Vox AC15C1 1x12 inch 15-watt Tube Combo Amp Reviews

This has seen heavy use in my country rock set. I love this amp so much for its mid-range, sits in a live mix so well, boosted with pedals it comes alive. I run a King of Tone into the front end for most of my gain needs and there's never a moment I have lost myself in the mix. Pro Tip - the channel volumes affect each other, so when I'm plugged into the Top-Boost side, I will turn my normal channel volume to 10, adjust Top-Boost volume to preamp gain taste (clean but on edge of breakup), and then adjust overall desired volume with master volume. This gives you a cleanish pushed tube sound while being able to choke the volume back to a reasonable stage or even practice volume. Highly recommend for live use!

It's a Vox so it has that sound. I'm really surprised by how much I like using it at home. Sweet overdrive sound; top boost, normal channel, reverb, tremolo, tone cut knob and a Greenback. It's all there.

Received in perfect condition, and warmed it up, still breaking tubes in, plugged my new Gretsch in , all I can say is why did I wait so long to get one, thinking of getting another one to chain together , cause my Fender is on the way out and to repair is impossible with the way they built it, Fender Bass Breaker 15 that is, sounds like heaven, I play in a band that does all 60's and early 70's music, this is all I need , you want Beatles or Yard Birds, you got it and every thing in between with this amp, don't let 15 watts make you think it's not loud, will turn your drummers head, almost wants to be loud, with out trying, Love this amp , and like I said, when the Fender goes down will by another one of these!!

I've gone through every amp brand and eventually moved on. Never thought I was a Vox lover but I was absolutely wrong. Very bright, crisp, and clear. Great cleans and great drive. Lots of punch. The ONLY knock is lack of effects loop, but not a huge issue.

Got the limited edition blue version of this amp and man do I love it. Excellent cleans, crunches will at high gain settings, and looks beautiful. It's plenty loud. Would easily fill a medium-sized gig with a full band. Pedals well. I do wish mine had an effects return for pedals, but the built-in tremolo and reverb effects are excellent and sound beautiful, so fewer pedals are needed already.

As someone who's been using modeling amps for about a decade, I can say definitively now that a real tube amp blows them away in sound.

Extra bonus: the tubes smell nice! :)
Only con: less satisfying to play at bedroom volumes. This baby wants to be turned up!

What an outstanding plug in and play amp!From sparkling chime for Country and Surf to heavy crunch for Blues and Classic Rock:THIS AMP IS Awesome!!!Thanks Christian Baer and the Sweetwater team!!

Playing in a Beatles tribute?
Yep this will serve you well
Sweetwater is the place to go for whatever you need
Guitar,keyboard or accessories
Paul Rowan always sees my order thru delivery in a way that makes me comfortable with the whole process
The amp has a nice bite that is very satisfying

This amp sounds really good at very low volumes. Unfortunately, living in a townhouse with close neighbours, it is impossible hard push hrf this amp. Believe me, I'm even for the pure clean sound it is loud.
For those looking for a bedroom pracice amp, I do not recommend the AC15.
I found everything amazing in this amp. The speakers (greenback), the look, reverb, tremolo (not that I use it so much)... Everything is amazing about it.
It takes my pedals (big muff PI,OCD and mxr carbon copy) very well.
I thing it only misses an internal/native attenuator (available at the head version) and an FX loop.
It is important to highlight that it is very well built.
I should have mentioned at the beginning, this is my first tube amp, and I have no regrets about it.
Finally, to solve the bedroom issue… I bought a Blackstar HT5 MKII (combo)

This is a great size for everything from practice at home to band practice and gigging small clubs.
It has the classic vox jangle and reverb. When I play a fender or gibson directly in, it sounds like the rock and roll I grew up on.

The best amp I've ever owned, and I've yet to dig in to the top boost channel or really crank it at all. I am a home-bound guitarist and first and foremost needed an amp that sounds good at very low volumes. The AC15C1 is creamy, chimey, punchy, and resonant at the lowest of volumes in the normal channel. The tone cut knob provides a range of dynamic tonal choices even at that low volume. The reverb and tremolo on the AC15C1 are potently fantastic, especially the trem, and are like an extension of your pedal board. I run my rig in stereo and paired the AC15 with a g1 NT15 combo, and the two together are stereophonic serendipity. Price-wise, I think it is the best deal for a high-performance, highly reputable, tried-and-true combo tube amp. It is more than loud enough for a club stage but for me, the warm sounds at low volume really seals the deal. It is a classic, a sonic avatar reaching across space and time to find a place in your living room. Buy this amp and live the lock-down dream . . .

First, I have wanted an AC15 or 30 for many years.
I never could seem to "step up to the plate". They are a little expensive and a bit heavy, but they always intrigued me. I have 8 other tube amps, all of which I love!

I had my eye on the AC30C2X amp, but they are spendy and weigh 75 lbs.
I did extensive research and almost purchased the HW model but at the last second I realized it doesn't have reverb or Tremolo - that was a deal breaker, not to mention the bad reviews.

I decided that if there came a time when Sweetwater, or one of the others, offered the 48 month financing, I would get my desire fulfilled. Sweetwater finally did, at the worst possible time for me. lol

I settled on the AC15C1 and pulled the trigger on Sunday 7/4/21
It was shipped 7/5/21 and was waiting for me when I got home on the 7th.

My plan was to swap in my 16ohm Celestion Blue, wrong! This Greenback sounds great!
After about an hour of playing, the speaker began to loosen up and it became more "chimey", bell like.

If I walked up on someone playing this amp I would assume it has the Blue speaker in it; it sounds that good.

I have made numerous videos using different guitars I have playing thorough this amp and I gotta tell you, if you like overdrive, this amp with P-90's is the absolute bomb!

If you'd like to see the videos go to youtube and search for wickedoil. These videos should come up at the top of the list.

My opinion of this amp: It sounds great! plus 10! I'm not saying its the best amp ever, I'm saying it was worth the wait.
It has a great, ever so slight grit - clean sound, that goes from clean to drive very nicely. I'd be happy with the drive of the Normal channel if that were all this amp has.

The Top Boost is where the real magic shows. Man, this baby sings!
Doesn't matter where you set the controls, this thing sounds great!

I also purchased an A/B switch. You run both channels at the same time, WOW!

I honestly don't have a desire for the AC30 now. Not that I wouldn't like to try one out, but this little jewel is all this old rocker needs!

Stop thinking about it, you'll be glad when your purchase is in the rearview mirror.

Jeff

Classic amp,there is a tonality about this sound that has been around since the 50s. No way you can say I need to do this, or that to this to get the classic sound heard on records from the beatles, tom petty, oasis, and so many more. The only thing I would recommend is to put your favorite 12ax7 in V1, break the tubes and speaker in, and after about 40 hours of average playing, you will hear a change that is fantastic. You can get so many tonal varieties from this box it is beyond what is available at this price! I also recommend not changing the greenback speaker, dont chase the sound, keep playing, and after a while this amp will be your best friend. If you want to change channels get an aby box, hook up your pedals, take the time to get your best eq for both channels, bless the Angels, and crank the beast!!!!It's really a great amp, and it took me a while to get my sounds, you can gig with the best of them, because whatever you play you will sound awesome. Rock on with the Vox Ac15C1!!!!

This amp is absolutely phenomenal. I am blown away completely by its sound. Before purchasing, I had only considered Fender amps and boutique American amps (Tone King, Mesa, etc.) The sound of a blackface with a little push seemed perfect for my needs of classic and hard blues-rock. I wanted a beautiful edge-of-breakup sound that was responsive to attack and when pushed had an incredible crunch. At first, I considered the 59' LTD Bassman 4x10, it's tone was beautiful in YouTube videos, but I never could find one to demo and they are far too loud for my needs anyway. Then, I while searching for other options I stumbled into Tone King and Matchless. These two amp brands produced the greatest sounds I've ever heard but the prices they ask for are out of my range.

I had never even considered buying a British brand because I had only played American and VOX always seemed too clean for me. Then, I watched an Andertons video comparing some small tube amps and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the VOX. The sound I had been hearing from my favorite artists (Beatles, Zeppelin) was VOX all along. The crunch this amp has is better than any Fender amp I've ever heard. It's the best tone I've ever heard, period. Maybe it could be topped by the AC30. Sitting in front of this amp is an experience like no other. I feel like I have found the sound I've been looking for all these years.

