Local Music Gear Feature Story
Written By: Jac Harrison
This rebuild is the step-by-step manual of how I modified my 2005 Epiphone Valve JR on a $550 USD budget including the initial purchase... enjoy.
Step one: Find Your Amp.
It took me about a month to find a good candidate for this build. Now because of this amp's simplistic design, many people have already modified theirs and I wanted one that was completely stock for two reasons. One, people are stupid and two people are stupid and lazy. I really didn't want someone else fire hazard in my house, I mean I like hot tone -- just not that hot.
Step two: Do Your Mod Research.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving I finally got that chance to make the grueling 49 minute drive up Rt 287 to the Booya Amplifier headquarters in Lake Hopatcong NJ. With a car full of guitars and moonshine at 10 am, I knew it was going to be an experience and possibly a fuzzy brain day. After a good morning drink and a quick consultation with Tom Spears and Jamie Simpson (the Booya Amps team), we decided to do three mods to this beast of an amp to open her up a little more. The first was the BitMo Trio Mod that I received from the TheTubeStore.com. This mod was designed to give the amp more gain/saturation at a lower volume with a push/pull tone pot and a 3-way on-on-on switch. Next I wanted to do the "jumpy" mod. This was a mod that I saw on YouTube and it just looked bad ass. Basically, this is a boost switch that opens up the top end making the amp sound brighter, fuller and with more of that 1970's "pawnshop find" crunchiness that we all love. Last, I knew that (5) watts just was not going to cut it for some of the large venues I play, so Jamie found (2) more watts with a 5 to 7 watt mod, making this tiny amp sound almost kinda somewhat largeish in a tiny portable adorable way.-- Get a FREE guitar setup with a new customer referral -- Find out how @ Booya Amplifier Services!!
Over
all this little Valve JR screams and sounds kind-of-like a mashup between a vintage
black/silverface and an Orange with a meaner high end bite and a boost in the mids. After
playing the amp for a few hours, I can honestly say that I
would 100% use this at a small venue, an open mic or as a bedroom
amp. This is also a very practical amp for the gigging musician that
takes the subway or mass transit. If the venue has a back-line, all you need is this
Valve JR and your Axe. This was a fun adventure, and is a great DIY project for
the novice amp builder/hot rodder.
Total investment:
(3) Hours of labor at Booya Amps $210
(2) Extra switches for additional mods $35
(1) Used open back 1x12 extension cab without speaker $50
(1) Eminence Private Jack 12" $95
(1) Epiphone Valve JR 5-watt amp head $50
Total: $545.85 + shipping & tax
Written By: Jac Harrison
Some of us gearheads are more sensible when it comes to the
amount of cold hard cash we are willing to part with when buying new gear. Some of us are even willing to deal with an amp that has less than desirable tone qualitys to save a buck (yuck). I get it, cash is king and our hobbies take the backseat to the essentials such as the mortgage/rent, bills and food. This is something that the larger musical equipment manufacturers take advantage of. Think about it... do you really think that a 100-watt 2x12 that retails for $330 USD is a quality amplifier? The answer is eff no! Some companies slap their badge on a solid state "amp" that probably costs them $50 USD to make (if that), and then they put it into a chassis that looks like one of their higher dollar products so the consumer (that's you) feels like they got a "hell-of-a-deal". First off, who really needs 100-watts of power? That's simple, not you and not me. As a gigging musician I can honestly say that I have never owned a 100-watt amp and I have played outdoor shows that had 3,500 + people attending while using an 18-watt amp. There is this new technology called "microphone". The way this "microphone" works, is a person known as a "sound guy" puts it in front of your amp's speaker so the sound of your amp goes through a PA system... to make it louder. A 100-watt amp will make your stage volume deafening, and you will not be able to get that sweet tube saturation that we all love at the a tolerable stage volume, causing your band to breakup and/or go deaf. Hell; I'm using a 50-watt amp now that I only turn up to (3), and my bass player needs to wear earplugs. For the hobbyist playing small venues, an all tube 5-watt to 18-watt amp (depending on the venue size) is all you really need. If the amp is voiced correctly -- you can achieve the tone of your dreams at any volume.
