The Greatest Vox Amp You Haven't Heard Of - Ask Zac 69
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- Опубліковано 8 бер 2021
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I have tried to be a Vox guy for years; buying and selling them over and over and never finding the right one. I had to come to the point of giving up when a friend let me borrow his 1964 Vox AC10, and I finally found the tone I had always been looking for. In this episode, I discuss probably the least known of the JMI era amps, going through its specs and tube layout, and why in many ways it is the perfect Vox design.
The making of the Vox cab video by Kyle Bollendorf of Vintage Wood Workshop.
• Building a Custom Vox ...
Amazon link
Vox The JMI Years (The Ultimate Vox Book) amzn.to/3qo9lSs
Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.
Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 amzn.to/3bWYb1M
Pick:
Danocaster Medium
Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.
Effects used:
Boss RV-2 Reverb on the "Plate" setting. #askzac #voxac10 #telecaster
The ‘57 sounds unbelievably great through that amp and cab, like it was meant to be! Enjoy and thanks for trusting me with this project!
Thank you so much, Kyle!!!! Beautiful work.
Loved watching you create those finger joints. The sort of woodworking that is getting rare these days. Your finishing and details made it complete.
I LOVE a good restoration story. If you can bring a great amp back to life, well, there's hope for all of us. :)
Our wives are trying to restore us!!
My first amp back in 1969 was a Vox Cambridge. It was a better amp than I realized back then, but we all wanted bigger amps so we could destroy our hearing more quickly.
Pardon?
Stay free, S m. R 🍻 👂 😎
EH?!
My first amp was a '64 Super Reverb ... which I STILL have! Sorry. What'd you say ... ?
Same. I had a 1x10 Cambridge as my 1st tube amp. With a couple pawnshop Hagstroms and a DOD classic fuzz I could approximate any 60s sound I wanted. I horse traded up to an early 70s twin and hated the weight.
I remember reading a Joe Walsh interview years ago where he was talking about guitar and amp combinations and he described Teles and Strats into Voxes as “instant success”. I agree! Great video.
Agreed
I just read a comment from someone who saw Joe Wash playing through TWO Super Reverb amps, two Vox AC30 amps likely would have sounded great too, but different - Walsh's playing it didn't matter?
Oh my. This is one for the ages. Love the back story and the amp sounds killer. The fact that the amp was far from original actually added to the appeal. Talk about resurrecting an amp and making it even better than it was before. That custom cabinet is a beautiful creation and you know that sonically it lifted that amp to new heights. Great episode, Zac. You continue to amaze and inspire us all. Be sure to let us hear that amp again from time to time.
Thank you, Will.
You are one of the few guys out there who really stays on point, and not just in love with yer own voice, which makes your videos so watchable (some more than once). Out of curiousity I searched UA-cam for any live gigs you played on but only found a few captured with bad audio on IPhones. Just seeing you noodle, I can see you have chops and would love to see any video of you playing live. BTW - one video - tho audio was not good, revealed you have a real good voice. Happy supporter here.
That was a very informative episode! Great tone there. I had a modern China made AC 10 but sold it. It tended to break up a little too early for me in a giggling situation unless I was solely playing a blues gig. I much preferred the modern AC 15 because it produced more headroom that I needed. I would definitely love to play a vintage circuit like that vintage AC 10. What a great looking amp! That’s a masterful job on the cabinet. I’ve subscribed to the Vintage Wood Workshop channel. So glad for you Zac. You deserve it.
Thanks for the compliment and sub!
Amazing story and amazing work. Great video on a great project Zac. Killer tone.
Thank you Zac. Learned alot from you today. I too am a huge Vox fan but never considered AC 10.
