Amp Shootout! Vox AC15 vs. Fender Blues Junior
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- #voxac15 #fenderbluesjr #guitaramps #guitar
Check out these great Tube Amps in Sweetwater!
Vox AC15: sweetwater.sjv...
Fender Blues Junior: sweetwater.sjv...
American or British - which of these budget friendly tube amp classics do you prefer? Putting the Vox AC15c1 against the Fender Tweed Blues Jr (III). Let us know which you like best! Using a Fender Stratocaster with Lust for Tone Monterey Pickups and a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, as well as a One Control Persian Green Screamer.
This was not a sponsored video.
Here are links to my full reviews of each amp:
Vox AC15 ~ • Vox AC15c1: Review, To...
Fender Blues Junior ~ • Awesome Fender Blues J...
Thanks for watching! Please remember to like, share and subscribe. If you want to support my channel, please follow the links below to listen to music. You can listen via Spotify, download via Bandcamp, or visit my webpage and hit the tip jar! And stop by the forum to join in on the conversation. I've also listed Amazon Affiliate links to my gear further down.
Listen: open.spotify.c...
Download: jackfossett.ba...
Tip Jar: www.paypal.com...
Webpage: www.jackfosset...
Also, if you're interested in the gear I use, you can find some of it on Amazon. These are Affiliate Links, and if you shop through here, I earn a small commission which helps support me make these videos!
Guitar Gear:
Electric Strings: amzn.to/2P4bSV5
Acoustic Strings: amzn.to/3vG6KqY
Tuner: amzn.to/3vH6V54
Studio Gear:
Audio Interface: amzn.to/2QfbBPv
Shure SM57: amzn.to/30SvbmK
Blue Encore 200: amzn.to/38PEcl1
Studio Ring Light: amzn.to/38UIpDY
DSLR: amzn.to/38S7T4I
Disclaimer: I do basic audio editing on my videos to account for the microphones, preamp and room. This editing, mostly light EQ and compression, is intended to give you the most accurate representation of how the featured gear actually sounds. NO editing is done to misrepresent how the featured gear sounds in any way.
I also use gear in my videos that I originally received through review deals with the companies. Anything other than whats stated as a sponsored feature is used entirely of my own volition, and no additional sponsorship is involved.
Which amp do you prefer? Let us know! And wanna hear some WICKED good tunes? Follow me on Spotify!
~ open.spotify.com/artist/6RLQFre2Qp5T454mFR5Ol4
Album rocks!
@@AustinAzz93 thank you kindly! Appreciate you listening 🙏🏻
Yeah it does rock !
He did that himself ?
@@JackFossett Did you use the Vox on your album !?
I don't have the Vox name brand but I've got a super killer AC 30 custom shop 12 inch combo with finger jointed custom wood cabinet made out of super wood, can't even remember what it's called but it's tweed fender on the clean channel and very anger AC 30 dirty channel that just screams on it's own with no pedals !
I would have to choose the Vox out of the 2 of your amps between fender Jr and vox I choose vox !
@@auntjenifer7774 I didn't use an AC30 however some of the solo tones I recorded direct in, and they were using a high quality AC30 model. So kind of. The tones I recorded live though were either on a Supro or a Fender.
Could live with either. I would try a lot of speakers in them to experiment though and make the best out of each.
For a quick description of each:
AC15: wider spectrum (larger cabinet), chunky lows, warm low mids, woody mids, jangly upper mids, extended and chimey british style highs (el84+ brit voiced speaker) . Can get (perceived as?) louder.
BJ: narrower spectrum & boxier, punchier, round bass, transparent low mids, crunchier mids, twangier high mids, smooth yet transistor radio like open highs. Perceived as rounder.
I’m stuck between buy one of these. My favorite artist play vox but my playing preference leans to the junior. Thanks for making this.
The Blues Jr. Sounds better here, for me.
Go to a shop and listen to them. It's a big difference. You can also get the 10 watt version of the vox. I found the Vox to be brighter. No recording on any channel I've found picks it up properly.
I am with the BJ and some easy and inexpensive mods.
You have the best amp reviews anywhere on the internet - nobody even comes close. I had a blues jr which I liked at the time but ended up falling in love with an AC10 over the AC15. I’m a home player so volume wasn’t hugely important. I’m now actually having a think about picking up a supro blues king 12 for a change
Not to take away from Jack, who's videos I enjoy, but you should also check out Toby's Guitar Gear Demos. His amp reviews are top notch.
I bought the ac15 and a few weeks later played through an ac10. I too prefer the ac10 over the ac15. Much simpler to use and sounds awesome.
