Vox AC4 vs AC30. Comparison. Great audio!

[WeLovePizza2012]

What is the first song in the video?

[WeLovePizza2012]

Hey i heard the vox clip in another comparison video -.-

[chonizo]

OMFG Say it ain't so (Y)

[ElevenBravo]

People - please bear in mind that the AC4 can be bought for around $150 street price. It truly is "the little tube amp that could"!

[DudeXMyster]

what song is that? 1st played tune

[ElevenBravo]

@DudeXMyster Weezer - Say It Ain't So

[constructivereconcil]

Have you ever tried to run your AC30 at half power by removing tubes as I read about, can't remember where...

[MattTuffMusic]

@constructivereconcil thats not really a good idea with a cathode biased amp. It is however possible on a Super Lead Marshall for example.

[constructivereconcil]

@MattTuffMusic I don't remember where I read that, maybe it was a different amp. I'd like an AC10, or an AC4 with a pentode for V1.

[Deel73]

i would like to see the covers to these songs played

[antigrav118]

it really does make the ac4 sound bad in comparison. And i suppose it should.

[EPICFAILSAM]

I'd love to hear the ac4tv after that speaker has been broken in a lot

[MFJord1]

nice demo! maybe you can try to use them through the same speakers, then you can realy compare them.

[jfrizzlle]

I thought the first clip was the AC4 and I was like "WHAT THE FUCK"

[Deel73]

i like the Vox AC4

[smackenurjunk]

wow, i actually like that ac4 the way it sounds on this vid, muddy and grainy. Is there an amp around that can produce that sound naturallly?

[patrickisbusy]

Are people really trying to say that the AC30 sounds better because this guy was unfair to the AC4 in recording quality?

People expecting the AC4 to sound as good (let alone better) than an AC30 are silly. And they've obviously not spent enough time with an AC30.

[letsrun98]

Mr cab driver FUCK YOU!



[letsrun98]

Mr cab driver FUCK YOU!

[TheNova117]

dude, the audio of the ac4 sucks. its peaking pretty much the whole time making it sound like ass. not a great comparison

[sathanocracy]

of course they are both made in china

[solenelle]

Vox ac4 sounds way better than this. I think it needs an acoustic environment to breathe.

[TommyGuitarful]

Great demo, really good sound, but you didn't need to post a video to answer the original question :)

I'm gonna have to go with the AC4TV though, as I think my neighbours will dissagree with the majority vote here :P

[n2dabloo]

Nice comparison. I've the money to buy either, but my needs justify the smaller one :). I'm bringing it to my ship in Africa. I think they'd fire me if I turned up the '30 halfway, lol. The little AC4 is sitting proudly right beside me... What an amp! Damn, I love this little woman. Thrash and trash mouth she is. I do have to play with her to get her to talk clean though.

[Hellozan11]

AC30 wins this one.

[Commiteee]

Is the VOXAC4 just a 4watt version of the Vox AC30?

[miclevine]

Wow - I have a Vox AC4 and it sounds TONS better than your audio examples. I got my AC4 8" speaker for $150 used, and it kicks ass! Sounds like you just chose very poor settings on the amp. I've been an audio engineer for 10 years. It may not be AS good as an AC30, but it's not this bad either.

[peskypesky]

well, this decided me against picking up an AC4. hate to say it, but it sounds like a toy in comparison to the AC30. i do understand that it can sound much better driving a cabinet, but then that defeats my purposes of having a small portable practice amp.

[wwit63]

Good Demo. Sounded like a fair account. Both great amps. The AC4TV's only drawback is its speaker. But what could you want from a $250USD combo? The AC4 realy shines when its accompanied by a decent cab and speaker(s). Matched up to the right speaker and I would bet that most folks wouldnt be able to tell the difference between the AC30 and the AC4 set to simular settings.

[nicero870]

Like your demo of Lenny's "Mr. Cab Driver". I have the AC4 and think it's great. I actually use it mike'd on stage in church every Sunday and it hasn't let me down.

[29396]

Hey man, pretty cool demo, what was that first song you played?

[420jumbo]

yeah man, try the ac4 head and cab with the 12". I have that at home and it kills on guitar

[markwinfield]

Excellent demo, and to me proves the AC4 is somewhat comparable to an amp far louder and more expensive. Question for anyone.........I'm using an Epi Les Paul Custom with an AC4, and I hear everyone talking about volume roll off to clean up. When I do, I lose virtually all treble. I am on the 1/4 watt setting, so as to not get an ASBO, is this the problem, or is the guitar just crap!?!

