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This Vox is... A GAME CHANGER
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- Опубликовано: 15 авг 2024
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00:00 Intro
02:56 Buying the amp
03:24 Trying it out
08:16 Conclusion
Here’s the obligatory “if you think that’s heavy, try an AC30!!” Comment. Congrats on the new amp man, the AC15 is one of the best amps ever.
or a Super Reverb, haha! Always wanted an AC15. Thanks for the demo.
I have an AC15 that I’ve been using at church for the past year. Stepped down from a Marshall JVM full stack. Easier to move and sounds so nice.
how did you get down from 100w to 15w?
@@jakubmachnik1259 I was no longer playing in a band and I needed to have something smaller for church. I still have the Marshall. But the Vox takes pedals so much better for ambient sounds for church.
No one really needs those big stacks anymore unless you really like moving air or you play out in the sticks
@@jakubmachnik1259 15w in a tube amp is plenty loud.
Even God said that stack is too loud! Lol
As someone who's played strats for the longest time, a massive tip I would give when it comes to fattening up your sound to fight the thin-ness, get a compressor.
Honestly, especially on a strat, once you start using one you'll probably keep one on at all times, it just helps a lot. Especially when doing FX stuff like U2-style delays, or layering leads
I use a different amp for cleans and distortion. The clean amp always has a compressor on in front. Distortion always has an overdrive.
I always use a compressor with my clean sound with the strat. I like the option to blend clean and compressed signal. It just does "something" that is right.
@@Ottophil Yeah you tend not to need a compressor when already running distortion. Can still help though, especially on something like a LP it can tighten up the sound (maybe that's because of the attack option on my compressor)
@@bymbie That is actually rather cool, haven't seen that before yet. But yeah, especially for cleans it just makes everything better and smoother
I agree with the compressor unless you’re running at very loud amp volume. With a Vox almost dimed out, it has a lot of natural compression, also a DR Z. At the volume most of us play, compressor helps. I use a Keeley. Dude makes great pedals. Love your videos man. Keep up the good work!
Even the Vox Pathfinder 10 is a beast, despite its size. It's amazing what Vox amps can do
For the price it's great, but it's not really something you can stick with for a long time, or at least is wasn't for me, but I bought an AC10 so I guess that tells you that they're making quality products to have someone return for more
i had a pathfinder and it was amazing
The pathfinder 10 is great, I also picked up the (now discontinued) pathfinder 15 and it’s so great!
@@nope929 I also had a pathfinder, then bought the AC10C1 and an older Cambridge with one 12ax7. They all had that vox sound I was chasing for as a Queen fan. The ac10 at high volume with my Brian May guitar sounded exactly like Queen. Since I moved on to Fractal I don't use any vox style amp anymore. My new favourite is the Diezel VH4. Never heard such detailed guitar sound ever. Also tried the real vh4 once and the Fractal model is spot on.
Another very similar amp to the vox is the Laney Lionheart. I had the 5w studio version. The only amp I regret selling.
@@nope929i’ve had a pathfinder ten for 8 years! not by choice i just can’t afford a new amp. even then i still love it and it sounds really nice
Your playing, content, and production is top notch, appreciate you!
Fellow Strat guy here. Just picked up an AC15 myself a couple months ago, and it is amazing. I second that comment about including a compressor in your signal chain. Super helpful getting those cleaner tones to push through a mix, especially in the church world!
rory gallagher convinced brian may and others strat into a vox needs a treble boost. They used rangemasters but those are rare and pricey.
When I was a teenager learning guitar, I worked at a chili parlor with a friend from high school and I'd have my guitar in the the trunk and we would go to his house to jam after work. His dad was a former touring pro with a lot of great gear and would help us along. One night he put me on lead with a Gibson Explorer plugged into his road worn AC30. Been chasing that tone ever since.
I'm loving these videos, I feel I'm watching a true guitar fan. Keep it up my dude.
Worth mentioning the Vox AC10, besides being a fantastic amp, it works great paired with anything. If I’m playing with something Fender-y, i have a switcher that unsilences the Vox as like a boost. It’s great!
Love my VOX AC15. Takes petals very well. Once you get a chance to tinker with it. Would love to see a video of the setting you come to like. Keep up the good work!
