Vox AC15CH

VOX AC15CH £586
Heads you win – and more tone and control, too
SINCE
it came
under Korg’s
ownership back in 1992, Vox has
fl ourished and become the iconic
brand it always deserved to be,
with a strong catalogue that
includes guitars and effects as well
as amplifi ers, including the
original AC15. While the original
AC amps were combos, Vox has
occasionally dabbled with heads,
and recently added a pair to its
Custom range, together with a
matching 2x12 cab. So how does
the new AC15 head stack up?
Control-wise, the AC15CH is
almost identical to the combo with
one exception, namely Vox’s new
Reactive Attenuator feature. This
is controlled by a chickenhead
knob on the rear of the head
cabinet, and provides three output
power levels, rated at 15, 1.5 and
0.16 watts. There’s a pair of input
jacks, a volume control for the
AC15’s normal channel, volume,
treble and bass for the Top Boost
channel, tremolo speed and depth,
reverb level, and a master volume
and tone cut control. This last one
is a classic Vox feature, which
works on the power stage and rolls
off treble as it’s turned up – the
reverse of what you might expect.
Plugged into its matching 2x12
cabinet, the head sounds like a
regular AC15, but with more
punch and presence. Used clean,
there’s a distinctive sparkle to the
upper mids and treble on the Top
Boost channel, which blends into
a toothsome midrange grind as the
volume is turned up. In between,
there are all the classic Vox drive
sounds, from The Beatles and Tom
Petty to Bryan Adams and the
Edge. This combination is
signifi cantly louder than its combo
counterpart, with plenty of punch
Clean, there’s a distinctive
sparkle to the upper mids
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
and more than enough level for
small to medium gigs.
The clever bit is that the
increased power can now be
effectively tamed with the Reactive
Attenuator control. While this only
has three output level choices,
they’re well chosen. The middle
1.5-watt setting is ideal for
recording and for quieter practice
sessions, while the 0.16-watt
setting allows the AC15 to be
driven fl at out at conversation
levels – perfect if you want to
experience the legendary Vox Class
A grind at home without alienating
your neighbours. There’s a
particular spot with the master up
to around three quarters where
the output stage and preamp gain
work together really well, and
being able to keep the volume
under control makes the AC15CH
very rewarding to use.
There are benefi ts to using heads
and speakers rather than combos;
separate heads and cabs are easier
to carry, and a small stack is often
louder and tends to have more
clarity as the valves aren’t subject
to so much vibration. The only
downer is the cost: if you buy
the matching 2x12 Vox cab, this
delectable outfi t will separate you
from around £400 more than the
regular combo. However, it’s a
lot more amp, with more power
and tone – if that sounds worth it
to you, it’s worth heading in the
AC15CH’s direction.
Nick Guppy
GEAR VOX AC15CH
JULY 2016 89
TYPE: All-valve head
OUTPUT: 15w, switchable to
1.5w and 0.16w
SPEAKER: A matching 2x12
cabinet is available for £442
VALVES: 4x 12AX7, 2x EL84
CONTROLS: Normal volume,
Top Boost volume, bass and
treble, reverb level, tremolo
speed and depth, master
volume, master tone cut
SOCKETS: High and low
sensitivity inputs, 2x speaker out,
footswitch jack (VFS2 footswitch
optional, £26.40)
WEIGHT: 15kg
DIMENSIONS: [HxWxD]
284 x 610 x 266mm
CONTACT: Vox Amplification
01908 304600 www.voxamps.com
AT A GLANCE
ATTENUATOR
THE Reactive Attenuator control
offers three output levels: full
power, 1.5 and 0.26 watts, so you
can get the full-on Vox sound at
sensible volume levels
TONE CUT
VOX’S tone cut control works backwards,
rolling off treble as it’s turned up. It’s on the
output stage and works with the preamp
EQ for the best overall sound
JACKS
A pair of high- and low-sensitivity input
jacks cater for the widest range of
guitars. High-output pickups often work
better in the low-sensitivity input
TGR281.gear_vox.indd 89 5/18/16 11:28 AM