VOX AC-15 vs AC-30
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- VOX AC-15 vs AC-30
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Amp Models - VOX AC15C1 and VOX AC30C2
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I have an AC30, absolutely amazing but that thing is heavier than my mother in law
Lmao I feel for you brother
If you can't afford a road case I find a dolly from like Lowes saves me some pain with my AC30.
I get it. I want one so bad. I used to have a Peavey 50 watt classic. GREAT sounding amp. It weighed 73 pounds.
I gigged with it. You turn it up to 2 and it’s too loud. I swapped it for a blues jr.
@@kellykent131 it’s definitely called an attenuator
@@justinTime077 I’ve heard about these, but in the case of the Classic 50, I don’t understand. If I have a master volume, and the gain is cranked where I want it, why do I need an attenuator?
Had the AC30, loved it but feel on hard times so I had to sell it. Then, when things picked up again I bought the AC15 and I like it FAR more than the AC30 I had. It has a better tone IMO and, doesn't weigh the same as my car HAHA! But both are fantastic amps! LOVE VOX!
dajzilla
You
Yep i have the voc ac 10 and I love the tone of my ten hooked it up ot a 12 inch cabinet and the tone is outstanding zi love the fact it isnt as touchy as the 30 is to dial in no matter where I put it sounds amazijng the only difference with the 10nis it doesnt have a boost channel but I have a tubescreamer so that does it for me no problem and when you turn the amp up witho ut thenpedal the louder you go the more gain it has so it really doesnt need a boost it gets pretty dirty up but either way judt an amazing tone
Well, both are sweeties. But because since my early teens I´ve adored the AC30´s, I´ll go for that one. Obsession? Yes. Logical? No.
My heros used them and so will I!
Brian May or The Beatles right cuz then same lol
The AC30 sounds warmer and fuller whereas the AC15 has more chime and bite. I suppose you can tweak eq's on either to get closer to one another.
I play weekly in a pubs with the Ac30 and LOVE it!! Its heavy but the boyz in the band alway help me lug it around ... Top blokes..Sometimes...lol Rock n Roll!!
I agree that the Vox amps really like single coil pickups... Strats and Tele's are such great guitars for the AC amps..
+TJ Nugent They also like P90s and Filtertrons.
+Kimon Matara Yes , playing a Les Paul with P90s thru a AC30C2. BEAUTIFUL MAN.
plugged a duesenberg in a ac10 I couldn't believe it, it was SO good...
hey mate. nice to hear an Aussie accent! cool video. unfortunately the one thing a youtube vid will never show is the difference between a 1X12 cab and a 2X12 cab .I own both the AC15C1 and the AC30C2X - there is no question which is the better sounding amp - the AC30C2X is bigger, louder, fuller, more dynamic, a bigger soundstage and most importantly... more richer harmonically.
price and weight are insignificant compared to tone!
Is it me or the AC15 sounds a lot clearer ?
& Sweeter,,,, Sir
No, it sounds clearer.
Maybe at these levels. The AC30 will destroy once it's potential is unleashed. Unfair comparison unless he put an attenuator on it. If he set the AC30 high it would of killed his family.
Could also be the mic is set better for the 15
I myself prefer the clarity of the ac15 sound s cleaner ,not a s muddy
Thanks for this. I've been trying to compare these two in local music shops, but I always feel weird cranking them enough to get a similar tone to what I'll be playing (I know a video still doesn't give the same, but it seems better). I like playing a lot of clean post-rock stuff (call me weird, but its what I like), and it seems the 15 will be better for me. I'll be running a Earthquaker White Light overdrive for my (pardon the c-word) crunchy stuff, and the 15 still seems the better choice.
@jlovinlummus Thanks. I'm a greenback fan, both of the amps have those :)
0:54 "I'm using the G&L Asshat Telecaster..."
You doggin' on G&L? Pftthh.
***** I have both Fenders and G&L's in my stable and no one who's ever played a G&L would rag on it. They equal anything Fender ever made.
he knows not what he says...
+1
You've come a LONG way Shane!
The AC30 just sounds so warm, without sacrificing any of highs. I'm a Gibson guy so that video actually showed me a lot about how my guitars would sound.
The tricky thing is that Brian May's father did a ton of modifications to his amps that remain secret to this day.