TLDR: This is the best tone I've ever heard. Clean is beautiful and sparkly. Top Boost is big, bright, and brilliant. And it comes with the best reverb and tremolo I've ever heard built right in.

First I am a fan of Fender Tweed amps and currently have the 57 Champ and Blues Jr. tweeds and have owned and sold a few larger in the same family that were too much for my studio. I got the itch for something new and since my early rock and roll days Vox was the amp to own I decided to try the AV15C1 and I have been very impressed. I will say I was disappointed when I saw MADE IN CHINA on the box the day it arrived and almost didn't want to open it up as I just could not believe we have come to that but back to the review the amp sounds excellent and I am 100% satisfied. By the way Michael Morgan from Sweetwater and the team there has me sold on they are my first and only place when I purchased anything for my studio. Thanks again team Sweetwater and Michael Morgan!

This thing is amazing! I'm always worried about spending money and not getting what I really want but I'm so glad I jumped on this. It has all the tone I want and with 15w you can crank it and get all the awesome breakup. I will keep this amp forever and give it to my kid. Thanks for the new family heirloom.

Love the sound of my first tube amp. Thank you Josh and the Sweetwater team for helping pick it out and for a painless order/delivery.

This amp does everything I want. Gets that Beatles sound, but also rocks with pedals.

I have a Fender Hot Rod deluxe to compare to my new VOX AC-15C1. Aside from obvious volume enhancements from 40 watts as opposed to 15, the VOX, while not a loud or powerful makes it up in spades with it's features. While the Fender offers Reverb, and not so hot crunch and distortion, the VOX offers Reverb and Tremolo and is immensely shapeable. It takes pedals well, I only use a delay and it comes out crystal and smooth. My Hotrod Deluxe is pure Fender, and with the semi boring Fender Livery. The VOX is a classy looking box in it's vintage livery and is more than a show pony. I play it much more than the Fender at this point. The controls are sensitive, and it takes a bit to understand how they interact with each other, but once a bit of knowledge is gained through use, it's a fantastic amplifier.

I absolutely love this amp. There is a reason so many great artists choose Vox. I am learning how to play this amp. It is one thing to play guitar, but playing an amp is something just as important. I am discovering all kinds of great tones. The built-in reverb and tremolo offer some great tonal options. Adjusting the volume and master volume you can get some great crunch tones, or very nice cleans. I will say this amp is very heavy, right around 50lbs. However, I don’t really need to move it around much. Every guitar I have sounds great on this amp, Strats, Teles, Gretsch, Les Paul, Casino, Vintage Epi Century... They all sound wonderful. I am finding I don’t really need pedals with this amp for the style of music I play (Blues, classic rock). Again, it is learning the play the amp. I could have bought this amp locally, but much prefer to purchase from Sweetwater. You cannot beat their service, shipping, and experience. Special thanks to Ed Needler who always takes care of my gear needs.

Just received the AC15C1 (Celestion) - thank you Zack and Sweetwater. Turned it on and jammed away - sounds terrific. But then, my delivery of a set of Tung-sol tubes arrived. 20 minutes later and WOW!. This is one incredible amp. Tones and grit, clean and sharp. Haven't put pedals through it yet. For the money, likely the best sounding and quality tube amp you will find. Been jamming with my Gibson ES-335. Will run the old Strat and even my CGB later this weekend!

Excellent amp! Sounds good on almost any setting. Has great low end but you may want to be careful setting the treble because it will cut your head off. The tone cut works well to add balance to your tone. It also takes fuzz extremely well and the tremolo and spring reverb are top notch. It screams when dimed and dialed in! I'm excited to gig with it! So good for the price and it smells really good! No really, it has a pleasant fragrance for some reason, who knew!!! Thank you Sweetwater and Josh Dillon!

I've owned a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender Blues Jr, and a Fender Deluxe Reverb and I would take the cleans from the AC15 all day over those. It has the presence and punch that I noticed the Fender amps lack. It has plenty of headroom on the normal channel and be can pushed to overdrive easily because of the master volume. I am extremely impressed with everything about this amp from the build quality to the sound. The only thing I wish it had was am effects loop but that isn't needed for my home use.

I recommend getting the footswitch that toggles reverb and tremolo as well as an AB switcher. That way you can access both channels without having to manually move the input. I would recommend this to anyone that plays super cleans to rock. It can be particular with drive pedals but once you find the right combo, it doesn't get any better.

The Vox tone you've heard on so many records...The thing that surprised me the most is the Clean tone and the ability to take pedals. Great amp, I'm extremely satisfied. As usual my sales engineer Brendan Murphy got it out quickly. Thanks Brendan and Sweetwater...

This amp is everything I hoped it would be. It is super versatile. It sounds great clean and takes on pedals excellently.

I've been eyeing this amp for several years now. Every time I saw one in a music store I'd feel drawn to it. It's beautiful without being flashy or aggressive looking. The tones it produced sounded organic and felt like a translation of my hand movements instead of an electronic representation of that movement. It's physically heavy, and that's a good thing in my book. It's very loud; even inside a brick home you could easily disturb the neighbors with this thing...and that too is a good thing. If I lived in an apartment, I'd definitely go with one of the smaller VOX all tube amps. I know there are modeling amps/boards today that can perfectly duplicate this and any other amp, and I'm sure I'll own one of these days, but for now, I am perfectly happy with the real thing.

I've always wanted to own a Vox tube amp, but was little hesitant to purchase this model due to it being only 15 watt capacity. Don't let the 15 watt fool you as it will still provide you with enough volume with great clarity. As always, my sales engineer was extremely helpful during my quest of finding that Vox I always wanted!

Honestly this Amp is like the Holy Grail of that Elusive Country Sound. Granted you have to have the right pedals to get that exact sound you are shooting for. But this Amp really lays down the perfect foundation of tone that I have been searching for without spending thousands on Boutique Dr Z's, Matchless etc. It immediately invokes a huge smile! Really amazing tone and breath with a surprising amount of headroom and zero noise. I ordered the Greenback Celestion as I just feel it is way more suited to Country sounds than the Alnico. If I have a negative, it would be this amp really doesnt require a boost channel. The Dirty tone is unremarkable (Ive owned Marshalls, Boogies etc), but that is not why you buy this amp. The Normal channel when set correctly is all you need in this amp (you cant switch between channels anyway without a Y pedal). Completely satisfied with the build quality, aesthetics, price.. and ohhh that sound.... :-)

I found a used limited edition red one of these at the local. I've been wanting an AC-30 for a long time for post rock, ambient, and prog worship a la The Digital Age, etc. Then I lifted one and decided it was time to try the 15. I was blown away by the tone, and when you do turn it up enough to drive it (which is pretty darn far) the drive is subtle and sweet. Takes pedals with the best and retains that chimey tone even with all the pedals I use for post rock. And for those who are worried about headroom, go play one. It's got more than you'd think. Honestly, we rock pretty hard but I never even come close to driving it. And for crying out loud, you really should be miking for gigs anyway. It's good for your ears, and your sound guy will love you for it.

Took ownership of a second hand Vox AC15 HW. Changed the tubes out for new JJ's power valves and pre amp valves.

Absolutely stunning little amp. Been playing for approx 45 years as pro and semi pro and have to say this is one of the best amps i have ever owned. I sold my Two Rock Bi-Onyx 40W as part exchange for this and dont regret it for a second. Have money in bank and for me a better sounding amp to my fingers and ears. Two Rock great amp but the treble bleed was annoying and muddy.

Its a Vox, so not the quitest operating Amp you will come across but the tones are stunning. I play Custom Strats and they sound wonderfull through it.

Dont miss an amp loop at all as Vox takes pedals so weel.

Straight into amp is compressor>RC boost>TS808>Hot Wired Brent Mason> Strymon Mobius> Strymon Timeline> TC HOF reverb.

Mostly covers we do, Dire Straights, Eagles, Clapton, Pink Floyd, Rockabilly classics. This wee amp is awesome at all styles.

I play it in stereo with the Mesa LSS and the tones are qonderfull.

