Epiphone 75th Ann. Electar Century Amp for Jazz

[10course]

I'm searching for a small venue amp for playing with piano, upright bass, sax, trumpet, and drummer with brushes.

My Twin Reverb is great, but I hate hauling it around.

Today I tried out the new Electar Century Epiphone amp, and at least at first impression, I liked it.

Has anyone used this amp?

[ruger9]

I haven't read a good review of it yet. The few reviews I have read have been underwhelming. All reports said the amp was very noisy.

[10course]

I tried it out in the GC vault where there would be no ambient noise . I don't remember noise from the amp, but now you have me wondering so I will go listen again.

[hanktx]

If you like the amp ultimately that is all that matters. I'll admit that I really dig the retro look but, like the other poster, have been underwhelmed with the sound samples.

That said, it doesn't mean that the amp is a bad platform. If I ended up buying one, I'd be tempted with swapping for better tubes and a 5751 or 12AY7 over the 12AX7. That will increase clean headroom - as would upgrading the speaker to something more efficient and still voiced for the sound you want. From that standpoint, 18W should be able to keep up in a lot of situations.

Then it just becomes an issue of cost and after upgrades are you now at a price point where there are more (and maybe more desirable) options available.

[monkmiles]

I'm interested in this one too. I've seen good and bad reviews. Enough bad reviews that have me hesitant. But the light weight and power aspect along with 6v6 power tubes is what has me interested....21lbs, 18 watts, 2x6v6...

[ruger9]

Every single person who has bought one and posted a review online, I have read...there aren't many yet... every single amp had a buzz/hum, and every single amp was either returned for a refund or an exchange. One guy exchanged it THREE TIMES before finally giving up and taking a refund- they all had a bad hum/buzz.

Now, I don't expect a tube amp, especially one made in china and in the low-end of Fender's line, to be dead silent. My Champion 600 has a bit of a hum/buzz. But it's never been enough for me to return the amp.

[ruger9]

Not to mention the apparently bad QC....

NAD: My 75th Anniversary Century Electar - Gretsch Guitar Discussion Forum

[monkmiles]

Now, I don't expect a tube amp, especially one made in china and in the low-end of Fender's line, to be dead silent. My Champion 600 has a bit of a hum/buzz. But it's never been enough for me to return the amp.

My Champion 600 is the same. Also not enough to return it.

That thread at mylespaul.com does has seemingly only one good review: Epi Reissue Elektar Century Amp - Review - Page 2 - MyLesPaul.com

[djelley]

I've reviewed mine in another thread. Short story - amazingly cool looking, wicked buzz, meh sounding. I wouldn't buy it again.

[anothersixstringer]

I have one, it was terribly noisy when I got it out of the box. After some online research I realized there was a boost pull function on the volume, turns out the amp was shipped with the boost "on". I push/pulled to "off"'and 90% of the buzz dissapeared, Rolling down the Tone to less than 5 took the rest of the buzz away. I took it to my jam night and sounded very vintage-y and oldTimey. This amp only has one job and does it well : jazzy tones ala late Django.
I mention the boost function as it is not documented on the box, there was no manual included, and there is nothing printed on the amp itself to tell the casual user than there is an overdrive there, so check again guys

[10course]

Just curious because you mentioned late Django. What guitar did you play through it? I don't play a lot of Django, but I am looking for that late 30s sound.

[anothersixstringer]

I use a L5CES and an ES-330

[Greentone]

Whoa! I had to turn off the demo at Musiciansfriend.com ... the Sheraton that the fellow was using was out of tune to an extent that hurt my ears. What is it with all of the youtube videos that feature out of tune guitars. It isn't THAT difficult to tune a guitar, is it?

OTOH, anothersixstringer's soundcloud bit has a very nice sounding guitar/electar clip. Nicely done, another.

Without getting my hands on an Electar, myself, I would say--based on anothersixstringer's clip--that the amp sounds quite nice at the price point. And, 6V6 amps I think are inherently good to begin with.

[monkmiles]

Thanks for the clip Anothersixstringer! I think it sounds great and not noisy (which is what many were complaining of)

I like part of the demo on youtube when the guitarist switches to what is a 335 or 335 type guitar. Clean tone sounds good there to me.

Geez, I've gone 360 on this amp and am back considering it. I wonder if an Eminence Cannabis Rex could fit inside it? I read it might be cramped in there? I have a Cannabix Rex sitting around at home.

[campusfive]

I tried one out at Guitar Center on my lunch break. I didn't have my guitar with me, and I was goofing around with an Ash-bodied Mexi-Standard Tele (with 9's on it! - gasp!)

I was actually really surprised that it sounded pretty good after most of people poo-poo-ing them on here. I was plugged into the "dark channel", and it sounded... pretty good.

I'll have to go back with my ES-150, but I can't say it sounded bad.

Maybe if I can get one cheap, I'll pick one up for the living room.

[ruger9]

Considering who you are, that's some pretty high praise. They do look awfully cool, and being able for it to "blend in" with the home furnishings will make some wives happy.

BTW Johnathan- just curious- what do you use for lower-volume home practice, if you play amplified? Or do you just practice acoustically, or...?