Thank you
Great video Zac! I was just playing through my late '62/early '63 AC10 twin today! I had a '63 AC30 rear panel topboost for twenty years and loved loved loved that amp. But it was just a museum piece for much of it due to its ridiculous weight and volume. After selling it and searching for a few years I found this AC10 up here on the west coast of Canada for 2 thousand bucks! Scooped it and it's just a fantastic Vox. I recently found a pair of Elacs for it after searching for three years. They actually sound great, but I will swap out for something that can handle more than 4 watts(ridiculous)! My amp already had the input mod done before I bought it and I added a bright car to the amp so that I can get a little more top end out of the normal channel which I do like for rhythm stuff(suggested by Hugh Price). I'd like to try the Celestion Golds, but I know they are not Blues so I'd probably be disappointed and they'll add a lot of weight. Enjoy that amp and can't wait to see and hear more! Cheers
Absolutely fascinating video!!!! Thought I knew about VOX amps!!! Phew!! Learned so much here!! I'm fortunate to own an early 60's "Copper top AC 30 Super twin" owened it since 1968! Also a "grey panel" mid 60's AC 30 combo amp with "Silver speakers" owned since 1974!!! Both great amps! Cheers from England!!
I am a huge fan of Vox and finally bought an AC15. All the chime and grind I was missing is there. Mid range cuts through like no other. It’s also one of the loudest 15 watt amps I’ve owned. I gig it on the regular. Great video, Zac!🇺🇸🎸
Right on!
Thanks Zac! So, decades ago in my Vox phase, it wasn't my ears that were the problem, or my lack of skill squeezing out "The Vox Sound" I could never get!
Great video! I was a total Vox-o-phile when I was 14-15 years old. (1964-65.) My first good amp was a Thomas Organ-made Cambridge Reverb that I got new in 1966. I joined my first good band in ‘67 with that amp and a Vox Phantom XII guitar. The amp sounded good, but it didn’t have enough power to cut through the other guys’ Fender Bassmans and Pro Reverb! They made me trade it in on a Fender Bandmaster, and I had to borrow the money from my dad to make up the difference. The biggest problem was the Phantom XII guitar, but that’s another story...
Same story here. Now I would just mic the Vox and not bother with a big amp.
Great video as always, Zac. Your ears are right with regard to "It's Only Love." Per the photographic record, the Beatles went back to using two AC30s during the recording of Rubber Soul.
That's my favorite Beatle album! Very cool!
That. Is. KILLER! I took this past year to get into the specifics of electric guitar gear, and I think I'm solidly a Vox guy, esp. after hearing the tones in this amp.
Thanks Zak, wonderful!! A Vox story: in Chicago, a gtr player friend Jeff King started a band in the '80s, Loose Lips. The main singer, Richie Mayer, played a hardtail Strat through an AC 30. My friend played a modded Strat of his own design with a Deluxe for leads and a Super for rhythm. OMG I heard that Strat/AC 30 and fell in love, and immediately went and found a 1960 w/o Top Boost, which I still own and love. Richie heard me playing my Strat with my AC30 one day, and he came over and yelled at me to turn the tone controls "all the way off", and he was right! Try it. I also had to mod the amp, adding a fan, because the power tubes kept blowing up because they were so hot.
Any problems with the EF-86 channel (I assume you have it?) going microphonic - the reason they designed it out...?
Great video and story! I have an AC10C1 reissue. It's the black and tan with JJ tubes and Creamback speaker. I stumbled on it used for $180 (US). I heard it and could not get out of there with it fast enough. I thought for sure the guy was going to change his mind. The new ones have reverb but no trem. I absolutely love it! It's not restored vintage, but sure does sound awesome.
I have a VOX AC 10 made 3 years ago and it is amazing!
I have one too. My first amp was a 1966 Cambridge. Very similar.
People are making videoes saying the Vox AC10C1 sounds better than a Princeton Reverb!?
So pleased you got what you wanted Zac - and Vintage Woodwork have done a superb job.
Don’t forget the Vox AC2 ... smallest and rarest in the range - back in the day.
I’ll send you a photo on Instagram.
I'll go look!
Another great video. I love the way you amp sounds. It’s definitely got that sound.
Thank you kindly!
Telecaster and Vox create a special sound together.Thanks for the restoration video.
Ahhh a JMI AC10! My other dream amp! (The first being...a Harvard.) You are a man of fine taste, not to mention kind friends. And with that Esquire too. Congratulations yet again!
Thank you!
Awesome timing Zac! Just ordered an AC15 to complement my Deluxe Reverb in a stereo rig.
