polara Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 I had been looking for a PowerBlock or something cheap and tiny for gig backup. Saw an Epiphone Valve Junior combo cheap...oddly was covered in alligator and had a red knob but whatever. Plugged in and it sounded pretty good. Better than I remembered. So I got it and didn’t think more. Last night it started crapping out on me. Opened it up because it seemed to be a loose input jack and what did I see? Handwired innards. Huh. Still not working but it’ll be repairable now that it’s not all soldered onto a very light PCB. Accounts for the overall “not horrible” sound. Went ahead and ordered a Jensen MOD speaker for $30 to see if that might make it coffeeshop acceptable, since my other amp is way too loud for anything like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjamiam Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Who'd a thunk? And they even used a couple of carbon composition resistors, too, for extra mojo. Get out your chopstick and start prodding for the loose solder joint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polara Posted October 8, 2017 Author Share Posted October 8, 2017 9 minutes ago, mrjamiam said: Who'd a thunk? And they even used a couple of carbon composition resistors, too, for extra mojo. Get out your chopstick and start prodding for the loose solder joint. Found it. Just needed to bend the input jack a bit as it was shorting out against itself. Crazy that someone would sink that much into building a handwired practice amp inside a cheap Chinese box. I think the PT and OT are stock. Tubes are JJs. It makes a nice sound and cool overdrive but there’s no overcoming that boxy little 8” speaker in a tiny enclosure. Hoping the Jensen will make it a little better, and I’m still under 2 bills for a super light “in a pinch” lunchbox amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ting Ho Dung Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 4 hours ago, polara said: Found it. Just needed to bend the input jack a bit as it was shorting out against itself. Crazy that someone would sink that much into building a handwired practice amp inside a cheap Chinese box. I think the PT and OT are stock. Tubes are JJs. It makes a nice sound and cool overdrive but there’s no overcoming that boxy little 8” speaker in a tiny enclosure. Hoping the Jensen will make it a little better, and I’m still under 2 bills for a super light “in a pinch” lunchbox amp. Those are highly sought after for modding like yours has been. I bought one and watched a bunch of YouTube vids to mod mine but decided just to buy a bigger amp. Nice score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BubbaVO Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 I hate this place. Every time I think I can figure out a way to not spend on gear something like this has to show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essgee Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 2 hours ago, BubbaVO said: I hate this place. Every time I think I can figure out a way to not spend on gear something like this has to show up. I feel you. This place is a target rich environment that is constantly triggering me. And yes, I love it although I shouldn’t be looking in the first place to try to control my GAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polara Posted October 11, 2017 Author Share Posted October 11, 2017 The Jensen speaker was... unimpressive. Maybe if it gets broken in, but it sounds pretty congested and honky at first. Still, it's a practice amp with an 8" speaker. Beats most $150 amps, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BubbaVO Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Would it be worth transplanting the guts in a box that holds a bigger speaker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherfreak Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Maybe since Hamer is gone this ends up being a Gear "trigger" page I STILL have a hard-on for a Blue Angel, thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polara Posted October 11, 2017 Author Share Posted October 11, 2017 10 hours ago, BubbaVO said: Would it be worth transplanting the guts in a box that holds a bigger speaker? Nah, then it becomes A Guy Project, like building a speedboat from a dinghy, only spending three times what a good boat would cost to get a third of the functionality. It's a lunchbox with a speaker and will do in a pinch. If it was bigger it would become an actual second amp and kinda defeat the "grab 'n' go, who cares" amp idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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