That Pedal Show - The Vox AC15: Different Drive Pedals, Guitars And A Bit Of Wet-Dry Too
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- Опубликовано: 14 авг 2024
- Welcome to That Pedal Show! Please subscribe to our channel and visit our store www.thatpedals...
Life too short for long RUclips videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.
If you're here for clean sounds, skip to 47:50. Otherwise…
In this video we spend some time with the Vox AC15 Custom, Vox’s latest (as of 2017) incarnation of its venerable AC15 amplifier that was first introduced in 1958. The amp differs from those originals in a number of ways, perhaps most notably in that it has a master volume setup, making it a popular choice for home and small gigs.
However, there are a lot of people who are of the opinion that AC15s (and 30s for that matter) don’t take pedals ‘well’, perhaps as a result of their overdrive, compression and headroom characteristics. So here we urge you to rethink that point of view - we think it’s a great pedal amp… if these are the sounds you seek!
To whit, we run through a bunch of common and not-so common dirt pedals to see what we can discover.
We finish off by trying the AC15 in a wet/dry configuration alongside the tiny (but loud) MV50 Clean.
Enjoy the video…
Pedals in this episode…
• TheGigRig Three2One
bit.ly/2fW8XJP
• Proanalog Devices MKIV Fuzz
www.proanalogde...
• Crowther Audio Hot Cake
www.crowtheraud...
• Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2dRVXa2
USA: imp.i114863.ne...
• Fulltone OCD
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2dhU2ro
USA: imp.i114863.ne...
Australia: bit.ly/2qgh9eW
• Hudson Electronics Broadcast
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2iF2DrE
• Ibanez Mini Chorus
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2yHspVl
USA: imp.i114863.ne...
• Walrus Audio ARP-87 Delay
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2ggMzuK
USA: bit.ly/3ynnSU2
Australia: bit.ly/2xXMsvF
• GFI System Specular Tempus
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2goLAbV
USA: bit.ly/3rsPrJv
• D’Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2tIN4lD
USA: bit.ly/3IRrhPE
• TheGigRig Humdinger
bit.ly/2g4P4ja
• The GigRig G2
bit.ly/2h8xSay
* Why do we have preferred retailer links? Find out here: www.thatpedalsh...
Interesting bits and go-to sections…
- Intro & background: 00:00
- Breathing? And yoga? 1:00
- We’re teetering towards the subject now: 4:13
- Ah, no. Dan’s interesting original AC30 tangent: 5:14
- But what about ampcam, Triad Orbit & GuitCon? 6:58
- Dan’s first ever play through a modern AC15: 7:56 (normal channel)
- …with a bit of Walrus Audio ARP-87 delay: 9:25
- Chime - single coils and humbuckers: 10:10
- And the Top Boost channel: 14:05
- Can you use both inputs at once? 17:19
- But Vox amps aren’t good pedal platforms, right?
- … Let’s start with FUZZ: 18:44
- The other pedals we’re using: 21:30
- Normal and Top Boost channels with fuzz: 22:50
- And with the amp quieter? 24:20
- Hudson Broadcast: 26:05
- Broken filthy gain: 30:10
- Crowther Audio Hot Cake: 32:36
- Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini: 34:49
- Fulltone OCD: 36:49
- Plosive May Treble Booster: 39:20
- Adding another amp and wet/dry possibilities. LOVELY CLEANS FINALLY! 47:50
Guitars in this episode
• Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster - watch Dan’s video at bit.ly/2dlZJ6K
• Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster - watch Mick’s video at bit.ly/2cQv3yT
• Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Standard - watch Dan’s video at bit.ly/2dlZJ6K
• Duesenberg Bonneville - duesenberg.de/...
Amps in this episode:
• Vox AC15 C1 X (Celestion Alnico Blue speaker)
UK & Europe: bit.ly/36BSfrw
USA That Pedal Shop: bit.ly/3E0H1Qs
• Vox MV50 Clean (Custom Zilla cab with 2 x Celestion Alnico Gold speakers)
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Australia: Pedal Empire bit.ly/2mWmJQf 
Видеоклипы
oh my god I just realized they're basically the myth busters of guitar effects
Awesome. We’ll take that, thank you!
ahahahahahahahah
hahah you are correct!
That should be a t-shirt
“Tone Busters”
As a sound tech, the AC15 is a favorite of mine. I've worked with combos from Marshall and Marshall, as well as an Orange Micro Terror, and without a doubt the Vox just has the right tone fo a wide range of musical styles, from worship to blues to pop to rock'n'roll. Set up clean and throw a drive pedal in front of it (JHS Superbolt, for instance), and it lets the tone of the pedal shine through thanks to its naturally open sound. Add some grit in the preamp section on the amp, and the sound breaks down into a glorious fuzz that sounds like it's going to melt your face without screaming so loud it feels like it actually will split your DNA. Slap an SM57 on-axis near the edge of the cone, cut the high-mids around 2 kHz, and call it a day.
Thanks for the comment. I’m thinking about getting one for recording purpose, especially for clearing a bit the sound of an LP custom. Do you think I can get enough volume on clean sound to rehearsal with a band as well?
@@IvanoAntico you definitely can. Open up the master volume control and set your channel volume lower to maintain a clean tone. It'll get plenty loud for nearly any space.
