New Amp Day = Happy Day

[Will]

I've been using my Vox Valvetronix since February, but I've been playing more and more Jazz lately and it just doesn't have the clean headroom to keep up. I also found myself worrying about all the non-serviceable digital parts and such.
Anyhoo, I took my U1 to Music-Go-Round to do some deal hunting. After talking to the guys there and wandering around some, I picked a short list and built a little 2-story semi-circle around myself using an AD15 as a control. I tried:
Fender Ultimate Chorus: Clean and loud as f-ck, but 75lbs (and casters don't help in winter).
Stage 210: On their suggestion - very little volume or headroom and rattles in the speakers
Vox AD100VT: better then my AD15, but still digital
random Roland amp: too harsh
Pignose G40: no clean headroom or reverb
Blackheart little giant: actually had decent headroom, but a weird pinched and nasal tone that couldn't be tuned out
Blackheart 15w: nasal tone woes
Fender Princeton Chorus: Perfect!


It's true chorus - 2-25w amps with 2-10s, mono and stereo loops, reverb, chorus, overdrive, MADE IN USA. The cleans are AMAZING - warm and Fendery and stay clean all the way to the top. It actually seems quieter then the AD15 because it doesn't have a digital preamp compressing the f-ck out of everything. Chorus is also wonderful; very subtle and natural and does excellent leslie sounds. As a surprise, the overdrive is actually good - like a very pushed Bassman. I can also carry it - 40 well balanced pounds.
It's in near perfect condition - set me back $190. All in all, not too bad of a deal!

[Sloan]

Ahhh!
I used to have one of those!
It was pretty good actually.

[paul_]

My brother had one and subsequently I got his old amp as my first ever, glad you found what you were looking for.

[Mike]

I also found myself worrying about all the non-serviceable digital parts and such.

Dear God.

Congrats on the new amp, but that's some crazy logic. No pun intended.

[Will]

I know, I know - Modeling equipment just seems disposable and temporary, though.

The Valvetronix amps also have unholy amounts of hiss on all but the 2 fender models - it always sounded like I was playing in front of a waterfall.

[Sloan]

I don't know what the fuck all the fuss about the Valvetronix are. I've tried them a lot at stores just because of all the boners thrown to them here on THE FORUM, but I've pretty much HAETED them.

[Mike]

I know, I know - Modeling equipment just seems disposable and temporary, though.

The Valvetronix amps also have unholy amounts of hiss on all but the 2 fender models - it always sounded like I was playing in front of a waterfall.

They have really good built in noise reduction. Use it.

[NickS]

I know, I know - Modeling equipment just seems disposable and temporary, though.

Doesn't it just. The Texas TMS57070 DSP in the Flextone is obsolete. It's not even as if there's any GALs or FPLAs in the amp - bog-standard off-the-shelf stuff but obsolete. Like the SAD1024 delay chip in the Electric Mistress - no, wait, that's analog(ue). How does that help the argument? Mutter mutter

Anyway, yeah, the fact that digital stuff often costs less than the cost of repair is clearly a Bad Thing as it means people throw stuff away.