Re: [Harp-L] Fender Champion 600 5W Amp

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Timm Goodrich" wrote:
<I don't have a lot of money and I'm looking for a small gig/practice <amp
<(tube).
<Yea, I've looked on e-bay but I only want to spend once and fix/repair
<issues are a concern. I can't afford a money pit.

<Is there "a" amp small amp?
<Price range > $250 ,
<then price range > $500?


Kalamazoo Model Ones are generally considered good harp amps. There's a 
guy who specializes in fixing these up for harp players, and his prices 
are generally in your low range.  Check the Harp-L archives for info.

A number of players seem to like the recent Epiphone 5-watter.  At $139, 
it's certainly inexpensive.

I've always liked the Crate VC508, and the newer Crate Palomino V8 is 
the same electronics and speaker. I recently did a workshop at Joe 
Filisko's Monday night class at the Old Town School in Chicago, and I 
heard a dozen people play through a stock Palomino V8 there.  It sounded 
good, and it's in your low range.

I bought a Crate VC508 used for about $125, and had Ron Holmes at Holmes 
Engineering beef it up for about $200 more including shipping and 
handling.  I would stack the resulting amp up against boutique amps like 
the Harpgear single 8 that cost twice as much.

If you buy through Musicians' Friend or American Musical Supply online, 
you can return the amp within 45 days if you don't like it.  That's a 
good way to check the amp out if you don't happen to have full service 
store nearby.  You can find the Crate and Epiphone amps at any Guitar 
center store if there's one near you.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com