I'm always surprised no videos demonstrate strapping the channels. I get my base tone with the EF86 channel and then strap it to the Top Boost channel with a patch cord and blend in a little of the brilliance of the Top Boost. Just a little. THAT is a killer tone!!
It did not work on mine. I can use an A/B/Y pedal to use separate channels or combine channels but the other way did not work on my 50th anniversary head
Same here. I had the head. I had replaced the EL84 tubes with NOS Philips mini-watts. The EF 86 was a NOS Amperex Bugle Boy. The cab was a 2X12 with a Celestion blue and a Mojotone British Vintage. That amp was magical.
I had this same amp as wellas the 30 watt. The 15 watt was really nice to play. The amp at break up sounds amazing. The 30 watt amp at break up was unbearable. For a 15 watt amp I thought it was considerably louder than a 15 watt blues jr.. Really sounded great with pedals. Only pedal I had that didn't sound great with it was a hand wired tube screamer that was one of the best tube screamers made. If u can get your hands on this particular model of vox, you won't regret it. The 15 watt for playing at the house was far better than the 30 watt amp. Not to knock the 30 just the 15 watt would break up and was still loud wouldn't blow you ears out yet you could still feel it. Voves are more finiky related to pedals but the pedals the amp likes sounds amazing. Still no overdrive pedal beats the real thing if it's not to extreme. The 15 watt is more than enough amp for the house or the garage. It would work with a band miked but to play with a drummer, your more apt to hear the amp at a nice breakup rather than clean. With the 30 watt u can play all out clean at a very loud volume b4 breakup. Definitely one of the best as well as loudest 15 watt amps I've played. If you can get your hands on one get it. They were hardwired 50th anniversary models made in 2007.
I had an AC30 reissue from 2000 a few years back. My first Vox, and the first thing that surprised me was that all my overdrives (the standard mids hump ones, Tube Screamer, Boss SD-1, etc.) sounded like utter crap with it. That’s when I learned that Voxes have that very particular midrange hump that only works great with certain overdrives. Clean boosts, treble boosts, transparent drives… something that doesn’t double up on the midrange hump the amp already has.
@mk win yes, that's 100% spot on. Vox amps can be quite picky when it comes to using overdrive pedals. Especially when you are pushing the amp. There is a reason why Vox and Rangemaster-style treble boosts are the classic combination for legendary Vox tones.
Great sounding amp. But it's interesting to note how easily it breaks up, even while adjusting the master and channel volume for more head room. I imagine this would be to your advantage at home or mic'd up, but perhaps not so much on stage by itself.
@Christopherguzzi don't get fooled by the “early” breakup. It's already way too loud for small to medium-sized stages before it even starts breaking up. Playing the amp at home will get you nowhere near breakup if you have any people living nearby and feel like keeping a good relationship with your neighbors might be a good thing :-D
One of the issues I have with this amp is it will show when you have cheep pickups. it will sound amazing with good handmade PAF pickups but factory Gibson pickups the AC15H1TV will show they are not so good. I had to start getting better pickups and better wiring then Gibson would use even in a LP Standard, except Custombuckers and Custom Shop p90 (But I haven't tried all of the Gibson pickup types).
Really good demo! Great amp and playing! I have the same amp (head version + cab), really amazing! One question: when I put the guitar in the ef86 channel with the volume at 0, and forget the volume in the top boost channel up and try to play, I hear the sound of the guitar, obviously an unpleasant sound! Clearly I lower the volume to 0 in the top boost channel and adjust the volume in the ef86 channel and it's all ok. But I wonder if it's normal? Should the channels not be completely independent? Does it happen to you too?
Thank you. I've never experienced any crossover signal between the two channels. You're right, they should be completely independent. You might want to check if the V2 or phase inverter tubes work properly.
Great Ampli. I have one same. Just a question, because I can't find any reply on the web. When I switch from pentode to triode mode, there is a big "crush" or noise even if I turn down the volume of the channel. It is not sane for the celestion. Is it the same for your ampifier?
it seems to be the same with all the amps featuring the triode-/pentodeswitch. If you turn the volume down it lessens the noise, but it's still audible. Try to switch the mode while the amp is off. Usually one can anticipate which mode is suited for the situation or use before you fire the amp up. At least after a while of familiarisation with the amp. I use the EF-86 channel exclusively in pentode mode since it yields the distinct character of the EF-86 the most.
