This is why I LOVE this channel - not because I own a Cake and love it but because it's a small up and comming genuine guy showing us affordable gear. But... The Hot Cake is something special it's one of of those magical timeless pedals like the Klon, Green Russian, Timmy, Fuzz Face. The world just hasn't caught on yet. It's thing like this that make this channel and community a special place - this is a magical moment - looking back on this will be like reading early pro Tim / Timmy posts from forums decades ago. Yes there have been earlier version of the Hot Cake but I think the current version is the definitive Cake - this beauty has been under appreciated a long long time. As this channel grows / blows up it'll be in part remembered for introducing many to this mythical pedal. And what a demo this is / was! I'm so sold I want another! This was a moment.
I'm happy to hear that you enjoy the community and the content on this channel. I sometimes wonder if the content I produce is serving it's intended purpose. This type of feedback validates that it does. As for the popularity of the Hot Cake, it's already revered by many as being a "holy grail" pedal with a Vox. If John Mayer had it on his board, it might gain more popularity 🤣
One of the best and most accurate demos of this pedal. I have the latest version with outside toggles and love it. Like the Timmy this can do almost clean boost but this a totally different beast when the gain is turned up. I prefer mine into my matchless hc30 clone and tweed deluxe. Ooh and last try boosting with a treble booster 😱
Thank you so much. I dig my Hot Cake with the AC15 but it sounds fantastic with my Bad Cat Hot Cat 30r. That type of British voiced amp suits this pedal so well. Thanks for the tip on the Treble Booster. I'll be giving that a go. Cheers
@@TheToneLounge the Reuss Gold Sounds is great, went straight on my board and has been used for about 15 gigs so far, stacks really well with my other drives/fuzzes including a way huge overrated special and a Thorpy fx Veteran in to a Blackstar Artisan 30, it just works :)
Thanks Marios. I recently acquired mine, so I have a lot left to learn about it. It has not earned a permanent place on my board yet, but it might at some point.
They most likely will, at some point. All it takes is the company going under, or the owner passing away and we'll see these pedals skyrocket in price and demand. I hope for neither of these situations, but that is more than likely what will happen with these gems.
This was a straight-up fantastic demo video, LOVED those sounds!! Both the tone that the pedal put out, and the licks and lines you were using to show off said tones! Cool visuals too! I'm gonna have to hold off to get one of these until the financials are lookin better, but this is at the top of my list for overdrives now, 100%. Ugggghhhh that perfect dirty grunge to it, gotta have that haha. Thank you for the awesome demo!!
Glad you liked it! Yeah, I can say that for the tone you just described, it's a killer option for this very purpose. I wasn't too sure at first, and was not as impressed as I thought I should have been, but having taken my time to figure out the Hot Cake has paid off. Let me know once you get yours. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
I would love to someday try a Hot Cake it sounds great. If you haven't tried a Zvex Box Of Rock yet with a AC15, it is phenomenal. This, a BOR, and a MXR M295 would cover most territory you would ever want too. I like EHX LPB-1 and Yamaha OD-10II (AION NAOS) with boxes too. Last since I won't shut up, the Marshall Shredmaster is glorious with a AC15.
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 yes I have. I am more of a Ibanez CS9 or DOD Supersonic Flanger king of guy. Ibanez FL9 or Earthquaker Pyramids equally great. TC Electronic Blood moon is a great phaser.
Oh yeah! I’d be curious what your favorite settings are on the Hotcake. I tend to like it for light breakup (around 9 o’clock) or at the higher setting (around 3 o’clock). But at around noon with a fuzz face in front of it, there’s something magical for me about it. Some vintage tones, for sure. Also, how do you like the feel of it? It took me a bit to get used to the way it feels, but it’s grown to be my favorite dirt tone. I like it a ton better than the Bluesbreaker-style OD I was using before this.
I was worried about it being to bassy. The original size has the bass cut switch for that. I have a walrus audio eb10 eq/boost pedal if this would help out.my eq pedal with the hot cake alone is killer also
I'm ashamed to say I've never played a Vox amp, sounds like I'm misssing out. (My neighbours are not fans of tube amps) Thanks again for these demos mate you're doing a great service
Vox do some super small tube amps they also do an AC15 head only which you can headphone either direct or though a mixer I'm not sure as I don't own it but I'm sure it must be possible.