I remember this band that used to play at a local bar near me. One of the guitarists had a ac 15. That amp sounded so good .
Sounds really great, very fender sounding with more mids and bite, just perfect for a tele! I've always said , You PLAY the guitar but you HEAR the amp.
Loved it. What a rig. Now, it is time for you to go crazy and put it with the Deluxe. I'd say the Havard, but I think the Vox has the mids well covered! Great vid. Good on you for getting your hands on that one.
That's the plan!
The popularity of Vox amps started pre Beatles) with the Shadows circa 1960. Fender Stratocaster, Vox AC15 (then AC30) and echo unit (Meazzi). Every guitar player in the UK, Western Europe and Australia wanted that sound! I've owned an early 1960s Gibson tweed amp, brown face Fender Deluxe and black face and blond Fender Showman amplifiers, but my favourite amp to this day is the Vox AC30. I love the Telecaster/Vox combination!
That's what I love the best too: my Shijie telecaster through the "3rd Rail amps" JMI AC-10 clone head, that does it for me!
@@pharmerdavid1432 - absolutely great Vox sound!
Yes, Zac, the AC-10 is special and you got a great sound on it. However, I've had a number of very good sessions with an old AC-4. There's something about single-ended amps that is just magic, speaking of which, I also love my 1961 Gibson GA-5T "Skylark ".
Vox amps with the Pentode front end is just magic, especially with single coils.
You really did well. Sounds incredible.
Great score Zac....the "fleet is complete" brother! I have a 65' Vox Cambridge Reverb TUBE, and it kills. Not quite as nice as your AC10, but the Cambridge Reverb Tube vintage ones are sleepers!
Yeah, the Cambridge is great. I have a ‘66 Berkeley Super Reverb, same circuit as the Cambridge but in a head+cab configuration. The Pacemaker from the Thomas Organ Vox tube amp lineup is really good too, though it lacks reverb.
Ian. A buddy had a tube one, and I regret not buying it. Vox with a sprinkle of Fender. Killer amps.
Absolutely kills…that amp is beyond awesome!…the only thing that sucks a touch is the Bulldog speaker…
Great description of the history. To clarify, 12 AX7 is a dual triode, EF 86 is a pentode
Subscribeb in a heartbeat! You talk about sound and where it cimes from in a way anyone can get it. Teacher of tone!
The amp looks and sounds great. Nice playing too, Zac
Thanks, Gary!
Sounds amazing Zac.
I do love my Magic Brit MK2 which is a combination of the best vintage Voxes I've played.
American Girl is actually what took me towards to both Teles and Voxes. I had 2 x 90's Korg AC30s back in the day. One was amazing and it was my main amp for about 15 years. The other I sold straight away because it just never sounded as good.
I have never had the chance to play through one. Guthrie and Jedd used them, which is enough right there.
Tube Vox's Shine in Many Genres of Music. Blue's, Rock, Country, Reggae, Jazz etc. Jazz Great John Schofield has been using AC 30s for Years.
Strats & Tele's Shine like Glimmering Diamonds through Em.
And as far as Clean... Yes, they can sound extremely clean if one knows how to Dime an Amp. Vox's can & are most definitely a versatile amp.
Beautiful amp! I have the new AC10 (I know, it's not the same), but I love it!
Very nice!
Thanks for getting back to me Zac I appreciate it. I don't know whether I'm wrong but to me Roy Buchanan was the Jimi Hendrix of the Telecaster.
He was
The tele sounds almost like a banjo in the Vox. :-) Wonderful tones!
Always has been my dream amp. Great video
Don't know what you were talking about, but LOVE the sound and your playing skill!!! BAD ASS!!!😆😆😆
Good work. Mine’s a tan/beige one from 1959. …. EF86 channel.. has the Elac. Needs a bit of love now. New filter caps mainly.
Sounds great, Zac. My original format 3 Monkeys Sock Monkey has EL 84s through a greenback. Nice and crispy with my 1975 telecaster.
