Best valve amp around £500

ICBM

TheMarlin said:

I'm a big fan of the Kustom Coup 36 (and 72).  Great cleans, excellent drive channel, fab reverb, and can be had as cheap as chips.  I've had two, paid under £200 both times. 

I borrowed one of those at an open mic once - I had no idea what it was, other than being aware of Kustom amps as cheap (but good) Chinese-made solid-state amps as well as the historical 'tuck'n'roll' transistor series - and I didn't expect it to not only be valve, but sound fantastic. I looked for one afterwards, but they were quite expensive new. I'll maybe keep my eyes open again if they haven't held their value...

TheMarlin

The Kustom Coup models (three models, 36, 72, and 72 head) were all hand made in the USA

They are fab quality!   Designed by amp designer James Brown...

Fiftyshadesofjay

There's a Blackstar Artisan 30, Handwired boutique type amp for your asking price in the classifieds...

http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/104029/fs-ft-blackstar-artisan-30-combo-550#latest

Otherwise if you're buying new I'd go for a Jet City or the aforementioned Fender Hot Rod, they're an industry standard really and normally pretty solid.

Sassafras

TheMarlin said:

The Kustom Coup models (three models, 36, 72, and 72 head) were all hand made in the USA

They are fab quality!   Designed by amp designer James Brown...

The Godfather of Soul?
Well, he should know.

jpfamps

I'd also go for a Fender Hot Rod or Blues Deluxe.

You'll get a nice used one for around £400 all day long, which is a lot of amp for the money.

re the other two amps you mentioned:

Peavey Valve King: average build quality and not great to work on. I would avoid unless you like especially like the sound of it.

Blackstar HT40: Really don't like the sound of these. I've used one of these at a gig where the back line was provided. The HRD the other guitarist was using sounded way better (could have been the playing mind....).

ThePrettyDamned

jpfamps said:

I'd also go for a Fender Hot Rod or Blues Deluxe.

You'll get a nice used one for around £400 all day long, which is a lot of amp for the money.

re the other two amps you mentioned:

Peavey Valve King: average build quality and not great to work on. I would avoid unless you like especially like the sound of it.

Blackstar HT40: Really don't like the sound of these. I've used one of these at a gig where the back line was provided. The HRD the other guitarist was using sounded way better (could have been the playing mind....).

Nah. I really like some blackstar amps (artisan 30, artisan 100, series 1 200) but the ht range are just a bit flat sounding. 

Dave_Mc

ICBM said:

TheMarlin said:

I'm a big fan of the Kustom Coup 36 (and 72).  Great cleans, excellent drive channel, fab reverb, and can be had as cheap as chips.  I've had two, paid under £200 both times. 

I borrowed one of those at an open mic once - I had no idea what it was, other than being aware of Kustom amps as cheap (but good) Chinese-made solid-state amps as well as the historical 'tuck'n'roll' transistor series - and I didn't expect it to not only be valve, but sound fantastic. I looked for one afterwards, but they were quite expensive new. I'll maybe keep my eyes open again if they haven't held their value...

Yeah the one i tried sounded really good, too. the price put me off, too (IIRC, bit like Mesa, they were a lot dearer here than in the USA... and that's when the exchange rate was very favourable ).

TheMarlin

Dave_Mc said:

ICBM said:

TheMarlin said:

I'm a big fan of the Kustom Coup 36 (and 72).  Great cleans, excellent drive channel, fab reverb, and can be had as cheap as chips.  I've had two, paid under £200 both times. 

I borrowed one of those at an open mic once - I had no idea what it was, other than being aware of Kustom amps as cheap (but good) Chinese-made solid-state amps as well as the historical 'tuck'n'roll' transistor series - and I didn't expect it to not only be valve, but sound fantastic. I looked for one afterwards, but they were quite expensive new. I'll maybe keep my eyes open again if they haven't held their value...

Yeah the one i tried sounded really good, too. the price put me off, too (IIRC, bit like Mesa, they were a lot dearer here than in the USA... and that's when the exchange rate was very favourable ).

If you can find one, they regularly sell for £200ish used, real bargain.  My local guitar store (now closed) had them in new.  I remember him discounting the 2x10 Coup 36 down to £880....

alexmitchell17

Hi guys thanks for all your responses certainly gave me a lot to think about. Looks like second hand is probably the best way to go as you get more bang for your buck. I have played hot rod deluxes before and always been happy with the sound I have found a laney lc30 212 for £200 on here just wandering if they compare or if it's worth the money considering it looks like a hot rod deluxe will be more like £350-£400. I also did check out the Bugera that voxman suggested and that does look like the best value if I go for something new v22 for £349. 

ICBM

Despite my slight reservations about Laney, an LC30 2x12" is a lot of amp for £200. It won't be quite as clean on the clean channel as the Fender, it's more Vox/Marshally - but you may like that, and it still takes pedals well.

GoldenEraGuitars

I thought the BS HT range was a hybrid or just their distortion pedal in amp form? I wouldnt buy one tbh. Much love for the Fender HTRD or a Marshall DSL401C.

ICBM

lonestar said:

I thought the BS HT range was a hybrid or just their distortion pedal in amp form?

Yes and no. The amps are hybrids, but there's quite bit more going on than just the distortion pedal circuit... firstly the circuit is quite a bit different - although the first-series HT-5 was the same, the later and bigger models aren't - and secondly there's a valve power amp too, although on some (not sure about all) models the phase inverter is solid-state.

They *are* hybrids in terms of the technology used, but less so than something like a Marshall Valvestate which is basically a solid-state amp with a valve in the preamp - they're really as much of a 'valve' amp as a JCM900 Dual Reverb, and arguably more so given where the distortion actually occurs.

Boromedic

Cirrus has dropped the price, this is even more of a bargain now:
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/97544/fs-genz-benz-black-pearl-30-1x12-combo#latest

I've played/heard a HRD and a VC30 and they're good but the Genz is like a boutique amp in comparison. It does a far better take on a Vox sound than the Laney, plus its more flexible in it's tone and has a footswitchable boost. It is the dogs as both a pedal platform and a rock solid amp on its own.