Revisiting this three years later. TPS is the reason I'm playing with an AC15 and a Deluxe Reverb onstage tomorrow.
You could not have timed this any better, it's like fate or something!!! Yesterday I bought an AC15, I ran all my pedals through it on the Normal channel and it sounds amazing. I also hooked up a Radial Bigshot ABy so I can switch between Normal and Top Boost or blend both. Perfection!!! I love it with an Xotic SP pedal as well as an AC Plus! Great job Gentlemen!!
+Colin Friel You’re a step ahead of us Colin - hope you love it!
I've been following the channel for 6 months now and have choosen most of my rig based on what I've learn here. About 2 months ago I got my Ac15C1 (Greenback) and this just confirm what a great amp its, but also how much wisdom you guys have. Thanks! and Regards from Perú.
+Fares Castillo Hooray! Thank you for the kind words Fares. :0)
Since I started watching your vids about a month or so ago, I have gotten an AC15, Mxr phase 90 script and a flashback delay. Now I’m going to decide on a fuzz and an overdrive.
Thanks to you two my wife says I have to get a second job.
the first thing i would buy with an ac15 or ac30 would be a treble booster. If you're not sure go to the store of your choice and try it, in my opinion this is one of the best (maybe the best) driven sounds you can get, period.
score I ended up getting a Vick Audio Tree of Life and it sounds amazing 😉
@@havenotfoundit tree of life is very nice, but quite different from a good range master treble booster clone, like the fulltone texas ranger as an example.
Wampler Tumnus is something I always recommend
I know this video is old but:
even though I love all the different sounds you're getting out of this Vox (I gotta get me one of those), the sound at 16:50 that Mick gets is just absolute bliss. Incredible clean tone with a bit of hair on it, sounds absolutely sublime. Perfect for some sad, rainy-afternoon blues. Keep up the great work guys!
Agreed! Man that was the sound there
Nice Video, boys! I've been running the Vox AC15C1 since they came out with it. Allow me to add my experience.
My set up is 1997 Gibson LP special with p90 bridge/p100 neck -> fulltone clyde wah -> fulltone '69 fuzz -> wampler tumnus -> fulltone OCD -> Vox AC15. (yeah, I like those fulltones)
The devil is in the bass and compression. When you run the pre-amp gain to the point of breaking up it starts to compress and the bass quickly turns into a wash of noise and obliterates the speaker response with any kind of additional input. This is the cause of most 'sucks with pedals'. You gave lots of demonstrations here.
If you want to get your sound from pedals then you need to run the pre amp around 9 o'clock. Something like The Edge does, but I don't!
If you want to use more of the natural amp sound you can get away with more pre amp gain and move toward 'transparent' overdrives or the treble booster - anything except bass heavy drive or too much mid hump (green pedals). Use your guitar volume when you have the amp compressing itself and you can clean up your tone without losing much volume in an old school and awesome way. Brain May leaves his amp cranked and uses his guitar volume knob all day long.
The best sounding pedal I've ever plugged into an AC15 is the wampler tumnus which you know is a gold klon-ish thing. Set tumnus drive to 9 o'clockish, same with volume, 9-10 o'clock and then treble to taste. Just leave that pedal turned on and use your guitar volume to bring it down when you need to step back.
I use an OCD in my chain for when it's time to go thick and full. For the OCD you want volume at about 9-10 o'clock with the toggle set to HP for the treble. Slap a tumnus in front of the OCD and heaven awaits.
For my clean sound I use a germanium fuzz, fulltone '69 in my case, with the fuzz near full and the guitar volume turned down to about halfway. It sounds AWESOME and spanky like a fender amp and you can go full assault with a twist of the guitar knob. Just like Mr. Jimi Hendrix.
The vox can really change its sound with volume input. Your pedal volume outputs and guitar volume are the most important knobs.
Finally, Tonecut. OMG. Don't ever use tonecut unless people are actually bleeding from the eyes. It removes so much of the sound. You had it cranked near full for this whole video and I was twitching uncontrollably listening to the muffled sound. It works just like your guitar tone control. You never turn that down unless you think you are Eric Clapton for a day or just joined some boring jazz band.
And so much for the Vox AC15C1.
Keep rocking, boys.
//edit
Top boost is the channel for me. For the extra tubeness and dynamics, but I leave the tone controls at 12 o'clock neutral - they are strange beasts that don't work like most might expect them to. Top boost I would describe as a small rock rattling around in a thin glass tube. It has some character that I really like to play with. Normal channel is a simpler circuit that sounds great and perhaps more usable, but it's missing the bit of Jack Nicholson looking through the broken door that top boost has.
This is all my opinion and taste. Mileage may vary.
+crush537 very interesting crush. I've found The Tonecut doesn't engage till it's at 3 o'clock, so even though it looks like it's cranked it's only just on, but I'll do some more experiments with it. Cheers mate
On a side note, does the 69 work well with the wah before it? Looking into fuzz pedals and judging by youtube videos the fulltone 69 is the one that suits my taste, was just wondering if it would be nice with the wah before
I've had a Vox AC15C1 for about two months now and love it. I play an American Standard HSS Strat with a "Shawbucker" humbucker as the bridge pickup.
