The strat just sounds amazing with vox amps man its like they were made for eachother you get a vox with a strat and man you got a killer tone just amazing my favorite tone is with those 2 nothing can compare to me
Still very happy with the ac10 hooked up with a 2×12 cab amazing tone still the best vox tone to me something about it and not so touchy to get it jn the right spot very nice sounding without having to mess eith to much but this amp does sound amazing
I managed to find an AC30 CC1 a year back as I didn't fancy carrying a 2 speaker version around. It's epic. 'If' I hadn't found it then I'd have bought the S1 in a heart beat. I can only applaud VOX for doing this model at long last. Effects in/out, top boost channel with a really good digital reverb, external output, VOX tone and it's fookin' loud What is there not to like? PS; in the flesh it's Coo-oo-well.
John great demo again! Your the best! Loved that LP with the p90s, that PRS hollowbody was just sick, the tele spanked em all. Those PRS pickups are just killer. Love this amp and gonna get one!
I just brought me this Vox I cant have it till X-mas but I've had a little blast on it. Loved it.i wanna get a Chorus pedal to pair with it.i tried playing a Bigmuff through it too & it sounded Badass. It's a cool amp.
I get why folks don't like this iteration, but I personally dig it. I think for 90% of the people using these as true gigging amps, the simplification in size, weight, and control layout really is an improvement. To each their own, but I'd rather have this over the 2-channel 2x12" for my needs. Too bad they couldn't slap one of the NuTubes in it for a tremolo that didn't add much weight. Maybe in the future. ROCK ON!
My thoughts exactly. I bought this and I'm loving it. The single channel works for me. I use it as a clean, and then use my Dookie Drive for my distorted tone. I've always wanted a Vox, but didn't wanna lug around all that weight. This is perfect for me!
Love my 1x12 AC30CC1 with normal channel in addition to top boost. Also real spring reverb and power and bias options built like a tank from real plywood. Not sure this new one is going to be as good but it does sound great here. I didn't catch the price.
The sound of a Tele through a vox AC (4/10/15/30) is the sweetest guitar tone of all time to me. Also interesting that there's nothing out there (at least affordable) that can convicably emulate a real Vox.
Love John's reviews. Good demonstration of the amp. Amp sounds really good to me. Much lighter which is a plus in my books. I would have thought they would keep the trem, but that might add some more weight. Gold top paul sounds really good. I do not care for digital reverb, but I would not use the reverb anyway. Strat sounds great with the compressor. Vox has always seemed to have reliability issues. Hope that is not the case with this amp as it sounds like a winner.
Great video as usual. Wih this amp you get one less tube than the AC30C2, which has two in the preamp which is a cathode follower. Only one preamp tube in the S1; they both have another in the phase inverter which is part of the power amp. They take away the low channel and the trem as well.
I got the AC 10 it was too loud for home not loud enough for Gigs and it hated all my drive pedals, shame it didn't work for me as it was a lovely amp nice basic tone And brilliant reverb, just not my bag, sent it back and got a boss katana which I'm very happy with
Did that PRS SE1, the 1st guitar he played in the video, have a B-Bender installed on it? It may be my eyes tricking me but it sure seemed to look like it to me.
My Marshall JCM 900 MkIII head alone was more than 70 lbs, each Marshall 1960 A & B cab are around 105 lbs. But I tend to agree with you as I am 68 years old now and for me light weight is a good thing. Also no one wants me to show up with a marshall full stack!
Thanks good review , liked that you tried different axes and pickups, just about everything I have here, found a screaming deal on a used one in mint condition , on its way
Jonathan Veillette Exactly! Was about to say the same thing! This is a 30 watt version of the AC 10C1, with an effects loop, which the 10 does not have.
