THE BEST TUBE AMP UNDER 500€?! | VOX AC10C1 Custom

[@Muhlenburger]

I bought this amp a year ago and have been surprisingly pleased with it. The interaction of the bass and treble tone controls is just fascinating. I've found that it will give me great sounds with different guitars and pickup types. It is also very responsive with pedals. I'll never sell this one!

[@GaryTimms-p5j]

Also love you play clean so you can real tone of what you are reviewing, no heavy distortion, great

[@michaelbajorek1972]

I have this amp. My advice, as well as you play, buy one. Tomorrow they will only cost more. Really liked the versatility you showed. Well done young man.

[@michaelbajorek1972]

@@BryanClark-gk6ie i use mine with my princeton. You are going to the the sound when you pair the amps. Very full sound. Well done.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Glad you're enjoying your amp and thanks for the kind words!

[@kristofer603]

Had mine a little over 2 years now…Sounds Wonderful in Dance Halls with mic and PA.And it’s purrrfect at Home rehearsals,sessions,and After hours.

[@rodneylucas2930]

I've had mine for about four years now and it sounds great. Nice and light and use it on smaller venues.

[@RationalYouth]

Yes, that sounds gorgeous and it's great to see another side of Vox. Apart from that, your playing is really in another dimension, I really enjoyed listening to you.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much!

[@pharmerdavid1432]

Why did I have to watch this video? Now I must have a Vox AC10C1... Nice playing - cheers!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hahaha, thank you! Try it out if you get the chance to! Cheers!

[@jimjamarch]

I did just that as a result of watching this. 6 months in and I am still delighted with it. Beautiful sounds and plenty loud enough for what I do.

[@vincentl.9469]

@@KrenarCilkuGuitar where are you plugged in?

[@ArtDonna84]

😂😂😂

[@johndemko4051]

Superb demonstration, my friend

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much, John!

[@jlore6344]

The amp sounds amazing and the choice of guitars here was perfect. I especially liked how the Tele sounded. I will definitely consider this amp for a future purchase.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

They're great amps, definitely try one out if you have the chance, cheers!

[@Davidthestratman7]

​@@KrenarCilkuGuitarhow loud is it? Can it compete with an acoustic drum set?

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

@@Davidthestratman7 yup, it's definitely loud enough. Cheers!

[@Davidthestratman7]

@@KrenarCilkuGuitar ok thank you.

[@JC-lk3oy]

​@@Davidthestratman7 imo it's on the edge of being overwhelmed by a drum kit. An AC15 would probably suit you better if you're looking to keep from being drowned out. Still a great little amp for practicing at home.

[@BenCoombs]

Those are great little amps!! Nice playing my friend!!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thanks brother!

[@flenemageny]

I love the Vox AC 10 and watch for new unique reviews. Yours was a fresh take. None quite like it. Excellent!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@gregmcknight5183]

Great review !

[@user-cg7dg7uv8f]

Terrific tones and playing. I love my AC10 too, killer little amp

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@KaiserSoze-dp1hw]

Great amp great review and really great playing

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much!

[@GaryTimms-p5j]

Enjoy your honest reviews, I have same eastman t484 as you, great guitar, all hardware etc is good quality, you feel that as soon as you pick it up love the vox amp also, always loved sound of vox

[@wfm210]

Not sure how I missed this Video, another great job... I think I may pick up the AC10. Fantastic playng.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much, Bill, they sure are great amps! Cheers!

[@AdamBurseMusic]

That sounded great Krenar, great demo man 😀🤘🎵🔥🔥🔥

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you Adam!

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Fantastic Video my dude!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Andy!!! Thanks brother, much appreciated!

[@ww8wv1]

Beautiful tone from all 3 guitars.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much, cheers!

[@ArtDonna84]

Just stumbled upon your video. Excellent demo

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

@@ArtDonna84 thank you!

[@mlo-on-soundcloud]

oh i go buy one yes now in red...nice player, and guitars. Big shouts!

[@Archtops]

I have the exact amp and love it. Your playing I could listen to all day. Liked and Subbed!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hey there! Thank you so much for the kind words, much appreciated!

