decent bargain?

[robharries13]

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/vc30-112/380

looks like the whole laney vc stock is in the sale. im looking for a decent valve amp first hand.
30 watts of power at £300 is pretty good right?
any thoughts?

[robharries13]

just to add, im looking for a VALVE amp max price around £450, so if you have any alternative suggestions, feel free

[indysmith]

better bargain;
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13200.0

[gibsongaz#1]

I'd get a secondhand Bluesbreaker or AC30. The VC30 is great as an intermediate amp but I struggle at gigs with the shared eq!

[HTH AMPS]

I'd get a secondhand Bluesbreaker or AC30. The VC30 is great as an intermediate amp but I struggle at gigs with the shared eq!

I agree that an AC30 or Bluesbreaker would be a better amp, but those two have shared EQ as well.

If you can get a 90s Korg (made in the Marshall factory) AC30, then you can't go far wrong - these are REAL AC30s.  The newer AC30CCs are nice too, but the output transformer is shite and makes the amp sound phasey and wierd in the midrange.

The Marshall Bluesbreaker is a much better amp in stock form and would be my choice - can pick them up for £350 - £400 on ebay.

[jpfamps]

Another amp worth looking out for is a JMP 2x12 50 W combo. Again these can be had for under £450 (I've never paid more than 350 for one). These are better built than the Bluesbreaker RI, and personally I prefer the sound of the JMP.

If you are looking for a Bluesbreaker IR I would try to get a later model that can take KT66s. The earlier RIs were designed to us Sovtek 5881s  and there is not enough space to fit KT66s. No one was producing KT66s in the early 90s. Marshall didn't account for the fact that someone might start making them again.

Guitar volume control, distortion/ boost pedal — who needs channel switching?

[headtheball]

The trick with a VC-30 is to:

Treat it as a single channel amp with two drive settings.
Run it as near to flat out as you can.
Steer it from the guitar.

It's not a convenient modern channel switching amp, it's an old-school amp, and needs to be treated in an old-school fashion. It's a very reactive, dynamic little amplifier, and it gives absolutely no place to hide (particularly clean, when it's extremely precise) sloppy playing. It's plenty loud enough for gig/band use, unless your drummer is, in fact, Donkey Kong.

[kellar]

The trick with a VC-30 is to:

Treat it as a single channel amp with two drive settings.
Run it as near to flat out as you can.
Steer it from the guitar.

It's not a convenient modern channel switching amp, it's an old-school amp, and needs to be treated in an old-school fashion. It's a very reactive, dynamic little amplifier, and it gives absolutely no place to hide (particularly clean, when it's extremely precise) sloppy playing. It's plenty loud enough for gig/band use, unless your drummer is, in fact, Donkey Kong.

 :lol: :lol: :lol:
The Donkey Kong reference was hysterical. Good one. :D

[gibsongaz#1]

I'd get a secondhand Bluesbreaker or AC30. The VC30 is great as an intermediate amp but I struggle at gigs with the shared eq!

I agree that an AC30 or Bluesbreaker would be a better amp, but those two have shared EQ as well.

If you can get a 90s Korg (made in the Marshall factory) AC30, then you can't go far wrong - these are REAL AC30s.  The newer AC30CCs are nice too, but the output transformer is shiteee and makes the amp sound phasey and wierd in the midrange.

The Marshall Bluesbreaker is a much better amp in stock form and would be my choice - can pick them up for £350 - £400 on ebay.

I guess they are with their duel outputs but they are in effect single channel amps so I don't count that  :P

[headtheball]

Can't help it. My drummer is almost yer precise definition of a culchie. As such, I know a bit about people who drum because they like to hit things.

[Woogie]

better bargain;
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13200.0

I second this :D

[Roobubba]

The trick with a VC-30 is to:

Treat it as a single channel amp with two drive settings.
Run it as near to flat out as you can.
Steer it from the guitar.

It's not a convenient modern channel switching amp, it's an old-school amp, and needs to be treated in an old-school fashion. It's a very reactive, dynamic little amplifier, and it gives absolutely no place to hide (particularly clean, when it's extremely precise) sloppy playing. It's plenty loud enough for gig/band use, unless your drummer is, in fact, Donkey Kong.

I can verify this. Our drummer is, in fact, Donkey Kong. I had one of these amps while my previous amp (Randall RG200 combo) was being repaired (before it got sent back and I ended up with a proper amp - the 5150-II). I could barely hear this in the band context. But then, I currently use the 5150-II on about 4.5/10 post gain (8/10 preamp gain), and that's just about right for hearing it over our drummer :) He REALLY IS Donkey Kong!!

Roo

[hideous]

Those Ceriatone amps get good reviews on harmony central. Sounds good on all the clips I've heard.

[tomjackson]

I'd get a secondhand Bluesbreaker or AC30. The VC30 is great as an intermediate amp but I struggle at gigs with the shared eq!

It depends what Rob is after from an amp.  I used to use a late 60's AC30 and it was LOUD, far louder than the Laney, infact too loud to properly crank in a rehearsal, whereas the Laney seems much better suited to all round playing.
The Laney's sound good quiet as well, whereas you did have to crank the AC30 (although when it was cranked it sounded feckin amazing!!!)  I have reservations about the new AC30 with the wharfdale speakers, it's all about the Celestion Blue's for me.

I used to use a BB also.  Like the AC30 no reverb and it again sounded good cranked but the clean tones were lacking for me.  In fact these 2 amps make the Laney seem modern and versatile.

So in my opinion the Laney is a bargain, loud enough for clubs, quiet enough for home, has reverb and does not weigh a ton like an AC30.

But if you want loud sweet chime, are not bothered about reverb and dont mind lugging 2 2x12, then yeah, the AC30 is the amp