Great information zac my uncle played in a country and western with a bit of a blue's feel well out of my family i was the only one who had the love and desire for music my uncle passed on and left it with my dad to pass it on to me so 1980 i was given the amp jmi ac10 single elac speaker and absolutely no mods still has the copper colour panel i really didn't realise what I had for a good couple of years because i was a drummer but always had this love for guitars mainly due to listening to Peter green any way still have it and will never be able to part with it
Hi Zac, I have to say that a Telecaster played through a Vox AC30 top boost channel is my setup of choice, their cream AC30 handwired model would be my ideal amp!... 🙂
So, Kyle made the box and Paul modded the electronics. I can see and hear why you’re happy. Hard to go wrong with all that! Hmmm... ever think about a Carr Rambler? Pretty smooth tones! :)
My Carr Mercury sure makes me happy.
Another home run Zac. Awesome video. Congrats on the new Vox. It sounds incredible with that beautiful '57 Esquire. Enjoy brother!!!!
Thanks, Bear!
@@AskZac I'm in the process of building a '57 partscaster in a similar blonde color to yours with a one piece pine body, roasted maple v shaped neck, Seymour Duncan Antiquity '55 pickups, and aged vintage correct parts. I'd love to send you pictures. Is there an email address or best way to send them? Thanks again Zac. I love the channel. Might need to change my name to TelecasterBear because of you!
@@ScottWalker-uw3rp love that!
@@ScottWalker-uw3rp zac(at)askzac.com
Thank you for mentioning The Shadows! Have a listen to some of their early hits such as: 'Kon-tiki', 'Man of mystery', 'Apache', 'FBI' and Wonderful land'.
I concur! this is the first time I've heard mention of The Shadows by any one from across the pond. Don't they ever wonder why Fleabay's full of fiesta red strats with Hank B Marvin's moniker on them? I saw them live once.The Vox Meazzi echomatic copy died, but they carried on regardless, and still sounded fabulous Thankyou for the mention! A lot of British bands used the Meazzi Factotum for lead amp because it was an EL84 based PA with an echo box built in. I finished up with a closed back ac 30 supertwin cab with a reverb,treble and bass boost, vib/trem circuit, trapezoid shaped ( sloped sided) head as used by Pete Townsend. We never had any trouble with JMI products in around five years of weekend gigging.The Foundation Bass deserves a look in too as a work horse poor man's Bassman.
Another great episode - thanx for sharing your knowledge!
Best wishes /Nils (Sweden)
So nice of you
Holy shit, I bought a lemon Korg AC30 brand new as well. I about fell over when you mentioned your experience.
Nice Zak! I have a 1959 Epiphone Century W/ EF 86 channel W/ Tremolo. 12.5 Watts, 12" blue sticker Jenson P12R speaker. 2- 6V6 power tubes. Blond Diamond covering with Goldish grill cloth. Has the EPI bikini badge on grill cloth & brownish bakelite handle. Tone to die for!
KILLER!!!!
Great. !
I believe the first HeartBreakers album was using solid state stuff like the the Buckingham head.
Only remember this because i knew of one.
Very interesting as always, thanks for tagging the cabinet builder Kyle, I will definitely check it out. 😎🎙🎸✅
Kyle's video is incredible.
@@AskZac I have just watched it, very entertaining 😀
@@SSRT_JubyDuby8742 thanks, Julian!
Don't forget that Rory Gallagher used an AC 30 in his early career, Irish Tour, etc.
And a very young Brian May saw Rory play, met him backstage to talk about Rory's AC30s and Rangemaster Treble Booster box - both of which Brian May still uses today
Great intel thanks
@@anthonyz7000 Brian May isn't Rory though - not even close. I despised Queen because of the satanic fraggot who sang with them.......
Good video , I recently watched the interview with bob Britt , what a treat 😎
First of all I still love this Telecaster.
The best Vox sound I ever heard is the 1965 (?) AC 10 head at the Pat & Doug show.
But this one is very close.
I' m happy combining a small Fender combo with an AC 15.
The Jensen meets Celestion sound.
They have the Super Reverb Twin AC10. It is a rare version of the AC10.