Been gigging for many years with an AC-15. Bought it because the bigger Vox is too heavy to cart around; it was okay when I was in big bands in Canada with roadies, but for gigs here in Ireland the smaller one is perfect. Mine has seven tubes and a tube rectifier and a gold bulldog speaker. Is that the same as the one in the video?
@pinksynth thanks for the nice comments mate :)
@Stratboy999 Yeah man, both are. They are really reliable unlike the 30-40 year old originals ;) Zero problems in terms of reliability. I use one or the other at least twice a week live and they are rocking
Bought the ac30 a couple years ago and quickly discovered it is NOT roommate friendly. In order to get the full time of the amp, I have to crank it up to a volume that I do t really mind but my roommates do. I am going to live with more roommates next year so I might let my dad hold on to it and go for an ac15 which may be better for achieving tone without having to blow the roof off the building.
Finally a Vox video where it's NOT someone doing strummy strummy stuff at max volume and marveling at the chime; my grandmother can do that in her sleep...
Excellent playing and tone; I had no idea a Vox could sound so good with those blues licks - BRAVO!!!
This gets my vote for best Vox video on the net.
BTW, I'll take one of each!
Problem with comparing the two at the same volume is that with tube amps there is a "sweet spot" on them at a certain volume because of how hard youo're driving the tubes. With the AC15, the sweet spot is at a lower volume than the AC30, and I think to a reasonably trained ear it's very noticable on this video. Really, the difference is that if you're playing small shows, you might not be able to hit the "sweet spot" on the AC30 without blowing away the PA. This is tube power, not Valvestate.
I watched a documentary on Vox not that long ago and it said in it that they had the AC15 and they were getting requests for more power, and to make a long story short they made the AC30, which was just 2 AC15's tied together, so they're eccentually the SAME amp so there really shouldn't be THAT much difference in tone except the AC30 would be a little louder .
Thanks for the comparison Sean, I would have to say that over the internet (for what that is worth) the Ac30 sounds like the AC15 with a packing blanket thrown over top it. However in a Rock Bar the extra meat of the 30 would probably come in handy, can't imagine needing more then the 15 in Pub, not without taking people's heads off.
AC30 has a rounder sound.
This video is actually really good.
But still, you can not beat testing them out yourself.
I agree with Erik Dodd, they're both good.
Just depends on what you're looking for and what sound you prefer.
15 watts tube really sounds like 50 watts solid state to me. An AC30 is gonna be a LOT for a bedroom, but it has a master knob on it, so you can keep it pretty quiet, but it has a LOT of headroom.
Part of the difference is in the 2x12 warmer sound... it's not the head... all 2x12 horizontal arrays will sound way warmer. The horizontal 2x12 has narrow dispersion side to side (counter-intuitive but this is 100% true) The 1x12 is most of the reason the AC-15 sounds more detailed and wonderful. The 1x12 disperses detail and nuance in all directions (to about 45 degrees off axis) The Deluxe reverb owes much of its great sound to its 1x12 speaker. (any quality speaker) The hot setup for stage would be an AC-15 with an extension cab VERTICAL array. The vertical stack disperses nicely to the sides for wide audience coverage, and projects with more volume to the back rows but does so on the vertical plane (acoustics 101) (kinda like an oval shaped light beam) Just some tech-geek info which I hope may enhance any guitarist's tone. BTW a 4x12 cab has the most focus and projection, (like a spot light) but the least dispersion to the sides, (again counter-intuitive) and best for large venue, not as good for small venue. If still not enough volume, always an option to mic the amp.
I've got to get my hands on a vintage AC30 one of these days. That's the Brian May sound right there!
Check out Rory Gallagher
I think both amps could sound identical, the AC30 is simply a bigger amp with more speakers - thus bass response is going to be more pronounced at the same setting. as the AC15. Everybody notices this with stacks playing large venues, you have to dial back the bass vs. what you were use to at practice volume levels.
The 30 has more mojo... The headroom really adds complexity and thickness to your tone... That said, Vox 30 watts is a lot of power and the amp is heavy and not as easy to move around... Nice demo Shane... Thanks!
I prefer the AC15, at least in the C1/C2 line. I think the effects loop takes away from the feel of the AC30. The 15 felt more direct/in your face to me, which is what I prefer.
