Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Jeffblue

Well-known member
I traded some equipment I no longer use so I could buy this amp from Guitar Center (I know that I didn't get fair market value) I am curious about the Nu Tube technology and how this amp sounds.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I bought the Vox MV50 Clean model because I use tube based pedals for my overdrive/distortion. I am curious how my tube pedals drive the NuTube. I search amps for the blackface clean tone as a basis for beginning my tone shaping. I wouldn't mind owning a Quilter amp but I struggle with paying that kind of money for a non-tube amp. I would love to own a Fender Vibrolux or a Vibroverb...........I just cannot afford either.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I’ve only heard good things about it but I’ve never tried one.

Let us know how it goes.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I have the MV50 Rock version, and it sounds good through a 112 cab. But I really haven't had the chance to really crank it to hear how the NuTube distortion sounds.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I use tube driven pedals and I am looking forward to finding out how well the NuTube does being pushed like a real vacuum tube. If it behaves like an actual tube, it should sound really good.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I have the MV50AC. A great amp IMO. To get the best (highest available output @ 50 watts, you should have a 4 ohm speaker load). The 'Clean' version is a bit different, but the AC does behave much like a tube amp with significant compression when driven hard. I would expect the 'Clean' to be less so due to less gain. Since you're going to a GC, try both thru a quality speaker cab (hopefully @ 4 ohms). It really doesn't sound Fender-like to my ears, but more AC30'ish. That is it's target sound. It sounds good and responds well w/ pedals, but again, with too much OD, it compresses significantly.

Well worth the $$$.

EDIT: Oh, I re-read and see you already bought the 'Clean' version, so just give it a go and let us know how you like it w/ your pedals. What speaker(s) are you using?
 
Last edited:
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Nice info, thank you. I have a 15 inch cab that I added a custom brass "tone ring"/12 inch adapter and for now I'll be running a 12 inch 8 ohm speaker. I am considering either buying a single 12 inch 4 ohm speaker or a pair of 8 ohm 10 inch speakers and make a new baffle. The MV50 is scheduled to be delivered this Thursday.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I've been a proponent of these amps for a while. I was using the MV50 AC as my main amp for quite a while and I've just recently bought the MV50 Clean, too.

I've run both heads through an Egnater front ported 1x12 cab with a 4 ohm Jensen Neo 100 speaker in it and I really love this setup.

The AC model sounds great, really nice clean tones and great crunch tones. Higher gain tones were nice too but I predominantly get all my sounds from pedals. The AC was super loud and sounded great through different speakers. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for classic Vox tones in a light, cheap package.

Having said that, for how I use my pedals, I much prefer the Clean model. It's got a lot more low end available than the AC and it's really nice to have independent treble and bass controls and having used both at band practice, the Clean seems to be slightly louder, too. It doesn't need to come above about 11 o'clock with my cab even in a full band situation.

I really like the extra headroom compared to the AC because I've got a pretty big pedalboard and like to get all my flavours of gain from my various pedals. It also means solo boosts are much louder than the AC model.

Clean sounds are really nice, it just sounds fantastic. I can't recommend the Clean highly enough for a cheap pedal platform - it's my main amp now. My rig is also *super* light, the head and cab with the neodymium speaker weigh nothing, my pedalboard weighs more than my cab!

Having said that, one day I'd like to upgrade to the DV Mark Eric Gales head... maybe... But the Clean is as loud as I'll need and sounds fantastic, I think you'll be really happy with it.

Sent from my LLD-L31 using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Thank you for that info MB_01, I am excited about this amp. I have vacuum tube pedals that I am going to use to push the MV50 into overdrive/distortion and see what vintage NOS tubes do in front of the Nu Tube and see if the old and new technology can co-exist. With everything that I have heard and reviews on YouTube, I believe I'll be on to something. With all of my tube amps, I always make sure the cleans are really clean, blackface if you will. I then use either my Peavey Rockmaster preamps or tube pedals to bump things into the wild.

There's nothing like tons of headroom and pristine cleans when you need it.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Absolutely correct. And you can buy pedals that will dial your tone in better than owning so many different amplifiers. When I've got the need for tweed, I stomp on my Lovepedal Les Lius. Nothing beats high headroom.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Well...

I love my pedals, and I appreciate how flexible a setup can be with a high headroom amp. That said, I really prefer the core of my tone to come from my amp.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Well...

I love my pedals, and I appreciate how flexible a setup can be with a high headroom amp. That said, I really prefer the core of my tone to come from my amp.

No worries here..........I have 2 vintage silverface Fenders, a Trace Elliott Bonneville 4X10, a rack rig, Fender SCX2 head, a Stromberg-Carlson pa-to-guitar amp conversion and 3 Peavey Rockmaster preamps. I've got amps, tone and stuff to make good tones. So I am doing somewhat of a science project to see what happens mixing old technology with the new. The Nu Tube is actually a new type of vacuum tube.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I just received my Vox MV50 Clean amp today and I plugged it in and was blown away. Huge amount of headroom and big sound out of a tiny amp head. When I plugged into an OD pedal, it sounded like I was driving a 12AX7 into distortion. I am still trying to wrap my head around this great sounding amp. I may have to buy another one for my back room.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

I just received my Vox MV50 Clean amp today and I plugged it in and was blown away. Huge amount of headroom and big sound out of a tiny amp head. When I plugged into an OD pedal, it sounded like I was driving a 12AX7 into distortion. I am still trying to wrap my head around this great sounding amp. I may have to buy another one for my back room.

Glad you liked it!

How does it compare to your Fender amps?
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Glad you liked it!

How does it compare to your Fender amps?

Seems like there is much more clean headroom with the MV50 Clean. Sounds beautiful. I could almost, maybe consider unloading some of my tube amps to replace them with some more of these.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

Probably not unloading my tube amps........they do sound excellent. When you drive the Nu Tube with an OD pedal, the amp sounds magnificent. I have a Digitech RP5 that I have had sitting around for years. For the heck of it, I plugged it into the amp and it sounded really good. Pristine effects into a pristine clean amp. I set up all of the user presets for overdrive and normally off so it would act like a 2 channel amp when you stomp on the distortion footswitch. Sounded okay with that and will work in a pinch. I will be using an external OD pedal, probably tube. I will probably buy another MV50 Clean to mount on a pedalboard.
 
Re: Just Bought A Vox MV50 Clean Amp..................

The Nu Tube is actually a new type of vacuum tube.

It's not really a "new" tube. More, a new application. Fluorescent tubes have been used as displays for decades.

Pioneer_cassette.jpg
 
Back
Top