VOX AC15C1 Amp Review- The Skinny! A Lengthy Review

[guitkrazy]

When I heard Vox had redone their AC15 my interest peaked; While I have owned / own several amps in my guitar playing tenure I have never owned or really played a Vox. I always loved the artists that used the Vox to get their trademark tones; I always thought (from reading blogs) that the amp was more of a jangly, chimey clean with mild breakup amp and I guess I had reservations about that. So when I heard about the AC15C1 and all of the features that it had my curiosity really peaked; not to mention the internet and Youtube posts. So after much deliberation I took the plunge last week and ordered one. I hate buying something without playing it but I felt like I had done my research with the limited resources out there and was confident in the purchase.
So yesterday the amp arrived- Wow! The first thing that really shocked me was the weight! This thing is about 50 lbs (which for a combo single 12 seemed a bit heavy) The amp is beautiful- Vox kept the aesthetics in line with the amps of yesterday, preserving the classic looks that again made this amp very appealing. Vox said it best in the manual, they wanted to preserve the classic vox characteristics but incorporate the modern technology. This they did very well, but as far as incorporating the modern technology I didn’t really see anything on the outside (sidenote- The amp on the back has 2 external speaker out and a footswitch input on the AC15 no effects loop- but the AC30 does have that) I did purchase the optional footswitch to control the Tremolo and Reverb which turns it on and off. So far I was really impressed with the amp- it is built like a tank and everything is solid.
SOUND! Here is where it gets really good. Before I dive into this I want to first say that I am very fortunate enough to work in a studio and have friends that owns every amp that made the classic sounds- They have stacks of Marshalls, Hiwatts, Fenders, Vox, Ampeg… The studio is the greatest to get the sound you are looking for and the owners are nothing short of true Tone Kings- They know vintage gear better than anyone around and they know how to get the sound and they know the history of any vintage amp out there. I admit I was a bit nervous bringing this amp in to give it the test, but I also knew that if I wanted to get an honest sound and true review this was the best place for it. So I wheel the AC151 in (I had it in a road case to protect it) and put it into the soundroom. We fired it up and just setting all of the tone controls at noon and the volume at around 3 o’clock and running in the top boost channel my ears perked and I began to smile- the sound was driving and really spanked. First off, this amp is LOUD! While 15w doesn’t seem all that much it will keep up in a band setting. The key is the Master volume- you get the desired tone from the preamp volumes and control the overall with the Master and the Tone Cut knob (New to the AC15C1) is another extremely nice feature. The tremolo sounds really good and definitely cut through the amp mix nicely- the reverb I felt sounded a bit shrill it didn’t have the deep darker wetness that Fenders have, but is workable and very sensitive (I didn’t put it past 9 o’clock or 3 going 1-10) The normal channel sounded really good as well again you are limited on this channel but it delivered nice sounds. All in all the amp delivered awesome sounds, but seemed a little midrangy and tight- the midranginess I believe came from the greenback and the tightness may be because the speaker has yet to be broken in. This is where it gets interesting-After playing it for a while; Joe R (one of the owners) who is IMO the King Tone Junkie that can get great tone out of an AM radio! Said “Bring out the AC15 Handwire and lets see how it compares” So we bring that out, and those who are not familiar with that tone monster- it is based on the original AC15, but has two preamps that are totally unbelievable (on this Handwire it did not have reverb or Tremolo and it has an Alnico Blue speaker. We fired up that monster and Holy Shmolly! That thing was a monster- The sounds were night and day- The Blue speaker gave the amp so much more depth low end, growl and air! That amp was like a barn door open! It honestly soundwise walked all over the C1 and for a vintage tube purist is a coveted piece! Honestly, I as anyone with ears would pick the Handwire for better sound. Then my Tone Mentors decided to introduce me to an original AC30 with 2 Blues and the tremolo and vibrato of the 60’s – again Unbelievable!
We then opened up the AC15C1 and compared it to the original to see if anything was similar- Unfortunately not! The AC15C1 looked like most of the amps that are out today- More like a piece from Nasa- it had more Chips in it that a bag from Frito Lay!- All circuitboards and Chinese tubes. Again, not knocking it because this is common in any amp out there today (Fender, Marshall…) all use this technology (even in their reissue amps) This is the amp technology of today. The manufacturers are more geared towards making a swiss army like amps that deliver sounds to meet all users, adding more bells and whistles and overiding the before knowledge of less is more. Not discounting the objectives of the manufacturers just stating my observation. Boutique builders of today; Like East Amplification, Fargen, Fuchs, Splawn and others keep and strive to preserve the true tone beauty by incorporating the knowledge of today in recognition to the amps of yesterday. These builders have one objective- Greatness and are delivering it! (For the money there is no amp better than The East Amps- The 2w Studio and The New 18w is the best out there!)
In short, while true tube purists may dismay the AC15C1 saying it is Nasa crammed in a Vox box or something like that, I personally look at an amp as “can it give me what I need and sound good?” I am not really a tube purist because truth be known I normally run my amps clean and neutral and use dirt boxes to get it crunchy. Also I am not a loud player. All in all my personal opinion of this amp is for the price I don’t think you will find any Class A amp better. While yes; there are subtle drawbacks, I heard an amp that could really give you a beautiful chimey clean amp and an amp that could give the player a nice array of crunch. It takes pedals nicely and works well with any guitar (I used a Les Paul, A PRS SE with single coils and a Gretsch 5120) and all sounded great. If one is on the fence about this amp, it is a great amp for the money. I like what I am hearing. If you are a vintage purist and want the sound that made Vox; you may want to save a few beans more and find a handwire. If you are a player like me that has a limited income and wants greatness for less; this is the amp to look at. I am sorry for the length but hopefully this may shed some lite on this new amp. (Special thanks to Joe R & Dave N at Invisible Sound Studios in Baltimore, MD for their guidance, knowledge and Tonal Brilliance! They are the best out there!)