Straight fact tho👆
@@zoltar7274 having played both today, not sure I agree. you also lose tremelo and it did not sound as full. I could be wrong- only spend about 10 minutes with each...as long as you are happy.
@@MOAB-UTYes, it's so different.
While the Blues Jr is a great blues/rock amp, the Vox is a much more versatile amp. The tones you can get out of it are truly amazing. And it handles pedals well. Vox for the win.
Yeah no... The opposite is true. The Vox doesn't have enough headroom to be versatile. You have Vox style breakup period..... With any overdrive pedal.... Unless you go full out distortion pedal.
@@ramspencer5492 nope
well the Vox suffer as a blues rock amp , what is left ? jazz and pop ?
I recently played a Fender Tweed Blues Jr. With Jensen speaker, Reverend HB guitar, with a Soul Food Klon and I was blown away by the tone! Also, I cranked a Vox AC10 and was super impressed! :)
Very nice comparison. I just ordered the Fender NOS IV. It’s just what I need, thanks!
Glad I could help!
Have the Vox. Use it in the pit. A place where it is important to "cut through the mix". With a full pit typically have full horn section, bass guitar, drums, keyboard and a grand piano. It can get pretty loud with all that in the pit. I usually have to get it off the floor so it is in my right ear. When the horn section is playing triple "f" it's hard to hear myself. Have used the Vox in a lot of other settings. Typically playing an Epi Sheraton ii pro. (and yes I use the coil splits) Great guitar. In some cases using a Ric 660/12, with toaster pickups. Pedals: Compression, OD, Choirs, Vibrato, and Reverb. (I use same board for an acoustic guitar set up.) The Vox can get really loud. It's been a workhorse of an amp.
I agree entirely with your analysis!
Awesome review Jack!!! Kate Moss from Smiley Tillmon band uses the Blues Junior and it sounds mighty. If you close your eyes and you didn't know, you might think that she is playing through a Deville or a bigger amp. Blues junior might not sounds full in a room setting, but in a live situation it cuts through the mix amazingly. It's a good amp.
Thanks for making me want to play. Those cleans are everything.
The Vox sounds better than the Blues Jr. imo. I just feel Voxes generally lack low end at lower volumes. It's fine at high volume, as the bass becomes more present and it sounds fantastic (and you don't have Fender's annoying problem of fart-y too present bass when they're loud). But at lower volume they sound a bit too thin imo. Now, of course you can get something like a Matchless for a nice el84 amp that has enough low end at all volumes, but they're damn expensive!
I recently ended up with a Mesa California Tweed for both home and band use. It has a multi watt switch that works great and it sounds fantastic. Not an el84 amp, but hey. At least it sounds great. It's not cheap, but not Matchless DC30 level.
Really surprised at the huge difference between them when cranked. Vox has much more pleasing warm distortion. bJ hurts which you said at the end opine section. Interesting. Great review and comparison. Seems like vox has a lot more clean headroom.
In my opinion, the blues junior sounds best with single coil pickup guitars like the tele and strat (wonder why😁?). I think if you run buckers then the Vox wins. Great show on this Jack.
Jazzmaster single coils pair best with Vox tho
But the Vox also sounds better with single coils (particularly a Tele) and P90s
I own a voxac15 and played for a while on a blues Jr like both but love my vox
Great comparison. I think the Vox sounds fuller when played clean. Does anyone else agree?
I may be biased because I love my AC4
Been listening to a lot of comps between these two on different channels and each time it just sounds like a blanket comes off the sound when you switch to the vox
Owned Blues Jr III, played new tweed (and blue limited edition) ones last night. Review was right, use pedals, avoid the natural drive. I always had to play mine with an EQ pedal, tho, to thin out the sound to cut through band mix.
AC15 is what I test my new guitars on at stores and really want one. It’s smoother and tighter in response.
Check out Blackstar’s HT20 as well. The HT40 is my main amp and never fail to get compliments.
I’ve owned both these amps. Vox is louder! Sounds fuller too. Totally capable band amp.
Between these two for rock or alternative sounds: AC15 hands down. Pairing with the right gain pedals is key. I find more full frequency pedals do pretty well with the Vox. If Im doing something blues based where perhaps i would typically lean Fender I just wouldn’t pick a Blues Junior.
yes a pedal amp that is what vox is , not much as a tube amp
Is pairing big muff and ac15 a good idea
@@maximmm5462 there’s tons of videos on that. Check out The Tone Lounge. But yeah Muffs and fuzzes generally can sound great through Vox amps. Limitations with AC15 might just be headroom and being heard. Muffs are typically scooped and if you’re in a loud band you are probably gonna struggle, but that’s just a general limitation to the AC15 when not mic’d up
The Vox is the one of these I've actually used myself so I like that one, especially for semi-hollow or hollow guitars. I cannot give a good opinion on the Fender, since I've never used it.
