How to Get Great Vox AC10 Tones!

[@thornwivans]

I have a Vox AC10...if I want great tone from it, i turn it on and plug in my guitar....the tone is always amazing...its just a killer amp

[@tonybragg1676]

Same here. I just picked one up yesterday. Always up for tips and tricks though fer sher.

[@shaem482]

It's pretty solid standalone amp for the money definitely

[@Abos_Studio]

That’s true lol I don’t even like messing with pedals on it tbh

[@voiceofexperience]

The AC10 is the best small "clean" to "crunch" amp that I've heard yet in over 30 years of playing. It also has the best digital reverb. I still can't believe the VFM it provides.

[@vincentl.9469]

What is VFM ? I know this amp sounds best with single coils...

[@gordonlewis7570]

@@vincentl.9469 I think VFM = Value For Money.

[@vincentl.9469]

Ok..I happen to own one..

[@roughcutguitars]

​@vincentl.9469 HA! Thought you were missing out on something y'already had? Bonus :-)

[@carterlybrand]

Love my AC10. Been gigging with it for about a year now and it is versatile and easy to carry around. Appreciate the video!

[@bciecko1]

I've got one of these. I have pushed the AC15 into odd settings for cool tones but not the AC10. Gonna be fun trying. Thanks for the great video.

[@benrait6764]

I have had one of these for about a year and I've found that the best way to set your EQ is to first turn the treble and bass all the way down/off. This leaves a pretty punchy midrange sound. From there, you can increase the treble first to the point where it mixes properly with the mids, then do the same with the bass control. Generally (for most people and most guitars), the levels of both treble and bass will be in the 9o'clock or 10 o'clock range. If you turn either much higher than that, you overpower that really rich and punchy midrange and it gets lost. I'm not an expert; just a guy with ears.

[@LearningGilmour]

I run mine with bass and treble off at first and reverb either super low or super high… gain I’m usually at 12 o’clock and Volume I’m usually at noon one-ish. Then I adjust the treble and bass accordingly and I’ve found I really don’t need much from them…. Maybe 8 o’clock ….. My Mexi Fender Strat I play mostly the neck or the bridge..

[@benrait6764]

@@LearningGilmour You must be another guy with ears.

[@LearningGilmour]

@@benrait6764 yes sir, no proper training here 😂😂

[@benrait6764]

@@LearningGilmour Does your Mex strat have alnico pups?

[@paulbradshawguitar]

great tips, been one of my favourite amps for a while, used on sessions/mic'd gigs and home use, only big change was the tubes , highly recommend 6p14p Tubes for the power section (El84 variant) , currently Tung sols in the preamp , but JJs are probably great too , i haven't tried a 5751 or a lower gain tube in V1, that might be one to try, but i like the gain range as is it's been said that turning the bass + treble all the way off is a way of getting the 'normal' channel on VOX amps, instead of the Top boost that it's based on i've tried it through a 2x12 before, but something about the single 10" stock speaker that just sounds the best to me with this amp, go figure as a pedal platform: i've settled on gain around 3 , bass 1-2 , treble 3-4 , reverb 0, master to taste , but usually extremely low at home slight boost to the front end is nice, i'm using a klon style OD and another TS style OD before that for more gain , and using an tape style delay set very low, quick time /1 repeat as a thickener is a lovely clean sound with some pedal reverb , something Matt Schofield showed in his setup with TPS

[@chrismaddie8930]

Jack, I just picked up one of these up because of a great deal passed my way (usually an American style amp guy). I mainly play strats and teles and have been concerned about that brittle sound. I just want to say that your explanations of tones, settings and the like are engaging, helpful and keep me till the end of your videos. Thank you.

[@DonVal86]

Hi Jack, I dusted off my tele and plugged it into my AC10. I’m getting all sorts of tones I didn’t know I could get. Thanks for the tone tips. I appreciate how much thought you put into your advice. 🙏

[@TheGuitarslinger1992]

I just picked one of these up today after searching for a while. Looking forward to diving in! You got some of the best tones I’ve heard out of these amps yet!

[@JackFossett]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@smokingtarheel3003]

You are so correct about the reverb. I keep it lower most of the time. Of course you make this amp sound good in any setting.

