Bedroom Amp Quest

zepsongs · #1 10-17-2008, 12:13 PM

I currently have a Peavey Bravo 112, with JJ tubes & Celestion G12t-75 speaker. Total cost $250 including the upgrades. According to some reviews I've read it's supposed to be close to the DSL 401 in tone but I really have nothing to compare it to. MY guitar is an RG1570, PAF Pro (n), HS-2 (m) & Evo2 (b).

This is primarily used for jamming in my apartment, I don't gig, just play with friends once a week. I have been looking at a few other amps lately and was wondering if it would be worth it to invest the money in a potentially better amp. Let's say the price range is $400-$600 and my choices are a Marshall DSL 401, a Peavey 5150, Carvin VL212, & a Mesa/Boogie Mark III.

We mostly play rock/metal, the occasional jazzy or bluesy tune, but mostly riffing & shredding. We don't play at obscenely loud volumes. When I ask if it is worth it, I mean will the tone/sound be that much of an improvement over my current Peavey or would these amps just be overkill for an apartment? Obviously everyone's ear is subjective to their own tastes but I do respect the opinions of the members here. Thanks.

kotornut · #2 10-17-2008, 12:19 PM

Honestly, those amps won't sound really great at apartment levels. You have to crank all of them to get them to a good boil so think about that. And these amps are a lot of money for just a bedroom jam (no offence I do the same thing). Especially, when you already have a tube amp.

Also, your Peavy is probably doing the job handily what is the problem with it's tone?

zepsongs · #3 10-17-2008, 12:27 PM

I really don't have a problem with the tone of the Peavey but I'm curious about what else is out there. I did have a Fender Hot Rod Dlx and you are right, I really had to crank it to get decent sound out of it. I also had a Line 6 Flextone III XL but to me it did a lot but nothing really well. That's why I was proposing this thread, to get some opinions on other equipment.

I'm also taking into consideration that I could sell my Bravo for at least what I paid for it, $250. Take that off the price of the other amps and the $400-$600 falls to $150-$350 additional. So I need to ask myself, would be worth it, will I gain anything?

Hikey Mikey · #4 10-17-2008, 03:02 PM

I bought a Peavey Mini Colossal, 5 watts, all tube. It has a continuously variable power sponge, separate from the volume control. When both are all the way up, it is way louder than you need in your bedroom or even in your whole apartment. You will annoy the neighbors. When the sponge is turned down, but the volume control is turned up, you can barely hear the amp, but it will still sound distorted.

Sounds like what you're looking for.

Peace

Mike

indeedido · #5 10-17-2008, 03:27 PM

I have to disagree about the 5150 not suitable for bedroom tone. I've had several over the years, kept going back because of the G.A.S., but I digress. I play out with a JSX head now, but back in the day did enjoy the 5150 down low. It has so much gain, that you can raise the presence up to help kick in the poweramp section down low. That amp is fueld by the preamp section, so you don't have to push the poweramp like you would say a marshall

wilch · #6 10-17-2008, 05:17 PM

Try some Line6's.

This is my bedroom/lounge room setup. The other thing about it is it also sounds great through headphones. You can even plug it into the aux in of any stereo. It just takes hours of fine tuning to setup initially.

zepsongs · #7 10-17-2008, 05:45 PM

Well I did have a Line6, the Flextone. Wasn't fond of it. But I do have a rig similar to that. I have a Digitech GNX4, which is in the livingroom hooked up to the laptop, for use with headphones when it is too late for the amp. I also have the Behringer Vamp2, which I keep in the car, along with a Vox DA5. Sometimes though, when the neighbors are away it just feels good to let it rip, hence the Peavey Bravo.

The reason I listed the amps I listed is because they are all currently available to me and I was wondering if it would be a worthwhile investment to purchase one of them. If none of them are significantly better than my Bravo, then no, it makes no sense for me to spend the extra loot for no real gain. Since I really can't buy them all, try them and then sell the ones I don't like, LOL, I was hoping the members here at the Jem could share their experiences with me. Thanks guys.

jb4674 · #8 10-17-2008, 05:45 PM

Try a Mini Colossal or if you want the extra balls, get a JSX combo used. I can use my JSX Combo at low levels and it sounds good.

Jimmy

Dino · #9 10-17-2008, 09:14 PM

Just get a G-DEC for the bedroom.

zepsongs · #10 10-17-2008, 09:24 PM

G-Dec?

C'mon, if you're not going to be serious at least don't try to be funny. Who in their right mind would choose that over a tube amp? I'm looking to move UP in the tone community here LOL

I appreciate all the suggestions but I am settled having a tube amp, preferably one of the ones I have inquired about.

The JSX suggestion was a good one but at 8 inches does it have enough bass?

musicdr · #11 10-17-2008, 09:32 PM

egnater rebel.research it.

Lefty Robb · #12 10-17-2008, 09:37 PM

Epiphone Valve Jr with a few pedals in front of it.

Hikey Mikey · #13 10-17-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zepsongs

G-Dec?

C'mon, if you're not going to be serious at least don't try to be funny. Who in their right mind would choose that over a tube amp? I'm looking to move UP in the tone community here LOL

I appreciate all the suggestions but I am settled having a tube amp, preferably one of the ones I have inquired about.

The JSX suggestion was a good one but at 8 inches does it have enough bass?

Which JSX? You're asking about the JSX Mini Colossal, right? Well, it has enough bass for me. Although when I turn the tone knob all the way to the left, the tone is a little muddy for me. I like it with the tone knob straight up or slightly to the treble side.

Remember that as you yourself pointed out, tone quality is subjective.

Peace

Mike

Hikey Mikey · #14 10-17-2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty Robb

Epiphone Valve Jr with a few pedals in front of it.

You'd need a pedal with the valve jr because it has NO features and no way to get distortion at lower volumes without some sort of effect. The Blackheart competitor has two discrete power levels, 3 watts and 5. Only the Mini Colossal has the continuously variable power control.

I still haven't fully explored the combinations of tones and volumes I can get using the guitar's volume knob, the power sponge, and the main amp volume.

Dino · #15 10-17-2008, 11:26 PM

I wasn't joking the G-DEC actually sounds better at lower volumes than any of the amps mentioned. You don't need tubes just for the sake of having tubes, the majority of tube amps actually sound like shytola just like most of the solid state amps. Small tube amps are a one trick pony, they only have one good tone(if your lucky) and that's it. Don't be a bedroom tube snob, save that for the coliseum.