The Beatles stopped using AC30's live when they got the AC50's etc but they still used AC30's in the studio to record with for sure. No doubt about that. They had many different Vox amps and of course Fenders later.
This video made my heart happy! First channel makes it and love love that guitar! The cabinet looks absolutely perfect!!!! He did an AMAZING job on it! Love that deep thunky twang !!!!!!like a j45 on steroids .........but Tele playability
YES!
Thanks, Bob!
What a great amp! As always, the back story was informative and entertaining. Is that a bit of "Handle me with Care" around 22:40? I figured all that talk about the Beatles and Tom Petty...
Yes, Handle. Always loved the walk down.
Another treasure for your arsenal. That amp is fantastic!
Indeed!
It sounds amazing. I love early Vox amps.
You may have already discovered this, but if not: Plug into the EF86 channel, make sure the tremolo is switched off, then turn the Amplitude control. Because of how this control is connected to the EF86, it will change the gain & headroom of the EF86 (giving grit at lower volume if you want it). Discovered that on my own '65 AC10 Twin.
Very important tip!
Thanks for the knowledge. I love my Vox!
Doug and Pat love the vintage Vox 10. They have one in the angled head that is a tone monster!
I have one of those. Hands down THE best amp ever!
Thats an awesome amp Zac, thx for the story. Gotta order a shirt, very cool !!
THANK YOU!
One of my favourite "Ask Zac' vids. Thanks Zac.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@AskZac like all of your episodes Zac. Would be great if you could do one more vid about stories on the road with Brad P.
Nice! I have a 1964 AC10 Twin...I love it!
Amp looks and sounds great! Shirt looks great! The next time we come out to the house, I am bringing my AC10 to compare to this one.
I fixed you wings, and you didn't come. I am not bitter though.
@@AskZac It was the wife’s fault. I really wanted to, but she said no.
@@jaysmith418 sadness
I don't have a Vox, but I do have a Bugera T5 Infinium 5 watt that is all the Vox vibe you would ever want in a compact, affordable amp head. Just pair it with a decent cab & you'll be pleased with the jangly tones. Beatles & Tom Petty tones all day!! I play a an Esquire with a Seymour Duncan '55 Antiquity pick-up and it gets great tones through the Bugera.
The Doug & Pat Show loves the AC10 Super Reverb Twin heads running through a 2x12 Vox cab with 12” Celestion Silver Alnico speakers. Henry Amplification made a “clone” of the SRT and is currently selling it, made to order I believe. Totally killer amp that Doug and Pat did a demo/comparison video on a few years back. They loved it.
As most know, the reverb in almost every vintage guitar amp is crap, except Fender. So Henry Amplification put the Fender/Hammond reverb in his SRT+.
I had a Vox amp that was a little different, it was that 'Tony Bruno' model they brought out a few years back, 2 X 12" speakers, 35 watts with 6V6 tubes, so it had more of a Fender Twin vibe, but different, it weighed like 80 LBS so a real beast to carry around! It was a powerful, rock type amp. I replaced with a BOSS Katana (don't hate on me) 100 watt. I think your Vox sounds very sweet.
I have a 1 X12 18 watt Bruno that I have used for a number a number of years now and love it.
I went the same way. No more heavy amps for me.
I still have the 2 x 12 Bruno. There are 2 handles for a reason. At least the price was right.
😱
@@mwpv11 I have a Bassman head and AC15 head (wish it was AC30), and I can barely lift either one. The thing about those heavy Vox cabs is the MDF makes them sound better than solid wood or ply, attenuates the harsh highs it seems? The "cheap" amps like Silvertone used MDF for baffles too, and the screws would strip on them easily, one guy changed it for a plywood baffle thinking it would improve the tone, but the amp never sounded as good again. Stereo audiophile speakers use MDF cabinets for a reason? I like my Gibson amps with solid redwood cabs!
My setup VoxAC30C2X Fender Bassbreaker45 Tweed BJR4running through a Morley ABC box Using Tele’s Strats LP’s and I am in Tone Heaven Parked my Twin Reverb & MLHot Rod Deville the Tele’s really come alive with this combination Always enjoy your vids 👍🔥🎸🦅
Great amp, Zac; thanks for sharing the story.