I think this is the AC15C1 model, all tube with a solid state rectifier. The AC15VR is a hybrid amp, the VR stands for "valve reactor" which just means it has a tube or two in the preamp. If you really wanna cut through the mix and sound awesome go with the C1, you won't be disappointed!
The term a "lot" louder is somewhat overstated in this vid. The difference between the two in terms of volume is not that significant. The AC15 will start to clip a little earlier and will lack a little bit of bottom end but you can get more dirt out of it
@sokka06
i just bought an AC15C2 and it is signifacantly louder than the AC15 with one 12" speaker. same tone as the AC15 but bigger. still dosent sound the same as an AC30 though.
The AC30 sounds better thru the normal channel with the tone off, with a treble booster- yes, even playing clean...
I find the Vox ac15 better. He has more beautiful mids. Very cool!
Yeah, the 30 sounded a little bassy and muddy. The 15 had a higher pitched sound that I would think would cut the mix better.
Hey, a Vox user who's lefty like me. :-) *automatic like* lol I personally prefer the 15. Has this niceness I can't quite describe... but it's MADE for single coils. I use a Casino and it a perfect sound.
I've had the pleasure of using an AC15 a few times at shops and at a certain venue around here. It's at the top of my list.
People like you remind me why I need to move to England. :-P
I own an AC30 and I must admit, the AC15 sounds better, but I question the settings just a bit.
Bourne Accident Is the AC15 loud enough for WMC gigs?
Promoagent No clue.
Bourne Accident ok ta
But better is relative, right? To me at least on this demo the AC30 sounds better because it has more bottom, to me. ;)
TheRealHucasys I agree. What sounds great to one player might not sound so great to another.
Idk how to feel about the ac 30 in general as an amp, I'm more used to hi power stacks and I bought the ac 30 a while back but in comparison there's hardly any EQ control. So keep it in mind that you might need to buy an EQ pedal or mix it if mic'ed up. It's a good amp for blues, country, maybe classic rock, but anything heavier look at a different amp. Just trying to help but everyone has different taste, so try it out before making a decision.
The AC 15 was the amp I bought and wondered why the hell I didn't buy it in my early 20's!
@BCGadgets awesome thanks for the heads up. I hear a lot of good things about Mullard tubes! I'll check into it when the current set finally expire :)
Boy its hard to choose. The Ac 30 does sound smoother, fuller and more bass.
Owning more than 1 amp is usually more important than owning a bunch of guitars in my experience. Get a few good guitars and mix it up if you need to. For me, I love EL84 amps at times then I love the fender sound too so both keep me happy...oh and the Delta Blues hehe. :)
which speakers you got in that 30?
AC15 hits the sweet spot quicker at lower volume levels. That's the major concern between 2 EL84's vs four EL84's.
AC15s cost about £475 in you choose a custom classic range, if you want a vintage model they are much harder to find and prices can vary but are usually higher. Also the current versions tend to have more features and are far more reliable. I hope this helps :)
One isn't necessarily better than the other. It's entirely personal preference. Between the two, Vox is generally favored in the "clean, crunch, and blues" department (i.e. Beatles, Rolling Stones) and Marshall probably wins in a heavier overdrive and full blown distortion category (from Hendrix to Van Halen). Both brands make versatile pieces of equipment though, and neither will disappoint you.
yeah I agree I like some melody Alice in Chains/metalica Too Heavey For Me I Like Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and Beatles Stones? I do like Cream Zepplin Doors and Byrds?
Your blues playing and tone really kick ass.
I prefer ac 15's sound .. awesome direct sound i love it .
Tried the AC15 recently. This is a great demo, but actually hearing one live in the room was totally different to this. You really must try this amp for yourself. It's extremely playable and tactile. Very revealing. I found it easy to dial in a great tone with the on board eq. There's a lot of stuff going around about modding these. I can't see the need. Just tweak the controls to your taste. Also, give the stock speaker a chance to break in before jumping in and upgrading it and volume wise you don't need to worry! Very punchy amp.
great sounds from both. I prefer the ac15 at the specific volume. Congratulations.
Man, those tones are tasty. Vox with a tele, absolutely classic. Add an old dynacomp in the mix and you'd have total tonal nirvana.
Talk about an old video that keeps giving lol. I so want an AC30 but these types of tone comparisons make you wonder. Only drawback to the 15 is a lack of effects loop. But, with an amp that sounds that good, how many effects would you really need?
