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Epiphone Valve Jr (Head)
List: $401
To many of us, the ‘Epiphone’ moniker is about the appeasement of our unattainable Gibson desires; Les Pauls, Explorers, Flying Vs- the list goes on. The guitar playing community was taken quite off-guard when the manufacturer decided to tread the amplifier path by not simply putting budget entry level units in their catalogue, but the offer of some very tasty tube-equipped amps for our tonal pleasure. A certain Michael Soldano was even solicited for one of the amp’s sonic offerings but the feature model here is indeed the manufacturer’s baby of them all; the Valve Jr (head) is merely a 5 watter but thus far, it has generated the most buzz.
Construction/ fit/ finish
The Valve Jr is a Chinese screamer weighing a good 6kg with limited dimensions to overcome some small microwave ovens; hence its ‘Junior’ tag we presume. The leather upholstery is one of the finest in this price tag as it is quite devoid of any synthetic feel. This head is further safeguarded by flush-mounted black corner protectors, all 8 displaying fine attachments. As it is a full-tube equipment, the head’s rear features a metal grille to promote ventilation for the single pre/ power amp tubes, a 12AX7 & an EL84 respectively. There are no bad raps to report here, the Valve Jr is simply an ace but if you choose to fault the head for the sake of doing so, the piping on the front panel could be better devoid of corner gaps. Is this a concrete fault to begin with?
Rating: 95%
Features
Epiphone has decided the Valve Jr to be the most fundamental tube amp in its line up; the amp simply features a power switch & a solitary volume knob. The deficiency here is virtually a warning to potential investors to either accept the amp’s limitations or get on with others. It is futile exercise to be excessively critical of the amp’s bare offerings but the manufacturer’s intention is clear after you hear the amp in action…
Rating:
• 100% for those who believe the Valve Jr is a no-nonsense approach to tone
• 20% for those who believe there’s too much deficiency here to make the amp a likeable unit for a dynamic general application
Tone
The reviewer took the liberty to assess this amp through 2 speaker cabs; the manufacturer’s recommended 1x12 unit & the So-Cal’s 4x12, both equipped with Eminence’s Lady Luck drivers simply because the head has a default allowance to do so. The head features a 4/ 8/ 16 ohm speaker out allowance so that the player can attach it to a 1x12, 2x12 or even 4x12 cab with ease.
First up, the Valve Jr’s inherent tone is indeed one of the finest. If one holds Fender’s clean to be the benchmark of all tones sparkling, the default Valve Jr tone moves away from this mould to offer a very Plexi-type bass response without the excessive top end of the former. When one dials the volume up past the half-way mark, the output would be driven by one’s picking intensity but the manufacturer makes it clear that the extent of this drive should be minimal. True enough, at maxed-out volume, the drive achieved is a mere buzz, more attributable to the driver cones’ inability to hold the clean threshold limit than the amp circuitry’s purposeful drive. Let’s make this clear, any drive presence here is likely to be from an external origin (your pickup’s high output for instance) rather than being amplifier inherent.
The reviewer believes that in addition to the head’s fine tubes circuitry, Eminence’s Lady Luck 12” driver turns the amp into a proficient sponge; the Valve Jr accepts all manner of drive, distortion & modulation inputs while retaining its signature girth & clarity, be them analog or digital. This effectively means that this amp would be an equal servant of a jazz pro, a blues rocker, a shred master as well as a metal monolith. Nevertheless, extreme music proponents (this reviewer especially) should arm themselves with an EQ supplement to exercise bottom end peddling not that the amp is incompetent in doing so but this helps propel some urgency & effectiveness in lieu of a much excluded on-board reverb. As mentioned before, get along or go away.
How different is the Valve Jr’s performance when attached to a multiple driver cab compared to the recommended 1x12? It’s an addition of tonal depth in this case, regardless of the driver brands because the reviewer assigns his Celestion equipped 4x12 cab to the head with no deterioration of tonal standards to note. The valve Jr is a small wonder.
Tone test equipment:
• Guitars: Ibanez RG2228/ Ibanez S1620/ Fender ST-72/ PRS McCarty/ Gibson LP Std/ Squier Tele Custom/ Edwards E-LP85SD/P
• Speaker Cabs: Valve Jr 1x12 ext cab/ Epiphone So –Cal 412 SL/ Crate GT412ST
• Effects: Rocktron Sonic Glory/ Ibanez TS9/ BOSS Blues Driver/ Beta Aivin HM-200/ / Guyatone Metal Monster/ Behringer EQ700/ Behringer Digital Reverb/ Artec Analog Delay/ Artec Vintage Power Wah
Rating: 90%
Last say
The Valve Jr is essentially a top grade white canvass for you to prove your artistry; your inputs would become a respectable, if not exceptional, end-product simply because it provides a superb basis for you to do so. In due fairness, the Valve Jr is also a one-trick pony; you either love its solitary offering or despise it for its pathetic lack of attributes. This amp is for the enthusiasts who thrive on adding tonal supplements to his working tone, for those who choose to be pedal-free; you are likely to be a clean tone devotee. Do not resort to the Valve Jr in hope of a comprehensive volume projection because despite being loud for its size & operational wattage (also in consideration of its ability to get along with a multiple driver cab), it can’t compete with loud percussions in a band context. The Valve Jr might just have single handedly propel Epiphone’s goodwill in the amplifier turf; impressive to say the least.
Final rating (oblivious to the dichotomized valuation it receives in the Features category): 90%
Likes:
• First & foremost: TONE
• Price
• Simplicity
• Quality control
• Multiple speaker cab output
Dislikes:
• Simplicity
• Looks has a vintage inclination
Product availability:
• Swee Lee
PS: Thanks- Adam & Ryan for their kind assistance during the extensive testing
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