Jack-Flash-Jr
The Fender Super Champ is all valve but has a 2nd channel with a ton of modelling as well as quite a few good built in effects. At 20W valve you can play at home comfortably but it's loud enough for gigs, no prob if mic'd for bigger ones.
timmie23
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
The Fender Super Champ is all valve but has a 2nd channel with a ton of modelling as well as quite a few good built in effects. At 20W valve you can play at home comfortably but it's loud enough for gigs, no prob if mic'd for bigger ones.
Nice, what do you think of this price?
http://www.musicmadness.co.za/fender-superchamp-xd/
is that what they usually go for?
mtmattan
So over Roland Cube's. Had mine for 5 years, played it, loved it. But if you're spending 5k on an amp, you owe it to yourself to get a tube amp. The jump from sound quality is enormous - not only for distortion but also for cleans.
Ive just been in the same situation, upgrading my amp for around 5k. From personal experience, don't even consider solid-state at the 5k range - unless you are gigging and just need something loud. ?
timmie23
From everything I've heard, and learnt today. It seems like valve is the way I'm going to go for sure.
I think I was very misguided somehow about the watts on a valve amp as well. I saw these 15w valve amps and I thought to myself. That's going to be useless. But looks like a 15w is going to be more than enough now.
Now just to decide on which one out of the lot....
Any other ideas?
afflicted
A 15 watt tube amp is very loud. Maybe even too loud, if you're mostly using it at home. Tube amps tend to sound better when you push the volume pot.
Good tube amps that I can vouch for (15 watts and under, and under R7000):
Vox AC15C1
Fender Blues Junior
Ibanez TSA15
Vox AC4TVH + V112TV cabinet
Blackstar HT5
Vox Night Train head and cabinet
Fender Super Champ XD
Laney Cub head and cab or 12" combo
Marshall Class 5
Vox 'Lil Night Train
Blackheart Little Giant head and cab
singemonkey
Valve amps are a lot louder than solid-state amps. 15watts will do you fine. If you have lots of clean sections to play in a song, you'll have to mic it up. The amp will start driving before it's loud enough for the average club.
If you are playing a lot of cleans, a 30watt amp is as much as you'll ever need. Although that'll be too loud to drive fully in a small venue, you'll be able to turn it up loud enough to hit its sweet-spot (not easy with a 100watt or even 50watt), and use a good drive pedal (not a metal zone) to give yourself some classic metal drive.
15watts - 30watts is what you're looking for.
Danny-B
My vote goes for the TSA15 and the HT5.
A Wilhelm Scream are also one of my favourite bands. The Horse has some of the most amaing bass playing on record...
TI-Distribution
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
The Fender Super Champ is all valve but has a 2nd channel with a ton of modelling as well as quite a few good built in effects. At 20W valve you can play at home comfortably but it's loud enough for gigs, no prob if mic'd for bigger ones.
+1. IMO I would choose either the TSA15 or the Superchamp XD. The XD is really versatile with all the built in effects and with the 2 channel + the modelling.
BluJu
I just got an Ibanez TSA 15 for 3 grand and they are awesome. Stay clean for long. Don't mean to hijack but I have a Laney CUB 10 in the classifieds for under 2K.
Just as good as the TSA just a bit darker and aggressive. For 5000 you can't get much Fender unless you wait around for the right deal.
Wizard
Lots of good advice here.
Fender Super Champ XD for Fender Tube sound, LOTS of volume and plenty of built in effects
BlackStar HT5 for classic rock sound; and solid build
Laney Cub 10 for a simple, awesome sounding tube amp.
And they all sound different.
I ended up with the Super Champ XD and am very happy.
Nothing wrong with the other two (which I also had)
timmie23
I'm totally blown away by how many people actually replied. Each with good suggestions as well. Unlike any forum I've been on before. It's as if I'm still waiting for the troll to jump in somewhere ?
I'm really not looking at playing any clean at all. So the heavier side of things is where I'm going to be looking at.
What pedals do you recommend? See someone mentioned not to use a Metal Zone
Wizard
timmie23 wrote:
I'm really not looking at playing any clean at all. So the heavier side of things is where I'm going to be looking at.
BlackStar HT5 is a
solidly built amp that does high gain really well.
MikeM
And it can REALLY rock with a 212 or 412. Try find one second hand if you can..
Kalcium
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
The Fender Super Champ is all valve but has a 2nd channel with a ton of modelling as well as quite a few good built in effects. At 20W valve you can play at home comfortably but it's loud enough for gigs, no prob if mic'd for bigger ones.