Yeah, but how is the ”clean” on this amp? As in, crank up the main, and balance the overall output from the gain control, and how loud and clean is it. And get your dirt from your pedals?
hi, do you think that the VOX Cambridge is a great amp? i ask because somebody offered me the one for 250USD. i think i am fortunate. i can't afford to buy the AC30. not even the AC10. some have it and some dont . i mean the cash. well but this makes once creative. in search of the best that i can get for the smaller amount. so probably i will buy the secondhand VOX Cambridge 30. even i wanted to buy the VOX AV 15 for 300 USD. but i believe in Guitars and amps... age go first... a new amp can be bought always. they are out in the shops waiting to be bought. but a VOX Cambridge is an opportunity that does not come so soon back...
All these salesmen demo'ing the new VOX AC30S1... none of them are talking about the fact it has less ventilation than the CC1, which was known to overheat. How are they getting the heat out of there? Would like to know.
Now I was checking and... the AC30CC1 has exactly the same weight as the VOX AC30S1 : 24,5Kg with one 12" speaker as well. But the S1 has one less channel, no rectifier tube (which could be a good thing). No tremolo. And no back switches. Perhaps It looks a little better, because it is more rectangular shaped, but...maybe the weight should have been revised too.
I'm not sure that's better than an ac15c1 (own one and love it). The only reason to pick this over an ac15 would be if you just need more headroom, but vox is not a headroom amp to start with. A digital reverb is a deal breaker for any tube amp I might buy. Better to not include one at all. A spring tank is not that expensive. I'm gassing for another amp. perhaps the ac4.
crush537 I have an AC4c1 with the 10 “ speaker and I tried this AC30S1 at guitar center and I thought the tone of my AC4 blew it away this new Ac30s1 sounded thin to me, I would suspect it has the identical circuit?
Hey hey Hey! John nice tape-on-sneaker! WTFH is that awesome background noise at 4:26, 8:30something and a number of other times that sounds like a fart run through a phaser? Great work, amp sounds awesome and even though the SE isn't $$$ it is still a really nice guitar, little love and it's that much better.
Mentioned is the fx loop. My recently purchased, used ('15) AC30C2 has an fx loop. I haven't tried it yet -- does it suck tone, etc? Or is it worth using for my mod pedals? Thanks all --
There's something in VOX AC-15/30 drive that just doesn't work for me. It does if it's that little bit of grit, edge of breaking up sound, there they sound cool, but when you crank that gain up... The amp is saying "That's not for me". I'd rather go for a lot of other amps for driven/distorted sound depending on how much distortion you want (Talking now just about that kind of low gain where VOX and Fender are placed usually), but in this kind of scenario... VOX doesn't cut it for me, they're noisy in an unpleasant way to my ear.
I totally agree. I've had a Vox AC15 for years and never really loved it, mostly for the reasons you mentioned. the amp's sweet spot sounds great, but the sweet spot is very narrow and sits right on the line between clean and distorted. full distortion from a Vox just isn't satisfying.... and they don't sound much better with pedals either, IMO.
I love voxes, but I agree. They sound best with just a bit of gain, unless it's the old EF86 type, which is a different ball of wax altogether. They sound great dimed.
Sounded good with the "dirt". I prefer the normal channel on those amps though, but this amp does not have one Those PRS SE gats can have really good tone. I am about to sell a 245. Sounds great, but I did not like how it feels to play. I picked up a 1997 LP Studio in black. Bliss. I would not say it sounds any better than the SE, but I much prefer how it plays. I swapped out the 490r 498t set for Whole Lotta Humbucker set. I really liked that set in the SE 245. Good in the LP too, but the stock pups sounded great in that gat too, so I dunno.
The high-end on this amp around five or 6K and above is really strange. I have to Lopez this amp with nearly every Mike position all the way down to around 5K. I can’t explain it, but the high-end on this amp is not a seamless transition from the other frequencies. It’s like un musical added fizz. It’s not like others and it doesn’t make any sense.
So here is a list of things that make AC30s great; 2 12's Greenbacks or Alnico Blue Normal and top boost channel Headroom Amazing spring reverb Tremolo Large cab to move air Vox has taken all this out, to offer this AC30 imposter.