Do your self a favopur and buy a Vox , especially a hand wired one if you can. Must be the best value second hand amp out there.

It might be the perfect amp for the bang of the buck. Sounds good and is really loud if you want it to be. I have no complaints.
I asked for extra protective package protection for shipping and they packed it really well, I am impressed.
Thank you Sweetwater and my sales engineer Frank Gertz and the shipping and packaging department.

The Vox AC15C1 has the exact tone I've always wanted. I play a lot of post-punk, angular stuff that needs to sit in the high range with another guitar and bass taking up the mid and low range (think Gang of Four, Wire, Fugazi, etc). This amp cuts through it all and sounds beautiful doing it. I use a MIM Fender Telecaster through it, with no distortion pedal, and MAN it's got some teeth when you push the Top Boost channel. It's very responsive to your playing dynamics, and lets the pure essence of your guitar shine through. It has a sweet spot that can be reached at lower volumes; I would highly suggest this amp for touring musicians. Keep it at that sweet spot and let the sound guy do the rest. For years I toured with a Fender Deville 2x12, but it was way heavier and the tone never got as bright and crunchy as I wanted without having to use some pedals. I wish I could go back in time and buy this amp sooner. With the 24 month pricing, this is a no-brainer for anyone who wants that classic Vox crunch at a manageable size and cost.

Great tones from a great Vox amp. Really think it should have come with foot switch but other than that one issue, give it a try and you won't be disappointed!

Great amp! It hits that sweet spot for a nice warm and clean tone.

First off, I must say that I am not a professional and am not "on the road" with my equipment so please take my comments accordingly. I do know good amp and guitar tones as I've been playing and experimenting for many years and this amp really delivers the goods. It has an incredibly beautiful, smooth, juicy inspiring crunch sound that can be used for most any classic rock tune. The cleans are also very smooth, organic and articulate and are very well served by the Celestion Greenback speaker - a key component of this amp's tone, IMO. In the clean mode the amp is not as loud. The increased volume and aggressiveness comes with an increase in both the channel gain and the master level. In this mode this guy soars into a crunch sound that is heavenly to a classic rock/blues guy like me. The tone controls are very useful and effective. The reverb and tremolo are also very beautiful and musical-sounding. I did replace the original tubes for both the pre and power sections and added tube damper rings. This eliminated any possibility for tube rattle to occur. I think that the tubes are probably the weakest link in most of these amp models that are made in the far east. I think all (tube) amps should be fitted with best available tubes before we can judge their sonic capabilities.This is my first Vox amp ever and I am really sorry I waited this long to get one. If you're into the classic rock and blues/rock sounds of the '60's, '70's and beyond you have to get one of these. It can do more than that, of course, but it has those sounds completely imprinted in its DNA.

In my search for a small ( <15w ) combo, I tended to stay clear of Vox only because the amps have been described as bright. I discovered the AC10 and just kept coming back to it. Compared that to a Blues Junior and other Fenders and the Fenders sounded reserved and held back compared to the Vox. Then I got to play the AC10 against the AC15 and decided the AC15 was it. It is such a dynamic amp, even at low volumes.

It is a great amp to play through, even if you like bigger bottles - this thing cooks. It is simply inspiring to play...

What can I say? I researched tube combo amps for weeks to ensure I got something enduring, unique in sound quality and with the right wattage to allow for practice, recording and small club gigs. I was not disappointed. This little amp has a big voice and the color of the sound is amazing. It's perfect for what I want and need.

OK bad first.... Tube Rattle, not from tube, but from where the tube connects to the board. Read this recently on other revews on MF and it is a design flaw. But not everyone has complained so... I sent back the defective one, and am waiting for the replacement to arrive tomorrow.

Sound: legit, and a pleasure to play. It's not going to get you metal dude... nope.. so don't try. It is however, everything from chewy creamy rock down to twangy jazz/funk clean.

It's one of those amps that you can't wait to get home to play. Price ain't bad either...if it doesn't rattle.

I bought the AC15 with the alnico blue speaker instead of the green because I wanted to capture that British clean chime that Vox does so well. With the master control and tone cut settings I can dial in so many tones that are impossible to do using other amps. This is perhaps the loudest 15watt amp that I have ever came across. For what this amp does the price tag is very affordable. Do yourself a favor and buy a Vox AC15 custom, you won't regret it and if you can afford the extra cost for the alnico blue speaker you'll simply love it.

My first amp was a 1965 15-watt Vox, back when it was new. It was a tube version, and I used it heavily through high school bands. It had a unique sound, much different from the Fenders and Standell amps of the time that everyone else was playing. I was the only Vox user I knew. This new AC-15 Custom nails that tone, and more. It's clean-to-breakup is the best anywhere. The Top Boost of this model makes pedals optional. Sure, you can use pedals, but there's enough of a range of tones in this amp to keep you playing with the knobs for a long time. It's the best of the Vox tones. Fifteen watts doesn't sound like much, but many a player I've known traded up to an AC-30 and found it too loud. I never had a problem, not once, of keeping up with a band with 15 Vox watts. Got shut down by the cops more than once. Times may have been simpler back then, but loud was still loud. It was a rugged amp as well, got thrown around a lot without breaking. I was fortunate indeed that my first guitar was a Gibson, and my first amp a Vox. I've got to say that this Vox AC-15 Custom is more than worthy of the Vox heritage. (goes well with my Les Paul) Don't think of it as a puny 15 watt lightweight. It's big, it's heavy, and an AC-30 won't give you better Vox tones. All I can say is to buy it. You won't be sorry.

I gave this exceptional sound machine only a 5 star rating because 5 is the highest rating offered. Santa left this hard driving rockin baby under the tree for me on Christmas 2014. Who says Santa aint cool? So...it's been a year. What do I think? I think I'm privileged to have chosen the VOX AC15 Custom. It suites me and all my guitars just fine. We love it. The sound and tone are superb. Some of my friends are jealous. After hearing mine, a couple of them have since bought one. I guess "hearing is believing".
To sum it all up. In a nut shell. This VOX does everything well. As good as any, and better than most. That's just my 30 year experienced opinion. That's how I see it. Or should I say....hear it. Also, VOX has a very interesting and impressive history. Research it. You'll dig it. Buy one....And live to never regret it.
Rock on.

What more can I say. This amp rocks!,,.Thanks Paul!

I've played guitar for too many years to admit, performing in clubs, at parties, farmers markets, old folks homes, church...I currently own two Marshall amps, two Fender amps, a line 6 amp, an Ampeg am and a Pignose amp as well as the Vox AC15 I just bought. After playing the Vox for a few weeks I'm wondering why I didn't buy one sooner. What personality! It's rare that an amp will produce both clean and dirty sounds that make me smile, but the little Vox class A amp delivers the goods. It doesn't matter what guitar I pickup -- strat, tele, paul -- they all sound great. And the AC15 takes well to pedals. I couldn't be happier. I intend to use the AC15 on my upcoming CD. I haven't had a chance to gig with it yet to see if it's got sufficient wattage for my cover band, so the jury is out there. I bought it from Sweetwater 'cause of their fantastic service and two year warranty (just in case). I heartily recommend this amp!!

I received one of these as a Christmas present, and I couldn't believe how awesome it sounded right out of the box. The chimney tones are there, along with some great classic overdrive tones. When you break the Greenback speaker in, it sounds even better! You will not be disappointed with this amp, Bravo Vox!

I don't normally write reviews, but I wanted to share my experience. I bought this amp about six months ago and the tone is phenomenal. If you're looking for a great clean tone and a slightly distorted "hairy" tone, this thing is perfect. However, the tremolo crapped out after 2 months. I took it to a tech 3 times under warranty and it just would not remain functional. I let my sales engineer Joel Helton that I was having issues with it and after the third failed repair they sent me a replacement. I'm writing this review to highlight his great service. Thanks Joel!!

I've been searching for a good amp mainly for home recording/playing since selling my Peavey Delta Blues 115 (a fantastic amp, but simply too loud) a couple years ago. I tried various small, low wattage combos, but they all just seemed to be lacking something. The ac15c1 is nearly perfect... absolutely love it. It sounds far better at low volumes than my 5W Fender Vibro Champ XD and is completely gig worthy too. The only issue I have with it is a minor tube rattle when playing lower notes at higher volumes. I will contact Sweetwater tech support about this, but assume that this will be eliminated by replacing the stock tubes.

