"I've got a 1961 AC30." Is a reasonable response to literally any critique. "You're not very good at backing up into parking spots, are you?" "I've got a 1961 AC30." "That's fair."
vox ac30 in brian may(or 3 ac30s centre dry two outside amps wet if your lucky to have the full bm) rig with treble booster, all tone controls fully off normal channel up full with chorus added in master up full red special replica an a sixpence.
I've got a 1959 Tweed Bassman which is like the opposite. Pushing it with a boost isn't as helpful as a good overdrive... the opposite is true with the AC30 so it depends on what you get used to and in what band. I was able to get my amp in the 90s because 1. the store didn't realize how original it acutally was. and 2. Living in Hollywood means you have access to Fender treasures before a lot of others do... not so with English Amps.
I used to have a 100w solid state Kustom amp and my mate an ac15. Mine sounded fine while playing alone in a room but in a band situation mine was mud the ac15 just cuts through in a great way.
Brandon Earley only just?!! Are you mad they are both seriously great guitarists....i see where you're coming from though I was listening to his technical brilliance on the pedals way before I realised how great he was on the guitar
Yeah I think the focus was so much on the tones and the pedals I didn't pay very much attention to his ability. You're right though. Both top guitarists.
Listen to the Grateful Dead! You don't know what you're missing. They are flawed but profoundly soothing. "The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean." Start with Europe 72, Live/Dead or American Beauty and thank me later!
@@Hansvonbartles I'm mostly thinking of tuning problems. Their vocals were out of tune far more often than you'd hear with most of the big touring bands. Plus guitars: I was listening to a live tape the other day, and after spending ages tuning up and getting everything "just exactly perfect", part way through the first verse of Promised Land one of the guitars was already out of tune! I still love them more than just about any other American band. :)
Never been a better time to play guitar: affordable yet good sounding amps and guitars galore plus loads of excellent free tutorials and tone information available (eg. That Pedal Show).
I had a bassbreaker 15 and it was garbage..had a super champ x2 and it was garbage...have a blues Jr III, tweaked it with a few choice upgrades and it's delightful, nothing like my silverfaces but it's a keeper nonetheless, dunno why people online hate on the bj so much, maybe I just got a good one
I recently bought a second hand blues jr tweed. I had such buyers remorse for the first couple of days until I turned it up a bit; and there it was. Nice little amp . . . and Pokey!
You guys do comparisons like this in such a methodical way that we can really learn from. I really don’t think it matters at all if you are ‘repeating’ comparisons that have already been done by others because yours are so much more informative
Thanks Andrew! We hope that the good viewers of UA-cam find shows/presenters that they connect with. So whether that’s us or somebody else - we just hope people are finding the stuff that inspires them to play more and sound better. Thanks for the kind words!
I own a Blues Junior and I'm in love. It's light and simple, all that i want. I set the volume at 9'5 to crunch but still being able to clean with the guitar volume and a Plexi-kind pedal, sounds great! It would be great to see the Catalinbread RAH in the show, i think it's a very interesting pedal.
I can get lost in all your videos however this has been one of the most useful to me. Mainly to confirm what I know. The Blues Junior really suits my style, my pedals and is versatile when it comes to swapping between HB's and single coil on stage. I know it was 6 years ago but thanks for making this video!!
Also! There's a recent rig rundown episode with Tosin Abasi that you guys might love! He's always been a champion of the axe fx, but he's basically ditched them for a Morgan and a huge Mick and Dan sized Pedalboard. It's a super cool video, really old school way of doing it. Seems like you guys are setting new (old) trends!
CodyMBB me as well! Started collecting pedals and getting a “pedal platform” amp. Dan and Mick have revitalized the pedal and amp tradition when I thought it was going to be lost to Kempers and Axe Fx’s
I saw Tosin Abasi live during the Generation Axe tour in 2016 and I'm not sure Dan and Mick could get into any of his music. He wasn't my favorite of the guitar players who were there. 8-string guitars and djent just aren't anything I care for.
when I worked at GC I was sure to use that amp for all pedal demos. It's platform was perfect and it showcased just how loud and versatile a 15W true tube amp could sing. That being said, I use a Palomino V16 as my main gigging amp and man, I couldn't be happier....swapped out my v2 preamp (distortion spot) with a 12AU7 to make it SUPER clean and I crank that master to about 3-4 o'clock....sounds fantastic and takes pedals beautifully. The Vox sounds a bit similar to it in this vid.
Here in 2020: Went into this video wanting a Blues Junior. Mid-point, I wanted a Bassbreaker. By the end I wanted the AC15. Can't afford any of them but, obviously, the only solution is what you said: I need all three! Can we all also give a huge shout out to Dan for his playing, and to Mick for his mad amp-sound setting skills!
Great show as ever boys! I myself own the 45 Bassbreaker combo (2x12) and it has attenuation built in so you can go from 1-45 watts and adjust the loudness and headroom at your pleasure, I highly recommend anyone who can to try it out! I live in a flat with neighbours above, below, left and right and I have yet to hear complaints of me being too loud... I am absolutely in love with it and it has become my almost exclusive and go to amp at home, band practice and studio/ live gigs! It has been 13 months so far and I am never letting go of it... P.S. To Mick and Dan and all of the subscribers: May you have a healthy, successful, and happy New Year filled with great joy and new experiences! I am looking forward to another year of Fridays and Tuesdays and maybe another day of the week as well (here's me hoping) filled with lessons, inspiration, great guests and fun hangs with my two favourite pedal freak buddies and all of the dudes and dudettes in the comment section below... May the Game of Tones never cease!!! Cheers from Croatia!
Nikola Brkljačić I tried the 45 with the intention of using it the same way as you but found it too loud for use at home, even at minimum power. I’d be interested to try running it into something like a 1*10 cab for home use to see if that helped. In the meantime I have the 007 which I absolutely love
Andrew Bentley The way I use it at my flat is as following: guitar cable in Both input, volume Normal around 15%, volume Bright around 10%, the power output at about 5-8 watts and then play with the EQ and the presence knob as you prefer... I mostly use a Fender Strat with the Volume pot at about 7 so I can sometimes boost it a little if I wanted to and a lot of different overdrive, distortion, fuzz and mod pedals in front of the amp. Mind you, it is loud but apparently, my loudest still turns out to be tolerable for my neighbours ( I have been living in the flat since age 1, started guitar at age 4 and now I am 30). I know that I might be blessed with the best neighbours around, but no one would tolerate 26 years of torture without at least speaking up just a little... Anyways Andrew, that is the way I set up the 45 at home ( hope it helps) cheers!
Funny how tone is so subjective. I purchased my BB45 after seeing Mick do a demo with Pete on the Anderton's channel. Hated it. Couldn't get a clean tone out of it. No bottom end at all - it's as though someone shelved off everything under 200hz; the attenuator is less than spectacular. Couldn't find a drive pedal that didn't make the amp sound harsh. BUT - in a wet/dry rig with a Blackface - absolute magic! Best tone I have ever achieved. Happy New Year.
I own the Bassbreaker 15 and I used to have a Blues Jr. I prefer the Bassbreaker personally. I have wanted to try an AC15 for a while. This video is perfect for us non gigging home noodlers!
@@ahmedsherbiny8952 I got two days ago, and after some experimenting, it does give me a great clean tone when the gain structure is set to medium with the gain at 9'oclock.
That Fender bassbreaker 15 covers a huge amount of styles and genres in one amp for a very reasonable price. And if you want to get heavy with it just plug it into a 2 x 12 sealed cabinet makes a HUGE difference....ps my friend is the LD for Noel G....I will "have a word"... ;)
Goes to show just how much personal taste counts. I've just swapped my Bassbreaker, which I used for 3 years, for a Blues Junior and I couldn't be happier. The Blues Junior for me does everything the Bassbreaker failed at, specially a beautiful clean sound at high levels and a more full-bodied sound with distortion pedals
Great vid fellas! I’ve gigged for a solid year with the Bassbreaker 15. It’s a not a clean pedal platform amp, which you guys caught on to. Where this amp shines (IMO) is setting it slightly crunchy as a dirty rhythm sound and then hitting it with a boosting pedal for leads. It really likes the J Rockett Archer which pushes upper mids through. Coincidentally, using a boosting pedal and rolling back the guitar’s volume gets me a “cleanish” sound. Happy New Year...cheers!