Vox amps have been my favorite for a long time. It's obviously not for everybody. The most important thing is knowing how to dial them in. What are you using for home use?
@@TheToneLounge I have to go digital at home (even laptop speakers are too much for my darling neighbours) so I use Helix Stomp. We seem to have a similar taste for guitar sounds so ....if you dig em, I need to investigate further
I'm working on a series about the HX Stomp. The first episode is about the AC15 vs the AC15 in the HX Stomp. As far as Vox are concerned, check out the Mini Superbeetle and the AV50 series.
I have a '65 A/C 30 Top Boost which I used for years, and with my Strat sounded so beautiful, until it overheated (inadequate ventilation in it's combo cabinet). Plus, it was always breaking, and in the repair shop. So, the last time it broke, I just put it in the closet, where it has sat for decades, & bought an Ampeg V-4. The Hot Cake does sound very nice with the Top Boost. With an A/C 30 Top Boost modeller, I'd someday like to try the Hot Cake.
Hi, I had checked out what I believe was just an independent unsponsored video reviewing the Hot Cake, & he was using a Strymon Iridium Amp Modeler, which was a very practical & less expensive alternative to the highly praised, more sophisticated AXE II modeler. The very sensible simpler & less expensive Iridium pedal by Strymon, fits on your average pedal board, and offers three basic practical amp models; "Round" (a nice flattish sort of tone), a "Vox A/C 30 Top Boost", & I believe a "Marshall Lead 100". When that video demoed the straight "Vox A/C 30 Top Boost" model with a Strat type guitar, I reacted "My God, that's EXACTLY how my own healthy A/C 30 Top Boost sounded with my Strat, way back when!". That video too, mentioned that the Vox A/C 30 Top Boost paired well with the Hot Cake, & I liked how the pair sounded together. Yeah, those early Jennings Vox A/C 30 Top Boost combos would sound so appealing, when first switched on. But, after it had been on for a while, the amp's own heat would accumulate inside the combo cabinet, and you'd hear that special Vox tone dull-out on you. I'm curious about what Queen's Brian May went through, with his nine or so A/C 30s. I had heard it was a common problem. People dealt with it in different ways. One repair tech regularly installed fans on Voxes to vent out the heat. I saw another guy, unscrew & completely leave off his A/C 30's rear panel of the combo cabinet's amp section, so the heat could better escape. During Deep Purple Mk 1, Ritchie Blackmore used a 1960 first generation (pre Top Boost) Vox A/C 30, with which he had moved the amp circuit to a Marshall amp head cabinet. The boutique Matchless D/C 30 combo amp was designed as "A Vox A/C 30 that wouldn't break". Note that those thoughtful guys at Matchless also designed their D/C 30 with one of it's channels like the Vox "Top Boost", & the other normal channel like Vox's 1960 first generation A/C 30, on which Vox's first generation A/C 15s & A/C 30s used an EF-86 pre-amp tube (different from that on Top Boost units). The Matchless D/C 30's normal channel also uses the EF-86 pre-amp tube. Listen to Ritchie Blackmore's 1st gen 1960 A/C 30, through which he played his dotted inlay Gibson 335, with a Hornby Skewes treble booster on Shades Of Deep Purple (Mk 1's best album), & on the other Mk 1 albums! His guitar sounds great!
Darn, that's a lot of really great information. I've had my eye on the Iridium for a few years now. I still have not bought it because I opted for a Line6 HX Stomp instead. There are a few Vox and Matchless models in there, which are really good. I had my eye on a '64 AC30, fully restored. I felt conflicted about it. Dude was asking 3000 euros for it, and I don't have that kind of cash. So, I let it go and have been kicking myself ever since. I wasn't aware of some of the issues that you mentioned. Perhaps it's a good thing that I did not go for it.
