Hello everyone! We'll my journey towards finding a new amp keeps going on and on. After playing around with amps at local music stores the two latest amps that have drawn my attention are the vox ac30 and the marshall jtm 45. I've played around with many Marshall's so I know what tone I would get from it and I like the fact that it's not an overkill 100 watt amp. I have noodled with the vox a little but am not a pro with it. I would mainly use the amp for edge of breakup tones but would like some headroom but headroom is really not a major issue for me because I will use my twin for super cleans no matter what. But yeah pretty straight forward...what amp have you guys played and what do you like most. It seems like the jtm is more up my ally because I am a huge chili pepper and frusciante fan. I also like mars volta, hendrix, and U2 to name a few. Any input is greatly appreciated!
Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
- Thread starter nick0429
- Start date
JeffB
Let it B
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
They are so different. I am a Marshall guy, love the JTM45, and just do not gel all that well with the Vox sounds or amps in general (Yardbirds era Jeff Beck, and Rory Gallagher being the exceptions to the rule)
You really need to play them both and just decide what works best for your needs.
They are so different. I am a Marshall guy, love the JTM45, and just do not gel all that well with the Vox sounds or amps in general (Yardbirds era Jeff Beck, and Rory Gallagher being the exceptions to the rule)
You really need to play them both and just decide what works best for your needs.
Red_Label
New member
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
I've never understood the love for Vox tube amps. I've always been basically a Fender/Marshall guy and all of my amps have fallen into one or both of those camps.
I DO have a Vox Tonelab LE (my second one) that I use for band practice and whatnot. It's great and I think that they build GREAT modelers. But the guys who really dig that "Vox sound" can keep it. Doesn't do anything for me.
So my vote is obviously for the JTM. Great amp!
I've never understood the love for Vox tube amps. I've always been basically a Fender/Marshall guy and all of my amps have fallen into one or both of those camps.
I DO have a Vox Tonelab LE (my second one) that I use for band practice and whatnot. It's great and I think that they build GREAT modelers. But the guys who really dig that "Vox sound" can keep it. Doesn't do anything for me.
So my vote is obviously for the JTM. Great amp!
Andrew Lamprecht
Minion of One
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
Either one is going to be stellar. It's all preference. Just go play them a ton and go from there.
Either one is going to be stellar. It's all preference. Just go play them a ton and go from there.
SirJackdeFuzz
New member
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
a JTM-45 in stereo with an AC30 would be bloody fantastic
But, if i have to go with only one, it would be the JTM-45.
My brother would again go with the AC30, because he is the biggest Queen fan i know !
I also read an interview, wayyy back in the early 90's where Slash said that Gilby Clarke used AC30's to compliment his (Slash's) own JCM800s.
a JTM-45 in stereo with an AC30 would be bloody fantastic
But, if i have to go with only one, it would be the JTM-45.
My brother would again go with the AC30, because he is the biggest Queen fan i know !
I also read an interview, wayyy back in the early 90's where Slash said that Gilby Clarke used AC30's to compliment his (Slash's) own JCM800s.
SirJackdeFuzz
New member
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
a JTM-45 in stereo with an AC30 would be bloody fantastic
But, if i have to go with only one, it would be the JTM-45.
My brother would again go with the AC30, because he is the biggest Queen fan i know !
I also read an interview, wayyy back in the early 90's where Slash said that Gilby Clarke used AC30's to compliment his (Slash's) own JCM800s.
a JTM-45 in stereo with an AC30 would be bloody fantastic
But, if i have to go with only one, it would be the JTM-45.
My brother would again go with the AC30, because he is the biggest Queen fan i know !
I also read an interview, wayyy back in the early 90's where Slash said that Gilby Clarke used AC30's to compliment his (Slash's) own JCM800s.
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
thank you everyone! im slightly leaning towards the jtm. mainly because ive been spending the past couple of years perfecting my hendrix and frusciante style playing. ive alwasy wanted a good marshall to play it through. as silly as it is the one thing i really like on the vox is the tube tremolo...and i already have a trem pedal. im thinking i would buy an avatar 2x12 cab to go with it. open back as well. any thoughts on that?
thank you everyone! im slightly leaning towards the jtm. mainly because ive been spending the past couple of years perfecting my hendrix and frusciante style playing. ive alwasy wanted a good marshall to play it through. as silly as it is the one thing i really like on the vox is the tube tremolo...and i already have a trem pedal. im thinking i would buy an avatar 2x12 cab to go with it. open back as well. any thoughts on that?
Laughing Kookaburra
New member
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
The Avatar products are top notch. I use a couple of their cabs. As far as open back goes, I don't know. I prefer closed cabs, but I know that there are also excellent reasons to use open. The cool thing about Avatar is that you can move the slats about on the open back models, that is, the opening can be on top, in the middle, or on the bottom, which is a cool feature for sculpting your sound. They also will sell you a seperate one piece back to make it closed back if you want to switch between closed and open.
The Avatar products are top notch. I use a couple of their cabs. As far as open back goes, I don't know. I prefer closed cabs, but I know that there are also excellent reasons to use open. The cool thing about Avatar is that you can move the slats about on the open back models, that is, the opening can be on top, in the middle, or on the bottom, which is a cool feature for sculpting your sound. They also will sell you a seperate one piece back to make it closed back if you want to switch between closed and open.
Red_Label
New member
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
Why open-back? I like the bright, tight open spank that I get with an open-back 2X12 for playing very clean music (like country). But when I'm doing rock, I want the bigger, fatter, spongier sound that I get with a closed-back 2X12... or even better... a 4X12. I guess that I've spent a lot of years playing live and I just can't deal with the thin tone that I get from most open-back cabs. The Fender Twin Reverb Reissue that I had was a slight exception to that. But geez... it was more of a pain to haul around than a 4X12.
Why open-back? I like the bright, tight open spank that I get with an open-back 2X12 for playing very clean music (like country). But when I'm doing rock, I want the bigger, fatter, spongier sound that I get with a closed-back 2X12... or even better... a 4X12. I guess that I've spent a lot of years playing live and I just can't deal with the thin tone that I get from most open-back cabs. The Fender Twin Reverb Reissue that I had was a slight exception to that. But geez... it was more of a pain to haul around than a 4X12.
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
Or--go two 212s--one open and one closed. That's pretty much what I do with my Mesa Mark series and Maverick amps--with the Mark combos, I set them on top of a 112 Thiele cab to add low-end punch and projection. The Maverick 212 combo can get me very close to Twin or AC-30 tones; AND Plexi tones too--especially when it is sitting on a Mesa Horizontal Recto 212 cab. The open top give that nice airy enveloping sound--the closed bottom kicks booty and takes names later.
And even though I'm a Mesa fan, I think of the JTM 45 versus the AC-30, I would also go with the JTM 45....especially if we're talking tube rectifier and EL-34s. I love the saggy tone from these just at the edge of break up.
Bill
Or--go two 212s--one open and one closed. That's pretty much what I do with my Mesa Mark series and Maverick amps--with the Mark combos, I set them on top of a 112 Thiele cab to add low-end punch and projection. The Maverick 212 combo can get me very close to Twin or AC-30 tones; AND Plexi tones too--especially when it is sitting on a Mesa Horizontal Recto 212 cab. The open top give that nice airy enveloping sound--the closed bottom kicks booty and takes names later.
And even though I'm a Mesa fan, I think of the JTM 45 versus the AC-30, I would also go with the JTM 45....especially if we're talking tube rectifier and EL-34s. I love the saggy tone from these just at the edge of break up.
Bill
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
i really would not want a 4x12. ive never understood the big woop about 100watt heads and 4x12 speakers. all sounds the same to me. too much for anything id ever need ever as well. and if the 2x12 wasnt loud enough it would be mic'd anyway. plus i hate carrying my twin reverb as it is haha. id probably get the cab were i have the extra panel to make it open/closed
i really would not want a 4x12. ive never understood the big woop about 100watt heads and 4x12 speakers. all sounds the same to me. too much for anything id ever need ever as well. and if the 2x12 wasnt loud enough it would be mic'd anyway. plus i hate carrying my twin reverb as it is haha. id probably get the cab were i have the extra panel to make it open/closed
Drunken Bowling
New member
Re: Marshall jtm45 or vox ac30
JTM45, but that's just me. Vox amps have always sounded a little too chimey to my ears.
JTM45, but that's just me. Vox amps have always sounded a little too chimey to my ears.
