i would say it would be hard to choose, particularly since the epi valve jr. was available for under $100 for awhile as a head. if a guy has a few woodworking skills and a few tools, he can build a great cab for perhaps $50. the celestion speaker i bought for about $60 goes right in....the mounting screws, maybe some paint for the cab (i buy all the mistints i can find, and use them for everything from chicken house to floors to speaker cabs) and a couple handles made out of 2x4s cut on an angle...might add $20. i think around $250 with the epi, one has a decent rig for stage use. if the band is really loud, the cab could be miked.
here's my take on the epi nighthawk...i had some trouble getting used to the neck shape. the switch to change pickups is a little too easy to move...some time, i will put a 'tougher' switch in, but right now i'm gonna live with it (not having a live gig, the switch isn't a problem). otherwise, i am ecstatic about the guitar. in the first couple songs there, i dint move the tone control. there is everything from jangle to growl in the straight voice. using the tone control, there are more nuances. i dint do much of nothing to the sound...wanted it to come across 'straight n clean', so y'all would have an idea of the sound without manipulation. i don't know about anyone else, but i have been in the position of having to buy guitars blind...the nearest store with any kind of stock is 60 miles away, and lots of traffic to get there. it's a real nuisance, as it's a guitar center, and all kinds of 'thrashers' go there to sample the goods, so some trips i have made were wasted.
i would never say i am the best guitar player in the world...i'm a hacker, and i know it. however, the sounds that are on the nighthawk recording are blatantly honest. maybe someone can get an idea of what the guitar is like that way.
this was a 'return'; supposedly, it had been used...very few scratches. the workmanship is pretty amazing at the normal price point. despite the odd body shape, it's an attractive guitar. i wanted a black, and got the fireburst..i'm not complaining...not one bit. love the inlays, binding, frets....someone gave a dang about their work.