You have a fantastic amp. One of the best tremolos around - period. Decent reverb with it's own character. Don't overlook the value of the Normal channel. It's a killer clean and works great with pedals as well. As a Fender player, you will want to hear that amp shine doing it's clean thing in addition to the classic Vox gain. You don't want to miss it.
both channels run through the same tubes so they talk, you can use both channels at the same time, you can get the real low end doing it, screw negative feedback!!!!
I never had a Vox or thought much about them until I heard one at the music store. The gain was just right. A light touch was clean and a little aggression was able to be coaxed from the instrument. Jazz, blues, early rock, surf, spaghetti Western and country all sound great. Basically Vox is very convincing within the popular styles of the 50s through to the 70s. I'm a minimalist and leaning towards, a one pickup p90 guitar, and no pedals. This kind of amp would be good for that. It has a nice voice.
Welcome to the vox fold. I just had mine cranked two days ago and was reminded of how glorious it sounded. As other posters have mentioned, switch that speaker to an alnico blue, and the angels will be showing up at your door.
Vox amps were the first Guitar oriented amp circuits designed for guitar music and that were not just modified Radio frequency circuits out of the RCA circuits manual. Even the little Vox solid state modeler Adio Air GT is pretty incredible with surround sound no less and the advanced acoustical performance engineering built into it is very impressive.
Love the Vox sound with a Tele for edge of breakup territory, and then putting overdrives in front. Great sounds!
You know your favorite RUclips channels are growing when they start going outside. I'm so excited!
im a vox and marshall man myself! i really like your playing cause you dont overplay like so many do,including myself! nice phrasing!
The vox sound is so unique. I bought a week ago an ac30 c2 and it’s magical. I NEVER tought that i will use so much the tremolo!! I use it on my cleans putting a low speed and a medium width and a lot of reverb and it’s magical! The top boost is even better if it’s possible and with the bridge pick up of a strat and max level on top boost you have the astonishing tone of deep purple.
Richie used an ac30 as one of his three (I think)main amps, around the Machine Head time, so it's not surprising.
Mike, this comment will sound corny. However, my credential for making the following sincere comment is that I'm an Old Guy (easily old enough to be your Grandpa). You are a very pleasant, genuine young man. This is the reason I enjoy your videos. Best of fortunes to you.
There's a reason why this has been one of the best-selling tube amps for the past 10 years. As you pointed out, it nails the vintage Vox tone without breaking the bank, enough power to gig, great analog reverb and tremolo, loaded with Celestion speakers (both Greenback and Alinco Blue are great in their own right), and two channels with a master volume. But please do yourself a favor and crank the master volume up when you have the chance! It REALLY opens up the amp and it's a totally different story. An important part of the Vox tone is to get those EL84 power amp tubes cooking and you can't get that with the master volume set low.
playing indoors you will not crank the master. At 10 watts it is still too loud to crank up in most homes. maybe we need a Tonemaster style version ..
I have 2 VOX valtronix amps, one 15watt and on 30watt. They both crank and used both for church playing also. Love my VOX!
They crank bigtime like a biotch all day long. Fantastic amps.
Beautiful tone and playing. This amp impressed me so much that I actually dont use any pedals with it anymore. I find that its just perfect. .. I have the albico blues but even with the greenbacks it sings.
I have the same amp & I dumped half my petal board.
Best amp I have ever owned
Man your content is soo clean, clear, and easy to understand (especially when I'm an Argentinean whose first language is spanish) that I MUST subscribe to this channel! God bless you my man!
another thing about the AC15C1, the treble and bass stack is interactive, even in the normal channel. A way to get more tone shaping out of the amp is to plug into the Normal, crank the volume in the Top Boost circuit, and adjust the treble/bass and adjust accordingly with the Tone Cut. the downside is that you might need to turn up the Master Volume up a bit too, but I can't remember exactly; you also may have more background noise when running the amp, but it's not too noticeable unless you're right next to it and everything else is dead silent. the AC15 is absolutely a versatile beast, with tremendous value.
I just found this video three months later. I've had mine for nine years and it's one of my two favorite guitar amps. The other is a 6G2 '62 Brownface Princeton that I run with my AC15C1.
First recommendation is for the ABY pedal. The basic Morley ABY works great for me. You get (A) Normal Channel, (B) Top Boost Channel and (Y) both channels run parallel. the (Y) cannel is like a fatter, fuller Top Boost channel.
I found the stock (Belton) reverb tank to be a bit too kerrang-y. I swapped in a MOD reverb tank. I used the medium decay, but if you like a more ambient reverb, use the long decay.
