ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
I got a VOX Valvetronix AD15VT last weekend.
WHOA!
I recently went on an "apartment amp" search. I have a Fender Ultimate Chorus (2x12", 130 watts) at home and it's too much, too boomy, and has only one drive tone I like. I have a Line6 TonePort GX on my desk that I use for recording and practicing. I needed to find a medium between headphones and 2x12, so I went on a hunt for a very-low-wattage tube amp to practice with and use for small performances. Money was of little concern, I just wanted the right sound.
I ended up getting an AD15VT, not a valve amp.
I bought one because it sounded awesome. What else is there to buying an amp?
1) It sounds really BIG. I guess the closed back cabinet helps a lot. I test drove this head-to-head with an AD50VT and I liked the sound of the 15 better. Call me crazy. I like the AD100VT 2x12" a lot and the 15 a lot. 2x12 was too much, I already have one of those and that's part of the problem I'm trying to solve.
2) The tubey-ness is unbelievable. I've played a lot of valve amps, and recently test drove all different types of amps on this most recent search for my apartment amp (Champ 600, Pro Junior, Blues Junior, Epiphone Valve Junior, Peavey Classic 20, 30, et. al.) and the Valvetronix really gets that tone. I don't care what the naysayers say, this thing is really, really good.
All the amps I test-drove, were simply too loud.
The Epiphone Valve Junior needed to be turned up farther than I could take it to sound good.
The Champ, although tiny, was still to loud. I liked it the best of the tube amps. Had what my mind's ear says is tube amp tone.
The Fender Juniors (both of them) were just too much. They're really low-mid and mid-rangey, also. Not a bad thing, just seemed like I couldn't turn the knobs on my guitar or the amp enough to erase what I vizualized as quite a noticeable hump on the EQ. They were both too loud.
There were a lot of modelers and solid staters that I didn't mention. THe only one that is worthy of mention is the Vox Valvetronix series.
3) Amp Models: A lot of the models sound the same. I need more seat time to write this in stone, but they seem very homogenous to me.
I love both of the Dumble models --- they sound very accurate and very awesome. The Bassman model is good and of course the VOX models are good. Marshall, not so much, but the NUMETAL model (Mesa Rectifier) is really versatile --- deserved to have a better name on the faceplate!
4) Effects are good but frustrating. I really like the reverb. The comp is good too, but I can't get the compressor and reverb at the same time --- come awwwn!
5) Only 2 preset channels. Better than 0, like on a tube amp.
All in all, I know I made the best choice. I needed continuously variable volume, and I needed tube tone. I don't know the intricacies of how the Korg processor tricks my ear, but it works. It doesn't just "do a good job," it works. It straight up sounds like a valve amp to me, and I'm sure I couldn't say a bad thing about it in a blind test.
Rock on! (quietly):laughing:
WHOA!
I recently went on an "apartment amp" search. I have a Fender Ultimate Chorus (2x12", 130 watts) at home and it's too much, too boomy, and has only one drive tone I like. I have a Line6 TonePort GX on my desk that I use for recording and practicing. I needed to find a medium between headphones and 2x12, so I went on a hunt for a very-low-wattage tube amp to practice with and use for small performances. Money was of little concern, I just wanted the right sound.
I ended up getting an AD15VT, not a valve amp.
I bought one because it sounded awesome. What else is there to buying an amp?
1) It sounds really BIG. I guess the closed back cabinet helps a lot. I test drove this head-to-head with an AD50VT and I liked the sound of the 15 better. Call me crazy. I like the AD100VT 2x12" a lot and the 15 a lot. 2x12 was too much, I already have one of those and that's part of the problem I'm trying to solve.
2) The tubey-ness is unbelievable. I've played a lot of valve amps, and recently test drove all different types of amps on this most recent search for my apartment amp (Champ 600, Pro Junior, Blues Junior, Epiphone Valve Junior, Peavey Classic 20, 30, et. al.) and the Valvetronix really gets that tone. I don't care what the naysayers say, this thing is really, really good.
All the amps I test-drove, were simply too loud.
The Epiphone Valve Junior needed to be turned up farther than I could take it to sound good.
The Champ, although tiny, was still to loud. I liked it the best of the tube amps. Had what my mind's ear says is tube amp tone.
The Fender Juniors (both of them) were just too much. They're really low-mid and mid-rangey, also. Not a bad thing, just seemed like I couldn't turn the knobs on my guitar or the amp enough to erase what I vizualized as quite a noticeable hump on the EQ. They were both too loud.
There were a lot of modelers and solid staters that I didn't mention. THe only one that is worthy of mention is the Vox Valvetronix series.
3) Amp Models: A lot of the models sound the same. I need more seat time to write this in stone, but they seem very homogenous to me.
I love both of the Dumble models --- they sound very accurate and very awesome. The Bassman model is good and of course the VOX models are good. Marshall, not so much, but the NUMETAL model (Mesa Rectifier) is really versatile --- deserved to have a better name on the faceplate!
4) Effects are good but frustrating. I really like the reverb. The comp is good too, but I can't get the compressor and reverb at the same time --- come awwwn!
5) Only 2 preset channels. Better than 0, like on a tube amp.
All in all, I know I made the best choice. I needed continuously variable volume, and I needed tube tone. I don't know the intricacies of how the Korg processor tricks my ear, but it works. It doesn't just "do a good job," it works. It straight up sounds like a valve amp to me, and I'm sure I couldn't say a bad thing about it in a blind test.
Rock on! (quietly):laughing:
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