A Musical Reaction to the Lovely Little Vox AC4TV - From Fingerpicking to Rocking Blues

This video is to put a spotlight on a little Vox amp that I've found much use for over the years! It's a lovely little retro-style amp with three knobs and a lovely sound :)
Worth trying out, if you're looking for a bit of Brit with plenty of grit in a small box.
Shoutout to Elevated Jam Tracks, who's behind the backing for this video:
- / elevatedjamtracks

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Today I'm using: - Gibson Les Paul 2019 Standard straight into the Vox AC4TV, using volume knobs and picking dynamics for gain control. - A bit of reverb on the amp curtesy of Pro Tools. Mixed straight without fader automation to give a realistic portrayal of the dynamics of the amp. Shoutout to Elevated Jam Tracks, who's behind the backing for this video: - kzbin.info Also! Check out my latest single on a streaming service of your choice by going through the link below: - linktr.ee/madsbolding Have a lovely day!

[@SergeiVlassov]

After I tried a lot of different tube amps I found that I like Vox AC4TV the most. And it was the cheapest one. Love its character.

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

It does have its very own personality - particularly for the old school bluesy style, its breakup just does it so well, no pedals needed.

[@patben2330]

Wow I'm astonished : ) Okay I'm buying one of this right away. Very interesting !!! I already own many amps and two Vox amps. My AC30 is from 1967...its clean sound is beyond the beyond...

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

It's a lovely amp to bring with you when you want it work it at its best without making ears bleed. For a three knob amp without reverb, I've used it for a wide variety of styles and concerts, simply because it ticks the basic boxes of what a good electric guitar amp does in a live situation: Cleans up beautifully, can create a bit of grit and overall compresses really nicely given the right input. I hope you'll be happy with yours!

[@jordanlalonde_music]

Beautiful sounding little amp! Great playing, and a fantastic shirt! Paisley rules🤘

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

You sir has so many lovely points in your comment that I have a hard time thanking you enough; may you and yours be happy, and may many nice tones be upon you for many years to come :)

[@hermeticbasementstudiosinc4904]

Whoa, that's such a coincidence! I posted a video about the AC4TV Mini on my channel literally two days ago and I thought no one used this amp anymore. You made it sound amazing and I also love your cinematography.

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

That's funny; I'll check that out for sure :) Thank you so much - I really appreciate it!

[@jordangraf673]

Nice playing! I love Chet. Great sounding little amp.

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thank you a ton, Jordan! Have a nice day out there ^^

[@troybrowne9218]

Excellent demo and fantastic playing good sir! I just picked up an AC4TV with the matching V112TV speaker cabinet for $400 USD, and they included an extra 10” Celestion! Needless to say I am blown away with how great it sounds, especially through the 12” extension cabinet, wow!

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

It's a really nice simple circuit that was well designed - I use the amp from time to time simply because of how good it does what it does! Glad you're liking it - sounds like a nice setup!

[@docsponderings1515]

Wow! Amazing tone! Loved your playing

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thanks man! I really appreciate it :)

[@Dave4291]

Great playing

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thank you so much! :)

[@Stlie1]

Was looking for someone playing slide through the amp. Nice

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Now that you mention it - that's a pretty neat idea!

[@Stlie1]

@@MadsBoldingMusic Looking for that Coodercaster sound with an overdriven amp,

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

@@Stlie1 I could certainly do some slide action with this amp, if you'd be interested to hear my take on it. I think this amp does it well for some dry, dirty slide tone

[@AntonStratocaster]

Very nice!!

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thank you good sir! :)

[@AnnaGlaid]

superb! as usual! I really like the format of musical reactions :)

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

I am once again humbled by the support you show - thank you! May the best of times be ahead for our music :)

[@juantena9073]

Sublime demo

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thank you, my good man!

[@adognamedshinji]

I'm not a fan of blues guitar at all, but your phrasing is really tasteful. Kudos

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thank you so much Daniel - your comment just made my morning! Have a great day

[@adognamedshinji]

@@MadsBoldingMusic I'm glad I could impact your day positively :) thank you friend. You as well!

