My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
- Thread starter 75lespaul
- Start date
75lespaul
New member
Re: My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
You bet. I just love to spread my uneducated ramblings, LOL. I'm going to try it out through my 59 Bassman clone that's in a 2X12 tweed combo cab with a Celestion G12H30 and Eminence Cannibus Rex. I may haul out the old Univox U1246B 50 watter and test the Vox side by side through a 4X12 as well (V30s G12H30s in an X).
I should be reporting in a few hours.
You bet. I just love to spread my uneducated ramblings, LOL. I'm going to try it out through my 59 Bassman clone that's in a 2X12 tweed combo cab with a Celestion G12H30 and Eminence Cannibus Rex. I may haul out the old Univox U1246B 50 watter and test the Vox side by side through a 4X12 as well (V30s G12H30s in an X).
I should be reporting in a few hours.
75lespaul
New member
Re: My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
Well my internet was down because of a storm we had last night I guess. It didn't come up until this morning.
I promised a quick review, so here is the quick one albeit with a few disclaimers. First, I didn't have any new batteries so I just used the ones that were in it when it came, so I don't know how fresh they are. This one also has the stock tube which I've read may not be that great. Next, I only had time to play it through my Bassman and no other amps because the storm hit, power went out etc, so here is my review---so far.
Compared to the Plexitone, this actually sounded thinner and a bit harsh at lower volumes. Higher volumes it fattened up a bit. Turning the bass up on the amp helped, but turning up the bass control past 4 on the unit made things muddy. Gain one does a really nice impression of the classic british sound like Marshall or even Vox, but you can dial in more gain than the Plexitone. It is a different sound though and the Plexitone does what it does better than anything I've heard so far. Got some really cool but a little moe saturated AC/DC type stuff as well as Priest/Maiden/Scorpions.
Gain 2 I thought sounded better at what it did, which to me was more modern type of distortion. The tone knob, which only works for gain two, seemed to scoop and unscoop the mids. This channel sounded more Mesa or Peavey type of distortion.
My wife got brand new energizers last night for me and I'll have a chance tomorrow to use a few more amps and see if the batteries make a difference. The tube is a 12AU7. Can a 12AX7 work it its place and if so, what kind of difference can I expect? If I have to stay with the 12AU7, what would be a good warmer replacement?
Thanks everyone!
Mar :smokin:
Well my internet was down because of a storm we had last night I guess. It didn't come up until this morning.
I promised a quick review, so here is the quick one albeit with a few disclaimers. First, I didn't have any new batteries so I just used the ones that were in it when it came, so I don't know how fresh they are. This one also has the stock tube which I've read may not be that great. Next, I only had time to play it through my Bassman and no other amps because the storm hit, power went out etc, so here is my review---so far.
Compared to the Plexitone, this actually sounded thinner and a bit harsh at lower volumes. Higher volumes it fattened up a bit. Turning the bass up on the amp helped, but turning up the bass control past 4 on the unit made things muddy. Gain one does a really nice impression of the classic british sound like Marshall or even Vox, but you can dial in more gain than the Plexitone. It is a different sound though and the Plexitone does what it does better than anything I've heard so far. Got some really cool but a little moe saturated AC/DC type stuff as well as Priest/Maiden/Scorpions.
Gain 2 I thought sounded better at what it did, which to me was more modern type of distortion. The tone knob, which only works for gain two, seemed to scoop and unscoop the mids. This channel sounded more Mesa or Peavey type of distortion.
My wife got brand new energizers last night for me and I'll have a chance tomorrow to use a few more amps and see if the batteries make a difference. The tube is a 12AU7. Can a 12AX7 work it its place and if so, what kind of difference can I expect? If I have to stay with the 12AU7, what would be a good warmer replacement?
Thanks everyone!
Mar :smokin:
nebucanazza
New member
Re: My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
From Guitar Player:
"The Cooltrons’ 12AU7A dual-triode tube is better suited for low-voltage operation than the more familiar, though closely related, 12AX7. The tube’s two triode sections are tied together, so it functions as a single tone-enhancing gain stage. (For prolonged battery life, the tube’s plates, as well as its heaters, run at approximately 3 volts DC.)"
http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?sectioncode=6&storycode=9656
Kudos to Vox though for coming up with a design to power a tube based pedal by batteries.