Thanks, excellent demo, very useful, feels we seek for the same sounds :-) I actually have the TC15 from Trinity since 4 months and got so much crazy about the EF86 tube, I intend to get the heritage combo to bring that sound on stage (small clubs). Did you bring it to gigs yourself ? how robust and heavy is it ? ever had maintenance problems ? cheers man
@ Renaud CLEAC'H I used to gig a lot with this amp. It‘s reliable and never let me down. You should source a good and quiet ( not microphonic) EF86 to start with. Besides you should keep in mind, that the Vox-Ampdesign makes hard use of the EL84. These wear out over time. But that is to be expected in Class-A amps like Voxes. So put some spare tubes in your case if you take it on a tour and you are good to go :-) It should be mentioned that this amp is rather on the heavy side. Considering its size. And it is plenty loud. So be prepared to bring a powersoak/loadbox if you are looking for amp breakup. I played a tour in 300+ people venues with this amp and had to play it pointing to the back of the stage - which sounds great on stage by the way.. Otherwise it would have been way to loud to sit in a mix.
Hey there, great demo! I bought this amp (combo version) used a few months ago and I love the tone. Only problem is that the amp produces many parasite noises which bother my ear way too much to ignore. I had the amp checked and the technician said it’s normal for this circuit but I don’t believe it since on all the demos I saw it’s seems dead quiet. Can anybody help me with this issue? Thanks!
@ Tom Shemesh you are right - the amp should be relatively quiet. I am not an amp technician, but it sounds like an easy way out to tell the noise is inherent in this design. One thing to consider is the EF86 preamptube. These are known to be noisy and microphonic. If the noise is gone when you have the volume turned down on both channels, you could narrow down to the preamp(tube(s)) which might be responsible. If the noise remains, there are many parts which might be the culprit. Another thing to check are the tube sockets. I had issues with an elevated noisefloor and popping sounds even with the volume turned down - the solution in my case was a faulty PI tube and sockets that were in need for some cleaning. One advise at this point - If you are not familiar with tube amps - please stay away from the circuit and operate with extreme caution if you swap tubes. The voltages in these amps can be lethal and the tubes are fairly close to the circuit and some caps. If in doubt, look for another amp tech to take a look at your amp. And you might consider sourcing a good EF86 if the original black rubber coated EHX tube is still in there👍🏻
This amp just rings and sustains so well in every demo I've found. It sounds like it has more dimension than the ac15hw. Any idea what contributes to the different tone?
Matt Casey the build quality and the used parts are really top notch. The hole circuit is rather simple which results in a direct aggressive yet clear and round tone. I guess the Alnico Blue Bulldog contributes a bit as well..
It is the ef86 for sure. I have the same amp and re tubed it with mostly NOS Mullards from the late 50's or early 60's and it made for a serious chane in the tone. More sustain, clarity and dimension. It was a game changer for sure. Brought out all the harmonic qualities that the stock tubes stifled. I probably spent around $300 for the tubes over the years as I had most of them in boxes in my studio. It's a fair bit of cash but well worth it, imho! Thx again for the post!
Jonny Beck They were made in 2007. If you are lucky you may find one still sitting in a store - more likely you'll find them second hand. They frequently pop up for sale.
It's my favorite amp that I own for most occasions.
hands down best demo
Thanks a lot!
One of the best demos I've watched on this magnificent amp. Thanks!
Excellent demo for this amp with Buckers. Thanks
I'm always surprised no videos demonstrate strapping the channels. I get my base tone with the EF86 channel and then strap it to the Top Boost channel with a patch cord and blend in a little of the brilliance of the Top Boost. Just a little. THAT is a killer tone!!
It did not work on mine. I can use an A/B/Y pedal to use separate channels or combine channels but the other way did not work on my 50th anniversary head
I will literally give you money if you do this same demo with a Tele or JM. Great demo!
I used to have one of these amps. Now I'm really regretting selling it. What a great Vox amp!
