vox ac 15 or ac 30

nick2282 · 09-16-2006, 04:07 PM

im about to get a new amp soon. I was thinking of the ac 30, but the problem with my amp right now is that it is way to loud and i cant even really turn it up loud enough to get the sound im looking for. are mesas louder than most other brands? i read something on the website that made me think that. Would an AC 15 be significantly less volume than a AC 30 and does the AC 15 sound just as good? would i just be better of with a ac 30 and an attenuator?

**Only Alive** · 09-16-2006, 04:35 PM

I don't think the AC15 has a whole lot less volume than the AC30. It's a different configuration though, 1x12 instead of 2x12, and the lower wattage will let you drive it easier. As for sound quality, I've played an AC15CC1 multiple times at a local store, and I really like it. I've been keeping an eye out for one on ebay...

-Nick

edriver · 09-17-2006, 01:26 PM

An AC-15 in NOT a 15 watt version of an AC-30. Its is a completely different circuit. If an AC-30 has the tone you want, that is the amp you should get. If the master volume on the CC is very good, and it has a bias switch to take it down to 22 watts. It is still loud, but an ac 15 would be just as loud and wouldn't saturate much earlier.

Casey · 09-17-2006, 08:07 PM

Everything that has been said here has been spot on. The clearest solution here, is a major tom attenuator. Great little unit, and cheap. It will let you turn your amp up, while turning the signal to the speakers down. PM him about it.

nick2282 · 09-17-2006, 10:19 PM

does anyone know if mesa is a lot louder than other brands? ive played my amp and my friends lonestar special and they seem louder.

Ax · 09-17-2006, 10:29 PM

i don't think brand matters, what matters is wattage, speaker configuration, speaker ohm settings.. ...

also if you are considering vox... go vintage... that would rock, a late 70's model... wow, i'd give my left adnoid for one of those...

Tim Possible · 09-17-2006, 10:34 PM

Unless you mic your amp a lot, I think it is easier to make a loud amp quiet than it is to make a quiet amp loud.

**Rainer.** · 09-17-2006, 10:40 PM

Besides, once you get loud enough, people won't care how well you play!

Griffon · 09-18-2006, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Besides, once you get loud enough, people won't care how well you play!

Hence the wild popularity of the band "Disaster Area"......

edriver · 09-18-2006, 07:27 AM

Quote:

also if you are considering vox... go vintage... that would rock, a late 70's model... wow, i'd give my left adnoid for one of those...

I have not been a fan of the 70's voxes. They didn't have the typical vox chime as the originals or the JMI reissues, or even the new custom classics.

That said, I pressume that you want the tone that can only be acheived with volume. Well any amp is gonna need to be working to get that tone so ac 15 vs. ac 30 won't matter. You could try an attenuator, but part of the vox tone is the reaction of the celestion blues, which an attenuator would kill. I would recommend that if possible you issolate your amp and mic it. I know it's not always possible to do this, but it will really improve overall tone. If you can't iso your amp, at least don't aim it right at the audience, point it to the back of the stage so that the people up front aren't getting beamed.

Hellfighter · 09-18-2006, 10:07 AM

yes, but iso-ing your amp is not necessarily a prudent solution either. The problem with isolation is that you lose the comunication between your amp and your guitar. You lose all of the feedback and harmonics that pop out and make your tone stand out.

As for attenuators... I've tried both (iso and attenuation)
Our band always uses all wireles in-ear monitors and when the cab was iso'd, my guitar lost some of it's life, but with the attenuator, you can have a great tone, popping harmonics, singing sustain, and all at a good stage volume that will keep your sound man happy. I've found that the amp mic'd at too high of a volume (much more than acceptable sound volumes) sounds worse as the mic is simply blasted by the soundwaves.

Another tip would be a 112 speaker configuration. This would allow you to push one speaker harder (and at a lower volume) than two; this is what I use.

I also have a hand wired AC-30 clone with 18 watts instead of 30 which helps, but honestly it isn't that big of a difference, the amp is still WAY loud

Ax · 09-18-2006, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edriver

I have not been a fan of the 70's voxes. They didn't have the typical vox chime as the originals or the JMI reissues, or even the new custom classics.

are you saying that Queen and ELO used bad amps?

**jamforchrist123** · 09-18-2006, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AXguitar

are you saying that Queen and ELO used bad amps?

He didn't say that they were bad amps, he just said that he wasn't a fan of them.

nick2282 · 09-18-2006, 05:18 PM

anyone ever used the AC vox effect pedal? I saw this online yesterday. It might be better to keep the mesa and buy and attenuator and the vox pedal. no music stores near here carry them to try out.

asiammyself · 09-18-2006, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick2282

anyone ever used the AC vox effect pedal? I saw this online yesterday. It might be better to keep the mesa and buy and attenuator and the vox pedal. no music stores near here carry them to try out.

Its not gonna sound exactly like a Vox.......those two amps you cant even really compare. But if thats the way your looking I think there are a couple pedals that say they sound like a vox......