Vox AC Handwired, anyone who can help asap???

joeperry · Sep 11, 2018

Hi guys, would anyone be able to help me with pros and cons on the Vox HW stuff?
I've seen that they make this model called Vox AC15 Handwired but that Vox also (think it was 2007) made a model called Ac15 HW Heritage.
I like the looks of the blonde vox stuff alot, but when thats said it all comes down to the sound.
My budget isnt that high, and I'm looking for a smaller wattage amp to suit the needs I have right now, which is playing at home and in a small rehearsel room with a drummer, basist and singer.
I like the tubeoverdriven sound and therefore would like to go with a low watt amp that I can crank.

Would anyone be able to help me tell the differences between the amps mentioned above, - and did they both come with alnico speakers?

Kind of in a rush that I've seen one of each on the net, but as they are both overseas i cant try them before I settle on one and buy one of them, and no shops here in Denmark has one of these in store to try out and both sellers would like to sell as fast as possible and both sellers are of course "making the salesman talk on their own amp", as it would be money in their pocket, so i'd love a third party opinion.

Kind of miss some good and nice soundclip on youtube with these used with a Gibson HB equipped Les Paul..... I use a 54' RI oxblood which would be the guitar to pair with the amp i settle on.

Hope anyone can help asap so i dont miss out on either one or both of them.

Best
Regards
Torben

PaulD · Sep 11, 2018

As far as I know the main difference is that the Heritage amps had an EF86 pentode preamp channel as well as the ECC83 (12AX7) channel, the regular handwired amps do not have the EF86 channel. I think the Heritage amps had a Celestion Blue alnico and the regular handwired ones can have either a G12 Greenback (AC15HW1) or the Celestion Blue (AC15HW1X).

I don't have any first hand experience of either but would imagine the Heritage amp would be the more versatile of the two.

Some info on the Heritage amps here http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/heritage.html

joeperry · Sep 11, 2018

PaulD said:
As far as I know the main difference is that the Heritage amps had an EF86 pentode preamp channel as well as the ECC83 (12AX7) channel, the regular handwired amps do not have the EF86 channel. I think the Heritage amps had a Celestion Blue alnico and the regular handwired ones can have either a G12 Greenback (AC15HW1) or the Celestion Blue (AC15HW1X).

I don't have any first hand experience of either but would imagine the Heritage amp would be the more versatile of the two.

Some info on the Heritage amps here http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/heritage.html

Thank you soooo much

)

I thought the blue speakers where alnicos which I think I would prefer, but now I'm unsure.
I'd like to have the amp break up naturally maybe with a clean boost as the only fx pedal as I prefer to keep it as simple as possible, but I dont know if those greenbacks do a better job on low volume?
The thing I saw as a + on the Vox AC15 HW is that theres a switch to halfen the output which i think is usable for practicing at home. I dont think thats possible on the heritage though.

Thanks again
Best regards
Torben

deytookerjaabs · Sep 11, 2018

I had the anniversary one for a short bit, TV model. I really dug the sound but it was so much trouble with rattling/microphonics and cutting in/out that I returned it. Did some research and lots of other folks had the same issues, apparently the head version is the way to go.

I have been absolutely salivating over the new UK made anniversary models though I can't afford one ATM. I'd like to wait some time and see if they ever go on a heavy clearance sale.

Check out the Blackstar Artisan 15 if you're in the market too.

joeperry · Sep 11, 2018

deytookerjaabs said:
I had the anniversary one for a short bit, TV model. I really dug the sound but it was so much trouble with rattling/microphonics and cutting in/out that I returned it. Did some research and lots of other folks had the same issues, apparently the head version is the way to go.

I have been absolutely salivating over the new UK made anniversary models though I can't afford one ATM. I'd like to wait some time and see if they ever go on a heavy clearance sale.

Check out the Blackstar Artisan 15 if you're in the market too.

Thanks for the info!

Whats a TV model? (Can’t figure out all those models, some are called S,X1, and so on

And do the non-anniversary model have reputation of having same issues as you mentioned? Haven’t been able to find any pages mentioning troubles and issues, but know from experience they are out there. (Owned the Marshall afd100 and it broke down time after time and it was the build in attenuator every time) that amp ended me cost a lot of money and didn’t really enjoy it, cause every time I turned it on, I was nervous it was or was going to break down

there’s is actually a hand wired head and cab for sale here in do but it’s an AC30 and I’m almost shure that’s too much wattage for my needs

Thanks again for the info.

deytookerjaabs · Sep 11, 2018

joeperry said:
Thanks for the info!
Whats a TV model? (Can’t figure out all those models, some are called S,X1, and so on And do the non-anniversary model have reputation of having same issues as you mentioned? Haven’t been able to find any pages mentioning troubles and issues, but know from experience they are out there. (Owned the Marshall afd100 and it broke down time after time and it was the build in attenuator every time) that amp ended me cost a lot of money and didn’t really enjoy it, cause every time I turned it on, I was nervous it was or was going to break down there’s is actually a hand wired head and cab for sale here in do but it’s an AC30 and I’m almost shure that’s too much wattage for my needs

Thanks again for the info.

It was this one, "TV" model because of the old square TV shape I'm guessing. The regular AC15HW's don't have said issues as far as I know, but they're a bit different amp. And, then the really expensive ones are the 60th anniversary models which are supposedly and exacting clone of 50's AC15's.