The stock Celestion Greenback is a great speaker. My taste leaned more to the Celestion Alnico Blue for a bit more of a vintage tone.
I’ve been a Vox fan basically ever since I started taking electric guitar more seriously. I used to own an AC15HW, which I adored, but had to sell when my band broke up and I fell on hard times a few years back. but a couple years later I was able to replace it and I can say I am now lucky enough to own my dream amp- a 2007 AC30H2L which is housed in a beautiful mahogany cabinet and features the rare EF86 Normal channel. I saw it when I was first shopping for the aforementioned AC15HW and was immediately enamored but thought “no way I’ll be able to get one tho” ha. anyway, I always get really stoked to see people giving Vox love and especially when they’re discovering that love for the first time. enjoy your new amp!
Welcome to the world of Vox Mike. You wont be sorry you went here. I love Fender amps also, but the Vox experience is a whole other level. Now let me blow your mind for a second. The amp you have, the AC15C1 has a Greenback speaker in it. Very much a 70s to modern day Vox sound. Great with high gain and great for an edgy Vox sound.
The same amp comes in the AC15C1X. The difference? The Speaker. The Alnico Blue. When people talk about the vintage Vox sound from the 60s...this is it. Its brighter and has more chime. I played these two amps side by side and lets just say, I have some really nice AC15s. Deciding would have made me crazy. So when I want that rockin gritty Vox sound, the C1, When I want to bring out my Beatles or Byrds or 60s Vox tones, the C1X.
You now need to discover the world of ABY. You plug into an ABY switcher with the Vox on one side and a Fender style amp on the other. You'll never look back. The tones you can get from a two amp set up are amazing....and the ABY switcher also lets you flip between the two amps! So you're not limited to two amps, you can always just turn one "off"
Check out some Rory Gallagher. The dude used a strat through a Vox for his whole career. Your new rig sounds awesome!
Don't forget the treble booster!
Don,t forget the Fender bassman either
I have one but it's about 18 years old and I put it through the ringers for years!!!! 4 hour jams at 10 lol after18 years it sounds better then ever
Vox AC15C1 is quite versatile amp. I have recorded about 40 alternative rock songs with it. You will love it I’m sure :) happy new year🎉
Yup - sounds like a Vox. It's nice and warm - not sterile. Definitely one of the classics. Everyone should have one. Weighs about the same as a Marshall DSL-40 or A fender hot Rod Deluxe. All great home OR live amps.
When you get with a drummer, the amp will really start to shine. Just below edge of breakup, and a couple different drives.
I’ve been playing an AC15 for over two yrs. Everything from shoegaze to country to 90s grunge fuzz. It takes it all very well. I was surprised that I really love the Normal channel much better than the Top Boost and I just use the cut knob to dial in my presence.
My comment I just added (below). Vox boys only use the Normal.
Tip from an AC30 player for life. The TB circuit is the weakest part of the amp. It's great if you're using zero pedals and want some gain to play dad riffs. But when using it as a pedal platform, where you want to add different types of gain it becomes a hat on a hat. Gain pedals loose some oomph with it. Plus being stuck in perm OD can suck for textures and dynamics.
The real secret is adding compression then gain ( any style of your choosing) into the Normal channel. I use the JHS Whitey Tighty compressor into a TC Mini Spark as my always on. It gives you loads of clean headroom but the comp and boost add db and push the amp a bit harder than just plugging straight in. I keep it clean so when I add OD it sounds like OD and isn't lost like it would be in the TB channel. It's very bell like and chimey, which complements my delay and reverb. It's the secret sauce to Vox amps. You lose some tone settings, as Normal only uses the Normal, Tone Cut, and Master knobs. But honestly, get your tone from your guitar. The amp will make that tone sing. Simplicity is key here.
Forget your pedalboard? Use the TB. Want to really hear a Vox by taking advantage of the circuit with a few simple pedals? Use the Normal channel.
The C1 is the best deal you’ll find in its price range. Well built for a modern affordable amp. Not bad sounding either. Actually pretty darn good. With your style,a deluxe reverb would be a good match too. More expensive tho.
Now that I know more stuff about tube amps , I want one . I was fortunate to have been hired by this group a couple of times . The engineer would turn on the amps 10 minutes before we got there . He says an amp sounds really good for recording after the the tubes are really hot/cooking .
