Vox AC10C1 Combo Guitar Amp

Product Information

For those of you wondering, this amp is definitely loud enough for gigging at a small bar, even with a drummer. I have it in my basement operating at half volume and my ears are starting to really ache. I have no doubt this would work at a small gig, even without a mic. I have own many amps throughout the years and you just know when you plug into one if its talking to you. The controls are equally simple with a dual band treble and bass EQ, Gain, Reverb and that Master Volume for shaping your tone. Different tones are achieved through a balancing of the master and gain controls, and while the treble and bass controls do a great job, a mid EQ would have been a nice addition for further shaping the tone, although it wasn’t included on the original either. A single power switch is included with a delayed standby mode to save your tubes. This amp is light weight at under 30 lbs. If you like tube amp tones, but your at that stage in life where hauling a 40-50 lb. Amp is not that appealing, this is the amp for you. Grab and go. It sounds best when left on the floor vs. put on a stand. The way the cab is constructed, being on the floor gives it some more resonance which helps fill out the tone.

The clean (chimey?) tones are amazing, which is what I'm mostly looking for. The adjective "deep" comes to mind. Exceeds expectations in clean tones. Circuitry plus the 10 inch Celestian speaker seem perfectly matched. The size - I got this amp exclusively because of its small size and low wattage, but make no mistake, this amp can keep up at a gig no problem. The size is absolutely perfect, especially because of the small car I drive (Honda Fit), and I have no problem toting this amp, my guitar, and my pedal board all in one trip from car to venue. Many amps equipped with the AC-10 "Super Reverb" chassis, such as those shown in the pictures shown at left, were equipped with a traditional (and separate) anodized aluminum control panel. While gray anodized control panels seem to be more common, red panels were also produced. However, some AC-10 "Super Reverb" chassis do not have an anodized control panel. The control panel nomenclature on these amps was silk screened directly to the leading edge of the aluminum chassis as a cost saving measure. The original 1960s AC10 featured a single tone control, but we have added more control on the AC10C1 with a Bass and Treble circuit that adds different and versatile tone setup and enhances the various levels of gain. The AC10C1 also includes a Top Boost tone circuit, as added to later AC30s. The original AC10 had a basic, passive treble cut control, but the new amp features an active tone control circuit with separate Bass and Treble knobs.I plug it in my Vox and........wowwww. Warm crunchy beautiful singing tone. Best tone ever. I have sustain even if this pedal have not enough gain for me. It's got "top boost" voicing, meaning the highs are very defined. It's not at all shrill. It had a nice sparkle in the top end and has the nicest clean sound I have heard. Plugging in, the first thing you notice is that smooth Vox sound. It might not have the drive, volume, or smoothness of a ’60s AC30, but it’s still lovely and instantly evocative. Plus it includes a key feature that helps your sound while making that noise.

The classic Vox top-boost tone is present: the clear and clean high-end cuts well. But I was particularly surprised by the warm bottom-end: the bass tones are clear and well-defned without being "boomy" or "woofy". And the old Vox tremelo (which I never used much) has been replaced in this AC10C1 by a reverb function that adds a realistic spacial character that doesn't wash-out the fundamental guitar tones.The options - while the options are few, they are all you need to get that signature Vox sound, and even some sounds that resemble a good Fender clean, but with a british twist. This is a single channel amp. The amp distortion sounds good, but I usually dial it clean and get my overdrive/distortion tones from pedals. It takes most pedals well. The only one that didn't work well for me was the JHS Morning Glory. It just made it louder for some reason. The preamp circuitry of the AC10 Super Reverb Unit bore little resemblance to the original and namesake Vox AC10 circuit documented on JMIschematic "OS/008 AC/10 Amplifier N o 3," dated September 9, 1960. The original AC-10 design from 1960 had two channels while the AC-10 Super Reverb unit had only one. While the preamp circuit of the 1960 AC-10 utilized esoteric ECF82 and EF86 tubes, the 1964 "AC10 Super Reverb Unit" preamp was powered by more conventional 12AX7 and 12AU7 tubes. The only effect in the original 1960 era AC-10 circuit design was tremolo. The 1964 era AC-10 revision added reverb. The "AC10 Super Reverb Unit" and the original "AC/10 Amplifier N o 3" circuits were produced concurrently by Vox in 1964 and 1965. The amp is fairly light, maybe 35 pounds. It's very loud. Will easily cut through the mix even with a loud drummer. This is totally giggable for small to medium venues. I would mic this for a really loud venue.

More portable than the AC15 and more powerful than the AC4, the AC10C1 features the classic Top Boost tone circuit that provides an array of classic and modern tones. Now equipped with reverb and a master volume, the AC10C1 is the perfect companion for the home, studio or stage. The AC10C1 is equipped to produce that perfect Vox ‘chimey’ tone. With the gain control set low you get a rich warm clean sound. Add in some more gain and it soon starts to venture into a creamy overdrive territory that Vox are so well known for. You will notice that the 2 power tubes (EL84) sit right behind the speaker magnet and the 2 preamp (12AX7 and its only 2 not 3 like the specs tell you) sit above the power tubes under the control panel. In terms of overall sound, the AC10 doesn't sound boxy like some other small amps in this category. An AC15 sounds more boxy to my ears than this amp.

Customer Reviews

Last thing, the other guitar player in my band have 3 Boogie. He often use an old studio 22 watts and have a fantastic sound with pedals. All this time i was looking for a sound like him and now with the Vox, our tone is in the same area. A bit dark, no bad frequency, smooth, articulate and sustained. Our sole complaint: the controls are a bit peaky. Turn up the reverb, and at a certain point, it’s on, really on. Ditto for the Treble and Bass knobs. This isn’t a problem, but you’ll need to learn to finesse those controls and find their sweet spot. I've always loved Vox valve amps, and owned many of them. But the AC15 and AC30 are too loud and heavy for me these days when I'm mostly recording and playing at home. The AC10C1 fills the gap nicely will all the sweet clean Vox chime and high gain in the same box. The unusual 3x10" speaker complement of the Vox AC10RTwas reminiscent of the Fender 5E7 and 5G7 Bandmaster 3x10" amps from the late 1950's.

Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered. The design is focused on tone at a reasonable price. While the original was a dual-channel amp with four inputs, the revived version is a single-channel affair with one input. It’s based on two ECC83/12AX7 preamp tubes and a pair of EL84 output tubes in Class A design. This differs from the original’s six-tube setup, but it shares the fundamental preamp-output tubes. I bought this so I would not have to lug a heavy Marshall to practice. I ended up selling the Marshall because I was playing the Vox more. Oh yeh, did I mention "loud"??? This amp has got volume to spare--totally beyond expectations--mind boggling volume.

Customer Added Media

This has changed that notion. It is a lightweight, great sounding, perfectly loud enough and great priced amplifier. I play mostly in the Indie/Shoegaze/Twee genres. Its clean, loud and expressive, though it does break up very well. I even like the Digital Reverb, which I was not sold on when I first read it. The Reverb is voiced well and doesn't get cacophonous with heavy overdrive (I use a vintage Rat and a Muff Fuzz clone). The digital reverb is okay. My problem is not with the quality of the sound, but simply that it should have been optimized to favor more subtle sounds. Seriously, you're unlikely to ever have that knob over "9:00" before it gets pretty swampy and surfy. But at the end of the day, it's better to have it than not have it. USED products: 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. 4% for each additional year.