That amp rolls off better than any amp I've ever played. I don't think they got the best out of it here, it's capable of more. I play a lot of clean stuff, & my homebase was the middle gain stage, & roll off for glassy cleans. I sold my combo, but I found a really good price on a new BB head from a local shop ($500 ) & in today's supply chain inflated market, that's a steal. ($750 on Fender.com). I'm picking it up next week.
I agree with you guys that the Bassbreaker was miss marketed,I have the Bassbreaker 45 and it's a FANTASTIC pedal platform,sounds great with guitar and bass,and is loud as hell,so in that sense it's almost like an old Traynor amp with some more attitude.
The channel for everything Damn straight son. Word is that a couple of mods may be in the works for: 1) Footswitch control for the bright switch. 2) Ditto for the 3-way onboard gain structure.
Thank you for posting this three days after I was trying out all 3. I chose the AC15. Something magical happens when you turn up bass and treble on full and put the tone cut at noon.
I’ve always been a fender guy and looked down on vox for being made in china , well these models any way, but man I was so wrong. I got an ac 10 and now I’ll have an ac15 soon cus they are just bad ass. The sound is wonderful and it’s all that matters. Vox has their stuff together and put out such good stuff. I’d take an ac10 over a blues jr. ac 15 is not even close. Much better than the fenders
I have the AC15 greenback, the reverb has such a character in this amp, for me its unbeatable at the price point its at. I pair mine with my Blues Deluxe. Together they get a really wide sound, with the vox chime and the fender punch, both break up in a completely different way and it just makes an inspiring sound for me. All for not mega bucks!
Nice feedback. I'm thinking of an AC15 Alnico blue with my Fender Deville ML. Probably the AC30 is a better match but I also want a single amp option that is fairly easy to transport when required. Any thoughts on the sound combo?
This is just SO detailed. If I were looking to buy one of these - and agonizing over the choice- this video would be an absolute god send. As it happens I've owned all three. The only one I kept is the AC15. However, I loved that bassbreaker. I applaud Fender for always trying new things and doing something new. It seems to me that they have been trying for years to do a "Fender" amp that can also do high gain- and it just doesn't work. I'm glad they keep trying, but with all their various attempts - like the super sonic or the prosonic- or their vintage modern series- the desire to have one amp does that great Fender clean - AND - some sort of mid range rich classic gain just isn't going to happen. Still, the bassbreak is one of their bravest attempts yet.
Nice to see an amp I own on the show. I use the bassbreaker 15 on the lowest gain setting and set so that with my strat it's pretty clean unless I dig in really hard, but with my les paul it's over that edge of breakup. And Dan called it gold!
I will answer instead. Still have my Basbreaker 15, second set of tubes, still love it! These were awesome 6 years with this amp. @@dicecreamman1739, @MatzeMaulwurf
Bought an AC15 only today to go wet/dry with my Blues Junior, then discovered this video. I'll be doing something similar when I get home next week. Thanks for the headstart and the great work you do.
I have a Royal Blood Jnr and Bassbreaker 15 and I love them both. Can’t speak for the Vox but they have a certain sound you either like or you don’t. An important point is that the Bassbreaker is a great bedroom amp, the volume goes right down and sounds great, that can’t be said for the Blues Jnr and really you need pedals with it. The Bassbreaker has a lovely overdrive sound, I never put it in high gain mode though....
Have the Bassbreaker 15, and im using it mostly for a clean playng in my small bedroom. There he shines like a STAR. BUT, in a bigger room this mini beautiful amp starts to loose headroom for good cleans, especualy with a humbucker neck pickup(for strats its still ok). To get some better clean, you have realyyyyyy to crank it up to some neighboors un-frendly level. I think a Blues JR do not have that problem. I don know why is that so?
The Blues Jr. has the most dull sound, the Vox the most organic, and the Bass breaker sits perfectly in the middle. But even with my cheap headphones I can hear that hum that forced me to return it. Vox AC 15 for me it is
I have no words to express how amazed I am. The best of the best programs ever. Using a local saying, "To travel through the cosmos you don't need gasoline". That's how I'm feeling. In Haven. What a lesson (how to set amplifiers) you gave to us (at least to me) ... THANKS A LOT...
@@shelo0828 Second that! You can also run the XLR out to an IR/Cab sim unit to an interface or mixer, whatever - and have awesome headphone tones. You get the sound of the amp and yr pedals with the speaker sim of your choice. But on Sundays it's Bassbreaker & Blues Junior wet/dry day! Awesome small, portable w/d rig. Only quibble - the FX loop is noisy. I spent $180 getting mine fixed and retubed. Sounds a lot better, but the loop (and the reverb) is still a tad noisy. It's only a problem if the amp is running at higher gain so I can't run my mod/time based effects into the front, which is my preference. A Greenback or Creamback sounds amazing in this amp.
recently purchased a fender blues junior not too long ago and it has quickly become my favorite amp. It's honestly all i need with my mini pedalboard. Decided to pull the plug after watching your video on "getting more from your blues junior" multiple times a day and especially after Mick's volume trick with the compressor.
I agree about the PRS comment. But your insight on using two 15 watt amps is very good. I've done the dry/wet thing to great success with two 15 watt amps. A Blues Junior and a Crate, which I always forget the name of for some reason.
Thank goodness you finally settled it . Britts prefer British amps! Lol. Seriously though it did prove one thing and that is an amp is an individual choice and in this day and time there are really good amps in all price ranges and wattage. How I love them and wish I had money, space and time for them all. You guys are so deserving and fortunate to do what you do. Keep pedaling!
I own a Blues Jr III Amethyst. The Celestion A type speaker the amp comes with really opens up the tone of that circuit. The bass is way more full and tight and is sweeter in the treble. I use an OCD as well as a Dirty Little Secret for crunch. My go to fuzz is a Walrus Audio Jupiter V1. The amp easily handles all of these pedals and doesn’t fall apart at all. Your average Blues Jr really need a speaker swap to sound its best to me. Loved the video and keep up the awesome work guys!
Superb episode! Hurrah! 👏 👏 👏 absolutely cements it for me, Vox AC15 and Blues Jr (with Jensen)... then a Blues Deluxe Reissue in a few years just because!
Great show! I agree on the two amp thing, especially wet-dry as you guys have taught me, thank you very much. FYI, Joey Garcia is a somewhat obscure roadie for The Ambivalent Nappers, whereas most of us know and love Jerry Garcia.
William Smothers 😂 Holy Shit! I laughed way too hard at this. Also, Dan says, "we don't like reggae," very quietly after that "why no Grateful Dead" explanation. I find that many people that don't care for the Dead, or Jerry Garcia, haven't heard Hooterole or any of his work with Merl Saunders. And with the Dead, they've only heard the radio stuff, or some Bootleg where they do long jams, when they actually have a lot of Bluegrass, Country and even some 50s to early 60s influences. I was a hater for a long time, until Workingman's Dead, and some of American Beauty.
Yes, I heard and laughed at Dan's understatement as well. I dated a beautiful young girl in my '20s who turned me on to the Dead. What a great body of music.
@@CorbCorbin exactly! I recommended 1973 with Merl up top.. I swear if they would check out the complete keystone, we would be watching an ongoing monthly Garcia rig building special. But seriously, Jerry was such a deep and funky dude, musically speaking.
I've been wanting one for a while, but I keep hearing about Fender amps malfunctioning due to some type of flaw in the reverb circuit. It's kept me from taking steps toward buying one.