For the most part you really do get what you pay for when buying an all tube boutique or custom amplifier. Typically, you can easily spend over $1,200 USD for around 18-watts. There are a few excellent inexpensive amps out there that can deliver a boutique quality tone on a modest budget with a few simple inexpensive modifications and with proper voicing. What I suggest is that you contact your local amplifier service center and ask the tech what he/she would recommend -- that is what I did. My local amplifier service center is Booya Amplifier Services in Lake Hopatcong NJ. I have used them before and was comfortable taking the advice of Booya founder Jamie Simpson.
For the most part you really do get what you pay for when buying an all tube boutique or custom amplifier. Typically, you can easily spend over $1,200 USD for around 18-watts. There are a few excellent inexpensive amps out there that can deliver a boutique quality tone on a modest budget with a few simple inexpensive modifications and with proper voicing. What I suggest is that you contact your local amplifier service center and ask the tech what he/she would recommend -- that is what I did. My local amplifier service center is Booya Amplifier Services in Lake Hopatcong NJ. I have used them before and was comfortable taking the advice of Booya founder Jamie Simpson.
This rebuild is the step-by-step manual of how I modified my 2005 Epiphone Valve JR on a $550 USD budget including the initial purchase... enjoy.
Step one: Find Your Amp.
It took me about a month to find a good candidate for this build. Now because of this amp's simplistic design, many people have already modified theirs and I wanted one that was completely stock for two reasons. One, people are stupid and two people are stupid and lazy. I really didn't want someone else fire hazard in my house, I mean I like hot tone -- just not that hot.
Step two: Do Your Mod Research.
Always do your research -- for example I found nine different kits and countless YouTube tutorials on how to modify this amp. Just like everything else you read on the good old interwebs, it is always 100% correct and accurate and you never need to put any additional thought into it -- but just to make sure before you order a kit, ask your amp tech what he/she thinks of it. I found that the BitMo Trio Mod from www.thetubestore.com offered the biggest bang for the buck -- so I ordered the kit with some new tubes. A good rule of thumb is to always retube when modding.
Step three: Make Sure Your Amp is in Full Working Order Before You Do Any Modifications.
As I said in the October re-build feature -- "I can rebuild a guitar with my eyes closed, but when it comes to amplifiers I'm not the best". Before starting the modifications have your amp tech give your amp a once over. The last thing you want to do is invest in a damaged amp.
DO
NOT WORK ON YOUR AMP YOURSELF UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. THE
CAPS CAN HOLD A CHARGE THAT CAN AND WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DO NOT
DISCHARGE THEM PROPERLY! SPEND THE MONEY TO USE A PRO.
Step four: Mod the Crap Out of This Little Amp.
Step three: Make Sure Your Amp is in Full Working Order Before You Do Any Modifications.
As I said in the October re-build feature -- "I can rebuild a guitar with my eyes closed, but when it comes to amplifiers I'm not the best". Before starting the modifications have your amp tech give your amp a once over. The last thing you want to do is invest in a damaged amp.
Step four: Mod the Crap Out of This Little Amp.
 |
| Jamie Simpson CEO/Founder of Booya Amps (left) with Tom Spears Shop Dude (Right) |
Over
all this little Valve JR screams and sounds kind-of-like a mashup between a vintage
black/silverface and an Orange with a meaner high end bite and a boost in the mids. After
playing the amp for a few hours, I can honestly say that I
would 100% use this at a small venue, an open mic or as a bedroom
amp. This is also a very practical amp for the gigging musician that
takes the subway or mass transit. If the venue has a back-line, all you need is this
Valve JR and your Axe. This was a fun adventure, and is a great DIY project for
the novice amp builder/hot rodder. Total investment:
BitMo Trio Mod - $49.95
(1) TAD 7025-S/12ax7 vacuum tube - $33.95(3) Hours of labor at Booya Amps $210
(2) Extra switches for additional mods $35
(1) Used open back 1x12 extension cab without speaker $50
(1) Eminence Private Jack 12" $95
(1) Epiphone Valve JR 5-watt amp head $50
Total: $545.85 + shipping & tax
