Loserchief
SwingingIdiot
Since it seems that i'm the only guy on the Forum to own on of those amps and they are relatively new, i posting a review might be a good idea. So let's go harmony central style then and i'll also included results of the retubeing i did.
Specs:
-5 Watts at 4 Ohm
-Single ended Class A
-Pretube: 12AX7
-Powertube: 6L6GC
-6.5" Ibanez Original "POWER JAM 654"
-Controls: Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, Volume,Power / Stand by / Boost switch (EQ is completely active with upto 12db cut/boost on the different knobs)
-Headphone out(valve powered)
-Effect loop
-Closed back with bass-reflex hole
-Dimensions: 300(W)x280(H)x240(D)mm
Craftsmanship/Reliability:
Looks very solid from the outside and inside. Everything nicely crafted and assembled. No flaws as far as i can see and they used good materials to build this amp. my guess is that it would definitely be gigable and hold up touring if it wasn't so small. At least it will handle some rough duties as a practice amp backstage. Only weakpoint i noticed are the POS chinese tubes that are stock but i'll come to that later. Overall a solid little amp that even looks classy(looks abit plasticy in the pic but in person it looks great). A thing i think is odd is the fact that the amp has a complete effect loop which imo is very rare in amps that size, but cool nevertheless.
Retube outcome:
With the stock chinese tubes in there i can understand the reviews at HC which say that the amp can sound harsh on the treble and muddy on the bass. It doesn't sound bad but it's just not really pleasing sometimes. The stock tubes just don't do the amp justice and definitely cut some potencial.
Preamp:
Had a JJ ECC083s tube and Electro harmonix 12AX7 EH at my disposal and did a shootout with both. Both tubes greatly improved the sound but i ended up putting the EH in it since it has more edge to it,is a little tighter and just makes the better high-gain tube. The JJ is smoother and darker with a bit more warmth, which makes it a cool tube for cleans and bluesy overdrive. But since i'll mainly use the amp under high-gain unit the EH was the better choice for me.
Poweramp:
No choices here but i bought a JJ 6L6Gc which is the same tube as in the power-section of my powerball and it does a great sound in the Valbee. greatly improved the tone. Made everything warmer and smoother to play with. Also added stronger and way tighter bottom end.
After the retube the Valbee blows everything in it's price range out of the water if you ask me.
Most important: The Sound
Everything here is based on experiences after the tube change so with a stock Valbee it will greatly differ. because of the completely active EQ about any sound can be achieved if you tweak the knobs right.
Clean:
Best with single coils. Nice and sparkly not completely fender cleans but actually pretty close imo. Not used so much by myself but definitely nice sounding cleans with lots of shine and clarity and of course typical tube warmth
Crunch
Used with the boost-switch off, single coils and the gain turned up you'll get some beautiful natural overdrive sounds. I swear that i actually nearly nailed the exact Layla-tone just by tweaking the knobs and using a split Evo bridge. Vintagey vibe with sound that just sings.
Once you turn on the boost and keep the gain down you'll get into hardrock crunch territory like AC/DC for example. Also pretty vintage with character and classic attitude.
Specs:
-5 Watts at 4 Ohm
-Single ended Class A
-Pretube: 12AX7
-Powertube: 6L6GC
-6.5" Ibanez Original "POWER JAM 654"
-Controls: Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, Volume,Power / Stand by / Boost switch (EQ is completely active with upto 12db cut/boost on the different knobs)
-Headphone out(valve powered)
-Effect loop
-Closed back with bass-reflex hole
-Dimensions: 300(W)x280(H)x240(D)mm
Craftsmanship/Reliability:
Looks very solid from the outside and inside. Everything nicely crafted and assembled. No flaws as far as i can see and they used good materials to build this amp. my guess is that it would definitely be gigable and hold up touring if it wasn't so small. At least it will handle some rough duties as a practice amp backstage. Only weakpoint i noticed are the POS chinese tubes that are stock but i'll come to that later. Overall a solid little amp that even looks classy(looks abit plasticy in the pic but in person it looks great). A thing i think is odd is the fact that the amp has a complete effect loop which imo is very rare in amps that size, but cool nevertheless.
Retube outcome:
With the stock chinese tubes in there i can understand the reviews at HC which say that the amp can sound harsh on the treble and muddy on the bass. It doesn't sound bad but it's just not really pleasing sometimes. The stock tubes just don't do the amp justice and definitely cut some potencial.
Preamp:
Had a JJ ECC083s tube and Electro harmonix 12AX7 EH at my disposal and did a shootout with both. Both tubes greatly improved the sound but i ended up putting the EH in it since it has more edge to it,is a little tighter and just makes the better high-gain tube. The JJ is smoother and darker with a bit more warmth, which makes it a cool tube for cleans and bluesy overdrive. But since i'll mainly use the amp under high-gain unit the EH was the better choice for me.
Poweramp:
No choices here but i bought a JJ 6L6Gc which is the same tube as in the power-section of my powerball and it does a great sound in the Valbee. greatly improved the tone. Made everything warmer and smoother to play with. Also added stronger and way tighter bottom end.
After the retube the Valbee blows everything in it's price range out of the water if you ask me.
Most important: The Sound
Everything here is based on experiences after the tube change so with a stock Valbee it will greatly differ. because of the completely active EQ about any sound can be achieved if you tweak the knobs right.
Clean:
Best with single coils. Nice and sparkly not completely fender cleans but actually pretty close imo. Not used so much by myself but definitely nice sounding cleans with lots of shine and clarity and of course typical tube warmth
Crunch
Used with the boost-switch off, single coils and the gain turned up you'll get some beautiful natural overdrive sounds. I swear that i actually nearly nailed the exact Layla-tone just by tweaking the knobs and using a split Evo bridge. Vintagey vibe with sound that just sings.
Once you turn on the boost and keep the gain down you'll get into hardrock crunch territory like AC/DC for example. Also pretty vintage with character and classic attitude.
Last edited:
Seems like it'd be for me...
But I know they do subcontracting so for all I know, it's a TAD anyway.
