How to Get GREAT Vox AC15c1 Tones!
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- Опубліковано 16 кві 2022
- #voxac15 #voxamps #vox #guitar
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Welcome to this in depth demo, review and tone tips video of the modern classic Vox AC15c1! What do you think? Using a Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul, Rickenbacker 620, Wampler Pantheon, Keeley Compressor Plus and One Control Little Copper Chorus. Also featuring some tips from @TheToneLounge and @LivingroomGearDemos ~
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I've just purchased a used Vox AC15. It's in great shape. Thanks for the video. This has been very helpful and entertaining 🙌⭐
I had an AC15 and wish I still had it, thanks for the video, nice playing!
Great video!
As always, a very good, informative teaching video! I now know a lot more about the elusive Vox amp sound!
Glad you enjoyed it!
super versatile sounding, that ric 620 sounds fantastic btw !
Great tones there Jack, I have this amp but I
learned something today. Thank you.
Glad to hear it!
Some folks say that all we don't really like about the ac15 playing alone is actually what works in a band situation. Anyone?
Or paired with another amps in WDW, as the dry or a stereo paring, I do both with two fender combos - sounds very good.
Another useful video! With a clean boost and a little slapback, I get awesome tone from this amp. I like the Greenback it keeps the amp as designed.
I’ve got an ac15c1 loved it with my strat, and now I’m obsessed with it with my sg. It’s just such a beautiful sound
Hey hows are your eq settings/ amp settings with the gibson SG? I got my ac15 a week ago and find it kind of bizarre. I'm use to fenders maybe cause the vox amp is scooped. It's throwing my ears off whatever I try to do
@@djc5897 hey man I always ran it with the tremolo on the top boost circuit, but I got rid of it. I run a bugera v5 combo in stereo with a fender super champ xd using the boss rv6
@@djc5897 but this is a great video to start figuring out how to make it sing ua-cam.com/video/XC_4etXjb-c/v-deo.html
@@djc5897 I put my sg on top boost, and I actually EQ it with bass almost at full, and treble at about 2 o’clock. Also it makes the tone better if you crank the master all the way, and then use the channel volume as your main volume knob. I’m happy with the tones I get from my SG this way. I don’t use the drive from the amp so much, I keep it clean and use a Blues Driver pedal.
I agree it sounds great into the top boost with the EQ off, and if you turn up the normal knob you get even more low mids it seems
Some real tasty tones here, ... really made the amp work well with guitars
I have a limited edition, Black & Tan tolex with the Creamback speaker...favorite amp I've ever had. I run it stereo with a Fender Super Champ X2. And I also run both channels of the AC15. I set the Top Boost to where I like it, and then blend in the Normal. It really thickens things up nicely for me.
Telecaster with single coils into a Barber direct drive into the AC15 sounds awesome!
Good video. I'm really thinking about getting the ac15. I have an ac10 but it seems to be crapping out. I love the 10 but really wished it had a real spring reverb. Plus with the ac15 i can get the wonderful alnico blue speaker.
A crunchy Plexi-style overdrive into a clean Vox sounds pretty awesome. Sweet tone with superb clarity.
Ya know I hear that a lot from other Vox players, mixing a Plexi style tone with it. I wonder if thats why Vox decided to go with a Greenback for the stock speaker.
as a carl martin plexitone dual channel user, completely agree.
I’m using a Friedman small box pedal as a boost/ od through this and it sounds really awesome
Waiting on UPS now! Im going to be using it A/B with a handwired Princeton reverb. im excited for a non-fender tone option
Great vid kiddo! I use this amp in the pit with a Sheraton ii pro and when applicable Ric 660-12. You are right on with the tone cut run about the 3:00 position. Great amp with plenty of volume on a stand in my ear to compete with the horns playing "fff" and of course the drummer. Running chorus, compressor, and "blues driver" pedals. I like the reverb and tremolo on this amp even though I run both on my pedal board. That way I can run other styles of reverb with the punch of a pedal and not have to dial in from song to song on the amp. (It's tough enough switching back and forth with different guitars let alone thinking about which setting I want on the amp). I purchased this amp after buying the Ric. I mean the two are a match made in heaven.
The AC15 is a very misunderstood amplifier. So, doing tone tips videos like this is pretty important.
This amp has a lot of mids and top end, but it also has a lot of attack and not much sustain.
The limitations of these amps can be countered with pedals, hence why it's a great "pedal platform".
Not enough sustain? Get a compressor. You need more tonal options? Get an EQ. You don't like the gain from the amp? There are plenty of pedals that work great with a Vox such as the Hot Cake, Timmy, Rat, Blues Driver, or a Treble Booster.
