Vox Amps Big vs. Small

[Folkie]

Got the amp back from Empirical Sound. They were unable to find anything wrong with it, and I had to pay a bench fee for their time. Still got a little static the first time I turned it on, but I'm not too concerned.

Re the "noise" the amp was making, that Empirical coundn't diagnose -- have you experienced the same noise with different guitars and pick-ups plugged in ?? Maybe humbuckers sound way different than single-coils ? Maybe Gretsch guitars sound different than Rics or Fenders ? How about trying a new guitar cable ?

The other thing is the authorized repair facility isn't going to change the stock tubes if they test OK, but that doesn't mean you can't put a better sounding tube in. You've probably seen dozens of postings on this forum and various Vox forums about people doing all kinds of tube replacements and all kinds of evaluations of what brand/type of valves (tubes) makes better sound. For the cost of a 12AX7 replacement inserted in your pre-amp section, you may find your noise problem tamed and just keep the stock tube for an emergency spare.

The noise I was trying to describe was there for about 30 seconds after I turned on the amp with nothing plugged in to it. Gary at NCM recommended that I listen to the amp this way to determine the source of the problem. He also told me to turn the Master Volume all the way up, and to turn the Top Boost Volume nearly all the way down, and to use the latter for adjusting the volume.

At this point I've only played one guitar (my Ric 360/12) through the amp, and noticed no extraneous noise. I'll have to try my Strat and my PRS next.

Gary at NCM offered to send a replacement tube if necessary. At this point I'm just getting used to the nuances of the new amp and probably wouldn't hear a difference between two different functioning tubes anyway.

For the record, I've been using standard Live Wire cables for several years, and they have never let me down.

Thanks for the advice! I'll keep you posted on how things go.

[k43rover]

My Vox AC15C1 makes a considerable amount of noise with my Rickenbacker 360. I have switched to an Epi Dot, which has humbuckers, and the amp is pretty quiet. I think that my pedals have also been adding to some of the problem. I just purchased a Pedal Juice power supply and will be trying it next week ( the amp is at the house we practice at). I'm also considering switching out the pups on the Rick to RIC humbuckers, because the tone is really good. Just a bad hum.

These noise issues seem strange to me. FWIW over the years I've had several models of Vox amps (including '60's JMI's, Marshall UK built AC15/AC30, and Chinese built AC15's) and I've used quite a wide range of vintage and modern era Ricks with them all...I've never had any issues with noise with a Rickenbacker/Vox combination. Whereas I have had noise issues when I've used other (typically cheaper) guitars which used pick-ups which I suspect were not of very good quality - in my experience all the factory standard Rick pick-ups (whether high gain or toasters) have been of excellent quality and generated little or no audible noise. I agree with your conclusion re swapping out your pick-ups as that would be the most obvious possible source of your issue to me too (could it even be possible that someone installed non-standard pick-ups previously in your 360?).

[rkbsound]

My Vox AC15C1 makes a considerable amount of noise with my Rickenbacker 360. I have switched to an Epi Dot, which has humbuckers, and the amp is pretty quiet. I think that my pedals have also been adding to some of the problem. I just purchased a Pedal Juice power supply and will be trying it next week ( the amp is at the house we practice at). I'm also considering switching out the pups on the Rick to RIC humbuckers, because the tone is really good. Just a bad hum.

These noise issues seem strange to me. FWIW over the years I've had several models of Vox amps (including '60's JMI's, Marshall UK built AC15/AC30, and Chinese built AC15's) and I've used quite a wide range of vintage and modern era Ricks with them all...I've never had any issues with noise with a Rickenbacker/Vox combination. Whereas I have had noise issues when I've used other (typically cheaper) guitars which used pick-ups which I suspect were not of very good quality - in my experience all the factory standard Rick pick-ups (whether high gain or toasters) have been of excellent quality and generated little or no audible noise. I agree with your conclusion re swapping out your pick-ups as that would be the most obvious possible source of your issue to me too (could it even be possible that someone installed non-standard pick-ups previously in your 360?).

I am the original owner of the 360 and bought it from Jim Rhoads. I'm not convinced that the amp is the problem, but more likely the location that I am plugging into. That's why I got the pedal juice, because I think that getting rid of some electrical interference will help. Plus I don't want to bother with batteries or extension cords any more. But the other guitar player gets no hum or noise and has used a myriad of amps and guitars in the same locales as me.

[k43rover]

I am the original owner of the 360 and bought it from Jim Rhoads. I'm not convinced that the amp is the problem, but more likely the location that I am plugging into. That's why I got the pedal juice, because I think that getting rid of some electrical interference will help. Plus I don't want to bother with batteries or extension cords any more. But the other guitar player gets no hum or noise and has used a myriad of amps and guitars in the same locales as me.