Agree 100%. Pedals do sound better through the normal channel and if they're using a standard top boost channel in these that's a real blow. I love the simplicity of the normal channel in the C2 series too where you've just got the volume and tone control
I couldn't agree more. This amp makes no sense to me. The ONLY advantage of this over an AC15 is a little more clean headroom, for an additional cost of $150?! And then you give up everything that makes it great? No way man. If you're buying a Vox, get an AC30C2. If you can't afford it, you want a lighter version, or you want a quieter amp, get the AC15C1. This new amp should not exist... If they went the other way, and they ADDED features... cool... but take them away? I'm sad.
The real question is - Is it reliable because the AC30 was kinda known for shitting the bed at the worst possible time. I’d like to hear from people who’ve owned AC30’s regarding reliability.
John you are my favorite demo guy. Always fun, not too serious, good player and you always seem to be enjoying yourself. Keep up the good work!
Sounds great!!! What a brilliant (and practical) development of the AC30!
Demos sound SO MUCH BETTER now that you are mic’ing. Didn’t even have to see it on video to hear the difference. Kudos.
Agree. Now with a lavalier mic to balance the volume and it will be perfect. The casual format is great.
Your neighbors must be thanking you all the time for demonstrating such wonderful products. Sounds great.
I love how he's always saying stuff like "COME ON, MAN", "LOVE THAT, MAN" and "MAN!!!" 😂
Ya gotta love John. Always just does a real simple review that shows us all we want and he has fun. keep up the good work buddy!
This amp is awesome. Played one for several hours. I'll gladly be picking one up soon.
Thanks for a great review! Like the fact that use a variety of guitars and pedals to showcase the amp. Nice playing too!
The strat just sounds amazing with vox amps man its like they were made for eachother you get a vox with a strat and man you got a killer tone just amazing my favorite tone is with those 2 nothing can compare to me
Still very happy with the ac10 hooked up with a 2×12 cab amazing tone still the best vox tone to me something about it and not so touchy to get it jn the right spot very nice sounding without having to mess eith to much but this amp does sound amazing
Those sweet bends sound great coming from that amp, great playing and love the series.
I managed to find an AC30 CC1 a year back as I didn't fancy carrying a 2 speaker version around. It's epic. 'If' I hadn't found it then I'd have bought the S1 in a heart beat. I can only applaud VOX for doing this model at long last. Effects in/out, top boost channel with a really good digital reverb, external output, VOX tone and it's fookin' loud What is there not to like? PS; in the flesh it's Coo-oo-well.
The les Paul and the amp sound so sweet together! 😎🤘
That's my favorite. It's like drinking from a $500 bottle of single malt rock guitar.
John great demo again! Your the best! Loved that LP with the p90s, that PRS hollowbody was just sick, the tele spanked em all. Those PRS pickups are just killer. Love this amp and gonna get one!
I just brought me this Vox I cant have it till X-mas but I've had a little blast on it.
Loved it.i wanna get a Chorus pedal to pair with it.i tried playing a Bigmuff through it too & it sounded Badass.
It's a cool amp.
John’s response to the idea of a trade was hysterical! Awesome demo and chops (as usual)! Seriously, that ‘54 Goldtop sounds glorious. Cheers!
Alex Howell
Okm
I get why folks don't like this iteration, but I personally dig it. I think for 90% of the people using these as true gigging amps, the simplification in size, weight, and control layout really is an improvement.
To each their own, but I'd rather have this over the 2-channel 2x12" for my needs.
Too bad they couldn't slap one of the NuTubes in it for a tremolo that didn't add much weight. Maybe in the future.
ROCK ON!
My thoughts exactly. I bought this and I'm loving it. The single channel works for me. I use it as a clean, and then use my Dookie Drive for my distorted tone. I've always wanted a Vox, but didn't wanna lug around all that weight. This is perfect for me!
Love my 1x12 AC30CC1 with normal channel in addition to top boost. Also real spring reverb and power and bias options built like a tank from real plywood. Not sure this new one is going to be as good but it does sound great here. I didn't catch the price.