I loved mine with my old Maton semi. Sadly, both are sold now. Still have a semi, just not a Maton!
I own the Vox and love It. It has two major drawbacks. 1- like you said you need to push the master volume to make it sound good and full and that means really LOUD. 2- It's damn heavy. The good about this amp: sounds great with or without pedals. Classic Vox sound at a very reasonable price. I could (and did) make an album with It without feeling I compromised on tone.
Captures the contrast between the dark Fender and bright Vox clean tones. The head version of the AC15 has a built in attenuator if you're using a 16 ohm speaker. It sounds great at conversational tone.
Great video. I love my AC15 with Blue Alnico, but perhaps a comparison between Vox AC15 and a Fender Princeton Reverb would have been better
I have both amps and you’ve well demonstrated their differences, great review 👍
@neonthunderbird
I don’t have a favourite as they both have their own sound characters, so will sometimes try them both with different guitars to find the sound that suits the song I’m working on.
Cheers
Great review & playing Jack. If I had to buy one of these it would be the Fender.
Right on!
Hey Jack, with all your immense wealth😎I will make a suggestion for the channel, I would like you to go to the Fender Mod Shop and spec out a new guitar and when it arrives do a review for your subscribers. It's a win, win, you get a new guitar, and we get to see a cool video.
I like how you think 😉 although immense wealth made be chuckle a nervous chuckle
@@JackFossett maybe a small exaggeration
Vox AC10 (w/boost pedal) ab pedal w/ whatever Fender tube amp.
Great video Jack. I can't choose. I like them both. Keep up the good work man. Greetings from Holland.
Taste in sound or anything for that matter, is purely subjective. In my opinion, the Vox tone has always sounded a bit brittle compared to the fender amps.
Both amps seem to be unable to take a chord without distorting. I want clarity in an amplifier. I can get dirt out of my pedalboard. Did you test these amps out with a spectrum analyzer? That I would be interested in.
I liked this because I walked away with a ton of info but still not sure which one to get LOL Point is mute though, Fender Blues IV FSR Sonic Blue is on the way :D Has the Cannabis Rex speaker.
I feel like if I get a Fender then I'll still have the Vox itch and vice versa. Saw a Deluxe Reverb used for under 1k in mint condish and AC15 used for around $500. That is forsure the way I want to go to ease the GAS
Cool vid. I like the Vox and have heard they’re better made than the Blues Jr. I’m more of a lower volume player though these days so I’d probably lean blues Jr w pedals.
Psionic Audio has great videos to that point. That is my reservation also because I have played and been inspired by the Blues Junior sound, especially the FSR models, but worry about quality over time.
I never cared for a Blues Jr., do you have a suggestion for another Clean Fender Tube amp? I already have an AC15c2, AC30c2, an ac10 and my solid state JC-120. I don't mind upgrading speakers, pots, caps, tanks and tubes if the stock amp needs some tweaking. I don't have a lot of pedals since I use all my money on guitars and amps. :) I don't gig, just play with my kids in the house. I like crunch but clean with big head room is where I play with almost all my amps. 1x12 or 2x12 Thanks for all your Vox videos, its a big part of why I bought mine.
Deluxe Reverb
I've seen other comparisons between these two where I lean Vox AC15, but however you dialed in the Blues Jr I prefer it here. Which makes me feel better because I own one.
The Vox sounds thin on all fronts....but Vox has always sounded thin and bright to me. I vote Fender on this one.
Tonally I’m right on the same page, although the Blues Jr is so finicky and I do find the AC15 had a more usable range of tone. But in general for me, Fender > Vox. Wish I could draw the little Ms Pac-Man half circle to symbolize consumption there.
What's not obvious is how relatively well the blues Jr tonescape compares to a real late 50's fender 5e3 circuit versus how poorly the VOX to early AC15s. The 50s fender 5e3 deluxe had the tone that creamed nicely and became treasured by late 60's American rockers throwing in that halo of blues. It was how the late 50's fenders naturally compressed the tone when pushed. But nobody had a boat load of those small amps, enough to use for a loud-as-you-could-get concert of the late 60's when their tone became so treasured; so, they were more of a very clever studio recording amp. The late 50s VOX AC15, on the other hand, was the cleaner tone of early 60's brittish rock that preempted both the Marshal-brittish-blues-rock and the American-blues-rock of the late 60s. The new VOX AC15c in the demo does not capture the magic of that early 60's brittish tone as well as the blues Jr does the original 50's fenders. (That's not to say the Blues Jr has as tastey a tone as the original 50's fender tone.) Ironically, the blues Jr uses EL84s unlike the original fenders.