This is intriguing.....I think if I were in your shoes, before I did anything else, I'd first try and borrow someone elses 330/360 (where the guitar is known to play with no noise issues) and play it through your amp in the same locations and see if the noise problems are repeated...if so, the chances of it being anything to do with your guitar/pick-ups would be minimal and you can focus on the other possible solutions mentioned...

[BuddyDog]

If it's a static-y type sound, perhaps there is a cold solder joint in it?

[r-gordon-7]

Vox Amps "Big vs. Small" - or should we say, "Big & Small"? - There's a certain consistency to the Vox sound that seems to transcend amp size, configuration and design. My Vox amps include an AC15-TB2, a Pathfinder SMR Mini-Stack and a tiny "toy" AC1 - from a (relatively) large tube combo, to a solid state "mini" stack, all the way down to a tiny plastic battery-powered toy... Despite the range in size, configuration, tube vs. solid state circuitry, etc., there's a consistency to the sound, running through the lot of them, that makes them all unmistakably "Vox" and that differentiates them from other brands. Even - most surprisingly of all - the "toy" AC1 has a characteristic "Voxy" sound that actually is markedly different form the sound of the other seemingly similar plastic "toy" amps at the same price level by Fender & Marshall... I would've figured the innards of those little plastic battery-powered toys would all be roughly the same with only the plastic exteriors that mimick the distinctive trade dress of their "real-life" big brothers to tell these little plastic toy amps apart from each other. Well, I don't know how or why, but even in the toy AC1, the sound of "Vox" is there...

[k43rover]

Wow Mama!!!....after all this talk of big vs small I just couldn't resist any longer....I can tell you BIG is definitely BEST!!!! Lets go rock Ho Chi Minh City

[BuddyDog]

Sweet HW head and cab, Eddie!

I have the HW2X combo version, myself. Geat amps!

[k43rover]

Thanks Steve! I only picked this beauty up this afternoon but I am already loving the tone...and this amp is LOUD!! The other amazing thing is that SWMBO** actually likes it (quote: "it looks lovely" and "matches the carpet" )....anyway that is great news for me as I am not getting the Spanish Inquisition*** as to why I bought another amp "that I don't need"

In the next few days I am going to set this up next to my Marshall built 2003 AC30HWH Limited edition and do a side-by-side comparison...I will post some pics when I do that and give my thoughts about the 2 amps relative to each other. But certainly my first impressions are that this new HW beats the Chinese stuff hands down and may even be comparable with the Marshall....if that's right even at the high street price it would still be something of a bargain and would put it close to the JMI era amps for performance. The way things are going, they'll be putting "Proudly Made in Vietnam" stickers on these before too long...



** SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed

*** for a short tutorial on the Spanish Inquisition, see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tym0MObFpTI

[r-gordon-7]

Thanks Steve! I only picked this beauty up this afternoon but I am already loving the tone...and this amp is LOUD!! The other amazing thing is that SWMBO** actually likes it (quote: "it looks lovely" and "matches the carpet" )....anyway that is great news for me as I am not getting the Spanish Inquisition*** as to why I bought another amp "that I don't need"

Pretty much what happpend with my Pathfinder SMR Mini-Stack... Expecting an erruption of negativity over yet another amp, I got instead, "Cute! Let's put it in the living room" - which is exactly where it stayed for quite some time. Go figure...

[Hotzenplotz]

That is the magic of real design! Even if You do not use it - a pleasure to look at!
And this benefit is sometimes very useful...

[pigfender]

Has anyone here tried the new AC10C1? I'm thinking of getting one and wondereded if anyone had any experience / views on the amp?

[8mileshigher]

Tim --- is the one you are referring to the so-called "Analog" one that Vox is promoting as their new addition to their line-up ? If so, Paulie and I saw it at the Vox-Korg NAMM booth last weekend and we heard the Vox Tech giving it a demo. Even though the Vox Tech explained it, I still couldn't quite figure out what their marketing pitch was about "Analog" circuitry. And besides, this new one had more solid-state circuitry in it, than tube circuitry.... so I was trying to get the Vox rep to give us a straight answer on what was so "analog" about this new amp, and the Vox rep was talking around the issue --- reminiscent of recent politicians "talking around" issues like their private e-mail servers or explaining their policy reversals on prior votes in the Senate !

I think there was only one (or two at most) tubes in the pre-amp circuit and that it was solid state for the power stage.

The new one didn't sound that much different than some of Vox's other existing small size amps.
(And I'm saying that from the perspective of someone who likes Vox amps and I have five of them, including two small D5 and D15 "practice size" modeling amps.)

[pigfender]

I was thinking about last summer's all valve number.
http://www.voxamps.com/ac10c1

[squirebass]

Can anyone here comment on the sound differences between the chinese made AC15 and the British one made in the late 90s? I'm looking for one for my son, and his guitar teacher, who is an old time studio pro(and Vox freak with several '60s AC30s), has told him to get the British one. Problem is, those amps are going for $1000-$1200 (when you can find them), while a new AC15CC from China is about $450-$500. I'm wondering if the Brit one is worth it?