Well, as not to interfere with the Mod listing I just thought my stock beginners opinion would be best in its own thread.

The Epiphone Valve Junior Head has arrived.


This is first impressions:

Looks:

The Case, transformer, weight (it has some weight to it), size and 4/8/16 ohm output are worth the $99 probably. It is an amazing looking little amp. Feels and looks of quality construction with the piping wrapped around the front of the cabinet.
The back end also boast quality, with the screening protecting the tubes and screwed on back panel allowing for tamper free existence. Detachable grounded power chord is a big plus for less possible damage on the inside if knocked over or tugged on.
The top has a plastic handle that sits snug and should last awhile at this weight. There are four holes on the top covered with plastic caps which I have no idea what they are for? Holding in the electronics I assume. They distract a little from the overall look being so clean but easily overlooked. The corners are all protected nicely by black gloss screwed on metal protectors.
Guitar input, chicken head power knob and lighted power switch is all there is to gander at on the front panel, and look again to be quality. How did they make it look so good for so little? Excellent job Epiphone!

Sound:

This is an opinion over "Stock" sound now with no mods!
Ok, well this is probably how they made it look so good at this price. Mind you, this is just my opinion.

I had an old cheap five watt Harmony 410 amp (similar tube setup with the addition of tremolo) that had a sound twice this good stock and without the hiss apparent in the Epiphone (slight but there). The Harmony amp looked dated to me and had no speaker out, so instead of surgery on a vintage amp it was sold at a good price. Although it may seem at first, I am un-happy with it's replacement, I am not.

There is a noticeable Hiss once I go above 11:00-12:00 on the volume.
I attached mine to an Avatar 2x12 cab with helltone speakers inside. This Five watt Epiphone through a Cabinet at 12:00 is much, much louder than the Harmony's little one speaker cranked full could ever be! That was expected from an external cabinet and put a smile on my face. Five watts is more than plenty for in home playing!

The sound to me is much darker and flat up to 11:00 on the Epiphone than the Harmony was. Playing around with pedals and EQ settings I was able to get it to start having a higher end to it. Very acceptable to my ears, yet still lacking something. The Epiphone VJ seems not to mind having pedals attached. Thats when it came alive. Adding a MXR compressor, Rat, BD-2 and a delay pedal started making this amp sound like it was worth three times the cost. I quickly disgarded the hissing sound heard faintly in the background as I cranked it to 2:00.

Next came adding a modeller in front of it. Having a cheaply priced zoom 505-II on hand it was a simple addition. Wow, is all I can say! Dial in any of the presets and let it be heard. I am loving it now with all the pedals and no mods "yet" made to this little gem out of a box. Even with the stock tubes and hiss, it's a winner going thru a 2x12 cabinet!! All the sounds are there to be had, if you setup some pedals to get them.

Now the final sound, fully cranked. Louder than I can bear in this 12x14 foot room, and to my ears it seems to cut in and out with the touch of the strings (This the tube feel thingy, of way to much breakup?). Much harder and harsher sounding than down around 2:00. The hiss is all to visible at these volumes. So in my opinion they could have stopped the volume knob at 2:00.

My thoughts are probably opposite of most here and about the net.
I think I want to make this amp have more head room with a Clean tone instead of the break up. Allowing the pedals to do most of the over drive sound for me (thats why we get pedals right?). I am going to think about getting tubes of less gain addition. I have read some place if you swap to a 12AT7 over the stock tubes, you will have that cleaner sound, more head room with about a 40% drop in gain. This will probably be my first priority.

End of First Impressions:
Attached to a 2x12 cabinet, It's a keeper for now!