@@whimpypatrol5503 yeah, I never thought the vintage vox were magical. I still thought/think they are bright and thin. They use .01 coupling caps vs the fender and marshall .02. They also use. 02 in the phase inverter vs .1 in fender/marshall. They will always be thinner and brighter by design....vintage or modern. Just not my cup of tea....pun intended.
@@whimpypatrol5503 my thoughts. It's such an excellent comment!
Great video. Well thought out with top notch playing. I had a fender hot rod that I loved, but it was too darn loud (even with an attenuator) for home use. Switched to a Vox AC15 and have been happy ever since. I’ve recently been experimenting with stereo with my Yamaha practice amp and am hooked. Strongly considering the Blues Junior as a second amp to pair with the Vox for stereo. They both sound awesome, and together in stereo may help to sweeten the field with their slightly different characteristics. Thankfully, loads of second hand deals out there. Thanks for the awesome video, Jack!
Paul, pairing the two was just my thoughts! Each has its own strong points (and lots to count!). I use an ABY Box to pair my AC-15C1 with a Quilter 101 Mini Reverb through an ENGL 112 Cabinet to fill the bass and mids and it is... glorious!
Awesome overview of very popular amps Jack. Cheers 🍻🥂🍻.
Great video, thanks! I went through a bunch of different Fender models (even an old Bandmaster) to my best amp of all time, a Dr. Z Maz 18 Jr. head on a ported Dr. Z 2 x 12 Cabinet. (that amp sounded good no matter how it was set!) But I needed to size down so I sold it to a guy down in Brazil and started trying out all kinds of combos.
My guitar tech told me to try an AC15 (one of the new C1 models), not the older ones. I was hesitant but damn... he was right! I chose the creamback speaker model and made a couple of adjustments. First, I swapped the reverb tank with one that didn't have that long tail "boingy" effect; much better. Then I retubed it to smooth out the overdrive a bit. Now I love this amp. I didn't think I'd ever find another amp that made me want to play it all the time like my Dr. Z did but this one does! (my main guitar is a Gretsch Players Edition Jet)
1. Your mention of the replacement reverb tank perked my interest... what is the brand and source?
2. I just replaced the Chinese-made preamp tubes with Russian-made electro-harmonix 12AX7's and it totally cleaned up the intermittent hiss and brought so much dynamics, clarity, and tone! I have a couple of Russian-made electro-harmonix EL-84's on the way, which should serve to further revive and redefine this glorious AC-15C1.
@@christophertaylor1671 I used the MOD 8EB2C1B - It was sold on Amazon. Amplified Parts also sells the Accutronics version of the 8EB2C1B; It may be a little cheaper too. They are medium decay so you still get that lush reverb but not quite as "boingy" sounding as the stock tank. Hope this helps! (good job on the tube swap my friend. AC15s Rock!)
I have both of these amps. The blues junior I have is a IV though. The only improvements I've made aside from valve swap to JJs in the junior...is the following pedals in the front (I'm very picky about not ruining the core tone of an amp or a strat style guitar so if that's youre thing this may be worth trying)... as far as improving the vox tone on the normal channel I use an ocd v2 as a clean boost so the the drive is off and it's on HP mode with just the tone on max and the volume at a hair above unity. The point is is that this is acting as a slight compressor and not really doing a lot except controlling the dynamics and adding thickness and a slight spongyness to the top end. As the normal channel on the vox dosent have eq this goes into a boss ge-7. And that's as good as it can get I'm my experience. On the top boost channel I run a nobels odr-1 which has a little bit of drive and the spectrum set pretty high like 9oclock, the level is unity or slightly above, and use the eq on the amp and thats it for the top boost. I use a lehle little dual to switch between the two channels giving me a lush clean tone and a slightly driven lead tone which does really cut in a nice way. Honestly nothing else satisfies on the vox other than that for me in terms of retaining your primary tone..so do give it a try if you can. As for the blues junior i either use it straight in or I use a dunlop classic vibe cry baby wah which is gives a lot of presence but cuts off the bass so it goes into a mxr ten band eq (to put some of the bass back in) whenever the wah goes on the eq goes on...in my opinion this improves the blues juniors overall sound in terms of clarity and prevents a lot of boxyness no matter what you do. Also I agree with jack on saying that the blues junior sounds better when your guitar is turned down I use 7 on my strat. I hope that helps someone out there breath life into these amps it's certainly taken a long while for me to settle on this rig because like I said I'm very picky when it comes to tone. Have tried so much stuff and this setup just simply works for me...Thanks to jack for the great videos and awesome playing.
thanks for this helpful comparison. If I may pitch in and suggest something really helpful for future videos, it would be great if there was some onscreen indication (e.g. written name of amp at top right of screen) for which amp is playing when, as I found it quite confusing to know which amp was playing when. cheers
Both are cool. Lacking treble on the blues jr…blues Jr fatter and rounder though …the vox thinner but hotter somehow ….I run small 5 watt tube amps and run 4 different speakers diff cabs…for varied sound. just simple cabs…4ohm , 8ohm… 12” speakers …I use pedals for eq , Verb…more variety than these . If I could I’d have these also but I’m pretty happy to just swap cabs …
I think they both come with EL84.
So it s going to be interesting. - Normally I like the fender cleans and the vox break up too early.
Correct!
I prefer high gain amps, but if I had to chose between these two it would definitely be the Vox for the warm and soft sound.
Another great review….both Amps are great. I like the Vox, but would take either one. Rock on Jack as always. Any tour dates coming from you down the road???
Thank you! No tour, but my group is back up and rehearsing and we have a few performances coming in the Fall up here in Maine. Thinking about doing a vlog if anyone would be interested in that.
@@JackFossett sweet. I come up to the 207 pretty regularly to see music...If you are going to stream a performance that would cool...See you live or on the stream soon...
The AC 15 is a great amp but weighs in at 48lbs, heavier that a blues deluxe, Blues jr vs ac10 is the question, both are great
Fantastic video. Very helpful. Leaning towards the Fender myself, but I see myself potentially buying both of these amps in the future.
I’m between a blues jr and a Princeton. Living room amp. Anyone who’s had both or either have an opinion?
I have been playing for over 50 years and have played just about every amp out there, from Fender to Marshall to Mesa Boogie, Rivera and my main amp is currently a Vox AC30HW2. So full disclosure I don't own either of the amps you tested here. Both of them are great, but IMO the Vox sounds more touch sensitive. And that is where I think a lot of the difference is; you can make a Vox sound quite warm if you hit it right. I have even got a great jazz tone from the normal channel of my AC30. And as you implied, the tone cut knob is your friend.
I couldn’t choose so I got both
You can always remove treble. You can’t add it. While the initial tones lead me to prefer the Blues Junior, the Vox can be rounded out with the guitar’s tone knob, or backing off the treble.
The Blues Junior can’t add what isn’t there to start with.
Also you’re right: the spring reverb on the Blues Junior is terrible. I returned mine because of it.
Great comparison! I still have my first Tube amp, which is a Blues Jr. , maybe around 28 years old or so. I don't know which incarnation of this amp it is, but sadly it doesn't work anymore. There's only noise and hiss coming out of it now. I always thought about getting it repaired or just buying a newer version. Your video makes me think again 🤔....
Hi Jack,
Can you tell me which of these two amps fits a semi-hollow better? I'm playing an Ibanez JSM20 and I'm looking for a go-to amp for gigs :) I should add that I'm not using it in a jazz/blues context but more going into a pop/rock/soul direction. Thanks!
In just my opinion..the AC 10…blows the AC15 away…simply does…harmonically/ tone-wise..and every other way…including it’s natural distortion at a reasonable level…Blues Jr. is everyone’s favorite whipping post…hate it..love..it..change speakers..change tubes…change everything including g the reverb-tank..then change it back…blow away the fat switch..wait ..use the fat-switch…you get the picture.
So I live here in Seattle Washington and I'm good friends with John frommel who we all know makes a wonderful pedals and has mods for just about any Fender amp you can imagine.
He took my Tweed Blues Junior and modified the tone stack, the gain structure and the Reverb and also for free he added a tube driven vibrato circuit to the amp.
I was in love with the amp prior to John working on it but afterwards this thing eats Deluxe reverbs for lunch!
I did change the speaker out from the stock Jensen to a 12-in ceramic magnet speaker out of a Tone King Imperial mark 1.
And the sound is just glorious. I'm well acquainted with Vox amps as Ive owned three or four of them and while I really like the ac15c1 my amplifier, considering that it has been heavily modded is just such a better sounding amp.
Without the change in speaker and without having the vibrato circuit added for around $150 you can have John do the same to your Blues junior.
But really when it comes down to it I think we're comparing apples and oranges being the typical USA Fender sound versus the British Vox sound.