From Guitar Player:
"The Cooltrons’ 12AU7A dual-triode tube is better suited for low-voltage operation than the more familiar, though closely related, 12AX7. The tube’s two triode sections are tied together, so it functions as a single tone-enhancing gain stage. (For prolonged battery life, the tube’s plates, as well as its heaters, run at approximately 3 volts DC.)"
http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?sectioncode=6&storycode=9656
Kudos to Vox though for coming up with a design to power a tube based pedal by batteries.
75lespaul
New member
Re: My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
Okay--stuck new batteries in it and Viola! Like a new pedal. This pedal is incredible. Very open and natural sounding. Used it through both the Bassman and the Univox 50 watt U1246B head through my 4X12. Just incredible. The crunch channel (ch 1) has a great classic grind and depending on how you eq it, could go more Marshally or Voxy. I'd say closer to Vox though with a lot of saturation (this makes sense since it's a Vox pedal :smokin: ). Gain 2 is definitely a more modern crunch, rip yer face off distortion. Very high gain. The pedal is just what I was looking for--something different from the Plexitone, yet in the same genre. Channel 1 gives me that. I also wanted a high gain pedal. Channel 2 gives me that.
Purchased used, shipped for $180, I think I got what I paid for. Very very cool pedal. Side by side comparison with the Plexitone? It's just different but the same high quality. When I shut off the Vox and turned on the Plexitone I was in Marshall heaven. I was using my 73 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with the Brobucker bridge (no I didn't route it, bought it with a JB in it.) My last comment is this...while the Plexitone still sounds pretty good at bedroom volumes, the Vox to me doesn't. It needs to be opened up.
I would say if you can afford it, give it a shot. I don't think you'll return it.
Okay--stuck new batteries in it and Viola! Like a new pedal. This pedal is incredible. Very open and natural sounding. Used it through both the Bassman and the Univox 50 watt U1246B head through my 4X12. Just incredible. The crunch channel (ch 1) has a great classic grind and depending on how you eq it, could go more Marshally or Voxy. I'd say closer to Vox though with a lot of saturation (this makes sense since it's a Vox pedal :smokin: ). Gain 2 is definitely a more modern crunch, rip yer face off distortion. Very high gain. The pedal is just what I was looking for--something different from the Plexitone, yet in the same genre. Channel 1 gives me that. I also wanted a high gain pedal. Channel 2 gives me that.
Purchased used, shipped for $180, I think I got what I paid for. Very very cool pedal. Side by side comparison with the Plexitone? It's just different but the same high quality. When I shut off the Vox and turned on the Plexitone I was in Marshall heaven. I was using my 73 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with the Brobucker bridge (no I didn't route it, bought it with a JB in it.) My last comment is this...while the Plexitone still sounds pretty good at bedroom volumes, the Vox to me doesn't. It needs to be opened up.
I would say if you can afford it, give it a shot. I don't think you'll return it.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
There is alot more juice in those AA batteries than in a common 9v brick
Could not understand that you could not get it to sound good, they are quite fun distortions.
Are they still made in Japan?
There is alot more juice in those AA batteries than in a common 9v brick
Could not understand that you could not get it to sound good, they are quite fun distortions.
Are they still made in Japan?
Pierre
Stratologist
Re: My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
Most tube pedals need a transformer to get the necessary 6.3 and around 200V to the tubes input and heaters. The lower voltage at the input = lesser headroom and more actual distortion (THD content?) but also way less output, so the tube in the end works just like a clipping diode without much tube character...
Or are th 12AU7 that different then?
3VOLTS???? That is... low... Do they clip the signal before?nebucanazza said:
Most tube pedals need a transformer to get the necessary 6.3 and around 200V to the tubes input and heaters. The lower voltage at the input = lesser headroom and more actual distortion (THD content?) but also way less output, so the tube in the end works just like a clipping diode without much tube character...
Or are th 12AU7 that different then?
nebucanazza
New member
Re: My Vox Cooltron Bulldog came in today!
Vox claims to have a different design than the normal voltage 'starved' ones, I dunno how it really works....the type of stuff you are mentioning goes on in pedals like the Rocktron Silver Dragon, and there you can easily use the 12AT7 or 12AU7 instead of 12AX7 for lower gain.
Vox claims to have a different design than the normal voltage 'starved' ones, I dunno how it really works....the type of stuff you are mentioning goes on in pedals like the Rocktron Silver Dragon, and there you can easily use the 12AT7 or 12AU7 instead of 12AX7 for lower gain.
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