[@LMGuitarCorner]

Great review my friend! Glad your Eastman journey had a happy end. :) VOX has amazing amps. Most people focus only on Fender and Marshall and totally overlook VOX. I would love to try more of the even less popular amp manufacturers amps like Supro or Laney, but they are not that easy to come by in my area. Cheers, Martin

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Martin, thanks buddy! I'm also glad for that, I have to say, I've had some sleepless nights! Your VOX also sounded amazing and I'm definitely hooked on these amps, cheers brother!

[@thebrysmith3]

I've got mine currently set up with the gain set just past noon and the volume at 8 o'clock. My always on pedal is an Xotic EP Booster set at 9, and honestly, I rarely turn on my drive pedals any more. My sound meter app puts my playing levels between 64 and 78 DB. I'm thinking that's not loud enough to annoy your neighbors. Speaking of playing, I really enjoyed yours.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hey Bryan, thank you for the kind words! That sounds like an awesome setup! Pushing the front end of it with that EP Booster should give it a nice compression and feel to it, gotta try it out! Cheers!

[@thebrysmith3]

@@KrenarCilkuGuitar You're welcome! One thing I just noticed is that setting cleans up nicely when I roll of my guitars volume a bit.

[@andrewgarcia3136]

boosters are a must for low volume playing, especially with a tube amp. it's the only way I can get my marshall to sound good at low volume

[@fjona.b5278]

Great review & playing! ❤️

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you zemër! ❤️❤️

[@Gaslight.Guitar]

Great playing man. Love it

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thanks buddy! Cheers!

[@ramontarbg]

Yeah!!! Great song and tone!!! Thank you

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you!

[@graemero5532]

Nice playing Krenar, especially the intro.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much Graeme! I finally got a tube amp on the channel, your cup of tea, right? Cheers mate!

[@graemero5532]

@@KrenarCilkuGuitar Yeh I defo prefer tube amps. I leave the eq knobs on the amp at around twelve o'clock and set eq on my pedals and guitar. The bass/mid/treble knobs on amps are almost always subtractive, meaning turning up bass does not give you more bass, but instead subtracts treble and so on.

[@mmpatriot2170]

Thanks for a great review of a great amp. I just sold my Vox AC4 after I picked up an AC15 head with attenuator. 👍

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Awesome, congrats on your new amp!

[@aaronlarsen7447]

I recomend no more than 2 of your favorite peddles in front of this amp. A transparent overdrive, and a subtle delay. Comes to a point were you rob yourself of this amps true tube character. This amp can dial in a usable tone for several styles, with no pedals at all. I love this amp.

[@johnnyoneniner4820]

I just recently purchased one of these used for $180 US. It quickly became a favorite. Mine is the black and tan with JJ tubes and Creamback speaker. Once I heard it, I couldn't get it home fast enough.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

You definitely got a great deal there, congrats!

[@jammergreg]

Nice chops!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you!

[@RaxFx]

you made the amp sound so warm... me wants one

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hey buddy! I can seriously recommend them, I've had a blast with it!

[@foughtthelaw1]

I've probably had about ten other practice amps and while I've liked something about them all, I think the ac10 is best for home use. The cleans are freaking amazing, and you can, with some work, get some great overdrive tones too.

[@christopherguzzi1316]

How much work does it take to turn the gain up?!?!?!😉🤗😘

[@Lalairu]

I've been considering the AC4 for a long time. Love Vox amps. That Eastman is gorgeous :D

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

They're amazing! I'd try both amps at the store if I were you. Cheers!

[@killnoni5032]

@Lalairu what did you eventually choose? I’m thinking of getting ac10 but unsure about it being suitable for home use, they seem pretty loud to me.

[@Lalairu]

@@killnoni5032 I finally got a second hand Bugera v5. I still wish I had money for the Vox though 🤣 you might like the Bugera, it has 3 mode of atenuation. 0.1-1-5w

[@killnoni5032]

@@Lalairu I found a brand new one for 400 euros. I’m also on the fence with others. Thank you for the answer!