TM1 · Sep 12, 2018

The ones that came out in 2007 for the 50th Anni. were made in China and had an African Mahogany cabinet. They had a Top Boost channel & the original AC15 EF86 channel. The original AC15's had the EF86 channel and a Vibra/Trem channel. No original AC15 had a Top Boost channel, although it's very easy to install a Top Boost into one. That's something I've done for my customers over the years. I've built Top Boost kits for 20 years. Both the 50th & 60th Anni.'s should have a Blue Alnico Celestion. The 60th Anni.'s are made in U.K. and use somewhat better parts. I think the Dagnell tranny's are made in Malta vs the 50th's ones being made in China.
Korg/Vox only made 200 mahogany cabinet AC15's. The rest were the TV Front(named after 50's TV cabinets). I do believe that the 60th amps are closer to the original circuit. I had a `63 AC15 for a long time and I bought a 50th when they came out and voiced it after my `63. I installed all Mercury Magnets tranny's and some original Wima Tropyfol caps and some Sozo's besides carbon comp resistors(as spec'd by Derek Underdown who was Dick Denny's Boss in the originals). I currently have it for sale. I know the 60th Anni's are in the range of $4k. The 60th's are housed in the more modern "Contempo" cabinets. I would imagine that since they're built in U.K. that they use the British made Alnico Blue vs the Chinese made Blue's. Celestion told me years back that the U.K. and Chinese Alnico's use exactly the same parts & glues as the U.K. made version. Having heard alot of both, if you can tell the sonic difference between one or the other(& prove it to me..), I've you a couple sets of Pyramid Nickel Classics. But, the new one has to be broken-in. That takes about 20+ hours of playing through it. I have an Alnico Creamback and it took about 40 hours of playing through it to break in..

joeperry · Sep 13, 2018

TM1 said:
The ones that came out in 2007 for the 50th Anni. were made in China and had an African Mahogany cabinet. They had a Top Boost channel & the original AC15 EF86 channel. The original AC15's had the EF86 channel and a Vibra/Trem channel. No original AC15 had a Top Boost channel, although it's very easy to install a Top Boost into one. That's something I've done for my customers over the years. I've built Top Boost kits for 20 years. Both the 50th & 60th Anni.'s should have a Blue Alnico Celestion. The 60th Anni.'s are made in U.K. and use somewhat better parts. I think the Dagnell tranny's are made in Malta vs the 50th's ones being made in China.
Korg/Vox only made 200 mahogany cabinet AC15's. The rest were the TV Front(named after 50's TV cabinets). I do believe that the 60th amps are closer to the original circuit. I had a `63 AC15 for a long time and I bought a 50th when they came out and voiced it after my `63. I installed all Mercury Magnets tranny's and some original Wima Tropyfol caps and some Sozo's besides carbon comp resistors(as spec'd by Derek Underdown who was Dick Denny's Boss in the originals). I currently have it for sale. I know the 60th Anni's are in the range of $4k. The 60th's are housed in the more modern "Contempo" cabinets. I would imagine that since they're built in U.K. that they use the British made Alnico Blue vs the Chinese made Blue's. Celestion told me years back that the U.K. and Chinese Alnico's use exactly the same parts & glues as the U.K. made version. Having heard alot of both, if you can tell the sonic difference between one or the other(& prove it to me..), I've you a couple sets of Pyramid Nickel Classics. But, the new one has to be broken-in. That takes about 20+ hours of playing through it. I have an Alnico Creamback and it took about 40 hours of playing through it to break in..

Great Info!
Didn’t know they were made outside U.K.
I think I’m beggining to narrow down to a Vox AC15HW1x version and not the heritage....
The AC15HW1X would be made outside U.K. then?

Best regards
And thanks again again!
Torben

thin sissy · Sep 15, 2018

I've had an AC15HW1X for about 18 months now and I love it. I can't compare it to the other models you're mentioning though since I haven't played them, sorry.

I really love the AC15HW1X. IMHO a Vox needs a alnico speaker, so I think you're on the right track. The amp is built somewhere in Asia I think. It's built like a tank in my experience.

The "negatives": I sometimes notice other people having difficulties using my amp. I think maybe one needs to "learn" to use a Vox? It's a pretty distinct amp with a very dynamic and clear sound. This is really a positive though. The other thing to keep in mind is that these don't sound that good until you're about halfway up on the volume IMHO. And this is a pretty loud amp for 15 W

.

F-Hole · Sep 15, 2018

An AC15 without an EF86 isn't an AC15 IMHO. Still likely a cool amp, just not an AC15.

TM1 · Sep 15, 2018

F-Hole said:
An AC15 without an EF86 isn't an AC15 IMHO. Still likely a cool amp, just not an AC15.

A BIG Plus 1 on that!.
The 60th Anniversary Handwired Vox AC15 & AC30 are made in U.K. almost all the others since 2003 have been made in either China or Vietnam. Korg/Vox built factories there. The 60th Anni's are the fist Vox Amps built in U.K. in 15 years.

deytookerjaabs · Sep 17, 2018

Yeah, the 60th's are the first recent models I can recall that at least look a bit like an old vox when you pop the back panel. I don't know circuit/schematic details for all the other amps but there's "vox inspired" amps on the market where you pop the hood and the thing'll have about 10 components inside it, meanwhile you look at vintage ones and the innards are a smorgasbord of parts. 60th's look real cool.

Vox AC Handwired, anyone who can help asap???

joeperry

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