Vox AC15C1X | Mods for Tone and Longevity

[@michaellistov8493]

Lol this video is only good for you wife to make excuses why you come home late for dinner XD author is really failing to make sense of what mods wore made or haw it’s affecting anything. Why even make this video ? XD

[@PsionicAudio]

Golf clap. You are in the lead this week.

[@ProfVonW]

😂

[@BCEpedals]

@michaellistov8493 are you that dense? Do you not know how to distinguish a summary from a tutorial when the intention of this video is obviously not a tutorial.

[@antonix_81]

whoever is curious about the mods he did on this amp , just go back and search for other videos where he explanes the mods and why , resistor on normal channel for example and few other things that make an already good amp a great amp , great work Sir 🤘🏻

[@ManicMaximus]

I've been playing an AC15C1 for a few years as my first tube amp. I've upgraded it to an X recently with the Alnico Blue and will bookmark this video for the future. Such killer amps. Keep an eye on your local Craigslist where these still go for $500 with a greenback speaker, totally worth it.

[@rubaiyatu]

Thanks solely to your videos, I made a good & informed choice this Spring in buying a used AC15C1. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

[@joemeyer6876]

Well, you know I sold off my 100 watt katana and bought an AC15 head after watching your reviews last year, and Im ever so glad that I did. My tele and Stratocaster dont sound that good through it, BUT my Les Paul is positively transcendental! Nice update. Thanks

[@williambock1821]

Used to have one of these. Had to sell it and that’s what got me into building amps. Didn’t have the cash to buy another amp. Then I started realizing I like building amps just as much if not more than playing them.

[@Timconnorsis]

I like the film angle on this one. Kinda enjoy seeing the amp and tech in frame. A face to the voice if you will

[@PsionicAudio]

Ah, I figure people see enough of my face in the live streams. It’s the hands and the work.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Great playing. You sure are a fast and efficient worker.

[@PsionicAudio]

If only I could actually go 4x faster in real time… But I do strive for efficiency.

[@SurfRockitt]

I also picked up an AC15C1 after watching Lyle's videos. Great amp/sound for the price!! A succinct list of upgrades and mods for this amp would be helpful so I can take that list to my local amp tech. I don't want to mistranslate information they would need to get the work done correctly the first time through. I am NOT savvy to amp electronics 😅😅

[@DanielC__]

I took your advice and bought one of these. Should be here next week. Looking forward to it

[@vikpavasars3272]

Enjoying your channel. Very informative. Just inherited a Hot Rod Deluxe, very lightly used, no sign of heat issues on the board. I am planning to recap and get the high watt resistors off the board. Quick non related question, are you still producing the Excalibur 15?

[@schlep4730]

Superb ! Thanks for sharing.

[@rockinvida1960]

Sweet jangle on ‘dat Vox…” Some nice riffage too! 🎸

[@johnsmith-sm6mh]

Just a great amp Period

[@robertritchie2860]

A link to the video detailing the mods or a list of them would have been useful unless they are of course secret..? I am looking at one of these with a greenback and like the idea of getting more of an authentic tone. The quality of work is amazing BTW.

[@sjolsen]

What are your thoughts on adding a protection diode (and resistor) between the grid and cathode of the cathode follower? It seems logical but when I read about this I wondered if you had a practical assessment to share. Thanks

[@PsionicAudio]

Not really necessary if you use the standby on this. It’s a great thing for new designs or chassis-mounted tubes but a bit tricky to add on this amp.

[@sjolsen]

@@PsionicAudio thanks!

[@gianpierovena235]

I am new to the channel. I like it very much and subscribed after the first video. I have a question: i am looking for an amp around 700-800€ to use in wey dry with a fender hot rod deluxe iv. In the channel the vox ac15 is seen as one of the best amps in this price range. Would you suggest the AC15 for a wet dry rig together with the FHR. Do you have any other amps to suggest? Also, I live in Germany; how can I get the modifications in the video on an AC15? Is there a kit for sale or can you suggest the main modifications? Thank you very much and keep up the great work ;-)

[@talhaiguess]

Do these newer ac15 amps have uk made celestion alnico blue speakers? I've read somewhere that they now use chinese ones and those have vox written on them. But vox brands them as celestion speakers. Can you please confirm?