I got one of the FSR models with the Greenback and it is one smoking amp. Amazing clean tone and awesome drive! Look at some of the FSR models, I got mine for the price of a regular at a local shop brand new.
That was awesome! Just bought a '52 Reissue 2010 Tele and looking for an amp to pair it with. Obviously went straight to Vox/Blues Junior comparison. Stymied by the options but I learnt a heap of stuff. Well done!!
Got a DS1 for Christmas. On its own very mid scooped and a little fizzy. Ran it into the OCD in lp mode with the gain off and turned the level on the DS1 down so the OCD wasn’t compressing, just tone shaping and it sounded great!
BJamin4God I also got a DS 1 for Christmas. I have the tone knob dialed in at 10 o clock and the gain on half and I use to turn down the volume on my guitar. By doing that I get really nice vintage gain sounds. It's the only pedal I use with my AC 30
Since your teaching me about wet/dry (which, I've not found anything that immediately improves tone as much in 48 years of guitar playing) I've come up with my own variation I call Wet/Dry-AF. The dry is a Roland JC-40 with no reverb or chorus and its EQ is adjusted to be a narrow envelope (presently low-mids) depending on what the wet amp is missing. It's so good I play for hours just listening to chords ring out. Note definition is plain astounding. Wonderful.
It sounds great on UA-cam but people need to experience it in the same room. It took my breath away the first time I heard it and just got better as I tweaked it. Does way more than boutique amps actually. I have a very very very good, relatively expensive spec'd Dumble clone. Up until wet/dry I never felt I'd gotten my money's worth. Was considering selling it. Now I'll never part with it. As close to my "perfect tone" as I think I'll ever get. Good job, Pedal Guys!
I use an Empress ParaEq EQ Pedal upstream of the dry amp. This lets the wet amp be whatever it's most comfortable at EQ-wise and then I can adjust the dry amp for different set amps. The dry solid state Roland has the advantage of its tone not changing appreciably with volume so it fits with 15 or 50 watt amps.
I can't believe that it took all the way until now to realize I had my pedal board backwards. What a eureka moment when I saw the Thorpy Veteran. I have had the Hudson Electronics "Gospel bomb" going before the Anologman "Sunface 2N 527 with the 1974 Texas Instruments germanium". I thiought that they just never worked together. Saw that pedal and went directly to my board and swtitched it. Fuzz into the treble boost. I have been missing out. What a sound. I am forever learning and continually humbled. Also I know you guys love that Hudson Broadcast, if you haven't had a chance to try the rest of their line up I strongly recomend it. Great products. Especially when you put them in an appropriate order. Lol Keep doing what you are doing. It is appreciated.
Hiya Phil, I can't see any good reason for a 10-20 watt head. The failing here of all the amps featured in this vid is low end headroom. The only fix I know of is in the Bassbreaker 30. Even the venerable AC30 or the Deluxe Reverb Reissue barely cuts it there as a single, stand alone amp. That evolved gain staging in the Bassbreaker 30 with substantially more low end headroom than any 10-20 watt amp ever made makes that amp actually deserve being a separate head, and it switches down to 18 watts if and whenever needed. 15 watts just either sounds thin or breaks up way too soon with anything close to "warm" or "full bodied" tone... and it will BARK! The only amp under 30 watts I know of that handles decent low end at even low level gig volumes is the Marshall 2525C, and that may be because they chose to underpower 2 x EL34s. 2 x EL84's? Meh.
@@phill2840 Understood and agreed. Tonal preferences are all valid since they are subjective. My point was that it is unlikely that most musicians would always prefer that tone just as it was noted especially by Dan in this video as a negative attribute. With most modern amps coming with "step down" attenuation of one sort or another, it seems far wiser to have an amp with sufficient wattage for decent headroom, that can switch down if one wants that loose low end or shelved off bass response. I recently bought a Monoprice 1/15 Watt 1x12 combo which is OK for basic practice and amazing for the price actually, but I'd want two of them for a gig. I don't know if they'd sell very well as a head. Hmmm they might as a stereo version :D
I am amazed that every time I listen to this again. I end up flipping between Ac15 and blues Jr. Just goes to show tone preference is not only subjective by person but also by day for us undecideds 😅
I'm thinking that the AC15 is the only amp you could gig with, unless you're relying heavily on the monitors. It seems to have the most headroom. It also has the nicest reverb, IMO. Thank you for the comparison video. I think you could do the same kind of thing with some common mid-wattage amps, such as the Deluxe Reverb, Hot Rod Deluxe, AC30, JTM45, etc., though it may be harder to narrow down the choices.
@New Level Coding Yeah, you can gig with anything. If I remember right (this was 4 years ago), the AC15 was the only one that I would personally gig with based on my experience of how loud I need to be to be as loud as the drummer on stage.
I am pretty much a traditionalist and love Vox amps, but man that bassbreaker sounds good...i really cannot understand how is it that you guys didnt like its gain sound, its beautiful! Happy new year everyone!
It’s a fun sound, but I think Dan’s dislike of it is similar to his dislike of most sounds of that nature - they’re pretty much unusable in a band. Too squashy, too quiet, not enough cut in the right frequencies. But as you say - a lot of fun in isolation! Cheers!
That Pedal Show well thats true, also the sound you guys are hearing in the room is probably uncomparable to what youtube reproduces..makes sense..cheers buddy!
I bought my Bassbreaker 15 Head and matching 1x12 cab last year for home recording purposes. I absolutely love it! I use the XLR output daily (sim off). I almost bought a vox instead but opted for the versatility of the fender. The harmonic gain sounds I get are incredible. And it’s perfect for blues, which is what I play. I do wish it had spring reverb, but with the effects loop built in I plan on adding a quality tank later. I’m in love with this amp and will never get rid of it. I will say that I hope to own a vox one day as well. @thatpedalshow rocks!! Love you guys. Happy new year!
Yeah, I'd say the Tele needs a re-fret (1:03:51). Those aren't frets anymore, they're inlays! :P Great episode guys... especially as I'm looking at getting a Vox AC15 soon. :)
I’ve had a Blues Junior and did all the mods to it. With the speaker upgrade and mods it really transforms the amp. But with the amount of money you have to put into it you have to consider whether or not just to buy a higher grade amp. I think a lot of people who are disappointed with the Blues Junior are really expecting something more like to sound like a Deluxe or Princeton and that’s completely a different circuit.
I completely agree. I had a Blues Jr and considered all the BillM mods. I paid $350 Canadian for a used Blues Jr. Then I walked into the local music store and there was a USA Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for $450 ( used). I bought the Deluxe and compared the two....... sold the Jr the next day. The Jr is a great amp, just didn't have the bottom end I like, and the Deluxe has a beautiful velvety bottom end!!
AC15 in my humble opinion is the most versatile of the amps put on show, but still really nice. I’d probably pass on the Bassbreaker. The AC gives you the classic vox chime, normal, clean, tone cut, etc.
FX Loop, DI Out + Silent DI are all included on the BB15, the others don't have any of those features. So application versatility is a field that the BB15 leads in. I liked all three, even before this video, but I chose Bassbreaker 15 in the end for my applications and I've come to learn the ways to get a whole range of tones that I doubt the others could manage.. I'll prolly pick up a s/h Vox along the way but I'm in no rush as my Selmer 8 rocked the old classic Brit combo tones, and will again once I replace all the 55 year old capacitors... ;^)
Just another awesome show! So cool that you can move so seamlessly between boutique stuff (which I simply despise) and attainable rigs that are easily affordable while also awesome. Another brilliant video and I'm really thankful!
Great video guys! I own the Bassbreaker 15 and always wondered how it stacked up against these other two specifically! To my ears I think I own the right amp! Although I play the amp primarily in low and mid gain stages, the high gain with the bright switch off is the best gain sound any Fender amp has ever produced! For live shows I plug into a Bassbreaker 1x12 extension cab and it works very well. I agree that any of these amps may struggle volume wise with a loud band, but for my live applications it's perfect...
