Vox AC15C1

April 2010 Guitarist 109
VOX AC30C2 & AC15C1
£822 & £528
GUITAR AMPS
Tonally the amp provides
more of a vintage flavour than
the AC30C2 – the low-end is
more flabby and the overdrive
less focused which is good news
for old-school sounds, less good
for modern drivey ones. In
other words it sounds classic
Vox, which may seem an
obvious statement!
Turning the Top Boost
channel’s volume all the way up
gives a beautifully silky tone
that can be balanced with the
Tone Cut and efficient tone pots
to taste and, if you grab a Strat,
turn the treble up and take
Tone Cut out, you could almost
be strumming a 12-string Ricky,
such is the bell-like quality. It’s
this shimmering drive, tamed
to taste with the Tone Cut, that
has made AC15s such a popular
studio choice for lower-gain,
classic rock, blues and pop-
derived tones. Whether it will
replace the ToneLab modeller
in your recording system will
depend on your potential to
make proper noise, but boy does
it sound good with a mic on it.
And just try not going
overboard with the reverb and
tremolo – they’re addictive.
Verdict
These amps mix versatile tonal
performance with modern build
standards at very attractive
price points. Die-hard Vox fans
will bemoan the master volumes
and absence of a valve rectifier
in the AC30, but Vox’s Heritage
Collection is there for those
folks. These new Customs are
more about achieving classic
Vox flavour but with a nod to
modern usability. The AC15 is
the more traditional of the pair,
and comes recommended for
drummer-less gigs and
recording. The AC30C2 offers
more headroom for bigger gigs,
covering some classic AC30
ground, but with a hotter,
slightly more contemporary
feel to the overdrive, giving it
wider appeal than a vintage-
correct reissue. At a shade over
£800 we’d say that’s excellent
value for a quality, all-valve
2 x 12 combo.
You might think that Vox is a
bit old-school for you, but we’d
urge you to give either a try
and see just what 50+ years of
heritage could do for your
sound and playing.
The bottom line
Vox AC30C2
We like: Authentic look and
features; great varied tones;
attractive price
We dislike: No footswitch
included
Guitarist says: If you’ve
been put off by previous
AC30s, this, finally, is the
one to opt for and enjoy
Vox AC15C1
We like: Genuine Vox-y
tones; portability;
reasonable headroom
We dislike: No footswitch
included; may be a little too
traditional for some
Guitarist says: For studio,
stage and home use, this
amp mixes size, features and
tone into a package almost
too alluring to resist
Vox AC15C1
PRICE: £528
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Twin-channel, all-valve
1 x 12 combo
OUTPUT: 15 watts RMS
DIMENSIONS: 602(w) x 265 (d)
x 456mm (h)
WEIGHT (kg/lbs): 22/48.5
CABINET: 20mm particleboard
VALVES: Two EL84 (power), three
12AX7 (pre)
SPEAKERS: Single Celestion G12M
Greenback
CHANNELS: Two: Normal and
Top Boost
CONTROLS: Normal volume; Top
Boost volume; treble and bass; reverb
level; tremolo speed and depth;
master tone cut and volume
FOOTSWITCH: Optional Vox VFS2
footswitch (£32)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Single
inputs for each channel, effects loop,
external speaker output, extension
speaker output
OPTIONS: None
Test results
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
GUITARIST RATING
Vox AC30C2
PRICE: £822
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Two-channel, all-valve
2 x 12 combo
OUTPUT: 30 watts RMS
DIMENSIONS: 702 (w) x 265 (d)
x 556mm (h)
WEIGHT (kg/lbs): 32.2/70.9
CABINET: 20mm particleboard
VALVES: Four EL84 (power), three
12AX7 (pre)
SPEAKERS: Two Celestion G12M
Greenbacks
CHANNELS: Two: Normal and
Top Boost
CONTROLS: Normal volume; Top
Boost volume, treble and bass; reverb
level and tone; tremolo speed and
depth; master tone cut and volume
FOOTSWITCH: Optional Vox VFS2
footswitch (£32)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: High and
Lo inputs for each channel, effects
loop, external speaker output,
extension speaker output
OPTIONS: The AC302X (£1,292)
offers the same spec aside from a
pair Celestion Alnico Blue 12-inch
speakers
Korg UK
01908 85700
www.voxamps.com
Test results
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
GUITARIST RATING
GIT327.rev_vox 109 25/2/10 5:24:27 pm