I have been searching for the right combo to get the crunch that I want. This amp with Fender single-coil pickups is the one I have been looking for. It gives me the nice tube distortion that I get with my vintage fender tube amp without the high volume and high wattage and heavy weight. Also has a great clean sound which I have had a lot of trouble getting. I recently gigged with this amp for the first timed I was completely pleased. Plenty of headroom for small venues and a nice range of tone and volume. If the red telex special edition i still available, it looks great too.

i really didnt expect this amp to sound quite this good.Iexpected to be satisfied with it,but it exceededthat.matt faucett was right when he said great choice.I play it in my apartment ,and it still has a beautiful distinct tone.Thanks to sweetwater for making the buying experience second to none.

Bought the Limited Edition Red one because I got a good deal, thought it looked cool and wanted to complete my classic amp collection. I already have a Marshall DSL and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. Was not expecting much from the numerous videos I watched. This amplifier has exceeded my expectations. Very easy to get a nice tone from without pedals. The clean sound is a little different, but very musical. The crunch is close to perfect if not perfect. Vox has that clean to close to breakup tone everyone chase's mastered. The reverb is nice. The tremolo is as deep as you want. It does not sound boxy. If you close you eyes you feel like you are playing through an expensive boutique amp. The speaker sounds like a very good replica of the original "Greenback". New and stiff of course. Probably just leave the stock speaker in and let time smooth it out. Also surprised by the blues tones coming out of it. Texas Blues, no problem without pedals. Did not think Vox and ripping blues sounds. Great amp and I hope Vox keeps making it for future electric guitarists. Unfortunately there is one issue I am working out, and that is that strange tube rattle sound on some of the lower notes. Very noticeable with louder clean low notes. Going to replace all the tubes and add dampeners. Hope that fixes it. Not a deal breaker though. Will try to solve this or work around it. Also getting this from my Marshall amp, so not exclusively a Vox thing, and the more research I do, it seems a lot of tube amps have this puzzling problem. Wide sound waves and a glass electronic tube, Physics?

I owned a Vox AC15C1 several years ago, but decided to sell it, because I didn't think I had room for it when I moved to a smaller condo. I had always regretted the decision, so I couldn't resist and ordered another one from Sweetwater recently. Now that I have my old friend back, I can understand exactly why I missed it so much. This amp has that classic, chimey clean tone that you expect from only a Vox. Crank up the distortion, and it has that equally classic Vox growl that fans of this brand know and love. Since I live in a small condo, I was looking for a tube amp that would give me all of the classic Vox tones at a manageable volume level that wouldn't anger my neighbors. While I admit that this amp begs to be cranked up to fully appreciate the tones it can deliver, you can still get great tones out of it at bedroom volume. I could write a book about all of the great features this amp provides, but will just say that it is worth every penny and is more than reasonably priced for what you get. A very special thanks to Mark Magdich for talking me out of ordering the Vox AC15VR solid state amp and re-acquiring this model. Also, a big thanks to Sweetwater for continuing to provide superior customer service.

I have had my ac15 for about 9 months now and I have been thoroughly enjoying this amp for the entire time. For me, it is the perfect studio amp and a great amp for an apartment dweller such as myself. Dual gain stage is awesome. I can crank the preamp section and keep the master volume low allowing me a toneful experience at a reasonable volume. I recently decided to add vintage tubes to my amp and the experience got even better. The tone warmed up and it sounds soooo sweet. This amp takes old tubes very well and there is a remarkable difference and improvement. This amp is staying with me for the long run.

The main thing is the sweet tones that you can dial in at very low volumes. Until now I never experienced this with a tube amp - always needing to crank it up to 10 to get that tube snarl. So the volume is easy to fit in to where the other instruments are. I do not feel the need to add any sort of effects pedal, which is also a new experience. Again, there is a wide range of tones available on both the normal and top boost channels. I have to say that my Fender tube amp will likely start to gather dust. Oh, I am playing primarily a Johnson hollow body with replacement Seymour-Duncan pickups.

I bought this amp to replace the Fender Blues Jr. I regretted selling. At first I didn't think it was as good as the Fender, but once I got the settings figured out and played it awhile I changed my mind. Previous reviews praise the ultra clean tone and it is good, but too me not any better than the Fender. I was blown away by how much more versatile it is. The clean sound can be changed so quickly and you can get a really cool tube distortion. Great tremolo and reverb! I think it is the best amp on the market in its price range. It can get very loud if needed, but if you're wanting real loud clean tones of course you may want the AC30. Bottom line is this is just an awesome amp! It is heavy for a single 12" amp, but I think it is a testament to how well it is built.
I almost forgot to mention that it is an awesome looking amp as well. Get one, you won't regret it!

I bought a VOX AC15C1 about a year ago from Sweetwater. First of all the guys at sweetwater are the best, absolutely great customer service, the best I have seen. Now, this amp is just fantastic, it has exactly the shimmery tone I was looking for. The cleans this produces matched with my favorite Strat (with SSL-1 vintage style duncan pickups) just absolutely sparkle and fill the room with all types of wonderful overtones (I like bright sounds). Seems like the sound the amp produces descends from heaven, and I am not a religious person... By now, the speakers are fully broken in, I have put some old stock tubes in it and the amp feels incredibly open and airy. It is truly a magnificent thing, and for a very good price, in fact excellent at any price.

It has become my main amp, good to play with a band and exceptional for recording, I have found "the" sound and this AMP will be with me for a very long time. The only consideration I have now is wether to run a rig in stereo or not, I will probably get another one and have my delays bounce between the two amps. I am a delay and modulation freak and this amp takes effects pedals wonderfully, even if it does not have an effects loop. I find that some overdrive pedals such as a chandler drive (tube), the somewhat dark Way Huge Green Rihno drive pair extremely well with it. The Green Rihno being slightly dark crunches with it without becoming a shrill sound, I can get a very smooth creamy crunch tone with it. Pair this creamy pedal driven tone with the sparkly chimmey clean tones of the amp and I have my two main sounds. I do also stack overdrives and this amps takes it very well (I have modified a boss sf-1 overdrive that for symmetric clipping and it pairs extremely well with the Green Rihno). Bright and harsh overdrives and distortions are not what you want to pair with this amp, as the amp is bright and chimney itself, slightly dark and smooth are the perfect pairing I think with overdrive pedals.

Sweetwater has won my business, I will be shopping with them again. Now if I could only make a decision on buying a Johhny Marr Jaguar or a sweet 65 reissue Jazzmaster to pair with my best strat… in any case, I will buy it from them.

This is beautiful, the sound is so real. The distortion is just so thick and deep, I wouldn't use it in a metal band but I would definitely use it in a rock band!

If the Vox tone is the thing you seek, the choice between the AC15 and the AC30 is the first decision one confronts. While many think the AC30 is superior, I decidedly disagree. While the AC30 is much louder and has higher headroom for clean tones, you also have to push it much harder to get that sweet Vox sound. For recording applications, small gigs, and/or big gigs with a decent PA, it's much easier to dial in the sound you're probably looking for with the AC15C1 than the AC30. Finally, don't let the 15 watts fool you, this amp is startlingly LOUD in its own right and all of those 15 watts are very useable.

I've had this amp for a year now. I've been playing guitar for about 16 years, I consider myself a hobbyist and kinda good at it.

This amp is the best amp I've heard and played. The only best amp I think would be the AC30, but that's too loud for me. I've played it in small rigs (about 30-50 people) and it stands perfectly, not turning it all the way to 10.

The sound is amazing, the tubes are the best. You can recognize Vox voice all the way.

A bit too heavy, but still the best amp EVER.

The AC15 is as good as advertised. Beautiful clean tones and the best overdrive going. I'm not using any of my overdrive pedals since getting this amp. This amp is great for recording as well as gigging. No worries being heard with this amp! One of the loudest 15 watt amps out there. Tremelo and reverb are awesome as well. Get a Vox, it's the only way to rock!!

