Vox AC15C2 vs. Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb

[Guitartichoke]

Just can't decide which of these amps I want. I don't have much experience with either brand. I was hoping someone could explain the differences in tonal qualities between the clean and overdrive sounds. Also, what are the differences in sound between the tremolo and reverb of each amp. Vox is $799, Fender is $999. I'm kind of leaning toward the fender. I play a lot of blues, rock, soul, some heavier rock as well. Thanks for your input!

 

[prototype]

i've owned a handful of voxes and fenders (ac30cc2, ac15c1, fender super reverb reissue, bandnamster reverb sf, showman bf.... also played a ton of DRs). this is how i'd describe the tonal differences:

Vox
the cleans are either chimey and bell-like or warm and full depending on whether you use the top boost or normal channel. Top boost is the prototypical vox clean sound that people think of think 60s pop and U2 style clean tones. also the sound of 90s british indie rock. The overdriven sound is extremely raw and some would say "natural" sounding. basically these amps are famous for the harmonic content of the overdrive sounds. its a simple, aggressive, midrange-focused sound that features a good bit of compression when you hit the amp hard. at 70-80% it really barks. at 100+ it sings. the reverb on the c2 was kind of meh.... it works but nothing crazy. trem wasn't the best either. the greenbacks are definitely a classic rock/blues suited speaker but will be comfortable in almost any style.

Fender
The cleans are more refined sounding. Obviously scooped mids. While the bottom end tends to be pretty solid and authoritative, the deluxe reverb has a slightly warmer/smoother bottom sound due to the lower wattage and 1-speaker when compared to other fenders. absolute clarity in the cleans for that classic tone that everybody recognizes. Reverb and trem are among the best around. the other main difference between deluxe reverbs and other fenders is that DRs feature a bit more compression. still kind of a ratty overdriven sound, but some people prefer it. IMO its a great bet if you like using fuzzes or tube screamers, but otherwise the distortion leaves a little to be desired unless you want to mod it.


both amps would probably work for your purposes. they're both very versatile but IMO the vox lets you do more things right out of the box whereas the fender is a hair more limited. a lot of this has to do with the speaker, but more of it has to do with the gain/mids-eating tonestack that fenders have. the fender does tend to be more agreeable with pedals though as a lot of dirts kind of clash with the inherent midrange emphasis the vox already has. I would say if you prefer to use your amp for everything and ride the guitar's volume knob the vox suits your style slightly better. if you want to get creative with pedals, the fender will be easier to work with.