like blondes, but don't tell Mrs Saint..) and the Night Train is so retro it's not true! It also has a lot more headroom.

But making a decision with my ears and not my eyes is the crunch. I'm going back later in the week for a longer session, so I'll keep you posted.

Steve in Canada

The Deluxe Reverb is around Canadian $1500 here, so it's out of my price range, but thanks for the suggestion.

Hank2k

I'm getting a MagicStomp soon, which has headphone-out so that will help me avoid neighbour grief.

Jim

I'd looked at the Fender Pro Junior as well as the Blues Junior a while back. Good amps, just something about them I didn't take to.

Watch this space...

Graham

[Mark Burton]

Hi Graham

AC4-TVH is the way to go........

Here's a recording I did on my AC4-TVH which is great for home use.

www.bootlegshadows.co.uk/CH/Kon-Tiki%20AC4-TVHS.mp3

Amanda modded it for me to have an EF86 front end.

regards
Mark.

[fenderbullits]

Hi Mark

I have a Vox AC4 TV but I like the sound of yours over mine.Was there much work in the mod you had done and was it expensive ?


regards

Martin

[Mark Burton]

It was really the provision of a second channel with an EF86. So I have 2 inputs ( the EF86 and the original) each with a separate volume control - and all switchable form 1/4W - 4W. The only other thing I wish I'd have had done is a cut control for the amp as there's no tone stack on the EF86 input - but as you've heard it's fairly spot on.

Given the time and components it wasn't overly expensive - you'd have to speak to Amanda (valvewizz) regarding exact pricing - let me know if you need contact details.

cheers
Mark.

[The Saint]

Thought I'd give you an update.

I tried the Night Train and loved it. The range of sounds really impressed me and for a gigging musician, you wouldn't need anything more.

In the shop it was fine, but when I got down to 'home' levels it was barely ticking over and I felt it would have been wasted on me.

The AC4TV didn't match up to the sounds of the NT, but it won on points as it was better at lower volume. The 1w setting is great for home use.

So it's just over there in the corner, looking at me. With my Magicstomp it just sounds great.

Thanks to everyone who chipped in, especially to Didier who suggested it in the first place...!

Graham