NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

[Fender_Punk]

The music shop I work at carries Behringer so naturally we stock some Bugera amps. Today I took home the last V5 we had in the shop. This small amp has a 8" 30W Bugera speaker (4ohms), one 12AX7, one EL84, gain, tone, volume and reverb and is handwired in China. On the back there's a attenuator switch to go from 5W to 1W to 0.1W.

I plugged this into a Crate 4x12 (with Celestions, I think G12-75s but didn't open the cab) at work and it was too scooped for my tastes and when I got home plugged it into my 2x12 (both cabs are 8 ohms). The stock speaker sounds ok but will eventually be swapped and through my 2x12 it sounds AWESOME!! I've been playing it mostly on 5W as I like it loud, but even at 1W and .1W it sounds good, but much less headroom. I've been using my volume+boost pedal with it and with it I can go from clean Vox-like sound to heavy overdrive (heavy enough for punk at least). I bought it as an easy amp to bring to practises and cranked at 5W it's loud enough to jam with a drummer.


http://www.bugera-amps.com/EN/products/V5.aspx"

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

I haven't seen those yet. My shop's just got the 333's. I like the li'l Vox that does bascially the same thing tho...props man.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

Thanks for the Props EP! Our store doesn't have the 333s, just the V5 and V55 right now.

Either no one else here like Class A EL84 amps or your all speechless. Or is it because it's a Bugera?

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

Sweet.

Which of your guitars do you like through it best?

 

[karpathion]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

thse little low watt tube amps are so doing it for me.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

Sweet.

Which of your guitars do you like through it best?

It's a tie between my two Teles.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

Cool! I like anything with a blue pilot lamp!
I thought about that amp at one point; however, you seem to be able to get around it's one inherent flaw... the 8" speaker. Have fun with that one!

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

Cool! I like anything with a blue pilot lamp!
I thought about that amp at one point; however, you seem to be able to get around it's one inherent flaw... the 8" speaker. Have fun with that one!

Thanks. The stock 8" speaker isn't as bad as one might think, but that said, it will definitely be replaced by a Weber Alnico 8" in the not so distant future.

EDIT: Just got in from an open jam (with 2nd guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, sax and harmonica) and in 5W mode with the volume most of the way up and gain at half it blended in nicely and stood out where it needed to! I really have a full appreciation now for single-ended EL84 amps.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

I tried one of these out today...not bad for a buck fitty.

Fairly dark, without too much frazziness when it's dimed out. I'd like a bit more highs on tap. Plenty of gain for how I play, but some players will want more...it doesn't really start raging till the volume's dimed and the preamp is near 2 oclock.

Speaker's a bit mushy, but not badly so. I'd like to hear it through my 4x12.

The reverb would be the the deal maker...pretty nice.

I could make it work at a gig.

Good score, fpunk!

 

[darnright]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

Love the small wattage amps, I've got an AC4VT All tube 4 watt, 1 watt or 1/4 watt Vox amp with a 10" speaker...it just rocks, also have a modded Epi Valve jr running a 12" cab. Solid state...I have the Vox Brian May ("Deacie") 10 watt amp, I run it through an old Crate 4X12. Sounds awesome.

-dave

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: NAD: 5W Class A EL84 Goodness!

Love the small wattage amps, I've got an AC4VT All tube 4 watt, 1 watt or 1/4 watt Vox amp with a 10" speaker...it just rocks, also have a modded Epi Valve jr running a 12" cab. Solid state...I have the Vox Brian May ("Deacie") 10 watt amp, I run it through an old Crate 4X12. Sounds awesome.

-dave

I tried the AC-4 while I was there, too. It has a bit more frazz* when dimed out, but the core tone was nicer.

* in a kind of cool way, sort of like Reelin' In The Years.