They're each a separate Beast and they both sound wonderful! Thank you for the comparison and I'm a new subscriber and fan!.
I had a Vox amp and I did like it. However I think it is sonically a one trick pony , but it does that one trick really well. Now I have had 4 BJ’s and the last model 4 with upgrade speaker and tubes is the best in my opinion. There are several things I have learned about Jr’s ……one is learning how to EQ them especially the master/volume, also finding the perfect pedal match. I will never trash the BJ it is a great Fender amp for the $, but not for large venues. This is a great channel if you want the real low down on gear with no BS😀
I've owned a Vox before. I like them, but I find them to be a little too brittle on the high end. There's something about Fender amps that I just love, and I love the Blues Deluxe! Just my humble opinion. Lol Great job as usual!
GOOD JOB, WELL DONE
Not Gettin Off on the New Fender Blues Jr IV with the Cannabis Rex speaker...Disappointing...But the VOX AC 10 is Wonder Full.
Online and looked up the best rated pedal platforms number one Deville and you got a bunch of other stuff in there and number 10 Marshall DSL 40
65 and 68 fender duel deluxe, orange rock adverb, 50
Fender Blues Junior sounds better in my opinion. I own the IVth version and it rocks
Put an alnico in the Vox and never look back. Best amp I’ve had. And yes, I’ve had three Blues juniors.
I have a BJ 4 with a Cannabis Rex speaker and upgraded to JJ’s instead of stock tubes……totally better sound that easily beats the Vox!
Vox for me 🎸
Great video and audio demo of the two amps. I'll take both amps please! ;-) Two very classic sounds! (But, the Fender all day long for verb...)
Thank you sir! I have a soft spot in my heart for Vox amps, but when push comes to shove I agree, I’m a Fender amp man through and through
@@JackFossett I got a wall of Fender amps behind me, and both Voxes are down for service! ;-)
@@RobertKeeleyTV Do you have a favorite? I waiver but I think if I could only keep one it would be the Super Reverb. Or the Princeton. Or probably the Bassman... yeah, here I go...
I love your videos and you can really play! But it's so weird how your only two guitar faces are slack-jawed blind man looking at nothing and guy taking a poop.
The blues jr sucks, I’ve tried everything to get a nice sound..then I bought an ac15 and voila!! Easy peesy
Tweed sounds warm basic and pounchy. Thats enough for me. Vox is just too bright on normal but overdriven at the end it sounds better
I felt the edge of breakup sound of the Vox was a bit fizzy, or like a part of the cab was vibrating. For me the BJ was way superior.
Mho… For very clean things I prefer the fender bigger, fuller sound. From edge of breakup on, the vox. Both great with pedals.
I tend to agree
@@JackFossett and you know what… one simple mod to the AC15 circuit and you can have almost the blues jr clean tone. Just making the bright cap switchable. It can get pretty warm and full just by switching the bright cap off.
Another great comparison and more great Fossett playing!!!!
Thank you kindly!
I can’t speak to the AC15, however the Blues Jr, worst tube amp ever to me. Had one and couldn’t get much I liked out of it. Fast forward to my Princeton Reverb, and I can’t get a tone I dislike out of it.
I definitely agree that Blues Jrs can be hard to dial in, although I have an off soft spot for them. But I also - the Princeton. That’s the one.
The Blues Jr is indeed, together with the Hotrod DLX, the worst Fender amp - which does not exclude that in the right hands (e.g. Jack Fosset) it can sound better than one would think. Princetons (blackfaces) are simply amazing.
As always, great video and playing. I have both. The Blues Jr. was one of my first amps about thirty years ago. I got the Vox four years ago. I don't have a favourite. I agree with you that it depends on the application, venue etc. Also I prefer one or the other with different guitars. Both can be coaxed to bring out some great tones.
Thanks, Jack! Your other videos on the blues junior (we don't abbreviate it bj, do we?) were the main reason I bought the amp, and also the most helpful for learning how to dial it in for good tones. This was nice reinforcement that i made a good decision, the ac15 had been on my short list. Thanks again!
Been using a Vox 10 watt pathfinder all year.Great little amp gives me everything I need
I've got an AC15 (Sunday best) and a katana 2 100 (Swiss army knife). I frequently get confined to the bedroom for a few days with health issues so I wanted something cheap, very unobtrusive and not total crap so I could noodle away upstairs. I looked at the Nux Mighty Air but didn't really want to spend £149 on something that may not live up to the hype. Someone pointed me to the Pathfinder 10, and I was a little put off by no reverb but I saw one on ebay, still in the box for £40. Took a chance and ordered a cheap donner reverb pedal, same day delivery from amazon. Wow! The sound from the Pathfinder was way beyond my expectations. I didn't expect much from that 6.5 in speaker but its great, and with reverb it really sounds like a Vox. I threw my Zoom G5n through it just to see, and it handled it like a champ. I can't understand why these things aren't more popular as practice amps given their super low price and sound quality.