Ha ha! Been there myself with a few music-making potential acquisitions that got away. As you may have gathered, my main active years were from when it was just cheaper for most of us young strugglers to buy beat up vintage axes & amps, & service them back to playability, vs. paying more for new stuff. I did a lot of horse trading to wind up with my Ampeg V-4. Originally, I had coughed up a tidy sum for one of the very first Mesa Boogie stand-alone amp brains. Awesome amp, but I couldn't get my must-have "bell tone" out of it. So, I swapped it for an Ampeg V-4 half stack, from a guy with distribution connections. But that V-4 brain had Ampeg's brand new 2nd generation guts. So, I swapped my 2nd gen V-4 brain with it's warranty card for a 1st gen V-4 demo brain from another retailer. From what I've read, over the years, the once-Jennings Vox brand changed hands numerous times, & that many of the new owners did their cost cutting thing. But I sense you'll have additional opportunities. There's a few good books that cover all the Vox incarnations, & the big glossy British rags, Guitar & Bass, and Guitarist have also done comprehensive write-ups on the Vox saga. But, here's another concern: The whole replacement vacuum tube/valve availability issue is in question now, with Ukraine & Russia at war. So, for the moment, you may have dodged a bullet with that failed A/C 30 purchase. But you're already immersing yourself in alternatives, like modelling amps So, you'll make it happen! And thank you for your info on that other make of modeller! With my high mileage & beat-up parts, I exited the Rock Wars scene a while back. But I miss those times when it was happening, and I'm rooting for you guys who have taken the torch. I like to keep learning about all the new equipment options that are out there. As I address certain health issues, one of my goals is to get back to practicing guitar, rebuild some of my chops, and then, with the right opportunity, perhaps get into some club band again. People who don't make music don't know what they're missing!
Hi again. I happened to run across an in-depth video of the Line 6 HX Stomp Matchless modeling capabilities. The Matchless tones were great and so reminiscent of the VOX A/C Top Boost amp! I also understood why, for some players, the Matchless is too bright. Both the Vox A/C 30 TB & the Matchless specialize in the delicate trebles realm! Because funds are harder for me to come by, I'd probably opt for the less expensive Strymon Iridium, with its excellent Vox A/C 30 TB model, if I were to spring for a modeling unit.
@@TheToneLounge Oh, the pedal sounded great for sure. But I had to comment because the quality of your content was just blowing my mind. Yours is my new favorite UA-cam channel. I've been soaking in a few videos a night :D.
Vox should do a Cake / AC15 collaboration limited edition super badboy where you get this pedal built into the head your an AC15 amp like an (overdrive) amp effect but it's the circuit board of the Hot Cake if that makes sense? Like a Jazz Chorus but less Chorus and more Cake. 🎂🎸🎶
That's a fun idea. I would love to see an AC15 with just a master volume and Normal channel input/volume, with a separate Hot Cake channel that could be instantiated. That would be awesome.
Love your Vox content. I currently have a Rat and TS9 for my drive pedals but not really feeling the tubescreamer with the Vox. So I’m on the hunt for a new OD. I’m torn between the Hot Cake and the BD-2. What would you go for??
Great, but hard question to answer. The BD-2 is damn good and readily available. It's a tad bright, but overall, great. The Hot Cake is much harder to find, but it is well worth it. I personally love the Hot Cake more.
Great demo of this combo. I’m confused by the implied order of the archer and hotcake stacking based on the order on screen and by saying “boosting the hotcake”. To me boosting a pedal implies putting a boost AFTER said pedal to both increase the volume of an already clipping signal into the amp as well as to reshape the eq/frequency response as that is now determined by the second gain stage’s character (like how a TS type pedal has bass roll off for e.g.), but in the video the hotcake is on the left and the archer is on the right, which implies you were boosting INTO the hotcake. Can you please clarify?
Boosting volume and boosting overall clipping are two different ways of doing things. In this example, I was trying to get more clipping/saturation from the hotcake.
yea i am aware they are two different goals, just wanted to know which you were doing. So you were stacking the archer into the hotcake to boost the input and get more drive (and the order on screen followed suit). thank you for clarifying! i think my only call out is that in that scenario the tone shaping of the pedal going into the hotcake isn't effecting that much as doing it the other way around since the "final" stage is still hot cake and its tonal curve hasn't changed. this is especially true as you distort the input signal more and more, so any effect of the archer tone curve contributes less and less. The subtitle at the part of the video threw me a bit. Although obv does have some impact, sort of like a treble booster into a vox, which, as you know, is another popular aproach with vox amps Thanks again! I have a hotcake clone going into a UAD ruby, trying to sort out how. to stack my rat and odr-1, so this vid was very relevant to what i'm trying to sort out ;)@@TheToneLounge
Awesome demo! I have a Wampler Euphoria. Would the Hot Cake offer new tones? Or do they cover a lot of the same territory? Also try out the katzenkonig (aka blood donor). Sound great on a Vox.
They get in similar territories, but they do sound different enough. I currently rock the Hot Cake on my mini board and it's killer. The Euphoria is smoother but can get just as rowdy as the Hot Cake.
@@TheToneLounge thanks. I just ordered a hotcake. I’m gonna swap out a tumnus. And have euphoria -> hot cake -> catzenkonig (rat+tonebender fuzz). I like the euphoria as an always on clean boost. Vox ac15 with a blue. Thanks for being the go to Vox guy.
I just got a hotcake but can't get used to it at the minute. On mine it has a weird thing on the presence knob it doesn't seem to turn as the other 2 knobs do. It starts at 11 o'clock and turns to 7 if that makes sense?!
I play rhythm in an indie rock cover band, epiphone Sheraton into an AC15CC2. I have a micro amp, Soul Food, TS mini, Rat, Gain Changer... Constantly chasing tone 🤦🤣🤣 Feel like my sound isn't "full" any suggestions?!
@@leehodgkiss15 You have great pedals, so I am not sure what it is that I can add. I do have a few suggestions, but the word "full" could mean something to me that isn't what you meant. Is there an example of a band/musician that has a tone you are aiming for?
![Crowther Audio Hot Cake & Reeves Electro Hot Take [Effector Du Jour]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XNP9t8M41vA/mqdefault.jpg)
⚡ 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀:
🔴 VFP series: ua-cam.com/play/PLeAo3au6SN1kfdYcyp8bvHttqkPinQ2Wt.html
🔴 AC15 series: ua-cam.com/play/PLeAo3au6SN1mEE4I1YYC2GtP7Y9sZ4VKT.html
This is why I LOVE this channel - not because I own a Cake and love it but because it's a small up and comming genuine guy showing us affordable gear. But... The Hot Cake is something special it's one of of those magical timeless pedals like the Klon, Green Russian, Timmy, Fuzz Face. The world just hasn't caught on yet. It's thing like this that make this channel and community a special place - this is a magical moment - looking back on this will be like reading early pro Tim / Timmy posts from forums decades ago. Yes there have been earlier version of the Hot Cake but I think the current version is the definitive Cake - this beauty has been under appreciated a long long time. As this channel grows / blows up it'll be in part remembered for introducing many to this mythical pedal. And what a demo this is / was! I'm so sold I want another! This was a moment.
I'm happy to hear that you enjoy the community and the content on this channel.
I sometimes wonder if the content I produce is serving it's intended purpose. This type of feedback validates that it does.
As for the popularity of the Hot Cake, it's already revered by many as being a "holy grail" pedal with a Vox. If John Mayer had it on his board, it might gain more popularity 🤣
Sold. I’ve been wanting a hot cake forever, but for some reason never picked one up. But now it must happen
Awesome! I had a feeling this might be up your alley.
You won't regret it
Yep, that's the sound. Nicely done, I think you've done this combination justice.
Thanks Jerry!
one of the best ods with a Vox, for sure
It's right there at the top of the list for sure.
One of the best and most accurate demos of this pedal. I have the latest version with outside toggles and love it. Like the Timmy this can do almost clean boost but this a totally different beast when the gain is turned up. I prefer mine into my matchless hc30 clone and tweed deluxe. Ooh and last try boosting with a treble booster 😱
Thank you so much. I dig my Hot Cake with the AC15 but it sounds fantastic with my Bad Cat Hot Cat 30r. That type of British voiced amp suits this pedal so well. Thanks for the tip on the Treble Booster. I'll be giving that a go. Cheers
Nice one :) glad you like it. This is definitely one of the best demos I’ve heard of the pedal. Glad to be part of the TTL community
I'm glad that you are part of it as well. This video would have never happened if not for you. How are you bonding with the Reuss pedal?