[@johnanderson27]

Great playing reminds me of hot tuna

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thanks John - really appreciate it :)

[@jacekmat3475]

Hi, great playing, very pleasing sound. I have one question to you - I need an valve amp for home/apartment use. This amps has power scaling. Is it good sounding amp for home use? I play mainly clean with bit of chorus and reverb and my Les Paul. I would be graceful for any hints. Keep rockig!, Best, Jacek

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

The power scaling works pretty well (I typically increase the tone knob a little with each step down, since lower volumes acoustically seem less trebly). Heavy overdrive is not the natural habitat for this amp, but a light crunch will pleasingly come rather quickly with humbuckers/P90's. Simply plug your reverb and chorus into the front, and let your LP sing :))

[@jacekmat3475]

@@MadsBoldingMusic Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Your opinion helps a lot. Thanks!!!

[@johnanderson27]

No I take that back really awesome playing you sold me on that little amp Are you from Denmark? I hope you put out a CD you really got some great feeling in your playing

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

I am Danish indeed, living in Copenhagen. I do record music with different bands, so there's already two albums with my guitar work on them released at this point in time with two more coming out this year. If you're in town, I can sell you an LP for sure!

[@stefanogiannotti7801]

Great playing! Would you suggest this amp (or the two other versions BL and 12 inc) for bedroom playing? I only play in my apartment...

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

If you're happy with a very simple little valve amp, then sure! Of course, it does depend on the tolerance of your neighbours, but its quarter watt mode is pretty quiet, even on a crunchy setting. Still not completely quiet though. If your neighbours don't want to hear you at all, then I'd probably go for something with option for headphones - or maybe a Yamaha THR.

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

The good thing about the Vox AC4 is that it is loud enough on the 4W for a small gig - or even a bigger one, if you have mics on the amps. That's why I got it. It's quiet enough for a home with tolerant neighbours but loud enough to get decent results live or at jams.

[@stefanogiannotti7801]

@@MadsBoldingMusic thank you very much for your answer. Cheers from Italy!

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

​@@stefanogiannotti7801 Prego! Cheers from Denmark :)

[@Rui_Teixeira_Valente]

Does anyone else hear the sound very close to a fender tweed or is it just my head?

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

To me, the midrange is what separates them. The Vox has lower mids, whereas Fender Tweeds generally have their midhumps on higher frequencies. I'd love to get a tweed champ or deluxe to test out this comparison though!

[@Rui_Teixeira_Valente]

@@MadsBoldingMusic If you compare it with the traditional blackface I agree... With the tweed sound, I don't agree so much anymore and I think the sound is very similar. Surreal! Thanks a lot for your attention, for responding and sharing your knowledge

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

@@Rui_Teixeira_Valente It's my joy to have these discussions with my fellow audiofiles ^^ I can certainly agree that these little Vox'es are a lot closer to tweeds than blackfaces ^^ And that's a key reason why I love them so much. It makes them slightly less "Vox"-y, but on the other hand, you get a wonderfully versatile and practical little amp that can punch well its weight. I've played a festival with this thing, using it for on-stage volume in 4W mode and then allowing the engineer full control of my sound. I'd recommend anyone trying the same thing actually ^^

[@Rui_Teixeira_Valente]

@@MadsBoldingMusic I'm suspicious because I also have an ac4tv and I love the sound I get from the amp. I'm thinking of changing the speaker (It's still the same as stock) and valve from the pre to 12at7. We are never satisfied in the search for the best tone

[@Jacob_EstateAgent]

That was justice to the legend Tommy Emmanuel

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

What an absolutely wonderful thing to hear. Have a good day, sir!

[@Jacob_EstateAgent]

@@MadsBoldingMusic Cheers mate , all the best to your endeavours

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

@@Jacob_EstateAgent Thanks - and all the same to you!

[@BladeDoomer86]

Wondering playing sir. It's a very good amp, but it has a very specific tone and color. Not good for pedals i find.

[@MadsBoldingMusic]

Thank you mr.! It does shine with a simple pedal setup. Big sounding distortions and fuzzes won't do well (lack of headroom), but stick a simple delay and some modulation in front of it, and you'll have plenty of fun. It's a simple thing for a simple sound. I've often found myself using it as a second amp for a stereo rig to get that 10 inch sound in there :)