I got it too, what a great little dude!
I use pathfinder 15r....nice
@@rashidrani2333 me too, it’s an awesome amp
Tweed shows off beer bottle ring stains better in my opinion😎👍
😎👍❤🖖
Love brother
I prefer high gain amps, but if I had to chose between these two it would definitely be the Vox for the warm and soft sound.
I've owned both and kept my Tweed jnr iii. It's light, takes pedals very well, and matches with most other amps for a killer wet/dry or stereo rig. It goes well with my Laney Cub12r and both are so light I can carry them and still drink a beer..
Loved my AC15 (early 2000s model) but too heavy. It's also a bit fussier with pedals than the Fender.
Master volume trick is the way to go with the Jnr. The midrange on the Jnr is just right. The Vox midrange can be fixed with pedals, an EQ or something like an RC Booster helps.
Vox sounds bigger in the room and feels bigger. Larger cab!
Best comment so far. Spot on!
@@georgefromgreece4119 thank you! Too kind
How would you compare the Laney to the Jr? I was thinking of selling my jr and buy a Laney (I already have a blues deluxe so I would like something different). Thank you!
@@jackgraffiti9815 I own the Laney Cub 15, and have used the BJ (not too extensively).
Take notice:
The Cub's circuit is a Marshall JCM 800 copy.
It doesn't sound like a typical Marshall though cause the elements have different values.
It has:
Papery overdrive (not a bad thing, good if you play 50s 60s genres). A liiittle bit like a Marshall.
Chunky lows as a Marshall.
It is very bass/ low mid heavy on low volumes, this is not bad cause gives the amp a lot of body and sweetness.
It is very sweet on the high end.
It has a lot of chime (the stock speaker is kind of dark, as a Celestion G12-65, very similar, I have done A to Be to that).
It sounds a little bit boxy- natural, it is very small and compact in enclosure- I have connected it to larger cabs and it becomes a monster of an amp (in the good way).
The total timbre of the amp is reminiscent of something like a lower headroom HiWatt amp- it NAILS David Gilmour tones.
Some Vox chime.
Some Marshallness.
A lot of HiWattness.
Like a blend between different brit amps.
With a brit voiced speaker you will rock, for sure.
It also has a very appropriate tone for jazz- a lot of warmth.
It doesn't have the mid tweed crunch of the BJ, neither the round bass and open highs... But then again, BJ's speaker contributes to the above, so with a different speaker...
I currently have an Eminence Legend 1218 in.
Don't expect Marshall voicing with an american voiced speaker like mine.
But with a brit voiced yes.
Not textured Marshall mids though.
BUT... if you want a Marshall sound, by changing some components values on the Laney, you turn it to an exact JCM copy- still 15 Watts, though.
I totally recommend any of the aforementioned amps: the Laney, the Vox, the Fender.
The Laney, stock, is low mid heavy (a lot of low mids- body), has a lot of sweet chime, isn't sizzly/ fizzy at all, chunky not round bass (Marshall type bass), warm mids not crunchy, boxy sound, deep punchy clean sound, papery not too clear distortion (sounds less clear in general, but very sweet), very lightweight, compact and easy to carry.
It is versatile for what it offers.
On the dark side stock, opens up with different speaker, valves, cab (very decent sound stock though, it's a matter of taste if you like a sweeter darker amp or a bitier best).
Oh and it takes pedals like heaven.
@@georgefromgreece4119 thanks!!
so I put in an order at my local music shop last September a VOX AC15CX1 Alnico blue speaker supposed to arrive by November ; the price jumped from 1200 to 1600$ in the meantime and it's now end of February 2022 and the order still hadn't arrived - so canceled that hold up crap and bought a very lightly used Fender Blues Jr IV LTD 850$ another local shop had available on the floor , so at about half price of the Vox _ couldn't be happier and saved myself half my dime ‼️😉
Do yourself some inexpensive mods and you are golden. Tone stack, bias of the tubes. I also changed the speaker
The big difference I find between the two is the fender is squishy and scooped…Now the Vox is squishy also but it’s very quick to the touch…Now with the vox being more mid and high focused your not able to hide behind it the way you can hide behind a fender… I play a AC15H1TV that weird lookin 50th anniversary thing…sloppy players hate my amp…
I gigged with both of them at different times and the blues junior lost…If you know how to use the knobs on the guitar the Vox is way more versatile…but yes harder to hide behind on drunk night!!! lol…great Demo man!!!