This is something I've been wondering though, the site says theres only 1 preamp tube, surely the preamp isn't really all valve with only 1 preamp tube? Even the class 5 has 2 preamp tubes and that is only a 1 channel volume amp, no gain switch...Also read somewhere that the drive section is solid state on the Super Champ though im guessing thats part of the preamp. Is that section only linked to the gain control? Ie if you put gain on something minimal and turn up the volume the solid state section would only juuuuust be adding to the signal?
singemonkey
If you get a 15watt amp, you'll have plenty of drive on tap for club gigs. Just put the amp up, and you'll get an intense distortion. For metal, you might need only an EQ pedal to cut the mids to get the classic sound. (what does everyone else think about metal on small amps - most of which seem tweaked for classic rock?)
If you're playing softer, but you still want intense, saturated pre-amp drive, you'll need either a two channel amp with a lot of gain (which the HT5 has, although, being a 5 watt you'll be miking it up for every gig - which, as I said, is ok, but requires a little more effort and understanding from the sound guys.)
Otherwise, with something like the Vox, the laneys, the Orange, or the TS, you'll probably want a pedal of some kind to push the preamp harder at quieter volumes (like band practise). The metal zone just has such a miserable, flat, and at the same time, clichéd sound, I'd advise you to avoid. But I'm not a metal guy. I know there are a lot of options - such as MXR's Fullbore Metal pedal, and many others, including Mesa simulating pedals.
For a tight, roaring distortion, my preference would be for a ProCo Rat. But listen around. Boss isn't the only game in town. Most of the huge range of pedals made all over don't cost much more than Boss. Boss does some things really well, but in SA, we've got into the habit of turning to them first, even for effects that they suck at.
KT66
Well I second the Ibanez TSA15
I am so impressed with it I am actually ordering one myself
I have some Mil Spec 6v6 Tubes NOS that I will use to replace the Chinese tubes that the amp comes with
I think its going to be Killer
what I actually would have liked to see on an amp like this is a 5y3 tube for rectification (as this amp is using solid state rectification)
it wont change the sound in any way but it will make the valves last longer ,as with a 5y3 /80 etc as the heaters gradually start to glow
from startup the plate voltage rises gradually (we are talking milliseconds) this is not so hard on the tubes.
but at this price point I dont see anything touching the TSA15
Jack-Flash-Jr
Kalcium wrote:
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
The Fender Super Champ is all valve but has a 2nd channel with a ton of modelling as well as quite a few good built in effects. At 20W valve you can play at home comfortably but it's loud enough for gigs, no prob if mic'd for bigger ones.
This is something I've been wondering though, the site says theres only 1 preamp tube, surely the preamp isn't really all valve with only 1 preamp tube? Even the class 5 has 2 preamp tubes and that is only a 1 channel volume amp, no gain switch...Also read somewhere that the drive section is solid state on the Super Champ though im guessing thats part of the preamp. Is that section only linked to the gain control? Ie if you put gain on something minimal and turn up the volume the solid state section would only juuuuust be adding to the signal?
That's a question for the tech guys... I've yet to hear any complaints about the channel 1 valve sound though. The only drawback for me is the speaker size could be larger... but that can be addressed (and it's shared by by most of the other examples offered).
@Timmie: that price sounds about right but you could probably negotiate a further discount from walk-in stores...
timmie23
I think I've decided to go with the Ibanez though. I dunno, but the little stack just looks so nice compared to the combo ? Only down side is only getting the cash mid December, so doubt I'd still be able to pick one up around that time....
Now I just have to decide which pedals to combine it with, to get the best out of it.
I feel like such a total noob, but glad I came here to ask for help.
Kalcium
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
Kalcium wrote:
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
The Fender Super Champ is all valve but has a 2nd channel with a ton of modelling as well as quite a few good built in effects. At 20W valve you can play at home comfortably but it's loud enough for gigs, no prob if mic'd for bigger ones.
This is something I've been wondering though, the site says theres only 1 preamp tube, surely the preamp isn't really all valve with only 1 preamp tube? Even the class 5 has 2 preamp tubes and that is only a 1 channel volume amp, no gain switch...Also read somewhere that the drive section is solid state on the Super Champ though im guessing thats part of the preamp. Is that section only linked to the gain control? Ie if you put gain on something minimal and turn up the volume the solid state section would only juuuuust be adding to the signal?
That's a question for the tech guys... I've yet to hear any complaints about the channel 1 valve sound though.
Yeah thats what I thought, I mean as long as it sounds good and has the dynamics what difference does it make? Sigh I need to stop gasing and just get my valve amp back...then I'll be happy...Durban needs better amp techs :/
Danny-B
@Kalcium - Glen Turrell is the only man to use!
