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  • #23666
    lee_UK
    Participant

    Ive decided to buy a lightweight backup amp for my 100 watt valve head and cab arrangement, it HAS to be lightish, under 30lb’s, at least 40 watts+ , and a combo too, i might also use it as a rehearsal amp,
    Ive been looking at the Peavey Bandit 112 , it gets excellent reviews but looks a little on the heavy side. I dont mind a valve/transistor hybrid, but it must be light and i’d prefer a single speaker (to keep the size and weight down). I dont need amp effects built in, but i need a good clean and distortion channel.
    Im looking at under £200, either used or new.
    Any suggestions?

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    • #65657
      1bassleft
      Participant

      Yep, I’ve got that dreamy, moon-eyed look from another valve amp purchase 🙂 The seller’s very nice, too. Agreed to a courier coming, says he’ll pack it for free etc. If the deadness is a valve prob, then I just hope it’s either the EF86 or EL84, both of which I am well covered for. If it’s the EZ81, I haven’t got a single one and, as luck would have it, I’m being outbid on this usually ignored piece of glass. I might have to buy a Russian one 😯 🙁

      #http://i11.ebayimg.com/06/i/08/57/9d/cb_1_b.JPG
      #http://i3.ebayimg.com/03/i/08/60/5d/59_1.JPG

      A pfffted transformer would be worse of course. So help me, I’m watching a few more amps over the next week.

    • #65637
      lee_UK
      Participant

      [quote=”1bassleft”]Just placed the high bid for a Bird Talisman (looks about 1959/60, 1xEF86, 1xEL84, 1xEZ81). Got to get it from Leics, and find out why it’s not working, but another nice little 5W single-ender.[/quote]

      I see the counselling is working. 😆

    • #65659
      1bassleft
      Participant

      Just placed the high bid for a Bird Talisman (looks about 1959/60, 1xEF86, 1xEL84, 1xEZ81). Got to get it from Leics, and find out why it’s not working, but another nice little 5W single-ender.

    • #65671
      lee_UK
      Participant

      I think i’ll offer him up the money in the shop, take the Peavey and ask if i can return it if it turns out to be rubbish at a rehearsal.
      A good shop should let me do that, if i take out his demo model.
      The Peavey was very good.

    • #65629
      1bassleft
      Participant

      My name’s 1BL and… I’m an ampaholic.

      Albeit valve only. My vote for the PV goes on the slightly old-fashioned view (quick look for YoungWasp…) that built in simulators and dee-dah are not free and therefore the actual amp will be crappier. I’d have a good-sounding, slightly more basic amp over the bells and whistles every time. IMO, a lot of turnips rave about the so-called ability to dial up a Twin amp into a 4×12″ Marshall stack and think they’ve bought the dog’s whole toolkit. They often sound nothing like.

    • #65631
      Michael
      Participant

      Sounds like the better choice. Just don’t fall for the old “1-up” syndrome, where you want to keep going just 50 bucks more for something better. You know you’ve done it a million times before. Still your right, the Bandit sounds the best choice so far.

    • #65661
      lee_UK
      Participant

      Im trying to get over Basses attempt at world domination of the Valve amp scene. 😯
      Addicts always have what seems like to them a justifiable excuse, his quote of ‘and I know people with a lot more than that’ just confirms to me tat he needs to seek professional help. 😆

      on the tranny amp front, i went in to a guitar shop yesterday, and tried an ADVT 50 Vox, and it sounded very good, a lot better than i thought it would, but im wondering how it would hold up in a gig and rehearsal.
      I also tried the Peavey Bandit and it was even better, didnt have all the amp sims and built in effects, but the clean sound was so much better.
      it was £30 more expensive than the Vox, but it is a 100watter at 4ohms and 80watts at 8ohms, so more headroom, and more weight, so far the Peavey is in front.

    • #65622
      Michael
      Participant

      I’d go the Vox. I don’t think you could go wrong for a backup.

    • #65623
      1bassleft
      Participant

      Just picked up the Dom MkIV (see A+E thread) but sent the MkII to my US chum so I’m losing count myself. Kindof wish I hadn’t sold the old Laney now.

      CMI 100W, WEM Dominator III, Selmer TV100PA MkII, Fradan Echomatic, Impact 60, 5F6 clone head, Dallas Scala, Park 100W Reverb and WEM “60” MkIV. Then there’s the stereo PA for yodelling through and a glassless chassis that I’ll offload rather than get working. Just the 9 guitar amps and I know people with a lot more than that.

    • #65651
      lee_UK
      Participant

      Just how many amps do you own worldwide? 😆

      I want a tranistor combo as a backup and becuase they are lighter, cheap, and give a good clean sound.
      Decent combo is an AC30, but they weigh a ton, good clean sound, sings like an angel when cranked up, but its too much for a back up.
      Been looking at the ADVT voxes, they seem to have won a few awards.
      plus the 50 watter is sub £200.

    • #65673
      1bassleft
      Participant

      [quote]Transistor amp recomendations[/quote]

      Don’t buy one 😆

      I suppose you’d guess I’d say that. A very nice and small (but surprisingly heavy) amp was the Peavey Bravo 112, which was all-valve. Both my old band’s and current band’s guitarist bought one but they go high on the Fleeb. You might just make it if this recent auction (with ext cab) is to go by:

      http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Peavey-Bravo-112-combo-and-extension-cab_W0QQitemZ170026044378QQihZ007QQcategoryZ1288QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

      There’s one on the Fleeb now, already having a £100 bid even though newly listed. You could’ve done with my Dallas Scala for £13.50 but they don’t happen too often. Things like the Selmer Little Giant are now silly prices. HST, I have my eye on something (but you’ll have to use that thing called a volume knob on your guitar, you ponce) – I’ll keep you posted if I get lucky.

    • #65621
      lee_UK
      Participant

      Thanks for the advice, The Crate looks like a good idea if it came with a compact cab, i did want a combo, The Bandit looks very good, its just a bit of a lump (heavy).
      Looks to be between:

      AVT marshall
      AD VT Vox
      Transtube Peavey
      Spider Line 6
      Crate GT65
      FM DSP Fender
      DFX Hughes&Kettner

      Problem is, when you play these amps in the shop they sound fine, get them to the rehearsal studio and turn them up and they sound rubbish, short of taking the band along to the shop…

    • #65624
      Rawblues
      Participant

      Actually, reading your post again, it wouldn’t do because you say want a combo with a distortion channel. The Bandit is a really good one and easy to get cheaply on the s/h market.

    • #65649
      Rawblues
      Participant

      If it’s just backup you’re after, you could do worse than the Crate CPB150…

      http://www.thomann.de/gb/crate_cpb150_powerblock.htm

      ..which is a tiny solid-state non-channel switching stereo/mono amp. Useful if you get most of your sounds from effects pedals rather than channel switching. You’d probably want a compact cab to go with it, but you could just take it to gigs as backup for your main amp.

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