[@franklovestojam888]

Hi Jack. I mentioned on one of your previous Vox AC10C1 sound bite videos that I have one as well. I agree with your Bass and Treble pot findings. Your pedal platform suggestion is something that I have tried and it certainly opens up more tonal choices. I took it a step further and tried it in a wet/dry amp setup. Taking two small portable amps to a jam only takes a little more effort. The Radial BIGSHOT ABY switcher makes easy work of combining two amps especially with the reverse polarity feature. Using the Dirty Channel on an Orange Rocker 15 allows me to dial in a great clean sound using the Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble and Volume. Both amps are left in "set and forget" mode and the pedalboard does the rest. I run the Vox dry and use the effects loop on the Orange with Delay and Reverb from a Keeley Caverns. The benefit is that when the two amps are combined the overall volume unexpectedly lifts while the tone becomes smoother and very easy on the ears. Very clear articulate sound. Maybe a future video on combining a couple of your lower wattage amps? Thanks for another easy to understand sound tip video.

[@Dutchnoel]

I’m running the same wet/dry setup with the AC10 and the Rocker 15. A great blend indeed! I replaced both stock speakers with a Eminence RF10 and a Celestion Creamback, respectively. The EQ on the Vox is very responsive, the EQ on the Orange not so much, at least not in my experience. I’m still experimenting to get the best blend. May I ask what your “set-and-forget” settings are?

[@franklovestojam888]

@@Dutchnoel I use the Orange Dirty channel because of the choice of EQ settings. Gain around 9 o'clock and Volume around 3 o'clock. I give it a bit more Bass at 3 o'clock, Mids 11 o'clock and Treble at noon. Run in Full 15 watt mode. The Vox Gain around 9 o'clock, Bass and Treble around noon, Reverb off and Volume around 10 o'clock. I still have the stock speakers in both. The Orange has the warmer tone while the Vox has the bite. Blended together with the Bigshot. These settings are adjusted depending on the room size or outdoors. The pedalboard of course still gives the opportunity to further shape the overall tone and volume.

[@Dutchnoel]

@@franklovestojam888 Thank you for your extensive answer! I will play around with these settings and check back.

[@Dutchnoel]

@@franklovestojam888 Thanks again for sharing your settings! I've experimented for a while and the EQ setting you mentioned for the Rocker are great for my rhythm playing. I like the gain between 11 and 1 o' clock and the volume between 12 and 2 o'clock for edge of breakup tones. The natural channel with the volume on 2 o' clock works great for me too. The Vox gain around 9 o' clock is surely enough, but I like the volume a little higher, around 2 o' clock. I'm using the Weber Mini Mass with the AC10 as an attenuator, so I can get away with that. ;-)

[@franklovestojam888]

@@Dutchnoel I'm glad that info helped. As you could tell by experimenting with my settings I really love a rich full clean tone. My breakup and drive sounds come from the Keeley D&M Drive and Shin's Dumbloid Boost. Thanks for taking the time to describe in detail your preferences.

[@petergraham9267]

I have gone through a TON of amps...."standard", "boutique", high wattage, low wattage, and I still have quite a few of them I dust down every now and then, BUT for my gigging life these days, this "wee" amp is my go to amp every time! Even my AC15 only gets a look in on the biggest of stages very occasionally. DISCLAIMER: I swapped the tubes for more robust versions (EHX and Jus) but the tone is exactly the same, AND I swapped the stock speaker for a Weber Blue Pup.......now THAT made a difference! Just MORE of everything, not different......and MORE volume! That speaker's efficiency means this amp punches WAY above its weight to the point where I now have to attenuate it at all indoor pub gigs! I do not need to go through the PA and ca be heard PLENTY (I keep the Bass tone very low, so the cut through is fantastic - I find the bass affects the grit and can get a bit wooly with the gain stages I use) I play in a funk, soul, classic rock band - 6 piece (solid drummer; bass, keys, sax, singer and me) and at no point have I ever been close to not having enough of anything I need from this amp. I run it with a touch of hair on the tone, and use pedals for everything else, all in the front end (3x gain pedals; delays; modulation; wah; POG Micro for octave stuff.....you name it) and it doesn't miss a beat! Tone for DAYS! (and I'm exclusively an SG player with all that stuff, with no issues at all!) BY FAR the best bang for your buck

[@vincentl.9469]

look out for the hand wired version sometime in summer 2024

[@thelastnic]

Thanks for this because looking for a "bedroom" type amp but I have heard about the "build" quality and the design. I wanted something simple and I do love the Vox tone.

[@72fresh92]

Love my AC10 with my strat, great cleans, impressive reverb. I keep bass quite a bit higher than treble, leave set to clean and use a pedal for overdrive. Amazing amp for the money.