Thank you guys soooo much for that helpful video! Besides getting my Fender AmPro Telecaster next year I'm going for the blues junior or the Vox AC 15. It's going to be a guitar filled 2018 with a lot of amp testing to do!
Just get them all.. I use an AC30C2, 68 Princeton Reverb Custom, and a Marshal DSL40C. Playing all 3 at once drives the wife nuts, but damn that wall of sound is amazing. I toss in my Thorpy Muffroom Cloud (thanks to you guys) and... man... it sounds like I overdubbed a few tracks.
I had this predicament earlier in the year. It was a toss up between the AC15 & Bassbreaker, the Blues Jr wasn't even on my radar as I was looking for something dirtier. The Bassbreaker was just too fizzy for my liking. The AC15 really benefits from swapping out the reverb tank. I swapped mine for one from TAD with a shorter decay. Beautiful!
I had a Blues Jr and found it shrill and thin. Sold it and bought a Blackstar Artist 15 which I much prefer. Goes from chimey and clear to rich and warm. Loves pedals too. Awesome video as always. Thanks so much guys.
Great setup and comparisons, the switching rig really helps keep things moving. I'd liked to have seen a bit more play with the Les Paul across the entire selection but I'm a LP guy mostly.
Blackstar HT20 MKII slays them all and has a 2 watt mode for bedroom bliss. Plus it has a global master volume that does not affect the tone when turned down. I have a BJ Ltd also with the CRex speaker which is quite nice when cranked a little but The Blackstar is in a league of its own! 2 sweet cleans and 2 great OD tones, you won't be sorry and it sounds huge. If you will only play bedroom and small jams get the HT5 MKII, I have that one also and it is very nice watch the demos.
You all say that “those amps aren’t meant to handle all that gain” and I agree 100%. However, it’s that raggedy, coarse gain structure that I love. Then, I hit it with a blues driver, and it makes it all the more raggedy, without sounding like a metal ish amp.
Please pretty please! Can you guys please do a video on the Princetons? I so wish you included the 65' reissue in this video! There aren't enough good videos of those amps and you guys would own it! Thanks so much for another great video!
Few years ago I went looking for a Fender style amp and ended up being torn between the Blues Jr and '65 reissue Princeton. Ended up with the Princeton. Clean when you want it to be, and grungy, farty, flabby overdrive when you need that in your life! Pairs up well with my Maz 18 too!
I'd second that request for a bit on the Princetons. I love my 65 reissue. I'd like to learn how to use the EQ that doesn't have a mid knob, and how to use dirt pedals with it . . . I don't understand how the mid-scooped nature of the Princeton mixes with various kinds of dirt . . . like do you have to get pedals that have more mids? Thanks for your vids . . . I always look forward to Fridays, and I watched this whole one even though I'm not in the market for an amp.
Princeton’s and Vox’s are my favorite amps thus far in my experience with gear! Should include the AC15 in the Princeton video! I’d love to see a good comparison! I feel they’re in the same market (though the Princeton is a little more $$).
Watching in 2024. Between the Blues Jr and the AC15 I have to hand it to the Vox. I did not care for the Bassbreaker. I’m looking for my first tube (valve) amp and this video is very helpful
Please would you guys do a video on frequencies? Also the pedals that “enhance” them and maybe the best way to set the EQ on your amps/pedals. Thumbs up if its a good idea
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"I've got a 1961 AC30." Is a reasonable response to literally any critique.
"You're not very good at backing up into parking spots, are you?"
"I've got a 1961 AC30."
"That's fair."
vox ac30 in brian may(or 3 ac30s centre dry two outside amps wet if your lucky to have the full bm) rig with treble booster, all tone controls fully off normal channel up full with chorus added in master up full red special replica an a sixpence.
thats me happy ac30 is better than ac15 period. nice amp ac15 not loud enough ac30 is better.
I've got a 1959 Tweed Bassman which is like the opposite. Pushing it with a boost isn't as helpful as a good overdrive... the opposite is true with the AC30 so it depends on what you get used to and in what band. I was able to get my amp in the 90s because 1. the store didn't realize how original it acutally was. and 2. Living in Hollywood means you have access to Fender treasures before a lot of others do... not so with English Amps.
😂
That should be on a t-shirt actually!
Six years later and this is still the best comparison across these amps. Thank you!
With my headphones on, the AC15 is my preference. The frequencies cut through so well. I love it!
I used to have a 100w solid state Kustom amp and my mate an ac15. Mine sounded fine while playing alone in a room but in a band situation mine was mud the ac15 just cuts through in a great way.
I have literally been watching these guys for a year and am just now realizing how great of a player dan is.
Brandon Earley only just?!! Are you mad they are both seriously great guitarists....i see where you're coming from though I was listening to his technical brilliance on the pedals way before I realised how great he was on the guitar
He's a great player overall, but his sense of what to play, with what equipment, is uncanny. Is that understandable?
nick Cooper Yes, I did this as well. He knows how to dial in tone brilliantly, but also the right thing to showcase the tone he dials in.
Yeah I think the focus was so much on the tones and the pedals I didn't pay very much attention to his ability. You're right though. Both top guitarists.
Its great to come back to these older episodes and re-enjoy. Even better now that I have a Blues Junior.
Thumbs up if you think Mick masterfully tweaked the E.Q on the fly to give each amp its fullest potential.
Thank you!
That Pedal Show bought a bass breaker 15 and have been screen shoting the eq settings. You guys rule!
Agreed but for some reason the Blues Jr sounded like crap at 10:00 compared to the Bass Breaker and I normally prefer the sound of the Blues junior.
After watching Lee Anderton it's a blessed relief!
@@philclarke7712 "So everything's at about... eh, 12 o'clock."
1:40
Mick: People ask us why we haven't done anything on the Grateful Dead...
Dan: I'm not into reggae
+Musical Gear & Tackle hahahaha ;)
Musical Gear & Tackle most epic tps quote
Listen to the Grateful Dead! You don't know what you're missing. They are flawed but profoundly soothing. "The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean." Start with Europe 72, Live/Dead or American Beauty and thank me later!
@@czgibson3086 the boys were never flawed, clean yer earz out!
@@Hansvonbartles I'm mostly thinking of tuning problems. Their vocals were out of tune far more often than you'd hear with most of the big touring bands. Plus guitars: I was listening to a live tape the other day, and after spending ages tuning up and getting everything "just exactly perfect", part way through the first verse of Promised Land one of the guitars was already out of tune! I still love them more than just about any other American band. :)
Never been a better time to play guitar: affordable yet good sounding amps and guitars galore plus loads of excellent free tutorials and tone information available (eg. That Pedal Show).
Those Bassbreakers are super underrated. Fantastic little amps.
I'm sure they'd be more popular if they weren't so damn ugly.
@@jorgenvandeburgt8670 Wouldn't we all!
Just kidding!
I had a bassbreaker 15 and it was garbage..had a super champ x2 and it was garbage...have a blues Jr III, tweaked it with a few choice upgrades and it's delightful, nothing like my silverfaces but it's a keeper nonetheless, dunno why people online hate on the bj so much, maybe I just got a good one
Underrated? They've sold a gazillion of these things all over the world!
I bought an AC15C1 partial because of your "Can Vox take pedals" vid, and this just confirmed it was the right choice. Keep up the excellent work!
Soon i would be, hope I make the right decision
I recently bought a second hand blues jr tweed. I had such buyers remorse for the first couple of days until I turned it up a bit; and there it was. Nice little amp . . . and Pokey!
You guys do comparisons like this in such a methodical way that we can really learn from. I really don’t think it matters at all if you are ‘repeating’ comparisons that have already been done by others because yours are so much more informative
Thanks Andrew! We hope that the good viewers of UA-cam find shows/presenters that they connect with. So whether that’s us or somebody else - we just hope people are finding the stuff that inspires them to play more and sound better. Thanks for the kind words!
