Epiphone Junior

Review by Adam Clarke:

This is a great amplifier head for someone who needs an entry-level choice for guitar playing and/or amplifier modification. Its rating of 5-watts is very deceptive - this little guy CRANKS! When dimed, the items on the top of my bureau dance! Controls are as simple as can be. There is only one knob: Volume. As the power level is increased, this amp will saturate with a smooth, creamy overdrive sound that simply cannot be replicated with a solid-state amp. Nothing really sounds like tubes except tubes.

That being said, this amp does have some limitations. For one, it tends to be very dark in character. What I mean is, the highs are really cut back on this amplifier. It is definitely more geared toward low-end and midrange crunch. Very Marshall-ish in tone. Humbuckers will make this amp saturate and growl by about 9 or 10 O'clock on the dial. I much prefer the sound with single-coil guitars. It'll give you a good, clean tone until about 1 O'clock, then will induce smooth, creamy saturation in a very natural progression.

If you're looking for an inexpensive head, this amp deserves a serious look. Nothing else comes close at this price point, and this amp doesn't have any serious competition until you're looking at heads that cost almost twice as much. This is basically an everymans amp. Almost anyone can afford one of these with the matching cab. I mean seriously, 0 for an all-tube half stack? Check this amp out, it won't disappoint!

Review by Adam Clarke:

This extension cab is, in my honest opinion, one of the most unsung, under-rated speaker cabinets in the music industry. How Epiphone is able to market these at the price point they are at is quite simply beyond my understanding. Excellent birch-ply construction, quality speaker, hefty power handling, great tone, killer vintage looks - this little guy has it all! The only thing missing is a parallel jack to allow the use of more than one of these in a full-stack configuration. It's compact, lightweight, and the power handling means I can take it to the music store and try it out with pretty much any kind of amp head I could possibly need, since I'm not seriously going to consider buying a 100-watt head for my bedroom. The compact size means I also don't have to try to find room for a giant 4x12 cab in an already-cramped space.

If you need a speaker cabinet, but you're running a little short on room or you don't have arms like Hercules, this little wonder might be exactly what you're looking for. Give it a listen!