[@ScottyBrockway]

Over here a happy little resistor lives. Over here how about a happy a little capacitor. There are no mistakes.

[@PsionicAudio]

If only…

[@maxpeck4154]

What brand of tubes is on order/do you recommend for this amp? I have the HW version (in black tolex! Was one of the models from a few years back that came with a Warehouse G12 speaker. I bought it used with an alnico blue) and it's a bit pokey when pushed into overdrive.

[@PsionicAudio]

This one has a full set of JJs coming *from a good dealer that tests them*. The TAD Red Base series is my favorite but it’s a big jump up in price.

[@maxpeck4154]

@@PsionicAudio Thank you!

[@bottomkitchen250]

Returned to this video to take a look at the reverb tank and the available space for an upgrade. I happen to have a new tank. It's longer than the one that comes stock in these ac15 amps. Just wondering if it would fit. I thought i saw a video with someone upgrading the reverb tank and I'm pretty sure it was the longer tank like i have, but i couldn't find that video.

[@AICD1999]

I had one of these I picked up for $285. It need the grill clothe replaced, which I did. A very loud am and I loved the Blue A. Heavy amp so I sold it and bought a Princeton.

[@tonzmcbonz]

Had a question! Look like you're doing some cool stuff going into the opamp mixer - would you be open to sharing what you're doing there? Also was wondering if C38 was worth removing. Thanks for the epic content BTW - it's really inspired me.

[@weschilton]

I sure wish you lived closer so I could have you do this to my AC-15... I definitely need the bias cooled down.

[@PsionicAudio]

Shoot me your phone number Wes.

[@Funkybassuk]

I do love my AC15 with its Celestion Alnico Blue. Would be interested in knowing if you think there are flaws in the parts / manufacturing used.

[@PsionicAudio]

Depends on which model AC15. The Custom is great. The CC and old TB were very much not great.

[@Funkybassuk]

I had to look up my model number. It’s the Custom. What a relief!

[@bottomkitchen250]

Always appreciate the ac15 videos. I'm thinking about getting one (same as here, the alnico blue option). Sadly my ac10 is always trying to annoy me with unexplained static. At first i thought it was tubes. New tubes and problem goes away for like a month but returns. Then it seemed that deoxit to the pots solved the problem but after a few nice static free days its starting to return. I'd really like to upgrade to the ac15 anyway especially for the real spring reverb.

[@PsionicAudio]

Very different amps. The AC10C1 is a travesty inside. The 15 is an entirely different ballgame.

[@socallars3748]

Thanks Lyle, another video to bookmark, along with your last one on these amps! After the last one, I gathered all the parts to do these mods, then life (and cancer!) intervened. Now I'm feeling much better, time to get it done! So does the "X" at the end of the model just refer to the upgraded speaker? Mine has the original greenback, no X. And yes, Steve Selvidge has a great touch!

[@PsionicAudio]

Glad to hear you’re feeling better! X just means it has a blue alnico.

[@roberthurless4615]

It sure does look purdy. lol Is it usually only necessary to only have shield on V1 and not all the pre-amp tubes? Thanks for another excellent video.

[@LuisHernandez-dy1rq]

Can I just send you the chassis to get the standard mods done ?

[@viktor86bt]

My 2021 AC15CH (head version) has that same pcb(PCB_VX15C1_1001_ISS9a). What do you think about the reliability and serviceability of the smd reverb switching circuit on these pcb’s? Thank you for sharing the mods and overall knowledge.

[@PsionicAudio]

I’ve not seen any issues with that part of the circuit. It’s just for reverb/trem switching and would be easy to repair if needed. It’s the only SMD stuff in the amp and it’s easily accessible.

[@viktor86bt]

Thanks!

[@pauldavis6356]

Lyle - has anyone ever mentioned that you have a great voice? Have you ever done any voice over work?

[@PsionicAudio]

Thank you. I hear that from time to time. No voiceover other than these videos but I used to do theater.

[@silviopimentel7247]

I thought these are not good since i had a 62 in the past. Now have the badcat with the ef86.