Great playing and an effective comparison! The 15 sounds much brighter, and the 30 seems to have more depth. I wonder if this is related to the speakers types/quantity or the difference in power tubes.
Deadset legend, great vid. Beautiful amps. Have one of each plus a 2x12 cab for the AC-15 to give it some extra balls
Fantastic demo. I know the AC30 sounds better for a band, but I really think the "in the box sound" and sparkle of the AC15 stands out better.
Here's everyone's answer to everything: save your money for a few months and buy an amp that will be better for years- buy the hand-wired version.
I've A/Bd both the 15 and 30 regular (with Alnico Blues) and hand-wired (with blues) versions. It's not even close. The standard amps sound much smaller, more plastic/cardboard, in comparison to the "hand-wired" amps, which have a much more full, rich, warm sound.
And while the greenbacks sound a lot better than the speakers they're replacing, the Alnico Blue makes more sense as it does have cleaner and fuller tone. They have master volume, so you can get the amp's overdrive if you really want it, or use a nice pedal. Speaker overdrive was never my thing, (as opposed to pre/power amp OD) and it limits how loud you can play clean. I'd rather have the better speaker.. if i was sticking with the regular ACs and not hand-wired.
Go with the AC15 Hand-wired. I've been playing shows for years, and if it's a smaller venue, the 15 will be fine. If it's a larger place.. they ALWAYS mic the amps anyway and tell you to turn the amp down due to stage volume muddying up the mix. The whole "larger amp for larger clubs" isn't really true.. at least in my experience. The Alnico Blue gives u a little more clean tone, so you CAN play clean louder with the AC15 if you want to.
The AC30 is a literal pain to carry around. Yea it's cool to have a super loud amp, but you'll quickly realize how painstaking and unnecessary it is to carry such a beast around, from the house to somehow getting it in the car... being careful not to break any tubes.. gently lifting it out, somehow lugging it into the venue, up the steps, onto the stage.. playing your gig and then doing the same thing all over again. Go with the AC15 Hand-wired. GREAT Tone, enough clean/OD volume, won't break the bank, won't break your back.
Thanks Bro this helped a ton appreciate your though on which one to choose
I agree completely. Even though the HW model is made in Vietnam, if one trusts Vox's QC (and warranty), AND if you have a reliable tech at hand, then i completely agree that the AC15HW is the way to go. The tone is just juicy and absolutely beautiful, with great clarity.
Yes totally agree re: size and weight of AC30. AC30's are for those who can afford to employ a roadie!
the handwired is a waste of money. electrons don't care that the circuit was put together by hand. the regular pcb one sounds just fine
everynameistaken567 no kidding about the electrons, but the amps definitely sound different due to their wiring and cabinet. Have you A/B'd them? The "hand-wired" is much better sounding. It's worth the money if you plan on keeping the amp for a long time.
Hmmm... The AC15 won it for me... Brighter and clearer. Thanks for the demo!
these are really nice amp :)
I'm actually debating between these two right now. I've owned the 15 before and loved it but after hearing this demo, the 30 sounds warmer. I mostly play gigs where I'm mic'd. Money is not the issue but the weight of the 30 is. What do you think? I'm torn!!
Orange amps aren't as well known for their clean tones, not when compared to Vox or Fender amps at least. But they have a killer overdrive sound. I do think Oasis uses Orange amps, so if you're trying to replicate their sound, give it a shot!
Solid comparison video. Thanks for this.
@jlovinlummus They sound equivalent to me, too, with the extra fullness of the 30 probably being due to the cabinet size. I like the tightness of the 15 better.
preamp tubes last longer but when you have to / want to replace them, there is a lot of info on the web comparing different versions of 12AX7s and other pre tubes. The stock tubes in most amps are probably not the best.
I love the AC30. It matches my sound preference
Love my ac 15 for recording. Sounds great at a reasonable volume
Both are wonderful''' Each Does The Job,, Thanks Great vid'''
VOX AC15C1 and VOX AC30C2
That Vox Amp is nice and so is your guitar playing!
I love my AC15c1 with the alnico blue. I AB it with my Super Reverb and get my blues on.
The ac15 definitely is brighter. The 30 seems to have greater low end touch, understandably so. I really dig them both but I tend toward shimmery sounding tones so I like the 15 better in this case.
Good demo thanks! I prefer the 15 even in a band context. The 30 is very heavy and bulky.
