Vox AC15 Heritage Series

[XKnight]

I picked up one of the hand wired AC15s and I'm completely blown away. On the EF86 channel, it has the most beautiful shimmering clean tones I've ever heard. I'm more of a lead player, but with this amp I kept playing various chord progressions because they simply sounded beautiful. The EF86 matched with the Celestion Blue is a winner.

[Wayne Alexander]

I've got one of those, it's a great amp for situations where I don't need much clean headroom. It won't hang with a loud band if you need clean sounds. It's very responsive to good tubes, so if you have the inclination to experiment with the tone and the money, I highly recommend swapping out the existing tubes for NOS ones. I tried all sorts of EF86's and decided I liked a Dario-Minwatt in this amp better than a Mullard or a Phillips, I favor Mullard 12AX7's with this amp, though a Brimar and a Telefunken were both great in different ways, and I found that Polam EL84s sounded almost as good as Mullards, so I'm using those here.

[jefrs]

Nice.

I used to play one of the originals, they're considered one of the best studio amps ever. Excellent shimmering cleans, surprisingly loud filth. Just don't expect the Blue to last if you always max it out.

[Dan R]

Man you're killing me! I always wanted a Vox amp. I'm a Fender guy at heart but I need a little something different. AAARRRGGGH! I can't afford any thing else right now. Enjoy your amp. I'm sure it's nice.

Dan R

[XKnight]

Thanks!

Wayne, I appreciate the info on the tubes. I'll swap the stock ones out eventually when they start going. I haven't even checked to see what brand tubes are in there yet. Just enjoying playing it for now.

Jefrs, I'm mainly a bedroom player these days so I won't be maxing the volume out. If I ever did need a higher watt speaker I'd probably go with the Celestion Gold.

[Wayne Alexander]

I've never seen a modern AC15 blow a Blue speaker, there's no need for the Gold in one. The Blue is perfect for this wattage level.

[Geoff738]

Mine is pretty noisy.

And I get some really weird stuff going on when I'm within a couple feet of the amp.

Anybody else experiencing this?

And, I just have a head. I'm running in a 2 x 12 cab with a vintage 30 and G12H (?). A find the low E string quite boomy. Will moving to a Celestion Blue tame that? And, any recommendations on going with one speaker or two? I'm strongly leaning towards one, as I already have a 2 x 12 cab. And it'd be cheaper.

Despite the quibbles raised above, I really like the AC15 - but I also have no idea how it stacks up to the real deal. I'm also running the stock tubes (which I think are JJs? - I did have a peek, but I can't remember).

Cheers,
geoff

[Rumble]

Originally Posted by Geoff738

I'm running in a 2 x 12 cab with a vintage 30 and G12H (?). A find the low E string quite boomy. Will moving to a Celestion Blue tame that? And, any recommendations on going with one speaker or two? I'm strongly leaning towards one, as I already have a 2 x 12 cab. And it'd be cheaper.

The Blue should cure the boominess. The heavier ceramic magnets of the speakers you're using generate more bass. The G12H was originally a bass speaker.

Unless you need the extra speaker for the sake of volume, IMO you should go with a single 12" because you can push it harder and really make it scream. While it might sound great, the AC15's 15 watts won't make two 12"s work very hard, and speakers sound best when you're putting a hurt on them. Use a single Blue and push it hard.

If I run mine through a 412, it has all the volume I'll ever need, but it has the sweetest sound when it's cranked through the single 12".

[Hoodster]

Originally Posted by Dan R

Man you're killing me! I always wanted a Vox amp. I'm a Fender guy at heart but I need a little something different. AAARRRGGGH! I can't afford any thing else right now. Enjoy your amp. I'm sure it's nice.

Dan R

Dan, I was in a similar situation looking at the AC15 Heritage head version and just couldn't justify spending a grand (or $800ish used) for a MIC amp. I ended up snagging a Winfield Cyclone for $625, which is the normal channel of the AC15 with the addition of a post-phase inverter master volume, handwired in the US. EF86 and tube rectified. They are $750 new in whatever color tolex you want.

Click on Cyclone here:

http://www.winfieldamps.com/

PS--No intention to hijack--that Vox is a beauty!!

[Geoff738]

Originally Posted by Rumble

The Blue should cure the boominess. The heavier ceramic magnets of the speakers you're using generate more bass. The G12H was originally a bass speaker.

Unless you need the extra speaker for the sake of volume, IMO you should go with a single 12" because you can push it harder and really make it scream. While it might sound great, the AC15's 15 watts won't make two 12"s work very hard, and speakers sound best when you're putting a hurt on them. Use a single Blue and push it hard.

