Quest for a more realible amp

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 4:26 pm

So guys, as you know I've had a couple of Hughes and kettners. My main one died at practice about 3 weeks ago. The tube management circuit went crazy and then the amp cut out. I had it sent to Hughes and kettner for repair, as its four months old. They emailed me back stating that it was the tubes at fault and would have to pay Â£210 for it to be repaired. I know tubes are classed as a consumable to some degree, but on a 4 month old amp I felt it was a little rough. The dealer I got it from agreed and are in contact with Hughes and kettner to resolve this. As a backup, I grabbed an 18 watt version for Â£200 to use for some gigs and practices. This died after ten minutes into band practice. Promptly returned it and got my money back as they didn't have anything else in stock. I'm now starting to question h&k reliability, especially with gigs coming up.
I'm thinking of ditching the whole lot and getting something better or at least a different brand backup.
What ideas people have?
I like using the amp for all my drive/gain. Tended to have EL34 based amps in the past, but open to ideas. Between 15-30 watts and loud enough to gig with without having to mic the amp up (found that my dual terror and my 18 watt h&k were fine at this), head or combo, don't mind but I do have 2 1x12s that I can use with a head. Reverb not a biggie but if it's on it I don't mind. Fx loop again not a biggie but if it's there it's a bonus. Think nice crunchy Rhythm gain that cleans up with your guitar volume. Mid range goodness for the strats.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:07 pm

Price range?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Matamp-King-S ... SwgQ9Vr80F

Or,

Matamp are launching the GT20,

Special FaceBook Offer!

The hand wired GT20 is ready and before it goes on the website here is your chance to grab one while saving Â£100.

For the first five amps that are already completed (no wait time) you can have one for Â£899 including VAT direct from the factory.

The amp is a slight departure for us, featuring a 20w output stage from a pair of 5881s. Valve rectified with a GZ34 and running fixed bias. Which brings us into the trem, this is the bias modulating type. The amp has variable negative feedback in the form of the attack control giving you complete control of the feel and drive from the power amp.

The first 20 are on a lightweight aluminium chassis, the amp weighs in at 11kg in a slim poplar/birch ply headsleeve.

Basketweave covering and white panel are standard on this amp.

Shipping is Â£15 in the UK, around Â£50 for Europe and around Â£90 to the U.S. Export price outside the EU without VAT is Â£749.16

Fakir Mustache · Post by **Fakir Mustache** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:26 pm

That is strange, a spent valve shouldn't destroy an amp completely. Was it the right type? You didn't by any chance plug in a cab with lower impedance, like 4 ohms? Was it that little 5 watt amp that blew first?

I don't know, maybe Orange? The Micro Terror seems pretty reliable, but kind of annoying it lacks a 3 band eq. Haven't gigged it but dropped it many times from a stack, works fine.

I've played the OR15, but never owned one, so I don't know about reliability, they sound good though.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:53 pm

Fakir Mustache wrote:That is strange, a spent valve shouldn't destroy an amp completely. Was it the right type? You didn't by any chance plug in a cab with lower impedance, like 4 ohms? Was it that little 5 watt amp that blew first?

I don't know, maybe Orange? The Micro Terror seems pretty reliable, but kind of annoying it lacks a 3 band eq. Haven't gigged it but dropped it many times from a stack, works fine.

I've played the OR15, but never owned one, so I don't know about reliability, they sound good though.

On my main 36 watter, the tube management system shorted when it tried to compensate for a failed power tube. It has factory fitted nos el34's and three of them failed according to h&k. On the 18 watter, the anode fuse blew and needs replacing, but I've owned it less than a week. Both my cabs are 16 ohms each and i can run them together at 8 ohms on either amp. Both cabs fine as I checked them with a multi meter. I orginally traded in my 5 watt and my 18 watt to get the 36.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:07 pm

Orange Rockerverb

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:25 pm

Thom wrote:Orange Rockerverb

You offering yours Thom?

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:18 pm

Laney VC-15 I've been gigging with mine for 5ish years with only 1 blown tube. Excellent amp I highly recommend it.

vojtasTS29 · Post by **vojtasTS29** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:36 am

What about the tiny terror and some 2x12 cab? You can bolt the head into the cab if needed. It is really tiny(surprisingly, heh...).

sunshiner · Post by **sunshiner** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 10:10 am

I guess nobody can garantee you that a brand new modern amp won't blow up in a month or so.
If I were you, I'd try Laney LH20 a twenty watt head from Lionheart series. Reviews on it are positive in general and I am curious to try it myself

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 10:14 am

I had thought of trying one of the bugera amps. They seem to do some 22w heads and combos. Can't find that many reviews for them.

Did think of getting two 15 watt Amps and running them side by side. Say a dsl 15 and a blues junior

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 6:33 pm

Check out Rivera amps. I've gigged mine very very hard over the past 5 years. I drag it around with me on a trolley, bumping it down steps and pavements. It's taken a total beating and it's never failed on me. The only time it got a little noisy was when the power tubes began to fall apart and shards of metal collected at the bottom of the tubes, but that was on a set of 3 year old EL34s that had hundreds of hours play on them and have been bashed around a lot. But even though the power tubes were obviously fucked, them amp still sounded great - if not a little rattley when the shards vibrated.

Seriously Rivera amps are built to withstand anything and they sound amazing.

I use a Chubster 55 combo. But they make all sorts of amp heads.

Secondhand they're pretty affordable too.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:09 pm

Ok, so I've just been offered a Princeton 65 reissue at a great price. Could it cut through at gigs?

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:21 pm

Depends how loud/dirty you need to be. A pretty common mod is to switch the speaker out for an Eminence Ragin Cajun for some more headroom.

Princeton's are wonderful and you can always run it with an extension cab if you need even more grunt.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:15 am

If a Princeton comes up at a great price, you buy it.

That said, I've been eyeing up the Orange OR15 as well. It looks lovely, though really only a spruced up version of the Tiny Terror (without being able to compare them side by side, which I hope to do later this week at PMT).

Post by **Doog** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:26 am

Dang, glad I didn't buy on of those H&Ks now

Laney seem to be one of those brands that go and go; I actually used my mid(?) 90s solidstate 'World Series' Laney head at band practise last night and it's still kicking arse.

Have wanted to pick up at LC50 for years now, super impressed with what I've heard out of them, especially for the price.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:39 am

I don't know, Andy, a couple of years ago you were asking me to keep an eye out for an HH solid state. Fickle, that's what you are..

Post by **Doog** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:08 am

NickS wrote:I don't know, Andy, a couple of years ago you were asking me to keep an eye out for an HH solid state. Fickle, that's what you are..

Hahaha, I still like my L100 plenty, just missing having something a bit fancier sometimes. Will probably never buy one, but it's nice to want things.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:31 pm

Progrockabuse wrote:
Thom wrote:Orange Rockerverb
You offering yours Thom?

Haha From my cold dead hands!

I've got a Princeton too, lovely lovely amp. Never gigged with it full band though so can't really tell you about how it performs in that scenario. When you do crank it LOUD it has the most amazing breakup.

vojtasTS29 · Post by **vojtasTS29** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:22 pm

Yep... Always play the silverface princeton in the shop :DDD Always wnated to steal it... But i am not sure if 18W and a single 10" speaker are enought for gigging with a full band... I mean it is loud, but you know what drummers do when they want to get those looks.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 4:07 pm

fingers crossed this might have solved it, though I'm gonna need a speaker attenuator!!!