Best tube amp for vox sound under $500?

Hey im looking for a tube amp that can get me a vox ac30 like sound for under $500. It needs to be able to hang with my 50w mesa single rectifier and take pedals well. Ive looked into the laney vc 30, the peavey classic 30/50, and the crate vc30. Is there anything else I should be considering. When you think of tone think foo fighters. OK yall tell me what you think.

[drbob1]

There's nothing that's gonna sound like a Vox in that price range. You can get sort of close with any El84 amp-it'll have some of the chime and crunch, but it won't be a Vox. If you just want an EL84 amp, look into an old Traynor Guitarmate ($300, upgrade speaker and tubes), or the Peavey Classic amps.

The least expensive amps that sound like Voxes are the Vox CCs and the Hayseed-both around the $1k range.

[electronpirate]

Disregarding any bias against modelers...

Vox AD120VTX can NAIL the sounds. It has the dynamics, and can do many other things well. Not precisely a tube amp, sort of a half-tube-monster. But for night to night reliability, it is the deal.

And you VERY rarely have to deal with changing tubes.

EP.

Editing: You can get the 60 watt model for a song these days. Another 1x12, and you're there.

[CharlieNC]

+1 for the Vox Valvetronix head. it pisses on the Vetta and is hella cheaper.

but I still like the POD.

[fr8_trane]

Well I for one think that the highly underrated Laney amps do the best impression for the money. The LC and VC series amps are affordable EL-84 powered amps inspired by the vox circuit. The VC 30 in particular is a pretty good amp for the money.

[king-albert]

Try to find a used Gibson GA-15RV. They can get fairly close to the Vox chime.

[Phil M]

I was gonna say the Laney VC30, except that I thought it sounded terrible at full bore with a drummer. Dirt cheap and nice for home though. Felt cheap too...

[garfight]

Originally posted by king-albert
Try to find a used Gibson GA-15RV. They can get fairly close to the Vox chime.

+1 on the gibson rv's

[doctord02]

I have a Laney VC-30 and like it just fine; however if I was playing it full up with a loud drummer, I'd use a standalone closed back extension cab... But at moderate volumes it works fine as is...

[hasserl]

Check out the Crate V16 Palomino, a 16 watt single 12 combo amp. It sounds very Voxy and super chimey. Musicians friend has them listed for 399 : http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...se_pid/487826/

Nice little amps, well built pcb, no hand wiring for this much money. But plenty of Voxy chime.

The V3112 has 2 channels and is capable of much more gain than an AC30, but the normal channel is very close. But those are over your 500 limit.

IMO the PV Classic 30 does not sound Vozish at all. It is a very different circuit, the only thing in common is the EL84 tubes, but they are in fixed bias not cathode, giving a very different feel. The Crate amps sound much more Voxish, and IMO sound far superior to the PV. But that is subjective and I don't mean to insult any PV owners. JUst if you're looking of a Vox sound, the PV doesn't do it, the Crate is very close and very nice.

[michael30]

Klemt Echolette M40. This is a vintage 4xEL84 amp that can be found pretty cheap on german ebay every now and then. The early ones are better (where have I heard that before...?)

Michael

[El Kabong]

The new Vox AC15CC should be in the stores here in Japan, shortly. It comes with a choice of speakers:

w/ Celestion Neo-Dog, about $600 USD incl. tax
w/ Celestion AlNiCo Blue about $800 USD incl. tax

I am converting our price here, from ¥ to $. It could be slightly higher in the US, but the AC30CC is priced the same in the US, as in Japan.

My dealer couldn't get within 15 meters of the Vox booth at our recent version of NAMM in Yokohama. It has people here driving Korg nuts, waiting for a release date.

My suggestion is to spend an extra $100 on this amp and consider a speaker upgrade in the future.

Here's the web page in Japanese:
http://www.korg.co.jp/KID/VOX/AC15CC/index.html

[flatfinger]

Another vote for the Vavetronixs!!

It really acts like a tube amp and does the best clean and edge gain of any non- all tube amp out there!!

Just remeber to set the master high and use the individual patch volume to set the volume! . I have forgotten this rule and thought ... sounds like a cyber deluxe now!!!!!


The nice thing is you get nice dynamics without having it turned up loud! Most tube amps don't give up the goods unless your up past 4 or so .

This amp and Scott peterson's thread on the Podxt live have got me thinking that the moddlers are catching up!!!!!!

dont laugh! one of those 25w epiphone tube combos,our singer has one and i'm impressed for $300.....very voxy and i own a AC30.........IT even is equipt w/ a celestion.

[EdMan57]

Originally posted by hasserl

The V3112 has 2 channels and is capable of much more gain than an AC30, but the normal channel is very close. But those are over your 500 limit.

IMO the PV Classic 30 does not sound Vozish at all. It is a very different circuit, the only thing in common is the EL84 tubes, but they are in fixed bias not cathode, giving a very different feel. The Crate amps sound much more Voxish, and IMO sound far superior to the PV. But that is subjective and I don't mean to insult any PV owners. JUst if you're looking of a Vox sound, the PV doesn't do it, the Crate is very close and very nice.

I have to agree.Last night I was up until the wee hours of the morning playing my Washburn CT-3 through my V30H [the head version of the V3112] and Celestion G12K-100 loaded Trutone Custom 1-12 cabinet.The clean channel was getting superb tones that were quite "Vox-ish" in nature.Clicking on the burn channel [with gain dimed] gave me some great "old school" metal tones,as well...sweet amp at a great price.

Ed