Peavey Nanovalve

So, there was me thinking that these little 5W class A valve amps might be cool and most importantly quiet enough to actually run flat out and get cool valve tone.

Except I'm tight, far too tight to buy some piece of boutique loveliness and wanted to spend maybe £75 at most in case it's just the usual story of rampant GAS that turns into disappointment. I'd looked at the Epiphone Valve Junior and noticed Thomann do the same thing branded as a 'Harley Benton' for roughly £65 and thought about ordering one. Only by the time I'd thought about it more seriously the pound has gone down the toilet against the Euro and you've got to add shipping on. So I abandoned the idea.

Then while dropping my old RS530 off with Tim Marten for a fret polish I noticed Music Ground selling the Peavey Nanovalve for about £85. Get home, look on eBay and kerching £65 delivered.

Getting it out of the box it's a solidly built little practice amp with the simplest possible selection of controls. There is, amazingly an instruction manual but it's mostly safety warnings.

The verdict? Er, I'm now thinking that one of these little 1W class A valve amps might be cool and most importantly quiet enough to run flat out and get cool valve tone...