I own a Blues Junior and I'm in love. It's light and simple, all that i want. I set the volume at 9'5 to crunch but still being able to clean with the guitar volume and a Plexi-kind pedal, sounds great! It would be great to see the Catalinbread RAH in the show, i think it's a very interesting pedal.
Do the heat of the tubes of blues jr can affect the components?
I can get lost in all your videos however this has been one of the most useful to me. Mainly to confirm what I know. The Blues Junior really suits my style, my pedals and is versatile when it comes to swapping between HB's and single coil on stage. I know it was 6 years ago but thanks for making this video!!
........and finally from me.........owning a BB15, I am now getting a Vox AC15, and running them together..........WHAT A SOUND! 😍😎👍
The decision fatigue is real
Yep, so is This listeners…
Also! There's a recent rig rundown episode with Tosin Abasi that you guys might love! He's always been a champion of the axe fx, but he's basically ditched them for a Morgan and a huge Mick and Dan sized Pedalboard. It's a super cool video, really old school way of doing it. Seems like you guys are setting new (old) trends!
CodyMBB is it any coincidence that once TPS blew up, Tosin Abasi and Misha Mansoor both switched to traditional amp and pedal rigs? ;)
Travis McCulloch very well could be. They've certainly cost me some money over the last year or so hahahahaha.
CodyMBB me as well! Started collecting pedals and getting a “pedal platform” amp. Dan and Mick have revitalized the pedal and amp tradition when I thought it was going to be lost to Kempers and Axe Fx’s
I saw Tosin Abasi live during the Generation Axe tour in 2016 and I'm not sure Dan and Mick could get into any of his music. He wasn't my favorite of the guitar players who were there. 8-string guitars and djent just aren't anything I care for.
The medium channel on the Bassbreaker 15 is just awesome. My bandmate uses this amp and Im so jealous!
Messed with it at GC and found the middle setting to sound delicous.
when I worked at GC I was sure to use that amp for all pedal demos. It's platform was perfect and it showcased just how loud and versatile a 15W true tube amp could sing. That being said, I use a Palomino V16 as my main gigging amp and man, I couldn't be happier....swapped out my v2 preamp (distortion spot) with a 12AU7 to make it SUPER clean and I crank that master to about 3-4 o'clock....sounds fantastic and takes pedals beautifully. The Vox sounds a bit similar to it in this vid.
Here in 2020: Went into this video wanting a Blues Junior. Mid-point, I wanted a Bassbreaker. By the end I wanted the AC15. Can't afford any of them but, obviously, the only solution is what you said: I need all three!
Can we all also give a huge shout out to Dan for his playing, and to Mick for his mad amp-sound setting skills!
Great show as ever boys! I myself own the 45 Bassbreaker combo (2x12) and it has attenuation built in so you can go from 1-45 watts and adjust the loudness and headroom at your pleasure, I highly recommend anyone who can to try it out! I live in a flat with neighbours above, below, left and right and I have yet to hear complaints of me being too loud... I am absolutely in love with it and it has become my almost exclusive and go to amp at home, band practice and studio/ live gigs! It has been 13 months so far and I am never letting go of it...
P.S. To Mick and Dan and all of the subscribers: May you have a healthy, successful, and happy New Year filled with great joy and new experiences! I am looking forward to another year of Fridays and Tuesdays and maybe another day of the week as well (here's me hoping) filled with lessons, inspiration, great guests and fun hangs with my two favourite pedal freak buddies and all of the dudes and dudettes in the comment section below... May the Game of Tones never cease!!! Cheers from Croatia!
Thank you for the kind words and wishes! We like the 45 too - in fact we should get ours back, it’s in Simon’s studio! :9)
Nikola Brkljačić I tried the 45 with the intention of using it the same way as you but found it too loud for use at home, even at minimum power. I’d be interested to try running it into something like a 1*10 cab for home use to see if that helped. In the meantime I have the 007 which I absolutely love
007 for days!
Andrew Bentley The way I use it at my flat is as following: guitar cable in Both input, volume Normal around 15%, volume Bright around 10%, the power output at about 5-8 watts and then play with the EQ and the presence knob as you prefer... I mostly use a Fender Strat with the Volume pot at about 7 so I can sometimes boost it a little if I wanted to and a lot of different overdrive, distortion, fuzz and mod pedals in front of the amp. Mind you, it is loud but apparently, my loudest still turns out to be tolerable for my neighbours ( I have been living in the flat since age 1, started guitar at age 4 and now I am 30). I know that I might be blessed with the best neighbours around, but no one would tolerate 26 years of torture without at least speaking up just a little... Anyways Andrew, that is the way I set up the 45 at home ( hope it helps) cheers!
Funny how tone is so subjective. I purchased my BB45 after seeing Mick do a demo with Pete on the Anderton's channel. Hated it. Couldn't get a clean tone out of it. No bottom end at all - it's as though someone shelved off everything under 200hz; the attenuator is less than spectacular. Couldn't find a drive pedal that didn't make the amp sound harsh. BUT - in a wet/dry rig with a Blackface - absolute magic! Best tone I have ever achieved. Happy New Year.
only 2 minutes into the video, but I already have to say: Thank you, as always, for including the vox! Merci beaucoup :)
I own the Bassbreaker 15 and I used to have a Blues Jr. I prefer the Bassbreaker personally. I have wanted to try an AC15 for a while. This video is perfect for us non gigging home noodlers!
I tried a Bassbreaker 15, one of the best sounding and versatile amps I have played. Super clean to ultra dirty
Phil Hood does the bass breaker produce sparkling clean sound? Cause all the videos on utube show a gritt punch to it even at the low gain setting.
@@ahmedsherbiny8952 I got two days ago, and after some experimenting, it does give me a great clean tone when the gain structure is set to medium with the gain at 9'oclock.
@@davidcheon2582 It can do the Vox thing at that medium setting. Bright switch on, treble down.
It’s a shame about the digital reverb though, which always sound fake. With a spring reverb tank it would be unbeatable.
I love how you can see Mick playing in the reflection of the Thorpy Veteran. Great shot!
Entirely planned. Ahem....
This is the first time I've likes the sound of a Blues Jr.
That Fender bassbreaker 15 covers a huge amount of styles and genres in one amp for a very reasonable price. And if you want to get heavy with it just plug it into a 2 x 12 sealed cabinet makes a HUGE difference....ps my friend is the LD for Noel G....I will "have a word"... ;)
....and now I want a 2x12
Goes to show just how much personal taste counts. I've just swapped my Bassbreaker, which I used for 3 years, for a Blues Junior and I couldn't be happier. The Blues Junior for me does everything the Bassbreaker failed at, specially a beautiful clean sound at high levels and a more full-bodied sound with distortion pedals
Great vid fellas! I’ve gigged for a solid year with the Bassbreaker 15. It’s a not a clean pedal platform amp, which you guys caught on to. Where this amp shines (IMO) is setting it slightly crunchy as a dirty rhythm sound and then hitting it with a boosting pedal for leads. It really likes the J Rockett Archer which pushes upper mids through. Coincidentally, using a boosting pedal and rolling back the guitar’s volume gets me a “cleanish” sound. Happy New Year...cheers!
That amp rolls off better than any amp I've ever played. I don't think they got the best out of it here, it's capable of more. I play a lot of clean stuff, & my homebase was the middle gain stage, & roll off for glassy cleans. I sold my combo, but I found a really good price on a new BB head from a local shop ($500 ) & in today's supply chain inflated market, that's a steal. ($750 on Fender.com). I'm picking it up next week.
I run a Strat through a Suhr Riot into an AC15, and you CANNOT get the smile off my face! It sounds awesome!
Dan's one liners were on point in this video:
"I've got a 1961 AC30"
"I'm not into reggae"
Legendary.