[Eoon]

Man, you should try the treble bleed mod for your volume controls. Go google it, it's really easy to apply!

[paulvcarter]

@markwinfield - Try using a treble booster in front, Fryer or a covington pedals. You can then have all the clean and distortion on the volume pot.

[damienl]

It's the way modern guitars are wired, combined with the types of capacitors used in cheaper production line guitars. My Epi LP is the same when I roll the volume down. I built my first guitar a few months ago, and I used slightly more expensive electronics (spent about $20 on decent pots and caps and stuff) and wired it in the "50's" style and it sounds BEAUTIFUL with the volume rolled down.

If you're any good with a soldering iron, google "50's wiring for les paul".

[eddieramone2]

@markwinfield the electronics usually do that for lower end guitars. epi les paul customs are pretty good though. you should get that checked out

[TommyGuitarful]

@markwinfield it's probably not the guitar. There are various ways you can fix this, but the easiest (and best imho) is to put a resister over the volume pot, which lets the trebble through as turn down the volume. A very easy and cheap mod to do.

[chuecco]

It'd be great to hear a comparison but using a 1x12 with the ac4, there it would kick ass

[tonymedina34]

Its been said here that the AC30 is not the amp for home/bedroom use. Does anyone have an opinion on the use of the AC15 for home/bedroom use?

Thanks.

[eatthemoon13]

@tonymedina34 Yea I have a ac15cc1 I love it. But i live with people and my daughter to get a good sound evryone ones always bitching for me to turn it down.sucks i never get to enjoy it. I may sell it for a av4tv and some pedals intill i get my own place.

[michaelgroenewald7]

@tonymedina34 still be very very loud

[Kapteinar]

There's no point comparing these amps without a real cab for the ac4.

[TheFly360]

I think the AC4 sucked here. No offence to you, Matt. And thanks for the vid btw! :D I played one in the store and it sounded much better than it did here (AC4). But as said, you can't judge an amp from a YouTube video. The AC30 sounded much more alive. But what would you expect, it costs 1 grand! Great videos of the AC4 man. You're best bet is to try them out yourself. If just use a video you're not going to really understand an amps true character.

[eldorado2057]

@TheFly360

I agree. I have both the AC4TV and AC15CC1, the AC4 sounds good alone, but side by side it lacks the high end of the larger Vox amps, just like the one in this video. And my AC4 went dead after just 5 months of light use in my home. Check the Vox forum for other similar stories. Most of the failed amps display the same symptom, they just go dead while you're playing, usually (maybe always) on the 1/4 watt setting. The LED lights but no sound. Be aware if you're GASing for an AC4.

[olalator]

intro is killing) cool sound

[dutch04]

My opinion is the AC30 sounds better.

[StratoCatser]

you don't have the tone far enough up on the ac4...

[MattTuffMusic]

@StratoCatser It actually makes close to zero difference when its cranked anyway. I've tried it in a lot of positions and i like it best overall at about 2 o'clock.

[SuperB00gs]

weezer

[Frontierblues]

The ac 4 has the crunch and warm sounds but no real chime

[marc12marc]

@Frontierblues

There is definately not the top end sparkle of the AC15 or AC30. You are right.

[Vvviiinnnccceeennttt]

VERY nice sounds!

[Umuliuz]

What would be interesting was to test the head version of the VOX AC4, and match the cab and speakers in the AC30. Then we´d see how the amp compares. Of corse the 10" in the AC4 falls a bit short.

[LeadfootFlat]

@Umuliuz ive got the ac4 head plugged into a 112 epi cab and its has alot more response and warmth too it. also does all of the distorting from the tubes not the speaker. the amp sounds infinately better, however i would not recommend the 112 cab that vox made to match this amp. particle board and sounds like it.

[philotze]

@Umuliuz

well said. the head and cab makes a lot of difference compared to the combo 10'

[markjamesmason]

@Umuliuz I've done that with a friend before with his AC30 Extension cabinet, there was almost no audiable difference. Now of course the AC30 was a hell of a lot louder.

[desode9]

@Umuliuz You hit the Nail RIGHT ON THE HEAD ! I was gonna say the same thing but you beat me to it !