[@Lalairu]

@@killnoni5032 you should try them and decide if possible. Are you planning live shows or something?

[@glisteningkabana8154]

Sounded great! I also use the same classic vibe Tele with an AC10👌

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you! That's awesome, great sounding combination, cheers!

[@gueroblanco]

Youre an amazing player, wow!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much!

[@Riceyminimad]

Good playing man! I'm thinking of getting thus amp too

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hey Tim, thanks! It's a great amp, for sure! Cheers!

[@chriscutmore492]

I loved your playing style, thanks for the review, I bought this amp last year, have gigged with it as well as great for practice. Great video! Many thanks’ keep it up! 🎸👍

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hey Chris, thank you for the kind words, cheers!

[@michaeldiaz5473]

Nice playing

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much, Michael!

[@MrRafaztar]

This is a modern classic, you join player like Yvette young in praising this amp, that is not quite like the vintage but by itself a great amp. I have tried one and much preferred to the AC30S1 that I had

[@MrRafaztar]

The telecaster sounded very good

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

@@MrRafaztar thanks man! Yes, I played an AC30S1 recently and that thing was a dream!

[@SteamAllchill]

I have one and must say, it’s fab!

[@vincentl.9469]

where is that guitar plugged in? the input is on top

[@jeanphilippelabrousse]

You’ve a great sound. Beautiful. Thank’s.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much, I appreciate the kind words!

[@roddiculousguitar]

Sounds great dude 👍👍👍🙂

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thanks man, cheers!

[@ctcards2636]

If you open up the AC10, you will find the power tubes are placed right behind the speaker (this is NOT good) and because this is a closed back cab, the heat builds up in these. Also to change the tubes requires a lot of tear down (which is NOT the case on many other amps in this price range). Ive seen a lot of issues with this amp and there are not a lot of serviceable parts in these. I would not rely on this amp on the road. Just be cautious are it may sound great right now, but down the road this is a ticking time bomb. Thanks for the video and I hope you dont have issues like ive seen with yours.

[@voxpathfinder15r]

I have looked into this, what isn’t serviceable? It’s not a nightmare like those bassbreaker amplifiers.

[@ctcards2636]

@@voxpathfinder15r Does that board look like anything you want to be soldering and desoldering stuff off ? The tiny components. Also if the heat builds up too much the DSP chip for the reverb can stop functioning. Theres a lot going on in that amp. I have known of 4 people who had these and within a few months of constant gigging they were not working, luckily a few of those people had them new and so they were under warranty. The others tried getting it fixed and the entire board needed to be replaced on both. Good luck getting that board from Vox. Just food for thought. The AC10 is not as well built as the AC15 is or the 30 for that matter. I wouldnt comment without experience and after I looked at a few of them (I build and repair) its not a servicable amp if any of those components on the board a)fail or b) fry and damage the board. Its not like trying to repair some of the other amps out there. Look at the inside of a blues jr (thats also not a reliable amp) at least the components are easy to find and easier to fix etc. I like Vox amps, just not this one.

[@ctcards2636]

@@voxpathfinder15r Also its not handy to have to have a screw driver to remove the ridiculous amount of screws on this closed back combo just to get to the tubes. I can replace a tube on the spot in about 30 secs in other amps. This is not an ideal amp to try fixing at a gig quickly lets just say that. If a tube goes, better have a backup amp. Its not a 30 sec job to put a new tube in.

[@voxpathfinder15r]

@@ctcards2636 I don’t know, I service the circuit boards on my Vox Pathfinder amplifiers just fine. These look no different, unless I am wrong?

[@rodolphep0nthus555]

That's the problem with most amps now, they are made of a bunch very tiny components,. I'm sure an Iphone size board would be sufficient to build a 50 watts class D amp

[@taloujazz9504]

what the name of the first Eastman please ? I have had a Vox AC15C1 it was a very good amp and playable even with neighbors around but this one sounds good too and above all is lighter and smaller just perfect as practice amp

[@boddumblues]

Lovely amp. Tip; if you find it a little too loud/hot, change the V1 12AX7 to a 12AU7 and you can set gain and master at 12 o'clock without getting nervous ;-)

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you so much for the tip! I might give it a shot but at the moment, I'm totally digging how the amp sounds and reacts like all stock. It's a fantastic little amp! Cheers!

[@SergeiVlassov]

12AX7 is a preamp tube, how will it make it more quite? It will affect only when preamp ovedrives.

[@fabienares5577]

I remove 12ax7 V1 to a 12ay7 on mine. Great tone for low volume or home using

[@vincentl.9469]

@@SergeiVlassov I've seen this many times. I would stick to 12AX7 / ECC83 pre amp tubes -as intended

[@vincentl.9469]

Christian..to get a clean sound you just need to set the Volume higher -even much higher, than the gain- or with overdrive, crank up the gain keep vol. down. I've tried low gain tubes like the 5751 in the pre amp. it's not worth doing as overdrive pedals will then work badly - whenever you need distortion. It's not an improvement on anything

[@GabiOprea]

Vox make some great amps!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

They sure do! Cheers!

[@wimgroeneveld1789]

Got to crank it

[@offbeatbassgear]

Krenar broke out the blazer to wear for this video, so you know he's serious about this piece of gear!

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hahahaha, you know what's up! Gotta invest in some new blazers though! 😂

[@ernststavroblofeld2109]

@@KrenarCilkuGuitar when you do, you can give me that one.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

@@ernststavroblofeld2109 done deal.

[@bassyey]

I'm torn between this amp or Vox MV50 Clean head + a 12" Celestion cab, which is 120usd cheaper. Hard decision. But I'm a bass player, I shouldn't be thinking too hard about this.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hey there, I think it depends if you're particular about the poweramp. I believe the MV50 has a class D powersection while the AC10 has a traditional tube class A powerstage. Although if you go with the MV50, you'll have a more modular setup that might also allow you to use the cab for your bass rig as well. I personally would choose the AC10 because it fits me and my needs perfectly. Hope this helps, cheers!

[@kristofernewton422]

I've owned A Parade of Different Amps...THIS ONE IS my Favorite.

[@0pingsimple24]

what were the chords to the intro?

[@dennisfinch5981]

Do You know what speaker is in the amp?

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Hey there, the amp has a 10" celestion vx10 speaker. Cheers!

[@andreasocarroll5390]

@@KrenarCilkuGuitar And the VX10 is great in this amp. I also tried a Celestion G10 Creamback and Jensen Falcon 10 in my AC10C1, and I think I prefer the stock VX10. It is warmer and feels more fluid to play than the Creamback and Falcon 10. (The Creamback may not be broken in yet, though)

[@pheonix3302]

You still going with the stock speaker?

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

@@pheonix3302 hey there! For now, yes. I haven't tried a different one but I can imagine that the creamback speaker might define the mid-range a tad. That's really good since I strive to get good mid-range but it's nothing an eq pedal can't fix. Cheers!

[@deadenear]

Have this and a pro jr. Fender gets the nod. Just buy a reverb pedal with the money saved.

[@SergeiVlassov]

Beautiful playing! But for my taste - too much reverb and too long reverb tail.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Thank you Sergei! Yeah, I know, I'm a reverb addict and I need help! 🤣 Cheers!

[@SergeiVlassov]

@@KrenarCilkuGuitar not the worst type of addiction )

[@alanjudd7537]

He won't be able to Crank it up in his apartment, I have one, and it's Bloody LOUD, Nice but in my rooms' at home, I'll rarely use it past volume number 2.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

Exactly, it CAN get very loud!

[@DanielDavis730]

No return & send thats a no go

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

I can see how that could be a no-go... unfortunately, most of the vox ac line amps don't offer an effects loop...

[@charlesyoung8600]

What pickups are in that eastman? You're sure gonna get the ho's with that solo. Lol

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

🤣🤣🤣 hey man, it comes with a Seymour Duncan Jazz in the neck and a Seymour Duncan '59 in the bridge. Cheers!