[@vincentl.9469]

the closed back is totally wrong ..you are limited as to speaker choice, power valves too close to magnet

[@72fresh92]

@@vincentl.9469 I have no intention of changing the speaker, for the price, the stock amp is outstanding, imo..

[@vincentl.9469]

@@72fresh92 I've had mine for over 3 years. it came with a Greenback fitted. The Vox tone/voicing is all there and it sounds very good; more so with single coils. JJ valves. I did cut a slot in the back panel and put a baffle between the valves and speaker magnet and attached an ali heat sink to the exposed metal at the back. .worth doing imo..

[@devyntavares8144]

​@@vincentl.9469do you have pictures my friend? Just getting into this world but am a carpenter by trade so I got tools for the job

[@1969RestlessNative]

@@vincentl.9469hi, any chance of pictures please?

[@johnmirabile3535]

, Jack, im sure you will concur, that the ac10 is one of the best in its class.....My label gave me 6 months to finish my blues record...I went crazy, started buying Mashalls, got and returned a matchless and late 60's princeton reverb,...They were good! Then i realized that the best amp i had already was the ac10, i dont know whether i got a good one? but she records so well....I have to be honest the bigger more expensive amps dont record as well as the lower wattage amps...They breakup without blasting the windows out, lol......With some inbox EQ, its an awesome amp....You know as well as i do, Some of the greatest guitar was recorded with small not so expensive amps, like Layla, clapton used a champ i think...We all get infatuated with the gear used yrs ago by our favorite players....Even more so, when there out of our reach..But gear there making today? is amazing...Id say this is 2nd golden age of guitars and gear with the 50s and 60s being the 1st...And i never see you with a bad example of gear on your reveiw videos, your a great player that know his stuff KEEP ROCKIN!

[@lindseyroseblack]

unbelievably helpful thank you!

[@mellowfred8935]

Jack just gotta say thank you help me a whole lot with different things not with just this Vox. Was looking at Vox 10 Fender Champion 100 Line 6 IV. I got the Vox. Personally, I would like to have all three of them ha ha.

[@shaolin1994]

What a nice video. Especially that you do not just make a tone demo, but illustrate how to practically apply the tone knowledge

[@zachgeorge127]

Thanks! Just seeing this but it helped me dial in my AC-10 and it hasn’t sounded better

[@TheOtteroo]

My 2 ac10 amps split to stereo, using a multi pedal, is my primary setup. Gleaned some great Info from the video though.

[@JackFossett]

Very cool! Vox in stereo is a great setup

[@tonybragg1676]

Thanks for the tips. Very helpful. Great job.

[@solomonwaigani4512]

Great review and advice. Many thanks! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@fivewattworld]

Love these little amps Jack.

[@JackFossett]

I agree! There’s something inherently charming and fun about them

[@brendanjames8818]

Just picked one up and love it, it basically plays itself XD

[@digitalfriar6934]

I just picked one of these as my first tube amp. I love the sound, and your guide was helpful in finding some sweet spots. Thanks for the vid!

[@JackFossett]

Glad it was helpful!

[@vincentl.9469]

@@JackFossett look out for the latest HW AC serries inc. the 10 watt model in 2024

[@jbert7289]

Killer amp but I’m checking out your tele. White with gold hardware. Love it.

[@CinkSVideo]

What are your thoughts comparing this to the Supro Delta King?

[@brianwood7237]

Use a Boss GE-7 and boost cut mid-range on this particular amp depending on single coil versus humbucker Fender vs Gibson guitars... The stock speaker is rather anemic but still sounds great if you know how to dial it and understand the celestion mid-range hump... I like to use it as a head plugged into an open back 112 totally changes everything

[@Brianbo4]

Got a steal on the ac15 c1x with the alnico blue speaker - stoked to break it in. Was going to get the western tolex blues Jr… but the vox was just so … voxy

[@u2adrian1000]

Would you recommend these same ac10 settings with a Strat? Or LP? I noticed you primarily used the tele although at the end you used a LP. I know the tele has a character of its own which is distinct from the strat which can be pretty vanilla.

[@BigSifu67]

Late to the party here... This was very helpful, Thank you!

[@nowink1571]

Great video that gives a few ideas to try out for myself on my Pathfinder 15R. Would love to see your take on one of those as well.

[@pekkatervala8476]

Maybe the best bedroom amp ever.

[@thehoursguide]

Awesome video, very helpful, thank you

[@LearningGilmour]

I love the amp I bought it thinking like many it’s a tube amp but it’s not it’s a crossover it’s part solid state and the preamp is the tube I believe…

[@graemero5532]

Great video Jack.