[olelancucki]

Ac4TV pwned... however, im still goin to buy it :)

[joakim456]

VOX AC30 all the way, but the ac4tv gotta be the best cheap amp out there

[SuperB00gs]

VOX AC30 for gigs, AC4 for home practicing? :)

[MattTuffMusic]

@SuperB00gs thats pretty much how i use them.

[jujucaster64]

it sounds like you're trying to make the AC4 sound like shite on purpose. An Ac4 doesn't sound that bad come on!

[MattTuffMusic]

Nope, definetly not! I wanted to use a really easy mic placement and the same on both amps. It sure effect the tone though.

I really like my AC4. I use it alot and still think its the best cheap low wattage amp. If people honestly think a small amp like the AC4 can compare to a ~1400 AC30 thats just wrong... Its still just to find out if there is actually a vox in the little vox :)

[jujucaster64]

Sorry mate if I offended you. I just thought the AC4 didn't sound terrible here...I once tried that little combo in a shop, then we plugged it in a engl 4x12 and it really didn't sound like a little amp anymore. I thought about buying one but then bought an AC30 H2L.

It turnes out the AC30 is unusable for me, I would need an attenuator but instead I'm getting rid of it and probably getting an AC4 head with a good cab.

[jujucaster64]

In the kind of amps, check out the audio kitchen "little chopper". A lot of people use it in the studio, including the edge.

[nicero870]

I'm not sure why some people log onto Youtube just to critisize others, but I guess some people need SOMETHING to do...

Anyway, thanks for the great demo. I bought an AC4 w/10 inch speaker as an upgrade from a 600 Champion and it rocks. I'm not really one for all the heavily distorted sounds, but even the clean headroom on the AC4 at 4 watts kills the Champ. It's more versitile to boot. Any suggestions for getting more CLEAN headroom in the AC4? Would different tubes do the trick or what?

[MattTuffMusic]

Thank you! And yes putting in for example an 12AT7 will increase headroom quite a bit. Give it a shot! :)

[spentonmediocrity]

"just to critisize others"

Nah,it's about letting prospective buyers know that the amps sound appreciably different than what they are hearing here...

Nobody barked,nobody has hurt feelings...I'm just passing on my experiences.Pulling the mic back makes a real difference.

[MattTuffMusic]

Well, if people start judging amps 100% from YT thats their problem. You have to have some kind of a reference. Thats why i put it up against other amps.

Also the YT clip sounds quite crappy compared to the original. Quite compressed and less alive.

[spentonmediocrity]

Not the best mic use here.

Mics are EXTREMELY sensitive to position change when used up close,IE it's very difficult to accurately compare the amp's tones.

Pulling the mic back will add ambience and remove some of that graininess,makes it less sensitive and better reflects how the amp sounded in the room.

[MattTuffMusic]

Yes! But the interesting thing here is that the placement are the same between the amps.

[9216v]

The AC4 is badass.

I picked up the head version. retubed it and armed a valve jr 1x12 cab with a uk made celestion blue. pure tone bliss.

[FRIJJMONSTA]

the AC4 sounds really bad

[MattTuffMusic]

No definitely not! Keep in mind that it's compared to an amp about 5 times the price!

And also, the AC30 is so loud its almost TO loud even with earplugs. The AC4 is almost low enough to not ware any.

[legebakkenb]

I want that Vox chime for home use. Is there an alternative to this AC4. Does the night train play low and nice at 7 watts ?

[TheLinsen]

Thanks a lot for this comparison! I was thinking about getting the AC4 for my first amp, but after hearing it against the AC30 I'm not so sure anymore. The 30 is so much richer and more complex and has oodles of depth. Makes the AC4 sound boring and flat.

That said, I thought the same about the Champ600 when hearing it against the AC4. In fact, in that price range and at that wattage, I haven't heard anything beter than the AC4, yet. But maybe I need to save up more money.

Great playing, btw!

[MattTuffMusic]

Thank you. There is one tiny little thing though. The AC30 does not sound that great at lower volume. For this recording it is cranked and REALLY loud! Too loud even with earplugs for a small room. But its when you really push the AC30 that it shines.

Take into consideration when and where you are gonna use the amp. Because i would not recommend an AC30 for home use ever. The sound is achievable with smaller amps as well.

[TheLinsen]

Oh, yeah, the AC30 is definitely not the amp for me. With 30 tube Watts there's no way I could use it at home to it's potential. I was more thinking that I might have to save up for a more expensive amp in the 5W category.

I have yet to try some out myself and the AC4 is still on the list along with a few other more expensive ones.