[F#m7]

Thanks! Great review! I've been thinking of adding this amp to the arsenal, BUT, the fact that's its MDF has scared me off it. It might last just as long as a birch cab, but I just haven't been able to get over that....yet.

[guitarslinger31]

Nice review. I like all the Vox stuff, a buddy of mine has an AC30cc and it sounds pretty good for the price as far as I'm concerned. However, I played an AC15cc and it didn't sound all that great to me. It had the stock vox speaker in it so I imagined if you slapped a blue in their it would sound much better. It's nice to see, they're using greenbacks now. The AC15, however, is not class A. It's a common misconception.

[guitkrazy]

Originally Posted by F#m7

Thanks! Great review! I've been thinking of adding this amp to the arsenal, BUT, the fact that's its MDF has scared me off it. It might last just as long as a birch cab, but I just haven't been able to get over that....yet.

Yes, it is a bit intimidating and disheartening to see all of the circuitry MDF's but as I said this is very common in all of the big amp manufacturers- it is their way of mass production at a cheaper price. My thing is- is it really necessary? I mean the more componants make it more difficult to troubleshoot and fix if there was a problem? The amp is great for the price & I look forward to using it this weekend.

[steve_man]

You're right. I have the C1, and have been very happy with it. Is it a $1500 boutique amp? No...but it does that Vox sound very well, IMO. Very happy with it, and I don't even mind the MDF cab....

[guitkrazy]

Thats exactly how I feel Steve_man. For the money it does great!

[777]

I can't find the product manual online. Anyone know where to find it?

[steve_man]

Mine was in the box...

[sodapopinski]

great honest review, thanks... i was thinking about getting one, but then i read about the solid state rectifier... can anyone chime in and elaborate on what a SS rectifier would do in a class a tube amp?

[tochiro]

Thanks for the review. Manufacturers are mainly concerned with cost and profit margin now. They talk about quality, they only talk about it. As to sound, they just write fashionable words such as "golden age of tone" or "undeniable magic". That is all.

With all the new AC15s out now it's a pity we can only watch 1 or 2 videos. A video review would be very nice indeed.

[hooch1]

Yea, I haven't been impressed with the new Vox offerings. Seems like they skimping on quality to hit the "cheap" price point.

[F#m7]

Originally Posted by guitkrazy

Yes, it is a bit intimidating and disheartening to see all of the circuitry MDF's but as I said this is very common in all of the big amp manufacturers- it is their way of mass production at a cheaper price. My thing is- is it really necessary? I mean the more componants make it more difficult to troubleshoot and fix if there was a problem? The amp is great for the price & I look forward to using it this weekend.

MDF: Medium Density Fiberboard. It's the cheap crap they're making the cabinets out of now, instead of birch like the cc series.

[Unadan]

I like the AC15C1 - great clean and overdriven sounds. I'd like to try blending the two channels together with a y patch cord. Great amp and not just "for the money."

[FenderBigot]

Originally Posted by F#m7

Thanks! Great review! I've been thinking of adding this amp to the arsenal, BUT, the fact that's its MDF has scared me off it. It might last just as long as a birch cab, but I just haven't been able to get over that....yet.

MDF shouldn't scare you... I was a "made in the USA" snob and bought this amp. It's a good product at a great price IMHO.

Originally Posted by steve_man

You're right. I have the C1, and have been very happy with it. Is it a $1500 boutique amp? No...but it does that Vox sound very well, IMO. Very happy with it, and I don't even mind the MDF cab....

Agree with Steve here... While it may not impress other players in the crowd, it sounds awesome to the ears. Even my DRUMMER noticed it!

[Jman21]

Originally Posted by FenderBigot

While it may not impress other players in the crowd, it sounds awesome to the ears. Even my DRUMMER noticed it!

Referring to what others may think of the made in China/MDF? Not worried about that. I just made the purch myself and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival.