vox ac15cc1: opinions?

[geraldkoh]

hey guys.

i've been looking around for a new amp lately, and especially so after going to randolf's and listening to what i call his "tone 101" lecture. heh.

with the city music sale here, the vox ac15cc1 is at $770, down from $1100. and with tube amps mostly > $1k, this is top of my amp choice list.

i've tried it clean and i do like how the cleans sound. there's no drive channel certainly. and i havent gotten a chance to try it out with my pedals.

so i'd like to ask your opinions about it. heh. any problems that could be associated with it? would it be good sounding mic-ed up(because i do plan to bring it out to gigs or for when i play in church)? how does it drive with pedals and all that jazz. heh.

this is my signalchain. zakk wylde wah -> crunchbox -> blackstar -> byoc analog chorus -> murf -> dd20.

been around citymusic quite a bit this week and looking to get it this weekend if i feel good about getting it.

thanks in advance for your opinions guys!

 

[gsonique]

VOx style amps come alive pumpin through the bright chnl > vol after 12 o'clk ...ur in tone heaven ya... but it gets pretty loud.

But it seems not so pedal friendly....grab your fav dirt pedal and go over to CM and give a short blast :wink:

 

[riff]

I was comtemplating between the ac15 and ac30 just a month ago.

In the end I bought the AC30cc1. Whether it's ac15 or 30 both are good amp imo and and it's pedal friendly if you ask me, infact the clean tone let your effects shine thru.

I got it before the promotion from ebenex and i don't regret it, those guys at ebenex is just great, with excellent service. They have the ac15 there and with lots of effects for you to test it with. Do check it out with them too.

 

[ShredCow]

I see a crunchbox and a blackstar... those are gain heavyweights...

I wonder how much a tube amp would matter if you are getting your drive from the pedals, not the amp?

More depth? Probably...

More tube-like feel? Will it be so? Since your pedals are the ones doing all the gain....

 

[Benster]

The AC15CC1 is a most excellent amp. you get all the classic Vox chime plus modern flexibility. Don't worry about it being MIC, the QC is reputably very very good. $770 is a steal. i am GASing for one badly myself, but have no funds for it. i say go for it bro!!! 8)

 

[geraldkoh]

VOx style amps come alive pumpin through the bright chnl > vol after 12 o'clk ...ur in tone heaven ya... but it gets pretty loud.

But it seems not so pedal friendly....grab your fav dirt pedal and go over to CM and give a short blast :wink:

i'll make sure i do that before i decide to start plonking down the dough. heh.

I was comtemplating between the ac15 and ac30 just a month ago.

In the end I bought the AC30cc1. Whether it's ac15 or 30 both are good amp imo and and it's pedal friendly if you ask me, infact the clean tone let your effects shine thru.

I got it before the promotion from ebenex and i don't regret it, those guys at ebenex is just great, with excellent service. They have the ac15 there and with lots of effects for you to test it with. Do check it out with them too.

hey thanks for your opinion riff! i'm just wondering, the volume levels aren't very different yeah? it's just the wattage, which determines the breakup and headroom that's different?

I see a crunchbox and a blackstar... those are gain heavyweights...

I wonder how much a tube amp would matter if you are getting your drive from the pedals, not the amp?

More depth? Probably...

More tube-like feel? Will it be so? Since your pedals are the ones doing all the gain....

hmm. i've been thinking about that too. certainly i'd like to crank up the ac15 too.

i'll definitely take goose's suggestion and go down and test it out with my drives and see how it goes before deciding.

 

[geraldkoh]

The AC15CC1 is a most excellent amp. you get all the classic Vox chime plus modern flexibility. Don't worry about it being MIC, the QC is reputably very very good. $770 is a steal. i am GASing for one badly myself, but have no funds for it. i say go for it bro!!! 8)

haha. it's definitely at the top of my list, no guarantees whether i get it till i check it out with my pedals.

don't wanna get a dud somehow. haha.

 

[thor666]

There's the version with Celestion Alnico Blues speaker - top of the line speaker from Celestion - but it sets you lesser by another 200++?

Still, do give that one a try. Good speakers can make an amp sound phenomenal.

