Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

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So I have a chance to pick one of these up for around $100 & I don't quite know what to do???? It's definitely not a bad price (the AC-4/TV10 would have been cooler) but I've never even tried one of them so I have no idea what to expect tone wise. I've had AC-15's & a AC-30, & I loved them both but I don't think I'm going to get that out of this or even anything close to it???

Furthermore I normally wouldn't consider any combo amp with a 8in speaker... I know some dudes can get great tones from lil 600's & such but personally I've never found a 8in combo I even remotely liked. Actually Champion 600's can be decent @ lower volumes with a bunch of pedals in front of them but they also sound 100X better routed through a 1X12!!!

Anyway, enter the 16ohm speaker output on the back of this thing! This is pretty much absolutely the ONLY reason I'm even considering this. What I'm wondering is if I ran it through a 1X12 like I used to do with my little Champion 600 if I might end up with a viable little practice amp that was actually semi useful to me??? I imagine at 4W its going to break up pretty quickly so I'm thinking a very simple board made up of a T.S., a E.Q., and some kind of reverb/delay on the tail end would be about it for effects...

As for cabinets, I do have a Greenback loaded 1X12 which would be nearly perfect but it's rated at 8ohms & currently being used as the main cabinet for my TSA-15. So what I was thinking was I'd pull out the 12in speaker from one of my old S.S. Fender's & use it as a speaker cabinet. I do have a beautiful UK made 16ohm Celestion Creamback just sitting in a box collecting dust that I could put in it. While I'd prefer a Greenback in this particular situation, I'd think if the AC-4 is at all VOX-ey it should sound pretty nice pushing a Creamback?

If anyone has any experience with these please chime in & let me know what you thought, what the amp was like, & what you think I should do (to the degree that you can give this kind of advice) about the deal I'm considering...

I'm probably going to be watching demo videos, LOL!!!
 
Re: Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

I have a bad cat mini, probably very similar to an AC4, it has a 12" celestion in there.
It's a superb little amp, sounds even better through a 2x12.
I'd snap that AC4 up, if you get a good price at worst you'll get your money back if you sell it on
 
Re: Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

Never tried one although I've wanted to just because I've had good luck with Vox in the past and living in an apartment means I can't really use my Hot Rod Deluxe. If you pull the trigger please update us with your thoughts!
 
Re: Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

You won't be able to play a cranked 5 watt amp in an apartment, they're loud.
I put a compressor & OD in front of my 5 watter to play it at low volume and it loses a lot of it's magic, tbh if you want a quiet practice amp go digital or transistor.

I want to try an EL844 & 10" speaker in there, but even still I'm not optimistic it will get it to tv/stereo volume
 
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Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

I played the 10" version and liked it (yes, a bit boxy but fine). There's many videos on YT about the normal one at least. Think of it as a head with an added speaker for quiet(er) practice. :)

Btw using an 8ohm cab is a popular "mod". You'll find threads and here's a video:

https://youtu.be/UhcIyCn1_Ls
 
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Re: Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

I just went ahead and paid the fella for it. He's pretty close to where I live so I could drive down to northern MA tomorrow & pick it up but I think I'll just have it delivered & wait till Monday? The shipping was free so I won't save anything & I'd be out the gas money and time.


I hope I like it!!! I just bought another little 5W practice amp that's pretty darn okay too! I'll give the AC-TV a shot & see which I like better, if it's the VOX I'll just sell my other one. I didn't spend much on either so I should be able to recover most of my funds......
 
Re: Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

What other 5 watt amp do you have?
I'd like a tweed champ style amp to run with my mini cat in stereo, maybe you could try something similar?
 
Re: Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

What other 5 watt amp do you have?
I'd like a tweed champ style amp to run with my mini cat in stereo, maybe you could try something similar?

I've got a BelCat Tube 10, which is a misleading name because it's only 5W??? It's a cheaper, Made In China, combo but it sounds pretty good. One 6L6 and one 12AX7, two channels, Etc, it's basically a Fender-ish clone???
 
Re: Silly Little Amp Advice, VOX AC-4 TV-8

Get yourself a stereo chorus or delay and give a stereo rig a go.
I'd be interested to see if it's twice as loud, or if the different frequencies will just fatten the sound out
 
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