Thanks for the shootout Jack! Cheers
Hiya Johnathan!
Anyone looking for more AC15 in-depth videos :this guy's channel. Can't go wrong.
@@mattgilbert7347 Hi Matt! Cheers buddy.
For the booster I use a Wampler Pinnacle Deluxe, as does Gilmour, and I toss in an EH Holy Stain, can really get it dialed in, 2 great pedals.
I can sculpt some awesome tones using both inputs. I use an a/b box to use individually or play both channels.
Great video
What tubes did you use ?
Thank you for the useful tips I can finally make my top boost channel work for me. It sounds so much better by maxing the bass and adding treble to taste.
I've found that to be true as well...and adjust the cut depending on the guitar I'm playing
I’ve got a 15 twin with a 55hz and 75hz h greenbacks, Raytheon 12ax7 in v1 and jump both channels with an a b y box .blend to taste . Also master volume 12 o clock or above to get output tubes cooking 🧑🍳
The preamp in my PastFX CE-1 mini put the warmth and bottom-end back into my AC15. Amazing pedal, great Australian builder. They sell just the preamp as a separate pedal now.
Highly recommended.
The PastFX CE-1 (mini or full size) might just be the best Vox-friendly chorus around. I do like that One Control Little Copper tho. It does a fab Leslie type tone.
Probably need both *sighs and reaches for wallet*
How would you compare it to the EHX Small Clone?
@@gloomsdoom649 I haven't used that pedal. I'd say they would sound very different.
Do you use boss ds-2 with vox? If so, how does it sound with ce-1?
@@filip_petric It's ok. There are better distortion pedals.
I’ve got two AC15s. The best “tone hack” from firsthand experience, is using one ABY to send my signal simultaneously into the Normal and Top Boost channels.
My signal path…
Telecaster >
Nobles ORD-1 >
Cornerstone Gladio >
BOSS GE-7 EQ >
Orange Amp Detonator ABY with phase control >
BOSS Dimensions DC 2W in Stereo >
BOSS RE-202 in stereo >
Left amp ABY to both Normal & Top Boost.
Right amp ABY to both Normal & Top Boost.
You can approach the Normsl Volume as a type of clean blend to your dirt as it retains the head room.
You can approach the Top Boost Volume in the same fashion you would for an overdrive pedal to open it up, or close it to clipping and breakup. The Amp is the last gain stage. This really opened up the amps considerably. Sounds magnificent. (Actually using similar settings as in this video, but my Master might be lower for home/bedroom volume. Both the Normal and Top Boost are about 2 o’clock.)
Very happy with how I am hearing things and the overall response from the effects.
Great stuff, Jack.
I'm putting a Celestion V-Type in mine. It's a bit of a left-field choice, but i think it's going to surprise everyone, including me.
Or.. Alternatively.. 5 buck tone.
5.
😄
How did that speaker work out!? Was it a good pairing!?
@@samim8628 I have to say not really. Greenback sounded better imo.
When I was 19 in 1971, I bought a second hand Vox AC 30, they had gone out of popularity in. Favour of Marshall’s by then. Anyway, Vox was built in the American town I was born - Dartford, so I felt some affinity with them. About 10 years ago, I bought a Vox VT60+ which is sort of portable , I have A Les Paul ceopy Epiphoene guitar & a Horner 12 string acoustic with a fancy pick-up & equaliser built in it. The VT60+ was brand new when I bought it, but not made in Dartford! The choice of adjustments and extra effects on the top of this Vox, is phenomenal -a lot of what you say in your video is also applicable to mine., Obviously I don’t ply professionally, being over 70, but still like messing about with guitars & other musical instruments
I would like to try this amp for the OD. I use a fender for the cleans but want a tube amp not just SS! Thanks Jack for the video but for me, ,,,,,, to say this amp takes pedals well doesnt say much! ANY cheap amp with good pedals can make it sound good ! There is no better chorus than on a fender IMHO ! If I do buy an another amp this is going to be IT!!!!!!!!!!! A friend bought one a few years back and I dialed it in and it worked for me ! I just never took the plunge! Thx!
You stalking me?!?!
I just watched your other Vox videos like 2 hours ago
Just picked one up and still messing with the dials. The A/B switch for two channel switching works great.
I have the ac 10 15 and 30 but gig with my 15 every gig and the 10 is kinda for recording in the studio
I got an AC15 the other day. Plugged it in, played with adjusting the controls for about fifteen minutes and realized this is what a tele is supposed to sound like. And just like that, I became a Vox guy.
