Vox AC15 vs Night Train
- Thread starter eddie27
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.
I have owned three different Night train heads and currently still do. It's got some great tones, that's for sure, but I don't think it's based off the same circuit. I have never played through an AC15 to hear the difference, but I think the Night Train is a little harsher and has more gain on tap with the tone stack bypass engaged. The Night Train still sounds like a vox to me
Wayne Alexander
Friend of Leo's
They are not similar amps. The night train is based to some extent on a Trainwreck type circuit. It doesn't have the standard AC15/AC30 chimy clean sounds and the distortion character is different. Not to say that the night train is a bad sounding amp, you may like it a whole lot -- but you wouldn't mistake one for an AC15 if you played both of them.
honeycreek
Tele-Afflicted
Having both, I don't find them at all similar.
I have a Night Train and I've played several AC15C1's.
I think the Night Train has a lot more gain potential. It's does VOX jangle which is really nice but it's a modern VOX toaster amp.
I think that part of the fun of the toaster is how easy it is to try with different cabinets and how easy easy it is to move and shake up tone combinations.
The AC15C1 is more of a distinct classic back line amp.
There are no bad choices.
I think the Night Train has a lot more gain potential. It's does VOX jangle which is really nice but it's a modern VOX toaster amp.
I think that part of the fun of the toaster is how easy it is to try with different cabinets and how easy easy it is to move and shake up tone combinations.
The AC15C1 is more of a distinct classic back line amp.
There are no bad choices.
honeycreek
Tele-Afflicted
I love the AC15C1 but have so far struggled with the night train. The AC15C1 has reverb and trem and a lot of tone adjustment on the top boost channel. The night train is much higher gain. I tend to struggle with the brightness and lack of adjustment on the night train.
Dunning~Kruger
Banned
The nighttrain to say the least is very "meh".
Leaves a bad taste in your mouth, sort of like TAB or Shasta Cola.
The Ac15 aint bad, taste just like real coke.
That is about it.
Very diffrent beast and I would attribute the nightrain jangly feeling more to the fact that it runs on el84 rather than its a Vox.
Leaves a bad taste in your mouth, sort of like TAB or Shasta Cola.
The Ac15 aint bad, taste just like real coke.
That is about it.
Very diffrent beast and I would attribute the nightrain jangly feeling more to the fact that it runs on el84 rather than its a Vox.
OlRedNeckHippy
Poster Extraordinaire
I just bought "Night Train", Jason Aldine's latest album. It's great.
Dunning~Kruger
Banned
lareplus
Tele-Afflicted
I can't wait to read user reviews of the new Night Train G2 series. . .it looks like a major upgrade of features, but I wonder about the tonal qualities. .
Sparky6string
Tele-Meister
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2005
- Posts
- 232
This post makes me wonder if you have any actual experience with this amplifier, because it is anything but "meh".
Though not a huge fan of the AC15/30s, I do have a pair of the Night Trains. Fundamentally, I love them, but have found that the right speaker pairing is critical. They can run a bit on the bright side and need a speaker/cab that produces solid lows.
For me, a closed-back 212 or 412 with Vintage 30s produced what I was looking for.
The JJ EL844 smooths them out substantially. I have NOS RCA 21AX7s in the pre. There are also a couple of small mods that can be done (I have) to even out the brightness.
All in all, pretty cool little heads, with good Vox tone.
For me, a closed-back 212 or 412 with Vintage 30s produced what I was looking for.
The JJ EL844 smooths them out substantially. I have NOS RCA 21AX7s in the pre. There are also a couple of small mods that can be done (I have) to even out the brightness.
All in all, pretty cool little heads, with good Vox tone.
I have tried a couple of Night Trains. I owned an AC15C1 for a year and a half (just sold recently) and thought the Night Train might make a nice backup. I didn't care for the Night Train at all. If any kind of useable clean tones are on your radar, look elsewhere. Night Train is harsh and gritty, never really cleans all the way up, not a lot of definition, pretty weird. Kind of clang and mush at the same time.
The AC15C1 (I clipped the bright caps out of mine, and put some really nice glass in it) by contrast had great cleans, and MUCH nicer breakup tones. Very sweet. Reverb kind of sucks, but that's my only gripe. I hauled it all over the country on the road, and gigged the hell out of it at home as my main amp for most of the time I owned it. If I hadn't bought the Mesa I totally fell in love with I'd definitely still have it. Never did buy a Night Train.
Downside to the AC15C1 is the weight. I have no idea why a 15 watt 1X12 combo built with the parts they use needs to weigh 50 pounds +, but there is simply no excuse for it. It's ridiculous. I may be one of the only people in history who switched to Mesa Boogie and had my load in get LIGHTER.