I had an AC15h1TV, and it's definitely the one that got away. I loved that amp, will definitely get another one someday.
Love my jun iii....its fitted with a celestion cream back....using a donner verb...
I like the ac15 in the stock form. With the fender blues jr. I’m not a fan of the Jensen stock speaker. I would put a cannabis Rex speaker in the b.j. That’s just me. Blessings bro.
I agree. While the Jensen is in itself a very good speaker, I think its too bright and spikey for this circuit.
great comparison here, jack. would love to see you do a comparison between the ac15 and the hot rod deluxe--the other comparisons i've seen are hardly as good as your vids. cheers.
Gawd I want an AC15. I have a Jr, Deville,Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, DSL 40,and a Vox 4 stack thing. My next amp will definely be a AC 15……
Or a Princeton….. or a Champ…. I think I have a problem?
I have a solution! 😃
@@JackFossett Ha ha. I was at the store today looking at a Princeton and a 15C1. I just don’t have the dough right now but…. Oh Gawd.
@@JackFossett Bought an AC15C1 yesterday! Well paid for it. I'm away for 2 more weeks so you can imagine the frustration! I'm thinking of that Blonde Tonemaster Twin also. There's in fact a real Twin that I see on FB for actually a couple hun cheaper than a TM. Not sure what to do there. Both?
Either is a good choice so I might go the real tube one if you don’t mind the weight
I have both and my go to is the Vox for my style of playing which is heavy rock blues punk with a lot of gain
This is unfair. AC15 is history and the blues junior is a not-so-good amp (to say the least) with a terrible reverb. A more realistic comparison would be AC15 against a blackface, which is the pinnacle of American-voiced amps. In this application, the AC15 wins hands down despite you being a master at dialing-in good sounds from both these amps.
Appreciate the vote of confidence! The one counter point I'd make though is that this AC15 isn't as good or dedicated a reissue as the Fender Blackface reissues are -- the best vintage style AC15 I've ever played was the anniversary hand wired which I used to own, and that was more like what Fender is doing with their reissues. This one is probably a step up in quality from the Blues Jr but I think its more in the middle.
@@JackFossett true enough. Price-wise, the AC15 is closer to the Blues Junior than to a Princeton. I really mean the compliments. The AC15 is one of the most difficult amps to dial-in I know. I think you posted a video some time ago about how to make it sound good... it was brilliant. you clearly know what you are doing.
i've owned 3 blues jrs. they get squishy after about 20 minutes in a band situation. i'm curious as to how the ac15 holds up.
To me, the Fender sounds harsh and the Vox has a much more pleasing tone.
Get them both and use an A/B pedal..hell use them both at once. =]
Hi,great video.Greetings from Poland!
For the price...both!
Correct answer 👍
interestingly enough the Blues Junior IV is actually priced the same as the AC15, they both came out about around the same time.
the Blues Junior III is a little older, that one goes back to 2012, but the AC15 came out later. i think the AC10 would've been a more interesting comparison, there about the same size.
AC15 is bigger than Blues Junior III. Blues Junior IV has a 12 inch 15 watt, Blues Junior III comes with 10, but can be upgraded with a speaker.
Blues Juniors have always had 12” speakers
Ac 15 came out in 1959.
@@joemasse4568 ya the original, but i was referring to these two.
Another good video Jack. I have the Vox AC15C1, Blues Jr with swampthing speaker and a Blues Deluxe. I like and use all 3 amps for certain situations.
They both sound great, mainly because you sir or an amazing player! But I got to give the edge to the vox
Glad I bought the Junior! Thanks for the review :)
I went with the BJ IV and it just arrived today. Love your channel and tests! What I like most about your comparisons is you play (very nearly) the same thing on both amps. Other testers play something different on the second amp, making an apples/apples comparison difficult. Only request I'd make, is more chords. You usually end on one, but how about at least 4 bars of barres?
Lastly, GREAT playing!
AC 15 and by far
All three girls are yummy!🤤😋❤
hi fellow musicians in the comment section,
i just wanna ask you guys' opinion. would it be enough for a music practice/rehearsal/recording room if i place:
-fender blues jr iv 15 watt
-vox ac15c1x
-orange rocker 15
-orange crush bass 100
for the amps setup?
through some reading i found that 15-watt tube amp is more than enough for a music practice/rehearsal room. but i just wanna hear from you guys. drop your opinion down below. thanks in advance