I have an AC4HW that I absolutely love but I really wanted something with a bit more punch. The AC15 rocks everything from chimey clean to crunchy blues to screaming leads. I love it. Oh yeah... it is loud. My ears were ringing for several hours after my first 30 minutes playing. It's so clean that the volume sneaks up on you.
The reverb and tremolo are both very good. It takes pedals well and with a little tweaking of the EQ it generates passable Fender tones.
The stock speaker is well matched to the amp if you like the classic Vox tone.
The only negative is the lack of an effects loop. Delay would sound better in a loop but that adds weight and cost.
Its a keeper.

So i know these amps are known for amazing cleans, which they do have, but this amp is also packs some killer tones when using a distortion pedal. I bought this amp because Tom Delonge from Blink 182 currently uses Vox amps, and i can see why. All around great versatile amp. And it can get loud. The highest i ever dial the volume is 10 oclock, during band practice, and that feels like I'm bringing the whole garage down. Just a plain awsome amp

Very responsive amp, lots of tones available hands down the best sounding amp I have owned. I use it on for modern worship and it is amazing!!! I was concerned about it being only 15 watts but WOW!!! this amp will get plenty loud and still sounds Fantastic!!

Having owned Fender 6L6 and 6V6 amps most of my life, this VOX AC15 really brings a fresh take on everything. I guess the touch sensitivity is the real draw. At very low volumes you can get true cranked tube tones.
For a little more than the price of a couple of boutique OD pedals, of which you will be always searching for the right sound, why not get the real deal! I really love this amp. I also bought it's big brother, the AC30C2.
Very, very happy with these amps. I also love the G12M Greenbacks but you must give them time to break in.

This amplifier really packs a punch. You'd think it has more power than 15 watts. But then again, power rating is academic when it comes to tonal quality & volume. I've used better amps but they cost four to six times as much. However, for the monetary outlay, I couldn't be more pleased. It performs well...very bright & responsive with plenty of volume & tonal control to suit this picker. I've always loved the sound of VOX amps since the Beatle invasion bank in the early 60s but never owned one until this recent purchase. I'm very satisfied with it and that's the bottom line. I'll also take this opportunity to thank the obliging & considerate sales staff of Sweetwater Music...they're the best in the business!

Of all the amps I have owned during the last 33 years I currently have two that I love playing through and have served me exceptionally well. One of these is my AC15C1 and if I had to make the proverbial choice of having to keep only one, this would be it.

In a nutshell? The AC15 just does everything well. It produces phenomenal tone and responds to whatever inputs you make from picking style and attack to volume changes on your guitar. Whether playing clean or pushing those EL84�s hard for that much sought after Vox sweet chimey overdrive, from normal or top boost; the quality of the sound never ceases to amaze me. Single coils, Humbuckers, active or passive electronics, solid or hollow body, every guitar I have ever owned or had the opportunity to play just sounds better through this amp

It is the quintessential �go to� amp. You can take from practice to gig even without your favorite pedals or effects processor and still have a multitude of tones at your disposal just by manipulation of the volume, bass, treble, reverb and tone cut knobs. It also has one of the nicest sounding tremolos I have ever heard.

The AC15 is a workhorse and despite being only 15 watts, I have never had an issue regarding volume. For my money there is no better amp than this little Vox for versatility, durability and endless tone. If you can only get one tube amp, make it an AC15.

The Vox AC 15 Custom was just what I expected. Classic Vox sound, small enough to move easily. It has been very easy to dial in the sound I was looking for and is a good complement to my Fender Deluxe reverb.

Wow, wow, wow!

With the volume cranked in the top boost channel, this thing is a beast, it's alive - I love the way it feeds back so easily, I can feel it interacting with my instrument when I'm not even playing. The breakup when pushed can sound like an overblown brass instrument, or a trainwreck, it's just so gritty, abrasive and yet so harmonically pleasing. Very responsive - you can get all kinds of different sounds out of it by picking in different ways, and the distortion never sounds boring or generic - it always has a life of its own, it growls and snarls. It puts a modeling amp to shame.

Compared to my Blues Jr - The AC15 delivers in the areas the Fender is lacking. None of that flabby, farty, cluttered-sounding bass end, so much more focused. And beyond that it is just a totally different sound. Very compressed, very harmonically rich, and with a much harder edge than the Blues Jr which has a smoother sound.

Sounds great with every guitar I've played through it. I especially love the bite I get on the bridge pickup of a telecaster. On a semi-hollowbody with humbuckers it easily goes from Beatles to Zeppelin by fiddling with the volume control on the guitar.

Some of the sounds I can get out of this amp, with a couple stompboxes, have sent chills down my spine. Like airplanes crashing, or ghostly feedback like howling winds. Perfect with a slapback analog delay. I've also had great results with wahs and a boutique overdrive pedal.
This is the sound I've been looking for, it's inspiring to play through something that sounds so good.

My only complaint, and I know this is a common one, is that the reverb isn't that great, or maybe it's just not what I'm used to. I think I prefer the Fender's spring reverb. The AC15 has more of a 'hall' type reverb, which will find its uses though, I'm sure. So far it seems I'm going to want to keep it turned down very low, or off entirely. But I love having a tremolo to play around with.

I have played guitar on many amps through the years and this one rates about the best! Tone is easy to dial in. Speaker breaks perfectly. Plenty loud for gig or recording. I'm fine with the Greenback Celestion. Only recommendation would be to change tubes (valves) as soon as you open the box. I put groove tubes EL84 in the power section and Mesa boogie 12ax7's in the audio......sounds fantastic. An added plus .....the amp is self biasing!

I had a 16 ohm Celestion Blue and decided to see how much difference it made from the stock Greenback. Whoa! I have a handwired AC30 and this non-handwired AC15 sounds every bit as good with a Blue in it. On some stuff, actually better. That's probably because I can't get the AC30 into its sweet spot in my house because its too loud. They used to offer these with the Blues but now they only offer the handwired 15s with the Blues. I can tell you right now, it's the speaker that makes the difference. Worth the upgrade, especially considering you end up with a spare Greenback to use with something not VOX AC. Use the Greenback for a 5 watt Marshall or something that doesn't have the tasty upper-mid shimmer this AC15 does. This is a major bargain. Oh, and with the Blue, this is the loudest 15 watts you'll ever hear.

I've wanted one forever and finally was able to give myself a reason to get one, playing in a band.

Sounds phenomenal and with 35 year old Ibanez compressor the clean channel is the bomb! I'll never get rid of this one.

I am completely in love with this combo amp. I play with a american standard tele and it just works wonderfully with this amp. And it just sounds so darn vintage!

My motivation for buying this amp was a change of pace from the amp I had been using for the last ten years. My biggest concern was how well a 15 watt amp would perform along side a drum kit. My concerns turned out to be unfounded as the amp produced plenty of volume. It is a beautifully voiced amp. It tends to be darker than my Fender which makes it a great pairing with my Telecaster. The clean is amazing and the drive is what you would expect when you actually get your tubes running hot which is hard to do with a higher wattage amp without killing the neighbors with the volume. I could go on ranting about this amp for an hour but the bottom line is it's one of the nicest sounding amps I've owned and my personal favorite at this point.

Ok, so I'm new to the guitar and consider myself more than a beginner but possible an intermediate, but this is the first amp I've bought in conjunction with a Standard Strat I also bought. First, it just looks cool and 2nd, the sound is incredible. I also got the foot switch for reverb and tremolo. There is a pletora of sounds you can make with this amp. Just keeping the volume low on the channel and the master high you get your clean sound, but crank the volume on the top boost and bam, you got one mean crunchy sound flying out of the amp. For the price you should just get one already. Don't think about it, just do it.

I really like this amp a lot. As a previous owner of an AC30 with Blue Alnico speakers I find the AC15 holds its own! The tone you get out of this guy is incredible! Smooth creamy to gritty dirt crunch. This amp can do it all! The tremolo and reverb are great! Unfortunately you have to purchase the foot switch separately. Please do yourself a favor and check out this amp! I highly recommend this amp for humbucker and single coils guitars. the options you have in this amp are endless.