Glad you liked it!
Rhett Shull’s Vox video is awesome too!
I love the sound of the AC10 and vox in general. However, in today's day and age I think all amps made today should have a FX Send/Rec so you can use your pedals to always get the sound you want for a specific song or lead riff.
Blues On....💙
Very enjoyable! Thanks for this one!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The AC4 has an EF86 preamp too. Pretty rare, weird little amp with tremolo. Great sound, mine is a '65.
Yeh, well you got a world's classic!! Mike Campbell ... Yet another fine guitarist originally from Jacksonville, Florida. That era of VOX had a PCBoard. Sounded great, but has its problems. MUCH agree on that EF86. VOX is remaking the handwired version as of July 2024 but apparently no EF86. Those sawdust cabs have no resonant frequency. Some TWilburys! That amp sounds real fine! Got that mid-range bark!! By the way ... Those Doug and Pat guys (did I get that right?) have one that's a slanted head on a cab and trolley, I think. Boy, that thing is killer sounding!
Congrats on the killer amp! I love all the AC10's I've played. The AC10SRT is another great model you should look into. It was a head/cab configuration with awesome tones, and a tragically bad reverb circuit. haha
The EF86 is a cool tube, but all my favorite tones come from the AC30 normal channel. It's a 12AX7 channel. The EF86 sounds really cool because of the unique way it overdrives the power section. It's a really high gain tube, and makes really cool overdrive sounds with the zero negative feedback design in a Vox. For guys with tons of pedals like me though, it's kinda unusable. You can't set an EF86 Vox at its best gain setting, and expect to use pedals with it that well. So that's why I'm a normal channel guy.
TLDR: Vox amps with EF86 sound amazing when playing straight to the amp, but are hard to use with pedals if you're expecting to use the amp's overdrive.
The SRT is a killer, and very rare amp. Yes, EF86 Vox's sound great straight in, but I think you can get away with a couple of boxes in front of one without losing the magic.
Great sounding amp! Love the mids as it sounds very open. I can't hear the difference between the channels though. I tried many times clicking back and forth. Maybe it's youtube.
Its subtle with YT compression
Love the Vox!
Great video! I'll be sure and buy a shirt!
Thanks, Guru!
Damn! I love this amp/ I'm a big Vox fan. And yeah, it barks!
I don't have a vintage Vox amp but my wife and boys got me a new AC15 (greenback) for xmas as a surprise, I still love my tone king fender style amp the best but the VOX AC15 sounds great with my tele's and pedals for the price. I know 1992 was the last year they made them in the UK then moved production to China.
Great story! Sounds amazing!!!
Thank you
right down there towards the end you were getting some Skynyrd tones out of that 🎸🍻
I hear people say this tube sounds better or worse, well Zac not only did 12ax7 sound different to my ears, the EF86 sounds like it strong point is it lives in MIDLAND. I’m not talking Texas either. Perfect tone. Thanks Zac.
LoL, unfortunately I am from Midland Texas and it is about the worst place you can live if you are a musician
Great video, thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Damn, great gear. I like playing rhythm on a vox not that lead tone sucks they seem to shine in chords... Well done sir.
Zac - Great amp and great story!
Thank you kindly!
Your great man !!! Keep up the great stuff
Thanks! Will do!
UL series Vox amps 4120, 7120, 730 etc.. are Beatles revolver tones. Also Led Zeppelin II.
I'm suprized and I love that amp!
Sounds great!
Sounds great!!!
Amazing Zac!
There are good reasons for why input resistance for an EF86 is higher than an ECC83. I'm not familiar with AC10 layout... if the input resistor can be placed after the 1M grid resistor in the circuit, ideally directly to the pin of the EF86 socket, it's value will not affect gain.
Thanks for the video. I didn't even know there was an AC10. Sounds great. Did they even sell them in the US?
They were sold in the USA, but apparently not many.
Yessir just bought one,Country King Amazing. And I meant that as a compliment my brother 🕺🏿👍🏿
Enjoy it
I love my AC10 and maxi Tele its beautiful...
Mexi Tele 90s