[@mattdoss]

Truly helpful video for me, thanks!

[@deniscassiere]

Hi, first of all thank you. Your videos are very well made and different from a lot of other. Second, question: did you change your Ac10 tubes or you use the ones they come with? Thank you!

[@mattgilbert7347]

New Tele? It looks and sounds aces!

[@vincentl.9469]

I have a problem with this video...are you actually plugged into that AC10? I cant help but feel those settings would make your ears ring!

[@muddrock]

yeah I just got one of these, these settings look like they're freakin' loud. I've found that loudness doesn't come through the mic tho

[@voxpathfinder15r]

I haven’t played my AC10C1 much. But with Vox amps I am a bass on noon, treble at 2:00 o’clock kind of guy.

[@jimmythefish]

I prefer mine with the bass cut in almost all situations. I also prefer to dial the treble up and ride the tone knob on my guitar.

[@thebrysmith3]

Thank you for this.

[@JackFossett]

My pleasure!

[@ckallaher]

Great video, Jack! Like @DonVal86 I too dusted off my Tele and boy does it sound sweet on these settings. (I can't believe I was thinking about selling my American Standard Tele. What the hell was I thinking???) I am also very curious about how your studio is set up for these videos. The reason I ask is that on most of these settings I still had to turn the volume down quite a bit because it was quite loud here in my attic office. Do you have the amp isolated in some way that you can use higher volumes? Of course, it sounds awesome at higher volume but I can only do that when no one else is home!

[@JackFossett]

Thanks! I can get pretty loud in the studio where I am, its well sound proofed and doesn't bother anyone but the family. And they all think it's cool! Although the truth is, even if you turn the same settings down to more reasonable volumes, Ive found they still sound pretty good. I don't subscribe to the common belief that amps need to be roaring in order to sound good. I've gotten some of my favorite tones ever at low volumes.

[@bciecko1]

I have turned up the bass and the treble though, both equal and to about 3 o'clock. With my jag. No issues with icepick there. I don't usually play with a pick though, that might make a difference. Using Genders Pure Vintage '65 jag pups.

[@JackFossett]

Cool! Don't hear about players using a Jag into a Vox all that often but I bet thats a great pair

[@bciecko1]

@@JackFossett Short story here, but worth it. Early 2020, covid hits and everything closes. My daughter takes guitar lesson me but they were done via Face Time for a while then. I brought my AC15 upstairs where the computer is for her to have lessons. Meanwhile I have a Jag on order that's also delayed because of supply issues. Eventually the guitar comes and it's sweet. I'm playing it through a Hot Rod Deluxe Reverb though. Came time to change strings and I thought I'd treat the fretboard too so I brought the guitar upstairs to work on whikemwe had family TV night. I finished up and thought I'd play a little. The AC15 was upstairs. I hadn't plugged that Jag into it yet. Oh man, I hadn't heard the Jag sound like that before. I hadn't heard the AC15 sound like that before. A jag and an AC15 are made for each other. Absolute best combo ever.

[@JackFossett]

@@bciecko1 I love happy accidents like that.

[@enonknives5449]

Sounds great. A must have amp -- a Vox mandate. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

[@JackFossett]

Dad Jokes are not only welcomed but encouraged on my channel.

[@tjnugent62]

All of the great guitarists use their volume pot, tone too. My rhythm volume on a Fender is about 7 and go up for solos or heavier parts.

[@TA-kx5jm]

Thoughts on this vs a 68 custom Princeton reverb? Home use only. Thanks!

[@JackFossett]

It’s actually a harder choice than you’d expect - I think this amp edges the Fender in versatility and also obviously cost. I think the Fender is generally a better quality amp though. Given a choice between the two I’d probably take the Fender, but I’m also more of a Fender amp person overall so my opinion is a bit skewed. Either amp would seriously benefit from a speaker upgrade too.

[@worldwide1376]

Is this amp loud enough clean to fill a medium sized living room?

[@H-TownAce]

Most definitely

[@tjnugent62]

Before good PA and Monitor Systems readily available, stage volume meant something completely different. As far as I am concerned you don't need a lot of power to play. I found that if I can hear myself clearly enough to tell what I am doing, I am fine. Most sound men want you to be dead quiet. For my situation, it depends on what drummer shows up that night The older guy plays quietly and the younger guy is a masher and hits is drums and cymbals loud. Perhaps my ears have changed with age, but I can't hang with loud sounds anymore. I love a good sounding concert though..

