Need some help for new amp

[Duffy]

I have a Fender Super Champ XD tube amp with a digital insertion of amp models and effects into the signal chain. I don't believe it is the same approach at all, as the Vox chromies and so forth have - valvetronics.

The Valvetronics and chromies have super complicated designs with expansive circuitry and several types of current and all sorts of circuits going on. There are a lot of component design elements and all sorts of things that can go wrong that can be extremely difficult to diagnose, isolate, and, if possible even, fix. These amps are super complicated.

I have a Vox DA5 that is a really cool amp and I have had to do some minor work inside it. It is super complicated as well with stuff directly mounted to the circuit board, such as the power supply jack and so forth. Luckily I was able to fix my power supply jack by soldering the cracked solder trace on the pcb that cracked from the power supply cord where it enters the socket getting bumped or something, causing the jack to put pressure on the pcb board and micro crack the solder trace. Luckily I was able to get to it, see what was going on and fix it myself.

I love that little Vox but it doesn't hold a candle to the dependability of the Fender SCXD, which amp techs tell me should be able to be fixed for many many years to come due to its simple design, comparatively speaking.

This is why amps like Hot Rod Deluxes and Blues Juniors will probably be able to be fixed for many years to come, and the handwired ones as well, supposedly. The ones made in America by Fender and Peavey, etc., have part sources that apparently agree to supply components for a long time; whereas the overseas, far Eastern plants make the amps from parts sourced out from companies close to their plants. These sources are often unknown to Fender and Peavey, etc. Therefore getting the parts to fix these amps after the initial production is often impossible. Seriously, as unreasonable as it may seem.

So, from my view, and my future plans; it is wise to get an amp that is made in America and is of a comparatively simple design and able to be fixed for a long time from now. Usually these are amps like Blues Juniors, Valve Juniors, a lot of traditional Fender amps, even the Fender Supersonic; Peavey USA made Delta Blues and Classic thirties, etc.

Then you just put your digital or analog pedals in front of them or in the loop to get all sorts of models that are probably way better than the Valvetronics, Vypyrs, etc.

This way you have a very dependable expensive amp that can be repaired for a long time and a relatively inexpensive, usually, digital multipedal that can be replaced inexpensively or replaced by a new version or different, possibly way better digital or analog multipedal or individual pedals or pedal boards.

I would buy a Valvetronics or Chromie if I could get a brand new one on a great blow out deal. I think it would be a great, largely disposable amp. But paying BIG money for one, like nine hundred dollars or five hundred dollars or even less, but a lot; I don't think it makes for a prudent decision. However, I'm sure many of us have proven me wrong by having these type amps for many many years without any problems. I also don't think they stand up to touring and giging well because of all the rough conditions of the road.

Not to sound like a presumptuous know it all, I have thought about it a lot and believe that super complicated, digital, computerized amps are reliability risks that have to be considered in respect to the purchase price, which is often quite expensive: expensive enough for one to purchase a real good more traditional, simpler designed Vox AC fifteen, Hot Rod Deluxe, or any of a wide range of long known, consistently mfg'd amps that have a history of being able to be repaired cost effectively.

Hope my ideas are of some use to someone and don't get too many other members p***** off.

[deeaa*]

I definitively agree Duffy, and that was the main concern of mine when I bought my last amp. it was between a marshall jvm and a handbuilt simple el84 Ceriatone. I loved the jmv but I figured I would want an amp that will last me a lifetime and not give me grief even after 20 years of use. I shudder to think of servicing a jmv 20 years from now. I figure, I can get me a jmv or whatever too some day, but havingowned nd played so many amps over the first 20 years I've played, I felt I finally need to buy an all new quality amp I can count on and play for the rest of my life and leave to my sons some day :-)

the Ceriatone is simple, but it has the basic sound that's pure ultimate tubeamp all the way and I can use pedals and get anything out of it. I still might getthe jmv too, a and hopefully many more amps as well...but I'm so glad I bought what I did.

[Eric***]

Except that it is extremely rare for guitarists to say with the exact same rig their entire careers. Check George Lynch's website sometime. He changed amps from album to album and tour to tour. EVH, Vai, Satriani, and countless others are all the same way.

When you are starting out, you really have no idea what you like. I've messed with just about every amp type on the Vox, but lately have settled into the UK70 for metal/rock tones, the Tweed 4x10 for blues, and the Boutique CL for clean tones. BUT, it took me a year and a half (and the addition of an overdrive pedal) to come to these conclusions.

Note that I reserve the right to change my mind at any time. In the beginning I raved about the NuMetal amp, but now I don't use it as much.

I know this thread is old and has just been revived, but I thought I'd give you a big +1 on this. I had (and, in many ways, still have) very little idea what I actually like. There are SO many options out there, and nobody wants to admit that they have no idea what they want when they are starting out.

I suppose you're a tube convert now that you have your Jet City, but the point of this was just to say that I agree with a lot of what you said.

[Commodore 64***]

I'm glad this thread got revived, because there was a ton of great info in it, that I would have never read otherwise!