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Boogie in a box?

Sol

Active member
Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
When tube/valve swapping on the Mesa V Twin it's absolutely essential to remove the power source before removing or installing a new valve. I'd done this for yrs but on this occasion I forgot...
What followed was a blinding blue flash and a jolt as the ark fit my finger..
I'm fine (according to some :) ) but my pedal was not, don't mess with high voltage my forum friends.
I genuinely forgot the voltages I was dealing and it could have cost me dear..
 
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dnabbet2

Active member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
211
Feedback, my friends.

This came down to cost effectiveness. I would've liked to try MESA's Cleo pedal but they're not available here in Turkey, and by the time I pay shipping and duty it might cost $300; I also would've liked a MESA V-Twin but that'd be $300 or $400 w/ shipping and duty; and finally I would've liked a Studio 22 (and I'll stay on the lookout here) but it'd be a $1,000 w/ shipping and duty.

BUT I found a Night Train NT15H in Turkey for less than $400 with no duty and only fifteen bucks shipping to my door. It's brighter than the Blues Junior if you want clean. It's got great dirty rhythm. It's got very smooth lead. And it's the size of a shoebox. Downside it has no reverb, FX loop, or footswitching, but that's fine for what I'm using it for. And I can use the BJ's speaker.

Thank you for so much excellent input. I probably wouldn't have considered another amp, especially a small head, without all your collective wisdom.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Just get a good flippin OVERDRIVE pedal. I toured with a Blues Jr and they are great. Any good overdrive stomp box will get you there. You're overthinking this. Forget all the stupid tube in a box crap. A good overdrive with that amp will do it, provided you set the amp correctly. I use a cheap ol' Ibanez TS7 and I can cover anything with my little Blues Jr.
 

Sol

Active member
Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
dnabbet2, thanks for the update, we all appreciate it. The Night Train has a great reputation, all the very best with your music journey.
 

dnabbet2

Active member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
211
Gigging I would still take the Blues Junior 'cause it's a combo ... and at club levels I wouldn't need a Tube Screamer. I absolutely agree, Big Al, and that was my preference. Thanks for that.

I just checked local dealer Zuhal Music, as a point of reference, and the various Tube Screamers are toward $200. On Reverb a TS7 is, like, $100 but with forty bucks' shipping to Turkey and twenty percent duty. So an entire mini amp head that I really like and that provides the right range of sounds at the right volumes for my apartment at only double cost of an effects pedal feels good. For me.

I've been expat twenty years, and one challenge is accepting that activities and products you don't easily find locally will cost you extra. I REALLY miss the consignments shops in the west!
 

somebodyelseuk

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
454
Probably ticks all the wrong boxes for you, but Line 6 Helix AND Powercab 112+.
I'm a 30 year long Triaxis user - NO, I DON'T PLAY F***ING METAL!
I recently got the above in order to try and downsize my rig. Got to admit, I'm not impressed with the effects, but the amp models are breathtaking. Effects are probably pretty good if you're used to staompboxes. Compared to my rack, they're limited. The amp models do all the standard stuff, PLUS they've modelled in adjustable sag, bias and a couple of other valve related settings.
I'm still at the 'fiddling with it' stage, but I can assure you, when used with the Powercab + in speaker modelling mode, it really is the same as a real amp, BUT you do need to learn it,
Downside... depending where you live, you're in to the 2 grand territory.

In terms of 'analogue' and 'Boogie sound through another amp', you're going to struggle. At the end of the day, whatever you try is still coming through a XYZ amp and WILL have that character imprinted on it.
 
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