[@anup_pinkfloydian]

I'm unable to play analog pedals + multi effects processors jointly (like my other amps) with vox AC10C1... They play well seperately.. what could be the reason(s)?

[@jamjar20049]

Your digital pedals will need a separate power supply, don't share the same power supply that the analog pedals use. If you do you might hear digi noise which can sound like a whistle.

[@rockinvida1960]

Lyle over at Psionic Audio thinks these amps are total garbage. I wouldn’t ho that far but mine was noisy out of the box and I knew it would need a speaker upgrade and mods if I was going to record with it. Sent it back. Gonna try the Supro Delta King 10…

[@rosadin]

Can you use headphones on this amp?

[@nicholastaylor6455]

Hi Jack, love this, thank you, quick question, are you playing with a pick or your thumb?

[@JackFossett]

Thank you! I’m a hybrid picker. Pick and my middle finger.

[@nicholastaylor6455]

@@JackFossett thanks Jack, great video, im going to re-visit my AC10, ive had treble & bass on way too high, but im playing at lowish volumes

[@defh2o]

Try installing a Weber DT10P speaker in the AC10… much better than the stock speaker or even a cream back!

[@JackFossett]

Ya know I wanted to keep this video focused on what you can do with it stock, but thats pretty much exactly what I'll do if I keep it

[@defh2o]

@@JackFossett the Weber still has the Vox chimes but has a bit low end and I think it’s more open/clear.

[@JackFossett]

@@defh2o I’m a huge Weber speaker fan in general!

[@defh2o]

@@JackFossett do another video! Lol I love my AC10 now

[@cloudburst1215]

Thanks David, I have been looking for a speaker replacement for the AC10. This one is made to fit the shallow back of the AC10!

[@christopherguzzi1316]

Is this amp really worth $600? Seems like a lot for a 10 watt tube amp with digital reverb and a 10 inch speaker.

[@JackFossett]

Due to inflation- as I recall they were $400 when they were introduced. $600 does seem like a lot, but when you compare it to relative products and look at all the progressive price changes I think it seems more reasonable.

[@poissonrouge7559]

Hello, j'ai depuis quelque temps ce vox , il faut surtout attendre que le haut-parleur soit rodé, il faut le jouer. La membrane du Celestion va s'assouplir et donnera un son plus doux. Les réglages se feront plus naturellement... Ce Celestion est bien conçu, pas besoin d'upgraded. Les lampes non plus. Bon produit.

[@johnmirabile3535]

And in the vox's defense? like you said it cuts in the mix, and doesnt record as tinny and brittle, in a band setting, it will round out a bit....

[@lanceriffle4841]

what model is that tele. I like!

[@JackFossett]

Limited Edition American Original 50s~

[@rockinvida1960]

Lyle over at Psionic Audio thinks these amps are total garbage. (But he loves the AC15.) Mine was noisy out of the box and I knew it would need a speaker upgrade and mods if I was going to record with it. Sent it back. Gonna try the Supro Delta King 10…

[@rainypath96]

All speakers usually have a break in period that lessons the harsh tone you get with a new speaker

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

He complains about everything' thinks he has the solution to everything. There's other amp tec channels out there that are just as and more knowledgeable than having to listing to his negative opinionated BS. I have 2 of these amps' stock form' run them in stero' no noise issues.

[@alexdostoievsky5550]

What is your favorite tube amp to play at home?

[@JackFossett]

Actually -- for my own enjoyment, I play acoustic guitar probably 90% of the time. When I do play plugged in, I use either my Twin or Super Reverb. I just like a nice big clean tone on my own. When I rehearse and perform I mostly use Fender blackface amps or Supro amps.

[@johnmirabile3535]

100 PERCENT RIGHT! THE VOLUME AND TONE KNOBES AND LOSING SOME TREBLE AMD BASS, ITS ALMOST FEELS ;LIKE AN ATTENUATOR, SORTA...DEFINITLY GIVES IT SOME CREAM..

[@ummagumma7826]

Love my AC10, if you really want to hear it sing, plug into a 2x12 extension cab. Its amazing. Here it is just straight in without a cab ext kzbin.infoxKTE6-siVbY

[@BreadandFaxes]

It's a simple, relatively simple. Ok

[@DanielDavis730]

No return& send. Thats a no go

[@MrDaigoRiki]

Why you wanna comfortable sound? I guess for you, lots of guitar players love an intense tone. You are too old, go listen to Journey.

[@JackFossett]

Do not cite the deep magic to me, witch - I was there when it was written.