I predominately use the normal channel, with the pre-amp volume set around 11 o'clock-ish (pointing to the bottom of the "V" in "Volume.") and the tone control close to 2 o'clock. Although I sometimes use the neck or middle/bridge positions, I mostly use the bridge pickup. Given that the Shawbucker has a bit more oomph than the traditional single coil, I get a nice jangling/slightly dirty sound when playing rhythm (the bulk of my playing) on those settings. When I want more dirt and body (something akin to uptempo Gin Blossoms or late '70s-early 80's Petty), I use a Fulltone Full Drive 2 Mosfet with the comp cut and Mosfet on--volume at 10 o'clock, tone at 10 o'clock, overdrive around 9:30. I keep the boost around 7 o'clock; it gets unruly if you use it too set too high with comp cut on.
Lastly, for the amp's sound to really shine, the master volume (when using my pre-amp volume setting) needs to be at least at 10 o'clock. That's a bit loud of house practice, but my family doesn't complain too much unless they're in the same room.
I’ve been considering this amp for a whole and I think you just sold it to me. Now just to save up...
Jason Middlekauff ive got the Shawbucker 2 in mine. It seems hotter and more responsive to me. It seems to push my pedals even harder as well. I only use my strat on a super clean channel. Use my pedals for gain so as not to over do it.
Tottally agree with oomph. That is exactly how i described it when i heard mine.
The characteristic Vox "chime" is caused by the power circuit having no negative feedback which makes it very sensitive in the top end. It's the same as an amp which has feedback but which has the 'presence' control all the way up which would effectively eliminate any damping from the feedback circuit.
It's also why Voxes really enjoy running really, really hot while other amps will employ the feedback circuit to fight any distortion when you crank the power section.
Good info! thank you. HEading to my '59 Reissue Bassman now to turn the usual all-the-way-off Presence to full and then play with the treble tones to counteract...
Humbuckers + top boost gain dimed = surprisingly awesome metal sound.
Most helpful Pedal show for me personally. I've heard and read the same thing about this amp except from one guy who somehow gets an amazing tone. Thanks guys; what you do means a lot to me.
Great video guys! The gem here from Dan is that the AC15 sounds great in a band mix!! This is the reason they have always been and continue to be a very popular amp. Can’t believe how many times I’ve had a glorious tone disappear when I get to band rehearsal. It’s bizarre how few gear demos focus on this.
Thank you!! It makes ALL the difference.........but I suspect (I could be wrong) that most of the audience are home players only. I am lucky enough to gig lots, and it's the live character of an amp which I'm most interested it...........sadly, this whole video has seriously muffled tones to my ears (Dan, why did you do everything for the first 20 mins on the neck pick up? I was DYING to hear that Tele bridge sing! )
Teles and AC15's just go together so well. Add a fuzz or overdrive and a bit of delay and you're set.
Word on the fuzz pedal. They do sound special in an AC15. And I don't really like fuzz all that much.
All my dreams have just come true. I have been awaiting for someone to demo my very own Vox AC15 (blue) for the last two years since I bought it. Couldn’t have asked for a better duo to put it through its paces! Awesome guys 👍👍
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” was... the bees knees. I could have listened to that bit for ten minutes.
Once Again The Fulltone OCD Crushes the Rest. Its a Beast for: Raw Classic Rock Tone's. I Love Mine. Another Great & Informative Episode. You guys are Phenomenal. I can Never get Enough of That Pedal Show !!!
Michael Caz i
Brilliant video. Thanks so much for doing this. I’ve owned an AC15 for 3 years now and have been struggling the entire time to find the tone. I’ve always sensed that wasn’t the amps fault, but mine. This video helped me learn more about it to the point I now love this thing.... THANKS!!!
5 month update from my previous post.
I still use the normal channel. Crank it so with guitar at max volume i have a nice breakup, roll it back it's nice and clean. Works for me!
Every pedal I throw at it is great, EXCEPT the Earthquaker Gray Channel.. been struggling with the tone. It sounds fantastic with my friends amp though. ( Guy has not one, but two Sunn Model T's! So of course its great!)
My wife caught me wandering aimlessly around the guitar store, pointing at things and mumbling "mega". Should I be worried?
+Craig Lindsey It’s entirely natural Craig. Just remember the age old mantra: Happy Wife... More Guitars. :0)
Ooooooo! Yes! I'l be getting a bouquet on the way home tonight.
Don't forget to breathe when that happens
It's safe unless you start yelling "MEGA!! AWWWWESOME!"; or you'll require prompt intravenous cash injection.
No, that's how you know things are right.
Some of the best guitar sounds on TPS! The Les Paul with the OCD, was epic!!
52:00 onwards was just amazing. Right player, right amp and right effects. All you need really.
That bend at 52:18... man I almost died. Also 52:34 followed by that lick
Fridays are always best at midday. Yesterday night I watched the episodes with Joey Landreth, and oh my, what a player. I have a new mancrush, stylecrush, collingscrush, suhrcrush, brownfacecrush, tremolocrush, etc etc.
Can I suggest an episode on tuners? A short one, showcasing some pedal tuners (quickness, accuracy, etc), rack units, clip-ons, etc?
Cheers guys
I never thought I'd hear you guys playing through a green PCB... but sounds amazing. I really appreciate when you use amps normal humans are likely to own.
33:44 Years later and this still is my favorite drive tone I've ever heard on this show!
