Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

I think this thing is pretty great. It's a real amp, not like the AC4's. The knobs are all usable and give you subtle variations in volume, tone and gain. I tried one of the AC4's with the 12's and thought it was awful. The AC10 is definitely worth the extra dough. It's as nice as an AC15 but with less power. The reverb is totally fine. The people whining about it are gear-snobs! The 10 doesn't sound boxy or overly treble-y. It's full and rich sounding.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

For years I have been looking for an amp that sounded as good (but with more wattage) as my 6 watt 1979 Fender Champ (a "tuber") and after trying several brands of solid state amps (Fender, Marshall, Peavey, Kustom and Acoustic), I finally decided to bite the bullet and spend the money for a tube amp. Enter the newly released Vox AC10C1. You could say this amp is the Drew Brees of guitar amps. It may not be the biggest guy on the field but it is a genuine winner in every respect and it packs a heck of a punch. This is absolutely the loudest ten-watt amp I have ever played. There are no numerals around the volume knobs but if it there were, they would go up to at least 11 or 12. It has a single channel but that channel has the famous Vox 'Top Boost' circuit. The tone controls have a wide range and are very responsive to even the most subtle of adjustments. The gain/master volume control allows you to dial in sparkling clean sounds, or an uber crunchy wail should you so desire. The digital reverb isn't really something to write home about but it sounds better than the other digital amp-based reverb units I have heard. (If you push it past the 9:00 position, it gets rather mushy and not of much use but when applied subtly, it does sound pretty darn good.) The amp has a closed back so it has a great bottom end and a very focused sound overall. The Celestion VX10 speaker has a terrific sound as well. Cosmetically, this is a very attractive amp. I'm a huge Beatles fan so I must admit that I love how it looks. (Note: Vox Amplification is now owned by Korg and these amps are made in China but the overall quality is superb and only serves to further enhance the Vox reputation.) On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it an 11.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

Having owned An AC15C1, AC4TVH, and an AC4C1-12, I'd say I prefer the AC10C1 over the others. All are good amplifiers and offer unique tones. The AC15 was far too heavy and wasn't worth the features I never used (tremolo and "normal" channel). The AC10C1 is about 20 pounds lighter than the AC15, and to my ears sounds more like the classic AC30 tone I've always liked. And unlike the AC4, the 10 has reverb which is useful. It's a very natural-sounding digital reverb, but you'll soon discover that you don't need to set it much past 9:00 as it get get very overwhelming. The AC10 is essentially a Top Boost circuit with a 10W EL84 push-pull power amp, I don't know why, but even with its small 10" speaker it is capable of pumping out a lot more bass and sounds larger than the 12" speaker in the AC4C1-12. It also has more available preamp overdrive than the AC4s. It really does sound big for its size and that upper-midrange "chime" that people either love or hate rings out nicely. So yeah, of the four Vox amps I've owned, I like this one the best, even better than the AC15.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

I bought this amp to use at our Church Venue, great sound paired with my Gibson Les Paul Pro Studio....when it worked. After only playing Sundays/Wednesdays (approx 10 hours total time), it stopped working. The amp was kept on location in a mic'ed amp box (with ventilation) the whole time; no misuse or abuse. After it stopped working, I took it home and checked the fuses. One of the internal fuses was blown and after replacing it with a new one, I turned it back on and I could see a flash through the top vent; it blew again instantly. Next I removed all the tubes (thinking a tube has shorted), put another good fuse in and turned it on... same thing, blew another fuse. Now its only use is a foot stool.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

I love the sound of an AC30, but it's just to much of a load for me. The AC15 is great, but that sucker's a load too. The AC10 is the perfect "rock band" amp for me.

This amp is the perfect amp for use at a gig if you use it with a PA, where the PA can do the "heavy lifting" and the amp can deliver perfect tone at lower stage volumes (and not crush your ears or your singer's ears). It also sounds great in a small practice room. I've yet to be able to run it at 50% volume and 50% gain in any small places without it being way too loud for my tastes.

Tone. Here is where I start getting excited about this amp. The tone of this amp is perfect for rock. From Tom Petty to Led Zeppelin to AC/DC, that "straight in and rockin" tone is in there. Like all VOX tube amps the volume control on your guitar is very, very important to the tonal range of this amp (and your joy factor). I hooked up my trusty Tube Screamer, plugged in the amp and got lost in tonal options. It's such a joy to play and to listen to with that extra bit of gain; from SRV to EVH, it's a juicy tone that picks up a big old G chord or solo notes as you rip and roll.

Lastly, it's so portable. I love how portable this amp is. It makes it so much easier to load in, and more importantly, load out of a gig.

The bad? Well, I'd have to say the Reverb is way too heavy. The "useful" zone, the zone that is not completely washed in reverb, is pretty slight, but it's not impossible to find a "touch of reverb" setting and stick with it. But it's a small zone that could have been a bit wider with a bit more tuning of the potentiometer and chip.