Same here. I had the head. I had replaced the EL84 tubes with NOS Philips mini-watts. The EF 86 was a NOS Amperex Bugle Boy. The cab was a 2X12 with a Celestion blue and a Mojotone British Vintage. That amp was magical.
Great amp, great guitar and great playing!
I had this same amp as wellas the 30 watt. The 15 watt was really nice to play. The amp at break up sounds amazing. The 30 watt amp at break up was unbearable. For a 15 watt amp I thought it was considerably louder than a 15 watt blues jr.. Really sounded great with pedals. Only pedal I had that didn't sound great with it was a hand wired tube screamer that was one of the best tube screamers made. If u can get your hands on this particular model of vox, you won't regret it. The 15 watt for playing at the house was far better than the 30 watt amp. Not to knock the 30 just the 15 watt would break up and was still loud wouldn't blow you ears out yet you could still feel it. Voves are more finiky related to pedals but the pedals the amp likes sounds amazing. Still no overdrive pedal beats the real thing if it's not to extreme. The 15 watt is more than enough amp for the house or the garage. It would work with a band miked but to play with a drummer, your more apt to hear the amp at a nice breakup rather than clean. With the 30 watt u can play all out clean at a very loud volume b4 breakup. Definitely one of the best as well as loudest 15 watt amps I've played. If you can get your hands on one get it. They were hardwired 50th anniversary models made in 2007.
I had an AC30 reissue from 2000 a few years back. My first Vox, and the first thing that surprised me was that all my overdrives (the standard mids hump ones, Tube Screamer, Boss SD-1, etc.) sounded like utter crap with it. That’s when I learned that Voxes have that very particular midrange hump that only works great with certain overdrives. Clean boosts, treble boosts, transparent drives… something that doesn’t double up on the midrange hump
the amp already has.
@mk win yes, that's 100% spot on. Vox amps can be quite picky when it comes to using overdrive pedals. Especially when you are pushing the amp. There is a reason why Vox and Rangemaster-style treble boosts are the classic combination for legendary Vox tones.
I've got the Head version of it, best Amp I ever played.
Great sounding amp. But it's interesting to note how easily it breaks up, even while adjusting the master and channel volume for more head room. I imagine this would be to your advantage at home or mic'd up, but perhaps not so much on stage by itself.
@Christopherguzzi don't get fooled by the “early” breakup. It's already way too loud for small to medium-sized stages before it even starts breaking up. Playing the amp at home will get you nowhere near breakup if you have any people living nearby and feel like keeping a good relationship with your neighbors might be a good thing :-D
VOX are gain amps. If you want a lot of head room get a Fender.
One of the issues I have with this amp is it will show when you have cheep pickups. it will sound amazing with good handmade PAF pickups but factory Gibson pickups the AC15H1TV will show they are not so good. I had to start getting better pickups and better wiring then Gibson would use even in a LP Standard, except Custombuckers and Custom Shop p90 (But I haven't tried all of the Gibson pickup types).
Really good demo! Great amp and playing! I have the same amp (head version + cab), really amazing!
One question: when I put the guitar in the ef86 channel with the volume at 0, and forget the volume in the top boost channel up and try to play, I hear the sound of the guitar, obviously an unpleasant sound! Clearly I lower the volume to 0 in the top boost channel and adjust the volume in the ef86 channel and it's all ok. But I wonder if it's normal? Should the channels not be completely independent? Does it happen to you too?
Thank you. I've never experienced any crossover signal between the two channels. You're right, they should be completely independent. You might want to check if the V2 or phase inverter tubes work properly.
Great Ampli. I have one same. Just a question, because I can't find any reply on the web.
When I switch from pentode to triode mode, there is a big "crush" or noise even if I turn down the volume of the channel.
It is not sane for the celestion. Is it the same for your ampifier?
it seems to be the same with all the amps featuring the triode-/pentodeswitch. If you turn the volume down it lessens the noise, but it's still audible. Try to switch the mode while the amp is off. Usually one can anticipate which mode is suited for the situation or use before you fire the amp up. At least after a while of familiarisation with the amp. I use the EF-86 channel exclusively in pentode mode since it yields the distinct character of the EF-86 the most.
Burt Bird does ot not have a stand by switch?
Richard Gregory, no it doesn't have a standby switch.