I got an AC15 the other day. I spent about fifteen minutes playing with the controls and realized this is what a tele should sound like. And just like that, I was a Vox guy.
Both Teles and Strats LOVE AC15s.
@@markbarnes6806 right? So I’ve had this for several months now and starters pedal shopping and more and more often I realize that I don’t really want a different sound, just a way to get more amp gain with a click. That’s been quite a rabbit hole because there are soooo many overdrives and opinions on overdrives. Buying a Guptech Donut soon, because I’m not dropping $400 on a Hotcake.
I have always been a Tele guy but had to sell my 67 Tele and 65 Vox AC30 when I needed to fix some things on my house...I have gotten over losing the Tele but I wish I still had the Vox.
“I play in church I need 5000 pedals” I felt that in my core
Bought a Vox AC15C1 new in Summer of 2013 when I was 16. Now almost 10 years later it's still my only amp. It survived years of gigging/recording. I changed the tubes and modded the speaker to a Weber Blue Dog Ceramic (then my band mates complained I wasn't as loud so I changed back to the Greenback). Although I use Logic Amp Designer more often nowadays for recording I still love to drag it out when I wanna move some air in the room.
Your band mates complained about you not being loud enough? Lucky man, my band mates complain that I am too loud, lol.
I'm stunned you bought it without testing it, risky...
I have a first series Yamaha G100B-212, talk about a heavy amp... And the absolutely cleanest sound I've ever heard, and it puts out a really sweet chunky sound too with the right settings.
Setting the volume to 3 attracts the police 😆 and that's in my single family home w a heavily wooded acre between my neighbors
I'm thinking the neighbors bake you cookies all the time... with borax 🤣
When I plugged my AC15 on & played that 1st chord....wow.
I instantly sold my EQ petal.
No need.
The clean channel shimmers & the distortion sounds like Brian May.
Yeah. I'm happy.
The built in tremolo is perfect.
Plenty of power to jam live.
The only complaint is, I don't like the reverb. It saturates too fast. '3' sounds like '9'.
Small price to pay for the perfect amp for me.
Love my Vox. It still has that mysteriousness to me where I’m pretty sure there’s some settings and tones I’ve yet to stumble upon yet
I have one, I love it, I was playing one day, the sound cut out, tuned out to be a bad preamp tube, I replaced it myself , the tubes do wear out, and need to be replaced eventually
I bought one of these AC-15 with the Celestion blue speaker and it is absolutely an amazing amp. Running a Nashville tele thru it and it never disappoints, most definitely my favorite piece of gear.
I've had Marshall 4x10s, 200w mono block, countless Fenders. Had a modelling amp... That lasted a month. At 45 years old I tried the AC15-C1. I sold the fender twin. Never looked back. I can get every guitar I have sounds great through it. Been 5 years, I haven't wanted anything else.
I have a vox vavletronix from the ( I think) early 2000s that my grandpa gave me for my first amp. I must say since then I can not find any other amp to top the tone that comes out of this big jem. It can replicate any Vox amp and has multiple features. And I hear you when you say its heavy, trying to pick it up requires me and my dad just to move it. I also recently got a Strat and it sounds amazing with the amp. Love Vox and fender pairs just sounds amazing.
The Valvetronix series are damned fucking good amps. If you don't mind that they are usually not tube (some had a tube preamp in them though), modeling and FX etc.,
and aren't going to sound like a real AC15 or AC30, they are unbelievable and powerful amps. Great also if you cannot be arsed with 10 pedals and all kinds of FX
bollocks, just set up some sounds on the Valvetronix and go!
YUP!...Big Vox fan here.....For years I saw these amps that looked like grandma's luggage. For some reason Brian May from Queen and the Beatles liked them but whatever, then one day at the guitar store, just for fun plugged into a little Cambridge 30.....WOW!!!...Why does this sound this good? Today I own everything from Ad100VT Valvetronix, Tonelab le, and other combo's. They just have something about them.