 

[gapple88]

i bot the AC30CC1, no regrets.....

Been playing it more than my kingsnake at the moment.....mojo......

 

[Phil]

The ac15cc1 that you are talking about, is the one with the wharfedale or the alnico blue?

Because if it's the one with the wharfedale, then you can actually get it for 850 any damned day, of which is the price I paid.

 

[riff]

hmm... just in case, you know the ac15 comes with 2 type of speaker driver configuration? I believe the 770 price is the one with wharfedale and there another with celestion speaker.

if the price different is not too much, do buy the one with celestion speaker.

Actually the ac15 and ac30 sound quite different, you are quite right about headroom and breakup. But the ac30 has also more control on the panel, 2 x channels, tone control, pre-amp vol, master volume, true bypass effects loop....etcs

I can crank up the top boost vol to max and control the pre-amp, master vol to get a very sweet overdrive, crunch sound without the need of pedals. And it won't sound too loud for my room too.


Shredcow, my opinion on tube amps is that they usually have a warmer midrange, so running pedal gain thru them have generally thicker mid tone which sound sweeter imo.

 

[eugen3]

ac15 waferdale is 770(sale price)
celestion blue is 1075

 

[ShredCow]

Shredcow, my opinion on tube amps is that they usually have a warmer midrange, so running pedal gain thru them have generally thicker mid tone which sound sweeter imo.

I understand the difference in sound... personally, I find more depth, more complexity when running gain pedals into a tube amp...

But if one is looking for that tube amp feel, something which people rave about all the time, then.... would use pedals for main dirt give you that?

In my experience, no... if the pedal doesn't push the amp into overdrive, its all pedal dynamics...

Whats your tak eon this?

 

[edder]

hey shred, i find that toob amps in general have more depth and complexity in their cleans to start off with and that will have an effect to distorto mondo sounds.

Maybe thats why there is a market for visual sounds zhnnggg my car hubcab amp.

 

[riff]

But if one is looking for that tube amp feel, something which people rave about all the time, then.... would use pedals for main dirt give you that?

In my experience, no... if the pedal doesn't push the amp into overdrive, its all pedal dynamics...

Whats your tak eon this?

My opinion of od pedal + ss amp = tube od? is NO but can sound close.
I have tried the zakk wylde od on my tube amp and friend ss amp (Vox ADT50), the tone is just difference.

I still trying to get my AC30 + boost + whatever pedal to make it sound like andy timmons sound with mesa boogie, but it just different. Just too many factors in chain that affect the sound.

 

[geraldkoh]

There's the version with Celestion Alnico Blues speaker - top of the line speaker from Celestion - but it sets you lesser by another 200++?

Still, do give that one a try. Good speakers can make an amp sound phenomenal.

yeah i know it sets me back another $200-odd, problem is i have no $$$!

Because if it's the one with the wharfedale, then you can actually get it for 850 any damned day, of which is the price I paid.

wharfedale. are you serious?

hmm... just in case, you know the ac15 comes with 2 type of speaker driver configuration? I believe the 770 price is the one with wharfedale and there another with celestion speaker.

if the price different is not too much, do buy the one with celestion speaker.

it is quite a bit of a stumbling difference, for me.

ah well, i'll be heading down to citymusic with my pedals today to try it out before spending the night deciding whether or not to be plonking down the money tmrw.

 

[gibbytones]

bring your whole set down gerald.
your pedals, your guit.

that way you can get the best out of the test.

 

[thor666]

The Celestion Blue retails at over 200USD w/o shipping... that should tempt you a bit.. :lol:

Just kidding. Go with what you want and can manage.

I'm with ShredCow on the pedal issue - your high gain pedals might not like the Vox. Am speculating that there might not be as much headroom on the Vox (15 fulltube watts) for the gain pedals to work with. I could be grossly wrong though.

 

[guitarsan]

IMO, the Vox AC15CC1 is a good buy for 770 bucks. It's certainly value for money if you're buying your first tube amp. You can always sell it away (there's always buyers for 2nd hand tube amp) and upgrade to a better amp next time.

 

[geraldkoh]

thanks guys! i will go try it out. heh.

i'll see what comes up with my pedals. i might just like it. heh.