If you're looking at lunchbox heads to save room and weight, and still sound great, I would look past the Night Train, and check out the Tweaker 15. In addition to the formidable tweakability built right in, you can also run this head on ANY octal power tubes without bias or modification. You can swap tubes at will. It really makes this amp do just about anything. I run mine on E34L's and it kills.
The AC15C1 (I clipped the bright caps out of mine, and put some really nice glass in it) by contrast had great cleans, and MUCH nicer breakup tones. Very sweet. Reverb kind of sucks, but that's my only gripe. I hauled it all over the country on the road, and gigged the hell out of it at home as my main amp for most of the time I owned it. If I hadn't bought the Mesa I totally fell in love with I'd definitely still have it. Never did buy a Night Train.
Downside to the AC15C1 is the weight. I have no idea why a 15 watt 1X12 combo built with the parts they use needs to weigh 50 pounds +, but there is simply no excuse for it. It's ridiculous. I may be one of the only people in history who switched to Mesa Boogie and had my load in get LIGHTER.
If you're looking at lunchbox heads to save room and weight, and still sound great, I would look past the Night Train, and check out the Tweaker 15. In addition to the formidable tweakability built right in, you can also run this head on ANY octal power tubes without bias or modification. You can swap tubes at will. It really makes this amp do just about anything. I run mine on E34L's and it kills.
Sparky6string
Tele-Meister
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2005
- Posts
- 232
I wasn't convinced with any tones I got out of the Tweaker but the Night Train sitting next to it was a real gem, so strokes for folks. I didn't buy the NT but it smoked the other small amps including the Tiny Terror and the Tweaker. I went there wanting to like the Tweaker but left disappointed. BTW there are excellent clean tones in the Night Train- it's just a rumor that they don't have good cleans.
Bottom line- give the Night Train a good try before making your decision. The new ones might be pretty cool too, but I think I like the 50 watt version myself.
Bottom line- give the Night Train a good try before making your decision. The new ones might be pretty cool too, but I think I like the 50 watt version myself.
honeycreek
Tele-Afflicted
In my opinion, the difference between the "cleans" of night train and the AC15C1 are not in the clean cleans (although that is different too) but when the amp is riding the line between clean and dirty. That line on the AC15C1 is wonderful. On the night train...I don't like it.
I'd have a hard time choosing between selling my Tweaker and my AC15C1. The night train would be the first to go and I wouldn't miss it. I fire it up every once in a while but it hasn't made it to giggable status yet. :neutral:
I'd have a hard time choosing between selling my Tweaker and my AC15C1. The night train would be the first to go and I wouldn't miss it. I fire it up every once in a while but it hasn't made it to giggable status yet. :neutral:
MadJack
Friend of Leo's
The AC15C1, Night Train NT15H and my Li'l Night Train NT2H all sound much better with my 10" Weber AlNiCo Blue Pup (homemade Pine board & Birch ply cab). Also, the AC15C1 is much better with the Celestion AlNiCo Blue and now Vox has the Limited Edition AC15C1X with the Blue. After getting the Blue, I won't use anything else with my Vox amps, unless I'm after a more modern tone, then I'll use my closed back 2X12.
Dunning~Kruger
Banned
I have tried a couple of Night Trains. I owned an AC15C1 for a year and a half (just sold recently) and thought the Night Train might make a nice backup. I didn't care for the Night Train at all. If any kind of useable clean tones are on your radar, look elsewhere. Night Train is harsh and gritty, never really cleans all the way up, not a lot of definition, pretty weird. Kind of clang and mush at the same time.
The AC15C1 (I clipped the bright caps out of mine, and put some really nice glass in it) by contrast had great cleans, and MUCH nicer breakup tones. Very sweet. Reverb kind of sucks, but that's my only gripe. I hauled it all over the country on the road, and gigged the hell out of it at home as my main amp for most of the time I owned it. If I hadn't bought the Mesa I totally fell in love with I'd definitely still have it. Never did buy a Night Train.
Downside to the AC15C1 is the weight. I have no idea why a 15 watt 1X12 combo built with the parts they use needs to weigh 50 pounds +, but there is simply no excuse for it. It's ridiculous. I may be one of the only people in history who switched to Mesa Boogie and had my load in get LIGHTER.
If you're looking at lunchbox heads to save room and weight, and still sound great, I would look past the Night Train, and check out the Tweaker 15. In addition to the formidable tweakability built right in, you can also run this head on ANY octal power tubes without bias or modification. You can swap tubes at will. It really makes this amp do just about anything. I run mine on E34L's and it kills.
You seem to sum up why the Vox NightTrain is pretty much meh.
The cleans are harsh the OD is farty and to punchy and overall why bother with it when one could afford to buy a Egnater Tweaker or even an Orange TT or even the original AC15.
Vox Night Train = "meh" IMO