Great episode. Happy new year and thanks for all you do. As the guy from t-Rex said, you're educating people and you're the nicest guys in the world.
I agree with you guys that the Bassbreaker was miss marketed,I have the Bassbreaker 45 and it's a FANTASTIC pedal platform,sounds great with guitar and bass,and is loud as hell,so in that sense it's almost like an old Traynor amp with some more attitude.
The channel for everything
Damn straight son.
Word is that a couple of mods may be in the works for:
1) Footswitch control for the bright switch.
2) Ditto for the 3-way onboard gain structure.
The channel for everything
Thats the 15W combo. Idk does the 45W have the bright switch?
Matt Gilbert It has a bright channel but not a bright switch,it's like an old Plexi
Thank you for posting this three days after I was trying out all 3. I chose the AC15. Something magical happens when you turn up bass and treble on full and put the tone cut at noon.
Wow, that Vox chime sounds so great, really sets it apart from the other two. Ac15 for me, love it...
Vox killed the two Fenders with gain. Jr was harsh and I don't like it period.
Yep it was better in every way with every guitar
They are great
I’ve always been a fender guy and looked down on vox for being made in china , well these models any way, but man I was so wrong. I got an ac 10 and now I’ll have an ac15 soon cus they are just bad ass. The sound is wonderful and it’s all that matters. Vox has their stuff together and put out such good stuff. I’d take an ac10 over a blues jr. ac 15 is not even close. Much better than the fenders
I have the AC15 greenback, the reverb has such a character in this amp, for me its unbeatable at the price point its at. I pair mine with my Blues Deluxe. Together they get a really wide sound, with the vox chime and the fender punch, both break up in a completely different way and it just makes an inspiring sound for me. All for not mega bucks!
Nice feedback. I'm thinking of an AC15 Alnico blue with my Fender Deville ML. Probably the AC30 is a better match but I also want a single amp option that is fairly easy to transport when required. Any thoughts on the sound combo?
The blues junior really shines when you crank the master and use the volume as a main volume. Sounds weird I know.
This is just SO detailed. If I were looking to buy one of these - and agonizing over the choice- this video would be an absolute god send. As it happens I've owned all three. The only one I kept is the AC15. However, I loved that bassbreaker. I applaud Fender for always trying new things and doing something new. It seems to me that they have been trying for years to do a "Fender" amp that can also do high gain- and it just doesn't work. I'm glad they keep trying, but with all their various attempts - like the super sonic or the prosonic- or their vintage modern series- the desire to have one amp does that great Fender clean - AND - some sort of mid range rich classic gain just isn't going to happen. Still, the bassbreak is one of their bravest attempts yet.
Nice to see an amp I own on the show. I use the bassbreaker 15 on the lowest gain setting and set so that with my strat it's pretty clean unless I dig in really hard, but with my les paul it's over that edge of breakup. And Dan called it gold!
It's like a surprise Christmas gift getting a new episode during the holiday week! Thanks, guys
+Jonathan Zuzio you’re very welcome :)
Proud owner of a Bassbreaker 15. Won't ever let go.
So, five years later and the amp is?
Answer please. Thank you.
I will answer instead. Still have my Basbreaker 15, second set of tubes, still love it! These were awesome 6 years with this amp. @@dicecreamman1739, @MatzeMaulwurf
Bought an AC15 only today to go wet/dry with my Blues Junior, then discovered this video. I'll be doing something similar when I get home next week.
Thanks for the headstart and the great work you do.
I have a Royal Blood Jnr and Bassbreaker 15 and I love them both. Can’t speak for the Vox but they have a certain sound you either like or you don’t. An important point is that the Bassbreaker is a great bedroom amp, the volume goes right down and sounds great, that can’t be said for the Blues Jnr and really you need pedals with it. The Bassbreaker has a lovely overdrive sound, I never put it in high gain mode though....
All true. My BB15 is my bedroom amp, and the DI XLR out to cab sim (NOT the amp's which is crap) into my mixer is great for headphone practice.
Have the Bassbreaker 15, and im using it mostly for a clean playng in my small bedroom. There he shines like a STAR. BUT, in a bigger room this mini beautiful amp starts to loose headroom for good cleans, especualy with a humbucker neck pickup(for strats its still ok). To get some better clean, you have realyyyyyy to crank it up to some neighboors un-frendly level. I think a Blues JR do not have that problem.
I don know why is that so?
Such integrity. Neither of them faked an orgasm when they kicked in the D&M Drive.
These are people i can trust!
The Blues Jr. has the most dull sound, the Vox the most organic, and the Bass breaker sits perfectly in the middle. But even with my cheap headphones I can hear that hum that forced me to return it. Vox AC 15 for me it is
I have no words to express how amazed I am. The best of the best programs ever. Using a local saying, "To travel through the cosmos you don't need gasoline". That's how I'm feeling. In Haven. What a lesson (how to set amplifiers) you gave to us (at least to me) ... THANKS A LOT...
Thank you sir, glad you found it useful!
I have a bassbreaker 15 and absolutely love it!! I use it as my "Living Room" amp. Great sounds at low volume!!
Hey Buddy, can make a good sounds in lower volume that you can still hear the strings acoustically? Planning to buy bassbreaker 15. Thanks!
@@shelo0828 you sure can!! Great amp!!
@@shelo0828 Second that! You can also run the XLR out to an IR/Cab sim unit to an interface or mixer, whatever - and have awesome headphone tones. You get the sound of the amp and yr pedals with the speaker sim of your choice.
But on Sundays it's Bassbreaker & Blues Junior wet/dry day! Awesome small, portable w/d rig.
Only quibble - the FX loop is noisy. I spent $180 getting mine fixed and retubed. Sounds a lot better, but the loop (and the reverb) is still a tad noisy. It's only a problem if the amp is running at higher gain so I can't run my mod/time based effects into the front, which is my preference.
A Greenback or Creamback sounds amazing in this amp.
I always have a good time with the Blues Jr. when I use one. Still haven't bought one myself though.
ACs tone cut knob can get rid of the annoying chimey top end. With that, that amp wins
At 35:50...those chords are what I hope for in every amp demo. Thanks Dan!!!
Mick instantly playing over Dan talking was Conedy gold
We try to please. Timing is every
Thing
recently purchased a fender blues junior not too long ago and it has quickly become my favorite amp. It's honestly all i need with my mini pedalboard. Decided to pull the plug after watching your video on "getting more from your blues junior" multiple times a day and especially after Mick's volume trick with the compressor.
"I've got a 1961 AC30." hahahahahhahahaha
I've got the blues......
...junior
@JpY So you own a Fender Sonic
"so just a new body, new neck... new pickups..." :D hahaha // "15 watts doesn't allow you a lot of clean headroom"
+Corporations8MyBaby cheers mate, yep, with any tone, context is everything ;)
I agree about the PRS comment. But your insight on using two 15 watt amps is very good. I've done the dry/wet thing to great success with two 15 watt amps. A Blues Junior and a Crate, which I always forget the name of for some reason.
Thank goodness you finally settled it . Britts prefer British amps! Lol. Seriously though it did prove one thing and that is an amp is an individual choice and in this day and time there are really good amps in all price ranges and wattage. How I love them and wish I had money, space and time for them all. You guys are so deserving and fortunate to do what you do. Keep pedaling!
YAY I asked for this awhile ago, so happy it happened. This is even better than I’d hoped for
The vox is just such a different kettle of fish!
Outstanding! Interesting how the BB added low end, the BJ mid , and the AC the high and conjoining them with the Strat brought it all together.
Mick: Where do you think that reverb is set?
Dan: In hell
Banter like this is just one of the many reasons I love this channel
I own a Blues Jr III Amethyst. The Celestion A type speaker the amp comes with really opens up the tone of that circuit. The bass is way more full and tight and is sweeter in the treble. I use an OCD as well as a Dirty Little Secret for crunch. My go to fuzz is a Walrus Audio Jupiter V1. The amp easily handles all of these pedals and doesn’t fall apart at all. Your average Blues Jr really need a speaker swap to sound its best to me. Loved the video and keep up the awesome work guys!
