Vox AC10C1 Combo Guitar Amp

Product Information

The AC10C1 is equipped to produce that perfect Vox ‘chimey’ tone. With the gain control set low you get a rich warm clean sound. Add in some more gain and it soon starts to venture into a creamy overdrive territory that Vox are so well known for. The clean (chimey?) tones are amazing, which is what I'm mostly looking for. The adjective "deep" comes to mind. Exceeds expectations in clean tones. Circuitry plus the 10 inch Celestian speaker seem perfectly matched.

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. I have own many amps throughout the years and you just know when you plug into one if its talking to you. In addition, the new AC10 adds a digital reverb circuit, and it’s lush and wide-ranging. Plus, it’s certainly simple and portable. The original 1960s AC10 featured a single tone control, but we have added more control on the AC10C1 with a Bass and Treble circuit that adds different and versatile tone setup and enhances the various levels of gain. NEW products: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.For those of you wondering, this amp is definitely loud enough for gigging at a small bar, even with a drummer. I have it in my basement operating at half volume and my ears are starting to really ache. I have no doubt this would work at a small gig, even without a mic.

Oh yeh, did I mention "loud"??? This amp has got volume to spare--totally beyond expectations--mind boggling volume. Our sole complaint: the controls are a bit peaky. Turn up the reverb, and at a certain point, it’s on, really on. Ditto for the Treble and Bass knobs. This isn’t a problem, but you’ll need to learn to finesse those controls and find their sweet spot. 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. With a simple design like this it all comes down to tone as there are no bells and whistles to attract potential customers with, so how does the AC10C1 perform? Starting with a clean tone, the gain set low and master volume set high it is immediately apparent just how much this amp sparkles and chimes. Classic Vox cleans are present straight away with a load of dynamics that are so much fun to play. At these settings there is plenty of clean headroom from the master volume but you’d be hard pushed to play with a loud drummer on stage if clean tones are your thing or you need a clean amp for running pedals into.

The Vox AC10RT was equipped with three Goodmans 10" stamped frame speakers with alnico magnets. An impedance value of 15Ω was imprinted on the rim of each speaker (see photo at left). As the trio of 10" 15Ω speakers was wired in parallel, a total load of 5Ω (15Ω÷ 3 = 5Ω) was presented to the output stage of the amplifier. Easy to hit the sweet spot at a variety of volume levels (playing light is clean and punchy, playing harder has that drive sound) More portable than the AC15 and more powerful than the AC4, the AC10C1 features the classic Top Boost tone circuit that provides an array of classic and modern tones. Now equipped with reverb and a master volume, the AC10C1 is the perfect companion for the home, studio or stage. 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 size - I got this amp exclusively because of its small size and low wattage, but make no mistake, this amp can keep up at a gig no problem. The size is absolutely perfect, especially because of the small car I drive (Honda Fit), and I have no problem toting this amp, my guitar, and my pedal board all in one trip from car to venue. The amp is fairly light, maybe 35 pounds. It's very loud. Will easily cut through the mix even with a loud drummer. This is totally giggable for small to medium venues. I would mic this for a really loud venue. 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.In terms of overall sound, the AC10 doesn't sound boxy like some other small amps in this category. An AC15 sounds more boxy to my ears than this amp.

With its small format but big sound, the AC10C1 will be at home anywhere. Whether practicing at home, jamming with friends, small gigs or recording, the AC10C1 is the perfect choice. You just plug in and sound great! Many amps equipped with the AC-10 "Super Reverb" chassis, such as those shown in the pictures shown at left, were equipped with a traditional (and separate) anodized aluminum control panel. While gray anodized control panels seem to be more common, red panels were also produced. However, some AC-10 "Super Reverb" chassis do not have an anodized control panel. The control panel nomenclature on these amps was silk screened directly to the leading edge of the aluminum chassis as a cost saving measure. 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.

It's got "top boost" voicing, meaning the highs are very defined. It's not at all shrill. It had a nice sparkle in the top end and has the nicest clean sound I have heard.