Vox Tube Amp Questions

[rmac]

Hello, i am new to posting but have really enjoyed reading the forum for some time. i am new to electric guitar and have basic questions.
I currently have a Peavey Studio Pro 65W TransTube amp. I am not satisfied with the clean volume level or overall sound. What i want is an amp that has a very high ceiling(??) for the cleanest of tones. I am less concerned with effects, but i love, when no one is home, to play very loud clean electric guitar. Specific question is about vox ac15 and vox ac30. since the 30 has to power 2 12" speakers is it really any louder or cleaner that the 15?? Also, will either really give me a tremendous upgrade from my old solid state Peavey that i bought for $100. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thank you!

[BiBi]

since the 30 has to power 2 12" speakers is it really any louder or cleaner that the 15??
Neither is very "clean" They are both known as more of lead amps. The 30 is definitely louder with double the output tubes and speakers.

Also, will either really give me a tremendous upgrade from my old solid state Peavey that i bought for $100.
If you want clean sounds really loud like you said, you need wattage. So maybe your transistor Peavey is the right thing after all...

[Steve Conner]

Yeah, I agree. If you want a loud, clean tone, solid-state can be better than tube.

However, Peavey's Transtube amps are designed to model the dirty sound of a tube amp, so they may not have the best clean tone.

A Fender Twin or Roland JC120 type amp might be more your thing than a Vox. And on the more modern side, there's the ZT Club and the Henriksen Jazz Amp.

[rmac]

great, thank you very much. i think i just saved a bunch of $$$.

[R.G.]

You want loud, clean?

(heh, heh, heh...)

Get yourself a 1kW PA amp and feed it from whatever preamp you like. But be sure your speakers can stand it.

[rmac]

PA Amp, hmmm. i have tried to do some quick research and does not seem many people go this way. How come?? You have my interest though. Do you know of any reasonable priced PA amp combos? I found QSC powered speakers that interested me. Do you know anything about those. They have the 1000W, or maybe 2 500W amps, not bridged. reviews are great to bad. Amazing to me how reviews are all over the board. Lots of variables i suppose, not the least is individual preferences. I am not going to go hook up and test at my local store, this here is my best chance to get things right. Again, I really appreciate all input.

[Steve Conner]

I think RG's tongue may be somewhat in cheek...

A PA amp or powered speaker could probably make electric guitar very loud, but you might find it too clean. Even with a perfectly clean amp, guitar speakers are designed to colour the tone in a pleasant way that PA speakers won't.

And even in guitar amps famous for their clean tones, there is often a little distortion. It's not enough that you hear it as distortion, it just sweetens the tone and improves the "feel" and touch sensitivity.

[rmac]

Thanks, Steve. i half suspected that was the case. Thank you for your specific recommendations earlier in the thread. I have them over and noticed i was mistaken about saving $$ compared to tube amps, wasn't I? Should I be looking primarily at Jazz amps?
I will try to do some research on my own before i continue posting so i am not wasting everyone's time. Thanks, again. Rob

[Steve Conner]

ZT Amplifiers The Club Amp Review - Premier Guitar
It seems to be about half the price of an AC30 reissue, and the reviews mostly mention how good its clean tone is. A few other forum members bought ZT's previous amp, the Lunchbox, and they seemed to like it.

[rmac]

i looked the ZT review over last night. Looks great. Especially because i have a dealer here locally. Looks like the Lunchbox and the Club appear to have the same power. Club has larger speaker and perhaps a little less feedback due to narrower ???, 75 degrees vs. 90 degrees. In your opinion is the club worth the extra couple hundred dollars?

[Steve Conner]

Probably yes. You said you like it loud, and the bigger speaker will make it louder.

I don't have any connection with ZT, I just think their amps are neat.