Grab and go amp

Phrasemaker

Phrasemaker

New member
Been invited a number of Jam sessions at a small venue at short notice lately. Didn't take long to realise I was a bit thin on grab and go options where I can walk into the venue with a guitar case in one hand and an amp in the other, then simply plug and play. Got this little Vox AC10C1 yesterday, so far highly impressed with it. I'll flesh out this to a fuller review as I get better acquainted with it.

Vox.jpg
 
Nice. That's a cool finish on that Strat too. I hate Strats, but that one's one of the nicest I've seen.
 
Phrasemaker, do you have any other Vox amps? Curious how the AC10 compares to the AC15 outside of the wattage, etc. Does the 10 have the normal and top-boost channels?d
 
Cool. Those ten watt Voxes have been on my radar screen though I haven't been motivated enough to try one out yet. Mic it up and post some tones.
 
Hello Tim,
Nice looking amp. I looked on youtube for some samples but most of the players pushed the gain so I didn't like what they were demonstrating. Post a clip soon.
 
rayc said:
Hello Tim,
Nice looking amp. I looked on youtube for some samples but most of the players pushed the gain so I didn't like what they were demonstrating. Post a clip soon.
Click to expand...

Hey ray, that distorted guitar on my tune is (as far as I can remember) the LP via my 4W Vox baby stack via SM57. Hardly high gain madness, but not too bad for what it is... :)
 
It's been a busy weekend, sorry it's a short clip I'll record some more when I can get a little more time. This is an SG, a Vox AC10, guitar lead, a mains cable and a pair of mics on a tripod into an R24. Amp Gain 9 O'clock, Volume 12 O'clock, Reverb 10 O'clock, bass and treble set 12 O'clock. Ray, I'll record a wider range of sounds asap. Greg, I realise you are not into strats, made me smile that you like the finish, that picture doesn't do it justice, this one does.



Pulled the amp apart Just to get an idea of what's what, takes just a few minutes. Some folks seem to be swapping tubes and speaker, probably not for me as this is what it is, grab and go to small venue jam. Maybe I'll try a 10" Greenback in there if I get curious, The Celestion gold is too deep, things are tight once the chassis is in. I have other options for recording and bigger rooms so no need to go on a quest. It is top boost only, a single channel. To be fair it's quite rounded and doesn't take my face off like a H&K through a V30. Damn easy to carry, balances a guitar in the other hand just right.

Thanks, I'll be back with more......

custom Shop D.jpgVox 1.jpgVox 2.jpg
 
Thanks Robus, I reckon with more thoughtful mic placement and a few tweaks of the dials I can get it a bit better, might be useful for a bit of proper recording. I can just hear one of the EL84's has a slight filament rattle on lower notes which are allowed to sustain. It doesn't bother me as it's never going to be heard alongside anything else. If it gets any louder I'll slip a matched pair of JJ's in. Used it for the first time out of the house last night. I was doing my good deed and filling in with a Gospel group rehearsal, amped pianist 5 mic'd vocalists and a drummer and keyboard. The little Vox cut through really well, tonally very easy on the ears. It was really pleasant just getting a guitar in a case and the amp out of the car and walking into the venue, connecting the mains supply and guitar, tuning then playing no fuss. Really chuffed with it.
 
Yes Ray, I'm really happy with it and have discovered that this little combo I bought as something to give a reasonable sound for small jams does way more. I swapped out the tubes for Cryo treated JJ's then played it for a couple of days and am really surprised how it good it sounds. Plugged into a 2x12 it has a massive sound, it also takes effects extremely well, I've been tinkering with a Zoom G5 through it and it's a very useful combination. The best bang for the bucks I've encountered in a very long time.

All the best

Tim
 
Even better now it's played in due to taking it out at least once a week and cranking it up. No problems to report, I swapped the stock EL84's for a set of cryo treated JJ's and the small amount of tube rattle has totally gone. I've read of others swapping the speaker but to be honest now it is broken in there is no aspect of the tone that even puts it on my radar. The biggest feature for me is that I can play it at home and still get sweet tones without having to crank it. Not like the FSR blues Jnr with rex speaker I got just after the Vox which needs to be loud to reward the ears properly.
 
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