Got the VOX bug

T

Telecustom

New member
I've been wanting to check out the AC15 and AC30 for while now. I finally got a chance to play through each today. All I can say is WOW. I love gain tone and the clean is great too.

The only problem is I can't justify getting an amp that really only has one usable tone.

What make the VOX special is the Top Cut knob. Can someone explain to me how that works and if I can be replicated?
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

I think the tone cut allows more or less highs into the power section. the off position is cutting out a lot of the oddball twinkly little highs Voxes get, and when the cut in in the "dimed" position it's allowing the power section to push out as much of the highs as it wants. It pretty much just takes that Vox character out of the sound while retaining the honk of those speakers.

It might be useful in twangy guitars (like a Telecaster Custom?) or if you're a pedal guy and want to make the sound a little less pokey.
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

Electronically I'm not sure how a 'cut' knob on a Vox works, but it behaves like a presence knob in reverse. You'll get the brightest sound with the 'cut' all of the way down, and the amp will get darker as you turn it up. Personally I like to run the cut knob between 9 and 11 o'clock.
 
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Re: Got the VOX bug

Have you ever seen a Marshall "fizz cap" .?
Put a pot in series with the cap, and you have a cut control.
It will balance (or unbalance) the out of phase signal from the phase inverter to the power tubes.
And yes...similar to a presence knob...and dependent on the cap value.

But I have to question the opinion that thinks the AC30 has one useable tone.....
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

I run my AC30C2 clean with pedals for dirt and such (+ the built in verb and trem). I can't really say I'm in need of more sounds than my own...
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

zzmoore said:
But I have to question the opinion that thinks the AC30 has one useable tone.....
Click to expand...

Me too.

Rory Gallagher, The Beatles, The Stones, Tom Petty, Bryan Adams, U2, Brian May, Status Quo, and many many more artists from a very wide range of styles, genres and eras have built their names on the Vox sound over the last half century.

If you think Vox has only one useable sound, you may need to re-evaluate the way you hear things.
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

It's not unusable. Just not what I need. My Twin gets the right clean tone. But I do like the AC30 drive sound with the Top Cut turned almost all the way up.
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

crusty philtrum said:
Me too.

Rory Gallagher, The Beatles, The Stones, Tom Petty, Bryan Adams, U2, Brian May, Status Quo, and many many more artists from a very wide range of styles, genres and eras have built their names on the Vox sound over the last half century.

If you think Vox has only one useable sound, you may need to re-evaluate the way you hear things.
Click to expand...

The AC30 does only have one usable sound: The sound of awesome!
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

I've been debating on whether I should get into Voxes.

I always assumed they were a niche sound, good for vintage Brit stuff. I'm starting to think that they have similarities to the revered Fender Deluxe as far as the can-do combo, only they do it with a slightly odd accent.
 
Re: Got the VOX bug

I intend to get a Voxy amp one day, love the sparkly rich clean sound and drive with a treble booster in front, like the way a certain curly haired British guitarist does it.

If I want versatility, I switch pups or guitars. Having an amp with an awesome baseline tone is all I need.
 
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