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Vox AC-4 1x10 combo

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:52 am
by fetch
I recently purchased a new amp to go along with the big 'move' that I have planned this coming Saturday. I'm moving out to my own place with another 3 people and needed something smaller than my AC15. I don't play at obnoxious levels but I do like both clean and distorted tones. I don't like clean-clean but I do like the well-rounded, bell-like ringing. I used to be able to do it easily with my AC15 having owned it for 4 years.

Does anyone know of some mods or swap overs (I'm thinking of a 12ay7 + speaker change) which should free up a bit of headroom? For the time being... I'm kind of panicking that I made the wrong decision. The AC4 sounds sweet on it's own and all but as soon as I run a pedal through it... boom. No tonnez. I could get much better low volume tones from my AC15 barely on than I am with the AC4. I'm using a Keef-like Telecaster I made myself.

The idea is to have a stereo rig by the end of it with the AC4 running mostly clean and another similar amp doing the distortronzzzz.

Re: Vox AC-4 1x10 combo

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:32 pm
by Sockgazer
I had this problem with the AC4 too. Try dropping the normally useless tone knob fairly heavily down when using pedals with it. Otherwise everything will sound kinda "voxy" and a bit fizzy too.

The AC4's speaker seems to be a bit on the full range size which seems to be causes a lot of the less than favourable opinions of it on the odd time they come up. Headroom is an issue too. It has none.

Re: Vox AC-4 1x10 combo

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:01 pm
by htsamurai
this is why I went with the used Labseries L5 than with the used AC4
I couldn't find anything to justify the price :/

Re: Vox AC-4 1x10 combo

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:12 am
by fetch
Sockgazer wrote:I had this problem with the AC4 too. Try dropping the normally useless tone knob fairly heavily down when using pedals with it. Otherwise everything will sound kinda "voxy" and a bit fizzy too.

The AC4's speaker seems to be a bit on the full range size which seems to be causes a lot of the less than favourable opinions of it on the odd time they come up. Headroom is an issue too. It has none.

THIS is right on the money. I like when I can tell someone has actually played an amp :yay:

I find it weird with the 'wide range' and 'no headroom' thing that's going on tho... I always figured it'd be the opposite? But I was proven wrong with the AC4. I might try it through another 10" because I quite liked it through a 1x12 cab. Definite big let down is with the speaker me thinks. I'm just not prepared to shell out %50+ of the amps value on an aftermarket speaker.

Re: Vox AC-4 1x10 combo

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:12 am
by fetch
htsamurai wrote:this is why I went with the used Labseries L5 than with the used AC4
I couldn't find anything to justify the price :/

Haven't heard of them but chances are they'd be stupid hard to come by where I'm from. My assumption from having not ever heard of them :lol:

I'll google in the time being.