sparquelito Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 My old Fender 212R, the solid-state workhorse that it's been, finally succumbed to numerous gremlins. She is in with my electronics expert friend Danny right now, but the prognosis isn't good. I'm expecting to sell the cabinet and speakers to Danny for his next boutique tube amp build, and so I went to Railroad Bazaar in Athens yesterday and picked up (after playing thru and listening to a variety of amps) my very first Vox. She is the Vox AC15VR. A tube/solid state hybrid featuring 'Valve Reactor technology'. Designed to sound like the vintage Vox AC30's from the days of old. (Only with 15w instead of 30w. Vox sells the AC30VR, but they are awfully proud of it.) I must say, for $379 out the door, the tones and features are very impressive. I can't say enough about it without gushing like a giddy school-girl, but man I love this amp. Sublime, spangly cleans, first of all, and impressive boost and growl on Overdrive channels 1 and 2. 12" Celestion speaker, and 1 x 12AX7 tube. Two thumbs 'way up. She will be my new stage workhorse, I predict. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Let us know how it works out in a live situation. I'd be reluctant to go up on stage with just 15 watts, but often the solid state/valve ratings are a little low - they can sound like a lot more power. I'd just be concerned if there was enough headroom on the clean side for live performances with a band? Glad you are enjoying the tones so far. [thumbup] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Looks great and from what I have read sounds impressive. How much does it weigh? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Many congrats, lookin' good...... BUT..... Does it have....Swampy Mojo.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Yea, nice one. Do keep us posted. I've been patiently trying combos all summer. I haven't tried that Vox though. Maybe my bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 To answer some of the questions, it is true that she isn't quite as loud as my 100w (soon to be dismantled) Fender, but I am impressed with the loudness that emanates from this rig. And it is incredibly-responsive to even small guitar volume knob roll-ups. I cranked it, experimentally, all the way up to 10 on the guitars I tried, and up to 7 or so on the amp's clean volume and master volume (and overdrive gain) and it was too loud for my music room. Unbearably loud. But the sound quality never crackled or suffered. I could play small clubs and halls without even mic'ing to the PA, and (of course) mic'ing to the PA isn't an issue at the larger venues and outdoor festivals. If you have ever heard a Fender Blues Junior, it's comparable to that in overall volume. As for weight, she is considerably lighter than the Fender 212R was (36 pounds compared to the Fender's 48 pounds), but just slightly heavier than my super-light Peavey modeling amp, the Vyper VIP-2 dealeo. (29 pounds, I just checked.) THAT Peavey is incredibly light and versatile, but has none of the tube or tonal qualities of the Vox. In the end, the Vox tones are fantastic, and the weight savings is a back-saver. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 Many congrats, lookin' good...... BUT..... Does it have....Swampy Mojo.....? I haven't tried out my swampiest CCR riffs and grooves yet, but the day is young yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 I've been looking at that same amp, and a Marshall. I've heard the Vox has the vintage British sound, and it's priced well. Congrats.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted November 4, 2017 Author Share Posted November 4, 2017 This Vox is breaking in nicely, and I received the factory two-button pedal (from Amazon dot com) that allows me to switch channels and overdrive levels on the fly. Digging it!! :mellow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 I like a Vox. I have a Vox, recently serviced to top-sounding condition. Thickest tone I ever heard out of a small amp. [thumbup] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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