Patrick Black 799
Glad to see you still have Stew's '66 Stratocaster. Definitely a keeper.
The sound of a Tele through a vox AC (4/10/15/30) is the sweetest guitar tone of all time to me. Also interesting that there's nothing out there (at least affordable) that can convicably emulate a real Vox.
Sounds great! Nice playing too John B!
Love John's reviews. Good demonstration of the amp. Amp sounds really good to me. Much lighter which is a plus in my books. I would have thought they would keep the trem, but that might add some more weight. Gold top paul sounds really good. I do not care for digital reverb, but I would not use the reverb anyway. Strat sounds great with the compressor. Vox has always seemed to have reliability issues. Hope that is not the case with this amp as it sounds like a winner.
FINALLY THE EDGE RIG RUNDOWN, IM CRY'IN
Liked it a lot with the humbuckers & the Tele ... :)
So basically, Vox made a 30 watt version with 12" Celestion of the AC10, digital reverb and same control configurations.
sounds amazing....
Love the shoes, John!!
I've seen this guy interview the best guitar players in the world,it must have rubbed off on him cause he kicks ass in his own right. Turn IT UP.!!
Great video as usual. Wih this amp you get one less tube than the AC30C2, which has two in the preamp which is a cathode follower. Only one preamp tube in the S1; they both have another in the phase inverter which is part of the power amp. They take away the low channel and the trem as well.
At 6:00 minutes exactly, the p90's rip a hole in the space/time continuum, ah sweet riffage
Ballin' with Bohlinger!
Idk if I want the ac15 the ac30 or a marshall dls40. I'm so torn and confused
Me too!
Awesome tone!
I was just asking why this amp didn't exist. very cool!
Lando27Music I think Vox just won me back. I love the sound of vox but it was way too heavy. I also love the FX Loop. Blues On....
HUTCHfromBA pretty cool right!!
It does- look up the AC30C1. Can be had for under $600 or so.
I remember reading your question days ago and maybe answering to it...oh man, there we have it😂🙌🏻
When can we expect your review? :-)
When I walk into a guitar store, I always look for a Vox Amp to plug in to.
Sounds awesome . ...have to check one out .
YESSSSSS FINALLY AN FX LOOP!!!!!! now they just need to do that on the ac15
greek YES. It would be perfect if they did that
@@asmallfarmhomestead3657 its an easy mod
Sounds great
Good shit man! Getting this amp today..
I think one thing you miss on review videos of Vox amps is the feeling you get from being in the same room. The way they move air is something else.
So, it's a half of an AC30 input/channel and speaker-wise, but a full AC30 otherwise ... With digital reverb & fx loop?
Sounds like Chris Farley doing lines in the background
I got the AC 10 it was too loud for home not loud enough for Gigs and it hated all my drive pedals, shame it didn't work for me as it was a lovely amp nice basic tone
And brilliant reverb, just not my bag, sent it back and got a boss katana which I'm very happy with
Did that PRS SE1, the 1st guitar he played in the video, have a B-Bender installed on it? It may be my eyes tricking me but it sure seemed to look like it to me.
is that black guitar a PRS guitar? The headstock looks right, it say SE, but there isn't any bird inlays. I'm confused.
My Marshall JCM 900 MkIII head alone was more than 70 lbs, each Marshall 1960 A & B cab are around 105 lbs. But I tend to agree with you as I am 68 years old now and for me light weight is a good thing. Also no one wants me to show up with a marshall full stack!
I think Vox just won me back. I love the sound of vox but it was way too heavy. I also love the FX Loop. Blues On....
Thanks good review , liked that you tried different axes and pickups, just about everything I have here, found a screaming deal on a used one in mint condition , on its way
Love the demo. What is that snoring sound in the background?
No drum machine...?! 😕
I dig that you miked the amp though.
That current AC4 c1x12 top boost circuit. But 30 Watts. And digital reverb.
No, very different.
Great chops man
Teles and Vox vibe together.
