"Lesser" brand versions of popular Tube amps

thecolourbox

Hi all, been looking at amps recently, to get something I can use at home but also big enough to gig if I were to get to that point. I was pretty sold on a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for this - reasonably priced second hand, FX loop where I can add a volume box to run it at house volumes, but with more than enough clout to cope at a gig, and a tone that I like.

Had a bit of a confidence crisis, so had a look for cheaper alternatives in case I don't get good enough again to play gigs. Wondered if any of you fine people had any experience, opinion or suggestions of similar ones to the below amps, which would appear to be "related" to well known Fender amps. Or whether it's a false economy and I should wait until Birmingham is no longer the furthest pont in the UK from a 2nd hand HRD...

Blues Junior Clone (I think it's actually Belcat but Gear4Music brand it as SubZero) http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/SubZero-Tube-20R-20W-Guitar-Amp/S7P

This one looks like a HRD to me... http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_vt_30_rd_b_stock.htm?sid=3f0b87978a778e818117cc691938edb0

 

Thanks all as ever

digitalscream

Bugera V55 or V22, perhaps? They get excellent reviews.

markslade07

thecolourbox said:

Or whether it's a false economy and I should wait until Birmingham is no longer the furthest pont in the UK from a 2nd hand HRD...

Probably not massively useful to you, but I recently picked up a HRD on eBay for £310....just down the road from you in Solihull. I've no experience of these 'clones' you're looking at, but I reckon that was a bloody good deal. I'd hang on until you find one myself. Cheers

thecolourbox

If the one you got is the one I'm thinking of, I was bidding on it but cacked out due to a mixture of the afore mentioned confidence crisis and also the fact that the stuff I need to sell first to fund it isn't going. There haven't been any others that local! Oh and I very rarely win any auction on ebay haha always get spiked, damn it

thanks for input though, appreciated

crunchman

The Harley-Benton on Thomann is not a HRD knockoff.  It has 4 x EL84 Power valves instead of 2 x 6L6s.  Likely to sound very different - especially with a V30 speaker. 

Dave_Mc

^ That's what I was thinking. Well, the power tubes don't tell you how it'll sound, but it's not a clone either.

Didn't realise that HB had some new valve amps around. Interesting.

EDIT: I can't get a good enough view of the control panel (not that that'd tell you for sure, either, but it can sometimes give you some clues) and it maybe looks a wee bit like a laney vc30? That's a total guess, though, and is probably wrong. )

crunchman

Other possibility is it being based on Peavey Classic 30.

Unless you particularly want that sound it would be a false economy in the long run.  EL84s are cheaper indiviually than 6L6s but they don't last nearly as long, and you'd need to buy four of them each time rather than 2.  It would probably be cheaper in the long term to own a HRD.

bertie

thecolourbox said:

, FX loop where I can add a volume box to run it at house volumes, 

it helps, but all that will do is give you a master volume on the clean channel (with some affect obviously on the OD)   It allows you to run a "warmer more controllable"  clean.   Power section attenuator, it is not.

  I used to use one on a deville.

for my £,  Id go for a used HRD

randomhandclaps

The Classic 30 is indeed a good alternative but I have noticed a spike in prices recently where they are going for as much as HRDs.  The Classic 50 (which I personally prefer to the 30) tends to go a bit cheaper as people 1.) Don't want to lug it around, even though it's not much more trouble than a HRD and 2.) They get obsessed that 50 watts is going to be enormously loud for their usage whereas they see a 30 watt as more 'home friendly'.

I assume as you are after a HRD you are looking to use it mostly clean as a pedal platform.  The Laney LC & VC series are also worth a look and can be had very cheaply. 

Whether you go HRD, Peavey Classic or Laney LC & VC etc, the amp's 'weakest' point sound-wise is undoubtedly going to be the speaker.  It's not to say that any of these don't sound good stock, but a speaker upgrade in any of them is a massive improvement.  As a whole package you may well be better off aiming for one of the cheaper options and include a speaker upgrade in your budget.

 

ICBM

If you want a HRD, buy a HRD. They go for about the same as what the HB is new, and they're so common I would guarantee there's at least one for sale in Birmingham right now, you just haven't found it yet .

monquixote

Get a secondhand HRD. 

It will be easy to fix/sell/mod/get another one if you need to and it's an all time classic for not much dough. 

Alternatively the Peavey classic 50 is bloody great, costs naff all and is well made. 

Catthan

You can have a look at Traynors, the just got a YBA 1 reissue with some upgrades. 

It is considered the "Canadian Plexi"

Or get a late 60's one for same money if you can handle the volume.

hywelg

Be aware, the HRDx is a very LOUD amp. The clean channel needs to be pushed to 4½ to get it to sound good. Mine was too loud at gigs at that point. I used a Hotplate to tame it.

ICBM

hywelg said:

Be aware, the HRDx is a very LOUD amp. The clean channel needs to be pushed to 4½ to get it to sound good.

I don't find that at all, I think they sound fine at almost any volume - although it's true that you have to get good at setting the volume control *very* finely if you're wanting it quiet. If it's a real problem just use a volume box in the FX loop, much cheaper than an attenuator.

monquixote

Agree with ICBM. 

The HRD sounds very good at bedroom levels it's just a PITA to set it at low volumes because the control is a bit of a hair trigger (I've heard the MKIII is better in this regard)

bertie

monquixote said:

Agree with ICBM. 

The HRD sounds very good at bedroom levels it's just a PITA to set it at low volumes because the control is a bit of a hair trigger (I've heard the MKIII is better in this regard)

hence the volume box in the loop   

p90fool

I've tried one of those Belcats, and they sound very similar to a Blues Junior (for good or ill), and at least they sell at the price a Blues Junior SHOULD sell at.

As everyone else has pointed out though, you're getting well into the territory of second hand proper amps at that price.

Dave_Mc

crunchman said:

Other possibility is it being based on Peavey Classic 30.

Unless you particularly want that sound it would be a false economy in the long run.  EL84s are cheaper indiviually than 6L6s but they don't last nearly as long, and you'd need to buy four of them each time rather than 2.  It would probably be cheaper in the long term to own a HRD.

good points

benvall

I have a HRD (a surf green one, in my profile pic), it's pretty much my main gigging amp. Great cleans and great for pedals. I built a volume box out of some spare bits in my parts collection. If you Google "unofficial hot rod deluxe owners manual" the first hit is a good site full of info, mods, etc.

thecolourbox

Thank you all so much for your inputs on this, as they say if stuff seems too good it might just be...
might be going to look at one next week , gotta travel a bit but could be worth it. Fairdeal in brum have one for £450, which is more expensive and the reverb doesn't work!

ICBM

thecolourbox said:

Fairdeal in brum have one for £450, which is more expensive and the reverb doesn't work!

Sounds like the shop name is in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Act when they go for £400 or less in perfect condition and full working order…

You can get them privately for as little as £300 if you're patient.