So, Ive got a crappy Peavy Blazer 158 and I found this on CL

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/msg/1486002591.html

I offered 250 and the guy said sure. I dont know much about this amp, can anyone help?

Will this work for beginning gigs?

Hi Protagoras.

I like the marshall AVT's. I like all the marshall valvestate range, a lot. The AVT is basicaly a improved valvestate. That series started with the 8010,8020,8040,8080,8100 amps. The last two digits denote the wattage except for the 8100, that was a 100watt head. They also did the stereo range 8240, 8280, 8200. 2 channels of the last 2 digits wattage each.

Basicaly the amps were much maligned because of their solid state power section. Said power section was a new'ish design labeled a 'bi-polar circuit'. Something that will have Steven Kings Dark Tower series fans quite bemused and amused. Basicaly its a solid state power section that emulates a valve power amp when you turn it up loud. Really it increases mids adding a JTM/JMP marshall kind of tone into its mix. It thickens up nicely on volume increase. Thrash and Death metal players such as Tommy Victor (prong) and Chuck Schuldiner (Death) put the valvestates to great use during their heyday.

The single 12ax7/ecc83 valve will last for yonks and yonks and yonks. It never gave up on me in the 3 valvestate amps I constantly abused. The power section can be a little tempramental on this series if its been hammered hard. Mind you that took me 11 years to get the power amp to the point of failing. Even then it was nothing that a really picky person that knew the series would notice.

The absolute jewel in the crown of these amps is the clean to crunch channel in my book. If you want classic plexi tone on a budget thats the place to look. Turn that channel up and your met by a responsive amp that marshall struggle to emulate today.

I now use 2 jcm800's. I would have no problem at all if I had to go to valvestates. They take some working out, but their fantastic amps. The reliability of solidstate and a tone that rivals the JCM series at least.

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Good deal. This can be stacked with a cabinet, yes?

And this is a 100 wat, correct? I got a bit confused with what you were talking about with wattage.

So, you think it'd be a good upgrade?

I think marshall valvestates are a good amp on all but boutique levels. One of marshalls future greats. Yes its 100 watts, though that means little. Its not anywhere near the same as the 100 watts from a well maintained valve amp. But its loud enough for anyplace too cheap to have a P.A. Infact the early plexi's only measured 76 watts and you'll find no louder a 100watt amp than a 1959 Super Lead Plexi. You can put a extension cab into it. Doing so will get round a lot of the amps tonal problems arising from the 'boxy' sound from the 1x12" speaker in the combo.

Its not going to do that L.A session player soldano type tone. It will however give you everything from spanking clean to utter filth with british flavour.

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Do you think 250 is a good price? Ive seen them new from 1000 to 700.

£250 no thats not a good price. If your in the US then $250 may be a good price. I'm not familiar with that market. Around the UK your looking at £150-£200.

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Holy crap, yea, Im in the US. At brand new for 700-1000 Id think 250 would be decent, but it doesnt sound that way.

$250 comes in at £152, which puts it firmly in my ballpark price. Given the fact that Marshall gear costs a lot more in the USA it seems to be a very good price.

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Crikey, am I seeing it right?

A quick Google finds me Marshall AVT100XTs new in the UK for £387 / $639. In the US the same thing appears to be £664 / $1099.

That's quite a differential.

To me $250 for a Valvestate suddenly sounds like pretty good value.

For what it's worth, I own an AVT100 and an all valve/tube TSL122. The former sure ain't the latter, but it does a perfectly good job and is excellent value at the price. Well recommended.

Oh, and we've been round this one before but I also agree with what Niki is saying about the clean channel being the best part of it.

Cheers - C

I got it! It rocks my socks!

No foot switch but I found one on craigslist a few states away and just paypaled it... Im excited!!

If you have a wah pedal you dont use that will make a temporary switch. Just put a guitar cable from the wah's out socket to the footswitch in socket. Hey presto makeshift channel switch. It works with some other pedals too.

Glad you like the amp, their killer.

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Thanks man!

Im almost done with a 69 strat retro rebuild and its gonna be one helluva setup!! I am so excited... Ive just gotta wait for the tuners and saddles and Im done!


Previous setup:
MIM Strat and Peavy 158 Blazer... not so fun...