I just bought the white one model!!! Love it dawgs!
Noob question here. How does an effects loop work? I know it's exclusive to the AC30. Btw really enjoyed The Edge Rig Rundown
So it's an AC10 in an AC30 format, minus one speaker?
Jonathan Veillette Exactly! Was about to say the same thing! This is a 30 watt version of the AC 10C1, with an effects loop, which the 10 does not have.
The PRS Custom sounded uh-maze-ing!
I sold my old grey Ross compressor for the big bucks they're getting, but damn I want it back.......
Yeah, but how is the ”clean” on this amp? As in, crank up the main, and balance the overall output from the gain control, and how loud and clean is it. And get your dirt from your pedals?
hi, do you think that the VOX Cambridge is a great amp? i ask because somebody offered me the one for 250USD. i think i am fortunate. i can't afford to buy the AC30. not even the AC10. some have it and some dont . i mean the cash. well but this makes once creative. in search of the best that i can get for the smaller amount. so probably i will buy the secondhand VOX Cambridge 30. even i wanted to buy the VOX AV 15 for 300 USD. but i believe in Guitars and amps... age go first... a new amp can be bought always. they are out in the shops waiting to be bought. but a VOX Cambridge is an opportunity that does not come so soon back...
The PRS sounded the best!
All these salesmen demo'ing the new VOX AC30S1... none of them are talking about the fact it has less ventilation than the CC1, which was known to overheat. How are they getting the heat out of there? Would like to know.
Now I was checking and... the AC30CC1 has exactly the same weight as the VOX AC30S1 : 24,5Kg with one 12" speaker as well. But the S1 has one less channel, no rectifier tube (which could be a good thing). No tremolo. And no back switches. Perhaps It looks a little better, because it is more rectangular shaped, but...maybe the weight should have been revised too.
I'm not sure that's better than an ac15c1 (own one and love it). The only reason to pick this over an ac15 would be if you just need more headroom, but vox is not a headroom amp to start with.
A digital reverb is a deal breaker for any tube amp I might buy. Better to not include one at all. A spring tank is not that expensive. I'm gassing for another amp. perhaps the ac4.
crush537 I have an AC4c1 with the 10 “ speaker and I tried this AC30S1 at guitar center and I thought the tone of my AC4 blew it away this new Ac30s1 sounded thin to me, I would suspect it has the identical circuit?
Imma get this
all you needed to round out the demo was a Rickenbaker :-)
I’m sorry but what’s up with the snoring in the background? And how are they not woken up by all this noise??
It's a roomba
The Edge
It’s billy bob Thornton and he rock!!!!
What is the price range gonna be?
It looks like 735 pounds or between $950 and $1,000. www.andertons.co.uk/vox-ac30-1-x-12-single-channel-tube-amp
Hey hey Hey! John nice tape-on-sneaker! WTFH is that awesome background noise at 4:26, 8:30something and a number of other times that sounds like a fart run through a phaser? Great work, amp sounds awesome and even though the SE isn't $$$ it is still a really nice guitar, little love and it's that much better.
Sounds like a dog snoring
It actually was John's Roomba out for a stroll!! Noisy little booger!!
Ha! You should have flipped it over like a turtle! Bad roomba bad!
I haven’t seen this much cork sniffing in one place in a long time.
Mentioned is the fx loop. My recently purchased, used ('15) AC30C2 has an fx loop. I haven't tried it yet -- does it suck tone, etc? Or is it worth using for my mod pedals? Thanks all --
That gold top, wow....
Did they each snort a line before doing this?
Cool amp but way cooler guitars. All vintage, custom, or models no longer available. Makes me wonder what other guitars are in John’s collection.
what was the dirt pedal?
This amp and that Les Paul were made to be used together. True story.
There's something in VOX AC-15/30 drive that just doesn't work for me. It does if it's that little bit of grit, edge of breaking up sound, there they sound cool, but when you crank that gain up... The amp is saying "That's not for me". I'd rather go for a lot of other amps for driven/distorted sound depending on how much distortion you want (Talking now just about that kind of low gain where VOX and Fender are placed usually), but in this kind of scenario... VOX doesn't cut it for me, they're noisy in an unpleasant way to my ear.
I totally agree. I've had a Vox AC15 for years and never really loved it, mostly for the reasons you mentioned. the amp's sweet spot sounds great, but the sweet spot is very narrow and sits right on the line between clean and distorted. full distortion from a Vox just isn't satisfying.... and they don't sound much better with pedals either, IMO.
Foo Fighters are one of my fave bands, Vox is all over their discography, love the sound of a cranked Vox.... but, to each their own, :-)
I love voxes, but I agree. They sound best with just a bit of gain, unless it's the old EF86 type, which is a different ball of wax altogether. They sound great dimed.
You are a fine guitarist. We need to do a rig run down for you.
What is that creepy moaning breathing sound in the background? It starts around 4 minutes 26 seconds. Is your house haunted?
what about the signature PRS?...
Thank you!
Nice!
Sounded good with the "dirt". I prefer the normal channel on those amps though, but this amp does not have one
Those PRS SE gats can have really good tone. I am about to sell a 245. Sounds great, but I did not like how it feels to play. I picked up a 1997 LP Studio in black. Bliss. I would not say it sounds any better than the SE, but I much prefer how it plays. I swapped out the 490r 498t set for Whole Lotta Humbucker set. I really liked that set in the SE 245. Good in the LP too, but the stock pups sounded great in that gat too, so I dunno.
Ian brown got good at guitar
Hey it’s sling blade
The high-end on this amp around five or 6K and above is really strange. I have to Lopez this amp with nearly every Mike position all the way down to around 5K. I can’t explain it, but the high-end on this amp is not a seamless transition from the other frequencies. It’s like un musical added fizz. It’s not like others and it doesn’t make any sense.
So here is a list of things that make AC30s great;
2 12's
Greenbacks or Alnico Blue
Normal and top boost channel
Headroom
Amazing spring reverb
Tremolo
Large cab to move air
Vox has taken all this out, to offer this AC30 imposter.
Agree 100%. Pedals do sound better through the normal channel and if they're using a standard top boost channel in these that's a real blow. I love the simplicity of the normal channel in the C2 series too where you've just got the volume and tone control
I love using a treble booster , so this wouldn’t be for me but if it helps sales then it’s ok.
I couldn't agree more. This amp makes no sense to me. The ONLY advantage of this over an AC15 is a little more clean headroom, for an additional cost of $150?! And then you give up everything that makes it great? No way man. If you're buying a Vox, get an AC30C2. If you can't afford it, you want a lighter version, or you want a quieter amp, get the AC15C1. This new amp should not exist... If they went the other way, and they ADDED features... cool... but take them away? I'm sad.
Yet, it still sounds great!
Trevor McCue
Agreed. Totally. I tried 1x12. The headroom goes. But a bugger weight wise.
The real question is - Is it reliable because the AC30 was kinda known for shitting the bed at the worst possible time. I’d like to hear from people who’ve owned AC30’s regarding reliability.
Man, is there anything duct tape can't do?
I was like... What's he mean duct tape then i saw it.....Hilarious....once a poor musician always i guess:)
Best solos ever made for an Electric guitar but it sounds better on a stratocaster.. Pink Floyd did open the doors for new sounds and experience
Is that a White chapel shirt?
Two speakers do more for distribution than volume.
Whose snoring in the background?
What is that moaning noise coming in and out starting around 4:05?!
AC30's have two twelves. Not one twelve. Digital reverb? No thank you...
You can add another 1x12 if you need it but you're really missing out.
Now Im gonna go find me a Ross Comp!
I truly hope this guy is playing this in his 3rd floor apartment
Why does this guy look like he is the type to fart and blame it on his child???????
should be about 1/2 price for all they took from it
PRS SE JOHN BOHLINGER??? Sign me up!