Pulled the trigger...AC15HW1

[Gasp100]

I've been scouring TGP for a couple of weeks looking for a great tube amp at a great price and ended up buying a Vox AC15HW1 off eBay this afternoon while TGP was down... I got what I think is a solid deal for a supposedly new amp with full warranty and I could not deny myself the chime. Depending upon whether I dig the amp enough I will probably invest in a Blue, but I'm interested in hearing how the Greenback sounds.
What pushed me over the edge were examples of the MV in and out of the circuit, the hot mode on the Top boost side (raw, aggressive, complex sounding) and much larger and taller birch ply cab vs. The AC15C1.
So, current owners are you still digging?
Any recommended drive pedals?
Can you use an ABY switch to turn this into a pseudo channel switcher?
What would be a great compliment amp to this one? Fender? Mesa?

[Walkerjerry]

I've had the ac15hw1x for a while, and love it more all the time.
yes, you can use an aby, or jumper the channels

as far as pedals and other amps, that would depend entirely upon what you are doing with them, and looking for, tonally.

[Gasp100]

Originally Posted by Walkerjerry

I've had the ac15hw1x for a while, and love it more all the time.
yes, you can use an aby, or jumper the channels

as far as pedals and other amps, that would depend entirely upon what you are doing with them, and looking for, tonally.

How well does the master volume work for late night playing. I'm not adverse to only getting nice chimey cleans, but if the MV is done well I should be able to enable the HOT side of the TB and switch between straight ahead cleans on the Normal and Hot on the TB for some low volume grind, right?
The first pedal I might get would be a Timmy -- enough to add some high end sizzle and sparkle to the normal channel and enough to boost the Top Boost side if required.

[Sofus]

i have one, with a 1 x 12 cab with a blue - i changed to one i had around the house with a lot of hours on it.
play it a lot ... it gets better, just play it
hotcake for drive, is my choise. a lot of new contenders, still the ol' hotcake is working wonders for me with vox style amps, ef86's pre's or 12ax7. other good contenders, and in the arsenal is a rangemaster and a klon, both works great.

i ain't a big beliver in using attenuators with voxes, i live with -3db ... but even that takes a bit of the magic out of the equation, imho, more than that and the magic is gone.

that's my story, and sticking to it

[ken374]

I'm still digging mine! have a ac15hw1x sounds incredible with my Gibsons. Im using a Tungsol for the v1 v2 EI v3 LPS Sovtek JJ power tubes. Was using a TS808 but decided it sounded better and warmer with out. Like to try the hot cake or a JMI treble booster

[Gasp100]

The hotcake comes highly recommended. I think the overall take is that TS style pedals don't work as well with Vox style amps? I kind of wish it had an FX loop, but I only use a taste of delay sometimes so I should be okay.

[ken374]

Boss Fender '63 reverb pedal works great, really well with clean

[exrunnerguitarist]

Clean boost: Keeley Katana or Xotic RC Booster

Dirt pedal: Timmy, AC Booster, I use a boss SD-1 cause I'm broke but for a cheaper pedal, it does really well actually.

[guitarfish]

I've been kicking around the idea of getting the HW1. I have the AC15C1, which is a fine amp, especiually for the <$500 I paid for it. If the HW1 had the trem/reverb, I'd own it already. I think I'd really miss those. Anyway, I hope it works out for you!

[Walkerjerry]

Originally Posted by Gasp100

How well does the master volume work for late night playing. I'm not adverse to only getting nice chimey cleans, but if the MV is done well I should be able to enable the HOT side of the TB and switch between straight ahead cleans on the Normal and Hot on the TB for some low volume grind, right?
The first pedal I might get would be a Timmy -- enough to add some high end sizzle and sparkle to the normal channel and enough to boost the Top Boost side if required.

I never use the MV but it's not bad. I also never use the Hot side, but the Normal channel with the bright is just great for cleans, and the TB on cool is great. The Timmy will work great also.

I don't channel switch, but both channels are great. I find that with my Tele, the normal channel with bright on works very well, but I prefer to leave the amp at the (cliche'd) edge of breakup, and the TB channel definitely has more gain, so I typically leave it there (cool) and dial the treb and tone pot back a bit, and its just perfect.

[lingering_lead]

I like the OCD and Riot with mine. Never used the Hot Cake.

I've been tube rolling a lot lately. This amp is very responsive to tube changes.

[R_S_G_7]

I use a hotcake with my AC15hw1x. Sounds awesome. Would recommend.

[g8tr]

Still digging mine, big time!! In fact, I keep finding new tones...played some blues last night on the Top Boost low gain input, bass and treble at 1 o'clock, volume at 10 o'clock, tone cut at about 8, and in Cool mode. With a Strat in between neck and middle pickup, it was orgasmic...

[ken374]

im digging this if your old school, or there Dallas boost could be sweet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hFqE...eature=related

[Gasp100]

Hmmm.... lot's of hiss at idle with the MV bypassed. I replaced the Greenback with a Scumback H55 I had laying around, definitely sounds better and more 3D just because the Scumback it broken in and the Greenback was super stiff - might put that in a 1x12 with a Marshall-esque head and pummel it if I can find a place to do so lol!
I guess it's assumed this amp needs new tubes asap?