IMHO the best way to use a Blues Jr is put the master at 12 then volume at 1.5 or 2 /3 for gigs EQ bass at 5 treble at 4 mid at 4 reverb to taste
Superb episode! Hurrah! 👏 👏 👏 absolutely cements it for me, Vox AC15 and Blues Jr (with Jensen)... then a Blues Deluxe Reissue in a few years just because!
Paused at 3:59 to write this... Get Noel on the show!!!
I love my Blues Jr. Nice pallet of tones and still has the balls to cut through, either clean or gritty. Best all around 15 watt for not too much $
That upside down strat sounded amazing at the end as well.
I recently decided between the blues jr and an ac10.. played through both live and LOVE the AC10!!!
+BMJ nice ;)
Great show! I agree on the two amp thing, especially wet-dry as you guys have taught me, thank you very much. FYI, Joey Garcia is a somewhat obscure roadie for The Ambivalent Nappers, whereas most of us know and love Jerry Garcia.
William Smothers 😂 Holy Shit! I laughed way too hard at this. Also, Dan says, "we don't like reggae," very quietly after that "why no Grateful Dead" explanation. I find that many people that don't care for the Dead, or Jerry Garcia, haven't heard Hooterole or any of his work with Merl Saunders. And with the Dead, they've only heard the radio stuff, or some Bootleg where they do long jams, when they actually have a lot of Bluegrass, Country and even some 50s to early 60s influences. I was a hater for a long time, until Workingman's Dead, and some of American Beauty.
Yes, I heard and laughed at Dan's understatement as well. I dated a beautiful young girl in my '20s who turned me on to the Dead. What a great body of music.
@@CorbCorbin exactly! I recommended 1973 with Merl up top.. I swear if they would check out the complete keystone, we would be watching an ongoing monthly Garcia rig building special. But seriously, Jerry was such a deep and funky dude, musically speaking.
Beardogyup
I was just listening,to some of that, a week or so ago. Awesome music, he made with Merl and even a few Jerry Garcia Band albums.
@@CorbCorbin yes! so cool to hear! Really is special type of feeling hearing those sounds. Absolutely agreed! Cheers to you, friend!
Great stuff, chaps, really useful. And I don't think I've ever seen Dan frown and shake his head so much in a video!
See, now I want a Bassbreaker 15.
GET ONE
I've been wanting one for a while, but I keep hearing about Fender amps malfunctioning due to some type of flaw in the reverb circuit. It's kept me from taking steps toward buying one.
Yeah I don't use that Reverb, it hums as you turn it up.
It's not the greatest design, but if you use pedals, it's a winner.
I got one of the FSR models with the Greenback and it is one smoking amp. Amazing clean tone and awesome drive! Look at some of the FSR models, I got mine for the price of a regular at a local shop brand new.
Got mine from Andertons two weeks ago. It's amazing and takes pedals really well. Epic grunt for rock tones.
That was awesome! Just bought a '52 Reissue 2010 Tele and looking for an amp to pair it with. Obviously went straight to Vox/Blues Junior comparison. Stymied by the options but I learnt a heap of stuff. Well done!!
Got a DS1 for Christmas. On its own very mid scooped and a little fizzy. Ran it into the OCD in lp mode with the gain off and turned the level on the DS1 down so the OCD wasn’t compressing, just tone shaping and it sounded great!
BJamin4God I also got a DS 1 for Christmas. I have the tone knob dialed in at 10 o clock and the gain on half and I use to turn down the volume on my guitar. By doing that I get really nice vintage gain sounds. It's the only pedal I use with my AC 30
Since your teaching me about wet/dry (which, I've not found anything that immediately improves tone as much in 48 years of guitar playing) I've come up with my own variation I call Wet/Dry-AF. The dry is a Roland JC-40 with no reverb or chorus and its EQ is adjusted to be a narrow envelope (presently low-mids) depending on what the wet amp is missing. It's so good I play for hours just listening to chords ring out. Note definition is plain astounding. Wonderful.
We LOVE this Jeff. You have embraced wet-dry exactly how it works ‘best’. Nice!
It sounds great on UA-cam but people need to experience it in the same room. It took my breath away the first time I heard it and just got better as I tweaked it. Does way more than boutique amps actually. I have a very very very good, relatively expensive spec'd Dumble clone. Up until wet/dry I never felt I'd gotten my money's worth. Was considering selling it. Now I'll never part with it. As close to my "perfect tone" as I think I'll ever get. Good job, Pedal Guys!
I use an Empress ParaEq EQ Pedal upstream of the dry amp. This lets the wet amp be whatever it's most comfortable at EQ-wise and then I can adjust the dry amp for different set amps. The dry solid state Roland has the advantage of its tone not changing appreciably with volume so it fits with 15 or 50 watt amps.
Also needs to be said that you cannot hear two amps. You hear one splendid amp.
What would be a good cheapish wet/dry combination?
I run a streamline Gretsch into vox ac15. I love it.
I can't believe that it took all the way until now to realize I had my pedal board backwards. What a eureka moment when I saw the Thorpy Veteran. I have had the Hudson Electronics "Gospel bomb" going before the Anologman "Sunface 2N 527 with the 1974 Texas Instruments germanium". I thiought that they just never worked together. Saw that pedal and went directly to my board and swtitched it. Fuzz into the treble boost. I have been missing out. What a sound. I am forever learning and continually humbled. Also I know you guys love that Hudson Broadcast, if you haven't had a chance to try the rest of their line up I strongly recomend it. Great products. Especially when you put them in an appropriate order. Lol
Keep doing what you are doing. It is appreciated.
Nice one! Glad you had a revelatory moment. They’re still happening for us all the time. Thanks for watching!
If only Fender would release the Blues Junior and Hot Rod Deluxe in head versions...
Pro Junior as well.
@@mattgilbert7347 yeah
Hiya Phil, I can't see any good reason for a 10-20 watt head. The failing here of all the amps featured in this vid is low end headroom. The only fix I know of is in the Bassbreaker 30. Even the venerable AC30 or the Deluxe Reverb Reissue barely cuts it there as a single, stand alone amp. That evolved gain staging in the Bassbreaker 30 with substantially more low end headroom than any 10-20 watt amp ever made makes that amp actually deserve being a separate head, and it switches down to 18 watts if and whenever needed. 15 watts just either sounds thin or breaks up way too soon with anything close to "warm" or "full bodied" tone... and it will BARK! The only amp under 30 watts I know of that handles decent low end at even low level gig volumes is the Marshall 2525C, and that may be because they chose to underpower 2 x EL34s. 2 x EL84's? Meh.
@@enorbet2 maybe some like that 'loose' sound ;)
@@phill2840 Understood and agreed. Tonal preferences are all valid since they are subjective. My point was that it is unlikely that most musicians would always prefer that tone just as it was noted especially by Dan in this video as a negative attribute. With most modern amps coming with "step down" attenuation of one sort or another, it seems far wiser to have an amp with sufficient wattage for decent headroom, that can switch down if one wants that loose low end or shelved off bass response. I recently bought a Monoprice 1/15 Watt 1x12 combo which is OK for basic practice and amazing for the price actually, but I'd want two of them for a gig. I don't know if they'd sell very well as a head. Hmmm they might as a stereo version :D
I am amazed that every time I listen to this again. I end up flipping between Ac15 and blues Jr. Just goes to show tone preference is not only subjective by person but also by day for us undecideds 😅
You have to train your ear, & that wouldn't happen.
I'm thinking that the AC15 is the only amp you could gig with, unless you're relying heavily on the monitors. It seems to have the most headroom. It also has the nicest reverb, IMO. Thank you for the comparison video. I think you could do the same kind of thing with some common mid-wattage amps, such as the Deluxe Reverb, Hot Rod Deluxe, AC30, JTM45, etc., though it may be harder to narrow down the choices.
i think it greatly depends on how clean you want your sound.
