Other thread was my "I Got A New Amp" thread. Here is my review thread.
Vox just issued a new AC4. It is a Top Boost model, 4 watts, 10 inch speaker, and it comes in blue tolex. Price is $300.
I have had the amp for a few days now and was able to give it a good workout with various settings, guitars, and pedals. I'll do a Good, Bad, and Ugly review with just some quick points. I'll start with the Bad.
THE BAD:
- it is very small (I've had lunch boxes that were bigger) and with that small size comes a small sound. Turn it on and I instantly noted this is nothing like any other amp I have. The sound is small, it just lacks a power.
- volume is not enough to play in any setting other than bedroom. There is no way you can use this amp to jam with someone or even play a small little coffee house. Max volume is fine for monkeying around at home, but the amp is not loud enough for anything else.
- a direct comparison to my other little Vox amp, my Pathfinerd 15R, reveals this new AC4 really lacks power. I know the Pathfinder is rated 15 watts, but that thing only packs an 8" speaker and it blows away the AC4 in volume. And the Pathfinder also has a fuller, more bodied sound (that's due to onboard reverb and tremolo, something the AC4 sadly lacks).
- does not take to my Humbucker guitars well (but neither does my AC30 so I and others have realized that is just a Vox thing). Humbuckers just sound very dull in this amp (and so does my P-90 equipped Casino). The thicker, beefier the sound that a pickup puts out, the thicker, muddier the sound this AC4 puts out. (I cleaned this up easily enough with an EQ pedal and my Gretsch and Casino then sounded very, very good.)
- the AC4's sound is very dry. A lack of reverb or tremolo creates a sound that lacks depth.
now to
THE GOOD:
- positioning the amp improves the sound. I tilted it up and the amp clearly improved. Something that simple - putting a block of wood under the front of the amp - makes a big difference in what my ears were hearing
- the sound is pure Vox Top Boost. Unreal how this little guy delivers exactly the same sound and tone that my AC30 delivers. I love the Vox tone either clean or grit and this AC4 is perfect in that department
- crunch or grit is outstanding. Unreal. Turn up the gain about half way, turn up the volume and the sound is crystal clear, non-muddy crunch. Blows you away. I played CSNY "Ohio" and when you hit that Gm7 chord ("gotta get down to it") the crunch and grit that this little guy delivers is pure heaven. I stopped playing and listened intently and you can hear that wonderful bubbling gurgle of tube distortion. Fantastic. To get that on my AC30 I have to turn it up so loud that every window gets shattered. With my AC4 I was getting the most incredible crunch at volume levels one can tolerate. I was in awe of this amp.
- single coils sound incredible. My Strat in the 2 and 4 pickup position was so spoinky. If you were going to film a commercial to sell what a Strat can do I would use this little amp. It perfectly gives what is in any good Strat. My Telecaster, another winner in this amp. This is the guitar I used for distortion. Bridge position, gain high on AC4 and you are pure rock. And my Rickenbackers...exactly what a Ric/Vox should sound like. Sparkle, jangle, chime, crystal clear. This AC4 is superb when you plug in a single coil guitar. Beyond superb, it is spectacular.
- pedals sound fantastic in the AC4. I made a little pedal board of EQ, Chorus, and Reverb and worked with them. Even with a humbucking guitar the AC4 sounded wonderful when I hit any of those pedals. The reverb or chorus really makes the sound full. Just add a little reverb and you go from a small sound to a professional sound. Same with chorus. Suddenly the amp sounds like it has two speakers and is four feet wide. The EQ is good for cleaning up my humbuckers. The success with a reverb pedal shows me that this little amp should have come with a reverb. That one effect turns a small dry sound into a nice, big, beefy sound.
- this amp is the perfect recording amp. As I said, incredible distortion can be had at reasonable volumes. That makes it perfect for recording. And the cleans are so crystal clear. Add the fact that this amp is silent and you have the perfect recording amp.
- knobs are good. Gain does add exactly the amount of grit you would want. The two tone knobs (bass and treble) are an improvement over the previous AC4's single Tone knob
- looks score 10 out of 10. Yesterday someone came over and they saw the amp in the corner and instantly their eyes went wide. This thing is absolutely gorgeous in person.
and
THE UGLY
- just the price. $300 for an amp that you really can only play in your bedroom is too high.
I have an AC30 so any amp I buy will always be small in my ears. I could buy a Fender Twin and would say it sounds small. So my early judgement of my new AC4 was a bit harsh. After really banging it hard yesterday I realize the amp is outstanding in everything it does. If you want perfect cleans AND the best overdrive sound around, then this AC4 is one to get. No, it can not be used anywhere outside your own room, but for a practice amp (one in which you can practice clean songs and harsh songs) this amp is the one to get. Then add a pedal (reverb, tremolo, chorus..) to flesh out the sound and the amp is a total winner. My biggest complaints are one, lack of reverb or tremolo, and two, the amp can not be used elsewhere (it is what Vox says it is - a practice amp and $300 is too much for that). My biggest praise is the sound - perfect Vox tone both clean and dirty.
Vox just issued a new AC4. It is a Top Boost model, 4 watts, 10 inch speaker, and it comes in blue tolex. Price is $300.
I have had the amp for a few days now and was able to give it a good workout with various settings, guitars, and pedals. I'll do a Good, Bad, and Ugly review with just some quick points. I'll start with the Bad.
THE BAD:
- it is very small (I've had lunch boxes that were bigger) and with that small size comes a small sound. Turn it on and I instantly noted this is nothing like any other amp I have. The sound is small, it just lacks a power.
- volume is not enough to play in any setting other than bedroom. There is no way you can use this amp to jam with someone or even play a small little coffee house. Max volume is fine for monkeying around at home, but the amp is not loud enough for anything else.
- a direct comparison to my other little Vox amp, my Pathfinerd 15R, reveals this new AC4 really lacks power. I know the Pathfinder is rated 15 watts, but that thing only packs an 8" speaker and it blows away the AC4 in volume. And the Pathfinder also has a fuller, more bodied sound (that's due to onboard reverb and tremolo, something the AC4 sadly lacks).
- does not take to my Humbucker guitars well (but neither does my AC30 so I and others have realized that is just a Vox thing). Humbuckers just sound very dull in this amp (and so does my P-90 equipped Casino). The thicker, beefier the sound that a pickup puts out, the thicker, muddier the sound this AC4 puts out. (I cleaned this up easily enough with an EQ pedal and my Gretsch and Casino then sounded very, very good.)
- the AC4's sound is very dry. A lack of reverb or tremolo creates a sound that lacks depth.
now to
THE GOOD:
- positioning the amp improves the sound. I tilted it up and the amp clearly improved. Something that simple - putting a block of wood under the front of the amp - makes a big difference in what my ears were hearing
- the sound is pure Vox Top Boost. Unreal how this little guy delivers exactly the same sound and tone that my AC30 delivers. I love the Vox tone either clean or grit and this AC4 is perfect in that department
- crunch or grit is outstanding. Unreal. Turn up the gain about half way, turn up the volume and the sound is crystal clear, non-muddy crunch. Blows you away. I played CSNY "Ohio" and when you hit that Gm7 chord ("gotta get down to it") the crunch and grit that this little guy delivers is pure heaven. I stopped playing and listened intently and you can hear that wonderful bubbling gurgle of tube distortion. Fantastic. To get that on my AC30 I have to turn it up so loud that every window gets shattered. With my AC4 I was getting the most incredible crunch at volume levels one can tolerate. I was in awe of this amp.
- single coils sound incredible. My Strat in the 2 and 4 pickup position was so spoinky. If you were going to film a commercial to sell what a Strat can do I would use this little amp. It perfectly gives what is in any good Strat. My Telecaster, another winner in this amp. This is the guitar I used for distortion. Bridge position, gain high on AC4 and you are pure rock. And my Rickenbackers...exactly what a Ric/Vox should sound like. Sparkle, jangle, chime, crystal clear. This AC4 is superb when you plug in a single coil guitar. Beyond superb, it is spectacular.
- pedals sound fantastic in the AC4. I made a little pedal board of EQ, Chorus, and Reverb and worked with them. Even with a humbucking guitar the AC4 sounded wonderful when I hit any of those pedals. The reverb or chorus really makes the sound full. Just add a little reverb and you go from a small sound to a professional sound. Same with chorus. Suddenly the amp sounds like it has two speakers and is four feet wide. The EQ is good for cleaning up my humbuckers. The success with a reverb pedal shows me that this little amp should have come with a reverb. That one effect turns a small dry sound into a nice, big, beefy sound.
- this amp is the perfect recording amp. As I said, incredible distortion can be had at reasonable volumes. That makes it perfect for recording. And the cleans are so crystal clear. Add the fact that this amp is silent and you have the perfect recording amp.
- knobs are good. Gain does add exactly the amount of grit you would want. The two tone knobs (bass and treble) are an improvement over the previous AC4's single Tone knob
- looks score 10 out of 10. Yesterday someone came over and they saw the amp in the corner and instantly their eyes went wide. This thing is absolutely gorgeous in person.
and
THE UGLY
- just the price. $300 for an amp that you really can only play in your bedroom is too high.
I have an AC30 so any amp I buy will always be small in my ears. I could buy a Fender Twin and would say it sounds small. So my early judgement of my new AC4 was a bit harsh. After really banging it hard yesterday I realize the amp is outstanding in everything it does. If you want perfect cleans AND the best overdrive sound around, then this AC4 is one to get. No, it can not be used anywhere outside your own room, but for a practice amp (one in which you can practice clean songs and harsh songs) this amp is the one to get. Then add a pedal (reverb, tremolo, chorus..) to flesh out the sound and the amp is a total winner. My biggest complaints are one, lack of reverb or tremolo, and two, the amp can not be used elsewhere (it is what Vox says it is - a practice amp and $300 is too much for that). My biggest praise is the sound - perfect Vox tone both clean and dirty.