Thanks, excellent demo, very useful, feels we seek for the same sounds :-)
I actually have the TC15 from Trinity since 4 months and got so much crazy about the EF86 tube, I intend to get the heritage combo to bring that sound on stage (small clubs). Did you bring it to gigs yourself ? how robust and heavy is it ? ever had maintenance problems ? cheers man
@ Renaud CLEAC'H I used to gig a lot with this amp. It‘s reliable and never let me down. You should source a good and quiet ( not microphonic) EF86 to start with. Besides you should keep in mind, that the Vox-Ampdesign makes hard use of the EL84. These wear out over time. But that is to be expected in Class-A amps like Voxes.
So put some spare tubes in your case if you take it on a tour and you are good to go :-)
It should be mentioned that this amp is rather on the heavy side. Considering its size. And it is plenty loud. So be prepared to bring a powersoak/loadbox if you are looking for amp breakup. I played a tour in 300+ people venues with this amp and had to play it pointing to the back of the stage - which sounds great on stage by the way.. Otherwise it would have been way to loud to sit in a mix.
Hey man, awesome demo! Been trying to snap one of these amps up for months with no luck😞. What pickups are in that Les Paul ?
At that point I had SD Antiquities installed.
Hey there, great demo!
I bought this amp (combo version) used a few months ago and I love the tone. Only problem is that the amp produces many parasite noises which bother my ear way too much to ignore. I had the amp checked and the technician said it’s normal for this circuit but I don’t believe it since on all the demos I saw it’s seems dead quiet. Can anybody help me with this issue? Thanks!
@ Tom Shemesh you are right - the amp should be relatively quiet. I am not an amp technician, but it sounds like an easy way out to tell the noise is inherent in this design.
One thing to consider is the EF86 preamptube. These are known to be noisy and microphonic. If the noise is gone when you have the volume turned down on both channels, you could narrow down to the preamp(tube(s)) which might be responsible. If the noise remains, there are many parts which might be the culprit.
Another thing to check are the tube sockets. I had issues with an elevated noisefloor and popping sounds even with the volume turned down - the solution in my case was a faulty PI tube and sockets that were in need for some cleaning.
One advise at this point - If you are not familiar with tube amps - please stay away from the circuit and operate with extreme caution if you swap tubes. The voltages in these amps can be lethal and the tubes are fairly close to the circuit and some caps.
If in doubt, look for another amp tech to take a look at your amp. And you might consider sourcing a good EF86 if the original black rubber coated EHX tube is still in there👍🏻
I have one. Very quiet. Get a new tech. Mine has jj tubes and mullard nos ef 86.
This amp just rings and sustains so well in every demo I've found. It sounds like it has more dimension than the ac15hw. Any idea what contributes to the different tone?
ef 86
Matt Casey the build quality and the used parts are really top notch. The hole circuit is rather simple which results in a direct aggressive yet clear and round tone. I guess the Alnico Blue Bulldog contributes a bit as well..
It is the ef86 for sure. I have the same amp and re tubed it with mostly NOS Mullards from the late 50's or early 60's and it made for a serious chane in the tone. More sustain, clarity and dimension. It was a game changer for sure. Brought out all the harmonic qualities that the stock tubes stifled. I probably spent around $300 for the tubes over the years as I had most of them in boxes in my studio. It's a fair bit of cash but well worth it, imho! Thx again for the post!
@@jcroopjr I added a NOS GEC EF86 and got the same results. sings with great depth and ringing high end. I love it
Cool Demo! What mic did you use sir?
mrkite89 thank you, it was a sennheiser e606
Nice... are they still available?
Jonny Beck They were made in 2007. If you are lucky you may find one still sitting in a store - more likely you'll find them second hand. They frequently pop up for sale.
Wait a minute... does this apple-fryer really sport an EF86? Is there an ECC83 channel running parallel ? Thanx for the demo and...
cheers
Jonny Beck I have the head version. It has both an EF86 channel & a 12AX7 channel. The channels can be jumpered too.
Is it playable at home ? thanks
+Yonino ! As long as you play it clean - yes. But the amp get's very loud rather quickly. And it sounds better above bedroom level.
Is it enough loud in band situation?
Yes, the amp is plenty loud. Unless you want to play clean competing a loud drummer you'll be fine.