@@TheToneLounge the Reuss Gold Sounds is great, went straight on my board and has been used for about 15 gigs so far, stacks really well with my other drives/fuzzes including a way huge overrated special and a Thorpy fx Veteran in to a Blackstar Artisan 30, it just works :)
I'm so happy to hear that. I was hoping to hear that it would fit your needs.
Have a Hot Cake for 2 years now. Despite having a bunch of nice ODs, Hot Cake will never leave my board. Nice video man \o/
Thanks Marios. I recently acquired mine, so I have a lot left to learn about it. It has not earned a permanent place on my board yet, but it might at some point.
Wild, it totally goes from a classic overdrive to a big, fat, chunky fuzz. Love it.
yeah, it's pretty versatile for a three knob pedal.
I had my eye on them for years & was lucky enough to get one last year! Amazing! Cannot believe how these aren’t more popular like the KOT or Klon?!
They most likely will, at some point. All it takes is the company going under, or the owner passing away and we'll see these pedals skyrocket in price and demand. I hope for neither of these situations, but that is more than likely what will happen with these gems.
Love the pedal! That's a keeper. Great demo.
Yeah, it has some very cool tones.
Good video once again! Love my Hotcake into my Vox and even into my DRRI and Mesa. Thanks for making this and spreading the love for this great pedal!
This was a straight-up fantastic demo video, LOVED those sounds!! Both the tone that the pedal put out, and the licks and lines you were using to show off said tones! Cool visuals too!
I'm gonna have to hold off to get one of these until the financials are lookin better, but this is at the top of my list for overdrives now, 100%. Ugggghhhh that perfect dirty grunge to it, gotta have that haha. Thank you for the awesome demo!!
Glad you liked it! Yeah, I can say that for the tone you just described, it's a killer option for this very purpose. I wasn't too sure at first, and was not as impressed as I thought I should have been, but having taken my time to figure out the Hot Cake has paid off. Let me know once you get yours. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
You should compare this next to the ocd for the viewers out there on a vox ac15
Great idea!
The ocd sound great with a AC15 too, my personal favorite is the Zvex Box Of Rock with a AC15.
I own the Zvex Distortron and it sounds great with my AC15.
I would love to someday try a Hot Cake it sounds great. If you haven't tried a Zvex Box Of Rock yet with a AC15, it is phenomenal. This, a BOR, and a MXR M295 would cover most territory you would ever want too. I like EHX LPB-1 and Yamaha OD-10II (AION NAOS) with boxes too. Last since I won't shut up, the Marshall Shredmaster is glorious with a AC15.
I like phasers - I run them instead of a chorus after overdrive but before delay have your heard of the Whirlwind Orange Box?
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 yes I have. I am more of a Ibanez CS9 or DOD Supersonic Flanger king of guy. Ibanez FL9 or Earthquaker Pyramids equally great. TC Electronic Blood moon is a great phaser.
@@pastorkev777 Ah I see! The type of man who'd appreciate a Boss BF-2 MIJ black label in his Christmas Stocking.
Oh yeah! I’d be curious what your favorite settings are on the Hotcake. I tend to like it for light breakup (around 9 o’clock) or at the higher setting (around 3 o’clock). But at around noon with a fuzz face in front of it, there’s something magical for me about it. Some vintage tones, for sure. Also, how do you like the feel of it? It took me a bit to get used to the way it feels, but it’s grown to be my favorite dirt tone. I like it a ton better than the Bluesbreaker-style OD I was using before this.
Great video. I been waiting for this a long time jaja greetings from Chile ✌✌✌
I've been wanting to do this one for years. It took me a long time before I could get my hands on one.
I stack mine with the ceriatone horsebreaker and sounds killer thru my AC15 with a creamback 65w
I bet that it sounds fantastic!