I run my Master at 10 or 11 and dial in the gain structure with the pre amp. It sounds great. My main home practice amp and also Giggable.
Good to hear you mention how overly bright it is. I keep thinking there's something wrong with the amp. My tone cut is 4-5 o' clock. Thanks for the video.
There are tone knobs on our guitars for a reason...
great video ! is that a les paul deluxe hanging on your wall ?
Yes it is!
@@JackFossett just got one LOVE IT !!
Thanks for the video! I have one question. Is it worthy or possible at all, to connect this amp to an external attenuator?
Two Notes Torpedo Captor 8 or 16 according to your speaker impedance. There are other solutions. Google or Startpage are your friend.
What? No Tele?!
I agree w/ you regarding the Master volume. People online act like the AC15C1 sounds bad at low volumes or without the Master dimed. I just don't hear that at all. Just nice sweet chimey crunchy sounds even with the Master down at 9 o' clock! I find it a lot harder to tame this amp with the Master up all the way anyway (plus like you noted the noise floor gets pretty noticeable)
Funny thing is I've only recently become a "tele player" - my whole guitar playing life I've been primarily Stratocasters and SGs (while also having a soft spot for Hollow Bodies). Its only the past two or so years that my love of Telecasters has kicked in, which has coincided with my channel picking up steam, so suddenly people see me as a Tele player. I'm still not sure how I feel about it... do I embrace it? Do I act contrarian about it? Jury is out.
@@JackFossett Embrace it! (from a lifelong Tele player)
@@JackFossett go ahead and embrace the Telecaster! You are a skilled player and you are not defined by what guitar you are playing. On another note...please breakdown some of those fast passages you do during demonstration..if you don't mind sharing. You were responsible for me buying my Casino 2 days ago!
run it in stere with a 30 watt 112 bass amp and its pretty nice
Power Tube saturation is crucial, otherwise it will sound a bit brittle.
I'm not sure how I missed this one. I own and love this amp Ac15c1x. I quit using my tremolo a while ago as it became a bit noisier. I think it needs some work done. Will take it in soon.
Been missing my overly compressed fender amp tone for funk 😄. Seeking a funk tone with the ac15c1x i have. Might get a DRRI after the winter after my second promotion - but winter$ a tough one here in Maine (as you know).
Anyways, right now I am in the market for a modeling amp - for the quiet hours of the night. Trades welcome. My girlfriend likes her sleep and she works very early. If you have any modelers etc for sale or trade that will please this very picky guitarist lmk. I work 10-7pm and sometimes jam into 10-11pm or later hours and I wouldn't mind having an all night option!
Looking for funk, jazz, blues tones mostly out of something i can olug headphones into. Not heavy stuff.
I know it’s been a year since you posted this, but it’s so exactly what I would write myself. (I even have the alnico blue speaker and the same problem with the tremolo.) I am constantly trying to a get a better funk tone from this amp, but I love the other things about it.
Also, FWIW, I picked up a Boss IR-200 a few months ago and this is (to me) an awesome option for late night playing. Sounds great with headphones, I can dial in a great Fender tone or just about whatever I want-like you I play mostly funk, jazz and blues/rock. I can use my pedal board. I can plug it into my computer to record tracks. And I can use it live when I need to play in a silent pit. (The IR-2 got a lot of hype but I think the 200 is even better). I’d be curious what you decided to do. And if you ever got a good funk tone from the amp ...
Love the AC15 but it's so touchy to dial in. I have some fenders and they just kinda sound great on almost any setting.
From my experience this amp sounds amazing after turning Master Volume to at least 1/3 or even better to 1/2. This adds a lot to a tone from a power amp section, on lowet volumes it's too transparent for some overdrive sounds. I think a lot of people complaining about "thin tone" don't understand how classic tube amps work - you get signature sound on "medium to high" volume levels. If you play mostly cleans this is not as audiable.
This is definely not a bedroom volume design You have to remember that analog amps are dialed toward specific usage and this amp is meant for a live performance or playing with drums. It's not like with digital amps that sounds same at all volume levels. If someone want overdriven tones on bedroom volume levels I woud recommend checking out Vox AC10 or Vox Mini Superbeetle. You can get similar power amp colouring and compression on lower volume levels.
do you have a favorite? i use a blues deluxe and marshall dsl40cr,, always wanted to try a vox
I think if I could only keep one amp I'd keep my Super Reverb. But I could have a different answer depending on the day.
Hotcake maybe even double hotcake, the Waza Blues Driver, Timmy V3 because the V3 has extra gain, and a modded RAT - make this amp sound like a bajillion dollars. Especially for blues to early rock.