If I run mine through a 412, it has all the volume I'll ever need, but it has the sweetest sound when it's cranked through the single 12".

Hmmm. I think I see a Celestion Blue in my future. Thanks!

Cheers,
Geoff

[XKnight]

Originally Posted by Geoff738

Mine is pretty noisy.

And I get some really weird stuff going on when I'm within a couple feet of the amp.

Anybody else experiencing this?

I get the typical single coil hum when playing my Tele or Strat near the amp, otherwise the only noises are from my playing. No issues so far and the Celestion Blue does sound fantastic.

[jefrs]

Originally Posted by Wayne Alexander

I've never seen a modern AC15 blow a Blue speaker, there's no need for the Gold in one. The Blue is perfect for this wattage level.

imo Vox's current AC-range are the best they have ever made and the Blue is a good match for the AC15 at home/studio volume.

I had an old 60's AC15 wreck the speaker causing it to short and catch fire on stage. Apparently mine was not an unique experience. We found it hilarious at the time, especially having to evacuate the dance hall.

imo the 50W Gold does not sound as nice as the 15W Blue, which is awfully nice if you respect it but be aware that at full chat an AC15 can provide rather more than 15 dirty watts. Other suitable alternatives might be; the Vintage-30 which is a 60W job; the 25W Heritage G12M (Greenback); and the 30W Heritage G12H (55Hz) -as fitted to my Laney L5T112 5-watter.

It is quite normal to fit a speaker rated 6 to 10 times the power output of a valve amp. My 2x12 cab is rated 160W and it is intended for a 50W head to drive two such cabs (over six times its power). My 10 watt WEM is fitted with a G15-100W.

Vox do seem to fit speakers on the limit of their handling for the amp, perhaps this is part of their tone. I have quietly A/B tested a pair of AC30CC 2xBlue (30W) and 2xVintage30 (120W) and, perhaps it's me, but I couldn't tell the difference. Though that opinion might have changed had I been allowed to crank the amps up.

Do be aware that a different type of speaker will seriously change the voice of the amp. If it ain't bust...

[Rumble]

Originally Posted by jefrs

imo the 50W Gold does not sound as nice as the 15W Blue, which is awfully nice if you respect it but be aware that at full chat an AC15 can provide rather more than 15 dirty watts. Other suitable alternatives might be; the Vintage-30 which is a 60W job; the 25W Heritage G12M (Greenback); and the 30W Heritage G12H (55Hz) -as fitted to my Laney L5T112 5-watter.

While tube amps do generate more than their rated wattage once they are turned up loud enough to clip, Celestions are always rated conservatively and can handle at least 5 more watts than their rating says. So a 15-watt Blue can safely handle at least 20 watts, although I'd never put one in an amp rated higher than 15 watts; $300 is a lot of money if you blow one by pushing 30 watts through it. I use a 20-watt Heritage Greenback in mine. It gives it more of a Marshall-type vibe and breaks up at least as much as the Blue IMO. But if you want any speaker distortion whatsoever, you have to go with a low wattage speaker. You'll get little speaker breakup with a 30-watt G-12H and none with a V-30. The Blue's best for the classic Vox sound, but my Greenback gives mine a unique tone.

[Wayne Alexander]

If you want the traditional Vox voice, it's the Celestion Blue with this amp. Period. If you want another voice, several other speakers come to mind, including the Celestion G12H and Greenback-types, but do not use a Vintage 30 with a Vox AC15 or AC30. It's one of the worst matches possible. That speaker's voicing makes a wonderful amp sound screechy and completely wrecks the tonal balance. I'm not alone in this perception.

[Singin' Dave]

Originally Posted by Dan R

Man you're killing me! I always wanted a Vox amp. I'm a Fender guy at heart but I need a little something different. AAARRRGGGH! I can't afford any thing else right now. Enjoy your amp. I'm sure it's nice.

Dan R

Though not really Vox vibe, I highly recommend old Traynor amps for Fender guys looking to explore the EL84 world on the relative cheap. My YGM-3 and YGM-4 were each ~$300 and are amazing PTP amps.

[gbutler]

I purchased head and cab Heritage AC15 about a month ago and it is the best amp I have ever owned and played. I also tried the new AC15 hand wired combo. It had a green back speaker. I like this one better...it could be the Celestian Blue speaker makes the difference. Someone in the forum said that it might not have good head room. It actually has really good head room when you run it in the triode mode and use a transparent overdrive or clean boost to get more volume. The amp really sings and takes pedals really well. I have been a fender guy my whole life now I am a convert.

[telex76]

Nice, congrats.

[ralvarezguitar]

No speaker is better for the Vox AC15 Heritage Series than the Blue Alnico or it's Weber homologous. Period.