Cab suggestions for Vox AC50CPH Head

[kengelking09]

Hey all. I'm new to the head and cab world. Played through a deluxe, Divided by 13, and vox AC15HW. Stumbled into a Vox AC50CPH head and wanting to give it a shot. I play at a church that likes to rock. Any help and suggestions are appreciated.

K.

 

[Cirrus]

Usually I moderate my suggestions with "IMO" or "of course, it depends on your taste etc"...


But let me say unequivocally that the CP series work best with a closed back 2x12 Vintage 30 cab. The second channel is very thick with extended low end and prone to some fizzies, Vintage 30s totally solve that issue and just leave you with a tight, fat-but-clear tone that works incredibly well in a mix. A 2x12 rather than 4x12 because V30s love to be pushed and the amp has plenty of headroom and bass response anyway without needed the support of 4 speakers in a big box.

I'm convinced that if Vox had sold the CP series with a matching range of 2x12 V30 cabs they'd have sold much better, the stock wharfdales just emphasised the woof and fizz of the gain channel.

If I could offer some advice, the tone controls are quite interactive and the gain and volume controls take some balancing to get right - generally I found that the best tones were had with the master at about 1:30pm, the first channel volume cranked then just raising the CH1 gain as much as you needed to to get the desired volume. For the second Channel, the volume control lets you choose how much extra breakup and compression you got from the phase inverter. Generally I had it set around noon - lower and the channel is a bit sterile, higher and it gradually gets more compressed until eventually it's a bit farty/ fizzy. The CH2 gain sounds good over a wide range, and even when there's quite a lot of gain the channel stays sensitive to playing dynamics. Personally I actually enjoyed the "fat" switch with the gain kept around 9pm.

The EQ of both channels is interactive, take the time to learn how they work. Generally on CH2 you want to keep the presence control as low as possible - start with it off and just turn it up until you get a little air; too much and it's fizz city.

Sorry I went a bit above and beyond here - I really love these amps! They're finickity to set right but once they're in their zone there are incredible tones to be had.