Yeah.i can get lost in the sauce with these. I want to get mini nobels odr1 and see how that matchs up also
I just did a demo for the ODR-MINI today. It's a great pedal but a bit bass heavy for my taste.
I was worried about it being to bassy. The original size has the bass cut switch for that. I have a walrus audio eb10 eq/boost pedal if this would help out.my eq pedal with the hot cake alone is killer also
Gotta learn that medium overdrive riff it sounds awesome
I'm tuned to open G. I'll change the exact tuning and get back to you.
it's Gb5!
I'm ashamed to say I've never played a Vox amp, sounds like I'm misssing out. (My neighbours are not fans of tube amps) Thanks again for these demos mate you're doing a great service
Vox do some super small tube amps they also do an AC15 head only which you can headphone either direct or though a mixer I'm not sure as I don't own it but I'm sure it must be possible.
Vox amps have been my favorite for a long time. It's obviously not for everybody. The most important thing is knowing how to dial them in. What are you using for home use?
@@CC-fi3pp that's tempting
@@TheToneLounge I have to go digital at home (even laptop speakers are too much for my darling neighbours) so I use Helix Stomp. We seem to have a similar taste for guitar sounds so ....if you dig em, I need to investigate further
I'm working on a series about the HX Stomp. The first episode is about the AC15 vs the AC15 in the HX Stomp.
As far as Vox are concerned, check out the Mini Superbeetle and the AV50 series.
I have a '65 A/C 30 Top Boost which I used for years, and with my Strat sounded so beautiful, until it overheated (inadequate ventilation in it's combo cabinet). Plus, it was always breaking, and in the repair shop. So, the last time it broke, I just put it in the closet, where it has sat for decades, & bought an Ampeg V-4. The Hot Cake does sound very nice with the Top Boost. With an A/C 30 Top Boost modeller, I'd someday like to try the Hot Cake.
Thanks for sharing! I had no idea that the older Vox were prone to such issues. Which modeller are you using?
Hi, I had checked out what I believe was just an independent unsponsored video reviewing the Hot Cake, & he was using a Strymon Iridium Amp Modeler, which was a very practical & less expensive alternative to the highly praised, more sophisticated AXE II modeler. The very sensible simpler & less expensive Iridium pedal by Strymon, fits on your average pedal board, and offers three basic practical amp models; "Round" (a nice flattish sort of tone), a "Vox A/C 30 Top Boost", & I believe a "Marshall Lead 100".
When that video demoed the straight "Vox A/C 30 Top Boost" model with a Strat type guitar, I reacted "My God, that's EXACTLY how my own healthy A/C 30 Top Boost sounded with my Strat, way back when!". That video too, mentioned that the Vox A/C 30 Top Boost paired well with the Hot Cake, & I liked how the pair sounded together.
Yeah, those early Jennings Vox A/C 30 Top Boost combos would sound so appealing, when first switched on. But, after it had been on for a while, the amp's own heat would accumulate inside the combo cabinet, and you'd hear that special Vox tone dull-out on you. I'm curious about what Queen's Brian May went through, with his nine or so A/C 30s. I had heard it was a common problem.
People dealt with it in different ways. One repair tech regularly installed fans on Voxes to vent out the heat. I saw another guy, unscrew & completely leave off his A/C 30's rear panel of the combo cabinet's amp section, so the heat could better escape. During Deep Purple Mk 1, Ritchie Blackmore used a 1960 first generation (pre Top Boost) Vox A/C 30, with which he had moved the amp circuit to a Marshall amp head cabinet.
The boutique Matchless D/C 30 combo amp was designed as "A Vox A/C 30 that wouldn't break". Note that those thoughtful guys at Matchless also designed their D/C 30 with one of it's channels like the Vox "Top Boost", & the other normal channel like Vox's 1960 first generation A/C 30, on which Vox's first generation A/C 15s & A/C 30s used an EF-86 pre-amp tube (different from that on Top Boost units). The Matchless D/C 30's normal channel also uses the EF-86 pre-amp tube.
Listen to Ritchie Blackmore's 1st gen 1960 A/C 30, through which he played his dotted inlay Gibson 335, with a Hornby Skewes treble booster on Shades Of Deep Purple (Mk 1's best album), & on the other Mk 1 albums! His guitar sounds great!
Darn, that's a lot of really great information. I've had my eye on the Iridium for a few years now. I still have not bought it because I opted for a Line6 HX Stomp instead. There are a few Vox and Matchless models in there, which are really good.
I had my eye on a '64 AC30, fully restored. I felt conflicted about it. Dude was asking 3000 euros for it, and I don't have that kind of cash. So, I let it go and have been kicking myself ever since. I wasn't aware of some of the issues that you mentioned. Perhaps it's a good thing that I did not go for it.
Ha ha! Been there myself with a few music-making potential acquisitions that got away. As you may have gathered, my main active years were from when it was just cheaper for most of us young strugglers to buy beat up vintage axes & amps, & service them back to playability, vs. paying more for new stuff.
I did a lot of horse trading to wind up with my Ampeg V-4. Originally, I had coughed up a tidy sum for one of the very first Mesa Boogie stand-alone amp brains. Awesome amp, but I couldn't get my must-have "bell tone" out of it. So, I swapped it for an Ampeg V-4 half stack, from a guy with distribution connections. But that V-4 brain had Ampeg's brand new 2nd generation guts. So, I swapped my 2nd gen V-4 brain with it's warranty card for a 1st gen V-4 demo brain from another retailer.
From what I've read, over the years, the once-Jennings Vox brand changed hands numerous times, & that many of the new owners did their cost cutting thing. But I sense you'll have additional opportunities. There's a few good books that cover all the Vox incarnations, & the big glossy British rags, Guitar & Bass, and Guitarist have also done comprehensive write-ups on the Vox saga.
But, here's another concern: The whole replacement vacuum tube/valve availability issue is in question now, with Ukraine & Russia at war. So, for the moment, you may have dodged a bullet with that failed A/C 30 purchase.
But you're already immersing yourself in alternatives, like modelling amps So, you'll make it happen! And thank you for your info on that other make of modeller!
With my high mileage & beat-up parts, I exited the Rock Wars scene a while back. But I miss those times when it was happening, and I'm rooting for you guys who have taken the torch.
I like to keep learning about all the new equipment options that are out there. As I address certain health issues, one of my goals is to get back to practicing guitar, rebuild some of my chops, and then, with the right opportunity, perhaps get into some club band again. People who don't make music don't know what they're missing!
Hi again. I happened to run across an in-depth video of the Line 6 HX Stomp Matchless modeling capabilities. The Matchless tones were great and so reminiscent of the VOX A/C Top Boost amp! I also understood why, for some players, the Matchless is too bright. Both the Vox A/C 30 TB & the Matchless specialize in the delicate trebles realm!
Because funds are harder for me to come by, I'd probably opt for the less expensive Strymon Iridium, with its excellent Vox A/C 30 TB model, if I were to spring for a modeling unit.
nice demo of another must-have pedal, for a pedal-friendly Vox amp. In other news, there is a new small WHRL mk III. :-)
what? I didn't here about this. I'll have to look it up.
Maybe they are just an exclusive release at sweet H2O?
It looks like it might be. They don't have them on the Thomann website. I'll have to buy one from Sweetwater.
Just an absolutely phenomenal video (and channel!)
Thank you so much David! What did you like about the pedal?
@@TheToneLounge Oh, the pedal sounded great for sure. But I had to comment because the quality of your content was just blowing my mind. Yours is my new favorite UA-cam channel. I've been soaking in a few videos a night :D.
Vox should do a Cake / AC15 collaboration limited edition super badboy where you get this pedal built into the head your an AC15 amp like an (overdrive) amp effect but it's the circuit board of the Hot Cake if that makes sense? Like a Jazz Chorus but less Chorus and more Cake. 🎂🎸🎶
That's a fun idea. I would love to see an AC15 with just a master volume and Normal channel input/volume, with a separate Hot Cake channel that could be instantiated. That would be awesome.
Love my 'Cake. With a Treble Booster in front, it's a lot of fun.
You are the second person to vouch for a Treble Booster with this pedal. I'll have to try that.
Like it very very much.
Cool, huh?
@@TheToneLounge I think so, especially the fact the TB channel seems to like the hotcake as well.
Great Overdrive
100%
Love your Vox content. I currently have a Rat and TS9 for my drive pedals but not really feeling the tubescreamer with the Vox. So I’m on the hunt for a new OD. I’m torn between the Hot Cake and the BD-2. What would you go for??
Great, but hard question to answer. The BD-2 is damn good and readily available. It's a tad bright, but overall, great.
The Hot Cake is much harder to find, but it is well worth it. I personally love the Hot Cake more.
@@TheToneLounge It seems readily available in the UK…it’s just twice the price of the Boss! 😂 I think I’ll treat myself
Great demo of this combo. I’m confused by the implied order of the archer and hotcake stacking based on the order on screen and by saying “boosting the hotcake”. To me boosting a pedal implies putting a boost AFTER said pedal to both increase the volume of an already clipping signal into the amp as well as to reshape the eq/frequency response as that is now determined by the second gain stage’s character (like how a TS type pedal has bass roll off for e.g.), but in the video the hotcake is on the left and the archer is on the right, which implies you were boosting INTO the hotcake. Can you please clarify?
Boosting volume and boosting overall clipping are two different ways of doing things. In this example, I was trying to get more clipping/saturation from the hotcake.
yea i am aware they are two different goals, just wanted to know which you were doing. So you were stacking the archer into the hotcake to boost the input and get more drive (and the order on screen followed suit). thank you for clarifying! i think my only call out is that in that scenario the tone shaping of the pedal going into the hotcake isn't effecting that much as doing it the other way around since the "final" stage is still hot cake and its tonal curve hasn't changed. this is especially true as you distort the input signal more and more, so any effect of the archer tone curve contributes less and less. The subtitle at the part of the video threw me a bit. Although obv does have some impact, sort of like a treble booster into a vox, which, as you know, is another popular aproach with vox amps Thanks again! I have a hotcake clone going into a UAD ruby, trying to sort out how. to stack my rat and odr-1, so this vid was very relevant to what i'm trying to sort out ;)@@TheToneLounge
Oh yeah this is it!
Awesome demo! I have a Wampler Euphoria. Would the Hot Cake offer new tones? Or do they cover a lot of the same territory? Also try out the katzenkonig (aka blood donor). Sound great on a Vox.
They get in similar territories, but they do sound different enough. I currently rock the Hot Cake on my mini board and it's killer. The Euphoria is smoother but can get just as rowdy as the Hot Cake.
@@TheToneLounge thanks. I just ordered a hotcake. I’m gonna swap out a tumnus. And have euphoria -> hot cake -> catzenkonig (rat+tonebender fuzz). I like the euphoria as an always on clean boost. Vox ac15 with a blue. Thanks for being the go to Vox guy.
are those still being produced?
Yes they are 😀
I regret selling mine I want another one now lol
If you were buying your first pedal for AC15c1, would you go with a hot cake or barbershop?
Tough call. I would personally go The Barbershop, as I find it more flexible.
It's a 10/10.
Right? Such a cool pedal.
I just bought one. It sounds better on my Deluxe Reverb
Is this an op amp overdrive?
I don't know for sure.
Was this in normal mode? Not Bluesberry or Bass ?
It's in normal mode.
I just got a hotcake but can't get used to it at the minute. On mine it has a weird thing on the presence knob it doesn't seem to turn as the other 2 knobs do. It starts at 11 o'clock and turns to 7 if that makes sense?!
I play rhythm in an indie rock cover band, epiphone Sheraton into an AC15CC2. I have a micro amp, Soul Food, TS mini, Rat, Gain Changer... Constantly chasing tone 🤦🤣🤣 Feel like my sound isn't "full" any suggestions?!
@@leehodgkiss15 You have great pedals, so I am not sure what it is that I can add. I do have a few suggestions, but the word "full" could mean something to me that isn't what you meant. Is there an example of a band/musician that has a tone you are aiming for?
We do Oasis, Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters to name a few. I guess they're my favourites
I'll buy a tube amp instead and use my big muff.
Those are good options.