AC30 is better for Cleans to edge of breakup where as the AC15 is better for Overdrive. That's why it's always better to have both
AC30 has the higher headroom, and with these being recorded at the same volumes, the AC15's gonna break up earlier and sound rawer, an AC30 in halfpowered mode would've been a better match.
I like the ac15 more and legit, I don’t think you mention this on the video but I would say the ac15 has a blue back and the ac30 a greenback.. just based on the tone. Cheer
Thanks for answering the volume question.
If you haven't got a big head you don't need big headroom. Miked up through a PA is the way to get your tone out to the audience so a smaller amp will suffice unless you are playing Wembley Stadium.
The old sound with tubes, bulbes, 12ax7 pre, 6L6 power or perhaps EL34, small. The best sound ever!
they are el 84s
Goin to pick up the AC15 today or tomorrow. great video btw
AC15C1: the best and definitively the last ampli of my life
I have the AC30VR and it's a very very good sounding amp, more versatile than the AC30
I'm a novice and thanks for shedding some light in the matter!
Nice playing. Love your tone, great blues.
I bet the difference is in the speakers. Does the 15 have a Greenback and the 30 have a no name Celestion?
lets sum it up... They sound very voxy both, maybe AC 15 is more trebly and AC 30 has more bass. Real difference is wattage.. 15 watts, class A, and Alnico blue speakers are enough middle clubs if you dont insist on clean sound. 30 watts are enough .... well maybe you will need mic in Hyde Park. To me 15 is excellent... What does worth is changing stock things like tubes and speakers from greenback to cellestion
Hi Mr Shane. I am trying to find if I can get theThroaty bass end (Last E string + master EL 84 overdrive) authority from a ac 15, like the one I listen in this exemple (AC30): Miss ANNA CALVI "Rider to the Sea". Is it possible or should I have a AC30
Best regards from Azores. Obrigado for the amp demos.
Both AC's sound awsome, sick playing too, In this vid I like how the AC15 more than the 30... I own an AC30 and I think that for it to sound really good it needs to be at a louder volume setting... But both are good amps...
it just seems kind of pointless when you buy a variety of different amps that all get really unique tones but to each his own
They sound as if they were brothers, very similar. Maybe an EQ with more bass on the little brother and the difference would be minimal
Hey Shane. I'm having a real hard time deciding between these two. I'm worried the AC30 will be too loud for my home use!! If you could maybe do another comparison or let me know your opinions thatd be awesome.
I know with an ac30 i am gigging but I probably wont be going 100% (tubes sound better at higher vol) and at home I dont know how itll cope. But the thing with the 15 is I willbe playing clean live and I cant mic up all the time. :S
Hey Shane, I'm currently exploring AC15 amps; C1/C2 /Greenbuacks, Alnico Blue - what drive pedals do you like with the Voxes? So far I'm down to a Crowther Hotcake, OCD 1.3, BD-2, J. Rockett Touch Drive and a Vick Audio V-2 for distortion/RAT/Muff sounds. However, I'm not satisfied yet. I'm listening to Triangle Muffs through Voxes and their sound seems to work like gangbusters.
Also thinking about a Dumble-y drive to add a thicker midrange.
What do you think?
New amps. Not at all what the classic vintage sound is. Thanks for the video.
hey @intheblues, I just bought the Vox AC 15 VR. Could you talk more about this amp?
Have to admit to my ears the AC15 sounds sweeter although they both have a similar character. But I wonder if that has to do with volume.
great comparison video, cheers
I've owned both. I like the 15 a lot better.
nice demo, what settings are you using on the ac15?
15 sounded great but that breakup on the 30 was dripping honey out of the speakers! Helps that the gee-tar picker's sure can play!
Is the AC 15 loud enough to gig with?...the AC 30 looks nice but very heavy!
A better comparison would have been the AC15C2 with the AC30C2....both have the save reverb tray, and both have two 12 inch speakers.....the difference (that I see) being more headroom with the 30 watt amp
That was very helpful. Thanks!
i think that the price is the real factor for me and im not sure if id really need a 30 watt. it would be nice, but i would only go for the ac30 if i find a killer deal as opposed to ac15.
but it does sound like the 30 is restricting itself greatly at that volume. and its just screaming "take that master and turn it 3 rotations clockwise!" lol but a good demo. thanks