I love this amp! I play in a worship band and use my AC15 to play a 2000+ seat church...mic'd of course. I keep it clean just under the break up point on top boost and color the tone with a Jetter GS3 and a line 6 m9. I usually play a AD Strat and the magical tone that comes forth from the AC15 is incredible. I like the fact that none of the knobs makes a HUGE difference in the tone, it just colors it, which I love. The reverb will send you into the grand canyon and back and the trem is classic rock. I play this amp over a AC30CC at church and like the tone out of the 15 more, the newer AC30's might be different but haven't play through one. I highly recommend this amp for single coils and humbuckers alike but especially single coils. Chime on you crazy diamond.

The AC15 custom is a five star combo. The only 15 watt combo in production that can touch it IMHO is the Fender Princeton Reverb, which is Made in the USA, and costs 300 dollars more (actually the two amps make a great set for home and studio or playing small venues). If you want tone, and not a "kitchen sink" control panel, for this price, you cant beat it. VOX really nailed the look and sound this time. With vintage style Single coil pickups, the AC15 C1 provides the true 1958 - 1963 JMI sound. With hotter sngle coil pickups or humbuckers this amp overdrives a lot smoother and easier than the original.Through the TOP BOOST channel an MIM Standard Telecaster sounds very glassy and brite, and very lively. The notes pop and ring and you can hear every note in a chord. Just like an old original VOX amp. Makes you wish your Tele had trem.The same setting turned over halfway up, and using somthing like an SG, provides a compressed ,saturated,, crispy,- fried Overdrive sound . The same rig with the channels jumped with an ABY box adds bottom, and low mids and even more harmonic compelxity, Add good distortion pedal and you cant believe its a VOX anymore. This is a professional quality instrument, not a toy. At this price its an insane bargain.

I've used Vox most all of my life...and this little gem so far is top notch!
I have been using this now for about three weeks..Its loud! quality is good! and I just really dig it! .... I used to get hung up on the made in England vs. Made in China, let me just say the quality is here! even though it's made in china, Vox engineers in England really oversee'
this production line... I was told this by Vox and I think it's true! It's a great amp! and new upgrade and design on the Ac-15C1 could not be better!

Features in this new version,
just blows out of the water the old CC1 huge upgrades:
Greenback speaker (Wharfedale sucks) tube location, dual channel, reverb tank , metal switches (power & standby), cut control etc.
Now it seems like Vox is listening to the crowd....
We wanted the AC15 back for less and we have it!!!
Try your Telecaster bridge p/u or your Ricky 360/12
and let me see you smile.....or maybe cry.....
Outstanding tone in early OD stages, that's the tone you have listened back in 1964...early Tom Petty records....and you know what I mean
Best $600 ever spent on gear
just try one...there is no better 15 W tube amp for the money IMHO
LOUD AMP!
Made in China, yes I know....
same thing happen with Honda and Toyota and now do you see how many of these cars are running..
the amp does the job and it does well!

I have been a Vox fan for quite a while. I have an AC50 and a Tonelab LE. All quality gear, and great tone. So, I decided that I wanted a smaller amp that still has great Vox tone. When I saw the redesign of the AC15, I had to try one. It arrived last week, and I am still completely amazed every time I plug into it. The Greenback speaker sounds so good in this combo...like it was made just for this amp. Very warm, chimey cleans, nice gradual breakup...sounds like a Vox should.

The reverb has also been redone, and sounds fantastic. Tremelo is a nice feature for sure! Love the size, power, and tone of this amp. Vox has hit a home run with this one. My ONE gripe about it is the fact that it does not come with a footswitch, you have to purchase one...but that's it. Amazing amp, great price...try one, you will not be sorry.

I'm Just a beginner guitarist. New to pedals and amps. But this amp makes even me sound good. Good sounds at a bedroom volume.

After one gig with this amp, I thought it was a dud and wanted to return it. But before I got too hasty I looked online to see if anyone else had issues with this amp. I found a site that suggested immediately replacing the tubes. Out of the box, this amp has tubes that are literally garbage. You will need to immediately invest in new ones. I replaced mine with all mesa boogie tubes, and since the amp is low wattage it did not need biasing. It took about 15 minutes total. And after that, I couldn't believe the difference. This may now be the best amp I have owned to date. In my opinion though, you need to budget in the extra $... for the tubes when you make this purchase. And I still would say it's well worth the money.

Thanks to Aaron and the team, I got my amp shipped out in record time and after a bad power tube (which was replaced with a new set just as fast!), it sings like a bird! I've been listening to this amp all my life though my favorite artists and recordings, now I own one! I love the Master volume style that the AC15 has so you can still get a great crunchy overdriven tone but not have to blow everyone away volume wise!

What can we say, this amp is great. Classic sounds with great smooth creamy tone. I love it, i use a radial aby and have been playing with different overdrives. Currently i have a maxon od808x and it pushes this amp absolutely brilliantly. Clean tones are glittery and creamy, and break up really nicely. The top boost channel is even better. I cant say enough about how great this thing sounds. The reverb and tremolo both sound great too.

My one criticism, so far, is a small bit of rattle i tend to notice when at high volume and playing on bass-heavy tones. It maybe a screw that needs tightened, im not sure, but its a very small concern.

This is an excellent amp, i'd recommend them any day.

This amp. is exactly what I wanted. Very nice looking but more importantly, great sounding. The various and controls feels like they are very high quality. I should get many years of service out of it.

With my electric guitar having a lot of sound shaping options like phase inverting,coil splitting,and piezo pickup that can be mixed with the humbuckers,this amp doesn't disappoint in any way. It sounds great for acoustic setting,full volume bridge humbkr,and every shade in between. It's tube reverb and trem warm the blood in my ears. Whatever needs done this amp can do it. (Added note:After a month or two of regular use the greenback starts sounding much smoother)

Amazing tone and sound for the price, I am blown away by the tone especially for the price, highly recommended.

Im in a band that plays gigs ranging from 30 people to 500. I've owned an orange th30, Blues jr, 18 watt marshall, and deluxe reverb to name a few. Was never completely happy with my tone. I took a gamble on the vox ac15 and happy I did. It sits perfect in our band mix. We play everything from beatles to ACDC and it fits the bill. I use a timmy pedal and BB preamp and they sound perfect with this amp. No need modding the bright cap on this like some do. The greenback sounds amazing. Plenty loud for gigging. Very punchy and bell like chime on the cleans. I had the volume on 3 the other night and was loud enough for a medium sized pub gig. Very happy with the amp. IMO this amp is meant to be played with a band. It rocks and rolls!

I've owned and played through Fender amps almost exclusively since picking up the electric guitar years ago. In an effort to branch out and find some inspiration, I began auditioning almost every amp you can imagine and even brought a few home - only to return them days later. After weeks and months I plugged into the VoxAC15 just for kicks and knew immediately that this amp was going to be mine for the long haul. The normal channel is clear and focused and brings the EL84 chime. The boost channel lets you dig in and riff out on practically anything blues or rock. The useful tone cut option allows you to roll off the higher ice pick frequencies - not only does this make up for the fact that there isn't a mid frequency control, but it also lets you dial in a great tone on ANY guitar you decide to play that day. As others have noted, Vox reverb is of the Hall variety so this may be a turn off for those in serious need of a bouncy spring reverb. There are only two cons that come to mind after playing through this amp for nearly a year. First, the amp vibed a bit dark when first purchased. It came tubed with a lower grade no-name Chinese brand. They didn't necessarily sound bad, they just sounded dark. I replaced the power tubes with a matching pair of JJs and the tone was noticably brightener, the notes slightly more rounded. Second - there is an undeniable hiss when both the master and normal tone controls are set at higher volumes. There are videos of this amp happily hissing away posted online for anyone interested in listening, but the fact of the matter is that there is going to be some level of hiss with any tube amp. If you keep the master at 9 or 10 o'clock you won't ever hear it and it won't interfere with your recording. If you need to be that much louder, then you might want to consider the Vox AC30. Despite the cons, this has been a great amp to own. It's super versatile, built like a tank and makes my other amps look dressed down. I could have spent more money on a Mesa, Marshall, Fender or obscure boutique amp, but this amp inspired me to start writing new material right out of the box and really that's the only prerequisite I have when it comes to buying and keeping new gear. Thank you Vox!

