Before I get back on the merrygoround and prematurely sell my AC15...

BintyTwanger77 · December 2019

I used to have a 65 DRRI, and I recently plugged into one in a guitar shop and the love was instant. I really miss having BF cleans.

However, I also really like my Vox AC15. Before I rush ahead to put it on the market, is there anything I can do pedal/EQ wise to make my Vox sound more Fenderish, or are the 2 tonestacks just too different?

prlgmnr · December 2019

One of each would make a lovely stereo setup

Teyeplayer · December 2019

prlgmnr said:

One of each would make a lovely stereo setup

Exactly this^

Don’t sell one for the other, do whatever you need to do to have both.

camf · December 2019

I have a PRRI and a Vox Night Train with a Celestion Blue in a ported 1x12 for exactly that.

uncledick · December 2019

Have you considered something tweedy? I find them a nice compromise between Blackface and Vox. Sparkly cleans with the right amp as well as that nice 'squishy' front end that the AC15 has. Everybody has their favourite but something like Victoria, Cornell, LazyJ, MJW etc. etc. definitely worth a try.

BintyTwanger77 · December 2019

uncledick said:

Have you considered something tweedy? I find them a nice compromise between Blackface and Vox. Sparkly cleans with the right amp as well as that nice 'squishy' front end that the AC15 has. Everybody has their favourite but something like Victoria, Cornell, LazyJ, MJW etc. etc. definitely worth a try.

Funnily enough, I have pondered something tweedy (it’s natural for a Scotsman to regularly contemplate tweed anyway). I tried a Cornell Romany 12 and really liked it. I believe there is a very nice bargain Abbott 5e3 for sale on this very forum.

stickyfiddle · December 2019

camf said:

I have a PRRI and a Vox Night Train with a Celestion Blue in a ported 1x12 for exactly that.

That sounds like a lot of fun

As for the OP, my go-to blackface pedals are the Anarchy Audio Gold Class for cleanish EQ and Vemuram Jan Ray for more "cooking" BF sounds. Both work very nicely into my Badcat, so should be similarly good into an AC15

Keefy · December 2019

Neither the Vox AC15 nor the Fender Deluxe (5E3) use negative feedback, which arguably may account for some similarity in playing feel.

camf · December 2019

stickyfiddle said:

camf said:

I have a PRRI and a Vox Night Train with a Celestion Blue in a ported 1x12 for exactly that.

That sounds like a lot of fun

As for the OP, my go-to blackface pedals are the Anarchy Audio Gold Class for cleanish EQ and Vemuram Jan Ray for more "cooking" BF sounds. Both work very nicely into my Badcat, so should be similarly good into an AC15

Maybe not quite as much fun as your very lovely Badcat but easier to carry around.

BintyTwanger77 · December 2019

Keefy said:

Neither the Vox AC15 nor the Fender Deluxe (5E3) use negative feedback, which arguably may account for some similarity in playing feel.

But the 5e3 is a simpler circuit than either Vox circuit, so more responsive, is that right?

BintyTwanger77 · December 2019

Just looking at the Strymon Iridium, it emulates an AC30 and a Deluxe Reverb (and a Plexi)... I would obviously need a suitable speaker, but how is it, folk who’ve used one?

JohnPerry · December 2019

A big-box Origin Revival will get you blackface and AC in one pedal and does it better than anything I have heard by some distance (my HX Stomp included)

sgosden · December 2019

BintyTwanger77 said:

Just looking at the Strymon Iridium, it emulates an AC30 and a Deluxe Reverb (and a Plexi)... I would obviously need a suitable speaker, but how is it, folk who’ve used one?

@JohnCordy has done some brilliant iridium videos, can be found in the FX section.

*warning* it will make you want a volante aswell

JohnCordy · December 2019

@sgosden haha cheers chap!
@BintyTwanger77 I got hold of my friend's Handwired AC30 from early 2000s and made this little clip:

BintyTwanger77 · December 2019

JohnCordy said:

@sgosden haha cheers chap!
@BintyTwanger77 I got hold of my friend's Handwired AC30 from early 2000s and made this little clip:

Absolutely stunning playing, John, sounds absolutely fantastic... and now I want a hand wired Vox instead!

Did the real thing feel more present/“move more air” in the room? Also, is that the Volante you were using in that clip?

JohnCordy · December 2019

Hey @BintyTwanger77 yes using the Volante. Love it! The comparison here in using the Vox as a preamp into the Iridium cabs so no speakers were harmed in the making of this video.

However in answer to that question of yours, I made this rambling video last week...

Keefy · December 2019

BintyTwanger77 said:

Keefy said:

Neither the Vox AC15 nor the Fender Deluxe (5E3) use negative feedback, which arguably may account for some similarity in playing feel.

But the 5e3 is a simpler circuit than either Vox circuit, so more responsive, is that right?

As I understand it, amps with no negative feedback transition gradually into overdrive as the volume increases, whereas in amps with NFB there is a more defined point beyond which overdrive occurs.

I have a kit-built 5E3 and I can confirm that the onset of overdrive is gradual as the power amp is pushed. I also have a Matchless Lightning which is based on the AC15 circuit but it’s so loud that I don’t think I’ve ever driven the output valves! NFB aside, there are probably more differences than similarities between these two.

pintspiller · December 2019

BintyTwanger77 said:
Funnily enough, I have pondered something tweedy (it’s natural for a Scotsman to regularly contemplate tweed anyway).

Aye, them uns and their skirts!

ICBM · December 2019

BintyTwanger77 said:

I used to have a 65 DRRI, and I recently plugged into one in a guitar shop and the love was instant. I really miss having BF cleans.

However, I also really like my Vox AC15. Before I rush ahead to put it on the market, is there anything I can do pedal/EQ wise to make my Vox sound more Fenderish, or are the 2 tonestacks just too different?

It's much more than the tone stacks. If anything, it's easier to do the opposite, but that probably isn't going to help at this point...

Unless you want to get a more neutral amp and pedals that can replicate both amps, I would suggest simply having both, otherwise you're going to be forever replacing each one with the other. Or get an amp with enough switching options that it can cover both types of sound.

BintyTwanger77 · December 2019

ICBM said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

I used to have a 65 DRRI, and I recently plugged into one in a guitar shop and the love was instant. I really miss having BF cleans.

However, I also really like my Vox AC15. Before I rush ahead to put it on the market, is there anything I can do pedal/EQ wise to make my Vox sound more Fenderish, or are the 2 tonestacks just too different?

It's much more than the tone stacks. If anything, it's easier to do the opposite, but that probably isn't going to help at this point...

Unless you want to get a more neutral amp and pedals that can replicate both amps, I would suggest simply having both, otherwise you're going to be forever replacing each one with the other. Or get an amp with enough switching options that it can cover both types of sound.

With my situation, right now having a second amp, and a BF Fender at that, would be outwith my budget: best thing would be to enjoy my AC15 (which I am doing) and save for a second amp rather than flip amps again, which logistically is a pain in the dock at the best of times... that or investigate the cheaper Iridium option further (and keep the AC15).

Jonathanthomas83 · December 2019

Keep the amp, save the money you'll put on the pedal and buy the other amp later down the line. Purchasing the pedal is a false economy.

I've been there so much it's ridiculous. Wasted thousands. Now I have the amp I was trying to emulate, I couldn't be happier and gas has subsided...well, ish, now I want more amps!

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Before I get back on the merrygoround and prematurely sell my AC15...

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