A Vox was my first amp many years ago, have a few amps now, but my Vox is still the go-to
I have the 10W Vox with treble boost and a very nice gain control and I really like it. I use a DOD Analog Delay with it to simulate a bit of reverb and a Tube Works tube preamp pedal to drive it a little harder. Sounds big and nasty without making it much noisier. Voxes kinda look classy too as furniture and the radio-style pointer knobs are cool but one thing I dislike on this and ALL combo amps with the control panel on the back edge of the top is having to get up and look over it to see where the controls are set. This also means you can't stack anything on top of it, and if you stack the Vox on another amp or cab then you can't see the controls either without going over and peering across the top. I use an amp stand so if the Vox is stacked on a 2x12 cab or another combo the controls are 5 or 6 feet in the air and a real hassle to see and manipulate. No problem if it's sitting next to you on the floor but that's not usually what I do. I stand to play when I perform so I practice and jam that way 90+% of the time too and like to be able to look at the amp from the front no matter where I am and get a quick idea of my settings. Actually this is a dealbreaker for me for Voxes in the future and any other amp without the controls on the front. But I'm glad I have at least one Vox amp and will always keep it.
Great choice! During the pandemic I came across a deal
I couldn’t pass up on a AC30hw. I wasn’t even looking for a new amp. I am so glad I bought it the tones are just amazing and they take pedals so well I almost forget insanely heavy though lol.
I love my AC15. I recommend running both Normal and Top Boost channels simultaneously through an AB\Y. It allows for a lot of EQ shaping and blending or switching back and forth between channels! Congrats on your purchase!
Ooooo, that's a great idea! Thank you!
Yes,good call👍👍
Nice! Can I ask, is phase an issue at all? I like the idea of quasi-channel jumping!
@@severebash9153 No issue at all,the blended channels yield great tones but for the ac15 yo need the channel box....well worth buying AB/Y👍👍
That's exactly what I was doing
Same amp as I bought as my first electric guitar amp. I trusted what I heard on a few youtube videos. Sounds great and it's loud!
I love my VOX AC15. I hope Mike will get as much kick out of it as I do.
Thanks for supporting old school technology! This felt good!
I love my AC15, I've been with it for about 8 years now, it fits any small club, and just about any guitar, I know you were talking about strats but I crank a Les Paul through mine and flex.
This just shows why there were guys like Brian May who spent pretty much their whole careers playing amps like the VOX AC30 even when there were so many alternatives on the market.
It was the amp The Beatles used, A lot of guys hooked onto the AC30 after they hit the scene.
when I got my LP I plugged into the closest amp in the store - an AC-15. The two complement each other so well that I got the amp and have since used it on my other guitars. It brings out the character of those instruments in a way that I like. Great amp but, yes, very heavy!!
This is the one I’ve been looking to get as well. Went to a guitar shop recently and tried out an AC15. It was amazing
That top boost channel is the ac 15's bread and butter!!! You can make that gitfiddle sing bubba!! Great video!!!
You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’ve had an AC15 for 5 years now and I’ve barely touched it. In part because my gear has been all over the place and I got the thing for next to nothing because I ran into someone who didn’t know what they had. Now I am working on a dedicated guitar room and I took the amp out and cranked it up with a low master volume. As you said, game changer! I’m really enjoying this thing now!
I played through an AC15 for ten years and loved it. But recently I’ve gone down the route of using a UA Ruby for church. It’s lighter and quicker to set up.
Still have the amp and rock it whenever I can though!
Strat + Vox = Magic
Treble Boost is good So is your playing - liked the discussion - Have an AC10 C1 - Like to get your sounds. DB Boost might do the job
Vox -" it'll make you make faces when you play it." That should be its motto.
The tone cut is the key…turn it all the way up, then back it off until you get the treble that you want…that’s the sweet spot! Plus an ABY like others have said. I put new tubes, new reverb tank and a Celestion blue speaker in mine…it’s perfect now, for now lol
This is such a timely video for me as I'm weighing options for my strat of either a Fender Blues Jr or a Vox AC151C!! Both are 15W with 12" speaker. It'll be my first tube amp and I think I'm going with the Vox! Thanks man!!
I’d consider the Laney L5T-112. It’s the best of both worlds.
BJ is a decent amp, but the small cabinet is a big stumbling block. The Vox sounds much larger.
The Vox is better made than the Blues Jr. check out Psionic Audio's channel for some of the Blues Jrs design shortcomings.
I was a Fender amp guy for YEARS.. I had a 1975 Twin Reverb which was LOUD. lol. I had a Marshall at one time which I liked. Again.. LOUD.. But one day I picked up one of Vox's headphone amps.. just for practicing and keeping somewhat quiet. and I LOVED the sound in the headphones. Lead me to pick up MY first Vox. which was an AC10. Absolutely LOVE Vox. Straight in, no pedals.. sounds great. I'm sure the AC15 will treat you well.
