TWEED!

JerkMoans

I had my first play on a Victoria on Friday, and I'm smitten.

So I am now after a tube amp with sparkling cleans at low volumes at home but which can deliver cranked tone when I let rip.

My shortlist is (I think):

Victoria 518
Victoria 5112
Fender Champ 57 RI

Anyone able to give any pointers: pros/cons/comparison?  Any really good alternatives I should consider?  I know that these are all a lot of money for what they are, even buying used as I intend, but by Crom ... that TONE...

All observations gratefully received.

hotpickups

JerkMoans said:

I had my first play on a Victoria on Friday, and I'm smitten.

So I am now after a tube amp with sparkling cleans at low volumes at home but which can deliver cranked tone when I let rip.

My shortlist is (I think):

Victoria 518
Victoria 5112
Fender Champ 57 RI

Anyone able to give any pointers: pros/cons/comparison?  Any really good alternatives I should consider?  I know that these are all a lot of money for what they are, even buying used as I intend, but by Crom ... that TONE...

All observations gratefully received.

You've left the Lazy J20 out. Fantastic beast that is. Can be clean to a point but  so us it mainly on the dirty side of things

JerkMoans

hotpickups said:

You've left the Lazy J20 out. Fantastic beast that is. Can be clean to a point but  so us it mainly on the dirty side of things

Whoo: just goooooooooogled and it looks great.  Bit outta budget, though, unless anybody has one down the back of the couch they don't really like  

kreggs

I feel the need, the need for tweed!

ICBM

JerkMoans said:

I had my first play on a Victoria on Friday, and I'm smitten.

So I am now after a tube amp with sparkling cleans at low volumes at home but which can deliver cranked tone when I let rip.

My shortlist is (I think):

Victoria 518
Victoria 5112
Fender Champ 57 RI

Anyone able to give any pointers: pros/cons/comparison?  Any really good alternatives I should consider?  I know that these are all a lot of money for what they are, even buying used as I intend, but by Crom ... that TONE...

All observations gratefully received.

Get the Victoria 5112. The 12" speaker makes *all* the difference. I have owned an original '59 Fender 5F1.

A 5F1 with the original 8" speaker is a one-trick pony that quickly becomes limiting unless your entire sound is focused around the one thing it does well - a very brassy, raspy blues/early-rock'n'roll overdrive sound. It's loud enough to cope with a low-volume band but only fully overdriven. It does have a clean sound too, but it's not especially deep or sparkly and it's not loud enough to use with a band. It sounds more or less the same with most guitars.

The 5112 is in a totally different league - the cleans are much clearer and richer, and the overdrive is big-sounding. It's far more sensitive to the guitar, because the speaker allows more than just a narrow midrange tone through. It just about loud enough for a band, even clean - and definitely so overdriven. The guitarist in my band had one, which would compete with a reasonably loud drummer and my 500W bass amp when it was cranked right up - admittedly it wouldn't with anything cleaner.

And if you don't quite like the speaker, there are dozens of possible replacement 12"s - as opposed to probably only about two or three 8"s that are worth having.

Lebarque

My own amp search has been settled on tweed for a good while now. Such lovely, warm, articulate tone. IMO Lazy J is the pinnacle. Tweed on a budget? They tend to be expensive, handwired beasts. Maybe Cornell Romany, although I imagine the Victorias might be better (not tried one). Other second hand examples from esteemed UK builders such as Rift and Flynn sometimes pop up for a bargain. Swart maybe? Oh, and what about Fender... :0)

JerkMoans

Now that's v helpful, ICBM. Thank you.

JerkMoans

Lebarque said:

My own amp search has been settled on tweed for a good while now. Such lovely, warm, articulate tone. IMO Lazy J is the pinnacle. Tweed on a budget? They tend to be expensive, handwired beasts. Maybe Cornell Romany, although I imagine the Victorias might be better (not tried one). Other second hand examples from esteemed UK builders such as Rift and Flynn sometimes pop up for a bargain. Swart maybe? Oh, and what about Fender... :0)

Back to Google   Thanks!

JerkMoans

kreggs said:

I feel the need, the need for tweed!

It gives me the urge, the urge to splurge...

RandallFlagg

Check out Flynn Amps as well, good prices and made in Scotland. He does a Champ and a Deluxe

http://www.flynnamps.com

4114Effects

Buy one of mine ... :-) http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/113203/fs-2-x-tweed-amps-5f1-champ-combo-and-5e3-tweed-deluxe-head

JerkMoans

RandallFlagg said:

Check out Flynn Amps as well, good prices and made in Scotland. He does a Champ and a Deluxe

Ooooh oooh ooh.  Will have a good look after dinner!

Ossyrocks

For 5E3’s I think Gartone is the best. I’ve owned or played most of the others too.

Rob

JerkMoans

4114Effects said:

Buy one of mine ... :-) http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/113203/fs-2-x-tweed-amps-5f1-champ-combo-and-5e3-tweed-deluxe-head

You intrigue me strangely...  Will have a gander just as soon as I've parboiled my parsnips  

mgaw

Swart AST for me

kreggs

I would say a tweed deluxe would have the crunch of a tender parsnip!

57Deluxe

57 Deluxe...

Chris_J

JerkMoans said:

RandallFlagg said:

Check out Flynn Amps as well, good prices and made in Scotland. He does a Champ and a Deluxe

Ooooh oooh ooh.  Will have a good look after dinner!

I have 2 Flynns

A Deluxe (5e3) and a Super (1x12 variant I got from Merlin off here)

Both outstanding apps.

JerkMoans

kreggs said:

I would say a tweed deluxe would have the crunch of a tender parsnip!

Like your amps al dente, huh?  

kreggs

JerkMoans said:u

kreggs said:

I would say a tweed deluxe would have the crunch of a tender parsnip!

Like your amps al dente, huh?  

Sure do!

menamestom

 Of your list I’d go for the Victoria 5112.   Also worth noting all your shortlist are champ based, single ended 5w amps.   These sound different to the tweed deluxe types. 

Which Victoria did you try?