Guitar amps

Satanfriendly

Satanfriendly

Supporter
Supporter
LeJog 2022 Finisher
Messages
6,642
Location
Liverpool
Any of you guitar chaps famiar with the Vox AC30 C1/C2 amps and any thoughts?

Also thought about an 'Orange' combo but know little about them

I am after a nice big blues type valve sound yet at the same time one which is calable of getting dirty if needed. Presently using a Marshall twin combo and find it harsh.

Guitar is a Gibson Goldtop with mini humbuckers

Any knowledge gratefully received
 
I had a Vox AC30; what an amp. Much more affordable than other brands. I wanted a nice warm valve overdrive. Not sure how dirty you want to go. I used a Rat Distortion pedal for the more full on stuff.

I played a Rickenbacker through my amp. It was great for jingly-jangly stuff, with some overdrive when needed.

May be a local music shop to you would allow you to try one out?
 
Thanks so far

Francorelli said:
Are you intending using it at home, or for gigging/rehearsal?
Click to expand...

Mainly home use but it may see some smaller venue gigging.

I do like that cranked up sound as I used to play in punk bands back in my days and still enjoy playing around with fast gritty chords. But as said possibly nothing a good pedal couldn't achieve.

On the other hand I do love playing mellow blues and songs using blues tones. A kind of all round amp.
 
Satanfriendly said:
Mainly home use but it may see some smaller venue gigging.
Click to expand...
Anything bigger than a 15w 1x12 combo will be total overkill for home use. And to be honest, a 15w valve combo will still be way louder than you'd ever need at home.

If you like the Vox sound (I do), it's worth considering the AC15 or AC10. Alternatively, there's the Fender Blues Junior, or Blackstar Artisan 15. The Blackstar is potentially the most versatile - here's a useful video review
 
Last edited:
Thanks your advise.

I realised for home use 2 x 12 could be overkill but when I mentioned smaller gigging this is usually for my son's jazz band who often play outside in open public spaces. It is this reason I mentioned the AC30 as that is what they had on loan at their last performance I saw


uc
 
Francorelli said:
The Blackstar is potentially the most versatile - here's a useful video review
Click to expand...

Spoke to my son about our needs and he definitely wants something with a bit more whoomph for outside. He has a Blackstar 15T and reckons it doesn't have what it takes to be heard within a 15 piece brass section (swing jazz band) while remaining composed.

As it is I have found one of their Studio 60's locally for a very keen price so going to give it a try later this week.

 
Last edited:
Let us know how you get on with the Studio 60. An amp that is loud and clean enough to gig without being mic'd through a PA may not be ideal for achieving overdriven blues/rock tones at home. But those Blackstars are versatile, so it could well cover all the bases for you and your son.

When I was gigging, the amps were nearly always mic'd through the PA. I never once had a sound engineer tell me to turn my amp up. Quite the opposite in fact :D.
 
Francorelli said:
Let us know how you get on with the Studio 60.
Click to expand...

Brilliantly thank you. As you say it is more power than I would ever need but at low volume it is clean and effortless. As an amp very versatile and I do love the big bold valve sound which gives the Goldtop more body. The SS Marshall never quite gelled for me and gave the guitar an aggressive edge.

I think it is a more suitable amp for the mini humbuckers and they seem happier without trying to be something they are not. The Marshall wanted them to be hard and loud whereas I find the Blackstar lets them be sweet with a large broad sound. Crank the Blackstar up and throw in some OD and I have that early punk sound I have so searched for. At last a punk tone without being in the world of thrash and death metal.

So far so good and for what I paid a lot of great amp for very reasonable money.

Happy bunnyism
 
ob21 said:
Bought my son a mesa boogie few years ago... full of valves... Ain't got a clue myself... But.. Sounds great to my ears... There again it may be bollox lol

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Anything but bollox. Great amps. You are far better than my father was in the world of amplification
 
Blackstar HT5 might well suit your need - 5W Valve amp so more than loud enough for home use, if not for some light gigging. Would almost certainly give you a nice 'n' crunchy, dirty-blues vibe that you may be looking for, as well as dialling back to clean as well. It'll be my next amp I'm sure.

Edit: wrote all this then it dawned on me that you've bought an amp! :D It'd be great to hear some of our in-house talent at some point. :)
 
Don't know much about these new fangled amps that people are referring to in this thread. I'm still using a 1971 Kustom 20 watt combo amp. Nice clean channel and spring reverb.......but overdrive channel is meh. Still though it's good enough for my bedroom nurdlings.
 
I'll just throw in a mention for the orange tiny range. I downscaled when young master ebilpirate arrived, (which explains where I have been for the last six years, if anyone remembers me...), Selling a Mesa MkV, a Burman 502 and replacing them with a den friendly EPi Valve Jr. The Epi was awful... I picked up a Orange Micro Dark a few months ago and it sounds as good as the big boys I sold.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom