Vox AC15C1 has got me GASing!

[Tele60x]

Seriously, any you Tele guys play with this amp? I'm jonesing for one and considering selling my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for one. Good idea? I got the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe used but still would lose some money on it. I've played both and still not sure. Def. can't keep both. ;)

[misterbluesman]

I've never played the deluxe but I adore my ac15 :)

[colchar]

There are more than a few owned by members here (including myself).

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-owner...shout-out.html

[mrothe]

the hot rod deluxe and the ac15c1 do two completely different things very very well.

what kind of music do you play? do you dig the sound of your fender amp? or looking for something a bit different?

your fender is going to have a much more classic pristine clean tone (and a great reverb), whereas the vox will be a more sprakly/jangly/almost gritty clean tone (reverb isn't as good as the fender, but there is a very nice tremolo as well).

as for overdrive, that's where the vox shines...it has a wonderfully smooth classic rock overdrive that's just great.

the drive in the hot rod deluxe (to me) is a more rough-around-the edges texas blues kind of gritty overdrive (which is kind of cool too, it's just really what you prefer)

[colchar]

The reverb on the Vox is easily replaced for under $25.

[Tele60x]

Originally Posted by mrothe

the hot rod deluxe and the ac15c1 do two completely different things very very well.

what kind of music do you play? do you dig the sound of your fender amp? or looking for something a bit different?

your fender is going to have a much more classic pristine clean tone (and a great reverb), whereas the vox will be a more sprakly/jangly/almost gritty clean tone (reverb isn't as good as the fender, but there is a very nice tremolo as well).

as for overdrive, that's where the vox shines...it has a wonderfully smooth classic rock overdrive that's just great.

the drive in the hot rod deluxe (to me) is a more rough-around-the edges texas blues kind of gritty overdrive (which is kind of cool too, it's just really what you prefer)

Both amps sound great to me. I really like the classic Vox sound that the AC15 Custom gives. My major concern is losing money on the sale. I'm on the fence of waiting it out and then purchasing a '65 Deluxe Reverb. As that may be more of an "upgrade" instead of something in the same budget.

[ludashoeless]

get a blues deluxe

[mrothe]

Originally Posted by Tele60x

Both amps sound great to me. I really like the classic Vox sound that the AC15 Custom gives. My major concern is losing money on the sale. I'm on the fence of waiting it out and then purchasing a '65 Deluxe Reverb. As that may be more of an "upgrade" instead of something in the same budget.

Right now they're both going for about 4-500 bucks on ebay, for example, so it's possible you might gain or lose a little bit of money due to variance of what's available at the time and who's buying, but it's pretty close. You're right, both are good amps in that price range and you really can't go wrong either way. If it's a true upgrade you're looking for, might as well save your pennies and get the deluxe reverb.

[theskypilot]

I sold my Blues Deluxe and kept my Blues Jr in order to buy an AC-15. I like the 15 watt size for the venues i play. I was totally taken aback by the AC-15 an the great tone I get. I would totally tell you to do it.

As for the reverb, it is not a Fender reverb but that is OK. I bleed just a little reverb with a small amount of tremolo. It gives a great warm breadth to the amp and provides just what I need in that amp. If I want the Fender reverb sound, I use the Fender.

[BiggerJohn]

Has anyone with an AC15C1 replaced the Greenback with something they liked better? Like a Blue, or a Red Fang or a Weber Dog? Or any other "upgrade"?

How about the stock OT? Anyone replaced theirs with a Mercury?

[BWNadeau]

I don't see where you're losing $ on that deal - if anything, the AC gets more used here than the hrd. My experience eith the HRD is it isn't a "true" Fender clean either - it has a darker, almost Classic 30 sound to it.

Were it my amp, I'd make that trade in a heartbeat, and run away from the guy with the HRD as fast as possible before he changed his mind.

One of the guys I work with has the AC15C1X - has the Alnico Blue in it - sounds SWEET!

[DADGAD]

I've owned two HRDx amps and one HR DeVille. Never bonded with them. I now have an AC15C1 and I'm bummed for not owning a Vox decades ago.

Musician's Friend extended their 15% off for Memorial Day and it's good through today.

[Jakedog]

I owned a couple of Blues Dlx amps, and had a Hot Rod Dlx for six or so years.

They are "ok" amps. They sound alright, and are ridiculously reliable and hard working amps. But they aren't my sound, and I only used them because they were cheap, reliable, and I was too lazy to buy another amp.

I bought my AC15C1 about two and a half months ago. It was an amp emergency, I had to get something for a gig that day, and had a limited budget. I really wasn't plannning on buying an amp.

I tried out lots of Fenders, even though I really don't like them. It had been a long time since I played one, and figured I'd give it a shot. Tried a Blues Dlx, a Hot Rod Dlx., a couple of different Blues Jr. amps, and a used Deluxe Reverb RI. None of them sounded like amps I'd like to own these days.

Next I tried some Egnaters. A Tweaker, a Rebel 20, and a Rebel 30. Nope. Nothing there either. Bought a Bogner Alchemist head, took it home, and it broke after ten minutes of living room testing. I was about to lose my temper.

Went back to the store with the Bogner, and my guy said I should really try the AC15C1. I said no, I don't like Vox amps. He said I should really try it, it's not like the old ones, and he thinks it's just what I'm looking for. So I plugged into it, sure that I was going to hate it. Whaddya know, he was right, and I was wrong... I love this amp. It hates my strat, but that's ok, because it loves my tele and REALLY loves my Gibsons.

I have not made any "upgrades". I did do the bright cap mod, and can't tell any difference. If there is any, it's so totally negligible as to be a non-issue.

I have tried some other speakers. I have a Carvin 2X12 with the G12(?) speakers in it (some of my all time favorite guitar speakers). It sounds heavenly with the Vox. Tightens up the bottom end a bunch, and really ups the clean headroom in a good way.

I have not messed with changing tubes or anything else. I will try some different ones when it's time to replace these, but I see no reason to start trying to fix crap that's not broke.

[thorton077]

Yeah I'm trying to save up for my first tube amp, and I'm pretty sure this'll be it.

[Leep Dog]

Another totally satisfied AC15C1 owner here....get it, it's an awesome amp.

[csadams5]

I am actually considering selling my current amp to fund buying both of the amps to run in stereo out of my line 6 m13. Both are great amps in my opinion.

[paratus]

The AC15C1 is one of the three amps I use most. Not a lot of headroom, but a very sweet tone. I usually use the top boost channel, you can dial in pretty much what you need. I like it best with a little grit, then back down the guitar to get a nice round clean sound.

IMO if you play single coils and like dirt you will need a pedal or two. Buckers dirty up just fine.

[NashTel177]

I have a Mesa Express and a Vox AC15C1. The tele only gets plugged into the Vox now. I had a HR Deville a couple of years ago and traded it in on my Mesa. If I still had the Deville I would trade for an AC15C1.

[mcgannahan]

I had an AC15C1 and I liked it a lot. The Vox chimey distortion was excellent, but I struggled a little trying to find a really good clean tone I liked. I finally had to accept a little bit of grit if I wanted any volume.


All in all, I liked the clean tone from my Pathfinder 15R a lot better. It seems to do everything the AC15 could do, just not as loud. So I sold the AC15.

[peterbilt1101]

Originally Posted by DADGAD

Musician's Friend extended their 15% off for Memorial Day and it's good through today.

Am I missing something here? MF's coupon doesn't work on basically anything thanks to all the manufacturer's restrictions. I'm Jonesing for one of these guys too but I don't wanna pay full price if I don't have to :-)