I have this amp, the C1x version with the Alnico Blue speaker. Love it. Only thing I’m not a fan of is the reverb (prefer the Fender reverb) but I rarely use reverb anyway, nbd. The Tone Cut knob is your friend for smoothing out the top end. I also have had fun playing mix-&-match with different dirt pedals - that amp will do a LOT.😎🎸
Agreed.
The amp would be 100% perfect with better reverb.
I prefer the AC10C1 at lower volumes, the AC-15C1 only sounds better cranked louder than I play, so the AC10C1 made sense.
Man, even the AC10 is sneakily loud. Those volume knobs notoriously have no play in them
I have a fender hotrod deluxe, a fender supersonic 22,a blackstar ht40 black and blue, a vox ac15 and a Roland blues cube artist.... Roland is my favorite, then the supersonic, then the hotrod and ac15 and black star are tied.
When plugged into the "top boost" channel, use the volume knob on your guitar to control your guitar signal's input-to-amp level and you can control the channel's amount of overdrive. Turn down; it cleans up - turn it back up; natural overdrive swells back into the sound picture. It's a natural (and practical; less footwork) way to control tube-amp overdrive, especially a Vox of the type you own now. Give it a try!
Next time meet at a music store so u can test it. Great amp you got lucky!
Welcome to the club! I love my AC15!
Welcome to the club. My Vox AC15 has been my go to amp since 2016, and wish I bought it sooner. Great pedal platform though I only use like 3 now. Try it with your tele and if you got a semi hollow like a Sheraton or 335.
If you plug into an aby switcher you can switch between the normal and top boost channels or run them together for a thicker, creamier overdrive
I have the same amp but it’s blue with white trim and it IS the SOUND! glad you like it man.
I play a strat and a les Paul and I currently own one amp a marshal dsl40c I used to own an ac15 I can’t remember the model of ac15 but it was the one with a single 12 inch greenback speaker I thought it was a decent amp it did the vox sound very well but just wasn’t the sound I wanted hence why I traded it in towards the dsl much happier with the Marshall personally but nothing against the vox I would love to try and own a fender at some point in my guitar journey
If the DSL40C isn’t in the hallowed ground of workhorse, solid mass produced amps that the Fender Deluxe/Princeton Reverb and the Vox AC15/30 are in, it should’ve been.
That DSL line is sensational.
The vox sounds amazing for what you're playing! Great choice and nice video!
I still have the Vox Pacemaker (by Thomas) I bought new in 1966 (or ‘67?). I had it recapped a few years ago, and it still sounds amazing. Always VOX!
Tip from an AC30 player for life. The TB circuit is the weakest part of the amp. It's great if you're using zero pedals and want some gain to play dad riffs. But when using it as a pedal platform, where you want to add different types of gain it becomes a hat on a hat. Gain pedals loose some oomph with it. Plus being stuck in perm OD can suck for textures and dynamics.
The real secret is adding compression then gain ( any style of your choosing) into the Normal channel. I use the JHS Whitey Tighty compressor into a TC Mini Spark as my always on. It gives you loads of clean headroom but the comp and boost add db and push the amp a bit harder than just plugging straight in. I keep it clean so when I add OD it sounds like OD and isn't lost like it would be in the TB channel. It's very bell like and chimey, which complements my delay and reverb. It's the secret sauce to Vox amps. You lose some tone settings, as Normal only uses the Normal, Tone Cut, and Master knobs. But honestly, get your tone from your guitar. The amp will make that tone sing. Simplicity is key here.
Forget your pedalboard? Use the TB. Want to really hear a Vox by taking advantage of the circuit with a few simple pedals? Use the Normal channel.
My dad has one of these and it's a beast. My humbucker guitar and his P90 guitar both sound meaty through it. Convinced me to get a tube amp too, and now I have a little Blackstar 5w tube amp.
Congrats on the amp purchase! I always liked Vox amps for their classic sounds and looks. Had a Vox AC30 Top Boost back in the day (with the Alnico Blue speakers no less!). Phenomenal tones...and yes, VERY heavy.
Now, to get the most out of your new amp, try plugging in a Gretsch guitar. The tones will be awesome! If the combination worked for George Harrison, it's got to be good...
LOL, I have a 1976 Fender Twin Reverb that weighs 85 lbs stock.
I installed a pair of Electro-Voice SRO speakers, they weigh 15 lbs. each!