The Good: Probably the best amp for clean tones on the market. The real spring reverb sounds fantastic. The tremolo is great and better than most tremolo pedals. It may only be 15 watts but this amp is plenty loud. Louder than most 15 watt amps out there. I play in a loud rock band and the master volume is only at 10 o'clock. I assume that has to do with the greenback speaker and the specific solid state rectifier. I play with the top boost gain at noon. Leave a little dirt on it and I push it will an overdrive/distortion pedal when needed. It's perfect. A surprisingly big sound for a 1x12". Great for live AND recording use. The speaker external/extension options are cool too.

The Bad: It's made in China. It comes with awful Chinese tubes. Replace them asap. It's a bit heavy for a 1x12 combo. Does NOT come with a footswitch.

I am a 13 year old blues guitarist and songwriter. This is a very nice amp that complements my American Special Fender Strat and Gibson Les Paul Studio perfectly. I tried an alnico blue version, and although it sounded very good, it wasn't the sound I wanted. I have played gigs up to 800 people with this amp and it is a great trustworthy buy. However, I have been getting into harsher music, and am beginning to want a harsher, more hard rock worthy amp. I am considering a Marshall DSL 40 with creamback?

Great amp, beautiful tone as expected. This is my first tube amp so I'm really bias right now, lol. It doesnt compare to my current solid state amp in terms of tone! I love Vox's top boost and the volume output is just right for my preferences at this time. It's heavy, but hey, it's a tube!

That Vox tube sound in an affordable package. If you think 15 watts is not enough you need to listen to this amp.

I picked up this amp a while ago and was pleased with the tone I got from my epiphone Sheraton out of it; the tubes give it perfect vintage tone, and the breakup was just right. Used with supplied reverb, it got that bluesy "sprang" that everyone loves. Using the top boost channel and my strat, "Tin Pan Alley" was right on the money. Awesome amp for the price, good at quiet or club-shaking volumes.

You CAN NOT go wrong with this amp! If you looking for everything from warm clean tones to searing overdrive this amp has it all! Beautiful shimmering chime to down right gritty, wonderfully compressed overdrive you just can't get anywhere else. Dont get me wrong, Fenders can hold their own but this amp just has something that again, you just can't get anywhere else. A telecaster played through this amp is possibly the most beautiful thing I'v ever heard. And I'v played alot of guitars through alot of amps. It may only be 15 watts but remember, this is 15 watts of Vox tube power. I lovingly refer to my AC15 as "Mr. Thunder Maker" because it can old it's own against the loudest drummers (because we all know that not all drummers practice using dynamics all the time) and cut right through the mix without breaking a proverbial sweat. Having said that, it also sounds very good with that lovely break up at lower volumes making it perfect for recording or practicing in the bedroom. The tone cut control is very handy as it rolls off some of the ear piercing highs without getting muddy. The treble and bass controls on the Top Boost channel are very dynamic and play off of each other allowing you to dial in just the sound for the style of music you play and your over all playing style and technique. The reverb is very nice as well as the tremolo (though i admittedly dont use the tremolo much except when my band plays "Clear Spot" by Captain Beefheart). All in all, if you play country, blues, jazz or rock, this amp holds its own. Whether in the studio or in a good sized venue with a full band. I'll end this review with a fun little fact: The original guitar riff in the James Bond theme song was played through a Vox AC15!

I had to do a lot of driving to try all the amps on my list. Dr.Z, BadCat, and Matchless to name a few. All of them great amps that just shimmer, with perfect note to note deffinition, and a depth of character that is hard to describe. As I was trying all these $2K beauties, salesmen kept asking if I had tried an AC15, or would I like to A/B it with an AC15? I sparked up an AC15 with my '52 reissue tele, and was floored! With very little tweaking I was getting $2K tones out of a $700 amp. My ears were telling me that they could hear, and therefore justify the extra expense.
I haven't taken it on the road yet, waiting for a case. However, I pulled the chassis, and it looks solidly made, and uses some nice high tolerance components. I'm leaving in the stock speaker (I like greenbacks), but will experiment with some tube options.
So far, I can't find a single item to fault.

First things first, let me just say that this one KILLS the Vox AC15 Custom Classic series. This one has real Celestion greenback speaker in it, it has a normal and a top boost input (not made of plastic like on the CC version), it's power and standby switches are actual metal throw switches, and I think the most important advancement over its predecessor is that it has a Tone Cut next to the Master Volume. Remember how stinkin' bright the AC15 CC was? You had to mod it and clip the bright cap to make it not painful at high volumes, all the while voiding your warranty.... and to top it all off, it just sounds fantastic! Very responsive, warm tube goodness. If you like the AC30 but don't have a need for all that volume (cmon, it's so much easier to mic them anyway, right?) then Vox has finally gotten it right with this one. It's like a mini AC30. Get it!

This is a good amp, I have had it for a couple years with no issues. Does need better set of preamp tubes. I changed them out for vintage tubes and it came alive

Purchased this amp to get closer to the Beatle sound and it certainly does a better job than my other amps (Fender Twin Tweed 57, Fender Blues,Jr. IV)..I use this amp almost exclusively since I play primarily in a small room now and my Twin is too loud and I can't crank it up enough to get that great tube overdrive effect I like.. The Jr is a decent amp but sounds totally different.. it really lacks the bass that the Vox has.. Also like having the tremelo and reverb though I don't use Tremelo much.. I wasn't particularly happy with the sound I was getting from this amp with my tele and Strats but my salesman, Alan Moon recommended I change out the tubes and it made all the difference in the world..Can't thank him enough.. He has ALWAYS had great answers and solutions for anything I needed help with.. if you need a go-to I highly recommend him.. As for the Amp, it is great, especially in my situation being limited to a small room.. Don't get me wrong, it will blow you away.. This not a "quiet" amp unless you want it to be.. but thanks to the inclusion of both a "normal" and "top boost" input as well as a volume control for each and a Master volume control, you can get that great tube overdrive sound at lower levels.. I definitely recommend it... the old Beatle's sound is just a plus

just sold a 20 year old Tweed Blues DeVille - great amp, but to get the sounds I want had to crank it up.....how many can say their kids ask them to "turn it down" - got this as a replacement -

I love it - completely different amp...the sound is outstanding and I can get the sounds at a tolerable volume - can even get gundgy at low volumes....can't stop playing through it - doesn't matter which guitar; strat, heritage 535 or jazz ibanez...all sound great - I do wish it had the active attenuator, would be a nice addition..

was a problem with the first one sent ( loud buzz/hum even at low volume) so we had to "work through" getting me a new one and sending back the original - but all is good...

niiiccccce -

Vox makes great products. This is an amp with a very specific tone that's more midrange heavy, and very shimmery at the top end. I personally like the tone of the amp paired with my Studio LP and Line 6 Pod HD500. I play stuff like switchfoot, papa roach, SWS, PTV etc. If you like a darker tone I'd suggest Marshall or if you want a brighter tone- Fender. I personally like more midrange tone with just a little bite at the top, and a warm bottom so I appreciate this amp. If you have the money, go for the AC30!

I use it in as a practice amp in a home studio. The sweet tone is great for 30's and 40's standards. My Fender Frontman's digital tone is a little harsh for those tunes. The Vox is capable of being plenty loud even though it's only 15 watts. You most likely could find more features for 4x the price but this is just right for me.

I'd die for a Matchless, Dr. Z, or even a small BadCat for cleans. I do ambient stuff and I know the struggle. Clean Headroom. It's like a mythical unicorn for those of us who aren't rich. I did TONS of research for "affordable" amps with clean headroom and actually, this one was NOT on many of the lists. It is a Brit style amp which is a style known for crunch. BUT, I knew it had a speaker I liked and it was a trusted co. That's it. And, like one guy I admire used it on some great EP's. I hesitantly pulled the trigger because your homeboy works at a coffee shop.

...I was blown away, honestly. This thing can stay pretty clean at great volumes. I simply followed the user manual for dialing in the amp for cleans and I really cannot complain. If you are on a budget, just get this thing. It is worth every penny. It has beautifully rich low end, notable mids, and two completely different channels that can be used in cool ways for ambient stuff. It takes my pedals beautifully. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 is because I have heard those Dr. Z's and Matchless amps and all I can say is...one day! Unless you are super picky, you will like this guy for the money. Talk to Evan Mulvahill for amp and recording Q's! Extension 1381! Thank you for all the help Evan! Love this amp!