Best tip: KEEP them CLEAN! Their o/d is boxy & ratty! You CAN sometimes get a gem that overdrives amazingly, but they are idiosyncratic models! 1 of my friends as a 70s model AC30, it sounds LIKE a Marshall BB! That's why he's never sold it! He is an engineer and knows how to maintain it, along with building amps and winding pick ups!
I have an AC15 and I bought the blue speaker which make the cleans really deep i love it.. but for high gain stuff it really is so ridiculously edgy.. this amp needs another TONE dial!
I'm learning so much about amps in this channel...I guess VOX amps are not for me. When you turn the Pantheon pedal on it sounds like me tweaking a digital modeller - very harsh upper frequencies, although it probably sits phenomenally well in a mix
Some good ideas , but dude try some p90s
If you want warmth run two AC15C1'S in stereo through your rack no amp modelling. Mic your amps to the desk you'll be amazed!
Wish Vox would reissue the old Valvetronix hybrids Amps ADVT and VT100 series
The original Valvetronix amps with the blue/green diamond cloth and the big workstation foot switch were AWESOME amps. They’ve basically gone slowly and steadily downhill ever since.
I have heard Vox amps are good for country, like Vince Gill, etc., or Brad Paisley. I want that pure American country lead. I have Marshalls for rock, and blues.
Hey, can it really only sound like (with a grimace on my face), $5?
I put a g12h30 anniversary in mine, and it started to sound like a real Vox. I love grrenbacks, but the g12h30 is a lot closer to an alnico blue.
I also found that I'm just not a fan of this amp. I just don't like how it overdrives. Way too much blocking distortion, which kills the note definition in chords.
How anyone could think of an AC15 as "sterile" is totally beyond me!
forgot to say I also like to keep the master volume cranked, it might get the hiss worse but it gets a better bass response and bottom end, and that's the reason why most people complain that these amps are too brittle, because they use the master volume, a wise guy once said "never use a the MV on a Vox amp", setting the MV at least passed half way it'll grant you a bigger sound and a more pleasent gain with no fizz (never really had to use the tone cut this way), people use attenuators on these amps for some reason.
I don't understand why VOX doesn't make amps that sound like the amps from the 60s. THAT is the sound people want. Just give the people what they want. I have an AC30 CC2 and while I like the sound, it does NOT sound like an vintage AC30. The woody tone of the old amps is simply unmatched. I can't imagine that it would be THAT hard to acomplish. Is it a sole money driven decision or what is going on? Same for Fenders and Marshalls. I just don't get it.
How come you've never compared vox vs fender?
I have - ua-cam.com/video/UxKPciT-3s8/v-deo.html
@@JackFossettThanks!
I own an AC15 with a Weber alnico bluedog.
I’ll be cremated with it.
Needed much more close ups of the controls and less if the face is the amp.
Might just be me but I heard very little difference with the compressor on.
Cant make it sound bad whith a tele
I appreciate the sentiment, but I assure you, it's possible.
I disagree quite a bit, the 3 dimensions comes when it does break up, these amps are made to be broken up, where a Marshall is a mid designed amp , the Vox has more on the bottom, also what both Fender and Marshall fall at is using negative feedback, this is where people think a Vox is shrill, it is not , you are just used to being held back, the Vox is a horse with no saddle, get ready for a wild ride, this amp will not coddle you. Remember negative feedback, this is where they set apart.
Sorry Jack, it's not you, honestly it's me. I just don't like them.
I mean, I get it. I don't blame you. When push has come to shove, I've always moved on from Vox amps and gone back to Fender or other.
@@JackFossett Lol
Laney VC30. Just putting it out there.. It's the Voxy amp for people who don't like modern Vox reissues.
@@mattgilbert7347 I have a Laney Lionheart L5 Studio & 1x12 cab currently and it's great. Thanks for the heads up.
@@graemero5532 Great amp! I nearly bought the LT-5 combo last year, just couldn't quite afford it.
Maybe you will get to this. I noticed that you’re talking about using the EQ from the Top boost channel. If you crank the top boost volume
Using the normal channel, you can dramatically get responsiveness from the EQ. In fact doing so give the end a very low and bass response quality you would never expect from a ac -15 or 30 that People are programmed to believe are thin and at best mid range heavy when dialed in. When you crank the master, crank the top twist volume and adjust normal volume to desired level, You will find yourself having to really buff up the treble knobs on the amp (treble, back off bass, turn down cut and perhaps play bridge pick up to ne on 10 (the amp will hiss but the double humbucker on a Les Paul for example will scream without the harshness of other settings