Interestingly here in US one of the biggest market for VOX amps is worship music. Soundwise worship music is very similar to ambient guitar/U2. The Vox is preferred over other brands for its ability to take pedals well and to cut the mix even on big bands. The ability of an Vox amp to take massive amounts of reverbs and delays w/o sounding mushy and muddy is legendary.
What are you basing the assessment that churches are a major part of vox's market share here? Is there anything to actually back that up?
@@brennanferguson3537does this fact offend you? Fact is that tons of bands and EQ guys all over the US love the Vox amps and that includes churches.
@@Abutado Did I say anything about being offended? OP made a bold claim, I simply asked if there is any data to back up that claim.
@@brennanferguson3537yeah man, there's at least a dozen peer reviewed essays on this. 😒
That may be true, but Jesus plays a Fever Twin.
I use an OCD and a Spark booster for my Vox AC30cc1. The rest of the drives i got them from the amp itself. When i first got the Vox AC30cc1 i thought the OCD sounded bad with it, was thinking about selling the OCD, but then i learn to use the OCD with the amp, get the sound i want from the amp first, then only boost it with the OCD to get more. Now i love my setup, VOX AC30 or AC15 in this matter, has a very defined tonal characteristic, we must learn to use the gears with the amp, not the other way around.
+Wei Liap Lay Totally agree - it’s true of every amp. Nice!
I find my vox gets too bass heavy with an OCD because it's full range. Instead I use a treble booster and jam pedals 88 to just push it in the mids
I have the same gear and went through the same process and came to the same conclusion. Now we have to get married. I hope you are cute.
I never crank my OCD drive knob pass 10am, and level at unity in the LP setting, but i can sleep happy knowing i can get more out of it if i want to. I use the Spark Booster in the MID setting just to push the mids a lil bit, if i ever need it for some songs. Thats all i need for my drives department, the rest of my board are filled with modulations, delays, reverbs. Haha
Hahahaha cool!
The AC 15C2 is an absolutely fantastic amp for live stage work given its only got 2x EL34's,however if you are looking for extra bottom end, you can put an MXR 10 band EQ and dial in a great sound to suit.
Gone are the days a muso needs a 100w Marshall and all those other huge big amps - The world of micing up a guitar amp is well and truly here.
The combo is back in town.
Two EL84:s. Otherwise correct 👍
AC10 here. Simple Amp, but oooooh yeaaaaaah. Apartment dweller, so I have to wait for my neighbours to go to work:) The sound of tubes is so nice. Pedals are fine with it.
I clench my jaw when playing, have to relax those muscles so my teeth don't hurt. Who knew?
Dan saying he sometimes forgets to breath whilst playing guitar...what's that called Rock apnea? ;)
+Sam Anderson Hahaha!!!!!
Omg i have the same issue! Maybe this is a new condition! lol
Psyfonify Guitapnea?
it's not a condition it's a technique ! 😉
yeah until i get lightheaded and have to catch my breath lol!
I've taught workshops on breathing... Most folk use a backwards breathing mechanic when taking in a deep breath (the shoulders get closer to the ears). To counteract, bring the breath lower into the body, getting the lower ribs engaged so the diaphragm can go through it's full range of motion. And, yes... Breathing while playing is so very important and will really change your phrasing. Always dig what you do, dear lads. Watching your Guitcon footage has been a joy.
+Hamid Shibata Bennett Dan here, I'm totally going to focus on this. Cheers H
Greetings from NY - Started watching you guys a few months ago. Love your show - I finally bought my first tube amp after decades of playing off/on. Got a 2015 AC30 with Greenbacks. Looking forward getting with my band soon! I want to play around with it for a bit, and then possibly check out a treble boost. Thanks again for your awesome show!
Love these newer ac15s. I've been gigging with one for years. Once I got past the learning curve it has really become my go-to for country and rock gigs. Love it with a tube screamer or a zendrive or sometimes an RC boost.
One of the most important things worked on Guitar Craft with R Fripp is the breathing, "can't live if you don't breathe!" :)
P Metheny also speaks of it.
I can hear Mick's voice but I can't see him. It's almost like he's camouflaged.
2019 - “Camoflanged”?
@14:15 These are the tones that helped me to buy an AC15C1. A very nice and humble amp. Today, I watched again this video and recovered these amp settings, the first one is the one that I actually use for my clean sound, and then I put all the pedal settings just to push a little or to blend good with the amp's sound. Some drives might sound harsh or with a high treble, but the trick is to use the Tone Cut knob, the tone knob in the pedal and the guitar tone knob. Another trick is to turn on the tremolo depth a little bit, so the tremolo function attenuate the peaks. If you use the Top Boost Channel, you can also equalize the sound easier.
By the way, some people says that an AC15C1 paired with the Fender Deluxe sounds great.
And it does!! One year after getting a Vox AC15C1, which I don't regret having it, amazing rock tone at bedroom volumes, now I got a Fender Custom Deluxe Reverb '68 to pair with the Vox. Both together in stereo sound awesome, and with the Empress Echosystem, I can do some kind of Stereo or Wet-Dry setups, can be storaged in patches.
The instant tone using a delay pedal is to make The Edge from U2 tones, it sounds very professional and sweet. Now I think I my rig surpasses my ability, lol.
I can’t imagine why people would say Voxes can’t take pedals. This is serious the best tone I’ve ever heard and now I’m going to go buy a Vox AC 15
Can we have a t-shirt that says "Righteous Noise!" on it?
Thomas Staunton I vote for just “righteous!” :)
Perhaps it should have a picture of the old car horn on it too?!
Righteous Noise with the horn would be .........righteous
The Front should say Righteous and the back should say "YEEEEEAHHH!" and have a picture of Dan making his guitar face!!
I want a name drop horn shirt!!!!!!
14:13 It was only for a second, but that is the exact guitar tone from the tourist by Radiohead
I love you guys' show so much! My bandmate just bought one of these AC15's yesterday and it is a banger! I wanted to mention that I'm usually listening through a pair of studio monitors when I'm watching your videos, and I constantly have to turn it up when you play and turn it down while you're talking. Anyway, maybe that's just my picky ears, but more importantly, your show is some of the best that guitar-related youtube has to offer, and you've both helped me in making many decisions in my own rig. So thank you!
+Jack Dinger ah, cheers Jack :)
I feel like you guys probably know this by now but it's worth mentioning that the preamp gain and eq on the top boost channel effects the normal channel and vise versa, they are most definitely not independent channels.
You guys have been practicing! Top notch playing from both of you lately. And as always, glorious tone!
+Hayden McMullen thanks Hayden
AC-15 supports an extension cab too. You can fill out the sound and it decreases the overall volume slightly for home playing. Put a blue speaker in the amp and the greenback in a 1x12 cab for the best of both worlds. In the words of Dan- "Righteous noise".
Loved watching this after picking up a (barely) used AC151C....the purple edition. Amp totally rocks...never have a problem keeping up with the band (lead guitar in modern country cover band). I always stay in the Normal channel and adjust the mix of the the volumes to the room. I use a PRS S2 Singlecut with 59/09’s...an Xotic EP Booster is ALWAYS on. I stack an OCD and a Tumnus Deluxe for more classic rock tones and then have a Wampler Pinnacle Deluxe and a Boss Angry Driver that gets used for different gain needs. This amp is a BEAST!!! If you’re looking for a smaller gig worthy amp that won’t suck in the “tone” dept...try one out...you won’t be disappointed!!!
Corey McCartney I have the purple AC30 and it absolutely screams. I love running tele’s through it because you’ll NEVER get lost in a band mix with that bridge pickup
I forget to breathe when I concentrate: this is most notable during intense Street Fighter V matches (whilst chatting with friends).
They forgot one dirt pedal that is always fantastic with Voxes... the venerable RAT (especially a vintage one)
Sounds amazing if the AC15 is loaded with Greenbacks (imho).
I prefer the greens...idk why. It's the sound in my head.
Yes. I have a 90s Vintage Rat and through the AC15 it sounds amazing. With a Gibson it’s pure “What’s the Frequency Kenneth?”.
I have the limited edition red AC15 with the Celestion V-Type and the RAT is my favorite drive so far with that amp, but the Broadcast is definitely calling my name. Hot Cake as a close second. Also just upgraded my tubes with the JJ SRV custom package and it's absolutely fabulous.
Got the AC15 running in stereo with my Tweed HRD. It's YUUUUGE.
My vintage rat through my new(still bought used) ac15c1 sounds awesome!
Just for anyone that doesn't understand why Vox amps have a tone cut instead of a presence control, the reason is that presence is integral to a negative feedback loop circuit. Vox amps do not have negative feedback, so no presence is possible - instead they just institute a low pass filter in the power amp section that either subtracts or adds back in the high end.
Yep, that’s it. The top cut sits in the signal path between the phase inverter and the power tubes (on the oldies anyway).
+VoxPathfinder15R Really Interesting. I’ve had that explained to me many times (Mick here) which I guess is why I was half way there with the experiment! I’m always astounded at the effect of negative feedback - Victory make a couple of amps where you can essentially switch it in and out. Can’t understand why anyone would have it in. Cheers!
+That Pedal Show - the reason to have negative feedback is to correct for distortion, it's absolutely necessary in hifi stereo equipment. In guitar amps, not so much, but every amp you know of that has a presence dial has that negative feedback loop - marshall, fender, etc. So they think that having some is integral to their sound? What's really interesting to me is the fact that amps with a lot of negative feedback should in theory render the differences in sound between different speaker models/brands to be null. This is because the speakers are being damped and forced to vibrate in a certain way. So why do you tubers pick these amps and try show differences between speaker changes? They should use an amp like a vox that allows the speaker to travel the way it wants.
I'm using an AC30CC2 for the last 4 years exclusively in TOP BOOST Chanel and it's absolutely stunning with pedals. Just after I saw that video I used the Normal Chanel and a whole new world opened for me! Definitely better for pedals, I could say smoother but to be honest the top boost Chanel is pretty decent too! VOX rules!
I’ve been gigging with an ac 15 for more than 10 years now… Normal channel 11 or 12 o’clock tone cut on 3 o’clock and the master dimmed . Couple of pedals … LP junior , Teles and strats. Glorious ... Mic it with an sm 57 . I get a lot of comments from players about my tone . Luv you guys and what you do .
as soon as dan started breathing he evolved as a player
I am only 25 mins into the video and I LOVE the AC15 I am absolutely sold!! And you haven't yet used the OCD and I just know that in HP mode is going to sound enormous!!