I bought this amp to be a contrast to my Fender amps. I love the Fender clean sound but wanted something that could get more grit. I use this and another amp toghether and love the contrast in sound between the two. When using the master volume the AC15 has a dirty enough sound to get the classic rock tones I am looking for. I play smaller venues so cutting through the mix with the band is not a problem with the AC15. It does just what I wanted and expected it to do.

Just got it and played it live this past weekend with a small combo. Held it's own w/ no problem. Had the Master around 8 o'clock and it was miked with the channel volumes set around 10 o'clock. I took a Vox moderators advice and used BOTH channels at the same time using my Satriani Time Machine......I will probably always play this way, the two channels blended together makes for a slightly more complex sound. You can of couse use an ABY and get a lot of flexibility. The tone knobs are interactive (affect each other) and the cut knob is a nice addition since the Normal channel has not tone control. This thing gives great tones for humbuckers and single coils. It is HEAVY and seems to have enough headroom for small gigs. I have an Egnater 30 if I need more juice ever. I am very pleased with this amp so far....for the price it is really hard to beat!

The amp sounds good, though pairing pedals with it can be tricky in achieving the desired tone. That's all relative to what you're going for really.

I was left disappointed with Sweetwater's service when the amp began malfunctioning after three months of use in a home setting. The sound from the amp would cut out and/or become heavily screechy/whiny. The master volume no longer functioned properly. The power tubes were glowing oddly.

I emailed my Sweetwater sales rep, who suggested it may be a pre-amp tube. When I sent a follow-up email to see if this was something covered by Sweetwater's 2-year warranty, it was days before I received a response. I ended up contacting Sweetwater's technical team who told me I could either bring the amp to a Sweetwater approved technician, the closest of whom was 4 hours away from where I live, or I could pay to mail the 50-pound amp back to Sweetwater, so that they could diagnose the problem. Unfortunately, tubes aren't covered under Sweetwater's 2-year warranty, even though they gave out after only three months of use.

I ended up going to my local small-town music store, which was kind enough to supply me with a couple power tubes (free of charge) to see if the amp would start working correctly again. After I switched the power tubes, the amp did begin working properly again, though whether or not something in the amp's electronics led to the original power tubes to die so quickly remains to be seen.

Performance? 5 stars!! I LOVE the sounds this is capable of. Such classic, sweet, rich, delectable Vox sounds. The cleans can be warm or jangly or bell like, depending on how you set it. The OD is so "real", like not fake and digital sounding (cuz it IS real). These tubes overdrive really well. Even when cranked, the crunch is really tight and focused, yet complex (some harmonics), and doesn't get muddy - it maintains definition and clarity.

Quality? Well, just ok. I received a lemon AC10. Sweetwater is amazing with customer service, so they took it back in a heartbeat. I then upgraded to the AC15 (I wanted more clean headroom). This this is good so far, but the input jacks are a bit rough. In three of them I had to jiggle the 1/4" cable a considerable amount to get the cable into the jack. Just seems like rough "Made in China" work. I wouldn't be surprised if this thing exceeds my expectations as far as durability and quality go.....but then again I wouldn't be surprised if the thing totally takes a dump on me in a few years either.

So overall, worth the investment. Just don't buy this if you're looking for "that amp" which you will buy and still be playing in 30 years.

So the first off I would just like to say I have noticed that just in general Sweetwater gear has a lot of either 5 stars or 1 stars meaning it seems like most people either love or hate certain guitars and amps.. I like to stay more in the middle and be objective about the pros and cons. This particular amp does have cons for me but it also has some pros. for me its not versatile but its not useless either. also I bought the limited edition blue and vanilla Sweetwater had available a couple months ago but I think the specs are the same mine has a greenback.

Pros: the amp has a natural compression at pretty much any volume, sounds nice for a low volume compressed sparkly rhythm tone that I use mainly for looping a rhythm and then playing a lead on top with a separate amp either a fender or supro both which I got from Sweetwater. Sounds nice with my pro 2 Strat. the limited edition blue and vanilla looks very nice.

Cons: very heavy(has to be at least 45 lbs), very loud(for me this is a con as I'm not a pro and I have to keep my volume low enough to not bother family), to me it does not sound good at all with my les Paul with 490 humbucks, in fact this brings me to my main gripe and point about why I gave it 3 stars.. The frequency range is really harsh on the bass end and the treble end but not in the way a good fender does with the thud and sweet sparkle Ala like a SRV tone but more just In a harsh way. This is the reason for what I stated is my main use and that is as a low volume Single coil rhythm tone because for whatever reason when I'm plugging in my pro 2 Strat or my PRS SS se and back off the volume knob on the guitar it actually does produce a more usable almost fender sounding tone with the dark bass and nice present sparkle on top but it does not do this with humbuckers for whatever reason.

Conclusion: If you are mainly a Strat player I can see this amp being a serviceable amp but to me with humbuckers its way too harsh and aggressive. This might be what some of you are looking for but for my personal use I think I will sell it if I have the chance or I will keep using it as a low volume studio tool. Ive got to say out of all the amps ive played I still have to give it to tweed amps for me are always the best sounding. the way those circuits are manages to stay sweet and warm while still being present. hope this review helps

As the title of this review states, great amp but very poor Quality control.I purchased this amp brand new not from Sweetwater but from another online retailer. Took the amp out of the box and found that the reverb tank did not work and instead produced a very loud and annoying hum when turned up. Upon researching this issue I found that there were several other people with pretty much the same issue with the reverb not working. Sone due to loose connections and some due to a faulty reverb tank. Whatever. It became very clear to me with several people having the same issues that QC is definitely asleep at the wheel here. It's no fun having to return a 50 lb amp. The amp itself is beautiful and has the tones that I've been looking for fir a long time. Get it together Vox/Korg and check your products out more thoroughly before sending them out the door. Returning this thing is a major hassle for me. Thank you very much for slacking!!

I was spoiled using a mid 60s deluxe reverb that sounded great that id gotten really use to. It blew up and while in repair I got this expecting not to keep it really. It's a different beast being a Vox. It sounded really boomy/ lots of low end. I turned it on its side and unscrewed the back panel to make it slightly more of an open back cabinet. It's still a little harsh and doesn't take my nobles odr1 overdrive great, but with an EQ pedal I seem to be able to get it where I want. To me it's a little sterile and that could be the speaker not fully broken in. I'm use to playing a vintage speaker. So this amp doesn't really have that squish. Feels a little sterile under your hands but it may just need to be broken in and some better tubes, to get a little more compression. Again Voxes are a different beast I think. It's pretty loud but I still have to dime the master volume and boost it with a overdrive and EQ boost. I'm starting to like it more. It's growing on me. The reverb doesn't take much. There's plenty on tap. I don't bother with the top boost channel. To me it's an aggressive unpleasant sort of breakup that's a little harsh but the controls don't interact the same as a fender so it's just if you want to take the time with it. I'll probably hold onto it for bedroom and practice. To me it can't really hold up as a recording amp simply because it's a little noisy. It's got a high noise floor but what new amp doesn't it seems?

Tried everything over a year to make it sound better. Tube upgrades. Even the bright cap mod. Needs a mid knob in my opinion. It does sound better at louder volumes. At my church our amps are mic'd on stage. So if our amps gets too loud the others on stage complain. I heard other Vox AC15C1 that sound better then mine. I think there may be inconsistencies making these in China. I got a lemon. My Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and my Blackstar amp sound better than the Vox AC15C1.

This is a classic amp and i'm not saying that its horrible. It sounds very thin and has a lot of treble even with it all the way down. It does not sound very full. And for a 1x12, 15 watts is not very much. There are many other tube amps that sound better but this has a distinct sound.

There are so many good reviews on this amp I just hate say anything negative, but I have to. This amp is so so. It's VERY thin sounding and has no body. Used by itself with no PA for band practice will get you nothing but washed out. My drummer says you can hear it then you can't. Loud, bright, but undefined and small sounding. I have a tendancy to wanna turn it up to get some more body out of it but it doesn't happen. It just gets louder, brighter, and thinner. Judge for youself before you purchase, that is for sure.