[1958lespaul1]

What mic are you using on the AC4TV? A Shure SM57? I've found the SM57 to be a very unflattering mic for the AC4TV, makes it sound raspy, overly compressed and not well defined. The AC4TV sounds better and more natural recorded with a good condenser mic.

[MattTuffMusic]

Good though but i just wanted to use something pretty much everyone can relate to. It might however, be a bit unfair.

But i really agree with you. It would probably make it sound better overall.

[TheCaptainW]

Really cool guitar playing!

I loved the AC30's sound, the AC4 is not too bad too even against the AC30. Can you tell us a bit more about your AC30, there are quite a lot of different version and i'm a bit lost, can you also tell us about the mods you've made if you've made some?

[MattTuffMusic]

Thank you! Its originally an AC30CC2. I've done a re-tube with some JJ's and a NOS Tungsram in V1. I've also changed the plate resistors to the original AC's.

And i use a UK made Celestion blue and not the crappy (my opinion) Chinese ones. Along with a stock Wharfedale which actually sounds really good. But I've only miced the blue.

[ADPFUCKER]

The new chinese Vox DOESN´T EXIST !!!! make the comparison with a 1964 JMI VOX AC 30 or any british Vox, you will see the truth

[MattTuffMusic]

You ovbiously don't know very much about Vox Amplifiers.

The CC is actually the closest reissue of the original one for many years. Apart from the internal differences its the best sounding AC30 since the originals in the 60's.

With a few simple mods and if you like, some quite expensive. Even the most dedicated Vox guru won't be able to tell de differences in a blind test.

[ADPFUCKER]

I know a lot.

New Vox = Shit

Respect to the old AC 30, BRITISH AND BEATLE AMPLIFIER

[MattTuffMusic]

I'm sorry but that statement tells me everything about your knowledge. I'm sorry you feel that way, but i can't see what you base this on.

All the respect to the original AC30 but it did have a lot of reliability issues that are now alot better.

[ohwell121]

come on chill out. dont you think they can recreate their own amplifiers?

[ohwell121]

still +1, i think thumbing down is gay

[Jaredrock1996]

The ac30 sounds more jangly. I dont really like jangly stuff. For this comparison id go with the ac4tv

[Ilovemyfender2]

Which AC30 is that? The cheaper one or the more expensive one with the better speaker?

[MattTuffMusic]

This one has one real non Chinese made Celestion blue and one Warferdale. This makes the amp very sweet imo. And i would say even better than the crappy Chinese blue's that comes stock in the CCX.

I've only miced the Blue so thats what you are hearing.

[111Makai111]

I believe I just like the playing, great tone from YOU, great rhythm!!!

[joemunkey30]

just ordered the ac4tv! =]

oh and i subed you

great videos

[MattTuffMusic]

Good luck with your new purchase!

And thank you :)

[alltweed]

I just ordered ac4 and I have a 16 ohm cab with 2x12 heritages: gh30, GM12 Greenback to run with it.... Should be nice!...Will post when get. 10" and 2x12s is really tuff to pull off meaningful comparison imo.

[MattTuffMusic]

It's gonna sound great! I was about to demo the AC4 with my AC30's speakers really soon. Could be fun to hear the differences with your cab and my Celestion Blues.

[lexist7]

plug the tiny terror into the celestion blues as well!

[nicennice]

Yeah thanks. Great idea. Do you think that the AC4 might therefore benefit from a better speaker to get closer to the clarity of the AC30?

[MattTuffMusic]

well, i don't really know but i really hope so.

I haven't seen any AC4 with another speaker but if i but it through my AC30's speakers it does pretty great.

[hkyz]

thnx man , how about ac30 vs TT ??? ;>

[MattTuffMusic]

Well, you have to do the work on that, I have both up. Please do the comparison judging from that.

[jgmedina]

say it aint so

[xr650r01]

Love the TV for what it is! Sweet little tube amp and inexpensive! Rock star tones - definitively VOX - just cool as hell. Sure, the 30 is king, but a significant investment as well! Nice comparo.

[sectado]

yeah man!

Nice Comparison, thanks!

[lexist7]

ac30 vs TT would be cool too!

[MattTuffMusic]

Yea i might make one of those. The TT is kind of an AC15 on crack. :)

[lexist7]

nice! i'm looking at a tiny terror head for an ac30 meets marshall plexi tone. hope it fairs well. :)

[MattTuffMusic]

Well, I've made the TT comparison now. Check it out!