[campusfive]

Mostly acoustically, but I have all of my guitars and amps in the living room of our condo, so I've been trying to play plugged-in more. However, I don't know if the units above, below, or to the side of us are particularly happy about that. I'll usually use my EH-160 (which is soooo low output, and doesn't even break up when turned all the way up), or my BR-6, even though my EH-185 is sitting right next to them (I keep the head outside the cab, and both in padded slip-cover/gig-bags from Custom Covers and Bags by Studio Slips).

We've been house hunting for about two months now, so our focus has been on getting a house, and what we would do with the house when we get it. Since several of the places we've put offers in on (to no avail, boooo) had garages/extra rooms that we'd turn in to music room/studio, my wife realized she'll never see me unless there's some music stuff in the house as well. I've been thinking about what I'd keep in the living room if everything else is in the garage, and so the Electar seems like a reasonable thing for that purpose.

[campusfive]

I dropped into a Guitar Center with my ES-150 and pulled the electar into the "Platinum Room" so I could crank it and not have the full floor volume distracting me.

I actually thought it sounded pretty good, although it definitely had limited clean headroom, and seemed to really shine when the guitar volume was lower than full. At full volume out of the guitar, it definitely had too much treble bite.

That said, I just plugged into the dark channel, turned the volume all the way up, and put the tone at 12 o'clock. Using my volume, I was able to dial in a pretty darn good Charlie/Tiny Grimes-type tone, but on the rattier end of that spectrum. I made sure the "boost" gain stage was off.

Although totally workable, I won't be buying one.
1 - it doesn't have enough clean headroom to take the place of an EH-185
2 - at that volume level, I already have a BR-6 and an Oahu Supreme that areeven better sounding, and .... FWIW lighter to carry.

[ruger9]

I actually thought it sounded pretty good, although it definitely had limited clean headroom, and seemed to really shine when the guitar volume was lower than full. At full volume out of the guitar, it definitely had too much treble bite.

.

That's because ALL these new "faux vintage" amps they put out these days have 12AX7s in the preamp.... none of the old amps had tubes with that much gain in V1. Always worthwhile to try a 5751 or 12AY7 in V1 to get these amps to be more like their vintage "ancestors"....

[10course]

I appreciate your new test drive review. It sounds like it might work for someone at recording levels who doesn't already have an Eh-185. I suppose if one came up used for a good price, I would buy it just for the piano room just to blend in with the furniture.

One of the things that has come about as a result of this thread is my new appreciation for my Peavey Classic 30 (older USA built). I had not used it for a long time because I was playing Gretsch guitars with TV Jones Classics and they never sounded good through that amp. However, single coil pickups sound great through it. My Gretsch G100 floating single coil sounds great as does the ES-175 with a P-90.

@Jonathan: I played a gig with my new Audio Technica Pro-35 mic on my Loar 600. I used a small PA as an amp. It worked well for sound quality, but controlling volume was difficult. I get what you mean about the esthetics of using a mic on a boom, but it seems that sitting back for rhythm and leaning forward to solo was less fuss than diving suddenly for the volume knob on the PA head. I guess it will take practice to get it smooth. I love the acoustic sound that mic delivers.

[Klatu]

Would there be any interest in this amp if it weren't for the interesting vintage style cabinet?

[monkmiles]

In my opinion, I think there could possibly be more interest if it had a more modern cabinet. I think people generally like 2x6v6 amps, add in the current price point and the portability factor and I think it makes for an interesting amp for those not into el84 amps. That said, I'm no longer considering one as I ended up going for a Frenzel head.

[ruger9]

Would there be any interest in this amp if it weren't for the interesting vintage style cabinet?

No. LOL

The bottom line with all these amps, starting with the Epiphone Valve Junior, then going thru the Gretshc 5222/Fender Champion 600, Excelsior, Ramparte, Century, etc... is really just one thing: CHEAP. They are cheap. Music stores will carry 3 or 4 Excelsiors, and kids with jobs at Mcdonalds can afford one, where the store wouldn't carry a Supersonic ($1000) or some other more-expensive amp because kids can't afford them. Adults can afford them, but it seems kids are the music gear market these days.... I guess in way way, they always were....

All the music stores around me, with the exception of Guitar Center (which is a large enough franchise it can stock anything it wants), I have seen alot less of the "real" amps (PRRI, DRRI, Supersonic, Hot Rods, etc) and more of these "cheapies".... I'm guessing because the store can move more cheapies faster than a single expensive amp. Cash flow.

[campusfive]

Would there be any interest in this amp if it weren't for the interesting vintage style cabinet?

Not from me. The hope that an amp can deliver that sound comes purely from the cosmetics - but I'm totally fine with my susceptibility to use my eyes first, and my ears second. It's just the way it is.

[anothersixstringer]

i thought I would share this video with this thread’s subscribers. Gig downtown Toronto, medium sized bar, loud patrons, the epiphone electar is powering the lead guitar sound (me on the L5CES). Settings are, Vol at 5, Tone at 5, “Dark” setting.
It stood up really well (unamplified) against the powerful accordion (mic’ed) and awesome bass playing (amplified)
I am using this little guy more and more on jams/gigs and it delivers the vintagey jazz tone that I was looking for; btw, getting many compliments on the tone and looks from fellow jazz players

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