Great! Finally a show about my Ac15Cc1 I always email you about for help! My Vox ac15 and pedals! I use KOT, EP Booster, Soulfood, TC Corona Chorus, TC Poly Tuner 2, Bruce Zinky Master blaster clean boost and TC Flashback with my Vox ac 15, and voc ac10!!!! Nothing but great TONE! Dan, You hit it right on the head, I use the normal channel for my pedal plat form! Takes pedals great!! The best part of the 15 and 10 is that they sound great at low levels. Can't do that with most high watt amps. They need to be run hot to get the tone the Vox gets at low levels. Great for recording and live miced. Keep up the good work and videos boys! Thanks for all your help creating my sound!
Just bought this exact amp yesterday. After swapping all of the Chinese tubes for some nice cork sniffery NOS EL84’s & a couple of Mullard 12AX7’s (and a nice 70’s Japanese 12AT7 in V1)... it really is quite magnificent. Tone for days, mmmmm!
That Hot Cake combo is really special, for sure! I highly recommend some boosts and overdrives that add some warmth with an AC15. The Box of Rock boost does this really well, as does the King of Tone set to Boost. I also like a preamp pedal at the end of the chain to play with the EQ a little bit and push the amp's tubes harder.
Mick- “I’m just going to turn the gain down...”
Dan- “Don’t do that. What are you doing?”
Hahahahah. I was rolling when I heard that!
PERFECT!
I nearly sold my AC15, but at the last second decided not too. And not every time, but SOME of the time, it makes the best sounds. Thanks for this.
I thought the vox took the pedals extremely well. Sounded great!!!
A tshirt to do with the horn would be awesome!
My two favorite overdrives for an AC15 are the Jeckyl and Hyde, and Sparkle Drive. The distortion side of the Jecky and Hyde sounds fantastic in the Vox as well.
I agree with Dan so much on here. The normal channel is such a great pedal platform. I only discovered that when someone unplugged the amp and plugged in the normal rather than the top boost without realising and telling me. Running an Fulldrive 2 into it has such a great sound now!
I have the head version of the AC15.
I did once own a late 70’s combo version and I don’t think the newer Chinese models sound much different, however the addition of a master volume is a huge plus.
Back in the day it was hard to get an AC15/30 to overdrive without severely pissing people off.
At first I wasn’t too keen it at all but after some experimentation Ive come to the opinion that the top boost channel and a strat are a match made in heaven. A Tele sounds great using the normal channel also. Nice and fat sounding. I’m running it through a 2 x 12 with a creamback and a cannabis Rex which I think tames the top end quite a lot.
Finally an in depth video on the ac15 and pedals! Thanks gents
+Eric Bellis you're most welcome :)
I am enjoying this very much, with headphones on, as it is very early time in the morning, and my 6 year old son is asleep. I keep hearing a child speaking a single word. I pull off my headphones and yell out, "Hello?" and there is no one there. It is in the audio for this video. Here is one example... At 35.05 the Tube Sreamer is turned off. Listen and you will hear a sound like a young man asking "Dad?". It is haunting, and it is funny. I am yelling out "Hello" to a sleeping household. Anyone else hear it in the audio? Anyhoo, another spectacular episode.
I'm stoked this video came when it did. I rescued a homeless RED AC15 over the summer - and have LOVED playing it - but this gives me a bunch of extra food for thought. Just FYI - a Rockerverb 50 MK III dirty channel and the AC15 TB CLEAN channel together are sublime...really great sounding.
Lv that controllable feed back! & Creamy tone.🎵🎶🎵🎶
Great episode! Would love to see an episode on “Orange-in-a-Box” pedals! Orange Bax Bangeetar, EQD Monarch, Wampler Catapulp, etc...
The OCD really shines on an AC15. Sounded great there.
Just hit on an eBay bargain win, AC15 C2 Green Back so had to revisit this. Can’t wait to get my hands on my new baby!
My main amp died right before a gig so I went to GC and narrowed down some choices to this and a Blues Junior. I took the BJ for the gig but after watching this video and the 15w amp shootout I went back a few days later to swap it out for the ac15. I’ve tried the vox with single coils, humbuckers, clean tones, drive pedals etc. and it takes them all in stride. (I found the BJ to be a little less versatile) Thank you so much for the informative videos!!!
You’re welcome, and congrats on the AC15, such a great amp 🤓👍
Yessssss! Just got an ac15hw. This is awful timely! Thanks blokes!
One thing to realise about the current AC15 is that the normal channel has a bright cap on it's volume pot, while the vintage AC15s and AC30s did not. This is quite important - the vintage AC15 channel 1 and AC 30 normal channel was therefore quite a bit darker with the volume pot set low... Note that this bright effect is reduced as the volume pot is raised and when cranked the bright cap is effectively out of the circuit.
So players using the amp set clean with OD pedals in front will get a very different sound from the same pedals into the vintage amp. Of course cranking up the volume pot addresses this, but then we are talking about a dirty amp in the first place....
This was part of the reason that Vox added the top boost circuit in the first place (only to AC30s though until more recently) - to make the amp brighter. Also note that the top boost channel has always had a bright cap on it's volume pot - perhaps partly why people have found this channel harder to dial in with OD pedals.
It as always good to see you, Simon.
+PPIMV Thank you Simon. I didn’t know that (Mick here). Helpful to have some proper knowledge on this!