I gig and rehearse with mr Bassbreaker 15 combo all the time. The matching speaker cab makes it really great.
@New Level Coding Yeah, you can gig with anything. If I remember right (this was 4 years ago), the AC15 was the only one that I would personally gig with based on my experience of how loud I need to be to be as loud as the drummer on stage.
I am pretty much a traditionalist and love Vox amps, but man that bassbreaker sounds good...i really cannot understand how is it that you guys didnt like its gain sound, its beautiful! Happy new year everyone!
It’s a fun sound, but I think Dan’s dislike of it is similar to his dislike of most sounds of that nature - they’re pretty much unusable in a band. Too squashy, too quiet, not enough cut in the right frequencies. But as you say - a lot of fun in isolation! Cheers!
That Pedal Show well thats true, also the sound you guys are hearing in the room is probably uncomparable to what youtube reproduces..makes sense..cheers buddy!
Just run all three... wet dry wet, baby!
I bought my Bassbreaker 15 Head and matching 1x12 cab last year for home recording purposes. I absolutely love it! I use the XLR output daily (sim off). I almost bought a vox instead but opted for the versatility of the fender. The harmonic gain sounds I get are incredible. And it’s perfect for blues, which is what I play. I do wish it had spring reverb, but with the effects loop built in I plan on adding a quality tank later. I’m in love with this amp and will never get rid of it. I will say that I hope to own a vox one day as well. @thatpedalshow rocks!! Love you guys. Happy new year!
Awesome! Happy new year to you too!
Yeah, I'd say the Tele needs a re-fret (1:03:51). Those aren't frets anymore, they're inlays! :P
Great episode guys... especially as I'm looking at getting a Vox AC15 soon. :)
I’ve had a Blues Junior and did all the mods to it. With the speaker upgrade and mods it really transforms the amp. But with the amount of money you have to put into it you have to consider whether or not just to buy a higher grade amp. I think a lot of people who are disappointed with the Blues Junior are really expecting something more like to sound like a Deluxe or Princeton and that’s completely a different circuit.
I completely agree. I had a Blues Jr and considered all the BillM mods. I paid $350 Canadian for a used Blues Jr. Then I walked into the local music store and there was a USA Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for $450 ( used). I bought the Deluxe and compared the two....... sold the Jr the next day.
The Jr is a great amp, just didn't have the bottom end I like, and the Deluxe has a beautiful velvety bottom end!!
AC15 in my humble opinion is the most versatile of the amps put on show, but still really nice. I’d probably pass on the Bassbreaker. The AC gives you the classic vox chime, normal, clean, tone cut, etc.
Add a Rat & you’re good to go
Hey you haven't delivered me those pizza rolls you promised
You have to comment on my webzone to get a pizza roll.
FX Loop, DI Out + Silent DI are all included on the BB15, the others don't have any of those features. So application versatility is a field that the BB15 leads in. I liked all three, even before this video, but I chose Bassbreaker 15 in the end for my applications and I've come to learn the ways to get a whole range of tones that I doubt the others could manage.. I'll prolly pick up a s/h Vox along the way but I'm in no rush as my Selmer 8 rocked the old classic Brit combo tones, and will again once I replace all the 55 year old capacitors... ;^)
Didn't Mike and Jay kill you?
Just another awesome show! So cool that you can move so seamlessly between boutique stuff (which I simply despise) and attainable rigs that are easily affordable while also awesome. Another brilliant video and I'm really thankful!
+Nathan Montover you’re very welcome :)
I really liked the pro junior and ac30!!
Great video guys! I own the Bassbreaker 15 and always wondered how it stacked up against these other two specifically! To my ears I think I own the right amp! Although I play the amp primarily in low and mid gain stages, the high gain with the bright switch off is the best gain sound any Fender amp has ever produced! For live shows I plug into a Bassbreaker 1x12 extension cab and it works very well. I agree that any of these amps may struggle volume wise with a loud band, but for my live applications it's perfect...
Thank you guys soooo much for that helpful video! Besides getting my Fender AmPro Telecaster next year I'm going for the blues junior or the Vox AC 15. It's going to be a guitar filled 2018 with a lot of amp testing to do!
Just get them all.. I use an AC30C2, 68 Princeton Reverb Custom, and a Marshal DSL40C. Playing all 3 at once drives the wife nuts, but damn that wall of sound is amazing. I toss in my Thorpy Muffroom Cloud (thanks to you guys) and... man... it sounds like I overdubbed a few tracks.
I have a fender bassbreaker special edition blonde with a Greenback it’s my favorite purchase ever
I couldn’t help but smile when you snuck in that South Park tune.
I had this predicament earlier in the year. It was a toss up between the AC15 & Bassbreaker, the Blues Jr wasn't even on my radar as I was looking for something dirtier. The Bassbreaker was just too fizzy for my liking. The AC15 really benefits from swapping out the reverb tank. I swapped mine for one from TAD with a shorter decay. Beautiful!
I had a Blues Jr and found it shrill and thin. Sold it and bought a Blackstar Artist 15 which I much prefer. Goes from chimey and clear to rich and warm. Loves pedals too.
Awesome video as always. Thanks so much guys.
Great setup and comparisons, the switching rig really helps keep things moving. I'd liked to have seen a bit more play with the Les Paul across the entire selection but I'm a LP guy mostly.
Blackstar HT20 MKII slays them all and has a 2 watt mode for bedroom bliss. Plus it has a global master volume that does not affect the tone when turned down. I have a BJ Ltd also with the CRex speaker which is quite nice when cranked a little but The Blackstar is in a league of its own! 2 sweet cleans and 2 great OD tones, you won't be sorry and it sounds huge. If you will only play bedroom and small jams get the HT5 MKII, I have that one also and it is very nice watch the demos.
Mick: "All respect to dead fans". Quite right you should respect dead people!!! And live ones!
You all say that “those amps aren’t meant to handle all that gain” and I agree 100%. However, it’s that raggedy, coarse gain structure that I love. Then, I hit it with a blues driver, and it makes it all the more raggedy, without sounding like a metal ish amp.
bassbreaker 15 of course
William Li Great for Davey G. toan
A well done comparison… one of the best I’ve seen!
Please pretty please! Can you guys please do a video on the Princetons? I so wish you included the 65' reissue in this video! There aren't enough good videos of those amps and you guys would own it! Thanks so much for another great video!
Yes we will. Next price point up, so we’ll do something similar with Princeton level amps. Cheers!
Awesome! You guys are the best. Thanks for all your fun but hard work on your content. We're all pretty spoiled!
Few years ago I went looking for a Fender style amp and ended up being torn between the Blues Jr and '65 reissue Princeton. Ended up with the Princeton. Clean when you want it to be, and grungy, farty, flabby overdrive when you need that in your life! Pairs up well with my Maz 18 too!
I'd second that request for a bit on the Princetons. I love my 65 reissue. I'd like to learn how to use the EQ that doesn't have a mid knob, and how to use dirt pedals with it . . . I don't understand how the mid-scooped nature of the Princeton mixes with various kinds of dirt . . . like do you have to get pedals that have more mids? Thanks for your vids . . . I always look forward to Fridays, and I watched this whole one even though I'm not in the market for an amp.
Princeton’s and Vox’s are my favorite amps thus far in my experience with gear! Should include the AC15 in the Princeton video! I’d love to see a good comparison! I feel they’re in the same market (though the Princeton is a little more $$).
Watching in 2024. Between the Blues Jr and the AC15 I have to hand it to the Vox. I did not care for the Bassbreaker. I’m looking for my first tube (valve) amp and this video is very helpful
Please would you guys do a video on frequencies? Also the pedals that “enhance” them and maybe the best way to set the EQ on your amps/pedals. Thumbs up if its a good idea