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, there hasn’t been a real AC15 made since what, ‘68/‘69? This is a 15W version of the AC30 not the real AC15 circuit. And that’s not on the face of it a bad thing. EF86s are about impossible to use in large-scale production amps. So so so much customer education would be needed…

[@douglasdog1]

I had an AC30 and was really put off by the board inside. Just seemed flimsy. The amp would develop a sizzle after 30 minutes of playing. Being a new amp I took it back and they gave me all new tubes for it. Still did the sizzly thing. Brought it back once more and they didn’t believe me so I left it with them. I went back and they kindly refunded me, after offering a replacement, which I turned down. Decided to move on from Vox, just didn’t feel good about it. They confirmed what I heard after 30 minutes or so of the amp being on in their shop. Wish I knew what was causing it. I could only assume something on the board was getting hot. I really like the Vox sound but figured I’d have to spend a little more to get a good one.

[@coldacre]

I bought an AC15C1 and an AC30C2X back in 2010 and both amps are going strong, given me zero trouble. bad amps get through the cracks occasionally but you shouldn’t judge a brand on one bad amp. there’s a reason why the Ac15c1 is so successful and one of the biggest selling amps of the last 15 years

[@douglasdog1]

@@coldacre Yeah, I know they have a track record and there are worse tube amps by big brands out there. I just moved on to other amps that I knew were decent. Always wanted to re-visit, but still think I’d like something a little more like the originals.

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, as much as I love the originals (‘59-‘68) those are very problematic amps to keep running. The Custom series is actually pretty damn fantastic. Was yours a Custom, Custom Classic, HW, Heritage, or TBX? Lots of “AC30s” since 1990…

[@douglasdog1]

@@PsionicAudio I think Custom Classic. Was a new amp I bought around 2015ish. Always had my eye on some of the “clones” or inspired by amps out there.

[@PsionicAudio]

The CC was voiced way too bright without enough oomph. It was correctable but the C is so much better on multiple fronts.

[@adrienantoniol6714]

After seeing all these mods and repairs, I wonder what tube amp is reliable and suitable for home use...🤔

[@PsionicAudio]

The ACxxC series is reliable as-is. I just make them a bit *more* reliable and make EL84s last longer in the circuit. And I make it sound more like a JMI era amp. But in stock form they’re still very good amps.

[@adrienantoniol6714]

@@PsionicAudio Thx !

[@BCarpenter2314]

Just curious, how much do modifications like this cost a customer?

[@PsionicAudio]

These mods are three hours labor (there’s more to it than shown here) and about $25 in parts not counting tubes when needed. As of 8-23 that comes to $265. If someone reads this in coming years the rate may increase.

[@PsionicAudio]

Oh, and that’s for a local amp. Packing/shipping adds more time/cost.

[@BCarpenter2314]

@psionicaudio thank you the reply!

[@michaelmoore7975]

Awesome! I just bought a VOX AC15C1 (no X) in practically new condition at a local pawn shop. It sounds pretty good. Vox is new to me and not quite the amp type I usually play but I really like it. My question is: the previous owner put in a Celestion Rocket 50 in place of what I believe is supposed to be a Celestion G12M Greenback. Can you recommend a good speaker or should I go back with the stocker or maybe keep this one? And will the mods you did here work on my non X model?

[@cgavin1]

Greenback or more popularly the Celestion Blue are the traditional options. For me, personally, its the Celestion Blue that is "the sound". The yanks can keep their tweeds and Jim Marshall can jog on. Vox does it all better tonally but you do have to turn them up past 3 .. 🤣

[@gregbaker9579]

Lyle, is that a 16 or 8 ohm blue in the amp?

[@PsionicAudio]

15 ;)

[@gregbaker9579]

Do you usually switch out the caps with better ones like the fenders?

[@PsionicAudio]

The filter caps in these are much higher quality than Fender uses. And they are good values for the circuit. So, no on the electrolytics. I change some film caps but I’m changing values, not materials.

[@chickenlickin3820]

can you do my ac30

[@DavesGuitarGear]

As I was watching, I had a panic moment…STOP WHAT YOUR DOING HE’S STILL PLAYING IT!! 😮

[@72spawndn]

The playing is great, but I would honestly rather hear you tell us what you’re doing.

[@PsionicAudio]

I have a lot of other AC15 and AC30 Custom videos up where I go into everything. This one I was just showing some stuff I haven’t shown before. Didn’t want it to be a two hour video.