Hi Mick! - not sure if Dan's AC10 and AC30 are stock, but if they are, this may be partly why he favours the normal channel for pedals perhaps...
By the way, great playing (both of you)!
Yeah, it was odd to see Dan determined to prefer the normal channel over top boost... he came round eventually though! On my AC15 greenback, I never use normal for anything - I find it dull and don't like not having any tone controls.
Yep. This makes the channel volumes and the top cut on the oldies quite interactive. I tend to raise or lower vol and cut in tandem.
The EF86 in the normal channel gives it a thicker tone with more bass than other Voxes too.
Ooooffff this amp sounds ridiculously good, especially when pushed with the pedals what the hell, wow!
Mick, when you turned the gain down on the broadcaster I nearly chocked on my dinner. That sound was just godly, for me one of the best tones Ive ever heard not just on the show but ever!
+Pedalboards of Doom Hudson Broadcast is one of the best pedals we've ever had on the show, it's simply unbelievable
That Pedal Show, Im gunna have to pick one up! Still watching the episode and those Brian May tones sounded spot on! Lovely amp.
I just love Vox ... got a few of them - pedals are fine in every one
Your tone at the start of the vid reminds me why my AC15 modded CC is my go to amp for gigs. You can carry it in and it does the job!
Wow! Just wow! I have the Ac15C2. One with two 12" green backs. Definitely learned a lot lot. I have definitely been using it the wrong way. Thank you so much!! After watching this, I immediately jumped up to go to my amp. It sounds so good now!! 😊 thanks!!
+Guitar Enthusiasts Entertainment There is no wrong, GEE, only further enlightenment. The C2 is a wonderful amp. Hooray!
Thanks so much we have an ac15 with the Greenback and we love it, it's great to hear how different pedals sound especially with single coils vs humbuckers! Love the show
Thanks guys - whether you meant it to be or not this was a highly entertaining edition of the show! Between talking about internet howling and dropping product boxes while filming I learned one or two things. So when do we get Dan and Mick cameras, so we can see everything you do in real time?! Might bother Mick's OCD though ....
You guys are so nice to introduce us to these amazing gears!! Well done for the channel!! Cheers from Brazil!!
Another Cheers from Brazil!
Wow, awesome tones here!!! I picked up my AC15C1 last night and played for about 20 minutes before bed, really happy with the sound and the response to my picking dynamics is really impressive. Tonight I'm going to try it out with the Walrus Audio Eras fuzz and I expect good things.
I had no idea people hated on the Vox’s for pedal platforms. Always loved the AC15 and how it took pedals. My three takeaways were: 1. to experiment with both channels and settings again (so many great sounds in the amp alone) 2. I now need a Broadcaster. 3 You confirmed that I need a Hot Cake!
Those fuzz tones are some of the best tones I've heard on this channel! :D
I've never heard the "Vox dont take pedals well" statement before, but I couldn't agree less. I use an AC15 with my way too big pedalboard, and it is honestly brilliant every time... Every time I try it together with another amp in stereo I prefer the Vox's sound.
+bebestakkis Excellent! You’re with us then. :0)
I think it's a bad case of forgetting to say "I heard someone say that Vox don't take pedals well" and that someone heard a demo on RUclips, the guitarist had probably a poor man's guitar with nasty humbuckers, bad cables and used cheap pedals with tone and gain maxed out. And the video was recorded with a potato.
Haha, yeah thats probably what it is!
fuck me that intro, what a sound
For real. 3 seconds in and I'm yelling "THAT! That is what I want!"
Did they explain how they got that? Yes, they did further down in the comments.
I can't find it, please, copy and paste it here
Now I can't find it either, but it was the Hot Cake, but I don't remember into which channel.
GigglingDickhead i
I watched this yesterday and there happened to be a hot cake v2, on fb marketplace today. It came with a stone deaf pdf 2 and a MXR micro amp for $400 Au. I didn't want to stop playing the hot cake. Thank you TPS!
I’ve got a Gretsch 6120, Fender Tele, and going into two AC15C1s in stereo and it is heavenly. There’s nothing “normal” about this normal channel 😉👍
If Dan does not breathe during songs, he would die in a prog rock group.
+Richard Huckle You’ve seen Tin Spirits right? It’s amazing he’s still with us. ;0)
Nice. The Hotcake, once you learn it, is one of the most satisfying drives out there, and not just for Voxy amps.
Jeff,
I also have a Hotcake, but it's the only overdrive I have. My question is, if I want another overdrive to supplement the sound, what should I get? I've paid attention to the various "types" of overdrives, but the Hotcake doesn't seem to fit into those categories.
@@allanflippin2453 the Hotcake is very much a transparent, full range dirt pedal. I’ve experimented over the years. I used to run it as my dirty rhythm sound with a TS9 as a dirty boost for solos, that sounded okay.. but I now use a TC Spark clean boost pedal with it in front of my Vox AC15. I’d think about using a boost pedal as well as an overdrive with it.
@@teddobbs6516 Thanks for your inputs!
I had a Vox AC15 from the 90’s, which I believe were the first reissues after Korg bought Vox.
It was very different from the later reissue version (2010 I think?). The biggest difference was the 90’s version employed a rectifier tube, while the 00’s C1 was solid state rectifier. Oddly enough, the 90s version was considerably lighter weight! The 90’s version didn’t have an actual top boost channel, but it had two inputs and I feel like it had some kind of tone capacitor on it to vaguely emulate a top boost… it was the only cheesy gimmick about that model. The last difference is that mine was equipped with the “Bulldog” model speaker, which I greatly preferred to the bluebacks.
