Vox AC10C1 Combo Guitar Amp

Product Information

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 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. 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. I get some great output coupled then with mic'ing up and running through the house PA. Yet this little beast can be tamed down for the home and still give that great clean to grit tone of the VOX.

Customer Added Media

The AC10C1 is an extremely responsive amp with a crisp and bright tone, which is that Top Boost at work. Yet you can coax high-gain overdrive out of it with a twist of the dials. This adds up to impressive flexibility. Exactly 50 years after the original was discontinued, the new AC10C1 joins Vox’s Custom Series, its flagship line of tube amps (make that, valve amps). And just as in the olden days, it slots nicely between the revived AC4 and AC15. Yet the 10 now includes more desirable bells and whistles than ever before.

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.

Highest Rated Reviews

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. 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. The AC10 Super Reverb Unit chassis could be installed into the LW30 cabinet with very little rework by JMI, making it easy and cost effective to for Vox to introduce the AC10RT 3x10 amplifier. The AC10 was one of the first amplifiers to bear the VOX name and has long been adored for his ability to achieve rich, articulate tube tone at very manageable volumes. For this reason, the AC10 has become a highly coveted piece of VOX history since it's discontinuation in 1965. Now in 2015, VOX is proud to introduce the AC10C1, a modern take on this classic design.

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.

Customer Reviews

In addition, the new AC10 adds a digital reverb circuit, and it’s lush and wide-ranging. Plus, it’s certainly simple and portable. This is a great value for an amp with this much useable tone. If you gig, you probably have a PA - mic this thing up and enjoy those fat, jangly tones without blistering the front row. If you just need a practice amp that will go easier on your auditory health, this is a great choice. I keep one in my rehearsal room with a bunch of more expensive low wattage amps and this little Vox certainly holds its own. I used it last night just after using my go-to favorite '64 Fender Princeton and was, once again, surprised at how good this little dude sounds - and it's about 1/4 of the cost of the baby Fender. The design of the AC10RT 3x10 and LW30 cabinets strayed away from traditional Vox design in several ways. While the top ⅓ of the front panel of a typical Vox combo amplifier was covered with vinyl and the lower ⅔ was covered with grill, the AC10RT 3x10 featured a front panel that was fully grilled from top to bottom. The location of the control panel was relocated from the traditional horizontal location at the top of the amp to a vertical position on the upper rear of the AC10RT3x10. This is a sweet and simple amp with fantastic tone. Once broken in, the speaker sounds great. It plays well with pedals as well.