I've only had it 4 weeks, but it's been fantastic at gigs and noodling in my house. I have a couple dual channel high-gain amps, a beautiful Fender Princeton, but this little guy is exactly what I need for gigs. From rock covers, to blues jams, this is such a good amp. You're thinking about this amp, my advice is "go for it!" Watch some YouTube demos too.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

This little amp perfectly fills that gap between a larger, heavy 15 watt big brother and its wee, underperforming 5 watt sibling. It has an amazing amount of volume, clarity and definition for a 10 watt amp pushing out sound through a ten inch speaker. It's small enough to carry the guitar in one hand and the amp in the other going up stairs, but powerful enough to be heard over an aggressive drummer. Offers an all tube clean sound reminiscent of a nicely broken-in Fender pre-CBS twin reverb, but it can get "dirty" as well by fiddling with the gain control.

I'd like to have seen the addition of a midrange control because the mids on this amp can sound a bit "boxy" with a neck pickup selected at medium volumes- and also, a line out jack would be nice to facilitate a direct connection to a mixer - but other than those two points, I like this amp a lot.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

I had the opportunity to audition one of these amps in my own home rehearsal studio room. If you are looking for a high gain Vox tone for recording, this works really well, but that's about the extent of it's usefulness. Definitely not enough clean headroom, even at a reasonably low rehearsal volume, to use for a group rehearsal or performance. It's a shame, because it's really a solid, attractive looking amp. My Vox Pathfinder 15r is a better fit for me. It's a shame they don't make those anymore.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

When you want to rock out on your own but still want some of that grit and warmth and history. I've always felt the AC15 and 30 were a bit ursine. I love the Blues Jr, but this one has a little more chime. Not sure yet if sound is big enough to gig with, but on You Tube there's a couple of knuckleheads on stage making funny Neal Schon/Carlos Santana faces backed up by the AC10. I"m keeping this awhile. It feels like an old Champ. Of sort.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

I pick up this amp in a trade when it was only 3 months old. I've used it for practice and one performance in the 5 months now that I've owned it. Out of the clear blue my amp started making a static noise when I turned it on. The noise stays on for about 10 minutes then it stops. The amp then preforms like it should for the rest of the time I'm using it, usually around 2 to 3 hours. I tested the preamp tubes, there in good shape. A friend who does electronic repair said it sounds like a capacitor may have a leak in it. If moisture gets in it and causes a static noise. Once the amp is on it dries out the moisture and it sounds alright. You would think an amp only being 8 month old would hold up better. I do love the sound of the amp thought. There is no stand by switch on this model, kind of a pain. If you need to service the amp there is about 16 screws to take out to get inside the amp.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

Great small combo amp. I have a Fender Deluxe with is also great but this little AC 10 VOX is really nice. Great tone and volume and easy to carry around. Works well in my recording music studio and on gigs at small venues. Just a wonderful amp with that great VOX sound.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

I've got several vintage Vox amps, and although I would have preferred it to be switchable between 8 and 16 ohms, and I like having an effects loop, but over all this has an Accurate Vintage Sound in a small light weight package, and is quiet and yet loud enough when miked for anything I do! Of course I'll replace the tubes with NOS and probably may try and swap other speakers, but other wise, It works for me!

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

After a lifetime of Fender tube amps I gave the AC10 a try based on the great reviews and here I an posting a great revue. This amp is possibly the best sounding amp I ever owned. I haven't used it in a live situation yet as I bought it for home practice but can't imagine it not sounding good in the mix.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

This is a great little amp. It provides the crunch, chime and clean tones you love in your AC-15 or AC-30 in a lighter weight, more portable package. I use this for rehearsals, it's much more portable than my bigger Vox amps and gives me all the tones I prefer.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

I've had it for about a year. Great amp! Easy to find the tone you're looking for and very simple to use. You can get a good amount of grit a low volumes. Takes pedals very well. I sometimes use a Wampler Tumnus with it and it sounds great. You can plug in and go with this amp, no need for pedals if you don't use them. Sounds great mic'd as well. If have the bass, treble and gain at noon with the master volume low, it'll give you great sounds for practicing. Crank it up and it has guts, can get very loud. I got my Tan AC10 open box, had been banged around a bit, but still sound great. Adjusted the tubes, and it's awesome. Everything stock, is great as is. Lots of good reviews out there as well.

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

Buy this amp...it's a nice start to a great Amplifier! Rip out the Chinese tubes. Use Sylvania 6bq5's and Mullard 12ax7's. Replace the speaker with Celestion 10" Green back. Yep, it's an investment. But well worth the money you spend. It's like exchanging a 4 cylinder engine for an 8 cylinder Hellcat!

Comments about Vox AC10 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp:

A wonderful sounding amp! The Master Volume and Reverb make it super versatile.