Heavy, very heavy amplifier.......it was also as loud as it was heavy......LOL
Nice AC15, we have one here and its been a great little amplifier, congrats.
omg.... you took us into the public! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Yep that’s the sound! Is that the greenback? Nice playing!
I've been truly enjoying your content, and your playing. I started playing again about 4 years ago. I started by collecting gear, and quickly realized that the rabbit hole went too far compared to the gear in the 90's when I first played. After a lot of research, I went with the Line 6 Helix. It gets me about 98% on every tone I try to emulate, and 100% amazing tone to gig with. I also play in a church, and that versatility was a big sale point, as well as not having to track cable problems when one of my 20 pedals had an issue. Just my two cents.
I’ve been almost exclusively an acoustic player for years, on a whim I picked up a Squire Tele and a spark amp and over the last year have fully embraced the electric. It’s slightly daunting though once you start having GAS, you’re very correct, all the “tone chasing” and choices just gets to be too much for me. I’m really interested in the helix, I was just searching them on reverb a bit ago. How do they work? Can you plug straight into one with a good set of headphones and use it that way? Or do they have to be played through an amp or monitors?
@@brettadkins7563 I have the Helix LT. I play through my studio monitors in my home studio, through my amp at most gigs, direct into PA at my church, and use headphones at home. If you have a basic knowledge of amps and effects, possibilities are limitless for 1/1000 the cost. There is also the POD Go that has the exact same amps and effects, just more simplistic, less buttons, and no xlr output.
i work in a guitar store if you play an es 335 or a fender strat or a vox they are such flexible and varietel amps for tones.
Funny story my first tube is a handwired vox ac15 and I brought it to my first interview which I drove an hour to get there lugged this 30kg amp up a hill, up stairs and when I got there I realised that I forgot the cable at home. However there was a cable there so I used that. The best thing, I didn't end up going to that university anyway.
Dang good review. Made my day big time. Haven't ever seen such a good review. Keep this up man please.
I love my AC15C1. Got it from a friend at church. Always loved Vox amps, so getting this one was a no brainer.
Glad you were open to giving it a go, and glad you came into the loving it mindset!
After years of going ampless with Strymon, Helix etc, I have come back to using amps and just the common AC15 and BluesJr in stereo. Sold the rest but still have an ACS1 as backup to do the Fender+Vox sound but I’m in love with tube amps again.
Great amp, is a classic, so many people usa it for a reason. I have the AC15HW and i love it...Very good decision!!!
A master volume is a great feature. It really sounded very nice.
Lots of people overlook Vox. Mine is 15 years old and is the hybrid ss/tube.
Its a lil beast.
It survived being underwater for 2 days
Oof the crunch from that top boost is *chef kiss*
I feel this sentiment. I was dead wrong. Vox. Let's all get one and change the sound.
If you want apartment friendly volume but without amp tone I suggest getting a Fryette PS2, it's the most extreme load box out there. It uses a bmvery different technology that certain special resistors and inductors as some reactive load boxes. It has something that reacts with your output transformer much like a speaker does. The end result is the most transparent load box I have come across. And also has a crazy feature, it has a 50 watt tube amp inside that uses a tube phase inverter. You can run straight through without the amp, or run your attenuated signal through the amp so you can use its crazy effects loop that's in between your amps output and the speaker. And also not only is an attenuator, you can use the 50 watt tube power amp to boost small amps but have them sound the same but louder. It's a real game changer.
If you think that’s heavy, wait until you upgrade to the AC30 lol. It has 2 handles, if that tells you anything.
For years I played a Gretsch 5120 with an AC15 and what was great about that setup was that new, it would cost you about $2k, but on the used market, I was able to get both for $900. I eventually upgraded to a vintage Gretsch 6120 (among many, many other things) and an AC30, but that setup is out of the average player’s price range.
That's awesome!
The 30 S1 has been calling to me forever. Maybe this year.
Love the stink face when the drive kicks in 😂
I used to carry a Fender Twin Reverb up 20 flights of stairs just to play 3 chords before returning it to my friend 10 miles from my apartment, in bare feet through snow drifts 4 feet high in a Wisconsin January. AC 15 heavy??? Ha!!
I found this video in my recommendations... just watched you review of this VOX amp. Very pleased by what I heard. I own a VOX V9320. Like yours, she's heavy. Sounds real sweet though. I subbed you.