I had this thing in college at music school and it was incredible - everyone was jealous. The Achilles heel was the reverb channel. It would break if you just looked at it wrong! After having it worked on probably 5 times at the only amp repair shop in Seattle, I finally learned enough about electronics to fix it myself. This led me down the slippery slope of building pedals back in the pre-RUclips days!
I parted ways with that amp round 2012, but if I ever saw another I’d scoop it up in a heartbeat.
**Edit: when I played those early 2010 models I specifically remember thinking they did NOT take pedals well, and really sounded nothing like my 90’s AC15. I think it had something to do with the way the solid state rectifier in those models clipped in a weird way. I saw so many shows where guys played Telecasters through those AC15s and they had that unpleasant rasp. I haven’t kept up with modern Vox amps, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that’s where the myth of Voxes “not taking pedals well” started off.
Guys watched this again a year later and still I learned something 👍🏻🎸brilliant thanks fellas love these Vox /pedal sounds my go to amp
I’ve found I have to watch all of their videos at least twice to catch all of the knowledge nuggets they drop. 👍🏻😎
Just got mine recently and I love it. Just wanted to add there's a lot of tonal options when using both channels at the same time if you spend enough time dialing them in, just as the tone controls in the top boost channel, the volume knobs are very interactive with each other. Once I found the sweet spots I stopped using the channels individually :).
D&M, you guys sre too good for this world
Sagi Dash Lol that sounds vaguely like a death threat! Kidding kidding.
The Edge uses LOTS of effects through Voxes and it sounds magical :)
I'm so into this! I just bought an AC15C1 a few weeks ago and I love it but it's so cool to hear all the different things I could do with it! Thank you
small correction: Paul Crowther was not the original drummer for Split Enz - that honour goes to Geoff Chunn!
Just reading his great book now! NZ forever!
Sorry his brothers book.
@@dalemcneil5209 which one? he’s written a couple. the Stranger Than Fiction?
god damn. the fact that the greenback version of an ac15 is under 600 quid will always blow my mind. that's just so good for the money.
i do understand they're using the blue, but even that is still only 800. too good.
+Ben Radford That’s the economies of scale in the Far East for you...
The greenback is a righteous beast and - bizarrely - reliability has improved since they relocated the manufacturing to China.
I miss the hell out of mine, but as a home player, it was a little too loud to get the tones I wanted without driving my wife nuts. Playing through a Silverface Bronco (Vibro-Champ) now most of the time. But I will have to get another one one day .
AC15C1X (Blue alnico) with a 16 ohm, vox greenback twin cab in the extension output (with the switch at 8 ohms) now that is very sweet (runs the bluse speaker and the cab at the same time). its a lovely way to experience this amp :-)
Big part of the magic is keeping that alnico blue speaker near its buttery-flappy 15 watt limit. RUclips and my crappy ear buds usually make amps sound awful but Mick with humbuckers through the Hudson Broadcast pedal sounded so good I keep playing it over and over. Dumbles can't do that.
+Jeff Morris yep, that speaker needs to working. The great thing is that the output section of the amp will also be working at that level :)
I own this amp and can say it takes pedals very well. You can play the amp quiet enough to not disturb neighbors, and loud enough for a full band with every range of clean - overdriven tones with both extreme scenarios.
Thanks for video. RAT into a VOX amp is a killer sound.
I wish I hadn't sold my AC15....
Coming soon: That Yoga Show (with pedals)
You guys might want to do one of these "how to get the most out of" for the Bassbreaker. A lot of players looking for an affordable amp are picking these up, or at least this is what I've noticed. Wait and see, I guess, if the amp becomes a staple.
I have one, a 15W combo. I guess the problem with the BB is - which one do you test? Anyway, just an idea. Love the show!
Check out the andertons channel- some of the same guys. they use the bassbreaker quite a bit. Its a really nice amp that ive used a few times. i think they have some videos dedicated to just that amp.
Each of the BB amps are different. I had an 18/30, but only kept it for a month, which is very unusual for me. I didn't try any of the others, but I found the 18/30 just too loud and aggressive being non-master volume. The 18/30 does not come with attenuation either, where some of the others do. It's not a subtle amp and you have to get it above 2 to get it to a usable tone. It's also 2x12, which just makes it louder. On a positive note, if you can make it work, they are extremely affordable well made valve amps. It just didn't work for me. Perhaps I should have gone for the smaller one.
Woooo yeah! TPS giving us this video just when I'm between the Vox Ac15cc1 and the Fender HRD, Thank you so much D&M.
Nick Denbow - I had the BB45 for a few weeks as well. It did have the attenuator, but even at 1 watt it was still too loud and completely lacked the ability to play clean at any level. You're correct, if they fit your needs, I found them to be built like tanks and well worth the money.
Bassbreaker 007 here - fantastic clean tones. Yes, I know that's not what it's really for.
that broadcast sounded like magic through the vox
Thanks guys for showcasing this awesome amp - take that Fender! I just got one this year, my first valve amp after almost 20 years on/off playing, and it's great for home use. I wasn't sure about the top boost channel, so thanks for explaining.